Chapter 34: Medicine Oil
"Why are you unwilling to reveal your real name?"
The young man responded firmly, "To promote the spirit of Lei Feng."
The interviewer asked gently, "Then how should we address you?"
Lin Qiong replied, "Just call me 'you.'"
The interviewer:...
Lin Qiong chewed on his pancake, looking into the camera.
The interviewer continued, "I heard that the community wanted to reward you for your act of heroism with a cash prize, but you declined. Why is that?"
Lin Qiong replied honestly, "I don't want it."
The prize was worth ten thousand yuan, which most people wouldn't refuse. However, it seemed this young man had a particularly stubborn personality, as he sat there enjoying his pancakes.
The interviewer ventured, "Do you consider money to be like dirt?"
Lin Qiong shook his head.
The interviewer asked, "Do you think doing good deeds doesn't need to be rewarded?"
Lin Qiong still shaking his head with his cheeks puffed out.
"So, why then?"
Lin Qiong grinned, "I have plenty of money."
Darn it, he's good at pretending.
The interviewer composed themselves and continued, "At the time, the robber had a knife. Weren't you afraid when you rushed forward?"
Lin Qiong replied, "I was scared."
"Then why did you charge in without hesitation?"
Lin Qiong glanced at the nearby street food cart selling pancakes. Then he gave the interviewer a curious look and said, "Because someone screamed for help."
"Why didn't you call the police first instead of going to help?"
The interviewer looked at the young man, hoping he would emphasize his virtuous character.
The next moment, Lin Qiong scratched his head somewhat sheepishly, "I didn't have my phone with me."
"..."
"Did you ever consider what you would do if you couldn't defeat the robber?"
Lin Qiong tapped his head, "Of course, I thought about it. I'm the kind of person who leaves himself a way out."
The interviewer perked up a bit, "So, what were you thinking at that moment?"
Lin Qiong flashed a bright smile, "If I couldn't win, we would shout for help together."
Then the young man checked the time, and with his cheeks still full of food, he said, "I should head home."
He stood up as if to leave.
The interviewer hurriedly took a few steps forward and said, "Let's chat a bit more before you go."
However, he shook his head, "It's getting late."
The interviewer asked, "Is someone waiting for you at home?"
Lin Qiong nodded.
"Your girlfriend?"
"A jacuzzi."
"..."
After politely saying goodbye, the video came to an abrupt end.
Wang Cheng, who had been sitting on the bus petrified the entire time:...
That person was Lin Qiong, it must have been Lin Qiong!
After getting off the bus, Wang Cheng made a phone call.
Lin Qiong, who was taking a nap, answered the phone groggily.
"Lin Qiong!"
His eardrum stung, and Lin Qiong rubbed his head as he sat up on the bed. "What's up?"
"Did you really intervene to help someone last night?"
Lin Qiong: "Yes."
Wang Cheng: "I didn't know."
Lin Qiong's voice sounded innocent. "I told you, but you didn't believe me."
Wang Cheng: "... My bad."
Then Wang Cheng took a deep breath. "Do you know there are videos of you online now?"
Lin Qiong was puzzled. "What videos?"
Wang Cheng: "The interview video."
Lin Qiong didn't understand. "They blurred my face, how did you recognize me?"
Wang Cheng calmly replied, "They did blur it, but not your face."
Lin Qiong froze. "What about the pancakes?"
"They didn't blur that either."
"..."
Wang Cheng suddenly said, "Lin Qiong, I didn't expect you to be so kind-hearted. I misunderstood you before."
After this surprise revelation from Wang Cheng, Lin Qiong lost his sleepiness. He rubbed his face, got up, and decided to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicated oil to massage the bruise on his side.
Lin Qiong had just gone downstairs when he ran into Fu Xingyun, who was brewing coffee.
Fu Xingyun glanced at him and asked, "Where are you going?"
Without hesitation, Lin Qiong replied, "To the pharmacy."
Fu Xingyun said, "We have medicine in the home medicine cabinet."
Lin Qiong put on his shoes at the entrance. "I'm going to buy some medicated oil."
With that, he opened the door and walked out. When he returned, he was indeed carrying a bag with medicated oil inside.
Fu Xingyun looked at the items in Lin Qiong's hand and asked, "Why did you buy medicated oil?"
Lin Qiong replied, "Of course, to use it."
Fu Xingyun, holding his coffee cup, asked, "Are you injured?"
Lin Qiong nodded.
"When did this happen?"
"Last night."
Fu Xingyun furrowed his brow. "Why didn't you tell me?"
Lin Qiong looked innocently at him and muttered under his breath, "I did tell you, but you didn't believe me."
Fu Xingyun: ?
Lin Qiong glanced at him with a hint of resentment. "I told you I intervened to help someone yesterday."
"..."
Fu Xingyun took a deep breath, utterly surprised that what Lin Qiong had said yesterday was actually true.
He cleared his throat with an unnatural expression and asked, "Where are you injured?"
Lin Qiong patted his abdomen.
"Give it to me."
Lin Qiong was surprised. "Are you going to apply it for me?"
He never expected that the ruthless and crazy guy would have a compassionate moment.
Fu Xingyun didn't say anything, but his intentions were quite clear from his expression.
