Li Sui didn't see Lu Shang on the day he was discharged from the hospital. Uncle Yuan told him that Boss Lu was not in good health and was now recuperating in a sanatorium.
Li Sui didn't know how bad this "not so good" was. He just thought it was probably a cold or a fever, so when he arrived at the nursing home and saw Lu Shang came out in a wheelchair, he still couldn't. Hide the surprise on his face.
"Boss Lu." He lowered his head and called.
Lu Shang didn't say much, and glanced at him: "Don't hunch back."
Li Sui immediately stood up straight, and placed his hands by his side in an orderly manner.
This child is only thin, not short in stature. He is in the transition stage between a teenager and an adult. He can vaguely see the shoulder shape of a mature man. He was curled up in a small group before and thought he was just a child. Now he stands up straight. Looking at it, it seems to be a bit taller than him.
Lu Shang retracted his gaze, handed him a document on his lap, and said, "Ask me if you don't understand."
When the two of them were talking, Uncle Yuan had already gone out, leaving only the two of them in the room.
Lu Shang leaned on the back of his chair, half-supported his head, and stared at the lake in the distance. He was usually unsmiling and didn't even move much. He sat down like an old oil painting at dusk. Everything around him seemed to be infected by him, even the birds outside the house stopped calling, and the room was so quiet for a while that only the sound of flipping papers could be heard.
Li Sui struggled to finish the page, picked up the pen and signed his new name on the last page.
Lu Shang turned his head: "Do you understand?"
Li Sui shook his head: "Most of them don't understand."
Lu Shang thought the child was really interesting and asked, "Then what are you signing for?"
Li Sui raised his head, his eyes were clear, he didn't say anything, but Lu Shang understood what he meant from his eyes.
"You are not the product I bought, with me, you have the right to refuse," Lu Shang said calmly, "I don't like to force people to do anything, everything I give you has a purpose, because of this purpose, You will pay a huge price in the future, and before that, I will try to compensate you as much as possible, but I hope you will be willing at that time."
It was the first time that Li Sui heard Lu Shang say such a long sentence. He couldn't understand it for a while. He lowered his head to look at the document in his hand.
Lu Shang knew that he might have made a mistake. He has been in business for many years, and he is accustomed to following the rules for everything, oral contracts, paper contracts, signature and seal, notary office notarization... And such a child, obviously his set of rules does not apply .
"Let's put it for now." Lu Shang took the contract back, looked at his signature, took a second look, and said, "The word is good, who taught you?"
"Copied against the ID card."
Lu Shang thought for a while and said, "Teach you to read first."
We ate lunch by the lake, freshly caught river prawns and snakeheads, and Li Sui and Lu Shang sat face to face, feeling somewhat restrained.
Lu Shang's ten fingers are very long, his nails are neatly trimmed, he has no tattoos, and he doesn't wear any accessories. When he stretches out his hand to pick up vegetables, he will show a slightly convex wrist, and his actions are casual and elegant.
Li Sui didn't dare to look up, so he could only stare at the hands that Lu Shang stretched out from time to time, and he accidentally piled up hills in his bowl.
"Not to your taste?" Lu Shang saw that he didn't move his chopsticks much.
Li Sui shook his head.
"There's no need to be so restrained." Lu Shang looked up at him. In just half a month, Li Sui finally recovered a bit compared to the last time he saw him, but he was still thin, and he could see the obvious collarbone through the collar. After his hair was done, the simple hairstyle looked like a man. Ordinary high school students.
"Do Li Yan and the others often hit people in bars for fun?" Lu Shang changed the subject.
Li Sui didn't speak, but the silence already explained everything.
"Li Yan's character has always been despicable, so don't be polite to him next time you see him." Lu Shang said.
Li Sui raised his head, with doubts in his eyes.
"Let's have dinner," Lu Shang didn't explain much, got up and left the table, "I'm going to a cocktail party with me at night, get ready."
After a while, Uncle Yuan came over, and Li Sui asked him, "Boss Lu's leg... Are you ready?"
"There is no problem with his leg, the problem is the lack of blood supply."
