Nausea

Le Xi had a hunch that something about Lu Jing was different.

Lu Jing had evidence of the scandal from when Ying Huai had jumped ship to Lu's Company to debut solo.

Le Xi had originally planned to use the information he'd overheard at the company earlier to make Lu Jing trust him, and slowly draw out Ying Huai's scandal to turn the tables.

But Lu Jing's reaction at this moment made Le Xi hesitate. He didn't dare say more, and could only answer Lu Jing's question first: 'Shifu... should know what?'

Lu Jing didn't speak, only lowered his head to fiddle with his phone, seemingly trying to call someone, but for some reason the call never connected.

Le Xi had to brace himself and continue: 'Lu Shu is worried that shifu will know I helped Lu Shu? Don't worry, shifu doesn't know...'

'Why would I worry about that?' Lu Jing suddenly spoke.

Le Xi froze for a moment.

He didn't know what to say for a moment: 'Because... Lu Shu seems to have some misunderstanding with shifu, so I'm worried shifu will be angry that I helped Lu Shu...'

'You knew Xiao Huai would be angry, and you still did it,' Lu Jing said quietly, cutting off Le Xi. He raised his head and glanced at him. 'Weren't you always most concerned about your shifu before?'

A flicker of doubt crossed Le Xi's expression.

Lu Jing's attitude was really too strange, unlike before when he would be full of hatred at the mere mention of Ying Huai.

This gave Le Xi an inexplicable sense of unease.

But now the arrow was already on the bowstring and had to be released. In his panic, he could only instinctively try to please Lu Jing: 'Because I felt this was the right thing to do...'

But Lu Jing didn't pay any attention to his attempts at appeasement.

'So you betrayed your shifu.' Lu Jing raised his head, and seemed to let out a cold laugh. 'Do you think that's right too?'

Le Xi's face went pale, and his voice took on a slight sob: 'It's not like that, Lu Shu...'

But Lu Jing couldn't be bothered to listen to Le Xi's defense.

The calls to Ying Huai earlier hadn't connected, and Lu Jing's anxiety could no longer be suppressed. He flipped out of bed and tried to leave directly.

But how could Le Xi let Lu Jing just leave like that.

'Lu Shu, so you think I did something wrong?'

Le Xi suddenly stood up, reaching out to block Lu Jing.

His eyes were already completely red, and he looked on the verge of tears: 'If Lu Shu thinks I did wrong, I can apologize to Lu Shu, but I just wanted to help Lu Shu, I was just doing what I thought was right. Why is Lu Shu treating me like this...'

The irrevocable panic from his past life still lingered in Lu Jing's mind. Lu Jing felt irritated and spoke in a deep voice: 'Get lost.'

Le Xi's body trembled, and he instinctively stepped aside.

Lu Jing walked straight toward the door without looking back. The next second, a voice suddenly came from behind: 'I can apologize to my shifu too!'

Lu Jing's footsteps paused.

He turned back and watched Le Xi speak with a sobbing voice: 'It's my fault, Lu Shu, don't leave me...'

'Alright.' Lu Jing suddenly spoke.

Le Xi froze.

The next second, he watched Lu Jing suddenly smile.

'Then come with me.'

An inexplicable sense of unease slowly rose in Le Xi's heart.

But at this point, he couldn't turn back.

Le Xi clenched his teeth and slowly walked forward step by step: 'Lu Shu, where are you taking me—'

'Didn't you say you wanted to go apologize to Xiao Huai,' Lu Jing curved his lips, speaking word by word, 'just right, I'll take you to find him.'

·

On the other side, Ying Huai got out of the car with a pale face, covering his mouth.

That driver was really warm-hearted, speeding the whole way, and had already arrived at the destination before Ying Huai could react.

And had successfully caused Ying Huai's already uncomfortable stomach to start protesting directly.

His original plan to change course and go home could only be temporarily shelved. He had no choice but to get out of the car, barely managing not to throw up directly in the driver's car.

'Young man, when you encounter problems, don't run away, face them boldly!'

The warm-hearted driver poked his head out from the driver's seat and said enthusiastically: 'Of course, if you fail, don't worry, you must stay calm—'

Ying Huai covered his mouth and waved his hand without looking back, thinking to himself: stay calm? He'd be doing well not to throw up directly on Liang Shining.

He took a deep breath, barely suppressing the nausea in his stomach, and finally had the energy to look at the place the driver had forcibly brought him to.

