Fu Jinglin:...
After Lin Qiong took Fu Jinglin to see the doctor, he planned to find a masseur. Fu Jinglin also stood up with his tall stature, effectively blocking him. "What are we doing now?"
"Learning massage," Lin Qiong said. "If you have nothing to do, you can accompany me and see."
Fu Jinglin didn't have anything else to do. "Is there a place to lie down?"
"Of course, you can lie down on the bed."
"Then let's go." Saying this, he followed Lin Qiong and swaggered in.
Lin Qiong looked at the masseur who had just finished massaging someone. "Master, thank you for your time today."
The old masseur, upon seeing Lin Qiong, smiled kindly. "No trouble at all."
Seeing the tall figure behind Lin Qiong, he remarked, "Oh, bringing someone in today? Who is this?"
Lin Qiong patted Fu Jinglin on the shoulder. "My nephew."
"Didn't expect you to become an uncle at such a young age. Is he your own?"
Lin Qiong smiled shyly. "A gift from marriage."
Fu Jinglin:...
Lin Qiong prepared himself well, and today he was once again facing the dummy marked with human acupoints.
With his mouth slightly open, Lin Qiong watched the master's skilled movements, then clapped his hands and took notes of some key points with a small notebook.
The master, observing Lin Qiong's serious expression, asked, "How was the effect after you massaged your husband yesterday?"
"My skills are not that good, and he didn't feel much in his legs," Lin Qiong touched his head. "It was my first time, and I was afraid to apply too much force for fear of hurting someone."
The master nodded understandingly, "Learning massage is also about gradual progress. Only when you dare to try will you make progress."
"Although the acupoints on the dummy are clearly marked, practicing on a real person is better for improving your skill," the master scratched his recently dyed black hair. "Actually, I haven't thought about where to find a real person for you."
Fu Jinglin, in a seductive pose, was lying on the side, observing the teaching. Then he saw Lin Qiong silently turn his head and look at him.
Fu Jinglin:...
A real person, isn't that him!?
Fu Jinglin became instantly alert, "Why are you looking at me? I'm not being the real person."
Lin Qiong's innocent face displayed a brilliant smile, "Nephew."
Fu Jinglin quickly tightened his collar, "Don't come over. I'm seventeen this year. Employing child labor is a serious offense!"
The master said, "Young man, don't be so serious. He won't harm you. After all, he's your uncle."
Fu Jinglin said, "Just through marriage."
Lin Qiong:...
Five minutes later, Fu Jinglin, feeling somewhat disillusioned, changed to another bed.
Lin Qiong looked at him with a puzzled expression, "What's wrong?"
"Nothing," Fu Jinglin frowned. "Just feeling a bit regretful."
"Regretful about what?"
"I regret arguing with my mom," he sighed, "I miss her."
Lin Qiong patted his head to comfort him, "Don't be sad. Your efforts will pay off."
Fu Jinglin looked at him with a bitter expression.
Lin Qiong: "I'll stew pork ribs for you tonight."
After hearing this, Fu Jinglin reluctantly compromised, "Make a lot."
"..."
No need to say it; everyone knows, with the appetites of you two, uncle and nephew, just a pot wouldn't be enough.
Because Lin Qiong was a novice at massage, there were indeed many issues, either the force wasn't sufficient or it was too vigorous.
Fu Jinglin flopped around on the bed like a big fish. Lin Qiong, seeing his uncomfortable expression, said, "How about you take a nap for a while?"
Fu Jinglin glanced at the claws placed on his shin, "I can't sleep."
"..."
Although it was a bit painful during the massage, when Fu Jinglin moved, he felt light and even quite comfortable.
Fu Jinglin stretched, "Your massage is effective."
Lin Qiong, upon hearing this, hooked his fingers together, "Is it?"
But after not doing proper stretches during sports recently, Fu Jinglin's legs were indeed a bit uncomfortable for the past few days. However, after the massage, he did feel much better.
