03 : Pick up with one hand

 In the crowded elevator in, Duan Muze smelled a scent that seemed out of place with the surroundings.

It was sweet, but not cloying.

He didn't need to guess to know where it came from.

Especially since Yin Luo was right next to him, and had even bumped into him twice.

Just the touch was enough to make the young master quite unhappy; he lowered his eyelashes and pursed his lips. Duan Muze glanced down and noticed a small red patch on the other's arm.

Delicate.

Actually, that red patch wouldn't be very noticeable on most people, but Yin Luo's skin was very fair, the kind of naturally translucent white, so it was immediately noticeable.

Why was he coming to the hospital alone?

And what a coincidence, being in the same elevator.

Five days had passed since his first meeting with Yin Luo. Duan Muze hadn't consciously kept track of the days, but strangely, it seemed to have popped into his subconscious.

Just like now, after hearing the words "move over there a bit," he subconsciously moved forward, isolating the boy from the others as much as possible.

"...Hey."

Duan Muze's clothes were suddenly tugged at his lower back, causing him to stiffen slightly. Before he could turn around, he heard a clear voice behind him: "I'm getting off the elevator."

Duan Muze glanced at the floor, said nothing, and moved aside.

As Yin Luo passed by him, the small patch of pink skin on her arm hadn't yet healed.

*

Just as she stepped out of the elevator, the system beeped: [Host, the male lead's favorability has increased by two points!]

...Hmm?

How did it increase?

Taking the same elevator as Duan Muze was just to make her presence known; Yin Luo hadn't expected it to increase favorability.

Although she couldn't understand this inexplicable increase in favorability, it was still a good thing. Yin Luo walked towards the corridor, starting to look for Li Feiran's room number.

Li Feiran had broken his hand while speeding the day before yesterday and had been sending him voice messages non-stop for the past two days.

Things like, "Yin Yin, I'm so pitiful, my hand is broken and it hurts so much," "Nobody's come to see me," "I can't even eat."

Yin Luo didn't reply much until she saw that the other person was in the same hospital as Duan Muze's mother, then she asked for the room number.

The third and fourth floors were VIP wards, and someone was guarding the door. Yin Luo hadn't made an appointment in advance and was stopped at the door.

"I'm Li Feiran's friend, my name is Yin Luo."

The person at the door knocked and opened the door to report, "Young Master Li, someone is looking for you."

Li Feiran's casual and impatient voice came from inside: "Who is it? Can't you see I'm sick here? I'm not seeing you."

"A gentleman named Yin Luo is looking for you."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yin Luo heard a "thump," as if someone got out of bed, followed by hurried footsteps. The door immediately opened, revealing Li Feiran's handsome and surprised face.

"Yin Yin, you actually came to see me?"

Ever since the other person called her "Yin Yin" at the banquet, he had been using her nickname instead of her real name. Yin Luo had no choice but to accept it after reminding him several times to no avail. He glanced at Li Feiran's arm, which was in a cast: "How's your hand?"

"Of course it hurts." Li Feiran immediately feigned pain, "My right hand is injured, I can't even eat properly."

Yin Luo thought to himself, serves him right, why did he have to learn racing? But he still pulled a small game console from his pocket: "Here, you can play with one hand."

Li Feiran's heart skipped a beat.

How come he hadn't noticed before that Yin Luo was so kind to him?

Li Feiran opened the door and said to the guard, "From now on, when he comes to see me, he can just come in, he doesn't need to tell me."

The bodyguard's face showed a hint of surprise, and his gaze couldn't help but fall on Yin Luo.

That probing look made Yin Luo a little uncomfortable, and he complained to Li Feiran, "It's so hot outside."

Li Feiran didn't say anything more and quickly went inside and closed the door.

For the next while, he was like a chatterbox, constantly trying to find something to talk about, and Yin Luo couldn't even have a moment of peace. He could only try to appease him while calculating the time it would take for Duan Muze to go to the cafeteria.

Half an hour passed quickly.

Yin Luo stood up: "Do you want to take a walk in the little garden in the back?"

Li Feiran was chatting happily: "What for?"

To increase favorability.

"To sunbathe."

"Didn't you break your hand? Sunbathing will help it heal faster." Yin Luo was afraid he would dawdle and delay her task, so she added, "Are you coming or not? I'll go with you."

Li Feiran was more than willing.

The two came out of the ward.

Actually, this part of the plot wasn't in the original work. Yin Luo only learned from a message sent by Li Feiran that the other party happened to be in the same hospital as Duan Muze's mother.

