The appearance of that bowl of porridge wasn’t particularly appealing.

The rice grains were cooked to a mushy consistency, with uneven pieces of green vegetable leaves floating on top – completely unprocessed, some even retaining their complete vein structures. There was a generous amount of meat, though the cutting was bizarrely inconsistent – long and short, thick and thin, as if Second Young Master Lu had chopped it with complete disregard for technique.

Random ginger strips were scattered throughout the porridge, some still with bits of skin attached.

The lengthy cooking process had exhausted Lu Shun’s patience. Battling hypoglycemic dizziness, he had followed an online recipe to prepare that pot of Death Porridge, all the while cursing himself for being pathetic.

When he had been hospitalized with gastroenteritis, He Qiuting had been utterly heartless – casually leaving behind a few words before going on a business trip, even telling him not to be dramatic before leaving?

Now that He Qiuting was sick, why couldn’t he repay him in kind and just leave him here alone?

He cursed while cooking – cursed himself for being weak, for being too soft-hearted. He could be ruthless to anyone, except He Qiuting. That was the one person he couldn’t bring himself to treat that way.

All he could do was put on a show after preparing food for He Qiuting – sulking, throwing tantrums, acting like he couldn’t be bothered to serve.

Though in reality, he had already finished serving.

With a gloomy expression and unfriendly tone, Lu Shun pushed the porridge bowl across the table.

“What are you looking at? Eat quickly.” Without even waiting for He Qiuting to speak, he snapped like a machine gun, acting incredibly arrogant. “If you don’t want it, I’ll throw it away.”

His words were harsh, but when he looked down and saw He Qiuting’s pale face, watching the other man weakly push himself up from the sofa with trembling arms… his heart softened again.

“Hey… don’t move.”

Irritated, he picked up the bowl from the table and sat on the sofa beside He Qiuting. Scooping up a spoonful of porridge, he lowered his head and blew on it.

“Open your mouth.”

The spoonful of porridge was brought to He Qiuting’s lips, the rising steam misting between their gazes.

He Qiuting looked at Lu Shun and slowly opened his mouth.

As the warm porridge slid down his throat, He Qiuting’s eyelashes fluttered slightly, lowering with his swallowing motion as his Adam’s apple bobbed.

The porridge was a bit hot, but the taste was surprisingly decent – not as bad as he had imagined.

“Too hot, right?” Lu Shun watched him for a moment, then blew on the second spoonful longer before feeding it to him.

Perhaps because of his weakened, drowsy state, all of He Qiuting’s usual sharp edges had disappeared. His reactions were much slower than normal, his soft, moist gaze fixed on the spoon as he obediently opened his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Appearing somewhat dazed.

His lips were pale, gaining a slight glossy sheen after touching the porridge. He unconsciously pressed them together, and when the steam from the porridge reached his eyes, he would squint and blink slowly a couple of times – very much like a little kitten.

“Cough… cough…”

After just a few bites, He Qiuting suddenly choked. He turned his face away, hunched over, and let out a series of muffled coughs.

Lu Shun quickly put down the bowl, patting his back before pulling out a tissue to wipe his mouth.

The moment his fingertips touched He Qiuting’s lips, both men froze.

He Qiuting lowered his eyes, his gaze slowly focusing on Lu Shun’s fingers. His lips parted slightly as if to say something, but then suddenly stopped.

The air instantly grew thick with ambiguity, time itself seeming to freeze along with it.

Lu Shun’s fingertips remained on those fever-soft lips, neither moving nor withdrawing. It wasn’t until He Qiuting raised his hand and gently grasped his wrist that the spell was broken.

“I’ll do it myself.” His voice was hoarse and still weak.

Lu Shun didn’t speak, releasing his hand and passing him the tissue.

He Qiuting wiped the corner of his mouth, slowly crumpling the tissue in his palm. He bowed his head in prolonged silence before forcing a faint smile. “Lu Shun, are you still feeling unwell?”

Lu Shun looked up in surprise. “What do you mean? My gastroenteritis?”

Due to coughing, He Qiuting’s breathing was somewhat unsteady. He avoided meeting Lu Shun’s eyes, his voice so soft it seemed like he was talking to himself. “…As a partner, I’m quite terrible.”

He wasn’t the type to endlessly enjoy others’ efforts without reciprocation. He had never overlooked anything Lu Shun did for him. This had nothing to do with whether he loved Lu Shun or not perhaps it was just the upbringing ingrained in his bones telling him not to let down anyone who treated him sincerely.

“Sorry.” He Qiuting raised his head, his typically cold eyes unusually filled with emotion, so genuine it made Lu Shun’s heart ache.

He said, “We’re just not compatible. It’s me who’s not suitable. Right now, I can’t take responsibility for anyone.”

He Qiuting wasn’t being heartless; he genuinely didn’t know how to balance work and life, how to love someone or express emotions. Even this apology required tremendous determination to voice.

Lu Shun shook his head, not elaborating, simply replying with five firm words: “You have your own merits.The statement carried such conviction it almost sounded like a heartfelt confession, prompting Lu Shun to quickly clarify, “But don’t misunderstand. When I move on, I move on completely. I won’t bother you again.”As he spoke, Lu Shun stared almost masochistically at He Qiuting’s face, his eyes flickering with hope eager to detect even a ripple of emotion on that indifferent face.”

But there was none.

Lu Shun paused, slowly exhaling before saying, “I’ve sent the power plant cooperation proposal to your email. Give me your response by the day after tomorrow at the latest. Terms are negotiable just focus on recovering first.”

