Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 74

He Yan stayed for a few days before leaving. After all, he was a doctor, and even on vacation, he couldn’t take too much time off. There were still many patients waiting for him at the hospital.

Before leaving, he gave Li Nuo a long list of precautions. Later, probably realizing that Li Nuo wouldn’t be able to remember everything, Aunt Zheng offered to take note of them instead. He Yan then entrusted her with Li Nuo’s care.

There was also an in-house doctor on standby, and a full supply of medications had been prepared. Only then did He Yan feel assured enough to leave.

Overall, life here was quite good for him. Although he was still worried about Li Yan’s situation, the people here were easy to get along with and treated him well. He quickly became familiar with his surroundings. He was free to use the study, the home theater, and other facilities.

After overcoming the initial days of discomfort, his routine gradually stabilized. He spent time reading, playing games, going for walks, and doing simple exercises in the gym.

With Aunt Zheng’s careful meal planning, his health visibly improved. Though he hadn’t gained much weight, his complexion had become noticeably rosier, no longer as pale as snow.

Just like that, the days passed peacefully until a visitor arrived.

“As expected, it’s much colder in the mountains than in the city,” Li Nuo said, hugging a book as he stepped out of the greenhouse. The temperature difference made him shiver slightly. However, the weather had been pleasant lately, and since the villa was located in a sunny area, the warmth of the sunlight dispelled much of the chill.

He was about to return to the study to put the book back when he heard a commotion at the front entrance.

Only a few people knew about this place, so anyone arriving must be an insider. Li Nuo quickly headed toward the front yard.

What he saw, however, was Qin Xu.

Li Nuo’s eyes widened slightly. Of all people, why was the busiest man here?

Qin Xu also noticed him. He waved and pointed toward the living room, signaling for them to talk inside.

Li Nuo took a side path back to the living room. “Brother Qin, what brings you here?”

Seeing Li Nuo’s surprised expression, Qin Xu asked, “Am I that unexpected?”

“Uh—kind of.”

He had thought the first person he’d see would be Li Yan or Mo Chuan, but it turned out to be an old acquaintance. Still, it was a pleasant surprise, and he welcomed Qin Xu with a bright smile.

“Long time no see.”

“Mm… You look much healthier,” Qin Xu commented, sounding satisfied.

Hearing this, Li Nuo touched his own face. He didn’t need Qin Xu to say it; he could tell himself. Life here was truly comfortable, and the staff were truly exceptional at taking care of people.

With a balanced diet and regular exercise, he recovered well. Whenever he got lazy, Aunt Zheng would cheerfully remind him to take a walk.

He was doing well, but Qin Xu…

“It really has been a long time. Brother Qin, have you been eating properly lately?”

The moment he got a closer look, Li Nuo noticed that Qin Xu had lost a lot of weight. His already sharp features now appeared even more pronounced.

“Do I look that thin?”

“Yes, right here on the jaw, the bone is even protruding.” Li Nuo gestured at his own chin.

“You remember that clearly?”

“Well, I always have to look up at you.”

Qin Xu chuckled at Li Nuo’s response.

The last time they had met, Qin Xu had been watching over Li Nuo, who lay unconscious in a hospital bed. Thinking back, it really had been a long time.

Li Nuo examined him closely. Aside from being much thinner and having dark circles under his eyes, he also seemed… injured.

He reached out but stopped just before touching Qin Xu’s chin.

“There’s a wound here.”

“……”

“There’s one on the side of your face too. And on your neck. And your hand.”

Li Nuo’s gaze slowly traveled downward. Feeling that there were too many injuries, he grabbed Qin Xu’s hand and pulled up his sleeve slightly. As expected, there were wounds on his arm as well.

“How did you get hurt? Did someone beat you up?”

Qin Xu, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. “Do I look like the kind of person who gets beaten up?”

“Then… did you do this to yourself?”

Li Nuo’s eyes widened in shock, his voice rising slightly.

“…Your imagination is impressive, but please don’t use it on me.”

