Crossover Actors - Chapter 29

The infusion room at the hospital was crowded, with people coughing and blowing their noses. Before Qu Yanting could say anything, Lu Wen couldn’t stand it and took the initiative to book a private room.

 

The room wasn’t large, but it was quiet, clean, and had a private bathroom for convenience. A nurse came in with the prepared IV fluids, hung the medicine bag, and asked which hand to use for the infusion.

 

Qu Yanting extended his left hand, the back of which was pale, with a few bluish-green veins crisscrossing. The nurse skillfully inserted the needle and said, “Don’t let the drip run too fast. If anything happens, just press the call button.”

 

It was Lu Wen’s first time accompanying someone in a hospital. He moved from the foot of the bed to the head, placed the cup of water he had just gotten, and then pulled out a chair to sit by the bed.

 

Qu Yanting was propped up on two pillows, his upper body slightly elevated. He heard Lu Wen sigh and turned his head to look at him, silently asking what was wrong.

 

Lu Wen said, “I was standing far away just now, afraid that the nurse might recognize me, but I was overthinking it.”

 

Qu Yanting chuckled, “You’re the male lead in this drama. Your popularity will increase once it airs.”

 

Lu Wen replied, “Can the production team promote me a bit more? Like saying Lu Wen has excellent acting skills and emotional intelligence, and that famous screenwriter Qu Yanting highly praises his promising future.”

 

The high fever had made Qu Yanting’s mind numb, and without thinking, he said, “Sure, I’ll arrange it for you.”

 

Lu Wen was astonished. He had been joking, never expecting Qu Yanting to agree so easily. He couldn’t tell if Qu Yanting was serious or just teasing him.

 

Outside, the city lights sparkled, and the nightlife of young people was just beginning. Feeling a bit guilty, Qu Yanting said, “There are doctors and nurses here; I’ll be fine on my own.”

 

Lu Wen rolled his eyes. From “drowning” to tonight’s high fever, he had serious doubts about Qu Yanting’s ability to take care of himself. What if he fell asleep and didn’t wake up, and the IV drip ran out without anyone noticing?

 

He said, “I don’t trust you. You’re not very reliable.”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “I’m fine. You should go take care of your own things.”

 

Lu Wen sniffed, “I don’t really have anything to do.”

 

Qu Yanting said, “Didn’t you have a date tonight?”

 

Lu Wen thought to himself that his persona as a ladies’ man was already established, so he might as well go along with it. “It doesn’t matter. I’m late anyway, so I’ll reschedule.”

 

To avoid further questioning, Lu Wen pulled out his phone and pretended to reply to a message.

 

As expected, Qu Yanting didn’t ask any more questions, assuming that Lu Wen was in contact with his date and was at least offering an explanation. After that, Lu Wen held onto his phone, seemingly engrossed in conversation.

 

The room was quiet. Bored, Qu Yanting’s eyes followed the suspended track on the ceiling, tracing it from right to left, down to the IV stand, and onto the medicine bag, watching the tiny bubbles rise in the liquid.

 

Suddenly, his arm was poked.

 

Qu Yanting turned his head. Next to his right arm, Lu Wen had poked his finger but hadn’t pulled it back yet.

 

Qu Yanting couldn’t help but wonder, was the date really unavoidable? Or had he changed his mind after chatting with the person?

 

Lu Wen leaned in a little closer, holding up his phone. “Mr. Qu, can you help me take a look?”

 

Qu Yanting had no interest in prying into other people’s conversations and politely declined. “That’s not appropriate. You don’t need to ask for my opinion.”

 

Lu Wen persisted, “But I want you to take a look.”

 

Before Qu Yanting could respond, Lu Wen had already shoved the phone in front of him. There were no chat logs on the screen; instead, it was filled with colorful, animated characters, each occupying a corner.

 

Qu Yanting was momentarily stunned. “You’re… playing Landlord?”

 

“Yes,” Lu Wen complained, “This jerk started the game by revealing his cards and doubling up, making me feel so much pressure. You’re so good at Mahjong, help me figure out what to do.”

 

Qu Yanting was amused and exasperated. Lu Wen poked him again, urging, “Hurry up, there’s a countdown.”

 

Qu Yanting’s throat hurt as he raised his right hand to tap the screen. Lu Wen clung to him, hovering by the bedside, holding onto half the cards.

 

They were so close that he could hear Lu Wen’s breathing. Qu Yanting lowered his hand. “You play by yourself.”

