Volume 1, Chapter 30: He... Is He Celibate?

Lin Haoyu is the pampered young master of the Lin family. Having been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, he had never once set foot in a cafeteria. If it weren't for his desire to be close to Li Shiyan, Lin Haoyu would rather go hungry for an entire day than settle for such a meal.

He felt miserable eating, but with Li Shiyan watching, he had to pretend to enjoy it with a well-behaved demeanor, no matter how much he loathed the food.

Ning Yu, on the other hand, was unfazed. She took a bite of the fish and found the hospital cafeteria actually quite decent. She acted as if she were oblivious to everything, neither looking up nor speaking, just keeping her head down and eating quietly. She hoped that the man sitting across from her would spare her this time.

Though she remained silent, she could still hear certain things. For instance, two nurses chatting just behind her to the left:

"I told you, the chances of running into the 'high-mountain snow lotus' of the hospital are pretty high if you come to the cafeteria often, right? I hear Dr. Li and Dr. Cheng usually eat here. If your luck isn't too bad, it’s easy to see the handsome doctors, but they aren't easy to get along with."

"I know Dr. Li and Dr. Cheng are the two 'high-mountain snow lotuses' of the hospital. Dr. Cheng is gentle and modest, and he takes good care of the newcomers, but Dr. Li is so mysterious. Rumors say he is rarely..."

"You’re new here, so it’s normal that you don't know. How many people in the Emergency Department do you think have a mild temper? Besides, Dr. Li has been in the Emergency Department for three years, and every year, his self-requested overtime hours have ranked first in our hospital. From this, you can see that besides being a 'high-mountain snow lotus'—cold, aloof, and taciturn—Dr. Li is also known as the 'King of Hell' of the Emergency Department: terrifying and ascetic."

Ning Yu found this amusing and bit her chopsticks, smiling. Terrifying, yes, but *ascetic*?

He looked ascetic on the surface, but in bed, he was a carnal beast. He would pull out all the stops, using every position and trick, as if he wanted to grind her bones to dust.

Suddenly, a cold voice came from above: "What are you laughing at?"

Ning Yu looked up instinctively and realized the eyes of all three men were fixed on her. She smiled awkwardly: "Nothing, just heard a joke."

Lin Haoyu, who was suffering through his meal, saw an opening and immediately perked up: "What joke? Tell me too, Xiao Yu?"

Ning Yu: ...Brother, if your brain isn't working, why don't you go to the fifth floor and register for an appointment?

Cheng Xiuming, sitting to the side, chuckled. Whether it was at Lin Haoyu’s foolish grin or because he noticed the way Ning Yu was looking at him, he laughed: "Yes, why not tell us all so we can hear it too?"

Ning Yu’s smile stiffened. She had to make up a joke now? But Lin Haoyu was looking at her with such simple-minded anticipation. Cheng Xiuming was just watching the show. And Li Shiyan… never mind.

"It’s just a joke meant for children. I’m finished eating." Ning Yu stood up, made an excuse about going to the restroom, and bolted.

Lin Haoyu, unable to endure the bland food any longer, immediately used the same excuse to follow her, and they both left.

Once they were gone, Cheng Xiuming let out a mocking laugh: "Dr. Li, what do you say?"

Li Shiyan didn't even lift his eyelids: "Say about what?"

Cheng Xiuming spread his hands: "Twenty minutes. You stared at that young girl for at least ten of them. Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about. Not to mention she's your nephew's fiancée now, but do I need to remind you how badly you were hurt eight years ago? If you're just playing around, go ahead, but if you really intend to rekindle an old flame, I strongly suggest you go to the fifth floor and have your head checked."

Li Shiyan shoveled a few more bites of rice and finished quickly. In the Emergency Department, patients didn't wait for schedules, so finishing a box of rice in five minutes was routine for him. His tone was flat, devoid of any discernible emotion: "I said back then that I would never forgive."

"Then what are you doing now?" Cheng Xiuming asked.

Li Shiyan set down his chopsticks and looked at Cheng Xiuming: "If you hated someone, what would you do?"

Cheng Xiuming was confused: "Of course, I'd take revenge. Grab the things they want, destroy them right in front of their face, and ruin the things they want to accomplish." He paused, seeming to realize something: "She wants to get engaged to Lin Haoyu, so you're going to ruin it for her?"

"Otherwise?"

