NOS Chapter 37
by VolareChapter 37: Qianjinping (13)
That’s all. There’s nothing else. As for those messy things, they’re just rumors. I believe you wouldn’t do such a thing.
Guan Yao’s words were actually unfinished.
Yu Chunming slowly shifted his gaze away from him, “My injuries are all healed. You don’t have to worry.”
“All healed and you’re lying here?” Guan Yao raised his voice, “Stop showing off. With the way you were working non-stop before, it won’t be long before you have another problem. Perfect, this time you just stay in the hospital obediently and don’t rush out again.”
“I don’t want to be hospitalized.” Yu Chunming’s stubborn mule temper played out once again, “The smell in the hospital will never let me get better.”
Guan Yao instantly saw through this person’s true inner thoughts. He smiled and deliberately asked, “You don’t want to be hospitalized because you don’t want to see Wang Zhen, the team leader, again, right?”
Yu Chunming’s expression froze, not concealing the truth that Guan Yao had exposed.
“Your mentor is really good to you,” Guan Yao glanced at Meng Changqing sitting next to him and said, “If it were my apprentice, I wouldn’t have refunded tickets and rescheduled flights, burning the midnight oil to fly over and offer condolences.”
“Mentor…” Meng Changqing called out weakly.
Guan Yao continued, “Moreover, a mentor for a day is a father for life. Even if he scolded you harshly before, he’s the one who brought you into the police force. You act like you’re seeing an enemy when you see him. Is that appropriate?”
“So what?” Yu Chunming said indifferently, “When I was assigned to his team as an apprentice, he submitted ten reports to the superiors just to get rid of me. Wang Zhen has disliked me from the very beginning. He was forced to be my mentor. Last year, he finally had the chance to get rid of me, so he didn’t hesitate to help me accept a mistake that wasn’t mine at all. Guan Yao, if you want to work under him as a criminal investigator, go ahead. You don’t have to say nice things about him in front of me.”
“When did I say I wanted to work under him as a criminal investigator?” Guan Yao immediately denied.
Meng Changqing’s eyes widened, temporarily thrown into chaos by the gossip suddenly stuffed into his mouth. He first wanted to ask Yu Chunming where Wang Zhen came from, but suddenly he heard Guan Yao mention “promotion” and immediately put the previous question out of his mind.
“Mentor, are you going to Songlan to be a criminal investigator?” Meng Changqing asked in a panic, like a child abandoned by irresponsible parents, “Mentor, do you not want me anymore?”
Guan Yao was mentally and physically exhausted. He pointed to the door, “I told you to find a nurse. Why are you still standing here?”
Meng Changqing shuddered and quickly left.
Seeing him leave, Guan Yao continued from where he left off, “I didn’t want to say nice things about Wang Zhen, and I didn’t promise him to transfer to Songlan next year. I just wanted you to stay in the hospital.”
“I’m tired of staying. I want to leave.” Yu Chunming was stubborn.
Guan Yao took a deep breath and, forced to do so, once again played the incompetent “leader.” He silently watched the nurse change the new IV fluid and silently watched Yu Chunming’s blood oxygen level gently rise to 97, then very unwillingly said, “We’ll talk about other things after this bottle is finished.”
Yu Chunming raised an eyebrow and leisurely lifted the corners of his mouth.
Guan Yao was holding back a stomachful of frustration with nowhere to vent, feeling annoyed by everyone he looked at, but Meng Changqing was still so dense and insisted on running into his mentor’s line of fire.
Only to see this kid squatting in front of Yu Chunming’s bed after returning, eager to try, “Police Officer Yu, what exactly happened to the injuries on your body? When my mentor took off your clothes yesterday, I saw that your back and right arm were covered in scars.”
“Your mentor took off my clothes?” Yu Chunming asked back.
Guan Yao’s face turned red instantly. Without waiting for Meng Changqing to answer, he loudly explained from the side, “You were burning with fever at the time, and your clothes were soaked in sweat. Shouldn’t I change you into something else?”
After speaking, he started scolding Meng Changqing again, “What are you doing crowding around here? Go back to work!”
However, Meng Changqing heard something strange in these words. Sometimes this kid’s brain was too slow, and sometimes his brain was too clever. Hearing Guan Yao say this at this time, he suddenly started muttering to himself, “Mentor, you and Police Officer Yu are both men. Why are you nervous about changing clothes?”
Guan Yao then realized that he had overreacted. His eyes darted around, and he turned to start organizing the activity table, which wasn’t messy at all, “I was afraid Police Officer Yu would feel embarrassed.”
Yu Chunming smiled gently, “I’m not embarrassed.”
Whoever is embarrassed knows.
Guan Yao only felt his ears burning and his scalp tightening. He couldn’t figure out what kind of reaction this was. After all, it wasn’t like this when he took off Yu Chunming’s clothes last night. Why did he change like this after hearing Yu Chunming say that sentence?
This was really too strange.
