Chapter 12: The Vicious Fake Young Master of a Wealthy Family – 12

“So… what now?” Xu Ran watched Zhou Xu standing stock-still, showing absolutely no inclination to rush over and show concern. Hesitantly, he pulled out his phone. “Should I… call an ambulance first?”

Because, honestly, the sight of Su Wenyu—face ashen, forehead beaded with sweat, collapsed on the table and trembling all over from the pain—looked critically serious.

If Zhou Xu wasn’t here, Xu Ran’s first move would absolutely be to dial an ambulance, whisk him to the hospital for a check-up, and simultaneously soothe the other customers to prevent any assumption that the shop’s food was faulty.

After all, who would’ve imagined that Su Wenyu, after ordering that many cakes and bowls of shaved ice, would actually finish every single one, leaving not a trace behind?

Xu Ran had assumed it was just a rich kid curious about the taste wanting a sample— a bite or two before being done with it. With his slender frame, how on earth did he manage to eat that much?

Now, looking at the stack of empty plates and bowls on the table, Xu Ran felt like sighing. But he couldn’t have them cleared away just yet. If it turned out to be more than just an upset stomach, those plates, with what little residue remained, could be important.

“Don’t clear this table yet,” Zhou Xu instructed the two nearby employees. “Send every table a complimentary small dessert to smooth things over. I’ll take him to the hospital first. I’ll handle the rest when I get back.”

The employees nodded rapidly in agreement.

Zhou Xu stood beside the table, staring down at Su Wenyu for a moment, questioning internally whether this was all an act.

In his eyes, Su Wenyu’s credibility was utterly bankrupt.

But seeing his red-rimmed eyes, tears welling up on the verge of falling, Zhou Xu had to sigh with a touch of helplessness. In the end, his heart softened.

“Let me borrow your car. I’ll drive him to the hospital.” Zhou Xu pressed down Xu Ran’s hand, which was about to dial for an ambulance. Ruthlessly, he stated, “He ate that much ice. Of course it hurts. Who else would it be?”

Su Wenyu, overhearing this, pouted indignantly. He clutched his stomach and somewhat straightened his posture. His lips pale, his voice trembling from the pain, he accused, “You’re being mean to me again.”

Zhou Xu took the keys from Xu Ran. He reached out, grabbed Su Wenyu’s arm, and pulled him up from the chair with a bit of force. Glancing down at him, he asked, “And shouldn’t you be scolded?”

The sudden yank sent a spasm through Su Wenyu’s stomach, making his face drain of even more color. His other hand pressed weakly on the table’s edge for support, and he whispered, “Don’t pull. Stop. I… I think I’m going to be sick.”

Zhou Xu frowned. “You can’t even walk now?”

Su Wenyu hadn’t anticipated his stomach turning this sour so suddenly. The moment Zhou Xu hauled him upright, his insides felt completely overturned.

“It’s… it’s all your fault,” Su Wenyu moaned, his face utterly bloodless. Uncontrollable physiological tears started to spill down his cheeks, a picture of utter misery.

Zhou Xu, who was holding him steady: “?”

“Did I make you eat four cakes and four bowls of shaved ice?”

“Don’t you have any idea how much you can handle?”

While Zhou Xu’s point was logically sound—Su Wenyu was the one who’d wanted all that food—what Su Wenyu needed right now wasn’t a post-mortem of his mistakes. He needed comfort.

Realizing not a single word of consolation would be forthcoming from Zhou Xu, Su Wenyu shot him a reproachful look. Weakly, he gasped, “It is, it is… your fault.”

“If you hadn’t… refused the food I brought…”

Su Wenyu rubbed his stomach and was about to go along with the scheme 520 had suggested, flipping the script and pinning all the blame on Zhou Xu—but the moment he opened his mouth, his stomach clenched violently.

Su Wenyu quickly clamped a hand over his mouth, shaking his head in distress.

He had already brought this much trouble to the dessert shop. Under absolutely no circumstances could he throw up inside.

Seeing his condition, Zhou Xu’s expression shifted. He instantly wrapped an arm around Su Wenyu’s waist and charged toward the bathroom in the back lounge, gritting his teeth. “Hold it in. If you’re going to be sick, do it in the toilet.”

