Shen Yuchen’s fever this time was rather peculiar. Just two hours ago, when Yu Yan left the hospital, everything seemed fine. He suspected that Shen Yuchen might be having an allergic reaction to the IV fluids, so he specifically consulted the doctor, requesting an allergy test and a change in medication.

The doctor patiently explained that the IV contained a standard anti-inflammatory medication that Shen Yuchen had used before without any allergic reactions.

Yu Yan pondered for a moment before asking, “Is it possible that he was allergic before, but it went unnoticed?”

“Young Master, that possibility is zero,” the doctor replied with the same level of patience.

That made sense—after all, the entire hospital belonged to Shen Yuchen. The doctors wouldn’t make such a basic mistake.

“Then why is he running a fever?” Yu Yan couldn’t make sense of it.

The doctor paused for a moment before answering, “Perhaps he caught a sudden chill.”

“Well, that certainly is… sudden,” Yu Yan muttered.

“Maybe he was exposed to cold air. Someone should stay by his bedside for now to monitor his condition. If it doesn’t improve, we’ll adjust the medication,” the doctor explained before leaving.

Aside from a cold-induced fever, the doctor couldn’t provide another explanation. However, Yu Yan felt he had taken good care of Shen Yuchen, leaving no room for him to catch a chill.

Could it be that Shen Yuchen kicked off the blanket while sleeping last night? But just two hours ago, there were no signs of anything wrong.

“Still feeling uncomfortable?” Yu Yan placed a hand on Shen Yuchen’s forehead. The temperature wasn’t particularly high.

Shen Yuchen shook his head weakly. “Did I disturb your blind date?”

Yu Yan: “…”

“Did you like the person? Were they a man or a woman? Were they good-looking? Probably good-looking if they didn’t have a scar on their forehead, right?”

Shen Yuchen looked utterly frail, with the scar on his forehead particularly noticeable. Rarely, his face showed a faint flush, and his eyelids drooped lazily. Even speaking required pauses to catch his breath.

He was this sick, yet he still had the energy to care about Yu Yan’s blind date?

Yu Yan didn’t reply. Instead, he tucked Shen Yuchen back under the blanket and went to fetch water.

Just as he stood up, Shen Yuchen’s voice came from behind him again. “Going to meet your blind date?”

Yu Yan gritted his teeth. “I’m going to get water!”

“I’d like cold water.”

“No.” Yu Yan mixed hot and cold water, tasted it himself to ensure the temperature was right, and naturally handed the cup over.

Shen Yuchen froze for a moment, glanced at the water stains on the rim of the cup, and then took a few sips directly from Yu Yan’s hand.

“Do you want more?” Yu Yan asked as he pulled the cup away.

Shen Yuchen shook his head. “No.”

An indirect kiss counted as an intimate act, right? But Shen Yuchen didn’t show any signs of rejection. Could this mean that Shen Yuchen indeed had feelings for him?

After all, Shen Yuchen was a germaphobe. During their first meeting, Yu Yan hadn’t even been allowed to get into his car.

After setting the cup aside, Yu Yan took out his phone to reply to Jiang Mo’s message. Since there wasn’t anything serious going on with Shen Yuchen, his family didn’t need to rush over. After all, today was Xi Yuan’s art exhibit, and it wouldn’t look good if his entire family left early—it might upset the Xi family.

Initially, the plan was for Yu Yan to join them for dinner and bring something back for Shen Yuchen from the restaurant. But now that he had returned early, dinner arrangements became uncertain.

Zhang Shujun hadn’t mentioned delivering dinner tonight, likely because she was busy helping Zhang Cancan choose a school. After some thought, Yu Yan decided against ordering takeout—considering Shen Yuchen’s fever, hospital meals would be more suitable than outside food.

With this in mind, Yu Yan decided to head to the cafeteria.

Just as he reached the door, a fit of violent coughing came from the hospital bed.

