Chapter 51: Crimson Lips Brush Against His Mouth

A daughter like this could be called pure, or perhaps simply defenseless. She brought a grown man home without hesitation, not even bothering to investigate his background.

Lu Beiqin went to the bathroom to take a quick shower and tossed his clothes straight into the trash.

She said the clothes smelled of blood, so it was best to throw them away.

…

The next day, Shen Chutang slowly opened her eyes. It was half past nine in the morning. She yawned as she got out of bed, and only after washing up did she feel more awake.

Opening the door, she found Lu Beiqin sitting in the living room, flipping through a financial magazine.

“Aren’t you driving today?”

“No, I took the day off to see Xiaobai.”

Only then did Shen Chutang remember she had promised to visit Lu Yuebai with him today.

“Sorry, give me a moment. I’ll get ready right away!”

“No rush.”

Shen Chutang hurriedly put on some light makeup and got dressed. “I’m ready, let’s go!”

“Wait.” Lu Beiqin stopped her. “The zipper on your dress…”

Puzzled, Shen Chutang reached back and realized the zipper hadn’t been pulled up at all, leaving much of her delicate, fair back exposed.

She froze for a second, then quickly tried to fix the zipper. But in her flustered haste, her hair got caught in it—it wouldn’t go up or down.

“Let me help.” Lu Beiqin finally stood up. Shen Chutang’s cheeks flushed slightly. “Thank you.”

She swept her long hair to one side, revealing her slender, pale neck. Her skin was so soft it looked as though the slightest touch would leave a mark.

It was Lu Beiqin’s first time helping someone with their hair. The two stood close; he could even catch a faint whiff of her fragrance.

At last, he freed her hair from the zipper, pulled it up smoothly, and said, “It’s done.”

Shen Chutang turned around, meaning to thank him.

But she found him standing very near, and her lips brushed lightly against the corner of his mouth. Both of them froze.

Lu Beiqin frowned slightly. “You did that on purpose.”

Shen Chutang’s cheeks, already tinged with red, burned scarlet. She instinctively covered her mouth. “No, it was a mistake—just a misunderstanding!”

Seeing her flustered innocence, Lu Beiqin didn’t press further. Instead, he patted her head. “Let’s eat first. After breakfast, we’ll head to the hospital.”

Shen Chutang obediently finished her meal, and then the two of them set off for the hospital.

Lu Yuebai looked in good spirits. When he saw Shen Chutang and Lu Beiqin, he greeted them with a smile. “Brother, sister-in-law.”

Shen Chutang stepped forward to check Lu Yuebai’s pulse. Now it was steady, and the toxins within his body were suppressed—but only for the time being.

If an antidote wasn’t found within three months, the suppressed poison would quickly invade every part of Lu Yuebai’s body, and no medicine would be able to save him.

“Sister-in-law, I’m really doing well now. Don’t worry. I’ve heard from Grandpa—even if I only have three months left, these three months have been the lightest I’ve ever felt. Thank you.”

Shen Chutang patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you.”

Lu Yuebai looked at her. He dared not hope. After all, Lu Beiqin had found countless doctors for him before, but none had succeeded.

The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. Lu Yuebai took Shen Chutang’s words as mere comfort.

After finishing, Shen Chutang made an excuse to fetch some water, leaving the room to the brothers.

“Brother, I have a last wish,” Lu Yuebai said.

Lu Beiqin frowned. “Don’t say such things.”

Lu Yuebai gave a faint smile. Years of illness had left him thin and frail—the hospital gown hung loosely on his frame.

“I was just a child when the plane crash happened. You bore all the burdens and raised me. If I really don’t make it, you’ll be alone in this family. I hope you live well, carrying all our family’s blessings, and live a good life.”

He gazed out the window, his tone calm. It was clear these words had been turning over in his heart for a long time.

“If there really is another place after death, and I meet our parents there, I’ll join them in watching over you.”

A vein stood out on Lu Beiqin’s forehead. “Lu Yuebai, shut up.”

“I may not be as capable as you, but I’ve saved up a little money. All my assets will go to you—please manage them for me. And as for the rest, donate it. Let that be the proof I once existed in this world.”

Lu Beiqin walked over and gripped his brother’s shoulders. “As long as I’m here, nothing will happen to you!”

Lu Yuebai said no more. In recent days, he’d felt lighter and freer than ever before—no more pain upon waking, no more being jolted awake in the night. He was content.

But he worried about Lu Beiqin.

Since the family’s misfortune when he was ten, Lu Beiqin’s smile had grown rare. After the poison took hold, he stopped smiling altogether. When the pressure became too much, he’d smoke through the night, never letting his younger brother know.