"I saw him come out in a wheelchair, and I thought..."
Uncle Yuan explained: "He doesn't often use a wheelchair, but it is only because he is seriously ill. He is not in good health and can't stand for a long time. You are by his side and help him more."
Li Sui nodded seriously.
In the evening, Li Sui changed his shoes and stared blankly in front of the mirror for a long time. The person in the mirror is wearing a decent dress, brand-new shoes, neatly combed hair... This is the first time he has looked at himself so seriously, and he feels strange for a while.
Uncle Yuan knocked on the door, he came back to his senses, folded the changed clothes neatly and put them in the closet, and when he lifted his foot downstairs, his ankle felt a dull pain.
The leg injury he suffered not long ago has not yet healed. Today, he went in and out during the day for a day. At this moment, the weight of his whole body was on his feet, which still made him feel a little uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" Lu Shang was waiting for him in the car.
It was raining a little, Li Sui endured the pain, took a step, and opened the passenger's door as usual.
"Sit back." Lu Shang spoke.
Li Sui obediently sat next to him. There was little rain in winter, and it always had a metallic smell. The car started to move forward, and Lu Shang handed him a tissue.
"You follow me later, and you don't need to say anything. If someone comes to chat with you, don't bother."
Li Sui let out an "um", and after Lu Shang explained this sentence, he closed his eyes and stopped talking.
The car was passing by a weather tower, and the meandering neon lights were unpredictable in the rain, like a mysterious poisonous snake, overlooking the earth alone. After living for several years, this city was still unfamiliar to him.
After getting out of the car, Li Sui bowed his head and followed behind Lu Shang, and in the projections of scrutiny or curiosity, he walked through the crowded lobby and into a more ornately decorated small hall.
There was a dance party going on here, and before the time came, the crowd gathered in twos and threes to chat and laugh. As soon as Li Sui stepped into the door, it immediately attracted everyone's attention.
"What a beautiful boy," a young girl in a red dress came around first and handed Lu Shang a glass of red wine, "Lu Shang, long time no see."
There were not many people who called Lu Shang's name directly. Li Sui couldn't help but glance at the woman, but unexpectedly, it happened to meet the other party's line of sight, and immediately turned his head in embarrassment.
Lu Shang took the wine glass and raised it symbolically: "Xinyou, long time no see, I haven't thanked you for the last time."
"Who said that, I received a gift from you," Meng Xinyou smiled and stretched out her wrist and shook it. The delicate bracelet shone brightly, and her eyes moved to Li Sui, "This is..."
"Well," Lu Shang took the conversation, glanced at the other people in the hall, and raised his glass, "I will be taken care of in the future."
Meng Xinyou was stunned for a while, and many people in the hall stood up and raised their glasses to give in.
"Are you serious?" she lowered her voice.
Li Sui was very sensitive to sight. Although he hid behind Lu Shang and didn't raise his head, he knew that the woman's focus had never left him.
Lu Shang looked relaxed, and answered irrelevantly: "He is very good."
These words were really thought-provoking. Meng Xinyou's face was blushing, and in the gap, two more people came in at the door. Exaggerated jokes broke out around, and many people whistled, and a wave of discussion quickly erupted in the hall.
"The eldest son of the Li family still likes a high profile so much."
"Is the beauty next to him the most powerful hostess in Apple's typhoon?"
"… "
Li Sui heard a familiar voice in the crowd, and reflexively, his back became cold, and his ankle, which was already aching, seemed to have stepped into the charcoal fire, and it was hot.
Fortunately, Lu Shang didn't want to continue chatting with Meng Xinyou, so he found a relatively clean place in the corner and sat down.
Not knowing whether he was nervous or what, Li Sui's forehead was covered with fine beads of sweat, and he moved to the sofa. He was hesitating when Lu Shang waved to him.
"come over."
As soon as he sat down, Lu Shang's hand reached out, grabbed his ankle, and kneaded gently. A small-eyed man sat across from him, staring at the two of them playfully.
Li Sui half leaned on the sofa, blushing, half in pain, the other half in shame.