Fu Jinglin said, "I'll find you next time."
"Okay," Lin Qiong said, "I'll give you a discount."
"Shouldn't it be free?"
"We need to settle accounts clearly, especially since I am related through marriage."
"..."
Saying this, Lin Qiong patted Fu Jinglin's shoulder, "Let's go, I'll take you to buy pork ribs."
Fu Jinglin pouted, "I guess that is almost the same as homemade."
After leaving the traditional Chinese medicine clinic, Fu Jinglin didn't feel anything at first, but as they walked, he noticed something was off.
"Why do you keep going into small alleys?"
"It's faster this way," Lin Qiong pointed to the alley ahead, "We'll be there once we get out."
Fu Jinglin looked in the direction Lin Qiong pointed, and there was no mall or large supermarket as he imagined. "Aren't we going to buy groceries? The mall is over there."
Lin Qiong looked at him and shook his head, "Not going to the mall, it's too expensive there. We're going to the market."
Although Fu Jinglin had heard of the place, he had never been there. When he followed Lin Qiong inside, the strong smell of fish hit him.
"Damn," Fu Jinglin covered his nose and mouth, "What's this smell?!"
"It's the smell of fish," Lin Qiong said, pointing to a nearby stall selling fish, with many fresh live fish splashing in the water.
Fu Jinglin frowned, "Why does it smell different from what I eat?"
Lin Qiong said, "Have you ever cooked fish by yourself?"
"..."
Saying this, Lin Qiong pulled him along, "Fish for dinner tonight is also fine."
Seeing that Lin Qiong was about to go over, Fu Jinglin quickly held him back, "Aren't we here to buy pork ribs? Hurry up."
Lin Qiong nodded and found Fu Jinglin's resistance somewhat amusing, "Okay."
Saying this, he led Fu Jinglin toward the place selling pork ribs.
"Damn!"
Fu Jinglin's towering figure suddenly jumped behind Lin Qiong.
Lin Qiong looked at him in confusion, "What's wrong now?"
"The pork heads are just hanging there, scared the hell out of me!"
Speaking with a horrified tone, "Why are the meats all hanging like this?"
Lin Qiong said, "It looks better this way for display."
Saying this, he led Fu Jinglin towards a meat stall.
The owner sharpened the knife on the cutting board when someone approached, and Fu Jinglin took a step back.
"Sir, what would you like?"
"I'll take a few pounds of big bones and pork ribs."
"Sure, you must be hungry, right?"
Lin Qiong nodded, "Yes."
Lin Qiong ordered quite a bit, and the owner enthusiastically wielded the knife, processing the pork ribs on the side.
He also threw in some pork belly as a bonus.
The owner said, "Come again next time."
"Alright."
After politely bidding farewell, Lin Qiong led Fu Jinglin home.
Fu Jinglin swallowed, "Did you used to come here to buy groceries often?"
"Yeah," Lin Qiong replied. "It's cheaper and fresher than the mall."
Fu Jinglin glanced back at the meat shop but didn't say anything more, continuing to walk home with Lin Qiong.
Passing by a small park, they couldn't help but glance a few more times at the cotton candy stand on the roadside.
Fu Jinglin looked at the line of people and said, "What's so delicious about those overly sweet things?"
Lin Qiong glanced sideways, "Do you want to buy one too?"
Fu Jinglin turned his head away, "I'm not going."
Seeing Fu Jinglin unmoved, Lin Qiong took a step forward and joined the queue. The owner looked at him, "Sir, what style would you like?"
Lin Qiong looked at the little girl next to him holding a flower-shaped cotton candy, "Just like the little girl's."
The owner, looking at the young man, asked with a smile, "Are you buying it for yourself?"
"No, for my nephew."
"Is that so?" The owner asked, still smiling, "Where is he? I don't see him."
Lin Qiong pointed in a direction, "Over there."
The owner glanced over, "I don't see anyone."
Only a tall figure was visible.