 

Lu Wen finally sat back, crossing his legs, his bony ankles peeking out from beneath his trousers. His shirt was soft and neatly pressed, with two buttons undone, and his sleeves rolled up. His trench coat was draped across his waist and hips, as if to protect his abs from the cold.

 

Qu Yanting’s face was still flushed, the sickness adding a layer of weariness to his expression. His eyes drooped, his lashes fluttering lightly. He pressed his hand against his body and tugged at the blanket.

 

Noticing this, Lu Wen exited the game he was about to win and asked, “What’s wrong? Are you cold?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “My stomach feels a bit uncomfortable.”

 

Lu Wen suddenly realized that after staying up all night and going the entire day without eating, Qu Yanting was probably just hungry. As soon as he mentioned it, his own stomach growled in response.

 

The hospital cafeteria had stopped serving food long ago, so Lu Wen opened a food delivery app and asked Qu Yanting what he wanted to eat. Qu Yanting, his mind foggy, could only think of congee with preserved egg and lean pork, and taro cake.

 

Lu Wen searched for restaurants but found that the hospital was outside the delivery area. Restless, he grabbed his trench coat and decided to go to the cafeteria himself.

 

Before leaving, Lu Wen pinched the corner of the blanket and lifted it slightly, saying, “Tuck your right hand under the blanket.”

 

Few people ever ordered him around like this, so Qu Yanting was slow to react, belatedly pulling his right hand back under the blanket. Lu Wen tucked him in and said, “Mr. Qu, get some sleep. When you wake up, I’ll bring you something delicious.”

 

Qu Yanting had the strange feeling of being coaxed like a child.

 

In the next moment, Lu Wen confessed, “When I was little, I wouldn’t go to sleep, so my nanny would trick me like this.”

 

Qu Yanting was speechless. “But I’m not a child.”

 

Lu Wen replied, “Which is why I’m not tricking you. I’m off.”

 

Qu Yanting closed his eyes and listened to the footsteps leaving the room and the door closing. The only sound left was the ticking of the IV drip. Gradually, he fell asleep and had a dream where the sun was shining brightly, like a clear day in the North.

 

He didn’t know how much time had passed before he was roused by the sound of light footsteps and instantly woke up.

 

A duty nurse came in to change the IV bag and said, “Your temperature has gone down a bit. How are you feeling?”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “Much better.”

 

The nurse smiled and said, “You’re a light sleeper. I peeked in a few times but didn’t dare to come in. The handsome guy staying with you specifically told me not to wake you.”

 

Qu Yanting was no longer sleepy. He propped himself up against the pillow and picked up his phone from the bedside table. It was almost nine o’clock; he realized he’d slept for more than an hour.

 

Unlocking the screen, he noticed a small red circle on the “Phone” icon indicating a missed call. He had forgotten about it and was about to call back when “Ruan” called again.

 

Qu Yanting answered and called out, “Xiaofeng.”

 

At the end of the corridor, Lu Wen had made a big loop back, carrying a large bag of food in one hand and a cup of hot chocolate in the other.

 

When he reached the door of the ward, Lu Wen wasn’t sure if Qu Yanting was awake, so he turned sideways and used his shoulder to gently push the door open a crack. Before he even entered, he heard Qu Yanting talking on the phone.

 

He immediately stepped back and waited outside.

 

Qu Yanting said, “I’m fine.”

 

Ruan Feng had called the first time but got no answer, thinking Qu Yanting was resting, so he didn’t call again. When he couldn’t find him at the hotel, he found out that Qu Yanting had gone to the hospital because he was ill.

 

“Maybe I caught a cold in the rain, got a bit of a fever,” Qu Yanting said. “I’m getting an IV.”

 

Ruan Feng asked, “The housekeeper said you had a friend with you, someone with the last name Lu?”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “Yes, Lu Wen.”

 

He held the phone a bit farther away, avoiding Ruan Feng’s loud voice, but still caught parts of what he was saying: “The housekeeper mentioned Mr. Lu, and I thought it might be Lu Wen. It actually is…”

 

Ruan Feng asked for the room number, wanting to come over. Qu Yanting refused; there were too many people in the hospital, and getting recognized would just cause unnecessary trouble.

 

A nurse passed by outside the door, “Handsome, you’re back. Why are you standing outside?”

 

Lu Wen covered it up with a silly smile. The boss was on a private call inside, so how could he just walk in?

