Chu Shangyue slowly nodded, his hands nervously clutching the hem of Chu Shangluo’s clothes. He stammered, “Car…” When talking about events that had just happened, Chu Shangyue’s ability to express himself was fairly intact, but recalling past events was always much more challenging. “Car…” He raised two fingers and wiggled them before clenching his fists and bumping them together. “Two cars… Bang! Boom! Fire, so red, so red… Him…”

Chu Shangyue pointed toward the phone, a flash of fear crossing his eyes. “Face… Blood… So much…”

Chu Shangluo’s face turned pale as he watched Chu Shangyue point to the cup on the table and continue, “Cup, him, drinking at a party, Luo Luo chasing me, car, car, bang!”

As Chu Shangyue spoke, Chu Shangluo’s palms began to sweat.

Chu Zong thought for a moment and cautiously asked, “Cousin Yue, are you saying that the man in the photo is connected to that car accident? But at the time, only you and Cousin Yue were present. And why does Cousin Yue keep repeating that there were two collisions?”

Chu Shangluo took a deep breath and grabbed a tissue to wipe the cold sweat from his hands. “Chu Zong, you may not know this, but before the car accident involving me and my brother, my brother had already been in another car accident. In that accident, someone rear-ended him, and the perpetrator’s car exploded. The perpetrator’s face was burned beyond recognition.”

“But if his face was burned, why would Cousin Yue say this man was also drinking at a party? A man with such severe burns would stand out at a high-society gathering. Could it be that Cousin Yue’s memory is mistaken?”

Chu Shangyue clung to Chu Shangluo, shaking his head. “Luo Luo, it’s him! It’s all him! Bad man! You didn’t crash into Ge! It was him!”

Chu Zong said, “Cousin Luo Luo, it seems Cousin Yue is confusing the two accidents—his being rear-ended and the one with you.”

Chu Shangluo didn’t reply. His mind drifted back to Chu Shangyue’s final car accident.

At the time, Chu Shangluo had been running a small, unremarkable company that, by sheer luck, caught the attention of a business giant, Mr. Chen. Mr. Chen brought him to a high-society party to broaden his horizons.

It was the first time people in the business circle had noticed Chu Shangluo, who had always been overshadowed by Chu Shangyue’s brilliance. For the first time, his star shone brighter than Chu Shangyue’s.

At the time, Chu Shangyue was also at the event. After mingling with the new friends who had gathered around him, Chu Shangluo went to find Chu Shangyue, only to be questioned about whether he had deliberately stolen the spotlight to embarrass his elder brother in front of everyone.

Chu Shangluo, angered, said something harsh in return. Their argument grew increasingly heated until Chu Shangyue, in a fit of anger, drove off. After calming down, Chu Shangluo went after him, but unexpectedly, Chu Shangyue slammed on the brakes. Chu Shangluo had no time to react and crashed into him.

After hearing what Chu Shangyue had said earlier, Chu Shangluo realized that the events of that year were riddled with suspicious details. For instance, why would the usually mild-tempered Chu Shangyue argue with him so publicly at an event full of people? Furthermore, Chu Shangyue was cautious by nature and would never have driven drunk, let alone abruptly braked on a road where stopping was prohibited. If that incident wasn’t an accident but rather orchestrated…

Chu Shangluo clenched his fists tightly, a wave of intense hatred rising within him.

Snapping back to reality, he turned to Chu Zong. “I Leave this matter to you. Find out everything about the person who first crashed into Chu Shangyue and this man who escaped. I want all their information.”

By now, it was almost time for work. Chu Shangluo decided to skip breakfast and said to Ren Jiaoming, “Let’s go. Back to the office.”

Ren Jiaoming glanced at the bowl of porridge he had just prepared for Chu Shangluo. Just as he was about to follow him out, Chu Shangyue suddenly grabbed the bowl and pushed it to Chu Shangluo’s lips. “Luo Luo, eat! If you don’t eat, your tummy will hurt! You have to eat until you’re full!”

Chu Shangluo frowned but didn’t push Chu Shangyue away. He ended up being force-fed a whole bowl of porridge. His already battered suit—ripped and stained with blood the day before—was now further soiled with porridge, rendering it completely unusable.

Chu Zong watched as Chu Shangluo, frustrated and unable to push his brother away, looked utterly exasperated. He finally understood why Chu Shangluo couldn’t bear to see Chu Shangyue. Being controlled by an older brother with the mind of a ten-year-old was utterly overwhelming.

Chu Zong couldn’t help but smile as he found his cousin’s predicament amusingly endearing in its contrast. His gaze inadvertently fell on Ren Jiaoming, who was standing nearby. He noticed that the usually cold and distant secretary looked at Chu Shangluo differently than he did at others. He couldn’t quite pinpoint how, but there was definitely something unusual in his expression.

—

Back at the Chu Corporation, Chu Shangluo headed straight to his personal quarters in the office to change clothes, with Ren Jiaoming waiting nearby.

Chu Shangluo pulled out some fresh clothes, but when it came to undressing, he realized how difficult it was to manage with just one hand. After struggling for a while and only managing to undo half the buttons, he grew irritated. Glancing at Ren Jiaoming, he said, “Come here and help me.”

Ren Jiaoming walked over and stood before him, calmly undoing the buttons on his suit jacket. Although Chu Shangluo wasn’t severely injured and could move his arm, it wasn’t particularly convenient.

