Neither of them brought up the topic of couple’s outfits again, tacitly letting the conversation drop.

On the weekend, Yu Yan and Shen Yuchen had agreed to go buy some LEGO. Yu Yan timed it perfectly, leaving home about ten minutes after Yu Chen under the pretense of running an errand. He got into Shen Yuchen’s car at the entrance to the community.

Today, Shen Yuchen wasn’t driving his usual Rolls-Royce but instead had switched to a high-chassis SUV, which explained why Yu Chen hadn’t recognized the vehicle.

“After we buy the LEGO, how about we go to Fang Ge’s shop for a meal, then head home to assemble the LEGO and play some games?” Yu Yan suggested. He wasn’t much of an outgoing person and mostly thought of entertainment that could be enjoyed at home.

Shen Yuchen, naturally, had no objections.

Yu Yan skillfully connected his phone to the car’s Bluetooth and started playing some catchy songs.

As the SUV made its way to the city center, it should have entered the underground parking lot via the side road near the mall. However, Shen Yuchen took a detour, driving around the mall instead.

“Is the parking lot full?” Yu Yan asked curiously.

Shen Yuchen shook his head. “No. Buckle up.”

Yu Yan responded with an “oh” and quickly double-checked his seatbelt. Ever since the accident, he’d become especially cautious.

After a while, Yu Yan noticed something unusual. No matter where they drove, a gray van was following them, staying close and even closing the distance.

“I think I was being followed when I went out a couple of days ago too,” Yu Yan remarked.

Since he rarely had a driver pick him up and often used ride-hailing services, he hadn’t felt it as strongly back then.

Shen Yuchen frowned. “Let me know ahead of time if it happens again.”

“At the time, I didn’t realize what was going on—just felt like I was being watched. I’ll call the police now and let my brother know,” Yu Yan said. Just as he picked up his phone, the car made a sharp turn, and he hit the door. Fortunately, the seatbelt kept him from getting hurt.

It took him a while to retrieve his phone and make the call.

The gray van had moved ahead of them, and Shen Yuchen now drove toward the outskirts of the city, taking a road with less traffic.

However, it wasn’t long before another van caught up to them—clearly not the one from before.

“Ge, is something wrong with that van?” Yu Yan asked.

“Probably modified,” Shen Yuchen replied.

“Isn’t that illegal?”

“There are strict regulations about vehicle modifications domestically. As long as it’s within the limits, it’s not illegal.” Shen Yuchen took a moment to glance at him. “Scared?”

Yu Yan shook his head and even managed to joke, “Not really. If I were the one driving, then maybe.”

“Still holding that grudge?” Shen Yuchen chuckled, not taking it seriously.

“I wouldn’t dare. How could I hold a grudge against you?” Yu Yan teased back while replying to messages from Yu Chen.

These vans were likely sent by Qi Ke. Although Qi Ke managed to escape unscathed from the Qi family’s case, Yu Chen and Shen Yuchen had exposed some of his other crimes, which had now been filed for investigation.

With lawsuits piling up, Qi Ke’s plans to flee the country had naturally fallen apart.

Oddly enough, the previous car accident seemed to have less of an effect on Yu Yan now. Even if he were behind the wheel today, he doubted he’d feel particularly afraid.

The farther they drove into the outskirts, the fewer cars and pedestrians there were. Eventually, all the vans emerged from the traffic.

It seemed as if they had received instructions, as they suddenly began accelerating recklessly, two of them attempting to box the SUV in from both sides.

“Hold on tight.”

The moment those words left Shen Yuchen’s mouth, before Yu Yan could even respond, Shen Yuchen abruptly sped up, breaking through the two vans and moving into the far-right lane.

The vans pursued relentlessly, sticking close behind. Ahead of them was another gray van, clearly aiming to force them to stop.

Yu Yan glanced at the GPS on his phone. “Circle around a bit longer—my brother and his team are almost here.”

Because they had to avoid the busy urban areas, they had driven deep into the outskirts, delaying Yu Chen’s arrival as well.

“Bang—”

The sound of the crash and the screeching brakes echoed in his ears. For a moment, Yu Yan experienced ringing in his ears, his entire body thrown forward before being pulled back by the seatbelt. The airbag obscured his vision.

The intense smell of blood filled his nostrils, and the ringtone of his phone sounded distant and ethereal.

---

Hospital.

After an examination, it was confirmed that Yu Yan was uninjured—not even a scratch on his skin. However, the moment of the car accident had frightened him deeply.

This was thanks to Shen Yuchen’s excellent driving skills. Just before the collision, he had veered onto the sidewalk, causing the car trailing behind to crash into a streetlight.

Shen Yuchen, however, wasn’t as fortunate. The vehicle pursuing from the left had hit him directly. Even with airbags deployed, he still sustained injuries—mild concussion and fractures. Thankfully, it wasn’t too serious.

The two perpetrators of the accident weren’t so lucky. They were either severely injured or disabled.

Given Shen Yuchen’s skill as a driver, he could’ve entirely avoided injury. Yet, he chose to prioritize protecting Yu Yan. This left Yu Yan with a mix of emotions he couldn’t quite describe.

After the doctor left, Yu Yan wanted to say something but ended up merely staring at the wound near Shen Yuchen’s hairline for a moment before murmuring, “I wonder if it’ll leave a scar.”

“And if it does?” Shen Yuchen raised an eyebrow and teased, “Oh, right, you’re all about looks. If I get a scar, will you not want me anymore?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Yu Yan, still shaken, had no energy for humor. “Why… Why did you save me first? What if something had happened to you?”

Although Shen Yuchen was an excellent driver, in the face of a car accident, no one could guarantee absolute safety.

To the right of the road was the sidewalk, with streetlights along it. On the left was a median strip planted with tall camphor trees.