"He's there." Lin Qiong pointed to the tall kid over 1.8 meters, "That one."
The owner said, "..."
Then chuckled and said, "You are a good uncle, looks like you are a close relative at first glance."
"No, only related through marriage."
"..."
After buying it, Lin Qiong handed the cotton candy to Fu Jinglin, "Eat it."
Fu Jinglin looked down at the pink cotton candy in his hand and was stunned for a moment, "I don't want it."
Although he said so, his grip on the cotton candy tightened.
Lin Qiong didn't expose him and didn't say anything. He just turned and planned to go home.
When they reached the doorstep, the cotton candy in Fu Jinglin's hand had disappeared.
After changing into indoor shoes, the first thing Fu Jinglin did when entering the house was to drink water.
"Darn it, the cotton candy is sweeter than he thought."
After putting away the things they bought, Lin Qiong planned to go upstairs to find someone. Seeing Fu Jinglin also getting on the elevator, he was puzzled, "Why are you coming up?"
"I didn't bring a change of clothes, I'll borrow a few sets from my uncle."
Lin Qiong said, "Then what did you put in the bag you carried yesterday?"
Fu Jinglin shamelessly said, "Games."
"..."
They arrived on the third floor, and Lin Qiong noticed that the door to Fu Xingyun's room was half-open. Just as he was about to knock, he saw Fu Xingyun using both hands to support himself on the side of the wheelchair, trying to lift himself up as if attempting to stand.
When Fu Jinglin saw Lin Qiong stopping, he whispered, "Why aren't you going in?"
But lacking strength in his legs, Fu Xingyun was trying to use them to exert force when suddenly he fell from the wheelchair with a muffled thud.
"Hmm," Fu Jinglin was about to enter.
Lin Qiong quickly covered his mouth, pulled him away from the door, and whispered, "Shh! Don't make a sound!"
Fu Jinglin took off Lin Qiong's hand, "Didn't you see it?!"
Lin Qiong looked serious, "I saw it."
"Then why the hell are you..."
"No need!" Lin Qiong pressed his arm, "He can do it."
Fu Jinglin was stunned.
"Fu Xingyun doesn't need others." The seriousness and solemnity on Lin Qiong's face were unfamiliar to Fu Jinglin. He heard him say decisively again, "He can do it on his own."
Inside the room, the man crawled awkwardly from the ground, holding the wheelchair handle, attempting to sit back in it.
Another muffled thud echoed. When Lin Qiong saw the man about to move again, he gritted his teeth, "You better behave! "
Saying this, he turned and glanced at the room door, then pulled Fu Jinglin into the elevator.
Confused, Fu Jinglin looked at Lin Qiong on the first floor, "If you don't want to help, that's fine, but why didn't you let me go? Didn't you see my uncle fall to the ground? How can he get back into the wheelchair by himself?"
Lin Qiong said, "That's his own business."
"You..."
Lin Qiong looked at Fu Jinglin, "There's nothing to be angry about. You know better than I do; Fu Xingyun has never needed anyone's pity."
Fu Jinglin stood still after hearing this, as if suddenly understanding Lin Qiong's meaning.
It wasn't about not helping; it was about helping hurting more than not helping.
That embarrassed appearance, no one would want others to see it.
Fu Jinglin finally calmed down, but his heart felt uneasy. "If it weren't for that brat back then, my uncle wouldn't be like this."
Lin Qiong frowned at the profanity, "Watch your language."
"I didn't say anything wrong. It's all because of that kid."
He really didn't know the reason for Fu Xingyun's leg injury, only that there was a fire.
Lin Qiong asked, "Why?"
Fu Jinglin gritted his teeth, "During the charity banquet my uncle attended, there was a big fire. My uncle had a chance to escape, but because that brat was hiding in a corner and not using the evacuation route, my uncle went back to save him and got crushed under the ruins."
Lin Qiong, after hearing this, remained silent for a long time with widened eyes. He never expected that Fu Xingyun was paralyzed due to saving someone.