"Boss Lu." Li Sui stopped him.
Lu Shang turned his head, in the dim light, his eyes were deep and distant, his eyes looked a little blue, like a mixed blood, the next second the colored light flowed, the blue shadow was removed, and it returned to black, he was wrong. .
"how?"
Li Sui came back to his senses, and for a moment forgot what to say.
"Boss Lu... yo, Xiao Li is also here, sorry, didn't disturb the two of you?" It was Li Yan who was chasing after him, followed by a hot girl in sexy clothes.
Li Sui's back suddenly stiffened, and this change could not escape Lu Shang's eyes.
"How is it, Boss Lu didn't treat you badly?" Li Yan said condescendingly.
Li Sui lowered his head, firmly remembering Lu Shang's previous order to "don't care about anyone", and Li Yan was naturally included in this "who" by him.
"Thank you, as you can see." Lu Shang calmly patted Li Sui's stiff shoulder.
"Tidy up, he really is a beautiful young man. Boss Lu has a very discerning eye. It seems that I have lost everything." Li Yan sat down opposite with a smile. What he said was two points of truth, even with a hint of sourness, but this was exactly what Li Sui was afraid of. At this moment, he suddenly became afraid. In case Li Yan repented and asked Lu Shang to send him back, Will the Chamber of Commerce agree
"Li Sui, I'll give you a toast to Brother Yan." Lu Shang suddenly said.
Li Sui was stunned, his hands clenched into fists.
"New name?" Li Yan looked at him with a half-smile, like a contempt or a warning.
The wine glass was handed to him, Li Sui took it, heard Lu Shang stick it over, and said into his ear, "Thank you Brother Yan for your generosity."
He suddenly realized that Lu Shang was helping him out of the siege. He took a deep breath and learned a sentence, "Thank you, Brother Yan, for your generosity." Then, without waiting for Li Yan to respond, he sighed.
This eviction order was ordered... It really doesn't save face at all, Li Yan smiled awkwardly, stretched out his hand to make a "you cow" gesture, and hugged the hot girl next to him and went to the dance floor.
The body relaxed, and Li Sui gradually tasted the taste. Just now, Lu Shang gave him a glass of grape juice.
"Are you afraid of him?"
Li Sui lowered his head blankly and controlled the trembling between his legs, knowing that Lu Shang was dissatisfied with his performance: "I... I will try my best to overcome it."
Dare to admit that he is afraid, it is already a big improvement. In fact, it is normal. Li Yan is like a trainer to him. The reason why the little lion is afraid like a conditioned reflex is nothing more than the fact that the trainer was too young. With many whips, he can't break through his own psychological shackles, but it's not that he has no ability to resist the animal trainer.
The two sat for a while, and when the dance floor started to get lively, Lu Shang took Li Sui and swaggered out through the front door. Everyone here knew that he didn't like to be lively, so the owner didn't hold back too much, and sent two doormen to hold umbrellas for him.
It was already dark, and the light rain outside gradually turned into heavy rain. Uncle Yuan had been waiting outside the door. When he saw him coming out, he immediately surrounded him: "Are you going to Secretary Xu's house now?"
Lu Shang opened the door and got in the car, and said softly, "Go home."
Uncle Yuan wanted to say something, but he glanced at Li Sui and swallowed it.
Li Sui's face was a little pale. Although his endurance was higher than others since he was a child, the limit of his body's endurance was beyond his control. In the car, he was embarrassed to take off his shoes, so he had to endure it. He watched the street view for a few seconds, and his clenched fist never let go.
The Lu family is a small three-story house. Uncle Yuan doesn't live here. The cook and cleaning come only when they need it. Most of the time, Lu Shang is alone here. With Li Sui, there are now two.
"Ice compress, will you?" Lu Shang took out an ice pack from the refrigerator, wrapped it in a towel and handed it to him.
Li Sui took it obediently, and sat quietly on the sofa to apply his ankle.
