Is This The Right Way To Repay A Favor? Chapter 60

Physical Therapy

The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, casting soft patches of light on the floor.

Shen Zhiyu woke first. He looked down; Jiang Zhou was still asleep.

His profile was buried in Shen Zhiyu’s neck, his breathing even, his sleeping face tranquil and more defenseless than it had appeared under the lights last night.

This was the third time they had shared a bed, and it was the first time Shen Zhiyu had woken up to find Jiang Zhou lying so quietly in his arms.

The strange feeling of tenderness from last night resurfaced, tempering the usual physiological urge that came with waking up.

Shen Zhiyu watched Jiang Zhou quietly for a few moments before carefully extracting his arm and getting out of bed.

Jiang Zhou only woke up groggily when the aroma of coffee and the sizzling sound of frying eggs drifted from the kitchen.

It was completely bright outside, the light spilling into the room.

He had slept too soundly last night, throwing his internal clock off.

Jiang Zhou abruptly sat up, memories of the previous night flooding his mind.

How did he end up sleeping on the bed?

Where was Shen Zhiyu?

Was he still sleeping on the sofa?

Jiang Zhou quickly got out of bed and rushed out of the bedroom.

In the dining room, Shen Zhiyu was setting the table for breakfast, his back to him.

“Awake?” Shen Zhiyu seemed to hear the movement, turning around with a natural expression, as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “Wash up and come eat.”

Jiang Zhou didn’t know how to react for a moment, only giving a muffled “Mm” before returning to the bedroom to wash up.

The two ate breakfast in silence.

Sunlight spilled onto the dining table, and the atmosphere held a subtle tranquility.

Jiang Zhou felt like something was off, but he couldn’t pinpoint what it was.

Just as they were finishing, Shen Zhiyu suddenly spoke, his gaze fixed on the sunlight outside the window, his tone unreadable. “My mother… called me last night?”

“Yes.” Jiang Zhou’s heart skipped a beat, and the hand holding his cup paused. “I apologize. You were asleep last night, and I took the liberty of borrowing your phone without your permission.”

Shen Zhiyu hummed. “What did she say?”

“She reminded you that you need to go for physical therapy today.”

“Oh.” Shen Zhiyu gave a light scoff and put down his coffee cup.

Jiang Zhou had seen Shen Zhiyu’s schedule; he had deliberately kept today free, with no appointments. But judging by his tone, he didn’t seem inclined to follow Aunt Xi’s instructions to go for therapy.

No wonder Aunt Xi had said what she did last night.

Jiang Zhou added, “Auntie asked me to accompany you.”

“Oh?” Shen Zhiyu stared at him for a few seconds, then suddenly smiled—a lazy, knowing smile that seemed to see through everything. “She asked you to keep an eye on me? Afraid I’d run off?”

Jiang Zhou: ….

“Fine, I get it.” Shen Zhiyu stood up, deliberately placing a hand on his lower back as he moved. “I’ll go change. Can we leave in ten minutes?”

“Okay.”

In the hallway outside the physical therapy room, the smell of disinfectant permeated the air.

Shen Zhiyu had been inside for a while.

Jiang Zhou sat on a long bench in the corridor, faintly hearing the whirring of the equipment and the occasional instructions from the therapist, along with a few faint cries of distress that escaped Shen Zhiyu.

Jiang Zhou felt restless outside, unable to stop imagining what might be happening inside.

How serious was that old injury?

The therapy was so painful that even Shen Zhiyu couldn’t help but cry out.

No wonder Shen Zhiyu was reluctant to come.

Listening from the doorway, Jiang Zhou felt both distressed and anxious, wishing he could endure the suffering for Shen Zhiyu.

Inside the therapy room, Liu Mo pressed lightly, and Shen Zhiyu cried out again.

Liu Mo was puzzled. “Does it hurt that much?”

Shen Zhiyu: “No.”

Liu Mo: ….

“If it doesn’t hurt, why are you yelling?”

