Chapter 10: Returning from Gossiping Only to Realize I’d Raided My Own Base…
The crisp sound rang out clearly in the parking lot, but Xie Shibai, suffering from somatic reactions, couldn’t muster much strength, so the slap carried little weight.
Lu Ciheng’s head turned to the side from the impact. He pressed his tongue against his inner cheek; the numbing sting was negligible. After a few seconds, he turned his head back and asked softly, “Is one slap enough? Want to hit me again?”
Xie Shibai panted, his gaze icy.
Lu Ciheng took the slap in stride, smiling. “You can hit me again later.”
He smoothly settled the man into the seat, fastened the seatbelt, got in, and started the car—a fluid sequence of actions.
Xie Shibai felt weak. The somatic illness made him feel emotionally weary. “Lu Ciheng, have you forgotten our relationship?”
Lu Ciheng thought for a few seconds before replying unhurriedly, “The relationship where I can legally sign for you at the hospital?”
Xie Shibai now felt that signing this agreement with Lu Ciheng was the biggest mistake of his life.
“Don’t look at me like that, Teacher Xie. If I didn’t do this, you’d definitely keep enduring it and not go to the hospital, right?” Lu Ciheng said while driving. “Look how pale your face is; don’t be stubborn at a time like this.”
Xie Shibai was silent for a few seconds. His lips were pale. The somatic stomach cramps were accompanied by a slight sense of suffocation, chest tightness, and anxiety. He hadn’t experienced such a strong physical reaction in a long time. Lu Ciheng was right; he wouldn’t have gone to the hospital on his own.
Lu Ciheng remarked with a sigh, “That slap just now had no strength behind it. If this is the force you’ll use in the future, I’m getting a huge bargain.”
“But when you hit others, you do it through clothes. With me, you don’t need to.” He concluded after a few seconds of thought, smiling, “Teacher Xie, when you said you hated physical contact with me, that was a lie, wasn’t it?”
Xie Shibai’s lips were ashen. Strands of hair stuck to his cheek as he lifted his cold eyes, his tone mocking, “What stupid things are you saying?”
Lu Ciheng chuckled lightly. “It’s okay, I understand. Teacher Xie, rest for a while. When we get to the hospital, I’ll let you hit me as many times as you want. I keep my word.”
Xie Shibai glanced at Lu Ciheng, then turned to look at the scenery flashing past the car window.
So happy even after getting slapped.
Lu Ciheng chose the nearest hospital. There was no traffic on the road, so they arrived quickly.
Xie Shibai’s main symptoms were somatic anxiety caused by haphephobia. Compared to normal pathologies, somatic symptoms were harder to treat. The doctor suggested an IV drip to provide a sedative effect as quickly as possible.
“The patient might feel drowsy and weak in the limbs afterwards; these are normal side effects,” the doctor told Lu Ciheng. “As his partner, you need to take care of him more.”
Lu Ciheng nodded and asked if there were any dietary restrictions to be aware of.
The doctor said, “I’ll write you a list. These are the things he needs to avoid.”
Lu Ciheng smiled brilliantly. “Thank you, Doctor.”
Xie Shibai leaned against the hospital bed. Not long after the IV started, the symptoms in his stomach began to subside, and strength gradually returned to his hands. However, the acid reflux wouldn’t vanish quickly; the treatment merely alleviated the anxiety, chest tightness, and hypoxia.
He still felt the urge to wash his hands, preferably to go home, shower, and change clothes immediately.
The ward had an independent bathroom. Although it wouldn’t help much, it could offer some relief. Xie Shibai wanted to get up to wash his hands, but paused for a few seconds when he noticed the IV drip. The medication’s effect was significant; the sedation made him feel lazy and disinclined to move.
Lu Ciheng returned to the ward after noting down the precautions. He checked the IV and then observed Xie Shibai’s face. Seeing that the pallor had faded and color was gradually returning, he breathed a sigh of relief.
“Lu Ciheng, come here,” Xie Shibai said calmly.
Although confused, Lu Ciheng obediently sat by the bed. “Feeling better? Anywhere still uncomfortable?”
Xie Shibai cast a cold glance at him, speaking slowly, “Did I let you sit down?”
Lu Ciheng licked his canine tooth and let out a chuckle. “Still holding a grudge? Want another slap to vent?”
After speaking, he proactively leaned his face forward. “Which side do you want to hit this time?”
Xie Shibai was silent for a few seconds. His desire for revenge was rendered speechless by Lu Ciheng’s overly eager attitude.
How can someone actively offer their face to be slapped?
On the other side, when Cheng Zhe arrived, Zhuang Bo was negotiating. Not only did Xie Shibai hit Xun Peng, but Lu Ciheng had also hit him hard later, and Assistant Lin’s final kick completely lacked any martial ethics—it had nearly physically castrated him.
Xun Peng had never suffered such a loss. He shouted about suing, calling the police, sending them all to jail, and making them kneel to apologize.
The assistant director, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, didn’t want to be a peacemaker anymore and explained the events of the dinner to Cheng Zhe.
Cheng Zhe was tough. An apology was out of the question unless Xun Peng apologized first; otherwise, they would countersue.
Xun Peng attempted harassment first; they were merely acting in self-defense.
Hiding behind several staff members and the manager, Xun Peng was about to explode with rage. “Do you have evidence? You’re slandering me! Where is my lawyer?”
