Chapter 63 - I’ve got this Undercover Agent’s back (2)
Translated by Cyan
Edited by Sleepy Little Mushrooms
Lu Deng blinked, and couldn’t hold back a slight chuckle. The hand holding his relaxed as well. He curled his fingers and struck his palm. “I know, let me see your wounds.”
Unexpectedly, he hadn’t forgotten.
The other traveled from world to world and the data he could retain was extremely limited. Unexpectedly, he had even used his valuable bit of storage to keep this. He didn’t know how much of a shadow his waist injury from that time had left on him.
Gu Pingming was injured in the leg and the left part of his chest. While the wounds had largely recovered, the few broken ribs were all still mending back. Such a big move was still dangerous.
Seeing that he wasn’t afraid of him in the slightest, Gu Pingming raised his eyebrows slightly. He waved away the thought of holding that hand in a smooth grip and cooperatively released his arm.
Thinking about the medical records that he had read before coming here, Lu Deng was worried. He grabbed Gu Pingming’s shoulder to make sure he would not move any more. He then unb.u.t.toned his hospital gown with one hand.
The two of them have been together for more than ten years, the b.u.t.tons that needed to be undone had already been unb.u.t.toned. Lu Deng was so familiar with it that he didn’t even wait for Gu Pingming’s reaction and had already undone most of them.
Gu Pingming narrowed his eyes. His arm still half-closed around him, he thoughtfully lowered his gaze.
One hand steadily pressed on his shoulder, a little warmth penetrating through the thin gown to his shoulders. It was especially noticeable in the cool evening breeze.
The other hand undid his b.u.t.tons with deft fingers. The young doctor’s head was slightly lowered, his dark eyes glowing with earnest and attentive concern.
There were always some secrets on an undercover agent’s body that cannot be revealed to others. Not to mention being touched like this, even getting in close was not allowed.
If one didn’t count the time when the doctor had to cut open his blood-soaked shirt when he was heavily injured and in a coma, it was the first time that, in his almost thirty years of life, that someone came up to take off his clothes.
Dragging that person into his arms, he could see him more clearly than before. The young doctor was dressed head to toe in white, making him look more noticeably clean and neat. With the last bit of red color of the sunset carefully tracing his eyelashes, he single-mindedly tried to untie his clothes. His palm pressing on his chest, he careful traced along his ribs as he made his careful examination.
Gu Pingming glanced down to see the name on his badge.
Lu Baiyu.
No wonder. It was the Baiyu he himself had carried out of the narrow slit of stone.
The strange coincidence made Gu Pingming smile slightly as he tried to ignore the palm pressing gently on his chest. He lowered his head to look at the picture on the badge with interest.
Although the injury was still healing, Gu Pingming’s muscles were well-defined. Lu Deng couldn’t quite feel the ribs lying underneath it. Remembering the location of the injury, he pressed it carefully with his palm. Raising his head, he asked, “Does it hurt?”
It’s a pity that my body has wasted away a bit during my hospitalization.
An ill-timed thought crossing his mind, Gu Pingming withdrew the gaze that fell on his brow. Relaxing his expression even further, he answered, “It doesn’t hurt.”
His long undercover career had kept his nerves tense. He had only been recovering for a short time. Moreover, he still hadn’t regained his ident.i.ty as to not unintentionally alert the enemy. He couldn’t relax yet.
This rooftop had the best view in the entire hospital and no one comes up here. It wasn’t just a place to hide and quietly smoke, he was used to coming up here alone when he wanted to find somewhere to relax and unwind.
The sudden intrusion of this small doctor, surprisingly, did not cause any conflict. It even made the atmosphere quieter and much more peaceful than usual.
Lu Deng nodded, but was still unsure. He rummaged in the pockets of his lab coat, and failing to find his stethoscope, he simply braced himself with one hand on the floor and put his ear on Gu Pingming’s chest, “Inhale.”
Gu Pingming’s heart jumped lightly and he looked down at him.
