Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Ning Qiuyan didn’t lift his head once while the elevator ascended.

However, cradled in Guan Heng’s arms, his body’s senses had all returned. There wasn’t a single spot that didn’t ache; it felt as if he had been completely shattered, and even his breathing was trembling.

A human body is naturally warm, but after being submerged in water for forty or fifty minutes in the freezing winter weather, his body was as cold as a block of ice. Even the heater blowing on him during the drive over hadn’t been enough to warm him up.

It was under these circumstances that Ning Qiuyan seemed to feel a hint of warmth from Guan Heng’s skin.

Lu Qianque was already waiting for them in the room.

Ning Qiuyan didn’t see his expression, nor did he see Guan Heng’s. He only heard Lu Qianque call out “Sir” with polite formality.

The single-seater sofa in the sitting area faced the floor-to-ceiling window. A little further past it was the spot where Ning Qiuyan and Guan Heng had looked at the night view during their video call last time.

He was placed on the sofa by Guan Heng, and everyone’s eyes turned toward him.

Ning Qiuyan suddenly became the center of attention and felt a bit embarrassed, though he understood they were all gathered here because of him. The doctor first asked the others to step aside, then introduced himself to Ning Qiuyan in a friendly manner, saying his name was Dr. Wang and that he was a private physician.

In addition to the injuries on his face and the soles of his feet, Ning Qiuyan had several bruises on his body. These had been caused by Chi Yang dragging him or during his own attempts to escape, though he hadn’t even realized it himself. After finishing the external examination, Dr. Wang brought a clean hotel bathrobe for him to change into.

Only then did he begin to take his temperature.

During the process, Guan Heng and Lu Qianque both returned. Dr. Wang continued by checking Ning Qiuyan’s throat and then used a stethoscope to listen to his lungs.

The stethoscope was freezing, and Ning Qiuyan instinctively tried to shrink away, but a hand cupped his face from behind. “Don’t move.”

It was Guan Heng.

He was standing right behind Ning Qiuyan.

Such physical contact was very intimate, but Dr. Wang and Lu Qianque acted naturally, not giving them a second glance. Ning Qiuyan’s face flushed hot, and he immediately sat up straight and motionless, like an elementary school student called on by a teacher.

After the examination was over, Dr. Wang briefed them on Ning Qiuyan’s condition. “The injuries to his face and feet aren’t too severe, but his knees are quite swollen, and there are bruises from bindings on his wrists and ankles. His general constitution is decent, but he’s suffered from exposure, so we need to monitor him for a fever. The trickier part is the smoke and dust he inhaled earlier at the fire; his lungs are fine, but there is edema in the respiratory mucosa, so he needs to rest properly for a while. Additionally, there are tears at the corner of his mouth and inside his oral cavity. His food over the next two days should be at a moderate temperature-nothing spicy.”

Overall, while the external injuries weren’t critical, they were everywhere, and the internal strain was more significant.

Thus, Dr. Wang said, “I suggest hospitalization for treatment. If you are unwilling to go to a hospital, I can treat the external wounds now and prescribe some medication.”

Dr. Wang was not a member of the Guan Family, nor was he Dr. Ling from Du Island; he was just an ordinary human.

Ning Qiuyan’s injuries looked as if he had been abused. Perhaps because he was a private doctor who had seen such things before, Dr. Wang did not ask any further questions.

“Understood, I will handle the arrangements,” Lu Qianque said from the side. “Thank you. I’ll see you out.”

This was a dismissal, indicating they didn’t need Dr. Wang’s treatment or prescriptions.

The doctor cooperatively left.

Once the two of them were gone, only Ning Qiuyan and Guan Heng remained in the room.

He felt Guan Heng move away from behind him, and soon saw him walk over to the kitchen island equipped in the suite.

The sitting area and the minimalist kitchen were part of the same open space. Ning Qiuyan could only see Guan Heng standing at the island, taking out a glass to rinse it, after which all sound ceased.

From this angle, he could only see Guan Heng’s back and didn’t know what he was doing.

Ning Qiuyan couldn’t take his eyes off Guan Heng for even a second. His mind was filled with the image of seeing Guan Heng through the revolving glass doors earlier.

