After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 52

Yu Lan had previously considered various scenarios for what might happen after staying here for three months.

 

In his own words, they were mainly divided into two categories: a happily-ever-after escape and a not-so-happy escape.

 

Later, because he discovered he could see Chu Wang, communicate with him, and had a good relationship with Xi Jun, he quietly revised it to a happily-ever-after escape with Chu Wang not losing his memory, and a heart-wrenching escape with Chu Wang waking up but not remembering anything.

 

There was even a version where, if things didn’t follow the plot, Chu Wang never woke up, leading to an escape based on his own skills.

 

In short, all scenarios ultimately ended with the notion of running away.

 

None included staying behind.

 

Let alone the fantastical option of “being with Chu Wang.”

 

Thus, Yu Lan held him for a long time before he could barely stop his nose from stinging.

 

He thought to himself that Chu Wang was anything but indifferent or uncommunicative. He spoke very precisely, each word targeting the softest spot.

 

Yu Lan originally felt he could never find an outlet to agree or refuse, but Chu Wang had pinpointed it so accurately, leaving him helpless.

 

He almost started crying again when he thought about how his emotions had been out of control that day because of Xi Jun’s words.

 

He clung to Chu Wang’s clothing, straddling him and humming, “You… let me try.”

 

Although Chu Wang’s body wasn’t fully recovered, he still had strength. He held the back of Yu Lan’s head securely with one hand, his fingers tangled in Yu Lan’s soft hair. “Alright.”

 

The feeling of not having to support his own weight was very comfortable. Even though Yu Lan had thrown himself onto Chu Wang, it felt like he was being enveloped by him.

 

His scent was very clean. Since he was no longer bedridden, the slight smell of disinfectant had faded, and Yu Lan could smell the familiar, fresh fragrance of the suits from Chu Wang’s wardrobe.

 

After hugging for a while, Yu Lan suddenly asked, “Have I been lying on you too long? Is it uncomfortable?”

 

“It’s okay,” Chu Wang’s voice sounded free of shortness of breath or other discomforts. “It’s not the first time.”

 

It wasn’t until Chu Wang mentioned it that Yu Lan remembered several instances when Chu Wang had appeared after he realized that they had been in contact for long enough.

 

“Back then, you weren’t awake, so it was different,” Yu Lan said, blushing.

 

Although he found it hard to articulate what was different.

 

Perhaps it was the breath and heartbeat that would finally respond to him or the voice that could respond from now on.

 

Yu Lan felt a bit ashamed of himself, as he wrapped around Chu Wang, resting his chin on his shoulder and looking out the window.

 

Not sure if it was because they were so high up, Yu Lan stared for a while and suddenly said, “Why do I feel so light now?”

 

He was a bit frustrated, realizing that the feeling after nodding was like this.

 

It felt as though something heavy that had been hanging over his heart had finally fallen away. Perhaps the weight was too great, and suddenly feeling light, it felt as if he might float away.

 

Yu Lan was very comfortable hugging him and didn’t want to get off Chu Wang’s lap. He suddenly thought of something and asked, “So, on the first day you were conscious, did you see me cry?”

 

He also wasn’t sure how he had spent those days when Chu Wang’s soul was missing. “What about the last few days? What was the situation?”

 

Chu Wang answered patiently and systematically, “The last few days… I had some vague impressions of the outside world, but I was mostly unconscious after that.”

 

He started with the night of the auction: “At that time, you tried the bead with me, but you couldn’t get it right. You were very tired later, so I didn’t want to disturb you and fell asleep next to your bed.”

 

“I remember very clearly because it seemed you had a dream that night—” Chu Wang recalled. “At first, you frowned, but I couldn’t hear what you said in the dream.”

 

“I watched you all night, but I must have been affected by the bead later and fainted for a long time.”

 

“When I became conscious again, I wanted to call you and talk to you, but I felt as if I was being pressed down by something heavy, unlike before when I could float around the room. At that time, I couldn’t move at all. Later, I heard you calling me, but I couldn’t say a word.”

 

“It was pitch black, and I couldn’t move or open my mouth, nor could I respond. At that moment, my consciousness wasn’t fully clear, but I had a sense of returning to my body.”

