Chapter 93: Red Hill Sanatorium
The Beagle-in-his-prime was acting clingy and obedient, but in his heart, he was still slightly worried about Xie Shibai’s emotions. Lu Ciheng could sensitively feel Xie Shibai’s mood every time he visited the Xie family. He chose the most direct way to divert the other’s attention.
If they hadn’t been in the car, Lu Ciheng would have chosen an even more effective method.
Xie Shibai glanced at him. “What did you do to deserve a reward?”
Lu Ciheng thought for a few seconds. “Being a good boy and waiting for Xie-laoshi to come out doesn’t count?”
Xie Shibai: “…”
For a Beagle, being able to wait in one place without causing trouble truly did deserve a reward.
Lu Ciheng propped himself in front of Xie Shibai, his thumb lightly grinding against the black hair. He nuzzled Xie Shibai’s nose, his lips brushing against the other’s as he said unclearly, “Xie-laoshi, just one kiss.”
He didn’t give Xie Shibai any time to refuse, pecking at his lips several times. He clung to the lips and, just as he was about to go deeper, Xie Shibai grabbed the hair at the back of his head and pulled him back.
“One kiss is enough… don’t waste time. We need to go find Chen Qisheng, mgh—”
Lu Ciheng had originally only intended a few shallow kisses, but hearing Chen Qisheng’s name made him kiss even harder. His large palms interlaced with Xie Shibai’s black hair, pressing him closer. “One more kiss.”
The kiss was gentle and deep. The moist heat in the air left the lips wet with a layer of glistening water, sweeping away and sucking on the tip of the tongue over and over.
Lu Ciheng had a faint red palm print on his face. Whenever he hit a red light, he stopped to touch the lip that Xie Shibai had bitten. The tiny wound felt like a stamp; looking at it made him very happy.
Xie Shibai simply couldn’t stand the sight of Lu Ciheng like this.
When they arrived, Chen Qisheng was in his office keeping himself alive with coffee. Seeing Xie Shibai, he muttered in a daze, “Am I hallucinating from staying up too late? The boss who hasn’t shown up in eight hundred years actually appeared before me.”
Xie Shibai: “…”
“Where are the things?”
Chen Qisheng rubbed his temples and immediately realized what Xie Shibai was talking about. He handed over a contract. “Take another look at the supplementary clauses. I’ve checked with the legal department and there are no issues. The other party is in quite a hurry to sell.”
the moment Xie Shibai’s hand touched the contract, Chen Qisheng felt a gaze instantly lock onto him. He looked up and met Lu Ciheng’s dark, dissatisfied eyes. Chen Qisheng was so scared he let go with a shua, and the contract in his hand felt like a hot potato.
Xie Shibai glanced at him in confusion, then followed his gaze and saw Lu Ciheng’s face lit up with a radiant smile. He turned back to the contract, unaware that behind him, Lu Ciheng’s expression had instantly darkened again, his cold face full of jealousy as he stared at Chen Qisheng.
Chen Qisheng, who saw the face-changing clearly: “…”
What should I do if the boss’s husband treats me like a romantic rival?
After reading the contract, Xie Shibai signed his name. “All original employees of the sanatorium are to be retained, and the system remains unchanged. I want Building No. 7 cleared out as quickly as possible.”
Chen Qisheng nodded. “Alright.”
Lu Ciheng’s expression paused for a few seconds. Hearing the word “sanatorium,” a doubt flashed in his mind.
Chen Qisheng moved quickly. The next day, he informed Xie Shibai that the original patients had been moved to a new villa and Building No. 7 was now vacant.
Lu Ciheng noticed that Xie Shibai was very busy lately. The Xie family had many leftover problems. If Xie Shibai didn’t take the initiative to speak, he didn’t ask; he only focused on the other’s emotional state. More than anything else, he was worried that Xie Shibai would experience respiratory alkalosis due to excessive emotional agitation.