At one glance, Ying Huai froze.

—This was Liangshining Management Company.

Ying Huai frowned. He didn't understand why Liang Shining had him come here, but what had just happened at his own management company made Ying Huai instinctively reject this place.

He turned to leave, but a familiar voice suddenly came from behind: 'Ying Huai?'

Ying Huai's brow twitched, but his feet didn't stop, and he continued walking forward.

He didn't expect the person behind to still be persistent, following two steps, then suddenly switching to a different form of address: 'Shifu!'

Ying Huai's hand hanging at his side trembled.

He suddenly turned back, gritted his teeth and looked at Liang Shining behind him: 'Shut up!'

Liang Shining obediently stopped talking.

He stepped forward two steps to Ying Huai's side, and spoke again in a low voice: 'Shifu.'

'I told you not to call me that, not to call me quietly,' Ying Huai took a deep breath, speaking with an ambiguous half-smile, 'Have you been drinking again?'

'No.' Liang Shining froze for a moment.

'Then why are you calling out randomly?' Ying Huai's peach blossom eyes lifted slightly, and he casually surveyed his surroundings. 'Or has Mr. Liang hidden livestream cameras around, deliberately trying to embarrass me—'

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly felt something being stuffed into his hand.

His heart skipped a beat, and he instinctively dodged backwards, but the next second felt a wave of warmth coming from his palm.

—Liang Shining had stuffed a Hot Water Bottle into his hand.

Ying Huai froze for a moment.

He raised his head somewhat strangely. Liang Shining's usually calm expression also rarely held a bit more anticipation.

The next second, Liang Shining heard Ying Huai hesitate and speak: 'It's just a few steps, is the great actor Liang that afraid of the cold?'

Liang Shining: ......

He took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice: 'This is for you.'

Ying Huai froze for a moment, then suddenly spoke: 'I don't want it.'

Liang Shining was silent for a few seconds: '...Then give it back to me.'

Although Liang Shining said this, his hands made no move at all.

The stubborn person in front of him unconsciously pressed the Hot Water Bottle closer to his stomach, and the pale fingertips peeking from his sleeve curled up comfortably.

He looked up at the sound, cast a lazy glance at Liang Shining, and spoke with the cunning of a cat who'd stolen cream: 'That's not right, Mr. Liang — even if I don't want it, I never said I'd give it back. Where's the sense in giving something and immediately asking for it back?'

A trace of amusement crossed Liang Shining's eyes.

He didn't expose Ying Huai's sophistry, only turned slightly to the side. 'Shifu should come inside with me first, it's cold out here...'

'Not going, and didn't I tell you not to call me that randomly,' Ying Huai said, unable to bear it any longer. 'Doesn't your manager manage you at all—'

'My manager wants me to discuss a collaboration with Shifu.' Liang Shining said in a low voice.

Ying Huai froze for a moment, belatedly realizing something.

If it was something his manager had forced, then Liang Shining's series of strange actions today all had an explanation.

He looked at Liang Shining, similarly persecuted by his manager, with some pity, and felt an unusual trace of sympathy.

But when he spoke again, he was still without hesitation: 'Not going.'

With the Hot Water Bottle, Ying Huai's churning stomach felt much better instantly, and he began burning bridges without hesitation: 'What's there for me to collaborate with Mr. Liang on in my current state? Mr. Liang should go ahead with his work, I'll just take a cab home myself in a bit.'

The moment his words fell, he heard Liang Shining suddenly speak: 'I have desserts here.'

Ying Huai's peach blossom eyes flickered, and he looked up at Liang Shining.

Ying Huai's sweet tooth was well-known throughout the entertainment industry.

Ying Huai hadn't eaten anything all day, and the car ride earlier had further upset his stomach. Hearing the word 'desserts,' his long-suffering stomach was tempted first.

Ying Huai clenched his teeth and spoke against his will: 'Never mind, wait till I get home—'

Liang Shining knew this person would definitely be too tired to bother eating once he got home.

Without waiting for Ying Huai to finish, he spoke again, unhurried: 'And Mint Chocolate Ice Cream, just bought...'

Before he finished speaking, he saw the person in front of him quickly brush past him and head straight into the company.

