Crossover Actors - Chapter 31

The call bell at the nurse’s station rang—it was coming from Qu Yanting’s bed, number three.

 

It was really quite strange. After Lu Wen left, Qu Yanting lay on the bed in a daze for a while. The IV fluid had finished dripping, and by the time he noticed, the needle had already backflowed, causing a small bump to rise on the back of his hand.

 

He pushed the clamp up to prevent air from entering, then slightly raised his left arm, waiting for the nurse to come. Soon enough, a nurse entered the room, with Lu Wen following right behind.

 

Qu Yanting’s confusion deepened because Lu Wen looked strange.

 

His tanned skin was flushed, and when he walked into the light, even his earlobes appeared red and hot. What stood out the most was his expression—head down, brows furrowed, eyes drooping, and lips pressed together in a delicate balance—soft enough to seem like he had something to say but hard enough to suggest he was too choked up to speak.

 

Lu Wen stopped at the foot of the bed and refused to move forward.

 

People can sense these things, and Qu Yanting could tell that Lu Wen was deliberately keeping his distance, perhaps avoiding something. After a brief moment of thought, Qu Yanting realized there was no one else in the room, so it must be because of this young nurse.

 

As the nurse bent down to remove the tape from Qu Yanting’s hand, she said, “There’s been some backflow.”

 

Lu Wen finally straightened his neck and looked up at the hospital bed. He had returned when he heard the call bell, his sleeves still rolled up to his elbows.

 

“It’s swollen,” the nurse said. “It’s probably going to bruise.”

 

Qu Yanting wasn’t concerned, but Lu Wen seemed to be. He reproached him, almost as if blaming him for not being reliable: “You’re a grown man. How could you not press the call button earlier?”

 

The nurse chimed in, “Well, you should have been watching him. Aren’t you supposed to be the caregiver?”

 

Qu Yanting took the opportunity to ask, “Where did you go earlier?”

 

Lu Wen replied, “To take a dump.”

 

The nurse laughed and clarified, “He went to the nurse’s station to check his blood pressure.”

 

As the IV needle was removed, Qu Yanting pressed down on the puncture site, feeling a dull pain from the swelling in the back of his hand. He asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

 

The nurse removed the empty IV bag and answered on Lu Wen’s behalf, “His blood pressure is okay, but his heart rate is elevated. We can check it again later.”

 

Lu Wen hadn’t expected the nurse to reveal this, and his face turned even redder. His neck dropped again as he sulked at the foot of the bed.

 

Once the bleeding stopped, Qu Yanting let go and pulled back the blanket, sliding to the edge of the bed to put on his shoes. He didn’t want to spend the night in the hospital—washing up would be inconvenient, and he had documents to review with his studio the next morning.

 

Even though his fever had subsided, he still felt a bit dizzy when he moved too quickly. He shuffled along the edge of the bed, making his way to the foot.

 

Lu Wen was still acting awkward, refusing to lift his chin and face him directly. When Qu Yanting entered his line of sight, it only took a second for his heart rate, which had just calmed down a bit, to spike again.

 

Qu Yanting found it increasingly odd. The nurse had already left, so why was this guy still acting like this?

 

As he picked up the coat draped over the foot of the bed, he asked while putting it on, “The nurse you mentioned before, the one you asked for her number—was it her?”

 

In Lu Wen’s heart, there was a “plop,” like a big duck splashing into water. Sure enough, Qu Yanting liked him, and now he was eagerly asking about it.

 

His temporary neck stiffness seemed to disappear as he straightened up and replied, “Yes, it was her.”

 

Qu Yanting thought to himself that checking his blood pressure must have been an excuse to flirt. But since his heart rate was so fast, did that mean Lu Wen was genuinely attracted to her?

 

As a public figure, he should be cautious about his love life, so he asked, “Did you get her number?”

 

Lu Wen responded sternly, “That’s my personal matter.”

 

Qu Yanting wasn’t trying to pry, only concerned that one evening it might be a date, and the next night it could be another romantic interest—if something happened, it could negatively impact the production crew.

 

He advised, “Then you should protect your privacy and avoid getting caught up in scandals.”

 

Lu Wen understood—Qu Yanting was warning him. Avoiding scandals meant not contacting her, not contacting her meant no feelings would develop, and no feelings meant staying single.

 

There wasn’t even a hint of something happening, and Qu Yanting was already showing possessiveness?

 

After leaving the hospital, they hailed a cab. Qu Yanting didn’t like sitting too close to the driver, so he sat in the back seat, diagonally across from the driver’s seat. Lu Wen, who had been chauffeured around since childhood, also sat in the back.