Qin Xu lowered his head and looked at Li Nuo’s small hand gripping his wrist. Hoping that Li Nuo would hold on a little longer, he remained still. However, Li Nuo quickly let go.

“Then… did you get into a fight with someone?”

Qin Xu thought for a moment. “Something like that.”

Seeing the worry in his expression, Qin Xu reached out and ruffled his hair. “Don’t worry, the other guy ended up much worse than I did.”

Li Nuo’s eyes darted around. “Do you have any other injuries? You need to take care of them properly. If you force yourself through it, you’ll regret it when you’re older.”

“…I’m not that old…”

“I meant in the future.”

“Let’s not talk about age.” Qin Xu’s expression was unreadable. Every time the topic came up, he was reminded of their nine-year age gap. Three more years and it would span an entire zodiac cycle. It made him feel like some dubious older man with ulterior motives.

“It’s nothing serious.” Qin Xu took Li Nuo’s hand and guided him to sit on the sofa before sitting down himself.

From here, he could take in the entire living room. Mo Chuan had really put a lot of effort into this place.

“Brother Qin… How long will you be staying here?”

“Hmm… How long do you want me to stay?”

“Then I hope you stay a little longer…”

Li Nuo hesitated before saying this. Although life here was comfortable, the lack of a functioning phone and internet made it impossible to contact the outside world. For a modern person, that was enough to induce anxiety. Having someone familiar around would make things much easier.

After thinking it over, he felt he was asking too much. “Forget it. The company’s affairs are more important.”

“You don’t need to worry about that.”

“……”

Perhaps because his tone was a little too firm, Li Nuo puffed up his cheeks in dissatisfaction.

Qin Xu straightened up and quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant.”

“It’s fine. I was meddling too much anyway.”

Li Nuo made a move to stand, but Qin Xu immediately grabbed his wrist. “I meant that you don’t need to worry about the company. We’ll take care of everything. And I’ll be staying for a few days.”

His slightly urgent tone caught Li Nuo off guard. He had never heard Qin Xu speak like this before.

Li Nuo looked at Qin Xu’s somewhat anxious expression and suddenly understood.

So this is how people act toward the ones they like?

Based on the novel’s descriptions, Qin Xu was a domineering man with ruthless methods.

But the person in front of him was unexpectedly gentle, as if a lion had been tamed.

Li Nuo fell silent for a moment. Qin Xu continued, “I’ve finished most of my work, so I can stay for a few days. I’ll keep you company.”

Snapping out of his thoughts, Li Nuo muttered, “Who asked you to accompany me?”

“Didn’t you just say you wanted me to stay longer?”

“I’ve changed my mind.”

“……”

Qin Xu looked at him for a moment, then let out a brief sigh. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said it like that.”

“……”

“Didn’t hear me? I said, I’m sorry.”

“Wow!”

“…Why is that your reaction to an apology?”

“Because it’s incredible. Is this the first time Brother Qin has ever apologized?”

Qin Xu paused. Come to think of it, he really hadn’t apologized to anyone before. But for some reason, he had blurted it out just now, perhaps because he instinctively knew that Li Nuo wouldn’t let it go otherwise.

Li Nuo’s irritation vanished instantly. He relaxed and leaned back into the sofa. “There are plenty of books to read here and lots of games, so it won’t be boring. There’s even a gym. Oh, but you should rest for now.”

He glanced at Qin Xu’s face. It was incredibly pale.

Qin Xu had come here to lay low for a few days, and the wounds Li Nuo saw were only the surface injuries. Underneath his clothes, things were much worse.

It’s already the modern era, ruled by law, yet those old bastards still insist on using such traditional methods…

Just yesterday, Wen Dong’s account book had been deciphered. Qin Xu showed no mercy and directly exposed part of it at the shareholders’ meeting. As a result, that old bastard flew into a rage.

After all, he had built his empire through illegal means and still had many men under his command.

That evening, as Qin Xu was leaving work, a truck rammed straight into his car.

