My Nemesis Has Finally Gone Bankrupt Chapter 71

Ji Ran listened to the sound of rain, waited for a long time without getting a response, and angrily muttered, “Did you ever give it or not?!”

Qin Man said, “Help me up.”

Ji Ran sat up and asked, “Do you need to go to the bathroom?”

“No,” Qin Man said, “I’m going back to get the ring.”

“…Just lie down.”

“No, I’m afraid you might change your mind,” Qin Man blinked his eyes, “It’s raining outside, don’t drive, let’s call a car.”

Ji Ran was speechless, “…Are you really planning to go back?”

Qin Man didn’t say anything. He stubbornly tried to prop himself up with his left hand.

Ji Ran quickly pressed him down.

“If you move again, I’ll leave!”
　
Qin Man obediently lay back in place. Moonlight seeped through the thin curtains, gently illuminating the room as the two exchanged glances for a few seconds.

Qin Man smiled at him, his eyes slightly narrowed. “Darling, what’s wrong with you today? You startled me…”

Ji Ran was already a bit nervous. Hearing what he said, his heart suddenly beat faster. He realized he couldn’t face Qin Man right now.

So he lay back down again.

“Who’s your darling? Don’t call me that,” Ji Ran whispered in his ear, “Lower your voice, what if someone wakes up later?”

Qin Man started to regret it a bit.

He shouldn’t have refused his uncle’s kindness. If they had moved to a single room, the bed wouldn’t be so narrow, and they wouldn’t have to speak in hushed tones.

“But,” Ji Ran spoke up again, his tone firm, “there are some things I still need to clarify with you.”

Qin Man asked, “Hmm?”

“The note in your wallet, I wrote it.”　　
　
Qin Man said, “I know.”

He had recognized that handwriting since middle school.

“Back when we were in school, I used to bully you often,” Ji Ran paused and said, “You’re not allowed to hold grudges against those.”

“I cherish you so much.”

Ji Ran bumped his shoulder with his forehead. “Stop sweet-talking, I’m not a little girl, I won’t fall for your tricks.”

His voice was barely audible, but Qin Man found it extremely endearing.

This guy acts tough every day, completely unaware of how much cuter he is than many little girls.

Ji Ran kept a calm facade, but his mind was a mess.

This was the first time in his twenty-four years of life that he had been in love.

…With Qin Man.

Half a year ago, he wouldn’t have dared to even think about this.

Ji Ran’s face stiffened, then he suddenly said, “Back when you were on duty, I was the one who threw garbage into your class.”　

Qin Man raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Ji Ran ignored him and continued honestly, “During the high school sports meet, I was the one who added salt to your water.”

“I know.”

“The pig drawing on your school bag, that was also me.”

“I know.”

“…The erotic card hidden in your textbook, that was also my doing.”

“I know.”

Ji Ran propped himself up. “How do you know everything?!”

Qin Man chuckled. “Who else but you would do these things?”

Ji Ran fell silent for a moment, unusually refraining from retorting. “On the day of your high school graduation, I was the one who threw away the love letters in your drawer.”

“I’ve admitted to all these things. After you’ve heard them, think carefully if you still want to give me the ring. Otherwise, once it’s on my finger, you won’t be able to take it off even if you try.”

“Also, if you dare to cheat on me or dare to lie to me, I’ll break your left hand too.”　

“So ruthless?”

“Even more ruthless,” Ji Ran said.

Qin Man pretended to ponder. “Then, should I think it over again?”

“…”

Ji Ran pursed his lips, saying, “Think it over yourself.”

After speaking, he reached out to touch the railing at his waist, as if he was going to get off the bed.

Qin Man hurriedly propped himself up and grabbed his hand before he could move.　
　　
“Ah—”

Ji Ran was startled, instinctively gripping his hand back, squeezing it in his palm. “What’s wrong? Did I twist it? Damn it… The doctor said countless times not to touch your hand, why can’t you just listen?”