 

Unlike the ride to the hospital, Lu Wen tried to keep as far away from Qu Yanting as possible, pressing himself against the car door, silently staring out the window.

 

As they drove down a street lined with trees adorned with small lights, the reflections painted the car windows with brightness, suddenly illuminating everything inside the vehicle. Caught off guard, Lu Wen saw Qu Yanting leaning on the other side, arms crossed over his chest.

 

It was a posture indicating he was cold—the night had grown cooler since they left.

 

On instinct, Lu Wen reached for his coat but then hesitated. If he gave his coat to Qu Yanting, would Qu Yanting like him even more?

 

Achoo, Qu Yanting sneezed lightly.

 

Lu Wen couldn’t overthink it. He took off his coat, kept his head turned toward the window, and simply tossed it over, saying, “Here, here, here. You wrap up in this first.”

 

Qu Yanting was hit in the face with the coat. He unfolded it just enough to cover his upper body and legs, taking a deep breath and catching the scent of cedar.

 

Qu Yanting didn’t know why, but ever since Ruan Feng had shown up earlier, Lu Wen had been acting strangely—from his behavior to his attitude, he seemed like an emotionally unstable teenager.

 

Maybe it was the ginger tea warming him up, or maybe it was because Lu Wen had been so attentive and caring tonight, but Qu Yanting felt genuinely grateful. He turned his head and caught Lu Wen’s reflection in the window, their eyes meeting.

 

With nowhere to hide, Lu Wen furrowed his brows and asked, “What do you want?”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “What’s wrong with you?”

 

“Nothing,” Lu Wen responded, feeling aggrieved. “I… I just want to be an honest person, nothing more.”

 

Qu Yanting’s face was still a bit pale, but under the festive lights, he looked exceptionally handsome. He didn’t quite understand what Lu Wen meant, but the term “honest person” amused him.

 

Lu Wen thought, “I’m done for.”

 

No matter what he said, Qu Yanting seemed to enjoy it. Things were progressing way too fast.

 

Qu Yanting had little experience expressing affection toward others, and the closest person to him was his younger brother. After a brief pause, he smiled slightly and, putting aside all reservations for a moment, said, “Actually, you and Ruan Feng are quite similar.”

 

Lu Wen’s heart tightened; he understood now. Qu Yanting liked this type—young, handsome, kind, and stylish.

 

Feigning ignorance, he replied, “I don’t think so… Ruan Feng is fair-skinned and delicate.”

 

Qu Yanting said, “You all seem a bit silly, like you’re easy to deceive.”

 

Lu Wen panicked. Seeing the hotel building outside the window, the taxi pulled over to the side. His wallet felt like it was burning in his hand as he shakily pulled out fifty yuan, shouting, “Keep the change!”

 

After getting out of the car, Lu Wen walked briskly ahead, impossible to call back. Qu Yanting was two meters behind, only catching up at the elevator in the lobby. Lu Wen, as if in a great hurry, nearly smashed the button for the direct elevator.

 

“Are you in a hurry?”

 

Lu Wen thought, people into arts probably don’t like vulgarity, so he said, “I really need to take a dump.”

 

Sure enough, Qu Yanting fell silent. The elevator arrived, and the two of them stepped into the gilded metal box, nowhere to hide, every spot clearly visible from the door.

 

The numbers on the display jumped up rapidly, but not as fast as Lu Wen’s heart rate.

 

At the 62nd floor, the elevator doors slowly opened, and Lu Wen dashed out. Qu Yanting, still wearing his trench coat, couldn’t keep up and called out from the hallway, “What about your clothes?”

 

Lu Wen swiped his card and opened the door. “You hold onto them for now!”

 

By the time Qu Yanting reached the door, the door to room 6207 had already closed.

 

He returned to room 6206, hung up his trench coat, and took the meal receipt out of his jacket pocket. Then, he went into the bathroom, washed his face, brushed his teeth, drank a glass of water, and flipped through the magazines on the coffee table.

 

Qu Yanting killed half an hour, figuring Lu Wen had finished his business. He grabbed the clothes and knocked on the door across the hall. After all, he’d already given him the sweater, he couldn’t keep his trench coat too.

 

Lu Wen was sitting on the bench in the entryway, just calming down from the emotions in the taxi. When the doorbell rang, he took a few deep breaths, stood up, and opened the door.

 

Qu Yanting handed over the clothes. “Here you go.”

 

Lu Wen took them, determined that as long as he kept quiet, nothing more would happen.

 

Qu Yanting said, “Thank you for today.”