Usually if someone approached him so suddenly, he would probably go straight for an over-the-shoulder throw.
The young doctor was completely unguarded. He was concentrating on the sound of his lungs, his cheek pressed right against his chest. As soon as he inhales a little, that slight distance between them would undoubtedly vanish in an instant.
Seeing that he was slow to cooperate, Lu Deng looked up from his chest, a warm, puzzled light appearing in his eyes.
Shaken by those overly clear black eyes, Gu Pingming subconsciously held his breath. Remembering the other’s request, he tried to inhale a breath of air into his lungs but choked on it. He couldn’t resist coughing.
Gu Pingming coughed violently. Lu Deng was afraid of him pulling on his ribs, so he hugged the man and slowly patted his back with one hand. “Don’t smoke next time, it’s not good for your lungs.”
He could still hear tiny wet rumbles when the other breathed, indicating that not only was there a problem with the lung function but also that the damage to the lung parenchyma (functional tissue of an organ) was not completely healed. Although the system had drugs that could solve the corresponding problems, the patient’s own cooperation will undoubtedly have a direct impact on the effectiveness of his future recovery.
……
He was hugged.
He was hugged. He was actually hugged.
The tiny body in front of him looked thin. He was worried that the slightest touch would break it so he let himself be hugged. That way no mishap could occur.
Ignoring his inexplicably happy thoughts, Gu Pingming coughed for a while. As he calmed his breath, he caught the serious light in the other’s dark eyes. He smiled and ruffled his hair, “I know my own body, thank you.”
Although he knew what to do to make it better, actually doing it was a different matter all together.
He was sent on an undercover mission right after graduating from the police academy. After spending seven years in that kind of sunless place, he was lucky not to have been forced to touch drugs. If he hadn’t started even some sort of smoking addiction, people would have inevitably become suspicious.
Gu Pingming knew restraint and only comes up for a smoke every few days. He was already doing his best to cooperate with the hospital and rehab center’s treatment.
The doctors knew his personality, so after trying several times to persuade him to stop smoking, they finally turned a blind eye on his habits. They couldn’t catch him even after taking turns to watch him. They could only give up and let him smoke every few days.
The center has already taken care of him enough. Today, he had stayed up here longer than he usually did. If he doesn’t go back now, the nurse who comes to check on him will probably go tell on him to the doctor.
Gu Pingming casually gave a few polite words to take his leave, clapping his hands as he planned to get up. However, the young doctor in his arms didn’t move, still looking at him quietly.
The warmth and innocence of those dark eyes didn’t change. His expression was very calm, but somehow showed an unquestionable insistence.
“You look quite well-behaved, why are you so stubborn ……”
Understanding the meaning in those eyes, Gu Pingming chuckled helplessly and sighed. He took half a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and gave it to him, leaning forward with a smile on his face. “Alright, alright, I’m giving you all of my cigarettes. If you don’t let me up, I’ll have to take you along with me ……”
The other’s right leg was also injured, and it would be a bit difficult for Gu Pingming to get up while holding him. Lu Deng looked down, put the pack away, and braced himself to stand up.
The warmth on his shoulder was suddenly gone, and his chest was slightly cooled by the evening breeze. Gu Pingming’s smile became a bit disappointed and his chest unexpectedly felt empty.
Having been an undercover agent for so long, he didn’t even know how to speak properly anymore.
Looking at the silhouette that fell into the twilight, the remorse born from a few words suddenly soared in his chest. Gu Pingming braced himself to get up, his right leg struggling and wobbling, his body swaying a little. He was immediately met and covered by the familiar warmth.
The young doctor held him steady and tilted his head slightly to look up. His expression still remained pure and concerned.
“My bad, I admit it’s my mistake.”
Gu Pingming had never been overcautious or indecisive. He had no problems admitting his mistakes once his mind is set. Tightening his arms around Lu Deng, he went to the other pocket to touch his last pack of cigarettes. “I still have a box hidden. Here, take it. I won’t smoke later-”
He stopped moving, his eyes suddenly revealed a stunned astonishment.