Shen Zhiyu smiled. “Uncle Liu, you’re old, you wouldn’t understand. This is called flirting.”

Uncle Liu looked speechless. “I’m only five years older than you.”

Shen Zhiyu ignored him, deliberately calling him “Uncle Liu” repeatedly, even using a high-pitched voice to wail.

Liu Mo’s ears were starting to hurt. “Stop being so dramatic.”

Immediately after, the machine increased its intensity, and Liu Mo’s hands worked without mercy.

It proved that you should never provoke a doctor.

Shen Zhiyu had truly shot himself in the foot this time.

By the end of the therapy, Shen Zhiyu couldn’t distinguish whether he was crying out deliberately or because of the torment.

In any case, when the session ended, he was drenched in sweat and his throat was dry from the pain.

Jiang Zhou, listening outside, was even more terrified.

Finally, the door to the therapy room opened.

Liu Mo walked out first and smiled at Jiang Zhou. “It’s done. The family member can go in now. Let him rest a bit before leaving. I was a little heavy-handed today, so make sure to massage it more when you get back. He needs to rest for the next few days and come back on time.”

Family member?

Jiang Zhou’s face instantly flushed, and he opened his mouth to explain.

Liu Mo specifically emphasized, “Also, remember: absolutely no strenuous activity.”

He stressed the words “strenuous activity,” his tone vague and suggestive, implying a strong hint.

Jiang Zhou understood, and his cheeks reddened another shade.

The misunderstanding had deepened, but Liu Mo didn’t wait for an explanation and turned to leave.

Jiang Zhou took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

Shen Zhiyu was lying prone on the treatment bed, a few patches of medicated plaster stuck to his exposed lower back. The surrounding skin was noticeably redder than elsewhere, and subtle residual tremors from muscle spasms were visible.

He was covered in a thin layer of sweat, his face slightly pale. His eyes were closed, and his brows were tightly furrowed, as if enduring something.

Hearing footsteps, he opened his eyes. Seeing Jiang Zhou, his frown seemed to relax slightly, and his voice was a little hoarse. “It’s done. Let’s go.”

He started to push himself up.

“Wait a moment.” Jiang Zhou quickly stepped forward, instinctively pressing down on his shoulder. The contact felt taut and slick with sweat.

“The doctor said you should rest a little longer.”

Shen Zhiyu froze, turning his head to look at him.

Worry and distress were etched across Jiang Zhou’s face, his brows furrowed even tighter than Shen Zhiyu’s.

Sure enough, playing the pity card worked.

Shen Zhiyu watched him for a few seconds, then suddenly gave up, sinking back down. His voice was muffled in his bent arm.

“Mm, then I’ll stay a bit longer. My back aches.”

Jiang Zhou stood by the bed, looking at his sweat-dampened temples and the reddened skin of his lower back. His fingers curled, and he fought the urge to reach out and wipe the sweat or gently rub the area.

“CEO Jiang—” Shen Zhiyu called him.

“I’m here.”

“Could I trouble you to give me a rub? It’s uncomfortable.”

The corners of Jiang Zhou’s mouth tightened slightly, and he nodded. “Alright.”

Cool fingertips settled onto his back, and Shen Zhiyu inhaled sharply.

Jiang Zhou was focused and pure of thought, concentrating on the skin beneath his fingers, gently pressing and massaging the area that had just undergone therapy.

After only two rubs, Shen Zhiyu realized this was a terrible suggestion.

Jiang Zhou was devout enough, his mind pure enough.

But the one being massaged was not. The slickness of the fingertips and the gentle touch were challenging his nerves and endurance.

After just a minute or two, Shen Zhiyu was being massaged to the point where he almost couldn’t help but groan aloud.

He quickly stopped Jiang Zhou. “That’s enough.”

Jiang Zhou withdrew his hand and pulled a few tissues from a nearby counter, carefully helping him wipe the sweat from his back.

When he reached the waistline, Shen Zhiyu suddenly flinched violently and grabbed Jiang Zhou’s hand. “I’ll do it myself.”