"There are painkillers in the drawer. If you can't help it, take it yourself. Don't overdo it." Seeing that he could take care of himself, Lu Shang turned his head and sat down at the dining table in the living room, opened his notebook and started working.
The Lu family does not have a study, but Lu Shang has been reluctant to use it. There is a square table in the living room, next to the window. When the weather is good, the sun can shine. He likes to read those boring documents there, as if the words will be animated. similar.
It's a pity that it's night, except for a little green light on the lawn, not even a shadow of a ghost can be seen.
He was so engaged and tireless at work that by the time he recovered, it was past dinner time. Li Sui still maintained the position just now, his eyes were open, and the ice pack in his hand had all turned into water.
"Are you hungry?" Lu Shang turned off the computer.
Li Sui shook his head, but his stomach grunted inappropriately.
Lu Shang sighed softly in his heart, called the kitchen to bring two bowls of noodles, pushed them all in front of him, and poured a glass of warm rice wine himself: "If you can't finish eating, put it away, someone will come to collect it. "
"Boss Lu, don't you want to eat?" Li Sui's eyes were immediately attracted by the two yellow poached eggs on his face. He was growing up, so he naturally had a bigger appetite. It's nothing. During this period of time in the hospital, the three meals a day are not good enough, but it has nourished his appetite.
Lu Shang shook his head and pinched his eyebrows: "Does your feet still hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt anymore."
Lu Shang looked at him with a "starved" look, and knew that "it doesn't hurt" most of the time he couldn't believe it. It felt like he had a cat, and he was very obedient. He handed it to him. Zhang Tissue: "I don't need to be so restrained in the future. When you are hungry, tell the kitchen. If you are not feeling well, go to Dr. Liang. You can tell Uncle Yuan if you need anything. There is only one thing you need to pay attention to—"
Li Sui raised his head from the bowl of noodles.
"Don't leave my sight."
Since Li Sui came into contact with him, most of the time, Lu Shang gave him a cold feeling, as if he was not interested in anything, and he didn't care about anything. Feel the tough side.
Li Sui knew that this was Lu Shang's bottom line, a bottom line that could not be touched no matter what.
Probably because the noodle soup was too hot, he sweated a little on his forehead for no reason, and sat upright and said, "I know Boss Lu."
"Hurry up and eat." Lu Shang wiped the corners of his lips for him, got up and left the room, and threw a heavy thunder, "Sleep in my room at night."
Li Sui was cooking noodles, and when he heard this, he lowered his head and choked.
Lu Shang frowned slightly, as if he remembered something, and a faint smile appeared on his face: "Do you know what it means to support?"
Li Sui's complexion changed. He used to see those little stars and young models who were fostered in bars before. Li Yan was surrounded by many. No matter how stupid he was, after staying in that environment for a long time, he only knew that What does this relationship mean.
"Just know." After speaking, Lu Shang calmly went upstairs.
Li Sui was the only one left sitting alone in the living room. He carefully recalled Lu Shang's words and deeds during the day, and then gradually came to his senses.
Li Sui didn't know, in the eyes of outsiders, what a person who grew up in a bandit's den would look like, and most of them would be humble or lowly, so it would definitely not be a good impression. With Lu Shang's temperament, he shouldn't look down on him like that, but he would never have any thoughts about him. Calm down and think about it, in his few words, it seems that there is indeed more teasing tone.
The bedroom door was not closed. When he walked in, Lu Shang was standing in front of the window talking on the phone in English. He was wearing pajamas, and the thin fabric showed the outline of his lower back. Hearing the sound, he turned around and pointed to the bathroom, signaling Li Sui to take a shower.
The bathroom was very spacious. There were folded bathrobes and towels by the sink. There was an injury. Li Sui didn't use the bathtub. He took a shower quickly, and when he came out, Lu Shang's phone call had not finished.
The yukata didn't know what fabric it was made of, and it slipped so lightly that he felt numb, as if he was not wearing it. As soon as he walked out, he felt an indescribable sense of shame.
