39: Chapter 39 Car Accident

After wiping her down, Lin Yu looked at Su Manqin's soaked pajamas and frowned slightly: "You can't keep wet clothes on; it's easy to catch a cold again."

After saying this, he turned to the wardrobe, pulled out a set of soft, loose cotton pajamas, and handed them to her.

Su Manqin took the pajamas, her fingers curling slightly, and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's hum: "I... I can do it myself."

"Alright, I won't look." Lin Yu tactfully turned and walked out of the bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.

He didn't idle, heading straight to the kitchen. There was still rice porridge from the previous night in the pot, rich and fragrant. He reheated it over low heat, filled a small bowl, and opened a packet of mild pickled mustard greens, mixing in a few drops of sesame oil to enhance the aroma without making it greasy.

When he returned to the bedroom with the porridge and side dish, Su Manqin had already changed into her pajamas. Her hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her complexion was much better than it had been during the night, though she still retained a delicate, sickly charm.

"Eat something light first to line your stomach; it's easier to digest." Lin Yu handed the bowl to her and, fearing she might be tired from sitting up, thoughtfully placed a pillow behind her back.

Su Manqin leaned against the headboard, taking small sips of the warm white porridge. The savory flavor of the pickled greens mixed with the fragrance of the rice, and warmth slid down her throat into her stomach. She secretly glanced up at Lin Yu by the bedside; his eyes showed clear exhaustion, and the faint dark circles under them revealed that he hadn't slept well last night.

When she had finished eating, Lin Yu reached out and gently placed his hand on her forehead. It was cool to the touch; the fever had completely subsided. He let out a sigh of relief, a hint of ease passing through his eyes: "The fever is gone, don't worry."

Lin Yu glanced down at his phone; it was just past six in the morning.

"After you finish eating, lie back down and get some sleep to restore your Spirit." His tone was calm and organized: "I'll take your temperature again in half an hour. Sister Zhang will be here for work soon; I'll have her make you some nutritious porridge."

Su Manqin watched his back, a warmth spreading through her heart, and she gave a soft "Mm."

After taking a hot shower, Lin Yu emerged from the guest bedroom feeling refreshed. He had just put on clean casual clothes when his phone began to vibrate repeatedly. Several messages were from his female confidantes, mostly daily greetings and playful pouting. He replied to them one by one, his gaze finally resting on the message from Director Chu Yao, his tone remaining concise and sharp:

"The local specialties brought back from Muli Village yesterday are still in the car. There's too much; where should I send them?"

Lin Yu tapped the screen with his fingertips and replied casually: "Just keep them for your family to eat."

Not two seconds later, Director Chu Yao replied: "There's too much; my family can't finish it at all."

Lin Yu paused slightly; that was true. The local specialties brought back from the village filled an entire box; Director Chu Yao's family really couldn't finish it. He thought for a moment and sent the address of the old residential complex where his mother lived: "Send it here; I'll be there in a while."

After replying, he turned and walked into the master bedroom.

Su Manqin was leaning against the headboard, the thermometer already removed, displaying 36.9°C on the screen.

"The fever has broken." Lin Yu let out a sigh of relief and poured her a glass of warm water, handing it over.

Mu Wan, who was nearby, had also woken up. The little girl opened her watery eyes, staring unblinkingly at the dark circles under Lin Yu's eyes.

She didn't ask anything, but she knew clearly in her heart—Brother Lin Yu must have stayed up all night, taking care of Mom by the bedside until he was this exhausted.

Just then, the sound of the door opening came from outside; it must be the nanny, Sister Zhang, arriving.

Lin Yu walked to the bedside and gently urged Su Manqin: "Don't go anywhere today; rest well at home."

He then patted Mu Wan's head: "Be good and listen. If anything happens, call me immediately. I have some business to attend to, so I'm heading out."

Arriving in the living room, he quickly drank a bowl of warm white porridge and instructed Sister Zhang: "The Madam's fever has broken. Keep the diet light today and make more nutritious porridge."

"Understood, Mr. Lin!"

After giving instructions, Lin Yu walked quickly out of the residential complex to the temporary parking space by the road. He opened the door and sat into the driver's seat of his commanding Cullinan. The engine roared with a deep rumble, and the car drove steadily toward the old residential complex.

The morning rush hour traffic was heavy, with horns honking one after another.

Lin Yu parked the car near the old residential complex. Just as he pushed open the car door, he saw a cold, tall figure stepping out of an imposing G-Wagon diagonally across the street.

It was Director Chu Yao.

She was wearing a simple white shirt paired with black trousers today, her long hair tied up simply, her cold temperament standing out strikingly in the crowd. He saw her take out her phone and dial Lin Yu's number.

The next second, Lin Yu's phone rang.