The young doctor in his arms looked up. A bright smile suddenly showed in his black eyes, his appearance relaxed. He handed over the box of cigarettes to Gu Pingming, saying, “You can have a smell sometimes.”
Although there was always a lot of physical contact between the two of them, Gu Pingming didn’t even notice when he took this pack of cigarettes away from his pocket.
He was able to guess that he was on the rooftop. He was able to think up of a way to get up here all by himself. And he was able to confiscate his cigarettes unnoticed.
Gu Pingming looked down at him, his eyes gleaming brightly. He curled his lips and pushed the cigarette back, “As promised, no more smoking. Will you come again?”
Compared to the ups and downs of his undercover career, this peaceful, almost unchanging, rehab center was a little too boring. It’s been a long time since he had seen such an interesting little guy.
“If you come, I’ll come more often.”
Lu Deng nodded and helped him shift his weight onto his left leg. He turned to climb down, but Gu Pingming grabbed him. “I’ll go first, and then help you down.”
To him, even if he lost both of his legs, climbing up this rooftop with his bare hands wasn’t too much trouble. But he remembered that the little doctor in front of him had almost slipped down the edge of the platform. So now, he wouldn’t dare to ask him to climb down by himself once again, no matter what.
Still, he really should find a way to pry open that locked door.
Gu Pingming made up his mind. He pressed one hand to his shoulder and half-kneeled down to hold the concrete platform. He easily dangled his body down and released only one hand to open the window. He was now firmly sitting on the window edge.
Still uneasy, Gu Pingming braced one hand against the window frame. He leaned back and continued to ramble, “Be careful. Come down slowly. Don’t put all your weight on your arms. If you can’t hold on, try to tread on the wall. Don’t look down. I’m right underneath you. I’ll catch you …….”
It was the first time Lu Deng heard him rambling worriedly like this. What a novel experience! Eyes smiling, he stepped to the edge of the building and nodded obediently.
The system was afraid that he hadn’t adapted to his body but all this time, it hasn’t dared to do anything. It waited until the mission target went down and hurriedly said, “Host, you can now adjust your physical fitness back! How much do you want to adjust? I’m ready to-”
Lu Deng, smiling, replied to it in his mind, “No need to adjust it yet, it’s fine.”
The host will soon be climbing down the roof. According to his current body’s physical fitness, he will not be able to climb down. The system was worried. “But-”
“Don’t worry, nothing will happen.”
With the other right underneath him, Lu Deng wasn’t worried about falling. Eyes smiling, he patiently tried to be rea.s.suring.
His waist was fine but his lungs weren’t completely healed yet.
It also felt good to listen to the other’s ramblings. Lu Deng couldn’t help tucking in the corners of his lips. Without letting the system adjust his physique, he slowly lowered his body from the rooftop. Just like Gu Pingming taught him to.
Gu Pingming tilted his head up to stare at him warily. All of sudden, he heard a voice from the corridor, “Mr. Gu? What are you doing here?!”
Usually, this step would take no more than half a minute and he had never been discovered before. Gu Pingming felt a bit of a headache coming on and coughed lightly. He looked to where the sound came from.
“There are many patients in the center, and you, appearing and disappearing like a ghost…… your injuries have yet to recover! We’ve got a new attending physician for you. His name is Lu Baiyu. He’s very strict. Very mean! Sneaking out on your own like you did, if he finds out, you’ll definitely be disciplined!”
The head nurse in charge of the center’s staff came over quickly, while trying to scare him: “Dr. Lu is back from taking his advanced studies overseas. He is temporarily practicing in our center. His professional skills are especially strong. The other patients can’t even hope to have him as a doctor. You were a.s.signed to him only because you were seriously injured – if you don’t listen and keep running around, you’ll get him angry and drive him away. By then it’ll be too late for regrets!”