Lu Shang was still staring at him, and Li Sui was so embarrassed that he couldn't raise his head. After a long while, the other end finally hung up the phone and reached out to him: "Help me get the medicine."
what medicine? Li Sui's head buzzed, and he said no, he looked up at Shang Lushang, only to realize that he was wrong.
"Which one?" Li Sui hurriedly opened the drawer following his gaze, and found that there were dozens of bottles and jars inside.
Lu Shang sat down next to the bed: "Clopidogrel, aspirin."
Li Sui looked bewildered.
Lu Shang remembered that he probably didn't know these complicated drug names, and pointed out, "The second bottle in the first row and the one with the blue label."
Li Sui flipped out the medicine bottle, Lu Shang glanced at him, counted a few pills and swallowed cold water: "What were you thinking just now?"
"No... I didn't think of anything."
"Well," Lu Shang lifted the quilt, "I took off my clothes."
Li Sui: "…"
"Don't want to?"
Li Sui gave him a calm look, did not speak, hesitated for two seconds, and slowly took off the bathrobe. The light in the bedroom lit up on this young body, making it extraordinarily soft. Lu Shang asked him to turn around, reached out and touched the overlapping scars on his back, his movements were very gentle: "How did you do it?"
These scars are old and new, and some Li Sui can't remember: "The cigarette butt was scalded by the foreman, the cut was from a wine bottle, and the wrinkled piece was scalded by boiling water."
"Here..." Lu Shang's hand slipped to his shoulder blade, where there was an ugly little round hole, "There is a scar."
If Li Sui turned around at this time, he would see an expression on Lu Shang's face that he had never seen before.
Li Sui recalled seriously: "When I was a child, I don't remember it anymore."
Lu Shang lingered around the scar for a while, then patted him on the shoulder: "Well, go to sleep."
There was no ambiguity, not even embarrassment, the atmosphere was so calm that Li Sui couldn't help but suspect that something was wrong with his ears. He shrunk into the quilt obediently, watching Lu Shang lay down after turning off the lights, put his shoulders on him, brought the belt around him, closed his eyes and fell asleep without any extra movement.
Having been in a complex growth environment for a long time, Li Sui has developed a highly sensitive sense of danger since he was a child. Lu Shang hides his emotions deeper than most people he has met. Although he can't guess what he is thinking, the message from the depths of his body's subconscious is that this man doesn't care about him at all. . Li Sui secretly breathed a sigh of relief, moved under the quilt, tried his best to keep his head close to the other's arm, but kept his body at a considerable distance, neither overstepping nor appearing too raw.
The surroundings were quiet, and there was a very light rain outside the house, ethereal and unreal. Li Sui grew up so big, and it was the first time that he shared a bed with someone. He was full of confusion, as if he couldn't even sleep. He was afraid of waking up the people around him. There was a faint scent of shower gel on Lu Shang's body, which was very pleasant, but Li Sui's brain was in chaos in this scent, and he lay like a corpse until the middle of the night, and then gradually fell asleep.
A night without dreams.
The climate of this city has basically nothing to do with the word pleasant. The cold and humid rainy days always last for a long time. When the rheumatism patients of the hospital are all lined up at the entrance of the hospital, the continuous cold rain has a restraining posture. It finally snowed that night.
When Li Sui woke up, he was confused for a moment. After a while, he realized where he was. There was no one in the room, and the pajamas that Lu Shang had changed were placed on the bed.
With a squeak, the door opened, and Li Sui felt a little nervous, but it was not Lu Shang, but an elderly aunt.
"Awake?" She walked in with a smile on her face, opened the curtains, and picked up the clothes on the bedside. "Breakfast is prepared downstairs. Let's wash up and eat."
"Thank you." Li Sui remembered that this was the cook of the Lu family, and Lu Shang called her Sister Lu. This woman was very kind and always had a smile on her face. Li Sui liked her very much, so she couldn't help but ask, "Where's Boss Lu?"
"He went to the company, what, are you going to find him?"
Li Sui was surprised: "Is it okay?"
"No." Sister Lu smiled.
Li Sui: "…"
"Just kidding," Sister Lu seemed to like the child, "Boss Lu told you to keep your feet at home, and Dr. Liang will come to give you acupuncture in the afternoon."