"Where are you?" Director Chu Yao's cold voice came through the receiver.

Lin Yu raised his hand on his side of the road and waved vigorously: "I'm across the street!"

Director Chu Yao looked over. The moment she saw Lin Yu, her face, which usually held no expression, softened imperceptibly for an instant.

"Okay!" She said and was about to step out.

"Don't move! I'm coming over!" Lin Yu's heart jumped violently, and he said hurriedly.

The morning rush hour road was noisy, with the sounds of cars and people blending together. Director Chu Yao hadn't heard his words clearly at all, and her footsteps were already stepping onto the crosswalk.

At that very instant—

Lin Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.

In his line of sight, a black sedan suddenly lost control for some reason, speeding directly toward Director Chu Yao on the crosswalk! The driver honked the horn frantically, but it was already too late to brake.

"Director Chu Yao——!!"

Lin Yu was scared out of his wits.

Without any thought, his body erupted faster than his reason.

Like an enraged cheetah, he lunged toward the center of the road, using all his strength in every step. The wind whistled in his ears, and in his eyes, there was only that white figure about to be hit.

Director Chu Yao had just taken two steps when a piercing screech of brakes exploded in her ears.

Looking up, a black sedan was already right in front of her, its front end menacingly rushing toward her.

Her mind went blank, and even her scream was stuck in her throat. At this life-or-death moment, a figure came running toward her like a madman.

It was Lin Yu.

On his face was an urgency and panic she had never seen before; those eyes that always held a hint of nonchalance now held only desperate determination.

The next second, a massive force grabbed Director Chu Yao, shielding her in his arms, turning around to take the full impact of the out-of-control car with his own back.

Director Chu Yao was pressed tightly against his chest, her vision plunged into darkness. She couldn't see anything, only smell his clean, refreshing scent and feel his violently beating heart and the force with which he was sworn to protect her.

"Bang——"

A violent impact followed.

Both of them were sent flying into the air from the impact.

Director Chu Yao squeezed her eyes shut in terror, gripping his clothes tightly.

Lin Yu's arms always firmly protected Director Chu Yao's head, not letting her suffer even the slightest bump.

The moment they hit the ground hard, Director Chu Yao thought she would be badly hurt, but the expected pain didn't come; she only felt a jolt as they rolled over once.

Director Chu Yao opened her eyes in a panic.

In her line of sight, Lin Yu was lying underneath her.

Fresh blood was slowly seeping from the back of his head, spreading into a glaring red stain on the ground. A trickle of blood also spilled from the corner of his mouth, and his face instantly turned terrifyingly pale.

"Lin Yu!!" Director Chu Yao's voice was trembling uncontrollably, and tears streamed down without warning, "How are you? Are you okay?!"

He didn't answer immediately.

He only struggled to lift his hand, trembling as he touched Director Chu Yao's head and cheeks, checking her bit by bit. Confirming that there were no wounds on Director Chu Yao's head or face, his tense lips relaxed slightly, as if he had laid down a thousand-pound burden.

Then, his hand dropped, his eyes closed, and he passed out completely.

"Lin Yu——!!"

Director Chu Yao completely broke down, screaming his name with heart-wrenching agony, tears gushing out, "Don't go to sleep! Wake up! Don't leave me——!!"

That sentence hidden deep in her heart for so long, which she hadn't even dared to admit to herself, blurted out in this life-or-death moment.

In the panic, Director Chu Yao forced herself to calm down.

She was a mortician; she had seen countless lives and deaths, and she had to be calm at this moment.

With trembling hands, she took out her phone, her fingertips barely able to hit the screen. She finally managed to dial 120, reporting the address with a choked yet as clear as possible voice.

After hanging up the phone, Director Chu Yao immediately crouched down, following the first aid knowledge she had learned, carefully protecting his head. Not daring to move him easily, she could only cry out in his ear over and over again:

"Lin Yu, hold on... the ambulance will be here soon... you must hold on..."

...

When Lin Yu woke up again, he found himself lying in a hospital ward.

The scent of faint disinfectant filled his nose. Director Chu Yao was sitting by the bedside, her eyes, which were originally as cold as ice, were now red-rimmed, and there were still undried tear stains on her face; she had clearly been crying for a long time.

Seeing him wake up, Director Chu Yao shuddered violently, her voice hoarse and soft: "You're awake..."

Lin Yu moved his body, feeling sore all over as if he had fallen apart, but he didn't care at all. He just propped himself up and stared at her nervously: "Stand up and spin around so I can see." Lin Yu's tone carried an unrefusable urgency.

Director Chu Yao obediently stood up and gently spun around in front of him.

There were two or three patches of gauze on her arms and her cut pant legs, but she was almost completely unscathed.