Xie Shibai spent most of his time in his studio handling the Xie family’s affairs and work. The studio welcomed an uninvited guest.
Zhou Chengping said with suppressed rage, “Where is the Old Gentleman? I went to his ward this morning, and the doctor said you took him away.”
Assistant Xiao Lin blocked Zhou Chengping. “Who are you? Barging into someone’s studio—believe it or not, I’ll call the police.”
Zhou Chengping knew everyone around Xie Shibai perfectly, especially Assistant Lin. Selling fake information to scam the Xie family’s money was what caused Xie Lingxi’s total breakdown. “Step aside. I have business to discuss with Young Master Xie.”
Xiao Lin immediately associated him with the Xie family and turned hostile. “We have nothing to talk about with the Xie family.”
Zhou Chengping suppressed his temper, his inner fire ignited by Assistant Lin’s stubbornness. But in front of Xie Shibai, he didn’t dare explode.
Xie Shibai: “Help me buy a cup of coffee.”
Xiao Lin stared at Zhou Chengping uneasily, then looked at Xie Shibai and understood what he meant. He obediently nodded and went out to buy coffee.
Zhou Chengping straightened his clothes. “Young Master Xie, have you considered changing assistants?”
Xie Shibai said flatly, “I haven’t. I don’t have time to reminisce with you. If you’re only here to say that, take care and good riddance.”
Zhou Chengping got straight to the point. “Where is Old Master Xie?”
Xie Shibai looked up and said calmly, “Where else do you think he could be?”
Zhou Chengping saw the brochure for the sanatorium on Xie Shibai’s desk. He froze for a moment, a thought instantly rising in his mind. He said in shock, “You sent the Old Gentleman to the Red Hill Sanatorium?”
He realized almost instantly that this was Xie Shibai’s way of revenge. Xie Shibai didn’t deny it.
Zhou Chengping frowned, finding it absurd—even thinking Xie Shibai was being ridiculous. He immediately rebuked, “How could you send him there!”
Xie Shibai leaned against the back of his chair, looking composed. “Why not?”
Zhou Chengping adjusted his glasses, his face full of disapproval as his voice rose. “He was in a car accident and his body has been very weak. You sent him there to be isolated from the outside—how is that different from house arrest? The Old Gentleman is clearly in the recovery phase; what if something happens after you send him there? That’s too cruel!”
Xie Shibai looked like he had heard something very funny, his lips curling into a mocking arc. “Cruel?”
Zhou Chengping paused for a few seconds, recalling that Xie Shibai had been isolated and locked in the Red Hill Sanatorium for two years. “The Old Gentleman did that for your own good back then. He sent you there to treat your illness.”
Xie Shibai said flatly, “Me too. Since the accident and the Xie family’s troubles, Grandfather hasn’t had time to rest properly. Red Hill is quiet. I sent him there to treat his illness as well. Or what else did Assistant Zhou think?”
Zhou Chengping pushed his glasses up, rendered speechless by the retort. By sending Old Man Xie to Red Hill, Xie Shibai had effectively cut off his contact with the outside world. This meant he could no longer take advantage of the old man’s stroke to embezzle the Xie family’s accumulated wealth. No matter how much the Xie family had shrunk, it was still better than some ordinary small groups. Since leaving the Xie family, Zhou Chengping’s treatment had plummeted. He believed a portion of the Xie family should have belonged to him and his father.
And now, his share had been completely cut off by the Red Hill Sanatorium. He was unwilling to accept it.
Lu Ciheng, wearing a black baseball cap, walked toward the elevator bank. When the doors opened, Assistant Xiao Lin walked out holding car keys. After stepping out, he felt somewhat uneasy and hesitated at the elevator door about whether to go back up and watch. He was also worried about not getting the coffee Xie Shibai liked, so he was stuck at the elevator.
Not until a large shadow fell over him did Xiao Lin realize someone was blocking him. He muttered a few words and looked up to see Lu Ciheng. As a former top-tier hater of the rival’s fans, Xiao Lin felt a bit guilty.