 

“I knew you were next to me and calling me, so I exerted all my strength to try to respond, even though I didn’t know how long I had been struggling,” Chu Wang said in a relaxed tone, as if the person struggling and nearly suffocating wasn’t himself. “I don’t know how long I tried, but I did manage to move a little.”

 

Yu Lan listened intently. “So I went to call the doctor.”

 

“I knew it was you the moment I touched your fingers,” Chu Wang said.

 

He had touched them with vermilion when he was teaching him to tie a bow tie, and even in his fuzzy state, he recognized it instantly.

 

“But I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t open my eyes or mouth, and I felt like my breathing wasn’t my own. So the only thing I could do was hold onto you, using all my strength, and fortunately, I succeeded in the end.”

 

Yu Lan certainly remembered, as he had been distraught at that time, gripping Chu Wang’s fingers beside the bed until the doctor finished the examination.

 

He hadn’t thought much of it then, but it felt a bit embarrassing now.

 

“You know what happened next,” Chu Wang said. “When I reappeared in the room, because my soul had returned to my body, even though I could only float, I felt very weak.”

 

“So you had that intuition at that time, and that’s why you said those things to me,” Yu Lan finally pieced everything together and asked in a low voice.

 

“Not entirely,” Chu Wang replied calmly. “I thought I might not be able to wake up. Then I realized I had never properly expressed my feelings to anyone, and I tended to say whatever came to mind.”

 

“After that day, my soul seemed to return to my body, but I was still mostly unconscious. I might have been able to vaguely sense you talking to me at certain moments, but my senses were blocked, and I couldn’t hear clearly or respond.”

 

“But waking up was instantaneous,” Chu Wang said. Today, he had indeed spoken a lot, and fortunately, communication was no longer an issue. “At that time, my hand felt very warm, and when I realized the word ‘warm,’ consciousness suddenly returned.”

 

Then he opened his eyes and saw the face he had longed for, buried in his hand.

 

Yu Lan finally understood the whole process and furrowed his brows in pain. “That must have been very painful.”

 

“It was alright,” Chu Wang said lightly. “It was worth it.”

 

“So you said you could hear me when you first woke up,” Yu Lan suddenly realized. “No wonder… no wonder you said not to cry anymore.”

 

Yu Lan seemed to be hung up on his sudden outburst of tears, not thinking much when he spoke. “So you saw everything.”

 

Chu Wang laughed softly, sensing that Yu Lan was very concerned about this matter. “I couldn’t open my eyes at the time, so how could I see?”

 

“Then how did you know?”

 

“It sounds magical, but I did sense it.”

 

Yu Lan’s eyes widened. “How do you sense something like that?”

 

Chu Wang focused and recalled, noting the sudden silence and the unspoken, melancholic mood around him.

 

“It was just that speaking at that time felt very difficult, and if you knew, you might have been affected and your mood, which you had just managed to adjust, would have been influenced by me,” Chu Wang said. “So I pretended not to know anything and didn’t say anything to you.”

 

Yu Lan stubbornly searched for words. “…So why mention it now?”

 

Chu Wang replied without hesitation, “Because I couldn’t hold it in anymore.”

 

Yu Lan blinked, unusually obedient, and didn’t say anything further.

 

He sat on Chu Wang’s lap and watched the clouds for a while. After a moment of silence, he asked, “So, after you wake up, what do you want to do?”

 

“First, physical rehabilitation,” Chu Wang answered honestly. “I had many plans, but now I think taking care of the present is also quite good.”

 

“I want to take it slow,” he said.

 

“You mentioned wanting to take me to see Aunt Liu, who looked for you at the orphanage before,” Chu Wang remembered. “Let’s go after some time.”

 

Yu Lan nodded but hesitated before saying, “Speaking of which, the night you disappeared, I dreamt of you.”

 

He briefly recounted the strange dream and then said, “After waking up, I couldn’t find you, but the doctor told us you could wake up early.”

 

“This time, it was the same. Because I dreamt of her, I went to the cemetery to see her, and then you really woke up.”

 

“She was so good to me, and whenever I think of her, something good seems to happen,” Yu Lan said with gratitude. “I really feel lucky.”

 

Chu Wang gently touched his hair and responded softly.

 

A person abandoned since childhood, when reflecting on a life of less than twenty years, described their situation with the word “lucky.”

 

He didn’t speak but silently tightened his embrace.

