AAWOMAHI Chapter89

While Lu Shiran went to get the milkshake, Lu Xingmian did indeed wait where he was.

 

As he waited, he suddenly remembered a cake shop he had seen nearby. Lu Xingmian looked over at Lu Shiran in the line, figuring he wouldn’t be done anytime soon. He thought he could grab a cake and return before Lu Shiran even got his milkshake.

 

So Lu Xingmian went to the cake shop and bought two small cakes. Since it was a date, sharing cake was part of the plan.

 

When Lu Xingmian emerged from the cake shop, he saw a commotion not far away and heard people shouting.

 

A shop near the cake store was on fire. Several people were holding back an elderly woman who had gotten separated from her grandson when the fire suddenly broke out. The woman was desperately trying to go back inside to save her grandson and screaming that he was in there.

 

The fire inside the shop intensified, sending thick smoke pouring out. No one could say what might happen if they went in, especially an elderly woman who could barely move.

 

Everyone was worried but could only watch helplessly.

 

Since Lu Xingmian’s vision was good, he noticed a small, bewildered figure in the smoke instantly.

 

Lu Xingmian rushed in almost instinctively with shouts of “Danger! Don’t go!” coming from behind him.

 

After getting inside, Lu Xingmian realized how thick the smoke was. He was choked by it with tears streamed from his eyes.

 

Fortunately, Lu Xingmian found the little boy in the smoke and quickly carried him out.

 

In less than two short minutes, Lu Xingmian felt that time had never been so long.

 

When he and the boy rushed out of the smoke and breathed fresh air, Lu Xingmian finally felt relieved, and only then did a sense of fear wash over him.

 

Seeing that he and the little boy were safe, the onlookers applauded them. The old woman even knelt to thank him.

 

After helping the old woman up, Lu Xingmian saw Lu Shiran not far away. He hadn’t yet grasped the seriousness of the situation and happily walked over to greet Lu Shiran, “Ge.”

 

Lu Shiran didn’t say a word and only look at him. As he looked at the vibrant Lu Xingmian, the light slowly returned to his eyes.

 

Lu Xingmian noticed Lu Shiran’s expression was off. He had seen Lu Shiran angry, furious, happy, and sad, but he had never seen this expression before.

 

It was strange, very strange.

 

Lu Shiran’s eyes were deep but now they were like a still, dark pool of water with not a ripple, it’s an eerie stillness. Lu Xingmian was startled by his gaze.

 

He went forward and quietly called out to him by taking his hand and offering a forced smile.

 

Finally, Lu Shiran’s gaze showed some emotion. “Are you hurt?”

 

Lu Xingmian laughed, “No.”

 

A sharp pain shot up his wrist. Lu Xingmian looked down and saw that Lu Shiran had grabbed his wrist. This time he truly gripped it with so much force that it instantly turned red. Lu Xingmian felt as if his wrist were about to be crushed and whispered, “Ge, it hurts.”

 

Normally, Lu Shiran would have felt a pang of concern but this time he didn’t let go. He gripped his wrist even tighter with veins bulging on the back of his hand, and he almost dragged Lu Xingmian away from the dangerous spot.

 

All the way there, Lu Shiran’s expression was grim and he radiated a dangerous aura. Lu Xingmian was so scared by his demeanor that he didn’t dare to speak. He didn’t understand what was wrong with Lu Shiran.

 

This tension continued until Lu Xingmian was sitting in the passenger seat. Seeing the soot on his face, Lu Shiran silently took out a tissue and began to wipe it. The usually gentle Lu Shiran was rough this time. Lu Xingmian’s face stung with his pale cheeks being wiped red, but seeing Lu Shiran like this, he didn’t make a sound. He just looked at him with watery eyes, appearing so pitiful and heartbroken.

 

Lu Shiran clenched his teeth, and his hand movements softened slightly.

 

Lu Xingmian took the opportunity to ask, “Ge, are you angry?”

 

Lu Shiran looked at him. “Lu Xingmian, can you think about me for a moment?”

 

Lu Xingmian swallowed. He didn’t understand why Lu Shiran had suddenly said that, but he knew that Lu Shiran was in a very bad mood right now. After all the soot was wiped away, his clean and fair face was fully showed.

 

The car was too quiet, so Lu Xingmian couldn’t help but ask him, “Ge, where are we going?”

 

“The hospital.” Lu Shiran said.

 

“Why are we going to the hospital?” Lu Xingmian asked.

 

Lu Shiran didn’t answer again. Lu Xingmian tilted his head to look at him with a pitiful expression, but Lu Shiran only kept his eyes on the road and didn’t spare him a single glance. Lu Shiran’s facial features were already sharp, and now they were even more tense.

 

Lu Xingmian sank into his seat in dejection. It was over. Lu Shiran seemed genuinely angry. He didn’t know how he had angered him. Why was Lu Shiran so mad? Was it because he hadn’t waited for him? And what did he mean by “think about me”?

 

This was the first time he had seen Lu Shiran so angry that he wouldn’t even talk to him. If only someone could help him right now, he thought.

 

Unexpectedly, just as he had that thought, Lu Shiran’s phone rang. It was Xiao Youzi calling to tell her uncle that her parents had given her a pretty doll. Her sweet, childlike voice came through the car’s Bluetooth and made the tense atmosphere in the car lighten up.

 

But Lu Shiran didn’t chat with his niece as he usually would. He told Xiao Youzi he was busy and she sensibly hung up. The heavy atmosphere in the car then returned.