Whether driving onto the sidewalk or the median strip, the outcome would have been the same. But if Shen Yuchen had chosen the median strip, the one lying in the hospital bed now would have been Yu Yan.

Shen Yuchen replied nonchalantly, “I calculated everything. Nothing would’ve happened.”

“And if something did?” Yu Yan glared at him, a torrent of emotions surging within.

Just as Shen Yuchen and Jiang Mo had evaluated him months ago, Yu Yan wasn’t someone who liked to take responsibility or owe people favors. Now, all of a sudden, he owed Shen Yuchen a massive debt of gratitude, and he didn’t know how to repay it.

“There’s no such ‘what if,’” Shen Yuchen said, tugging Yu Yan closer to the hospital bed. “If something had happened to me, you’d remember me for the rest of your life. And if we both had… then it’d just be…”

“Just be what?”

“A lover’s pact.”

Yu Yan froze, dumbstruck. It took him a long moment to process what Shen Yuchen had said, his face turning bright red. “What… what nonsense are you spouting? Who’s making a lover’s pact with you? If you ever do something that dangerous again, I’ll run as far away as I can.”

The fact that Shen Yuchen could say something so suggestive was utterly unexpected!

“Run where?” came a voice.

The door to the hospital room opened, and Yu Yan’s family arrived, along with Zhang Shujun and her daughter.

Yu Yan instinctively stood up, giving up the spot next to the bed to Zhang Shujun. But instead of sitting, she gently pushed him back into the chair.

Before they arrived, Yu Yan had already informed everyone of the results of his examination via text, so no one was overly worried.

Jiang Mo, however, first inquired about Shen Yuchen’s condition, then carefully examined Yu Yan to ensure he was unharmed before finally relaxing.

“Brother, did you find out? Was it Qi Ke?”

Yu Chen felt conflicted as well. “It’s him. He has lawsuits hanging over his head, so he can’t leave the country. He even considered smuggling himself out but was caught. That’s when he found a few desperate criminals. I heard they’ve been following you for a few days. Didn’t you notice?”

“I felt something was off, but I didn’t pay attention.”

Being overly protected by his family, Yu Yan realized he had lost his ability to sense danger.

“Can you at least care a little more?” Yu Chen’s frustration was evident, stuck somewhere between anger and helplessness.

Yu Yan sighed. “It was my carelessness. If I had thought about this earlier, Brother Chen wouldn’t have been hurt.”

“This isn’t your fault. Qi Ke would’ve been prepared no matter what. It’s lucky I was here today,” Shen Yuchen said, his voice steady but with a hint of lingering fear. He couldn’t imagine how helpless Yu Yan would’ve been if he were alone in the car.

Besides, the people following them had been driving multiple modified cars, which made their presence obvious. If it had been just a regular tail, it would’ve been entirely normal for Yu Yan not to notice.

Looking at Shen Yuchen’s injuries, Yu Yan felt a deep unease in his heart.

“Brother, has Qi Ke been caught?”

Yu Chen nodded. “He was hiding in a rented apartment, but they still caught him. The evidence is solid. He probably won’t be out for at least ten years.”

Yu Yan nodded furiously. “Make sure to hire the best lawyer to get him more years in prison.”

He wouldn’t rest easy if Qi Ke got out early, especially considering Shen Yuchen’s injuries.

Jiang Mo sighed. “Xiao Yan, from now on, let the driver accompany you. Otherwise, I won’t feel at ease.”

The Yu family’s drivers were all trained in self-defense and could double as bodyguards.

“It’s fine, Mom. The bad guy is locked up now; it’s no big deal,” Yu Yan said nonchalantly.

Jiang Mo insisted, “It would still give me peace of mind to have someone with you.”

“It’s not necessary. Don’t you already use the family’s shared location to keep track of me?”

The reason Yu Chen had been able to find them today was thanks to the family’s shared location feature.

Jiang Mo wanted to argue further but was stopped by Yu Lin. “He’s grown up and has his own ideas. Don’t force him.”

Yu Yan turned to Yu Chen. “Brother, what about the rest of the Qi family? Have they been dealt with?”

“More or less. Don’t worry about it,” Yu Chen replied, massaging his temples. He hadn’t expected Qi Ke, the last loose end, to cause such a commotion. This time, he was determined to thoroughly investigate every single member of the Qi family.

Meanwhile, Zhang Shujun and her daughter had looked over Shen Yuchen’s medical report. Confirming that his injuries weren’t too serious, they finally relaxed.

Lunch was a chaotic affair, with everyone squeezing into the hospital room with takeout boxes. In the afternoon, though they wanted to stay longer, Yu Yan used the excuse that their presence might disturb the patient’s rest and shooed everyone out.

Zhang Shujun picked up her bag. “Xiao Yan, thank you for watching over him this afternoon. I’ll hire a nurse to come tonight.”

“There’s no need to hire a nurse. I’ll stay tonight,” Yu Yan blurted out.

“Do you even know how to take care of someone? Having a nurse would be much more convenient,” Yu Chen retorted.

“Why wouldn’t I know how? Don’t underestimate me!” Yu Yan huffed, then quickly explained to Zhang Shujun, “Auntie, Brother Chen has a cleanliness obsession. He won’t be comfortable with a stranger around. Doesn’t he not even have a housekeeper at home?”

“Is that so?” Zhang Shujun hesitated. After all, recovery wouldn’t happen overnight.

“Of course! Isn’t that right?” Yu Yan immediately gave Shen Yuchen a look.

Shen Yuchen nodded. “Yes.”

Yu Chen wanted to say more but was promptly pushed out by Yu Yan.

Forget it. Considering Shen Yuchen had saved his younger brother, he might as well let him take care of him.