……
Right now, the particularly strict attending physician was hanging out the window.
Not daring to delay for too long, Gu Pingming made an apologetic gesture towards her. He braced himself and leaned back to pick the man up through the window. He carefully lowered him on the floor with one arm, and smoothed his clothes for him.
So, he turned out to be his own little doctor.
Gu Pingming was in a better mood after hearing the words “attending physician”. His gaze fell on the badge again and he smiled. Under the startled gaze of the head nurse, he spoke honestly, “He already lectured me.”
Lu Baiyu had just come in from the outside and didn’t hear the conversation that took place inside. He blinked his eyes and looked up, at a loss.
Gu Pingming promptly braced himself to stand up. He hid the other behind him, and vividly described, “He’s indeed very mean. He chased me up to the roof to lecture me. I was so scared that I handed over two packs of cigarettes. I won’t smoke anymore.”
The head nurse: “……”
“You keep busy. I’m going back to the ward with Dr. Lu. He’s going to continue lecturing me.”
Gu Pingming took advantage of the nurse’s shocked stillness. Making a polite remark, he tugged Lu Baiyu with him and quickly left.
……
Although his leg was injured, he usually only walked with a slight limp and he had never developed the habit of using crutches. Today, he walked in a hurry. He returned to his hospital room breathing loudly, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.
Breathing unsteadily, Gu Pingming did not want to be lectured. He backhanded the door close, only to start a coughing fit.
Lu Baiyu helped him sit on the bed. He quickly went to pour water for him, and then came back to help pat and soothe his back.
Gu Pingming coughed for a while before he finally stopped. He gulped a few mouthfuls of water. The gold stars in front of his eyes finally dispersed.
Seeing that he looked better, Lu Baiyu was slightly relieved. He was about to straighten up, but Gu Pingming gripped his hand and pulled it downwards, tugging him to sit back down.
“Just take care of me, I’m easy to handle.”
Meeting those dark, moist eyes, Gu Pingming quirked his lips and rubbed the head in front of him.
His tone was soft, a little husky after his coughing fit. His lips pressed against his ear, so gentle it was almost a whisper, “I won’t make you worry. I won’t make you angry. If you tell me to take my medicine, I’ll take my medicine. If you tell me to exercise, I’ll exercise. If you say no smoking, I won’t smoke ……”
On the rooftop, when he wasn’t clear on the other’s ident.i.ty, the moment Lu Baiyu stood up, he really thought that the other wasn’t going to have anything to do with him anymore.
He was used to being unrestrained. Sometimes he even wasn’t used to too much care. He was usually happy when the doctors and nurses paid less attention to him. But when it came to Lu Baiyu, his thoughts took a 180 degree turn.
He can’t have him running away in anger.
Still thinking about the head nurse’s verbal threat, Gu Pingming coughed a couple times, making sure to turn away as to avoid coughing at him. He promised honestly, “No matter what happens, I’ll listen to the doctor.”
After thinking about it, Gu Pingming took out his cell phone. In front of him, he found the text message inviting him out for barbeque. It was from the little policeman he had saved that day. He righteously replied that he had to follow the doctor’s instructions to recover well. He then cleanly deleted both messages.
Lu Baiyu’s eyes fell on the phone, his heart moving slightly.
The other had already met the protagonist.
The plot line he accessed stopped here. It meant that hidden dangers will begin to gradually emerge towards Gu Pingming. He must be more vigilant.
Lu Baiyu looked up at him, his dark moist eyes glowing. He smiled and nodded, saying, “Good.”
There was still some ambiguity in his medical records. Gu Pingming would be discharged from the hospital in a week. He needed to get a more accurate and comprehensive grasp of his health before then. Only then would he be more confident in case anything crops up.
Eyes falling on the other party’s still heaving chest, Dr. Lu quickly went to work. He sent a message for an ultrasound machine. He got up and patted the edge of the bed. “Take off your clothes and lie down.”