Cheng Xiuming: ...I really hope you only want to take revenge on her.

...

Having finally found an opportunity, Ning Yu wasn't foolish enough to run back; she made an excuse and headed straight home. But the ordeal of the day wasn't over yet.

Mother Ning sat upright on the sofa: "About what's on your body... Haoyu doesn't know, right?"

"He doesn't. He stepped out during the consultation," Ning Yu replied.

"You know what should be said and what shouldn't," Mother Ning said, not even looking up.

Every day, the interrogation felt like dealing with a criminal. Only after the questioning could Ning Yu go upstairs to rest.

The next day was the start of the new academic year, and freshmen had to undergo military training. Ning Yu didn't have classes, but she had plenty of meetings. By the time she returned to the Ning residence after a day of exhausting meetings, she felt dizzy.

The house was in chaos. Before she even stepped inside, she could hear the voices of her parents.

Mother Ning was agitated: "This is not a major issue at all. Why would the higher-ups suddenly send people to investigate?"

"They say someone filed a report," Father Ning’s voice was much calmer, though heavy, clearly suppressing his anger.

When Ning Yu knocked on the door to the study, the conversation inside stopped immediately, as if they were guarding against a thief.

Mother Ning’s tone was harsh: "Get in here."

"Mother, Father," Ning Yu stood at the door, her expression detached.

Father Ning spoke, which was rare: "How are things with you and Haoyu lately? Is the engagement still set for a month from now?"

"Last time, Lady Lin wanted three months, but Haoyu pushed for one. It will be difficult to move it up any further," Ning Yu answered.

"I don't care about that. Tomorrow, invite Haoyu out for a meal and discuss the engagement. Try to move it up," Mother Ning ordered directly.

Father Ning said calmly: "Regarding Yan's illness, the research at Huaisang has already entered the third phase. Once it succeeds, Yan's eyes can be cured. If all goes well, I will tell Huaisang to make Yan one of the first patients."

If all went well—naturally, nothing could go wrong for the Ning family, nothing could go wrong for the Ning company, nothing could go wrong for their family, and there could be no accidents with her engagement to Lin Haoyu. It sounded like they had promised everything, but in reality, it was just a pie in the sky, all based on assumptions.

But for the sake of Yan's eyes, even if it were just an assumption, Ning Yu had no choice but to gamble.

She nodded: "Understood."

Father Ning was satisfied with her obedience and waved his hand: "You may go. Your mother will prepare everything for tomorrow."

Ning Yu turned and walked out. After washing up, she stood by the window in her silk pajamas, unconsciously looking toward the tree in the distance. The silver-white Bentley Continental from that night seemed as if it had never appeared, just a momentary hallucination.

Overnight, she had already managed to ask people at the company what had happened. Today, government regulatory authorities had suddenly arrived to inspect the Ning company's safety facilities. The entire building was deemed non-compliant, and they were ordered to rectify it immediately. This was a matter that could be big or small; if it were just a minor facility issue, a quick fix wouldn't be out of the question. But if someone was determined to use this as a leverage, the deadline for rectification was uncertain.

The Ning company had finally secured a significant project from the Lin family. If someone sabotaged them, they might not be able to finish on time. That project was huge for the Ning family, but for the Lin Group, it was barely worth mentioning. Whether it passed or not was entirely up to the Lin family.

That was why they wanted Ning Yu to get engaged quickly, so they could beg the Lin family for leniency. It was a very stupid method, but also the most direct and effective one.

Ning Yu rubbed her temples, standing by the window for half the night, when she received a message from an unknown number:

【Tomorrow.】

Ning Yu frowned. Why were things colliding like this? She immediately felt a headache coming on. She gripped the windowsill and sent him a message back. It was time to talk about her and Li Shiyan. Being stuck between the Ning family, the Lin family, and Li Shiyan, she was truly spread too thin. Especially after provoking Li Shiyan, the difficulty of her plans had skyrocketed.

That night, the man stood before the floor-to-ceiling window of his high-rise apartment, holding a wine glass between his fingers. Outside the window, the city lights flickered; inside, the living room was dark and silent.

A notification chime rang, and the phone screen became the only source of light. He glanced at it, extinguished the screen, and a cold, mocking smile played on his lips as he carelessly tilted his head back to take a sip of wine.

"Busy, no time," he scoffed.

Does she really think she gets to decide?