Chapter 68: A Lone Charmer

Lin Yu knew that neither the sanatorium nor Old Sun Jin had Qi Yue’s phone number. Otherwise, when the old man went on his hunger strike, the staff would have contacted her directly.

So he decided that, no matter what, he had to keep this appointment. In his past life, he had let Qi Yue down; in this life, he wanted to give the girl all the love and care she deserved.

He glanced out the window. Darkness had already fallen; it was late. It was hard enough to catch a cab at the downtown hospital nearby, let alone at this even more remote sanatorium.

“What time is it?” Feeling his body could hold out but knowing he had no way to get back, Lin Yu turned and asked Tao Kele.

“It’s half past eight!” Tao Kele checked her watch, uncertain what Lin Yu wanted.

“Do you have a car?” he asked.

“A car?” Tao Kele, a little absent-minded by nature, was momentarily stunned by the question.

She stood there thinking for a bit, then replied shyly, “I do… but what do you need it for?”

Lin Yu let out a long sigh of relief. Forcing himself to sit up, he smiled at her, “Drive me to the Grand Western Patisserie in the city.”

“No, you’ve just suffered serious injuries; you shouldn’t go out. As a healthcare professional, I can’t approve of this,” Tao Kele replied sternly.

“I really need to go. Please help me,” Lin Yu pleaded, his eyes full of helplessness as he looked at her.

Under his gaze, Tao Kele blushed unexpectedly. She hesitated, then mumbled, “Actually, your wounds are superficial, not too deep. If you insist, I suppose you could go. But there are two things you have to do first.”

“What are they?”

“First, you need to change into a clean set of clothes. Second, my vehicle is a bicycle,” she said, blinking.

“A bicycle…” The words nearly made Lin Yu faint with frustration.

With no other choice, Lin Yu borrowed a tracksuit from the security guard, Zhang Qiang, and set off on Tao Kele’s red ladies’ bicycle, pedaling slowly toward the coastal road.

Night had deepened. The sea breeze carried a faint briny scent, cool as it brushed past. Every movement sent pain shooting through Lin Yu’s injured body as he rode.

But he found that solitude in this moment was louder than a crowd’s revelry. For now, that feeling drowned out his hatred for Zhang Yang.

Most of his injuries were on his shoulders and back, his legs spared, so cycling wasn’t too difficult. Still, every motion brought sharp pain.

The streetlights cast a dim, yellowish glow. Few cars passed this way. Lin Yu’s lone figure on the bicycle looked solitary, even a little forlorn. Yet in another sense, he felt as if he had the entire coastal road to himself—unapologetically stylish.

At this moment, Lin Yu remembered an old photograph: in 1994, Stephen Chow riding a bicycle with a beautiful woman to the film set while shooting “A Chinese Odyssey” in Yinchuan.

As he basked in this solitary flair, Qi Yue, waiting outside the Grand Western Patisserie in the bustling city, had already scolded him countless times in her mind.

“Come on, don’t be so anxious,” said Yang Zhilin, who stood calmly at her side, trying to comfort the impatiently pacing Qi Yue.

“This is so infuriating! On the two-thousandth day since we met, he’s actually late,” Qi Yue pouted, complaining.

“It must be something urgent. He always treats you so well—he’ll definitely come,” Yang Zhilin reassured her. With her striking presence and perfect features, she drew glances from every man who passed by.

“How can I not be anxious? If he doesn’t come soon, we’ll be eaten alive by the eyes of every man walking past!” Qi Yue, lively with her ponytail swinging, clutched her purse and a small parcel.

“You stand on the bridge to admire the view, while those upstairs watch you. The bright moon adorns your window, and you adorn others’ dreams. Tonight, let us be the scenery for once—what’s wrong with that?” Yang Zhilin smiled, her icy beauty suddenly blossoming with irresistible charm.

“Zhilin, do you think he’ll like the watch I picked?” Qi Yue asked nervously.

Yang Zhilin shook her head, brushing aside a stray lock of hair, and reassured her, “Of course he’ll like it. It’s just that this watch is a bit too expensive. Personally, I think it’s a little extravagant.”

“It is rather expensive. But I really love the slogan from the ad. I hope it can become true,” Qi Yue said with a blissful expression.

“That’s thinking a bit far ahead, isn’t it?” Even as composed as Yang Zhilin was, she was defeated by Qi Yue’s lovestruck look.

“It’s not far at all! Maybe, in a few years, or a decade, it might just come true,” Qi Yue replied, her face radiating innocence and hope.

“As for that, I’ll reserve judgment. Still, you both need to be careful, otherwise, it could get troublesome,” Yang Zhilin teased, reaching out to pinch Qi Yue’s fair, delicate cheek.

“It’s not like we’ve even had the chance to be careless! We haven’t gotten that far. And after what you said last time, I won’t even let him hold my hand,” Qi Yue blushed.

“No way! You two have lived together so many times!” Yang Zhilin exclaimed, thinking Lin Yu and Qi Yue had long since crossed that line.

“He only ever sneaks a little benefit—a touch here, a kiss there. All bark, no bite,” Qi Yue’s blush deepened as memories of staying at Lin Yu’s house surfaced.

“I see,” Yang Zhilin nodded knowingly. At that moment, she looked up and spotted Lin Yu riding toward them on the bicycle.

She leaned in and whispered, “He’s here!”

Prompted, Qi Yue glared at Lin Yu, who was approaching with a mischievous grin, and once he stopped and braked with his foot, she began to scold him.

“Finally! We’ve been waiting so long the flowers have wilted! You’re so annoying!”

This street was relatively lively and well-lit, though dimmer than indoors, so neither of the girls noticed how pale Lin Yu was from pain.

“Something came up and delayed me. Sorry,” Lin Yu forced a smile through the pain, maintaining his usual calm.

“If you’re late again, I’ll kick you!” Qi Yue threatened, waving her hands, then handed over the parcel. “Two thousand days since we met—here’s a gift. Hope you like it.”

“So that’s what this is about.” Lin Yu smiled, took the parcel, unwrapped it, opened the box, and took out the watch to have a look.

He wondered with curiosity, what kind of watch could it be?