“Police Officer Yu, Police Officer Yu, you haven’t said what happened to the scars on your body yet?” Fortunately, Meng Changqing’s moment of brilliance came and went quickly. He instantly forgot about his mentor’s abnormality and turned to continue asking about the scars. He tugged on Yu Chunming’s sleeve and lowered his voice to ask, “Police Officer Yu, have you carried out any secret missions?”
Yu Chunming smiled, “Where do so many secret missions come from? You kids just like to daydream.”
Meng Changqing pouted.
“Last June, when I was still in Songlan, there was a case, and because of a mishandling, there was an explosion.” Yu Chunming didn’t intend to avoid it. He answered frankly, “Because I didn’t dodge in time and was close to the source of the explosion, I was hit by a lot of fragments flying at high speed. I was lucky to have survived, but some of my colleagues… weren’t as lucky as me. At that time, I had an intern police officer under my command, about your age, who kept clamoring to become my apprentice. I kept putting it off and even lied to him, saying that I would agree after solving that case, but…”
Yu Chunming’s voice was very soft. He said, “As a result, because of that explosion, he injured his central nervous system. Although he saved his life, the chances of him waking up are slim.”
Meng Changqing blinked his eyes and didn’t speak for a long time.
Guan Yao stood aside and couldn’t help but look at Yu Chunming’s pale and peaceful profile.
But this matter seemed to have completely passed for him. There was no sadness in Yu Chunming’s expression, only a faint sigh, “So you see, handling big cases isn’t anything good. In the end, you end up with a fate worse than death.”
These words seemed to be spoken to Meng Changqing, and also seemed to be spoken to Guan Yao, who was silent.
However, Yu Chunming didn’t explicitly state his meaning. He smiled and said, “Alright, don’t dawdle here with me. Deputy Director Wang scheduled you to go to Qianjinping tomorrow for patrol duty, right? Go back and rest earlier today.”
Meng Changqing obediently agreed. He glanced at Guan Yao’s face and said in a low voice, “Mentor, then I’ll go back.”
Guan Yao waved his hand, still looking preoccupied.
Seeing this, Yu Chunming deliberately waited for Meng Changqing to leave before saying, “Is Police Officer Guan… feeling sorry for me?”
“What?” Guan Yao was shocked by these words as if his soul had left his body. He looked astonished, “What did you say?”
“Nothing,” Yu Chunming leaned back, closing his slightly sore eyes. He let himself sink into the pillow, leaving Guan Yao alone to think wildly, “When will this bottle be finished dripping?”
“Ah, this, it’ll probably take an hour,” Guan Yao answered distractedly.
“Perfect,” Yu Chunming was very satisfied, “After I finish dripping, Wang Zhen won’t be off work either.”
Guan Yao had no time to delve into what kind of discord there was between Yu Chunming and his mentor Wang Zhen, because at this moment, all his attention had returned to Yu Chunming’s sentence last night. He began to reflect on the past, and after reflecting on the past, he began to search through everything at present. After completing everything, he suddenly realized a crucial question: why would Yu Chunming tell himself that he liked men?
Once he discovered that this was the key point, Guan Yao immediately couldn’t sit still.
Until this evening, when Guan Yao took his niece Guan Ning to the gathering point with his luggage, he was still a little absent-minded, causing Guan Ning to couldn’t help but ask, “Uncle, what’s wrong with you?”
Guan Yao’s soul briefly returned to his body, “What’s wrong? The teacher is urging you. Hurry up and get on the bus with your luggage. Don’t be late.”
Guan Ning stood still, “Uncle, are you in love?”
“Me, in love?” Guan Yao’s temples throbbed.
“Distracted, restless, and looking around when talking to me, Uncle, you definitely have someone you like.” Guan Ning, a sixteen-year-old girl, said with a beaming face, “Tell me, your niece, and I’ll give you ideas and help you pursue them.”
“Oh my god,” Guan Yao was brought back to his senses by Guan Ning’s words. He waved his hand, “Please give me a goodbye. Just doing these ridiculous things and give me ideas, are you some kind of emotional expert? You’re going to give me ideas.”
“Hey!” Guan Ning’s eyes lit up instantly, “Uncle, does your words mean to admit it? You admit you have someone you like!”
“What am I admitting? I admit…” Guan Yao was halfway through his sentence when he realized that he, a police officer with rich experience, had actually been tricked by Guan Ning, this little girl. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, “Grandma, I beg you to leave quickly and give me a few days of peace.”
Guan Ning smiled, “If you find Auntie Guan, Uncle, you must not hide it from me.”
Guan Yao couldn’t bear it any longer and pushed this little girl onto the bus with her luggage.
After sending her away and going up to the hospital ward, Yu Chunming, who had removed the IV and wrapped himself in that ugly piece of clothing, was already impatiently waiting for him by the bed.
“Let’s go, let’s go. It’ll be quitting time in another ten minutes,” Yu Chunming said.