Su Wenyu was practically dragged along. The moment he reached the bathroom, he doubled over uncontrollably and vomited up everything he’d eaten for lunch.

Xu Ran rushed over with tissues and a bottle of mineral water to rinse his mouth, asking from the doorway, “How is he? Any better after throwing up?”

Zhou Xu gently patted Su Wenyu’s back. His palm rested on the overly prominent bones protruding from his back. It was then he realized Su Wenyu was far thinner than he’d ever imagined.

He clearly remembered Su Wenyu eating plenty during that lunch banquet the other day. How did he have absolutely no meat on his bones?

“It’s fine. Leave the stuff and shut the door. Go manage things out front. I’ll take him to the hospital for a check-up soon,” Zhou Xu said to Xu Ran.

Xu Ran didn’t linger. He placed the tissues and water on the sink, then hurried out to soothe the other customers.

The dessert shop had only been open for about a week. Every customer was a potential repeat visitor. Right now, Xu Ran had to treat them like royalty.

After the bathroom door clicked shut, Zhou Xu flushed the toilet, then helped Su Wenyu stand before the sink. He opened the water bottle and brought it to his lips, murmuring, “Open your mouth. Rinse.”

Su Wenyu had vomited until his face was whiter than the wall tiles beside him. He looked as fragile as a paper doll, without even the strength to lift his hands. He bowed his head, following Zhou Xu’s hand, took a mouthful of water, swished, and spat. Zhou Xu fed him a few more sips.

When the bitter taste in his mouth finally faded, Su Wenyu weakly turned his head away from the bottle. Slowly, he let his forehead fall forward, resting it against Zhou Xu’s shoulder. Pitifully, he whined, “Brother…”

Zhou Xu’s brow furrowed. He instinctively felt Su Wenyu was using this as an excuse for physical contact. He wanted to push his head away but reasoned there was no point in being petty with an invalid. So he let him lean there.

“Can you walk now?” Zhou Xu asked.

Su Wenyu shook his head. Walking was impossible. Not even a little.

Even though he’d thrown up his stomach’s contents, the hollow ache was still unbearable. That indescribable, spasming pain left his hands and feet ice-cold, his whole body covered in cold sweat.

“It’s all… all your fault,” Su Wenyu still didn’t forget to weaponize his blame.

Zhou Xu clicked his tongue. Mentally repeating his mantra of don’t be petty with the sick, he steadied Su Wenyu, then turned around and crouched before him. “Fine. Get on.”

Su Wenyu froze.

“Hurry up,” Zhou Xu urged coldly.

“Oh.” Snapping out of it, Su Wenyu blinked. Slowly, he bent over and draped himself onto Zhou Xu’s back, looping his arms around his neck. He felt the solid, broad expanse of Zhou Xu’s back.

Utterly secure.

Zhou Xu lifted him effortlessly, as if he weighed nothing at all. Gripping his thighs, he hoisted him up a little higher to adjust the position, frowning. “Do you even weigh a hundred pounds?”

The jostling made Su Wenyu’s stomach roil uncomfortably. He quickly tightened his hold around Zhou Xu’s neck, wincing. “Don’t bounce. It’s uncomfortable.”

The warm breath brushed against Zhou Xu’s ear, sending a numbing tingle down the back of his head. He grimaced slightly, finding the sensation unpleasant.

“Got it. Don’t strangle me so tightly. I’d still like to breathe.” Zhou Xu pocketed the remaining half-bottle of water in case Su Wenyu felt sick again on the way. He carried him out of the bathroom and headed for the shop exit.

Xu Ran was still outside handing out complimentary desserts. Seeing them emerge, he quickly glanced at Su Wenyu on Zhou Xu’s back. “Hanging in there?”

Su Wenyu managed a weak, strained smile. “I’m okay.”

Zhou Xu had no more time to waste. He gave a pointed nod toward the exit, indicating he was leaving, and carried Su Wenyu straight out the door.