His voice trembled, carrying a hint of suppression.

It seemed he was genuinely in a lot of pain.

Jiang Zhou’s gaze fell on the reddened skin, his brows deeply furrowed.

Shen Zhiyu haphazardly wiped himself twice. After a moment, he moved again, his voice returning to its usual tone.

“I’m ready. Help me up.”

Jiang Zhou immediately reached out, carefully supporting his arm.

Shen Zhiyu used his strength to sit up, his movements still slow and stiff.

He looked up and saw Jiang Zhou’s perpetually worried frown, then suddenly raised a hand and rubbed his brow with his knuckle.

“Stop frowning. It’s not broken, I’m fine.”

“Don’t believe me? Want to test it tonight?”

Hearing this, Jiang Zhou’s body stiffened, and his face flushed crimson. “The—the doctor said no strenuous activity.”

Progress. At least he didn’t directly refuse, but cited medical advice.

Shen Zhiyu was slightly pleased, yet he deliberately teased him. “I meant a massage. Where did CEO Jiang’s mind wander?”

Jiang Zhou: …..

Shen Zhiyu slowly slid off the bed, trying to move his waist, his brow instinctively knitting together.

He put on his clothes and then raised a hand to rub his lower back. His skin was still faintly hot, and the deep muscles ached intensely, even more so than when he arrived.

That Liu Mo was truly heavy-handed. Any harder, and his back might genuinely break.

Jiang Zhou’s gaze followed him constantly, taking in his movements and discomfort.

“Does it still hurt a lot?”

“It’s alright.” Shen Zhiyu forced a somewhat lazy smile. “I’m just starving.”

Shen Zhiyu led Jiang Zhou to the hospital’s internal cafeteria and they ate a simple lunch.

The car smoothly merged into traffic. The cabin was quiet, with only the faint sound of the air conditioning and the flowing city noise outside the window.

“CEO Jiang specifically accompanied me for physical therapy.” Shen Zhiyu suddenly spoke, his voice lower than usual, sounding somewhat intimate. “As a courtesy, how about I accompany CEO Jiang to do something too?”

“Huh?” Jiang Zhou quickly glanced at Shen Zhiyu, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

The smile in Shen Zhiyu’s eyes deepened. He leaned slightly toward the driver’s seat, lowering his voice, adopting a tone that was almost coaxing.

“I said, what does CEO Jiang want to do?”

“This afternoon, I belong to you.”

His breath was close, carrying the faint scent of medicinal alcohol from the recent therapy mixed with his usual scent, dominating the air around Jiang Zhou with a strong presence.

Jiang Zhou’s ears rapidly turned red at a visible speed, and a thin layer of pink spread down his neck.

He stared rigidly at the road ahead, his mind instantly blank because of the phrase “I belong to you.”

What did he want to do?

What could he do?

He wanted to do everything, yet dared to do nothing.

“I…” Jiang Zhou opened his mouth, his throat dry.

The car drove into a relatively quiet neighborhood, and the speed unconsciously slowed down.

Shen Zhiyu was in no hurry for an answer, watching him with an air of composure.

He watched the flush on Jiang Zhou’s earlobes slowly rise and then gradually fade, watched his Adam’s apple nervously bob up and down, and watched his fingers tighten unconsciously on the steering wheel.

Such a loss of composure. He didn’t believe Jiang Zhou felt nothing for him.

A vague answer surfaced in his mind.

Was there a possibility that he was the main person, and Yuan Chong was the substitute?

Only this could explain Jiang Zhou’s series of actions.

“You just finished physical therapy; you need rest.” Jiang Zhou tried to keep his tone steady and objective. “Why don’t we go home and rest properly?”

“Go home, huh…” Shen Zhiyu drew out the words, seemingly savoring the meaning behind them.

The streetscape outside the window rapidly receded. Sunlight streamed through the glass, casting a bright glow on Shen Zhiyu’s profile.

He smiled. “Alright, I’ll listen to CEO Jiang. Let’s go home and rest.”