Bound by Secrets

Chapter 9: What I Owe You

Xu Lan turned around numbly, the voice sounding vaguely familiar. Upon seeing the person, she couldn't help but be taken aback.

"Qin Lu, it's you..."

Qin Lu tilted his head slightly, his brows furrowed. He couldn't for the life of him figure out what this woman had that made Lu Chenyu so unforgettable. Hadn't it been said? Lu Chenyu himself had admitted that he no longer loved Xu Lan. Over the course of five years, Qin Lu had watched Lu Chenyu rise to his current position day by day. He had thought everything would change, that the hardships Lu Chenyu had endured were over.

"Xu Lan, oh Xu Lan! Why did you have to show up again?" At that moment, Qin Lu wished he could strangle Xu Lan. If it weren't for her, he wouldn't have to be in such places.

Xu Lan couldn't make sense of what Qin Lu was saying; she too had many questions, such as whether he knew about Lu Chenyu, who bore a striking resemblance to Chen Yi Ran. Back in the day, it was Dong Cheng and Qin Lu who had been closest to Chen Yi Ran. When Xu Lan pursued Chen Yi Ran, she had also built a solid foundation with his two brothers. However, after Chen Yi Ran's fatal plane crash, Qin Lu disappeared as well.

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed, and there was Qin Lu standing right in front of her.

"Qin Lu, I don't know what you're talking about. How have you been all these years?" Xu Lan wanted to probe for information from Qin Lu, but she knew that mentioning Chen Yi Ran would only invite his sarcasm and ridicule.

Somehow, seeing Xu Lan's forlorn expression, he felt a pang of sympathy.

This woman was a troublemaker; no matter what, Qin Lu didn't want Lu Chenyu to have any more entanglements with Xu Lan.

Chen Yi Ran was dead, and now there was only Lu Chenyu left in this world.

"Xu Lan, don't pretend. Alright, I'm in a good mood today, so I don't want to talk to you more and bring bad luck upon myself," Qin Lu said, yawning to show his annoyance with Xu Lan.

Xu Lan didn't understand why Qin Lu was treating her this way; after all, they had been very good friends back in the day. Although she knew she had done some things wrong, she had her reasons. Now that Chen Yi Ran was gone, even if she spoke up, people would think she was just making excuses.

"Qin Lu, I have things to do tomorrow, so I'll head back first," Xu Lan said, knowing she couldn't stay any longer. Seeing Qin Lu made her involuntarily link Lu Chenyu with Chen Yi Ran.

Qin Lu was already visibly impatient and didn't bother to argue with Xu Lan. Or perhaps, he couldn't let Xu Lan know that Lu Chenyu was Chen Yi Ran.

"Xu Lan, the door is to your right. You don't need to tell me about this," Qin Lu sneered, not even trying to hide his disgust at seeing Xu Lan in this state.

He used to envy the relationship between Chen Yi Ran and Xu Lan so much; now, he despised Xu Lan just as much.

Xu Lan nodded, gave an apologetic look to Qin Lu, and turned to leave.

It was nearing dawn, and the weather was nice, but Xu Lan shed silent tears. Seeing Qin Lu again, she felt as if she had been transported back to the past.

Back then, she was in the prime of her youth, even the blooming sycamore flowers in the campus could be seen as marks of love. She spent five years pursuing Chen Yi Ran and had also spent five years mourning him. Of course, perhaps she would never forget Chen Yi Ran in her lifetime.

In room 2601, Qin Lu fanned the air for a while but still couldn't dispel the alcohol smell in the room.

After so many years as a doctor, Qin Lu had developed some quirks. For instance, he was a cleanliness freak.

If the person staying here wasn't Lu Chenyu, but anyone else, Qin Lu would never have come.

"Lu Chenyu, wake up! Wake up, I tell you!" Qin Lu was getting impatient, especially after encountering Xu Lan repeatedly. This had already disrupted their previously peaceful life. Looking at Lu Chenyu's slightly furrowed brows, Qin Lu felt everything was becoming more complicated, increasingly incomprehensible.

Finally, after shaking him many times, Lu Chenyu began to regain some consciousness.

"Qin Lu, you're here..."

"You're some Lu Chenyu. Ever since you came back, you've turned my life upside down. Damn it, I actually did come to pick you up. Lu Chenyu, oh Lu Chenyu! It's like I owe you something!" Qin Lu pulled Lu Chenyu up, still muttering incessantly.

