If I Can’t Get the Male Lead, I’ll Just Be a Salted Fish Chapter 29

Hearing Qin Shu cry out in pain, Xie Lanzhi didn’t waste words: “Get in the car.”

As Xie Lanzhi’s one and only dear roommate, Lu Rulu naturally circled to the front passenger seat, but before his hand even touched the handle, his dear roommate said: “You’re letting two injured people sit in the back?”

Lu Rulu looked at the “missing arm and broken leg” duo, slapped his forehead: “My oversight.”

After chasing off Lu Rulu, Chu Cheng sidled up again: “Brother Lan, quick, look at my arm. A whole basin of boiling soup poured on me, I nearly died on the spot.”

Xie Lanzhi glanced at the burn on Chu Cheng’s arm, his frown deepening.

Chu Cheng claimed the front passenger seat. Lu Rulu and Qin Shu sat in the back, and Xie Lanzhi started the car, heading straight for the nearest hospital.

Lu Rulu said: “Little Love Letter, maybe you should take off your pants first? There’s no outsiders here.”

Qin Shu forced himself not to cry; shedding tears over a small injury really couldn’t be justified—it would wound his manly pride. He gave a dry laugh: “Better not. I only have this one pair. If I take them off, I’ll still have to put them back on when we get out.”

“You can go to the hospital in just your underwear. After checking the burn they can examine your brain too,” Chu Cheng said, before groaning again, “Hss… wonder if it’ll blister.”

“As long as it’s treated properly, it won’t.” Xie Lanzhi lifted his eyes to the rearview mirror. In it, Qin Shu’s eyes shimmered with tears; one hand tugged at his pants to keep the fabric from touching the skin, occasionally bending down to blow gently on the burn, looking like a wronged child who didn’t dare speak up.

A tightness seized Xie Lanzhi’s chest. He pushed the car to the speed limit.

Sitting beside Qin Shu, Lu Rulu also felt the pain just watching him: “Little Love Letter, does blowing like that help?”

Qin Shu gave a bitter smile: “Maybe a bit of psychological effect.”

Out of genuine concern, Lu Rulu said: “Want me to blow for you?”

“No need.” That wasn’t Qin Shu, but Xie Lanzhi speaking. “Look up the emergency registration process at the university hospital.”

While scrolling on his phone, Lu Rulu muttered: “Little Love Letter’s reaction speed sure is long. Just after getting burned he kept saying it didn’t hurt, now he’s about to cry, tch.”

Qin Shu hastily protested, face red: “I’m not crying, no tears fell, okay!”

Being doused with boiling soup—of course it hurt. At first he honestly thought it was bearable, no need to scream like a kid and worry Lu Rulu too much. But once he saw Xie Lanzhi, he suddenly couldn’t hold it in anymore. He just wanted to cry to him, to let him know how much it hurt—because it really, really did!

Xie Lanzhi was truly some kind of superhuman—he even had the ability to magnify pain.

Chu Cheng muttered: “So what if you cry? It hurts this much, who can endure it? D*mn, what a way to ruin a holiday.”

Even with his leg turned into a “roast pig’s trotter,” Qin Shu was still thinking about shipping CPs. He opened WeChat: Xu Ning had only given a like to Chu Cheng’s post.

Qin Shu commented under it: 【Ended up eating ourselves into the hospital. Happy? Surprised?】

Time to test the son-and-daughter-in-law relationship progress! If Ning Ning had even the slightest care for Baby, he wouldn’t stay unmoved by this.

If Ning Ning only replied under his comment, that meant Baby was just an ordinary friend in his eyes. If he sent a private message or called, then the relationship had already gone beyond normal friends. And if he showed up at the hospital in person—then I’ve already moved the Civil Affairs Bureau here, begging you two to just get married already; he’s waiting for the daughter-in-law’s tea!

At the hospital, Xie Lanzhi helped them register for surgical emergency. There were many patients, so they still had to wait in line—no seats either.

Xie Lanzhi said: “My dad knows the hospital’s director. Should I pull some strings?”