He Qiuting closed his eyes and murmured, “Mm.”

“President He, from now on, business is just business.” As he spoke, Lu Shun took He Qiuting’s house keys from his pocket and dropped them onto the coffee table with a clatter. “Let’s not mix too much emotion into our decisions.”

From now on, it would no longer be He Qiuting and Lu Shun, but Yunji Real Estate and CL Capital.

After saying this, Lu Shun stood up, walked to his suitcases nearby, hastily packed and closed them, then carried one in each hand out the door.

Bang

The door shut, plunging everything into dead silence…

He Qiuting gazed at the half-eaten bowl of congee on the table, curled up slightly, and felt his stomach begin to ache again.

[Detected host’s severe gastric condition and physical weakness]

The system’s voice emerged once more.

[System distributing benefits!!! Detected host has sought help from lover, initiated intimate contact, and this being the first request, current illness Bronchial Asthma terminated early! Congratulations~]

Benefits?

He Qiuting looked up but saw nothing, only hearing that persistent voice in his ears.

According to the system’s earlier explanation, he would randomly contract an illness every 72 hours meaning the next affliction would arrive in two days.

He Qiuting might have truly lost his mind, for he heard himself asking the empty air before him, “What will my next illness be?”

[Want to know? Hahaha!]

He Qiuting: …

【Ding-ding-ding-ding~ The answer is about to be revealed! But first, let’s take a moment for an advertisement~】

【Stomachache? Headache? Backache? Leg pain? Butt pain? Don’t worry! Just show weakness and instantly enjoy: CEO Lu’s bedside care service + CEO Lu’s sweat-wiping service + CEO Lu’s lullaby service +…】

He Qiuting couldn’t take it anymore. “Skip.”

【Alrighty~】

【The system is working tirelessly to draw lots for the host…】

【Oops! Dropped the symptom list into the toilet!】

…

He Qiuting had never encountered such a chatterbox drama queen of a system. His mind was as chaotic as a pot of congee. He sighed and asked, “Can it still be retrieved?”

The system suddenly fell silent.

He Qiuting called out twice more, but there was still no response.

The lack of response made him more uneasy than any reply would have.

He Qiuting quickly pulled out his phone, intending to look up symptoms of auditory hallucinations. But the moment he opened it, he saw the power plant cooperation proposal Lu Shun had sent to his email, and immediately forgot about his own condition.

He naturally began reviewing the proposal.

Lu Shun’s statement, “From now on, business is just business,” was perfectly embodied in this proposal.

A 43-page PDF, neatly formatted, concise and powerful not a single wasted word, filled entirely with data and clauses.

Whether it was profit distribution or penalty for breach of contract, the terms were ruthlessly stringent, unmistakably crafted by a shrewd merchant who left no room for compromise.

He Qiuting went through it page by page, noting problematic details, and felt it necessary to discuss them with Lu Shun again.

However, since their breakup, Lu Shun seemed exceptionally busy. He Qiuting had been blocked on all communication channels and could only reach him through his assistant.

Their next meeting was already two days later.

He Qiuting had arranged with Lu Shun to discuss the details of the power plant cooperation at CL Capital.

He Qiuting still remembered the system incident, but after waking up, aside from slightly dry eyes, he noticed no other physical abnormalities.

Recalling it now, that mysterious voice hadn’t disturbed him for two days either. Perhaps it really was just auditory hallucinations due to excessive stress, just as Li Feng had suggested.

CL Capital and Yunji Real Estate were very close, separated only by a street. Two glass-curtain-walled skyscrapers stood facing each other across the road, much like two people distantly confronting each other after going their separate ways.

He Qiuting was escorted upstairs by Lu Shun’s assistant.

When he pushed open the door to the CEO’s office, Lu Shun was leaning back in a leather sofa smoking. He was wearing a tailored dark-patterned suit, unusually formal, as if he had just returned from a business trip.

Sitting across from him was the vice president of the Jin Corporation, smiling obsequiously as he handed over a contract. A large bouquet of flowers sat on the coffee table, clearly a recent gift.

He Qiuting stood at the doorway, his suit impeccably pressed, his expression calm. He gently knocked twice on the door.

Lu Shun looked up, his gaze passing over the vice president’s shoulder and landing on He Qiuting.

A moment of silence fell.

In the next instant, Lu Shun stubbed out his cigarette and stood up, walking to the window and pushing it open.

A breeze carrying the chill of early spring swept in, dispersing the smoke in the room.

Lu Shun promptly saw the guest out. After the Jin Corporation’s vice president left, he instructed his assistant to clear the flowers from the table.

He Qiuting had asthma and needed to stay away from all allergens.

Only after handling these matters did Lu Shun invite He Qiuting in. “CEO He, you’re early. Please, have a seat.”

The assistant brought two glasses of water, serving each of them in turn.

Lu Shun sat opposite He Qiuting, smiling at him, but his words and demeanor were unlike before they had become measured and restrained.

“Please wait a moment, President He.”

As he spoke, he turned to call his assistant, “Bring the power plant’s qualification documents for President He to review.”

He Qiuting took a sip of water and lowered his head to examine the contract.

He had only read a few lines when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his Sun Spot. The black characters on the white paper began to blur and darken.

The hand holding the contract grew faint at the edges, gradually dissolving into the encroaching darkness…

His eyes…

Suddenly, he could no longer see clearly.

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