 

“By the way, I dreamt of you twice in total.” Perhaps because of the good atmosphere, Yu Lan finally couldn’t resist and said, half-seriously and half-jokingly, “The first time I mentioned, and the second…”

 

He paused. “In the second dream, our ending was predetermined. In that dream, you were ruthless, indifferent, and very violent.”

 

Yu Lan quickly raised his hand to assure him. “Of course, in that dream, I wasn’t a good character either. I was like Liang Zhiyu said, gloomy and always thinking about harming others. Even after marrying you, there was no peace.”

 

“The dream said you would hate me when you woke up, blaming me for everything, unable to tolerate what I did, and finally put me in a mental hospital, not caring if I lived or died.”

 

“I—I had asked about Yu Ling before because that dream said you would like him after locking me up, and then you’d become deeply infatuated with him…”

 

Yu Lan’s voice grew quieter towards the end, afraid that Chu Wang might get angry.

 

Unexpectedly, Chu Wang seemed calm after listening and even nodded during Yu Lan’s narration.

 

This reaction was different from what Yu Lan had expected. He straightened up, hands resting on Chu Wang’s shoulders, and stared at his face. “So calm? I thought you’d be unhappy…”

 

“That wasn’t you,” Chu Wang seemed puzzled by his curiosity. “Why would I be unhappy?”

 

Yu Lan was taken aback, almost thinking that Chu Wang might know something about the book.

 

But Chu Wang simply looked at him and said, “The ‘Yu Lan’ in your other dream must not be you.”

 

“So everything you said doesn’t apply,” Chu Wang’s voice was deep. “Because if it were you, no matter how you changed or described yourself… I would never have the possibility of liking anyone other than you.”

 

They were facing each other now. He spoke steadily, but Yu Lan’s heart raced twice as fast as he looked into Chu Wang’s eyes.

 

He saw himself clearly in Chu Wang’s eyes, gripping his shoulders tighter. “…You’ve never been in a relationship before, but how come you speak like that?”

 

“I never thought about it. I saw you, so I naturally said it,” Chu Wang said with a faint smile, as if he had no more questions about that dream.

 

Yu Lan, feeling as if a significant matter had been resolved, exhaled deeply.

 

He wrapped his arms around Chu Wang’s neck again, with many thoughts at that moment, but in the end, he only said, “It’s so good to be awake.”

 

But there were still things he couldn’t understand.

 

He never expected that although Chu Wang was very eloquent, given his background, discussing love between the two of them felt like high school students.

 

Although he knew Chu Wang’s character didn’t match the book’s portrayal.

 

But did it not align in this way?

 

After all, they were in the office, and just as things were becoming warm, Zhang Yan’s polite knock interrupted.

 

Yu Lan quickly got off Chu Wang’s lap and was relieved that he had closed the door properly.

 

When Zhang Yan walked in, her boss was leaning in his wheelchair, going through the pile of untreated documents accumulated over the year, while Yu Lan was sitting on the nearby sofa, casually flipping through a thick economics book from Chu Wang’s bookshelf.

 

He didn’t seem very interested, merely waiting for Chu Wang.

 

Despite the Chu family’s many people, if he really didn’t want to, he could have found someone else. But Yu Lan looked very happy, his eyes shining, just waiting for Chu Wang to finish his work and go back together.

 

Well…

 

Perhaps it was an illusion, but the series of events and scenes from the parking lot to the corporate building had such a strong impact on her that now, looking at these two, there was a peculiar “familiar old married couple” aura.

 

She pinched her fingers behind her back, wondering if she was a bit delusional.

 

Zhang Yan quickly pulled herself back into work mode. Despite Chu Wang having been in a coma for a year and the company being temporarily managed by family members, there was still a backlog of work. She prioritized everything and reported and handled it as concisely as possible.

 

She knew Chu Wang’s habit: if he could avoid delaying anything until the next day, he would. However, the amount of work was overwhelming even for a healthy person. Zhang Yan thought about it and decided to dare to remind him later, considering his health was more important. Now that everyone knew he was awake, other matters weren’t urgent.

 

Yu Lan watched the handover of work between them for a while, going from curiosity to shock at the volume of work, and soon found himself yawning.