This coincidence wasn't a bad thing.

Perhaps, he could use Li Feiran to increase

favorability .

The system looked at Li Feiran, whose gaze was always fixed on Yin Luo, and silently mourned for this tool for three seconds.

*

They soon arrived at the little garden.

VIP wards are expensive, so the facilities are naturally top-notch. The garden wasn't large, but the environment was very nice, with lush plants and flowers, and the air was filled with the scent of nature.

There was also a long cobblestone path that was beneficial for rehabilitation.

The sun was strong outside, and Yinluo's skin reddened quickly, so she found a shady bench.

Just as she found one, the system notified her: [Host, the male lead has appeared.]

[Understood.]

Yinluo didn't look at Duan Muze, who wasn't far away, but instead raised her voice slightly, saying to Li Feiran beside her, "Are you hungry? I'll go buy you some food."

Li Feiran was taken aback, somewhat flattered. After a couple of seconds of surprise, he immediately stood up: "What do you want to eat? I'll have someone buy it right away! There's a Japanese restaurant nearby, want to eat there?"

"..."

Yinluo hadn't expected him to say that.

She had already planned how to increase Duan Muze's favorability—buying lunch for Li Feiran in front of him would make her seem like a kind and loyal friend.

This would somewhat salvage her long-standing image of being spoiled.

But Li Feiran's answer only reinforced this image.

Why eat Japanese food in a hospital? Yin Luo interrupted promptly, "I'm not hungry. I meant I'd buy it for you. We can just go to the cafeteria next door; it'll be quick."

Li Feiran had initially disliked the hospital cafeteria, but when he heard Yin Luo offer to buy it for him, he immediately agreed.

Yin Luo breathed a sigh of relief and was about to step forward when the other person spoke, "I'll go with you."

Li Feiran stood up from his chair, extending his long arm—

Seeing that the other person was about to put their arm around his shoulder, Yin Luo immediately moved away. Li Feiran noticed and lifted his eyelids slightly: "Is this how you treat a patient?"

This time, Yin Luo couldn't help but retort: ​​"Your arm is broken, not your leg. Can't you even walk?"

Seeing that he was unwilling, Li Feiran withdrew his arm. He was just joking and didn't really mean to put his arm around his shoulder, but thinking about how Yin Luo had dodged him earlier, he felt a little uncomfortable: "What's wrong with putting your arm around him for a moment? I can always put my arm around you later."

Yin Luo glanced at him.

His pupils were an uncommon light brown color, with a hint of gray upon closer inspection,

like beautiful glass beads in the sunlight.

Li Feiran's eyelids twitched, and without thinking, he said: "Don't even mention putting my arm around you, I'll carry you on my back or hug you."

After saying that, he subconsciously looked down.

"Your waist is so thin, I can lift you up with one hand."

Yin Luo was almost exasperated by his persistence. He regretted using Li Feiran to increase his favorability. Why was this person so troublesome?

After persuading the man back to his ward, Duan Muze was no longer in the garden.

Strangely, his favorability rating hadn't increased.

Yin Luo frowned, racking his brains, convinced it was Duan Muze's fault.

The male lead probably didn't have many friends yet and couldn't appreciate the value of friendship.

System notification: [Duan Muze is currently in the cafeteria.]

Yin Luo quickly headed towards the cafeteria.

It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria was crowded and hot. He avoided the crowd and looked around, but couldn't find Duan Muze.

Someone nearby spoke to him: "Little friend, I haven't seen you before?"

Yin Luo glanced at him; it was a young man.

He didn't speak, looking away. He was biting his lower lip because he couldn't find Duan Muze, the soft flesh gradually turning a deep red. The crowd and heat caused a thin layer of sweat to seep from his face,

giving him a pitiful look .

The young man's eyes lit up.

He seemed about to say something, but Yin Luo didn't want to talk to him and turned to leave. As it turned out, someone on his right was carrying a tray with a steaming bowl of soup on it.

The soup was about to spill in his direction—

Yinluo's mind went blank, and he stood there, unable to react.

The next moment, he felt a force grabbing the back of his collar, and then his back bumped against something hard, like a man's chest.

—Cool.

A chill ran down his neck, a stark contrast to the temperature seeping through his thin clothing.

Before he could think, a deep voice sounded very close to his ear.

Accompanying this was a slight tremor against his back.

Yinluo trembled slightly. "You didn't even try to dodge," Duan Muze's voice was devoid of emotion, low and menacing, "Didn't you let that friend who can lift you up with one hand come over?!"

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