After a few seconds of guilt, he immediately reacted and said hurriedly, “Lu-g—cough cough, Senior Lu, hurry up and go keep watch.”
Lu Ciheng was confused. “What’s wrong? What are you doing?”
Xiao Lin immediately said, “That pretentious assistant named Zhou came to find Xie-ge. Xie-ge sent me to buy coffee. That Zhou guy looks like a bad person at first glance; I’m not comfortable leaving Xie-ge there alone.”
Lu Ciheng: “An assistant named Zhou?”
He thought for a few seconds and matched the name. Old Man Xie did indeed have an assistant named Zhou.
Xiao Lin nodded. “Yes, a pretentious guy wearing glasses.”
Lu Ciheng: “Go on. I’ll go up and see.”
“Okay.” Xiao Lin breathed a sigh of relief as if he were liberated. He felt that Lu Ciheng’s physique would provide a much better sense of security than his own—one punch could flatten that Zhou guy.
When the elevator reached the floor and opened, Lu Ciheng paused as he stepped out. His gaze swept over the glasses of the person in front of him, and he instantly felt Assistant Lin’s description was very accurate.
“You’re Lu Ciheng.” Zhou Chengping suddenly spoke. He looked at Lu Ciheng coldly, scanning him from top to bottom.
Besides being a bit tall, he was nothing special.
Lu Ciheng’s radar instantly went off. His dark eyes stared at Zhou Chengping. “And you are?”
Zhou Chengping didn’t answer and said to himself, “Do you know that Xie Shibai’s mother suffered from bipolar disorder?”
Lu Ciheng arched an eyebrow, listening to Zhou Chengping.
Zhou Chengping deliberately tried to drive a wedge. “Under the influence of genes and later growth factors, the inheritance rate of bipolar disorder is as high as 80%. Xie Shibai probably never told you this.”
Lu Ciheng’s brow furrowed, his gaze toward Zhou Chengping becoming unfriendly.
Seeing that Lu Ciheng didn’t speak and his expression wasn’t good, Zhou Chengping continued, “Have you ever seen a bipolar patient during an episode?”
Lu Ciheng understood now. His face turned icy. “You’re about to see it. Happy?”
Zhou Chengping paused, sounding confused. “You—”
With a bang, Lu Ciheng’s fist hit Zhou Chengping’s face hard. A punch that could break through a sandbag could easily shatter a person’s teeth. Zhou Chengping fell heavily to the ground, his glasses sliding across the floor until they hit the wall. He didn’t even have time to make a sound.
Lu Ciheng grabbed Zhou Chengping’s collar, looking down at him. “You think I don’t know what you’re thinking?”
Zhou Chengping didn’t expect Lu Ciheng to hit him so openly. The smell of blood filled his mouth, and the force of the punch felt as if it had dislocated his jaw. His teeth throbbed with pain. “You actually dare to hit me! Does Xie Shibai know you’re this kind of person?!”
Lu Ciheng sneered. “A rat in the gutter should keep its thoughts well hidden. If I catch you again, it won’t be as simple as a few teeth.”
Zhou Chengping’s mouth was full of the taste of blood. He felt his teeth had been broken, and the nerves in his face were twitching with pain. He forced out, “I’ll sue you!”
Lu Ciheng’s pupils were dark, his mockery undisguised. “I’ll be waiting for you to sue me.”
Even with broken teeth, Zhou Chengping could only swallow them. He knew Lu Ciheng’s background and naturally knew there were things he couldn’t win. He had often used the Xie family’s power to bully others in the past; he never expected to one day be on the receiving end.
Translator’s Note:
- Red Hill Sanatorium: This is where Xie Shibai was sent for two years. Sending Old Man Xie there is a very direct form of poetic justice.
- Bipolar Disorder (双相情感障碍): This is a key plot point regarding Xie Shibai’s family history and his mother, Ming Yu.
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