More amusement appeared in Liang Shining's eyes. He stepped forward to follow Ying Huai, hearing the person in front of him suddenly speak lazily, as if joking: 'Mr. Liang didn't buy the Mint Chocolate Ice Cream specially for me, did he?'

The moment his words fell, he heard Liang Shining give a low 'mm.'

Ying Huai's breath caught, and he immediately started coughing quietly.

He glanced sideways at Liang Shining, only now noticing that a Hongyu Jewel earring had somehow appeared on Liang Shining's right ear.

Ying Huai unconsciously touched the Hongyu Jewel Pendant at the end of his hair on the left side. Liang Shining's earring seemed very similar to his, but for some reason it was covered in fine cracks.

Ying Huai felt something strange in his heart. He wanted to look more closely, but Liang Shining suddenly frowned and looked over: 'What's wrong with your throat?'

Ying Huai quickly looked away.

'Nothing,' he rubbed his fingers over the Hot Water Bottle and spoke slowly. 'So Mr. Liang insisted on calling me over just for this collaboration thing? Let me say first, if I go to the company I'm only responsible for eating, anything else...'

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly heard Liang Shining quietly interrupt him: 'No.'

Ying Huai froze. In his peripheral vision, he felt Liang Shining slowly turn his head: 'I just felt that when I called you earlier, you sounded very sad.'

Ying Huai's fingertips trembled suddenly.

·

'So that's why you only gave me this tiny bit of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream?' Ying Huai said through gritted teeth, curled up on the sofa with the Hot Water Bottle.

'Liang Shining, you're lying—'

Before Ying Huai finished speaking, the next second he felt his hand go empty.

'Your stomach isn't well, eat something else first to line it.' Liang Shining handed over a bag of soft bread, speaking quietly.

Ying Huai looked up in disbelief, watching Liang Shining unhesitatingly take away his last bit of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream.

'Liang Shining—'

Liang Shining turned a deaf ear, took the box of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream and turned to walk inside: 'I have something to go up for, wait for me a moment, I'll be right down.'

Before he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head and narrowed his eyes slightly.

Ying Huai, who had been half-rising, froze instantly.

He glanced at Liang Shining, clenched his teeth, gave up the idea of sneaking off to find the ice cream, and pretended to sit back down casually.

Not only that, the guilty party also played the accuser: 'What is Mr. Liang doing, don't you trust me?'

Liang Shining's expression said it all.

'Great Actor Liang should hurry off to work, I won't sneak any,' Ying Huai said, holding the Hot Water Bottle and covering his mouth as he yawned lazily.

He raised his eyes again, a few traces of cunning appearing in his peach blossom eyes: 'But let me say first, once I finish this bag of bread, I'll go find the ice cream myself. Great Actor Liang better hurry.'

Ying Huai watched Liang Shining's figure disappear into the elevator, then quickly stood up.

He finished the bag of soft bread in no time, walked to the pantry nearby, and easily found the box of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Liang Shining had hidden.

Ying Huai's peach blossom eyes immediately curved into a smile.

He was more than familiar with Liang Shining's habits of hiding things. Ying Huai opened the box, quickly scooped out two large spoonfuls, then put the box back exactly as it had been.

He had no intention of waiting for Liang Shining to come down at all — he just wanted to steal a box of Mint Chocolate Ice Cream and slip away quickly.

But before Ying Huai had taken a few steps, he suddenly groaned and bent over to clutch his stomach.

He had eaten the soft bread too quickly earlier, and had overestimated his stomach.

Ying Huai covered his mouth and coughed, feeling the nausea in his stomach surge up again.

He pressed his stomach hard and walked quickly toward the restroom.

The next second, a figure suddenly blocked his way, followed by a familiar, innocent voice: 'Shifu...'

Ying Huai couldn't hold it in any longer, suddenly bent over, and with a pained expression, threw up directly on Le Xi.

Le Xi froze completely.

Ying Huai hadn't eaten anything all day; aside from the bread that hadn't been digested yet, what came up was just some sour liquid.

'Sorry,' he said quietly after throwing up, feeling a little better, pressing his stomach, 'Hearing your voice made me a bit nauseous.'

Le Xi's brow twitched, and he silently opened and closed his mouth.

But before he could say anything, the elevator doors opened nearby, and Liang Shining walked out quickly.

Liang Shining's gaze fell on Ying Huai, who was swaying slightly with a pale face not far away, and his brow immediately furrowed.

Le Xi's brow twitched again.