 

“So for the High-tech Zone project, do you think we should…”

 

“Are you tired?” Chu Wang suddenly stopped. Zhang Yan, with good timing, paused as well and saw Chu Wang address Yu Lan, who was already drowsy on the sofa.

 

Yu Lan shook his head. “It’s just that these documents are too obscure; they’re giving me a headache.”

 

“When will you be done with work?” Yu Lan looked at the thick stack of documents still piled up. “Shouldn’t you rest first? The doctor said you need rehabilitation tonight, and your health isn’t fully recovered yet. What if it gets worse…”

 

Zhang Yan felt grateful in her heart and silently gave Yu Lan a thumbs-up. She didn’t have to bring it up herself!

 

After all, every time she had raised this issue in the past, Chu Wang had rarely taken it seriously and would say, “I’ll give you triple overtime pay,” leaving her to stay late.

 

She glanced at Chu Wang to see if Yu Lan would be able to persuade him further if he refused.

 

But Chu Wang, after listening to Yu Lan, seemed to have no hesitation and closed the pen he was using. “Alright.”

 

Zhang Yan: ??!!

 

Her boss pushed the remaining documents a little further away and said, “I’ve taken care of the urgent matters these past few days. If you need my signature on anything, bring it to my home, or just delay it a few days.”

 

Zhang Yan: “…Alright, Mr. Chu.”

 

She understood now.

 

It was just a matter of who brought it up, wasn’t it!?

 

Zhang Yan quickly gathered the remaining contracts and documents, cast a complex glance at her boss, who used to prioritize work over love, and bowed before exiting the office.

 

He had changed, completely changed!

 

Ms. Zhang, who had been diligently working and earning money, pressed the elevator button, thinking that Chu Wang had played his role quite convincingly before?

 

After all, it seemed like…

 

Zhang Yan quickly suppressed the emerging thought and decided that, given Chu Wang’s health, she shouldn’t hold such evaluations.

 

But she couldn’t stop herself from thinking—why does he seem so much like a high school student who just started dating?!

 

As she internally apologized, hoping Chu Wang wouldn’t deduct her pay, she reviewed today’s impressions of Chu Wang and further solidified this thought.

 

Forget it, Zhang Yan thought secretly. With this trend, Chu Wang might even give her a raise.

 

Ms. Zhang, who had instantly come to this conclusion, became cheerful and decided to enjoy her early end of the day by arranging dinner with friends.

 

Yu Lan saw Zhang Yan leave. “So you don’t have anything else to do today?”

 

Chu Wang replied, “The driver is waiting in the parking lot. Just go down directly.”

 

Perhaps used to pushing Chu Wang around, Yu Lan instinctively moved to support the wheelchair, but Chu Wang had already reached out and turned the wheel a bit, moving forward.

 

Both of them were momentarily taken aback by each other’s actions.

 

Chu Wang understood what Yu Lan meant and said, “I can walk by myself now.”

 

“You can’t stand up, how can you call it walking?” Yu Lan said. “And turning the wheel yourself is so tiring. I’ll push for you.”

 

“But I need to do it myself. You can’t help me with everything,” Chu Wang said calmly.

 

“Then let me help you while you still can’t move well,” Yu Lan said with a smile, but he was already standing behind Chu Wang, showing an attitude of “I’ll help whether you agree or not.”

 

Chu Wang paused and smiled calmly, “Alright, thank you, Xiao Yu.”

 

Yu Lan looked at him. “Why are you calling me that?”

 

“You still call me Mr. Chu,” Chu Wang said.

 

“That’s different! I’m just used to it,” Yu Lan argued. “It’s not like I’m going to call you Mr. Chu like everyone else.”

 

“Forget it, I can’t bring myself to say it,” Yu Lan said, rejecting the idea. “It feels like calling you that makes it seem like you’re from a different generation.”

 

Chu Wang sat there, watching to see what else Yu Lan would come up with.

 

Yu Lan rubbed his chin and said, “Wow, that’s stimulating. Isn’t it just that people enjoy watching us? If I keep addressing you so respectfully, it’s like one of those classic scenarios of a wealthy CEO and his ‘contract marriage’ little canary…”

 

“…” Chu Wang was indeed puzzled by the young man’s thoughts and his expression was less calm. He frowned and asked, “…How did you just blurt out ‘contract marriage’?”