The curtains of the floor-to-ceiling window were not drawn. Above the glittering city lights, the sky was a velvet black-blue. The tone was incredibly brilliant and dreamlike, like a fish looking out at the world through a glass tank.

Had Guan Heng really come?

Could he be dreaming?

When Guan Heng turned around, he was holding a glass of water. The color of the liquid was strange-an indescribable shade of pink. He walked over to Ning Qiuyan, knelt down, and looked at him while holding the glass, asking gently, “Do you want to eat something?”

Guan Heng had noticed the changes in Ning Qiuyan the moment he first saw him today.

Ning Qiuyan’s hair had grown longer. It was unclear if it had been permed or if it was naturally wavy, but the dark strands curled softly against his pale neck and ears. The change in hairstyle gave Ning Qiuyan’s aura a subtle shift-a faint melancholy mixed with a boyish greenness, making him look both strong and incredibly fragile.

The hotel allowed for food orders at any time.

A room service robot was on standby, ready to ask Ning Qiuyan which table he wanted to dine at, just like last time.

This time Guan Heng was right here, so he could appreciate the high-tech service directly without Ning Qiuyan having to make a special point of ordering.

“No…” Ning Qiuyan spoke hoarsely. Only then did he realize his voice truly sounded as terrible as Lu Qianque had described.

“Porridge, soup, or something else to fill your stomach and regain your strength,” Guan Heng suggested.

Seeing Ning Qiuyan shake his head again, he brought the pink water a bit closer and signaled. “Drinking this will make you feel very hot and uncomfortable. You will feel very tired.”

Guan Heng was still the man Ning Qiuyan was familiar with-patient, as if he were explaining how to put together a jigsaw puzzle. Even though he was half-kneeling, he remained elegant and commanding, never appearing to be in a lowly position.

Ning Qiuyan noticed a patch of rust-red on the collar of Guan Heng’s shirt. It looked like blood, and it was already dry.

Ning Qiuyan didn’t have any wounds that would cause that, so the blood wasn’t his.

His eyelids gave a slight twitch.

For the moment, Ning Qiuyan still didn’t really want to eat. He had likely passed the point of hunger and had no appetite. With a parched throat, he took the glass of water and asked, “Is this for me?”
“Yes,” Guan Heng said. “You need to drink it all.”

It was an imperative sentence, indicating that there was something special about this strangely colored water.

Ning Qiuyan recalled the wound he had gotten on the boat last time, which had vanished by the time he returned home. He also remembered the worker on Du Island whose stomach had been punctured by an antler but recovered. Guan Ziming had once told him not to bring any wounds onto the island because “as long as they don’t want you to die, you’ll get better.”

He was no longer on Du Island, but Guan Heng was here. Some things didn’t need to be stated too explicitly.

Ning Qiuyan took the glass from Guan Heng’s hand and drained it in one go. He swallowed so quickly that he didn’t taste anything particular.

Lu Qianque hadn’t come upstairs yet, and it was unclear if he would return.

At this moment, Ning Qiuyan actually wished Lu Qianque were here; then he wouldn’t feel so helpless, not knowing how to interact with Guan Heng. He racked his brain for a topic and asked Guan Heng, “Were you… planning to leave just now?”

“Don’t speak if your throat hurts.”

Guan Heng stood up and casually stroked his head.

His hand didn’t pull away immediately; instead, he used his thumb to gently rub Ning Qiuyan’s forehead. His fingertips were slightly cool, a gesture intended to soothe.

Ning Qiuyan instantly had the illusion that their agreement hadn’t ended yet-as if he were still on Du Island, possessing the power to have any need fulfilled.

Soon, a wave of heat began to radiate from deep within his chest, spreading to his four limbs and every bone in his body.

It was as if Ning Qiuyan had suddenly been forced to drink very strong liquor. His entire being felt light and airy; the world, the ground, and even the air around him were heating up and spinning.

The world before his eyes turned into a kaleidoscope. Images constantly reorganized and split, forming strange patterns. Only Guan Heng remained at the focal point of his vision, yet even he was blurred.

“Mr. Guan…”

Ning Qiuyan reached out frantically, wanting support.

But his body refused to obey him entirely, and he forgot he was still holding something.