"That kid..."
"That kid is fine. Not only is he fine, but he also got a big sum of money from the person who sent him." Fu Jinglin roared, "An orphan brought in by the orphanage, no one cared even if he died. In the end, he didn't say a word during the interrogation, just for the money!"
Lin Qiong felt a chill. If Fu Xingyun hadn't turned back during that fire, the kid instigated might have perished in the flames.
Fu Xingyun, though appearing bright and glamorous on the surface, was dealing with the sinister side of human nature behind his back.
Using lives as gambling chips, causing harm and taking lives for the sake of wealth and power – it was beyond Lin Qiong's imagination.
Lin Qiong, a small-town citizen, couldn't fathom the sinister conspiracies behind the powerful.
He was shaken to the core, finally managing to sit down in the chair.
Fu Xingyun, at the beginning, wasn't the mad and terrifying figure that he was now.
He had once stood high, full of youthful spirit, without losing his humanity and compassion.
He had wealth, power, a remarkable appearance, and an illustrious family background. His life was fulfilling, free from worries about livelihood. He was carefree, charismatic, with strong self-discipline and resilience.
He had the chance to escape that big fire, and the opportunity to continue living under the sun.
Typically, the wealthier a person, the more they cherished life. They had everything they needed.
However, Fu Xingyun turned around without hesitation in that fire. In the end, his tall and robust figure was crushed under the ruins, never to stand again.
Lin Qiong sat in silence on the chair for a long time, his eyes stinging.
It shouldn't have been like this.
Fu Xingyun shouldn't live like this. The man who once carried himself with such pride and confidence shouldn't have become like this.
Lin Qiong gritted his teeth, and in his mind, replayed the scenes from the videos Fu Yuan had shown him of Fu Xingyun.
Inside the room, the man crawled back into his wheelchair from the floor and lifted his eyes, noticing the slightly ajar door.
The door was clearly half-open just now.
During dinner, Lin Qiong stewed a pot full of bones and prepared several side dishes to balance the meal. However, the vegetarian dishes seemed somewhat unnecessary.
Looking at Fu Xingyun, Lin Qiong quietly picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks and placed them in Fu Xingyun's bowl.
Fu Xingyun frowned slightly when he saw the vegetables but eventually picked them up and ate them.
Fu Jinglin held a piece of onion, saying, "I don't want this. You..."
Feeling the gaze from the opposite side, Fu Jinglin immediately closed his mouth and took a bite of the vegetables.
Lin Qiong looked at Fu Xingyun in confusion, only to see the sharpness in his eyes disappear instantly.
Lin Qiong asked, "Is it tasty?"
Fu Xingyun looked at Lin Qiong. Lin Qiong's eyes were bright as if he were a child asking for candy.
Fu Xingyun couldn't help but soften his heart. Just as he was about to speak, Fu Jinglin, who was next to him, spoiled the mood by saying, "Not bad, but it's a bit hard to chew."
Fu Xingyun:...
Lin Qiong:...
Fu Jinglin, gnawing on the bones, said, "Give me more rice."
Fu Xingyun said coldly, "There's none left."
Fu Jinglin was stunned, holding the bones and looking at Fu Xingyun, "I just saw in the rice cooker..."
"None left."
Seeing Fu Xingyun speaking, Fu Jinglin shrunk his neck.
Looking at the bones in his hand, he felt disappointed for a moment but quickly recovered.
No rice, then no rice. He could just gnaw on more bones. Thinking about it, he happily started eating the bones on his own.
Lin Qiong looked at the uncle and nephew's helpless situation and shook his head.
After dinner, they sat on the sofa and watched a wildlife documentary, featuring a lion devouring its prey.
Fu Jinglin: "Looks quite familiar, is it a replay of yesterday?"
Lin Qiong silently glanced at him, "It's today's replay of dinner."
Fu Xingyun interjected, "When are you going home?"