Fortunately, he had anticipated something like this, and his driver was highly experienced. Otherwise, it would have been game over.

The sharp screech of tires skidding across the pavement pierced the quiet street.

The driver, barely conscious, struggled to lift his head and glance toward the back seat. “Director Qin… Ugh, are you alright?”

The impact was real, and his body wasn’t responding properly. He forced himself to make a sound.

Qin Xu, who had also been affected, took a long moment before regaining his senses.

“Ha, what a lunatic.”

To think he would do something like this in a place where people come and go.

Struggling to sit up, Qin Xu saw that Wen Dong’s men had already clashed with his own.

With no other choice, he was forced to join the fight. During the scuffle, he sustained a few cuts, but thankfully, Fang Che arrived with reinforcements just in time.

“Fake reports saying I’m in critical condition. Use public opinion to our advantage.” Though injured, none of his wounds were fatal, and he still had time to give orders. “If he dares to make a move in a city like this, then I’ll make sure he’s cornered to death.”

Naturally, he needed to find a place to lay low. After weighing his options, the villa with medical staff was the best choice.

Even though Mo Chuan and Li Yan were both against it.

He wondered how they were handling things now.

Snapping out of his thoughts, he turned to Li Nuo. “You’ve been here for quite some time. What have you been up to?”

Li Nuo thought for a moment. “Not much, really. Just reading, playing games, watching TV…”

“Oh, right. Aunt Zheng said there’s a swimming pool, but I haven’t used it yet.”

“If you want to go, just go. The water doesn’t go to waste. It gets repurposed for cleaning and other uses.” He knew what Li Nuo was worrying about.

“Oh, oh! Then how about we go swimming tomorrow? It’s a bit boring alone.”

Qin Xu hesitated. His injuries couldn’t come into contact with water.

Noticing his hesitation, Li Nuo smacked his forehead. “Swimming in the middle of winter—am I crazy? And you’re injured on top of that! Forget it, I was just talking nonsense. Brother Qin, you should rest.”

“Not for now. Where do you usually spend your time here? Show me around.”

“Ah, I usually go to the greenhouse. I just came from there.”

Leading him into the greenhouse, Li Nuo said with a smile, “Just before I left, the gardener finished trimming everything. I wanted to help before, but I just ended up making things worse. I accidentally pulled out a rare flower seedling, thinking it was a weed.” He looked a little embarrassed. “After that, I just stick to watching.”

“I usually read or play single-player games here. The atmosphere is nice. I even watched a movie here yesterday.”

“What movie?” Qin Xu asked as he slowly settled into a lounge chair.

“A hero-centric one. You know, the kind where one guy storms the enemy base and wipes out the entire army. Honestly, it was a bit too exaggerated.”

“Well, it’s a movie.”

“But it should at least be somewhat logical. It’s not like there were any supernatural elements.”

“If you were my opponent, I could probably take on a hundred people.”

“……”

Li Nuo puffed up his cheeks. “You’re so annoying.”

As he was getting up, he scrunched up his small face but didn’t dare throw a tantrum outright. Instead, he mumbled under his breath.

Just then, the lounge chair wobbled slightly. Li Nuo lost his balance and fell backward.

Qin Xu instinctively reached out to catch him, but in doing so, he accidentally pulled at his wound, letting out an involuntary hiss of pain.

Hearing the pain in his voice, Li Nuo immediately turned to look at him.

“You… Are you hurt somewhere else?”

Qin Xu fell silent.

Li Nuo quickly grabbed his hand. “Stay here. I’ll go get the doctor.”

Even though he wasn’t that heavy, he was still a full-grown adult. What if he had put pressure on an injury and made it worse?

“No need. Let’s go to the living room together. It’ll be easier to treat there.”

Qin Xu stood up without any change in expression. His wound had definitely reopened, but he didn’t want Li Nuo to worry too much.

By the time they reached the living room, the in-house doctor was already there.

“Let’s go to a room. The living room isn’t the best place for this.”