 

“Isn’t it? Don’t you usually browse the internet?” Yu Lan said instinctively before realizing something and muttered, “It’s that kind of story that starts with ‘I’ve been with him for seven years, always respectful, and in the end, he’s with his intern’…”

 

Although Yu Lan felt guilty, he tried to act tough and looked at Chu Wang cautiously, half in apology and half in a test, “Sorry, I forgot you don’t browse the internet.”

 

Chu Wang, shocked by the term, now found it amusing and glanced at Yu Lan. “It’s okay, you’re filling in for me.”

 

Yu Lan cleared his throat and pretended nothing had happened.

 

“I thought you might be angry,” Chu Wang said. Indeed, after their brief disagreement just now, Chu Wang had instinctively wanted to express his thoughts, but then worried that Yu Lan might be upset.

 

“What’s there to be angry about?” Yu Lan blinked and thought for a moment, quickly understanding Chu Wang’s meaning. “But you’ve already shared your feelings with me and are willing to show me this side of yourself, so why should there be anything to mind?”

 

“I know,” Yu Lan’s tone shifted. “Moreover, since you’re not fully recovered yet, if we really had a disagreement, I could just take action.”

 

“Understood.” Seeing Yu Lan’s confident expression, Chu Wang felt his earlier worry was somewhat unnecessary. The person who had just signed a pile of crucial documents now smiled lightly. “I’ll do as you say, little canary.”

 

“At least until you’re better,” Yu Lan emphasized further.

 

“No problem.” Chu Wang accepted it all and seemed quite satisfied.

 

But when Yu Lan approached, Chu Wang felt a tug at his heart as he looked at their overlapping silhouettes and grabbed Yu Lan’s outstretched hand.

 

Yu Lan was momentarily surprised but made no move to pull away. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing.” Chu Wang’s gaze was fixed on his hand. “I just wanted to hold it.”

 

Yu Lan didn’t say anything more.

 

He could probably understand Chu Wang’s feelings. Maybe it was still due to just waking up, and after being in a suspended state for so long, there was a need to do something repeatedly to feel more grounded.

 

So, he let Chu Wang hold his hand, their fingers interlocked perfectly.

 

Chu Wang’s hand was large, and Yu Lan felt a slight itch in his palm, unable to resist moving slightly.

 

Soon, Chu Wang’s hand seemed unsatisfied with just holding. He began to grip Yu Lan’s slender wrist, the warmth gradually rising, his fingertips pressing against Yu Lan’s pulse, the fragile veins pulsing vividly under the pale skin.

 

He could feel and touch everything.

 

Yu Lan, inexplicably feeling a bit flushed, wanted to comment that Chu Wang’s current behavior seemed a bit too far from his usual persona and overly clingy. However, because Chu Wang had just accurately identified him earlier, he couldn’t bring himself to speak.

 

Chu Wang climbed up Yu Lan’s wrist slowly. His strength hadn’t fully recovered yet, but he still tried to pull Yu Lan closer to himself—

 

When Yu Lan started to lean towards Chu Wang slightly, his body instinctively used his other hand to brace against Chu Wang’s shoulder for balance.

 

Their position was subtly intimate. Just as Chu Wang was about to pull him closer, Zhang Yan, who had been told it was time to leave, returned with a slightly apologetic look. “Mr. Chu, I think I might have left my phone…”

 

She then saw the two pairs of eyes turn to look at her.

 

One pair was Yu Lan’s, facing away from her, with one hand still resting on the other person’s shoulder.

 

The other pair was her boss’s, now looking at her with a blank expression.

 

It felt eerily familiar.

 

Zhang Yan, who had returned to retrieve her phone after finding it missing, was suddenly drenched in cold sweat. “Sorry, Mr. Chu, sorry, Mr. Yu! I just thought you were leaving, and the door was open, so I came in!”

 

Then, in a second, she grabbed her phone and disappeared swiftly, leaving in a flash.

 

She even closed the door behind her.

 

Zhang Yan fled into the elevator at lightning speed, but her mind was still full of the earlier scene.

 

What was that?

 

A second round?

 

Ms. Zhang, known for her workaholic nature, clutched her phone, feeling very distressed. Although she was now supportive of her boss’s romance, she wondered if her overtime pay was about to disappear.