"When my mom cries and looks for me."
"Then you may never go back in this lifetime."
"..."
----
In the evening, Lin Qiong came to the room as usual to perform the massage and happened to see Fu Xingyun taking medicine.
The room was dimly lit, with only a bedside lamp turned on. The dim light stretched Fu Xingyun's figure, casting deep shadows around due to its faint glow.
Seeing Lin Qiong walk into the room, Fu Xingyun subconsciously went to set it aside.
Without mentioning it, Lin Qiong obediently kicked off his shoes and climbed onto the bed.
Fu Xingyun clenched his fist tightly, and the medicine in his hand became turbid. For a moment, he seemed powerless and vile, with the image of the half-open door from the afternoon flashing through his mind.
After taking the medicine, Fu Xingyun looked at the person sitting on his bed in pajamas. "You should go back first."
Lin Qiong was somewhat surprised, "I haven't massaged your legs yet."
Fu Xingyun directly refused, "I don't want it today."
Lin Qiong pulled the person onto the bed, leaning their heads together. "Why?"
For a moment, their faces were just three fingers apart, with the shadows of intertwined figures on the wall, dim but clear.
As if kissing each other, an intimate moment difficult to describe.
Fu Xingyun subconsciously turned his head away, "I just don't want to."
"But I want to," Lin Qiong said, "It's okay, Xingyun."
Lin Qiong's fair fingers landed on the bedsheet, then reached out to touch Fu Xingyun's fingers. "It's okay."
Fu Xingyun was taken aback.
Their fingers intertwined, Lin Qiong's five fingers firmly holding his hand. Then, he slightly embraced Fu Xingyun, leaning against his broad shoulders.
Fu Xingyun half-embraced him, his head resting slightly on Lin Qiong's chest.
The other's heartbeat echoed in his ears.
"It's okay, what if I see it?" Lin Qiong looked at his cheek, "Xingyun, I won't leave you because of your flaws, nor will I feel disgusted because of your shortcomings."
"Not being able to stand is okay."
In his heart, Fu Xingyun stood tall like a towering mountain.
"Taking medication for mental health is also okay, you're just sick," Lin Qiong said softly, "One day, it will get better. Right now, it's just treatment."
Fu Xingyun's large palm was placed on Lin Qiong's waist, applying a gentle force that caused the fabric around the waist to gather inwards. Lin Qiong held onto him tightly.
The man's hoarse voice came, "Aren't you afraid?"
Lin Qiong shook his head, "No."
Saying this, he cupped Fu Xingyun's cheek and smiled, "No matter how you look, you're my man."
Extremely handsome.
A hand on the man's shoulder, "In my heart, you are perfect."
The youth smiled softly, the dim light reflecting on his face. Fu Xingyun stared at him for a moment, his hand lifted to gently touch Lin Qiong's face.
As his fingers rubbed against his cheek, Fu Xingyun was about to speak, but Lin Qiong suddenly jolted, "Shoot! I forgot to get milk!"
Saying that, Lin Qiong hurriedly got off the bed and went to the room to get milk.
Fu Xingyun leaned against the headboard, took a deep breath, and muttered something under his breath.
Lin Qiong returned to his room and stared at the milk carton without moving for a long time.
Then, like a washing machine's spin cycle, he spun around frantically.
Too sensual!
It was really too sensual!
For a moment, it seemed like he wasn't wearing any clothes, and Lin Qiong blushed and rolled around in embarrassment.
Fu Xingyun's face just now didn't show much expression, but Lin Qiong couldn't help but feel a burning sensation all over his body.
After spinning around in the room, Lin Qiong finally regained his composure and returned to Fu Xingyun's room.
Seeing him drinking milk, Lin Qiong spoke, "Let me massage your legs. I've improved my skills today."
Fu Xingyun raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Yes, I practiced on Jinglin today."
Fu Xingyun raised the hand holding the milk bottle, "You massaged him too?"