 

Lu Wen had no choice. “You’re welcome.” He quickly added, “It’s late, if there’s nothing else, I need to rest.”

 

“Wait,” Qu Yanting said. “Give me your phone number.”

 

Lu Wen was stunned. He didn’t expect Qu Yanting to be so direct, asking for his contact so quickly. Was he not satisfied with the current situation and wanted to chat privately, to further develop their relationship?

 

Qu Yanting urged, “What are you spacing out for? Hurry up.”

 

Under pressure, Lu Wen recited his phone number.

 

Qu Yanting only needed to hear it once to remember, then he turned and went back to his room. Lu Wen stared at the plaque of 6206 in a daze for a while before closing his own door.

 

Dazed, he stumbled into the bedroom, collapsed onto the bed, and wondered if he was dreaming.

 

Using the “victory through mental resolve” method, he decided to sleep immediately; maybe when he woke up, none of this would have happened. In no time, he stripped down, and his phone slipped out of his pants pocket, the screen lighting up for a moment.

 

It must be Qu Yanting.

 

A text message, or did he add him on WeChat?

 

Nervously licking his lips, Lu Wen picked up his phone and unlocked it, only to find a notification from Alipay. Suspiciously, he opened it. There was a new contact under “friends” who had sent him a message.

 

“I’m Qu Yanting.”

 

Lu Wen was a bit stunned. Why would he contact him through Alipay? Was he trying to steal his energy?

 

At that moment, a second message arrived, with Qu Yanting transferring him 520 yuan.(AGHHH CHECK IN THE END FOR THE MEANING)

 

Lu Wen’s fingers slipped, dropping the phone. 520 yuan—who the hell doesn’t understand what that means?!

 

Qu Yanting, true to his role as a sponsor, directly used money, using a sum that symbolizes love, blatantly hinting at his intentions!

 

In his 28 years of life, no one had ever transferred him 520 yuan—not a first love, not a partner, not a wife, but someone who wanted to keep him!

 

Lu Wen grabbed his robe, his head burning, and rushed out.

 

After transferring the money, Qu Yanting’s phone died, and the charger was by the bed. Before heading to the bedroom, he turned off all the lights, leaving only a small spotlight in the entryway. As he walked over, someone pounded on the door.

 

Qu Yanting checked the peephole and opened the door.

 

Lu Wen’s face was flushed, a mix of anger and embarrassment brewing together, making him look energetic and ready for a fight.

 

Clutching his phone, he demanded, “What do you mean by this?!”

 

The phone displayed the chat screen, and Qu Yanting thought it was self-explanatory but still explained verbally, “That’s me. I transferred you the money.”

 

Lu Wen asked, “Do you see how much you transferred?!”

 

Qu Yanting replied, “520 yuan.”

 

“I can count!” Lu Wen was at his wit’s end. “What exactly do you want?”

 

Qu Yanting asked, “What did I do?”

 

“Don’t play dumb!” Lu Wen glared at him. “You dare say you don’t know what 520 means?!”

 

Qu Yanting calmly said, “It means 188 yuan plus 332 yuan. 188 yuan is for the dinner, 332 yuan is for the IV drip, totaling 520 yuan.”

 

Before coming to Chongqing, Qu Yanting had withdrawn some cash, with the bills in consecutive serial numbers, and didn’t have any small change. He felt that returning 500 wasn’t quite right, and returning 600 felt a bit like giving a tip, so he used Alipay to transfer the money.

 

Lu Wen was left confused by his shouting, but vaguely began to understand.

 

After explaining, Qu Yanting leaned casually against the doorframe, a faint smile on his face. “What did you think it meant?”

 

Lu Wen was dumbfounded.

 

Qu Yanting, enjoying the tease, asked, “Did you think I was *that* interested in you? Why are you so worked up?”

 

Lu Wen felt his heart, liver, spleen, and lungs all tighten, his face reddening to an indistinguishable hue. He realized he was no match for Qu Yanting; a few words from him were enough to play him like a fiddle.

 

“Alright,” Qu Yanting relented, “go back and rest.”

 

He said this as he reached out and gave Lu Wen a gentle push.

 

His fingers accidentally caught the silk belt at Lu Wen’s waist, and with a swift, slippery motion, the hastily tied knot unraveled. The velvet robe, as soft as a cloud, fell open broadly.

 

Lu Wen felt a chill across his chest and stood there, completely frozen.

 

520  = In chinese 520 is pronounced ~wu er yi~ which sounds kinda similar to ~wo ai ni~ which in english is I LOVE YOU