Contract Marriage

Chapter 10

In the bathroom, Han Yang washed his face in the sink. He had tossed and turned for so long earlier in night, all the sweat on his body had now dried, leaving him feeling rather oily[dirty]. Smearing the clear liquid over his face one last time, he shook his hands dry, opened the door and left the lavatory.

He had taken no more than a couple steps outside the small room before being suddenly held by his waist, then lifted into an embrace, in an action so swift it caused a yelp to escape him. Hearing his cry, HeLian Qing responded, "What're you yelling about?"

"You... first just let me down." Han Yang whispered.
[T/n: I think this line got misheard while he whispered]

"I still haven't left you, so you hate that I'm still here." HeLian Qing said.

"......That's not what I meant." Han Yang corrected.

"Then just be quiet." The man added.

"......" Oh just forget it, the boy thought. He was not in the mood to talk anymore either.

Once he was returned to his seat on the bed, Han Yang's eyes caught sight of the man's feet, especially the shoes that now covered them, prompting him to ask out of curiosity, "Where did you get those shoes?"

"I bought them." HeLian Qing simply stated.

"When could you have found the time to buy them?" After all, he was only in the restroom for maybe two or three minutes.

"While you were sleeping." HeLian Qing replied, pouring a glass of water before handing it to him.

"......" Han Yang was once again left speechless. It turned out that man had had a new pair shoes but neglected to tell him, making it so the he had to borrow the one's the man wore since other than the man himself, there was no one else there.

Noticing Han Yang had not yet reached for the cup being handed to him, HeLian Qing picked up the smaller man's hands himself and placed the filled vessel within them, all the while sneering, "Is it your stomach that's hurt or your hands? Do you want me to feed you too?"

"No." Han Yang shook his head.

HeLian Qing groaned, thinking to himself 'If you really wanted me to feed you, I would've shown you some mercy.'

But now he had no chance to show this mercy of his.

Meanwhile, Han Yang became aware of something of his own, the realisation that since earlier that night, he seemed to have built up a higher tolerance towards HeLian Qing's sharp tongue. As he held on to the cup and brought it to his lips, he caught a glimpse of the older man's foot pushing the trash bin beside the bed, then stepping on the pedal to open up the lid, saying, "Rinse your mouth out first."

Having vomited quite a few times earlier, the lad did feel his mouth was indeed tinged with a bitter taste. Amazed by HeLian Qing's attentiveness, he did as instructed, using the warm water to wash out his mouth which unsurprisingly, left him feeling much better afterwards.

The used cup in his hand, containing the left over liquid, was soon taken away by HeLian Qing, who made his way to the bathroom to dispose of the remnants. Next, the man switched the old cup for a new one, filled it with water then handed it to the boy again, "Drink some."

"Thank you." Han Yang accepted the glass and took a drink. The warm water flowing into his stomach, made him more at ease.

"I'm going out to get you some congee. If anything happens, just push the button by the bedside." The man announced just as he started for the door. He had not gotten very far before Han Yang quickly caught hold of him, "You don't have to trouble yourself, I'm not even hungry."