The patients at emergency weren’t dealing with trivial matters. Seeing a middle-aged man ahead of him with a lightbulb jammed in his mouth, suffocating in pain, Qin Shu exchanged a glance with Chu Cheng and said: “Maybe we should just wait in line?”

Chu Cheng didn’t mind: “We’ve been hurting this long already, what’s a little more.”

So Xie Lanzhi didn’t press it. He asked Qin Shu: “Does standing make it hurt worse?”

Qin Shu felt embarrassed, but still answered honestly with a nod: “Yes.”

“Then lean on me.”

“Huh? How?”

Xie Lanzhi’s hand came to the back of Qin Shu’s neck, guiding him forward until his head naturally rested on his shoulder. Xie Lanzhi lowered his head and asked: “Like this, is it okay?”

Qin Shu: “……” Great, now not only his leg, but his whole face was burning.

The hospital smelled strongly of disinfectant, but he could still catch the faint lemon scent from Xie Lanzhi.

“Qin Shu?”

Qin Shu rubbed his head lightly against Xie Lanzhi’s shoulder and whispered: “O-okay.”

Lu Rulu saw the whole interaction. Some intimacy between bros was normal, but his roommate was usually cold, rarely playful with other guys. To see this suddenly was surprising. “Cheng, need a shoulder too?” Lu Rulu teased. “I can lend you one.”

Chu Cheng got goosebumps all over: “No thanks. My leg isn’t hurt.”

Leaning on Xie Lanzhi took the pressure off Qin Shu’s burned leg, and it really did feel better.

To divert Qin Shu’s attention, Xie Lanzhi started a conversation: “Were the crayfish tasty?”

“They were tasty.” When they left, a third of the dish was left unfinished. Such a pity.

“Spicy flavor?”

Qin Shu lifted his head. “How did senior know?”

Xie Lanzhi pressed his head back down so he would continue leaning on him. “Because you’re spicy-flavored too.”

…No way. Last time it was snail noodles, this time it’s spicy crayfish. Why is it that every time he gets close to Xie Lanzhi, there’s some weird flavor attached to him, d*mn it!

Qin Shu immediately dragged the other two into the water: “Not just me, Brother Lu and Chu Cheng are also spicy-flavored.”

Xie Lanzhi said: “Can’t smell it from them.”

At that moment, Qin Shu’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He took it out, and his face broke into a happy, satisfied smile.

Xie Lanzhi asked: “What is it?”

“Ning Ning sent a message.” Qin Shu straightened up, quickly typing away. “He asked how I got hurt, and also where I am right now.”

Xie Lanzhi’s expression shifted slightly. “You told him about the burn?”

Qin Shu blurted without thinking: “Of course I told him.” It’s rare for Baby to get injured—if he didn’t make full use of it, then all that pain would’ve been for nothing.

Xie Lanzhi’s tone suddenly turned cold. “What’s the point of telling him. What can he do for you?”

Qin Shu’s fingers froze. He looked at Xie Lanzhi in confusion.

Xie Lanzhi stepped forward, took the phone from his hand, locked the screen, and slipped it back into his pocket. “The one beside you right now is me.”

Qin Shu’s eyes widened. “Senior…?”

“Little Qin Shu,” Lu Rulu came over, pointing at the display, “it’s your turn.”

Xie Lanzhi closed his eyes briefly, forcing down his emotions. “Let’s go.”

On duty in the ER was a stern-looking older woman. Seeing four boys come in at once, she barked: “No cutting in line! Only patients and their families allowed inside. Everyone else wait outside!”

Qin Shu explained: “Doctor, my classmate and I both got burned. He’s right after me in line. Wouldn’t it be more convenient if you looked at us together?”

The doctor asked: “Then the other two…?”

Lu Rulu said: “We’re family.”

“Where’s the burn? Show me.”

Chu Cheng just stretched out his arm, done. The doctor asked: “Does it hurt?”

“It hurts!”