"The doctor said... I won't even have a scar." Her voice was soft, carrying lingering fear and guilt.

Only then did Lin Yu completely let out a sigh of relief and look at himself.

His body was covered in abrasions, with bruises overlapping one after another, and Director Chu Yao said he had also received stitches on the back of his head.

Fortunately, the examination results were not serious—a mild concussion. As long as he stayed in the hospital for observation for three to five days and confirmed there were no abnormalities, he could be discharged.

During this time, traffic police and representatives from the other party's insurance company came to take statements. The other party was fully at fault and their attitude was very sincere.

Director Chu Yao went out to make two phone calls: one to ask for a few days of leave from her unit, and the other to her family, telling them the whole story in detail and stating that she would stay in the hospital for the next few days to take care of Lin Yu.

Not long after, the ward door was pushed open, and the couple Wang Mei and Chu Zhenghong hurried in, carrying large and small bags of fruit and milk.

As soon as she entered, Wang Mei headed straight for the bedside, looking at Lin Yu with eyes full of both gratitude and heartache: "Xiao Yu, you child... you really risked your life!"

Chu Zhenghong also looked solemn, patting Lin Yu's shoulder heavily. He didn't say a word, but the approval was self-evident.

They both knew clearly that in that instant just now, if Lin Yu had hesitated even for a second, it would have been their daughter lying here.

Wang Mei looked at Director Chu Yao, who was keeping watch by the side with red-rimmed eyes, and sighed inwardly.

She had always known her daughter had a cold personality and was hesitant about relationships, but after this time, that entanglement, hesitation, and concern should all have vanished into thin air.

As for the women around Lin Yu...

As long as he is sincere to my daughter and willing to risk his life to protect her, even if he is a bit of a playboy, I will accept it.

The couple sat for a while, gave a few instructions to recover well, and then tactfully didn't disturb them further, leaving space for the two young people.

The ward returned to quietness.

For the time that followed, Director Chu Yao took care of Lin Yu almost meticulously.

Feeding him water, wiping his face, peeling fruit, tidying the bedding—she did everything herself, so gentle that she didn't seem like the cold and aloof ice beauty she was on a daily basis.

The medication in the IV drip slowly ran out, and a nurse came to remove the needle. Director Chu Yao carefully pressed the needle puncture on the back of Lin Yu's hand for a while.

Lin Yu moved his wrist and looked at Director Chu Yao, who had been keeping watch for most of the day, speaking softly: "Today's IV is finished, and I'm fine for now. You should go home and take a shower, change into clean clothes, and bring back some food while you're at it."

Director Chu Yao was still wearing that shirt and trousers, stained with some dust and faint blood, and her pant legs had been cut in two places. She looked exhausted. She was stunned for a moment upon hearing this and subconsciously wanted to refuse: "I'll just stay here with you; I don't need to go back—"

"Be good." Lin Yu's tone was light and gentle, but carried an unquestionable tenderness, "You're uncomfortable like this. Go back and freshen up; coming back later is the same. I'm just going to sleep here; nothing will happen."

Director Chu Yao looked at the persistence in his eyes, then looked at her own disheveled appearance, and finally nodded gently: "Alright, then I'll go and come back quickly. If you need anything, call me immediately."

She checked the hospital bed's side rails and the call button one more time, not feeling at ease, and then walked out of the ward, looking back every few steps.

The ward finally quieted down.

Lin Yu reached out and picked up the phone on the bedside table.

The screen was intact, without even a scratch—it must have been in his pants pocket yesterday and wasn't affected by the impact.

He slid his finger to unlock it, and unread messages popped up densely.

There were work reports from the company and love messages from his female confidantes.

He raised his eyebrows slightly and replied patiently one by one, his tone calm and composed, as if that thrilling car accident had never happened.

After handling the miscellaneous matters, he opened the chat box with Su Manqin and tapped the screen quickly with his fingertips:

"Auntie, how are you feeling now? Are you still running a fever?"

Not long after, a message came back:

"I'm fine. Go about your business; don't worry about home."

Lin Yu's lips curled slightly: "Mm, I am indeed quite busy. I might not be able to go back for these two days."

"Understood. Take care of yourself out there and make sure to rest!"

Ending the conversation with Su Manqin, he opened Mu Wan's Green Bubble profile picture; the little girl's profile picture was a cute cartoon rabbit.

"Mu Wan, be good and listen at home. I'll go back in a couple of days and take you out to play."

As soon as the message was sent, a reply came back immediately, accompanied by a pouting, coquettish emoji:

"Alright, pouting.jpg"

Looking at that cute image, Lin Yu couldn't help but chuckle softly, his heart feeling completely soft.

Everything that needed to be instructed had been instructed, and all the messages that needed to be replied to had been replied to.