Guan Yao said helplessly, “It takes fifteen minutes to drive from the Municipal Branch Bureau to the Municipal Hospital. Besides, there’s so much work in the Municipal Branch Bureau. How do you know that Team Leader Wang will be able to leave on time?”
Yu Chunming was just about to speak when the door of the ward was pushed open by someone. Wang Zhen’s cheerful voice immediately came from outside, “Chunming, I brought Xiao Han to see you.”
Yu Chunming’s expression changed.
Wang Zhen was still dressed the same as in the morning, and he was still carrying the luggage in his hand. Clearly, he had been busy with the special task force all day and hadn’t even returned to the guesthouse. However, it was also very clear that Yu Chunming not only didn’t like him but also didn’t like the person he brought.
“Chunming,” Han Chen called out softly.
When Wang Zhen saw that he had changed his clothes and was ready to leave, he couldn’t help but be surprised, “What, are you being discharged?”
Yu Chunming didn’t speak.
Guan Yao had to answer for him, “Yes, he’s being discharged.”
Wang Zhen frowned, “Why are you always like this? When I came last night, you were still burning with fever and delirious, and now you want to be discharged. You have to be like last time, passing out at home for several days, and in the end, I and Xiao Han have to…”
“Team Leader Wang,” Yu Chunming interrupted Wang Zhen’s words without any mercy, “The special task force is very busy. What are you and Deputy Team Leader Han doing here?”
Wang Zhen was very puzzled, “What am I doing here? Of course, I’m here to take care of you. Perfect, Xiao Han has a day off tomorrow. Tonight, let him…”
“I said I have someone to take care of me,” Yu Chunming paused, “Police Officer Guan will take care of me.”
These words made a fire ignite in Guan Yao’s heart. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and he blurted out, “Yes, I’ll take care of him.”
Wang Zhen’s gaze immediately drifted to Han Chen, who was standing next to him.
“It’s okay. Police Officer Guan doesn’t need to bother. I’ll take care of Chunming.” Han Chen readily accepted the words.
However, Yu Chunming directly stood up, took the miscellaneous items that Guan Yao was carrying in his hand, and walked out. He answered coldly, “No need.”
Guan Yao didn’t know what kind of conflicts this person had with Wang Zhen, Han Chen, or even his mother, who cared about him so much. He didn’t know who was at fault for the source of the conflict, nor did he know what Yu Chunming was avoiding. But strangely, right now, he just wanted to unconditionally protect this person and unconditionally support all this person’s decisions.
For example, now, Wang Zhen wanted Han Chen to stay, but Yu Chunming wanted to leave by himself.
“Chunming, you can hate me all you want, but you can’t always ruin your own body,” Han Chen grabbed Yu Chunming’s arm.
Wang Zhen echoed from the side, “Xiao Han is right.”
Yu Chunming didn’t expect Guan Yao to speak up for him at this time, but unexpectedly, he opened his mouth and said, “It’s okay, Chunming… is much better in the afternoon. I’ll take him back, I’ll take care of him, no need to bother Deputy Team Leader Han.”
This affectionate address made Han Chen’s smile freeze slightly, and a hint of displeasure appeared on his usually gentle and humble face for the first time.
However, Guan Yao not only acted as if he didn’t hear it, but also raised his hand and put it on Yu Chunming’s shoulder, directly wrapping his arm around him. He smiled and said, “Team Leader Wang doesn’t need to worry. I’ll definitely take good care of your apprentice.”
These words were normal in Guan Yao’s mouth, but they instantly became abnormal when they fell into the ears of Han Chen and Wang Zhen.
Han Chen’s face was frighteningly gloomy, while Wang Zhen showed a smile of realization, his pair of already shrewd eyes scanning back and forth between the two of them.
Yu Chunming turned a blind eye and turned to leave. Guan Yao was quite polite and bid farewell to them.
Naturally, the two who were walking away with quick steps couldn’t know that Wang Zhen, watching them leave together, patted Han Chen on the shoulder and then said meaningfully, “It’s not that your mentor isn’t helping you, it’s just that their heart belongs to someone else. Work hard yourself. If it doesn’t work out, there’s nothing your mentor can do.”
Han Chen gritted his teeth and didn’t say a word.
Sitting in the car, the Municipal Hospital receded into the distance behind them, and Yu Chunming gently breathed a sigh of relief. He propped his head on his hand and leaned against the window, his face full of annoyance.
Guan Yao wasn’t Meng Changqing and didn’t have the habit of inquiring about people’s privacy, so he remained silent.
However, Yu Chunming took the initiative to speak and asked, “Don’t you want to know why I hate Han Chen?”
Guan Yao’s hand holding the steering wheel tightened, and he mechanically asked back, “You… why do you hate Han Chen?”
Yu Chunming chuckled and turned to look at Guan Yao, who was looking straight ahead. He said again, as if stating a trivial matter, “Because Han Chen, he… is not only my classmate and fellow disciple, but also my ex-boyfriend.”