Lu Chenyu looked up, his gaze still cold, "Qin Lu, you're getting more and more talkative. You should know I don't like it when you're like this."

Qin Lu didn't mind Lu Chenyu speaking to him this way; after all, he was used to it.

Whether it was back in school or now, Lu Chenyu always had this demeanor. It wasn't until they really got to know each other that Qin Lu felt some change. By this point, Qin Lu had stopped caring about such things. For him, Lu Chenyu was his friend; he had watched Lu Chenyu rise to his current position.

And so, Qin Lu took the utterly drunk Lu Chenyu back home.

Since it was rare to see Lu Chenyu in such a state, and considering Lu Chenyu's concern for Xu Lan, the housekeeper suddenly felt that this matter was inextricably linked to Xu Lan. She didn't want any woman to be involved with Lu Chenyu, especially one who made him constantly worried, and such a woman must not be kept around.

"Xiao Song, I've brought Lu Chenyu back to you. Take good care of him, make some soup to sober him up and have him drink it. You're the best at these things; I trust you can handle it well," Qin Lu winked at the housekeeper, charming her to the core.

The housekeeper brushed her hair back and said shyly, "Mr. Qin, don't worry. I'll take care of the rest."

Seeing her infatuated look, Qin Lu couldn't help but laugh, "Xiao Song, it's a deal then. I need to go back and catch some sleep. When I come over next time, I'll take you out to have some fun!"

The housekeeper could barely hold herself together because such a flirtatious Qin Lu was relentless, making her feel fluttery.

However, for her, Lu Chenyu was the target at hand.

Previously, she had graduated from a prestigious university. With her background, finding a good job should have been extremely easy, but people always aspire to climb higher. Take this housekeeper, for example; her goal was to attach herself to the powerful.

Of course, if she couldn't hook up with Lu Chenyu, Qin Lu would do just fine. So, the housekeeper used Qin Lu as a backup.

If Qin Lu knew about this, he would find it incredible.

After Lu Chenyu left, the housekeeper looked at his stern face. She kept thinking about how happy it would be if one day she could truly make this man hers.

"One day, I will drive away all those butterflies around you!" The housekeeper couldn't help but declare her ambitious words; she had waited for so long and didn't mind waiting one more day.

The housekeeper took good care of Lu Chenyu, and due to not sleeping the whole night, he slept soundly.

Meanwhile, Xu Lan was anxiously waiting at the hospital.

Today was the day her father was having surgery, a day of great tension for Xu Lan.

From that day on, Xu Lan knew she couldn't live without her father. In this bustling world, at least she could feel she wasn't alone.

"Miss Xu, the surgery is about to start. How about you wait outside for now? You can communicate with the patient again after the surgery," Dr. Chen knew this matter was of utmost importance to Xu Lan.

At this moment, Xu Lan was extremely nervous.

She slowly released her father's hand, "Dad, don't be afraid, I'm always waiting for you. You must get better soon..."

After saying this, Xu Lan nodded at Dr. Chen.

"Dr. Chen, I entrust my father to you," Xu Lan's eyes were full of earnest requests; she was very worried.

Previously, she had been worried about the 200,000 issue. Now, she started worrying about these things again. For five years, she had lived in fear almost every day, and she also felt guilty about Chen Yi Ran. If she had known the plane Chen Yi Ran was on would crash, she would never have been so heartless to him.

In this way, for five years, she had not had a single day of relief.

Even Xu Lan felt unworthy. Today, everything she suffered was for atonement.

Waiting always seemed so long. Xu Lan waited outside, and even though the hospital was bustling with people, she still felt very lonely.

For now, as long as her father could get better, Xu Lan was willing to do anything.

She didn't know how long she had waited, but when she heard the operating room door open, Xu Lan rushed over.

"Dr. Chen, how is my father? Please tell me how he is!" Xu Lan was still very worried because she couldn't read Dr. Chen's emotions. Moreover, her father hadn't woken up yet.

For five years, she could only see her healthy father in her dreams. Similarly, she had not stopped looking forward to this day.

Dr. Chen smiled at her, "Miss Xu, your father's condition is temporarily stabilized. After observing for a while longer, we will make further treatment plans for your father."

Xu Lan finally let out a sigh of relief, although she knew it wouldn't be easy for her father to wake up. But as long as he was okay, at least she could still hold onto a glimmer of hope.