“It’s not twisted, don’t go.” Qin Man lay back on the bed, still holding his hand. “I was just teasing you… What do I have to think about? The ring was always meant for you.”

Feeling the warmth of his palm, Qin Man smiled. “Your hand is so hot.”　
　　
Ji Ran: “…Likewise.”

Qin Man looked at him and licked his lips. “So, is it settled between us?”

Ji Ran blushed. “Yeah.”

There was silence in the hospital room for a few seconds, not even the sound of their breathing could be heard.

After a while, Qin Man suddenly laughed.

“Darling, don’t look so serious, smile a bit. Otherwise, I feel like I’m in a dream.”

He watched Ji Ran as if he had forgotten how to breathe, just sitting dumbly by the bedside, letting him hold his hand.

He had originally intended to help Ji Ran relax, but as soon as the words fell, the pillow on his left suddenly sank down.

Ji Ran suddenly bent over, reaching out to the edge of his pillow, and without hesitation, leaned in for a kiss.

The kiss was fiery, and the moment their lips touched, Qin Man quickly responded, gently biting Ji Ran’s lower lip and swiftly invading his mouth with his tongue.

Ji Ran hadn’t planned on avoiding it either, letting him explore inside. In the hospital room, there were ambiguous sounds of water dripping and sucking noises. They were so absorbed in each other that they were reluctant to part, separated from the world by just two thin curtains.

It wasn’t until Ji Ran felt like he was running out of breath that he sat up straight, ending the kiss.

Both of them were breathing heavily, softly panting.

Ji Ran wiped away the glistening moisture from his lips with the back of his hand and asked, “Do you feel real now?”　
　
“I do feel it now,” Qin Man laughed helplessly, “but now, things seem to have gotten more complicated.”

“?”

Qin Man held his hand, leading it downward.

It wasn’t until their fingertips touched something through the fabric that Ji Ran realized what it was. He widened his eyes in disbelief. “Do you… do you know where we are? Are you an exhibitionist? Can you get aroused anywhere?!”

“After being kissed by someone you like for so long, which man wouldn’t feel a little excited?” Qin Man chuckled, glancing at him. “You’re no exception.”

“…”

Ji Ran hadn’t expected things to escalate like this. He took a sharp breath. “So, what do we do now?”

Qin Man said, “You go take care of yourself in the bathroom first.”

“What about you…?”

“I’ll be fine in a moment, don’t worry.”　
　
“…”

Seeing him hesitate, Qin Man chuckled. “Go on, don’t hold it in.”

After hesitating for a long time, Ji Ran finally made up his mind and reached into the bedding.

Qin Man was taken aback, staring at him in astonishment. “You…”

“I’ll help you with a little massage.” Ji Ran’s face turned red almost to the point of explosion. “Come on, hurry up.”

Qin Man froze for a moment, unable to even refuse, before the other person had already started.

Clumsy and hesitant, Ji Ran’s actions only made his mind grow hotter.

Damn it… this was like asking for trouble.

Late at night, it was the nurse’s routine ward check.

She gently pushed open the door of the ward, her movements light but still making faint sounds. As soon as she opened the door, she heard some commotion coming from bed 36.

Without much hesitation, she quickly walked to the bedside and slowly pulled back the curtain.　
　　
She saw the patient lying straight on the bed, the covers pulled up to his neck, with a lump underneath. The room was dimly lit, and she couldn’t see clearly.

As the curtain was pulled back, the man’s eyes swept towards her.

“Is there something wrong?” his voice was a bit hoarse.

The nurse’s heart pounded, and she quickly said, “Nothing, where is your family member?”

Ji Ran remained hidden under the covers, not daring to move. He held a tissue over his nose with one hand while the other hand held a half-wet tissue. In his mind, he cursed Qin Man’s ancestors in frustration.　　
　　
“He went home tonight.”

“If there’s anything you need help with, just press the call button, and I’ll come.” Remembering his injured hand, the nurse stepped forward. “Let me put the call button within your reach…”

“No need,” Qin Man interrupted her, smiling faintly. “I need to rest now. Could you please close the curtain and leave?”