Cheng Zhe calmly played the recording Xie Shibai had sent him. “Go ahead and try suing.”
The matter was handled quickly. By the time the police arrived, they had mostly settled it. After learning what happened and pulling up the surveillance, the sequence of events was clear. Moreover, Xie Shibai had a habit of recording business dinners, so there was no debate over who was at fault. The police immediately reprimanded Xun Peng and demanded he apologize.
Once the results were out, Assistant Lin rushed to the hospital, heading straight for Xie Shibai’s ward.
“Brother Xie! You should have seen Xun Peng’s face—it was as black and ugly as the bottom of a pot used for decades!”
His voice arrived before he did. Assistant Lin shoved the door open with a swish.
Focused solely on Xie Shibai in the hospital bed, Assistant Lin didn’t notice the other person beside the partition. He chattered away, sharing how Xun Peng was scolded and forced to apologize in disgrace. “Are you feeling better? Do you need me to get you some alcohol spray?”
Xie Shibai rubbed his forehead. “I’m fine.”
Lu Ciheng finally quieted down, and now Assistant Lin is here.
Assistant Lin repented, “Why did you come to the hospital by yourself? Were you even fit to drive? It was too dangerous. It’s all my fault for not noticing. Deduct my salary; I shouldn’t have been greedy for those few bites of French blue lobster.”
Xie Shibai was helpless. “I’m really fine. I won’t deduct your salary.”
“No, you have to deduct it, or my conscience won’t rest.” Assistant Lin got more worked up as he spoke, full of remorse and self-condemnation, insisting Xie Shibai deduct his pay.
“Pfft.”
A strange laugh sounded from behind. Assistant Lin looked confused for a few seconds.
“Teacher Xie, you thought I was noisy? I think your assistant takes the cake,” Lu Ciheng chuckled.
Assistant Lin’s eyes instantly widened. He lowered his voice and asked Xie Shibai cautiously, “Brother, why is Lu the Dog here?”
Xie Shibai said, “He drove me to the hospital.”
Assistant Lin went “Oh, oh” twice. Upon realizing the situation, he immediately went on high alert, asking vigilantly, “Why is he so kind? Is he plotting something bad?”
Lu Ciheng raised an eyebrow. “?”
Assistant Lin suddenly noticed the ring on Lu Ciheng’s ring finger and instantly connected it to the gossip post he read earlier. “You really are secretly married! My divination was right!”
Lu Ciheng raised his hand to make the ring on his ring finger more obvious, admitting frankly, “En, I am married.”
Assistant Lin wore a “knew it” expression, turning to whisper to Xie Shibai, “Brother Xie, look, I predicted it correctly. Watch me threaten him so he learns about the dangers of the world.”
“You’re done for, I’m exposing you!”
Xie Shibai: …
It’s over.
Lu Ciheng curled his lips, his tone lazy and indifferent. “Sure. Welcome. Don’t you want to know who the other half is?”
Assistant Lin didn’t expect Lu Ciheng to be so careless, talking about something as big as a secret marriage so casually. His gossip radar instantly ignited. With the source right in front of him, he’d be a fool not to dig. He was determined to find out who had such bad taste today. “Who is it? The post said it’s an industry insider. Which young flower?”
“Lu Ciheng,” Xie Shibai warned.
Assistant Lin looked at Xie Shibai in confusion, then carefully observed the ring on Lu Ciheng’s hand. He froze abruptly, snapping his head around to look at Xie Shibai.
No way?
No way, no way?!
“Brother Xie, why does Lu the Dog’s ring look like yours…?” He stared stiffly at the ring on Xie Shibai’s ring finger. A guess formed in his mind, and he swallowed hard.
Lu Ciheng could guess the reason for the warning. With interest, he said, “Not a young flower, but better looking than all of them. Right, Teacher Xie?”
Assistant Lin stared stiffly at Xie Shibai, his expression looking as if the sky had collapsed.
Ahh??????
Xie Shibai: …
Just as he thought.
Assistant Lin was petrified. His brain crashed and took a long time to reboot, like an old machine.
Good news: Lu Ciheng is really secretly married. Bad news: Lu Ciheng’s secret marriage partner is Brother Xie.
“It’s fake, right?” Assistant Lin couldn’t believe it, even feeling like he was dreaming. “It must be fake, right? No, how is this possible!?”
How can Brother Xie’s marriage partner be Lu Ciheng?
Xie Shibai had a headache.
He had guessed beforehand that Assistant Lin would be in this state once he found out.
Seeing that Xie Shibai didn’t deny it, Assistant Lin squatted in the corner, pulling at his hair and doubting life.
Lu Ciheng stood by, finding the sight amusing. He laughed, “Honey, your assistant is much more fun than Zhuang Bo.”
Xie Shibai sneered, “You’re really bored.”
Assistant Lin mushroomed in the corner for a while. Recalling what he had done, he broke down even more, wishing he could slap his own mouth. What “collapse him”? Now he can’t collapse.
He pulled out his phone and began frantically deleting the divination comments he had posted in the gossip thread. At the time, to help Lu Ciheng’s reputation collapse, he had roamed the thread for 25 hours a day, posting countless comments. Now, returning from the gossip frontline, he discovered he had raided his own base.
Damn hands, delete faster!
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