Xu Ran’s car was parked about two hundred meters away in a parking lot. Zhou Xu trudged under the blazing thirty-seven-degree sun, drawing plenty of curious eyes along the way.

Squinting against the harsh sunlight, Su Wenyu limply pillowed his cheek on Zhou Xu’s shoulder, murmuring quietly, “If you’d just had lunch with me, I wouldn’t have eaten so much ice.”

Zhou Xu: “And it’s still my fault?”

“Mm,” Su Wenyu confirmed with righteous conviction.

Zhou Xu was infuriated to the point of laughter again, yet completely helpless to do anything about it right now.

“I’ve never met anyone as shameless as you,” Zhou Xu said.

Su Wenyu tightened his hold around his neck and boldly reached up to pinch his cheek, declaring, “Well, now you have.”

Zhou Xu’s steps stumbled to a halt. His voice dripped with danger. “Su Wenyu.”

Still pinching his cheek, Su Wenyu added petulantly, “Can’t you just be a little gentler with me?”

Time and again, Zhou Xu was driven to exasperated laughter by Su Wenyu. He really wanted to just dump him here on the roadside and wash his hands of this.

Sensing the moment, Su Wenyu withdrew his hand and whimpered pitifully, “Brother~~”

“Who’s your brother? I’m not your brother.” Zhou Xu swatted him lightly. “Behave.”

Just as Su Wenyu was about to unleash another grievance, a large hand made contact with his buttocks. A jolt shot from his tailbone, and his entire pale face instantly flushed bright red.

Zhou Xu also felt the… wrongness… of the sensation in his palm. He didn’t dare let his mind linger on it. Pretending absolutely nothing had happened, he firmly supported Su Wenyu’s thighs and carried the now-utterly-silent figure all the way to the parking lot, depositing him into the passenger seat.

Rubbing his heated cheeks, Su Wenyu watched Zhou Xu walk around the front of the car and settle into the driver’s seat. Unable to leave well enough alone, he asked, “Did you just… spank my butt?”

Zhou Xu’s hands, reaching for his seatbelt, paused. He denied it. “I wasn’t paying attention.”

Su Wenyu didn’t quite believe him. “Really? You didn’t notice the feel? The plumpest part of my whole body is my butt. How could you possibly not notice?”

System 520 quietly chimed in, reminding him: [Villain Value is rising, Wenyu. Keep this topic going! Keep up the good work!]

Zhou Xu gritted his teeth. “How the hell would I know that the plumpest part of your body is your butt?!”

“And why would I deliberately spank your butt?! What am I, sick?!”

Su Wenyu: “If liking me is a sickness…”

Zhou Xu was genuinely about to lose his mind, finding himself inexplicably trapped in a vortex of self-justification. “I told you, I don’t like you! I’m straight! How could I possibly like a guy?! Even if you are pretty, you’re still a guy!!”

“So you think I’m pretty, huh?” Su Wenyu seized the loophole in his words with perfect accuracy. “Straight men don’t compliment my face by calling me pretty.”

Zhou Xu’s knuckles went white where he gripped the steering wheel. He mentally chanted, He is my little brother. He’s a patient right now, barely restraining himself from hurling Su Wenyu straight out of the car.

“Your shamelessness truly boggles the mind,” Zhou Xu declared, deciding to stop defending himself. He figured his integrity would speak for itself; eventually, Su Wenyu would get it into his head that he genuinely wasn’t interested.

But Su Wenyu had no intention of letting him off the hook—especially with 520 reporting that Villain Value was climbing.

“Actually, I’m shocked too that you like me.” Su Wenyu sighed, then added matter-of-factly, “But don’t worry. The fact that you deliberately spanked my butt… I won’t tell anyone.”

Zhou Xu: “I didn’t deliberately do it!”

Su Wenyu: “See? You didn’t deny that you spanked it.”

“I admit my butt is perky, but you need to exercise some restraint. We were in a public place just now. Think of how bad that looks.”

“Of course, I’m not saying it would be okay at home either. I’m straight. I’m not into hard, muscular men like you. Though I’m sorry, you really should just give up.”

Zhou Xu slowly closed his eyes, quietly detonating in the silence.