The nurse hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Alright, sure.”

The man was clearly smiling, but why did she feel like… um, he was rushing her out?

—

The next day, the nurse tiptoed into the ward to deliver medication and was surprised to see Ji Ran.

She asked, “You’re here so early?”

Ji Ran, feeling like he hadn’t slept enough and still half asleep, mumbled, “No, I’ve been here since last night. Is there a test he needs to go for?”

The nurse was taken aback. “But I did the rounds last night, and the patient in bed 36 said you had gone back…”

Ji Ran suddenly woke up completely.
　
Damn, he had stayed in the covers yesterday and hadn’t even seen which nurse did the rounds.

“I… I’ll go brush my teeth first.” He couldn’t think of any excuses, so he just gave up and quickly walked into the restroom.

The doctor transferred the medical records directly to Qin Man’s uncle. After getting the MRI and CT scans done, they went straight to the office of the hospital director.

Feeling awkward, Ji Ran didn’t follow them in. Instead, he sat on a bench outside the office, waiting.

The hospital director reviewed the examination results repeatedly before saying, “Fortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any problem with your cervical spine. But it’s best to observe for a few more days. Wear the cervical collar if you can, just as a precaution. Even if nothing’s wrong, sitting at your desk all day must be tiring…”

“If there’s nothing wrong, I won’t wear it,” Qin Man said.

The director asked, “Why, do you find it inconvenient?”

“Yeah,” Qin Man smiled, “And it looks ugly.”

The director was momentarily speechless. “It seems like you’re really in love if you care about these things… When will you bring your loved one home to meet your mother? It’ll ease her worries.”　　
　
“Let’s give it some more time, it’s too soon. I’m afraid it might startle him,” Qin Man said in a tone that suggested it was imminent.

Understanding Qin Man’s tone, the director nodded. “Alright, just remember to invite your uncle when the time comes. Oh, I’ll need to prepare a gift for her. What does she like?”

Qin Man raised an eyebrow, already mentally planning for his boyfriend, “I remember… you have a large wine cellar, don’t you?”

“Yes, why do you suddenly think of that?” the director asked, caught off guard.

Worried about any sudden incidents, Qin Man hardly touched alcohol, but he knew that many friends often gave good wine as gifts for social occasions.

“Just send him a few bottles of good wine,” Qin Man said with a casual smile, “He’ll really appreciate it.”

The director: “…”

It seems his nephew’s wife is quite wild.
Note: the pronoun for male and female are same in Chinese so both of them have been speaking “ta” but one means a girl and another means a man hence the confusion tone.

Ji Ran sat outside, absentmindedly playing with his phone. He had originally wanted to go in with Qin Man, but he was worried about being discovered by the director. Based on their interaction yesterday, it seemed that the director wasn’t a dull person.　

Qin Man’s actions were so careless… he might get exposed at any moment.

He was lost in thought when his phone suddenly rang.

He Suiran: Ji Ran, when are you free to meet? The competition is about to start, and I want to give you a VIP ticket.

He Suiran: I know you don’t need it… but it’s just a little something from me. With this ticket, not only can you sit in the VIP area, but you can also visit the backstage lounge if you want.

Ji Ran opened the chat window, about to reply, when…

“Are you having an affair?”　
　　
He was startled and turned around to see that Qin Man had somehow come out of the office. The office door had been left slightly ajar and had opened with a push, but he hadn’t heard any noise.

“What affair… Where’s your neck brace?” Ji Ran immediately stood up. “Did it fall inside?”

“No, I don’t need to wear it,” Qin Man replied.

Ji Ran asked, “You’re not wearing it? Why? Don’t you need to wear it for at least two weeks?”

Qin Man leaned against the wall, then suddenly leaned forward, quickly kissing him near the director’s office door, interrupting his words.

“If it gets in the way of kissing you, then I don’t love it anymore.”