The glass slipped from his hand, landing on the carpet with a dull thud. Immediately after, he felt his body grow even lighter. The patterns and textures before him shifted, but he didn’t realize he had been picked up.

“Do you feel like vomiting?” he heard Guan Heng ask.

He shook his head.

The dosage was very small, so Ning Qiuyan’s physical reaction was more akin to being drunk.

Sweat began to bead continuously on the tip of his nose and forehead, as if the moisture inside his body was decomposing. In an instant, he was soaked.

Perhaps because of the bond created by their blood, Ning Qiuyan’s reaction was much stronger than expected. Guan Heng placed him on the bed, wiped away his sweat, and brushed aside his damp bangs.

Ning Qiuyan half-opened his eyes, using both his face and hands to follow Guan Heng’s touch. “…It’s so uncomfortable.”

Lu Qianque returned.

Seeing the scene in the bedroom, he tactfully refrained from approaching. Instead, he said, “Sir, this reaction won’t end anytime soon, and Xiao Ning is different from ordinary humans. Do you… need me to find someone to look after him?”

Guan Heng was supposed to be at the airport by now.

Lu Qianque understood everything clearly. Although he vaguely knew that his little push hadn’t been a mistake, he didn’t dare to presume Guan Heng’s thoughts any further.

In fact, before he had even received the call from Chi Yang, Guan Heng-having already received the video-had called him first.

Hearing Guan Heng’s request to book a flight to Sujing, Lu Qianque had been quite surprised. He had said, “I’ve already arranged for people to be near Xiao Ning, and I’ll be heading there immediately myself. There shouldn’t be any need for you to handle this personally.”

“You don’t understand Chi Yang,” Guan Heng had replied. “No human survives in his hands.”

Lu Qianque had long heard of that man’s bloodthirstiness and perversion; in a single banquet, he had killed sixty-two people.

Lu Qianque knew that Ning Qiuyan was somewhat special to Guan Heng, but he also knew that Ning Qiuyan wasn’t *that* special.

So, when Guan Heng decided to personally go and save Ning Qiuyan’s life, Lu Qianque didn’t find it strange. When Guan Heng didn’t intend to meet Ning Qiuyan, Lu Qianque didn’t find it strange either.

If they hadn’t mentioned it, Ning Qiuyan might never have known that Guan Heng had even come.

However, after Lu Qianque had carried Ning Qiuyan to the car and Guan Heng had specifically taken off his own overcoat for him to use to keep Ning Qiuyan warm, Lu Qianque knew this time was different.

He couldn’t fathom what Guan Heng’s intentions were at all.

“No need,” Guan Heng said. “I’ll stay here.”

Lu Qianque nodded and quietly withdrew.

Guan Heng’s hands were cold.

He placed his hand over Ning Qiuyan’s forehead, and Ning Qiuyan closed his eyes in comfort.

Ning Qiuyan’s eyelids were very thin, making the blue veins visible. His eyelashes were long and straight, which always gave him a look of innocence when he looked at people. His lips were full and appeared very red due to the high fever, making the wound at the corner of his mouth look even more vivid.

Ning Qiuyan’s consciousness was no longer clear; he only managed a blurred murmur: “So hot…”

Guan Heng’s expression remained unchanged as he moved his fingers to help him out of his bathrobe.

Without the constraint of clothing, Ning Qiuyan felt much cooler. He rolled over to lie prone on the bed. The binding marks on his wrists were a purplish-red, and there were small patches of bruising on his body. His lean shoulder blades protruded slightly, and his waist was thin and narrow, full of vitality. His skin was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

The room was very quiet, save for Ning Qiuyan’s rapid breathing.

An unknown energy circulated through Ning Qiuyan’s body, destroying his immune system only to rapidly rebuild it.

Guan Heng gathered him up, holding him from behind. His slightly cool body completely enveloped the boy.

Ning Qiuyan immediately let out an unconscious sigh of satisfaction.

On the side of the human’s slender neck, a pulse was thumping violently. Uncontrollably, Guan Heng lowered his head, revealing a pair of snow-white fangs.

His hair fell forward as his fangs lightly brushed against that rapidly beating pulse, before he retracted them again.

In the dimness, the pair of arms encircling Ning Qiuyan were strong and powerful. On the skin as pale as cold jade, distinct veins had surfaced.