Yu Yan quickly returned to Shen Yuchen’s bedside to help soothe him. “What’s wrong? Do you need some cough medicine?”

“No,” Shen Yuchen shook his head and refused, then asked, “Going to have dinner with your blind date?”

Yu Yan: “…”

He shouldn’t have asked!

Was Shen Yuchen jealous, or was it just because he was sick and feeling clingy?

He’s a patient. He’s a patient. He’s a patient!

Yu Yan took a deep breath. “I’m going to the cafeteria to get food.”

“Come back soon.”

The door to the hospital room clicked shut softly, and Shen Yuchen closed his eyes to rest.

But just a few minutes later, a faint “click” was heard as the door opened again.

“Not going anymore?” Shen Yuming subconsciously looked up, only to see a fully disguised, suspicious-looking person.

Before Shen Yuming could react, the person started peeling off layers of their disguise right in front of him. Gloves, a hoodie, a baseball cap, sunglasses, and a mask were removed one after another, revealing a familiar face.

Was He Zhiyu here to visit a patient? Or was he here to look for Yu Yan?

Before Shen Yuming could ask, He Zhiyu spoke first, uttering something that left him utterly dumbfounded—

“President Shen, where’s my husband?”

The words had barely left his lips when the room fell into an eerie silence. The atmosphere plummeted to freezing point as Shen Yuming’s entire demeanor exuded a suffocating pressure.

Sensing Shen Yuming’s hostility with his sharp intuition, He Zhiyu quickly opened the door, ready to flee if needed.

But then, Shen Yuming was still hooked up to an IV drip with a needle in his hand, so he probably wouldn’t get physical with him.

Shen Yuming narrowed his eyes slightly. “Your husband?”

He Zhiyu stepped back two paces, distancing himself from the hospital bed. He nodded and struck a deliberately shy pose. “My husband, Yu Yan. Isn’t he here?”

Beneath the blanket, Shen Yuming’s fists clenched tightly, an inexplicable fury sprouting and spreading.

The tension in the room reached its breaking point.

Shen Yuming’s expression grew increasingly grim and menacing. “Who are you calling?”

“Of course, I’m calling my husband! Didn’t my husband tell you about us? Oh, I forgot to mention—because of work reasons, my husband decided to keep it a secret. President Shen, you must help us keep this between us. We’ll treat you to dinner someday,” He Zhiyu said with an increasingly exaggerated smile. He continued flaunting, “My husband also said…”

“Shut up.” Shen Yuming’s face darkened further.

Meanwhile, Yu Yan was at the cafeteria packing meals for two.

The hospital’s bone broth wasn’t ready yet, so he waited a little longer and sent a message to Xi Yuan to apologize for the delay.

Xi Yuan responded almost instantly, asking briefly about Shen Yuchen’s condition before saying nothing more.

By the time Yu Yan left the cafeteria, half an hour had passed.

As soon as he exited the elevator, he noticed the door to the hospital room was wide open. He wondered which careless nurse had failed to close it properly. Didn’t they know Shen Yuchen was still running a fever and couldn’t afford to catch a cold?

Striding into the room, Yu Yan promptly shut the door.

“Husband~” A voice so sickeningly sweet it sent chills down his spine rang out.

He Zhiyu had deliberately exaggerated his tone, dragging out his words with a dramatic flair.

Yu Yan was so startled that he almost dropped the meals in his hands.

He Zhiyu clung to his arm. “Husband, you’re finally back! I’ve been waiting for you for so long~”

Just as Yu Yan was about to snap, he suddenly remembered the proposal he had previously dismissed.

He Zhiyu had actually followed through with it—and without even giving him a heads-up!

On the hospital bed, Shen Yuchen said nothing. He simply stared at He Zhiyu with a dark, menacing expression. When Yu Yan entered, Shen Yuchen’s gaze shifted to him, as if waiting for an explanation.

“He Zhiyu, are you out of your mind?”