Lin Qiong quickly waved his hand. "I can do it myself."
Fu Xingyun spoke once more. "Give it to me."
Lin Qiong: Why so harsh?
He handed over the medicated oil.
"Go lie on the sofa."
Lin Qiong lay stiffly on the sofa. The soft sofa had turned uncomfortably firm, making it feel like he was lying in a morgue.
He watched as Fu Xingyun poured the oil into his hand.
"Can you be gentle later?"
Fu Xingyun glanced at him.
Lin Qiong said, "I'm very fragile."
Fu Xingyun: ...
Then Lin Qiong felt a cool sensation on his side.
"Yikes!!!"
Five minutes later, Lin Qiong lay on the sofa, his eyes brimming with tears, feeling utterly miserable. The bruises on his waist and abdomen had been massaged in large areas. Seeing that the man was pouring more oil into his hand, Lin Qiong's eyebrows jumped, and he tried to get up and escape. But in the next moment, he was grabbed by the man and firmly pressed back onto the sofa.
Lin Qiong shook his head and tried to crawl away, but was quickly pulled back by the man.
He huddled up, drenched in sweat, and said, "No more."
Fu Xingyun glanced at him and spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal, "There are still some areas that haven't been massaged."
Lin Qiong replied with a hint of resignation, "Let them be. There should be some pain in life."
"Lie down."
Lin Qiong gathered his clothes and shook his head frantically, like a young girl harassed by hooligans at the village entrance.
"No."
Fu Xingyun repeated in a stern tone, "Lie down."
Lin Qiong shivered in fear. His playful banter and teasing had sometimes caused him to forget that the man in front of him was ruthless.
Frightened by the man's intimidating gaze, Lin Qiong reluctantly lay down.
As the man's hand was about to caress his waist and abdomen once again, Lin Qiong grabbed his hand.
Lin Qiong swallowed hard and managed to say a few words through clenched teeth, "Be gentler."
Unexpectedly, the man did not ease his grip and continued to apply pressure. He callously teased, "Now you know it hurts?"
Lin Qiong's scalp went numb, and the pain made his lips quiver.
The man watched Lin Qiong's pained expression with cold eyes. "You know it hurts now. In the future, mind your own business."
With those words, he pressed on Lin Qiong's waist once more, making the fair waist tremble.
"Leave the heroics to others; you don't need to meddle in other people's affairs." The man tightened his grip to prevent Lin Qiong from dodging and continued to exert force. "Take care of yourself."
Lin Qiong was in pain and momentarily lost his ability to speak.
The man gazed at the injury on Lin Qiong's waist, his dark eyes inscrutable.
The raging fire was overwhelming, with flames intertwining with the darkness of the night. The air was thick and suffocating with dense black smoke, casting a sense of oppression. The acrid smell of burnt and charred objects filled the air.
The desperate cries of a child echoed from the flaming buildings, "Mom!! Where are you?! Help! Help!!!"
The child's hoarse and desperate cries froze the man who was about to run towards the exit. One second, two seconds...
Then, the man muttered a curse under his breath and suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned around, his tall figure heading towards the blazing building where the heart-wrenching cries were coming from.
The fire spread like an unleashed monster, engulfing everything in its path, and it soon towered high above, breaking through the rooftops and exposing its fierce, naked flames against the night.
As the inferno consumed everything, the collapsing houses and debris trapped the man, who had almost reached the child. His blood mixed with black soot, and he collapsed, losing consciousness, never to rise again.
Fu Xingyun looked at the pained expression on Lin Qiong's face, and he did not loosen his grip.
"Did you hear me? What others do is none of your concern. In the future, mind your own business."
Lin Qiong was in pain, his face significantly paler.
After a long while, he finally whimpered, "It hurts."
He raised his hand, intending to push away the hand that was firmly gripping his waist.
Fu Xingyun's grip on Lin Qiong's fair waist remained unyielding. His warm palm pressed against Lin Qiong's skin. "If you hadn't interfered back then, you wouldn't be in pain now."
Fu Xingyun's grip tightened involuntarily, and his hand still lay on Lin Qiong's waist, radiating warmth. The memory of the past weighed heavily on his mind. He had countless regrets for turning around in that blazing inferno, for saving the sobbing child.
If he were given another chance, he would...
"Damn it!" A sudden curse echoed in his ears. Fu Xingyun was still bewildered when he was struck hard on the forehead.
Lin Qiong, tears in his eyes, sat up abruptly, looking angry and pitiful.
"It hurts! I fucking said it hurts!"
Fu Xingyun was momentarily stunned and was still holding his forehead.
Lin Qiong, in pain, had tears streaming down his face. He was furious that even though he had said it hurt, Fu Xingyun didn't stop.
Lin Qiong suddenly got up, straddling Fu Xingyun's wheelchair. He reached out to pinch the man's cheek and squished it in his hand.
"Ouch! Ouch! I fucking said it hurts!"
Fu Xingyun was shocked, looking at the person sitting on him.
"What...?"
Lin Qiong, his face flushed with anger, yelled, "What are you looking at? Call me gege!"
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
Fish_Positive
Fish_Positive Fu Xingyun's backstory gets more and more tragic the more we learn about it. Thanks for reading!
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