 

On the phone, Ruan Feng compromised, “Alright then, I won’t come over.”

 

Qu Yanting hung up, and the room fell silent.

 

Five minutes later, Lu Wen pushed the door open and pretended to have just returned.

 

Qu Yanting glanced over, but Lu Wen didn’t look back at him or greet him. He just walked over and lowered the mobile table, placing the food containers on it one by one.

 

Qu Yanting’s left hand couldn’t move, and he was weak, so he reached out and grabbed the corner of Lu Wen’s shirt.

 

Lu Wen was caught off guard, being pulled a step closer before realizing that Qu Yanting wanted to sit up. He reached out and supported him, his hand tracing the shape of Qu Yanting’s shoulder blade through the silk pajamas.

 

“Was it tiring to run errands?”

 

Lu Wen pouted. Of course, it was tiring, and he even had to stand outside like a fool.

 

Qu Yanting said, “You should eat more.”

 

The pout turned into a grin. Lu Wen opened the food containers and excitedly said, “I got two light dishes, which should go well with the taro cake.”

 

Sitting sideways on the edge of the bed, Lu Wen had ordered shrimp dumplings for himself, which were delicious. He asked, “Mr. Qu, do you not eat any seafood?”

 

Qu Yanting nodded; he didn’t like the fishy smell.

 

Lu Wen said, “Yes, Shan doesn’t eat fish either. Did you get inspiration from your own preferences?”

 

Qu Yanting paused, stirring his century egg and lean meat porridge, and then took a spoonful to avoid the question. His tongue got slightly burned, and he frowned.

 

Lu Wen had just finished eating and grabbed the porridge from him. “It’s too hot, right? Eat the taro cake first, I’ll blow on it for you.”

 

“No need for the trouble,” Qu Yanting felt uncomfortable.

 

Lu Wen said, “Consider it practice. I’ll need to take care of my dad in the future, so I better get used to it.”

 

Qu Yanting felt a dark cloud over his head. Lu Wen kept linking him to his own father—what was wrong with him? He held back for a moment, then took a bite of the cake. “Do you think I’m old?”

 

“No,” Lu Wen looked innocent. “How old are you?”

 

Qu Yanting said, “Thirty-two.”

 

Lu Wen made an “oh” sound, realizing that Qu Yanting was four or five years older than him. After a few seconds, he noticed Qu Yanting was still staring at him, seemingly waiting for him to say more.

 

He cautiously added, “You look very young.”

 

Qu Yanting was satisfied and quietly continued eating the cake. Lu Wen continued blowing on the porridge, and after a few blows, the door creaked.

 

Both of them looked over as the door opened, and Ruan Feng quickly slipped into the room with his head down.

 

After closing the door, Ruan Feng took off his mask and hat. He had pretended to agree earlier but had rushed over as fast as he could, asking the older nurse for the room number.

 

The three of them stared at each other, and it felt like the air in all of Chongqing had frozen.

 

Lu Wen suddenly understood that Qu Yanting had been on the phone with Ruan Feng earlier. He put down the porridge, feeling awkward with empty hands, and picked up the hot chocolate.

 

Qu Yanting reacted, “Ruan Feng, why did you come?”

 

Ruan Feng said, “I was worried.”

 

With just those two short sentences, Lu Wen felt like a light bulb, out of place and shining too brightly. He moved from the bedside to the foot of the bed, then to the window, instinctively making room for Ruan Feng.

 

Ruan Feng rushed over and sat down beside Qu Yanting.

 

Lu Wen tightly held his cup, knowing that he was now the third wheel. Staying here would only make Qu Yanting and Ruan Feng uncomfortable. Not wanting to intrude, he walked toward the door.

 

Qu Yanting didn’t ignore him, asking instinctively, “Where are you going?”

 

Lu Wen didn’t stop walking. Where else could he go? He might as well go where it’s cooler.

 

How ironic—he was the one who found out Qu Yanting was sick, brought him to the hospital, stayed with him for the first time, and personally went out to buy the century egg and lean meat porridge and taro cake.

 

If Ruan Feng was going to come, why didn’t Qu Yanting send him away earlier?

 

The shrimp dumplings felt stuck in his throat, making his whole chest feel blocked. Feeling frustrated, Lu Wen said, “I’m going to the nurse’s station. There’s a pretty nurse there; I’ll get her number.”

 

He opened the door and walked out.

 

As soon as the door closed, Ruan Feng eagerly asked, “Ge, are you feeling better?”