“Husband, how could you say that to me? I came here specifically to find you. You’re going to break my heart.”

He Zhiyu’s acting had clearly improved since before, but seeing a man over six feet tall—taller than Yu Yan—calling him “husband” with a bashful expression was downright creepy.

Yu Yan put the meals down, enduring Shen Yuchen’s murderous gaze. He decisively grabbed He Zhiyu by the sleeve and pushed him toward the door.

“Your performance is over. Stop causing trouble! Otherwise, I’ll have your dad take you home!”

Just as the door was about to close, Yu Yan clearly saw He Zhiyu grinning at him and giving him two thumbs up as he silently mouthed, “Good luck.”

With a sense of “mission accomplished,” He Zhiyu strolled into the elevator humming a tune. Cheerfully, he opened the group chat “Spring Blossoms Fourteen Five (6).”

[He Zhiyu]: Everyone, get your wedding money ready!

[Song Yunjing]: Who’s getting married?

[Chen Qingyu (as Brother He’s little bro)]: Boss, I’d be honored to be your best man!

[Jian Ran]: You’re in a relationship? Since when?

[He Zhiyu: Not me, it’s Xiao Yanyan. I just came out of President Shen’s ward.]

[Cao Yuanye: What did you do?]

[He Zhiyu: It’s a long story. I walked in and directly asked President Shen, “Excuse me, have you seen my husband, Yu Yan?” and “Where is my husband, Yu Yan?” President Shen shot me a glare so sharp it could kill. I instantly knew there was potential for drama! Let me reenact it for you: “Husband“—President Shen looked like he was ready to bury me alive.]

[He Zhiyu: Why does it feel like I just made President Shen feel betrayed? He won’t blacklist me, right?]

[Song Yunjing: Gross. Don’t send voice messages.]

[He Zhiyu: Unfortunately, the performance ended prematurely because Xiao Yanyan chased me out. @Yu Yan, no need for words of gratitude between brothers—just treat me to a meal later, and invite President Shen too.]

[Chen Qingyu (He Bro’s Little Brother Version): Bro, you’re seriously brave. [Thumbs up] [Thumbs up]]

[Cao Yuanye: You’re still alive?]

[He Zhiyu: Alive and kicking. I left the door open—if President Shen had made a move, I would’ve bolted.]

…

The door shut, cutting off the noise from outside. Inside the ward, it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Even knowing it was all an act, Shen Yuming’s face was as dark as a storm cloud.

“So, he’s your blind date?”

His voice was hoarse, laced with a commanding intensity.

“He’s not my blind date. There’s no such thing as a blind date, to begin with.”

Yu Yan’s mind was in utter chaos. He hadn’t even had the chance to explain the blind date situation before this whole fiasco erupted.

Shen Yuming let out a soft “oh,” his tone cold. “He called you ‘husband’?”

Yu Yan braced himself and started improvising. “He… recently found a script he likes. It’s a double male-lead storyline. I… I thought it wasn’t a good fit, so I didn’t let him take it. This… this is his way of getting back at me!”

There was no way he could say that He Zhiyu had come to test whether Shen Yuchen liked him or not, right?

“A gay-themed script?” Shen Yuming raised an eyebrow.

Yu Yan nodded instinctively. “Something like that.”

“Why did you think it wasn’t a good fit? Do you discriminate against gay people?”

“No, it’s not discrimination. I… I just… I think with his current status, he can establish himself in the film industry. There’s no need to take on web dramas anymore.”

One lie leads to another, and Yu Yan was deeply regretting not shutting down He Zhiyu’s plan at the outset.

Shen Yuming nodded slowly. “So, you don’t dislike gay people?”

“I don’t.”

Shen Yuming tapped his fingers lightly on the bedside table. “Then let’s return to the original question.”

“What question?”

“You like men, don’t you?” Shen Yuming paused briefly, his voice deep and magnetic. “Or, to rephrase— the person you currently like is a man, isn’t it?”