When Li Sui went downstairs, he realized that what Lu Shang explained was far more than what Sister Lu said, and he still had a morning of private lessons to attend.
Li Sui had never been to a school in the true sense, and had no concept of the domestic system of teaching. Fortunately, the teacher Lu Shang recruited was not rigid and quickly adjusted to his situation.
He actually has a foundation, but some words that are used infrequently, and sometimes the sound and meaning are not connected. After the teacher reminded him, he immediately recalled it in a chain.
"It's not like you're in contact for the first time, have you learned it before?" The private teacher, surnamed Huang, wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses with a serious face.
Li Sui thought for a while and replied, "When I'm not working, I occasionally learn secretly."
Teacher Huang nodded, thoughtfully.
Liang Zirui arrived as scheduled at noon. Unlike the high-spirited one in the past, he looked very sluggish today, and he was yawning even when he was stuck with a needle.
"Dr. Liang didn't rest, okay?"
Liang Zirui nodded his head very indignantly: "I'm different from your boss Lu. I work for others. I stayed up late last night to write the application for the test all night. I didn't sleep, and I was exhausted."
Li Sui always had a special kind of envy for people with high education, and he expressed this envy in the simplest language, making Liang Zirui laugh out loud.
As soon as the chatter opened, Liang Zirui couldn't help teasing him. He picked up some interesting anecdotes from studying in the United States and told Li Sui to listen to them. As he talked, he burst into laughter first. In contrast, Li Sui was much calmer, of course, mainly because he didn't understand it at all, so he could only laugh in confusion.
After a while, Liang Zirui began to pull out the needle, and couldn't help but take a second glance. He had heard Uncle Yuan talk about Li Sui. He had been abused in the years when his character was the most important, but he didn't have that kind of gangster vibe at all, which was really rare. Although he occasionally showed restraint, he was not squeamish, nor did he have an anti-social personality tendency. He also had an inexplicable calmness, which was highly consistent with Lu Shang.
It is also a trick of fate. If he can be born into a complete family and cultivated well, he may become a great player in the future.
"The congestion has not dissipated, don't run around in the past two days, apply heat before going to bed, and contact me if you have any problems."
Li Sui nodded and gave him a grateful smile in return.
It was dark, the fireplace was a little hotter, and the whole room was warm. After Liang Zirui left, Li Sui read the textbook left by Mr. Huang several times over and over again, and he couldn't put it down. After finishing the homework, he felt that he was still unfinished, and he turned to the word "Lu Shang" in the textbook. Each wrote a long stack. Later, he fell asleep on the sofa, and he didn't even know when Lu Shang came back.
Uncle Yuan wanted to come over and call him, but was stopped by Lu Shang, who came in behind, and motioned for him to go back first.
Li Sui's sleeping face couldn't be described as pretty, but it was very quiet, with his body curled up, his arms folded in front of his chest, and half of his face buried in the sofa, in a defensive posture. Lu Shang sat down next to him and took out his textbook from his arms. It was full of words, vigorous and neat. Lu Shang saw his name in the handwriting, and his eyes fell on the young man beside him.
Li Sui's skin was very fair, which was different from the fair skin maintained by adults. His complexion was closer to that of a baby, and he had no flaws at all. Strange to say, there were so many wounds on his body, but he didn't see any on his face, and I wonder if this face was so perfect that even the abuser couldn't bear it.
Li Sui woke up in a daze, his body stiffened, and he slowly sat up: "Boss Lu."
"Go to bed when you're sleepy."
Li Sui responded with a "uh", his voice slightly nasal: "I wanted to wait for you to come back."
Lu Shang paused and asked softly, "Aren't you used to being at home alone?"
Li Sui is used to being alone, and there is nothing that he is not used to saying, but Lu Shang asked this because he cared about him, so he naturally wouldn't refute him, he said in a few words: "Is this what Boss Lu usually does at home? "
"Well," Lu Shang lowered his head, thought for a while, and said, "I'll take you to the company tomorrow morning."