As Ren Jiaoming worked on the buttons, Chu Shangluo suddenly noticed that Ren Jiaoming was half a head taller than him. He had always thought they were about the same height.

While observing Ren Jiaoming, he began to wonder how someone from an orphanage, who likely had poor nutrition and inadequate living conditions, had grown to be so tall, well-built, and brilliant. Was this just divine favoritism?

At that moment, Ren Jiaoming was carefully holding the cuff of Chu Shangluo’s sleeve, gently helping him take off his jacket.

The two stood very close, so close that their breaths intertwined, and they could hear each other’s heartbeat. Chu Shangluo’s heartbeat was steady and slow, but each beat felt like a petal falling into a still pond, sending ripples that threw Chu Shangluo’s emotions into turmoil.

No wonder so many people in this world willingly lose themselves in love. While one can control many emotions—anger, greed, excitement—there are some that can’t be hidden or restrained. Liking someone, feeling moved by someone, is like a wild vine that grows unchecked, unknowingly wrapping itself around one’s heart, impossible to break free from.

Ren Jiaoming finished taking off Chu Shangluo’s jacket and carefully helped him put on a fresh one. His head slightly lowered, his cold demeanor softened a little, as he attended to Chu Shangluo with patience and precision. If Chu Shangluo didn’t already know his personality, anyone watching would have thought he was an obedient and gentle secretary.

Chu Shangluo stared at Ren Jiaoming and couldn’t help teasing, “Secretary Ren, looking at you like this, you really do seem like a good man.”

Ren Jiaoming fastened the last button of Chu Shangluo’s jacket and replied, “President Chu, it’s already time for work.”

“…” The teasing was a failure.

—

The two of them arrived at the office. As soon as Chu Shangluo walked in, Lin Zhi came up to him, staring at his injured arm with concern. “Does it hurt?”

Chu Shangluo waved it off. “It’s fine, don’t worry.”

Lin Zhi turned to Ren Jiaoming and couldn’t help but give instructions. “Secretary Ren, make sure President Chu avoids spicy foods for now, and no alcohol either. He needs to watch his diet.” Completely oblivious to the fact that Ren Jiaoming was also injured.

A short while later, Jiang Jia came in carrying bags upon bags of supplements. He even teared up a bit while holding Chu Shangluo and, without missing a beat, volunteered to be Chu Shangluo’s personal assistant.

After much effort, Chu Shangluo finally got rid of him. But Young Master Jiang wasn’t discouraged and winked at Chu Shangluo before leaving. “You must have trouble dressing, showering, or using the restroom, right? Let me help! Or if you have any… particular needs, I, Jiang Jia, am willing to be your second right hand!”

Such audacious words earned him a direct escort out by the security guards.

Later, when Qian Xiaosi came to collect some money, he too rattled off a long list of things Chu Shangluo needed to pay attention to.

Finally, after dealing with him, a few senior executives and relatives from the company heard about his injury and brought even more supplements to visit him. The entire day, Chu Shangluo never had a moment’s peace, and it nearly drove him mad.

Ren Jiaoming sat silently by his side the whole time, yet not a single person noticed that Secretary Ren’s arm was also wrapped in gauze.

The only one who noticed was Gu Yao, who showed up last and cheerfully quipped, “Oh, how romantic! These days, matching outfits and shoes are so passé. You two are rocking matching gauze arms. That’s interesting!”

Chu Shangluo: “…”

Finally enduring until the end of the workday, Chu Shangluo didn’t bother going home and decided to stay at the company. He even suggested that Ren Jiaoming also stay, reasoning that with it being the dead of winter and his hand injured, it wasn’t worth the hassle of traveling back and forth.

Ren Jiaoming, however, declined his kind offer. As Chu Shangluo watched Ren Jiaoming’s departing figure, he couldn’t help but think about how secretive the man was about his home, never allowing him to visit. Ren Jiaoming’s attachment to his home made Chu Shangluo suspect there might be something hidden there after all.

—

That evening, Chu Shangluo struggled for over half an hour just to undress, working himself into a fury. The frustration was compounded by the thought that he’d taken that injury for Ren Jiaoming, yet the man had shown no gratitude whatsoever. This only fueled his anger further.

After finally getting his clothes off, he was sweating profusely and too tired to bother with a shower, so he simply went to bed.

That night, Chu Shangluo had a series of dreams, ending with a nightmare—a vivid replay of the moment he crashed into Chu Shangyue. He woke up drenched in sweat.

By then, the sky was just beginning to lighten, with several hours left before work. Rubbing his damp, sweaty hair, Chu Shangluo let out a long sigh, walked into the bathroom, and settled into the bathtub, filling it with warm water.

Exhausted, he fell asleep without realizing it. When he woke up again, the water had turned cold.

He sneezed and tried several times to sit up by holding onto the edge of the tub, but his legs cramped up.

“Damn it!” Chu Shangluo cursed, slapping the cold water with his good arm in frustration. “It’s all that damn Ren Jiaoming’s fault! No matter how much I try, I can’t warm him up. What bad luck did I have in my past lives to fall for such a cold-hearted block of ice!”

His face was flushed—whether from anger or the cold water was unclear—and his eyes glistened as if they were filled with unshed tears. In that moment, the usually resolute and commanding President Chu appeared somewhat childish.

The next moment, the bathroom door swung open.

Chu Shangluo looked up and saw Ren Jiaoming standing in the doorway.