“Good. That means the nerves aren’t damaged. You rinsed with cold water, right? No blisters, first-degree burn. I’ll prescribe some medicine. Apply as instructed. Keep your diet light, no alcohol. You’ll recover in about a week.” She finished his chart, then turned to Qin Shu. “And you?”

Qin Shu awkwardly said: “Mine’s on my thigh.”

The doctor frowned. “Then what are you dawdling for? Take your pants off.”

“But I’m shy.”

Doctor: “…”

Xie Lanzhi said: “You two go pay the fee and get the medicine.”

“What about you?” Lu Rulu teased, “Staying behind to watch Little Love Letter take off his pants?”

Xie Lanzhi’s voice was icy: “Don’t make me kick you.”

Lu Rulu instantly caved and dragged Chu Cheng out.

Xie Lanzhi said: “Take them off.”

“…Okay.” Honestly, Qin Shu would rather it had been Xie Lanzhi who left. Taking off his pants in front of Lu Rulu and Chu Cheng was definitely less embarrassing than in front of him.

Qin Shu pushed his pants down to his knees, revealing a patch of red skin. It looked redder than Chu Cheng’s arm. Pitifully, he asked the doctor: “Mine’s first-degree too, right?”

The doctor said: “Yes, but yours is more serious. I’ll have the nurse apply the medicine and bandage it before you put your pants back on.”

Xie Lanzhi asked: “Will it scar?”

“No.”

Qin Shu let out a breath of relief. “Thank you, doctor.”

After Qin Shu’s wound was treated, Chu Cheng and Lu Rulu also got their medicine.

“The registration and medicine together were just over a hundred,” Lu Rulu said. “Well? Should we have that girl pay for it?”

“Of course she has to. A hundred’s still money.” Chu Cheng lifted his arm to inspect the burn. “It was her fault to begin with. Not making her pay compensation for mental distress already makes us saints.”

“Alright, I’ll tell her.”

As the four walked to the entrance, Chu Cheng’s phone rang. When he saw the caller ID, he almost dropped it.

Qin Shu deliberately asked: “Who is it?”

“Xu Ning.”

Xie Lanzhi’s gaze darkened.

Chu Cheng forced himself to look calm. “So late, why’s he calling. Tch, annoying as h*ll.”

Xu Ning really was annoying—look at how flustered their Baby got, couldn’t even suppress the corners of his mouth.

Chu Cheng picked up. “What is it?”

“How did you know I was at the hospital?” Chu Cheng froze. “Wait—where did you say you are?”

He stopped dead in his tracks.

Following his gaze, Qin Shu saw Xu Ning walking through the hospital’s revolving doors, eyes scanning the crowd. The moment his gaze locked with Chu Cheng’s, his eyes lit up.

Xu Ning looked very anxious, as if he had just crossed the entire city in no time. He walked straight up to Chu Cheng, staring right at him, his voice trembling slightly. “I heard you were hurt.”

“Oh…” Chu Cheng’s reaction lagged half a beat. “Just a mild burn, nothing serious.”

Xu Ning asked: “Does it hurt?”

Chu Cheng scoffed: “This? Like a mosquito bite.”

Lu Rulu: “Pft!” Who was the one howling like a ghost just now? What kind of people are in 419 anyway!

Xu Ning still wasn’t reassured. “Let me see the wound.”

Xie Lanzhi turned to Qin Shu, saw him staring unblinkingly at Xu Ning and Chu Cheng, and found it utterly boring. “I’ll bring the car around. Wait for me at the entrance.”

Qin Shu could sense that Xie Lanzhi wasn’t in a good mood. He hesitated between “Cheng Ning” and his senior for a few seconds, then hobbled after Xie Lanzhi. “I’m coming too!”

Author’s note: For the first time, Love Letter chose senior over shipping a CP! Applause! 👏

Uh, well, babies who’ve read my completed works should know, when I write campus little-sweet-bites, it’s always this kind of slice-of-life rhythm — a group of boys laughing and messing around, making friends, falling in love. If you’re looking for ups and downs and twists and turns in the plot, I probably don’t have that here (laugh-cry).