 

The hospital should have been a thirty-minute drive, but Lu Shiran got them there in less than fifteen. He brought Lu Xingmian to a private hospital and took him directly to Dr. Chu, the same doctor who had treated him for a fever last time.

 

After a series of examinations, the results were ready quickly. Everything was normal. Lu Xingmian’s vital signs were all normal and he also had no injuries anywhere on his body. There was only a small amount of soot in his respiratory tract and lungs, but it was nothing to worry about.

 

Lu Shiran’s expression soured even more when he heard Dr. Chu say that Lu Xingmian had inhaled some soot. Lu Xingmian even saw the veins on the back of his hand suddenly become prominent. Lu Xingmian secretly swallowed his saliva. He thought if someone were to give Lu Shiran a steel bar right now, Lu Shiran could probably bend it.

 

Even though Lu Shiran remained calm on the surface, he still quietly asking Dr. Chu what they should be aware of. The doctor said he should eat things that cleanse the lungs; it was nothing to worry about. While Lu Shiran was talking, Lu Xingmian quietly squeezed his fingers as a gesture of goodwill. Lu Shiran frowned and squeezed his hand back, hard.

 

Fortunately, Lu Xingmian was not hurt. After they left, Dr. Chu felt the atmosphere between them was a bit odd. The finger marks on Lu Xingmian’s wrist were very obvious.

 

On the way back, Lu Shiran was still quiet. Lu Xingmian understood that even though he was angry, Lu Shiran was still worried about him. Lu Xingmian apologized, “Ge, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have wandered off. Please don’t be angry, okay?” His voice was soft and sweet as he tried to coax Lu Shiran. “Ge, I was wrong. Don’t be mad.”

 

“Lu Xingmian,” Lu Shiran said through clenched teeth. “Don’t speak.”

 

Lu Xingmian fell silent, feeling aggrieved. Lu Shiran was genuinely angry this time, and nothing seemed able to calm him down. They had been on such a nice date; how did it turn into this? Lu Xingmian looked down to find several black stains on his clothes, probably from the rescue. He patted at them but soon realized they were scorched and wouldn’t come off.

 

Lu Shiran, who was watching his movements, also noticed the black marks on his clothes. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and his brows, which had just slightly relaxed, furrowed even more. Lu Xingmian suddenly felt the temperature in the car drop.

 

After they got out, Lu Xingmian was held by Lu Shiran so easily as if he was a small animal. Lu Shiran’s long strides made Lu Xingmian rush to keep up. To an outsider, it might have seemed as if Lu Shiran was dragging him along. After a couple of steps, Lu Shiran realized he was walking too fast and finally slowed down. He was in extreme self-control, Lu Xingmian could even feel his hand trembling slightly.

 

They finally returned home. Lu Xingmian tugged at Lu Shiran’s sleeve while coaxing him, “Ge, are you still mad? Don’t be mad anymore.”

 

Lu Shiran looked at him. The events from earlier were still haunting him. Even his back was drenched in cold sweat and his entire body was shaking. It was only then that he realized he was capable of fear. But then he looked at the person standing before him, who had no idea what he had done wrong and would probably do the same thing again.

 

“Lu Xingmian, do you have any idea how dangerous what you just did was?!” Lu Shiran’s voice was hoarse. “Who told you to be a hero?! Don’t you know how dangerous that situation was?! Can’t you just protect yourself?!”

 

Only then did Lu Xingmian realize this was why Lu Shiran was angry. He quickly said, “Ge, I’m fine. See? I’m perfectly okay.”

 

Lu Shiran gripped his shoulders. “Lu Xingmian, you’re just a normal person! You have to know your limits. The firefighters were on their way. You don’t need to be so reckless to do a good deed.”

 

Lu Xingmian quietly explained, “But I’m fine now. Why are you so angry?”

 

“Why am I angry?” Lu Shiran looked at him, his eyes red-rimmed. “Can’t you think about me for once? If something had really happened to you, what was I supposed to do?!”

 

Lu Xingmian argued back, “That ‘if’ doesn’t exist. I’m standing here safe and sound in front of you. Besides, I wasn’t reckless. The situation wasn’t that serious. It’s all in the past, so please stop being angry.”

 

Okay, fine. Lu Xingmian still didn’t think he had done anything wrong.

 

Lu Shiran, who was usually so eloquent, was so choked with rage that he couldn’t speak. He took a deep breath and went to the study to calm down.

 

Lu Xingmian was left alone in the living room feeling aggrieved while his eyes were filled with tears. This was the first time Lu Shiran had ever spoken to him so fiercely. The more he thought about it, the more aggrieved he felt, and the tears streamed down his face.

 

Lu Shiran had said he would be good to him for his whole life, but not only was he yelled at him but also ignored him over something that was already over, and left him all alone in the living room.

 

In the study, Lu Shiran’s chest and back throbbed with anger. He was furious at himself for not being there with Lu Xingmian. The thought of Lu Xingmian getting hurt filled him with sheer terror. He desperately wanted a cigarette to calm down but there was no tobacco left in the house. He rubbed his temples over and over again.

 

Lu Shiran stayed in the dark study for half an hour with his mind consumed by thoughts of Lu Xingmian. He shouldn’t have spoken to him like that. All the way home, Lu Xingmian kept trying to make amends. He had been so excited to ask him out today, how could he have let himself get angry with him?

 

The more Lu Shiran thought about it, the more he regretted it. He quickly came out to apologize to Lu Xingmian. But he found the house empty. Lu Xingmian was no longer there.