Chapter 53: Thoughts Running Wild

Chao Jingyu took Liang Jinshang away.

When asked where she was going, Liang Jinshang, lost and bewildered, could not give an answer.

Chao Jingyu had no choice but to bring her back to the Chao family home.

His parents didn’t live there, and not wanting anyone to disturb them, Chao Jingyu sent the servants away, leaving only the two of them in the house.

Only then, distracted, did Liang Jinshang notice the swelling on Chao Jingyu’s face, the injury making him hardly recognizable. She was overwhelmed with guilt and insisted on applying medicine to his wounds.

Chao Jingyu fetched the medicine box, but Liang Jinshang’s hands trembled so badly that she spilled much of the solution on the carpet.

Chao Jingyu said nothing, taking the cotton swab from her. “Let me do it myself. I’m a professional, after all.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Chao, I…”

Chao Jingyu, still able to maintain a clinical detachment, assessed, “Did you not eat anything today? You must be a bit hypoglycemic, that’s why your hands are shaking.”

Hypoglycemia was only part of it—they both knew.

“I’m hungry too. I’ll make us something to eat.”

Chao Jingyu cooked personally. He looked the part in his apron, but once he started grilling steaks, his lack of skill quickly became apparent.

Watching his flustered, clumsy movements, so different from his usual refined demeanor, Liang Jinshang could not muster a smile.

She stepped forward and took the spatula from him. “Let me do it. What would you like to eat?”

Half an hour later, Chao Jingyu stared in amazement at the beautifully plated dishes—a meal with three courses and a soup. “…Is your family’s culinary skill hereditary?”

Liang Jinshang understood he was talking about her mother.

But she couldn’t help recalling her own mother: gentle, spoiled by her father, quite incapable of any household chores, especially cooking.

Such a soft and fragile soul, in the end, leapt resolutely from such a high building—what could have been going through her mind?

She kept the ache in her heart to herself. “Try it.”

As the two ate quietly, a commotion came from the doorway—Chao Xinghe had returned.

Seeing the two at the table, he exclaimed, “Bro, Jinshang, are you two on a date?”

“Don’t talk nonsense!”

With Chao Xinghe home, the house became lively. He joined them at the table and took several photos to post online.

After dinner, Chao Jingyu excused himself and called Shang Yucheng, asking what had truly happened today.

They’d been friends for years—if he didn’t know Shang Yucheng’s character by now, he’d wasted brotherhood.

Shang Yucheng didn’t conceal anything. “Jingyu, you know, Shang Rong has no boundaries—his kidneys have long been ruined.”

Shang Rong was the only son of Shang Yucheng’s third uncle, and he’d always had chronic kidney disease. Chao Jingyu knew this.

But he still didn’t understand. “Is Shang Rong’s condition so severe he needs a transplant already?”

“He can last another year or two.”

“But Liang Jinshang’s adoptive father won’t last that long!” Chao Jingyu couldn’t help raising his voice. “I really don’t understand you. Even if you aren’t going to help, you shouldn’t bully her just because you’re stronger, right?!”

Shang Yucheng snorted lightly. “You know I’ve dated her. Are you sure you’re not overstepping?”

Chao Jingyu truly couldn’t fathom his thoughts. “I’m just acting on a doctor’s basic conscience! Yucheng, Shang Rong can still wait. The higher the match rate, the less rejection there’ll be—you know this is common sense…”

Chao Jingyu was still trying to reason scientifically, but elsewhere, Shang Ao’er had seen Chao Xinghe’s photos online and was loudly protesting the injustice. Why did Chao Xinghe get to eat Liang Jinshang’s cooking, and she never got such treatment?

Chao Jingyu said, “…Maybe a higher matching donor will appear in the future.”

Shang Yucheng’s tone was cold. “Impossible.”

Both men ended the call, dissatisfied.

When Chao Jingyu returned to the living room, he found Liang Jinshang asleep on the sofa from exhaustion.

Chao Xinghe sat cross-legged on the carpet, staring motionlessly at her sleeping face.

Chao Jingyu frowned. “Xinghe, go to your room.”

Chao Xinghe looked up at him, his smile mischievous. “Bro, Jinshang’s asleep. Tonight, should she sleep in your room or mine?”

“Xinghe, don’t think you can say such rude things just because you’re young.”

Chao Xinghe’s youthful features were beginning to show the outlines of a man—broad shoulders, long legs, handsome eyes.

“Bro, I’m already grown up. Not that young anymore.” He propped his chin on his arm, adding, “You haven’t dated as many girls as I have.”

Chao Jingyu knew his younger brother was popular.

He liked having fun, but never let it interfere with his studies.

As the elder, Chao Jingyu hardly meddled in such private matters.

But now, with Xinghe mentioning this, Chao Jingyu couldn’t help but suspect, “You… don’t tell me you’re interested in Liang Jinshang…”

To his surprise, Chao Xinghe nodded.

“Younger men don’t call her ‘sister,’ and their intentions are wilder. Bro, have you heard that before?”

Chao Jingyu had indeed noticed tonight that Chao Xinghe had stopped calling Liang Jinshang “sister,” but since she hadn’t commented, he thought nothing of it.

He coughed softly, worried about waking her, and hauled Chao Xinghe into the side room.

“Chao Xinghe, don’t go after Liang Jinshang. She’s pitiful enough.”

“Pitiful? With me to protect her, she won’t be pitiful at all.”

Chao Xinghe possessed that precious youthful optimism, but the world isn’t solved by optimism alone.

“Setting aside whether she’d accept you, you’re so young—can you really give her a future?”

Chao Xinghe replied, “Why think so far ahead? While we’re together, I’ll take responsibility for her happiness. If we stay together, of course I’ll be responsible to the end. If we part, her future won’t involve me.”

Chao Jingyu opened his mouth, finding himself at a loss for words.

“In any case, you want to play, play with your peers. Don’t ruin…”

“Bro, you’re such a fossil. Compared to you, I’m much closer to Liang Jinshang’s age.”

Chao Xinghe strode away, picked up Liang Jinshang from the sofa, and carried her to the guest bedroom.

…

Two days later, Chao Jingyu slammed a stack of reports onto his office desk.

He snapped at Shang Yucheng, “Shang Yucheng, what exactly are you trying to do?!”

Shang Yucheng regarded him coolly. “Impressive. You actually managed to find this.”

It was a set of matching reports.

In fact, this was the real matching report.

There were discrepancies with the copy Shang Rong had been given.

“Shang Yucheng, the match rate is so low—the DR points don’t meet the double criteria. There’ll be severe rejection. You’ll kill Shang Rong, do you realize that?!”

“Jingyu, you’re clever, but don’t take me for a fool.” Shang Yucheng said carelessly, “There’ll be some suffering from rejection, but with this match rate, it won’t be fatal.”

Chao Jingyu paced back and forth. “Tell me why. Are you trying to seize power, using Liang Yuanhan and Shang Rong’s lives as pawns? I refuse to believe you’re that kind of person!”

Shang Yucheng’s third uncle, Shang Jinkang, was the current head of the Shang family, and Shang Rong his only son.

“Seize power? You underestimate me. Shang Jinkang—he’s as close to me as my own father.”