Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 41

Li Nuo sighed in frustration. This outfit, it seemed, would need to be worn again.

Hearing his sigh, Li Yan reluctantly stood up slowly.

“Why are you here again?”

“Secretary Li, you’re expressing your displeasure a bit too obviously. Can’t you be more pleasant to someone you see every day?”

“That’s right. Director Mo saved my life. Don’t be so rude,” Li Nuo interjected to persuade him.

“Hey, don’t say that. I don’t intend to use this as leverage,” Mo Chuan replied. He glanced around, too lazy to pull over a chair, and directly sat down next to Li Nuo.

He openly stared at Li Nuo.

The hand he rested on the bedframe moved slightly, as if wanting to touch Li Nuo’s face. However, seeing Li Yan, he clicked his tongue in disappointment.

Seeing him seated beside him, Li Nuo turned his head and smiled warmly at Mo Chuan.

This is much better.

Even though he is still pale, seeing him smile like this is far better than seeing him lying unconscious.

Mo Chuan felt an overwhelming urge to pinch his face.

“You need to eat more. You’ve lost even more weight these past few days.”

Already small and thin, his cheeks now looked even hollower.

But just as he was observing this, a sharp voice interrupted his attention.

“Stop getting so close!”

“Then why don’t you move your hand away, Secretary Li?” Mo Chuan retorted with a fake smile.

Ignoring the quarrel between the two, Li Nuo looked toward Qin Xu, who had not spoken since entering the room.

“So, Director Qin has come to visit me too?”

“……”

“I heard you’ve been coming every day. Thank you.”

This gratitude was genuine. Staying even a single day in the ICU cost a lot of money, and all the medical expenses were covered by Qin Xu.

According to He Yan, Qin Xu also brought meals to Li Yan, who hadn’t been eating properly, and visited daily—even when Li Nuo had not regained consciousness.

So, this was what being cared for felt like. Li Nuo could sense that perhaps Qin Xu no longer disliked him?

“You both come straight here after work every day, so you probably haven’t had dinner yet. Li Yan, you too, right? There seems to be a decent restaurant nearby. Why don’t the three of you go together?”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Forget it, forget it.”

“……”

Seeing both of them reject the idea outright—one explicitly and the other with a displeased expression—Li Nuo didn’t push further and let them be.

Even though he wanted Li Yan to stay away from these two, it was futile. At work, they crossed paths all the time, and lately, the encounters had been even more frequent.

Fortunately, judging by the attitudes of these two, they probably wouldn’t use any aggressive means to force Li Yan anymore.

Right?

Looking at the tense expressions of Mo Chuan and Li Yan, Li Nuo felt uncertain.

As he thought about it, Li Nuo suddenly remembered something and patted Li Yan’s hand.

“You haven’t been to work these past few days?”

“Ah… Brother He, do you have to reveal everything?” Li Yan muttered.

Li Yan turned his head, unwilling to answer, but Li Nuo firmly held his face, forcing him to look at him.

“You haven’t gone to work for a week. Don’t tell me you’ve been fired?”

Li Nuo quickly turned to Qin Xu.

“Director Qin… Did Li Yan get fired?”

“No, I didn’t fire him.”

“Good…”

Li Nuo let out a sigh of relief.

Li Yan’s salary was needed to cover debts, living expenses, and rent. Although Li Nuo could now cover his own living expenses, the debt payments were a significant burden. Missing a payment would immediately bring debt collectors to their door.

Thinking of this, Li Nuo felt a surge of anger toward his father.

It was exasperating to the extreme.

But Qin Xu hadn’t fired Li Yan, even though he was someone who highly valued efficiency, especially during such a busy time for the company.

“Director Qin really seems to like Li Yan…”

Come to think of it, he used to dislike me, yet he covered my medical bills.

What now? Should I let Li Yan keep interacting with him?

Li Nuo wrestled with this thought, while Mo Chuan, observing from the side, found it amusing.

Is he really that worried about Li Yan losing his job?

Qin Xu also approached the bed.

With Li Yan sitting in front, Mo Chuan to the right, and Qin Xu clicking his tongue in discontent, he ended up sitting on Li Nuo’s left.

Thanks to Li Nuo sitting in the middle, the two big guys, Mo Chuan and Qin Xu, managed to fit side by side.

Mo Chuan was surprised by this and burst into laughter.

Li Yan, with veins popping on his forehead, snapped, “Why are you two squeezing over here? Can’t you sit on the couch instead?”

He used his arm around Li Nuo’s waist to push outward, trying to prevent the two men from crowding his brother.

Li Nuo, now sandwiched in the middle, could do nothing to resist with his small frame. He silently glanced at Qin Xu and could feel Li Yan’s arm straining to create some space.

Are the four of us playing some kind of game?

Both Mo Chuan and Qin Xu are in their thirties, yet they’re so childish.

Thinking this, Li Nuo couldn’t help but laugh softly.

Although quiet, the three men heard it clearly.

Qin Xu’s expression shifted slightly, and he raised his hand to rest it on the back of Li Nuo’s head.

It wasn’t clear whether Qin Xu’s hand was too large or Li Nuo’s head too small, but it felt as though it could be completely covered with one hand.

“Secretary Li has skipped work for a week.”

“…Didn’t you say you wouldn’t fire him?”

“Not yet, but I didn’t say that would always be the case.”

Li Nuo frowned and grabbed Li Yan’s sleeve. “You’re going to work tomorrow.”

“But…”

“No buts. I’m fine now.”

Stopping his younger brother, Li Nuo turned to Qin Xu and asked, “You wouldn’t really fire him, would you? Our Li Yan is an exceptionally capable secretary.”

Li Nuo’s pitiful expression was so endearing that Mo Chuan lay back on the bed, laughing once again. Even Qin Xu’s lips curled up slightly.

And indeed, Li Nuo wasn’t wrong. Li Yan had learned quickly after joining the company a year ago, even though he knew nothing at first. Under Secretary Yang’s guidance, he had rapidly mastered company affairs. Moreover, he was incredibly… competitive. To earn money, his drive left Secretary Yang utterly exhausted.

“Secretaries like him are rare, which is why I’m considering hiring a secretary assistant.”

“A secretary assistant? Back when Secretary Yang and I were overwhelmed, I suggested hiring someone new, but you said you didn’t like having too many people around.”

Li Yan found the sudden proposal of hiring an assistant very strange.

“Yes, that was then,” Qin Xu said while patting the back of Li Nuo’s head. “So, now that your last job is complete, how about accepting a new one from me?”

“Huh?”

“Come work at my company, as a secretary assistant.”

“!!!”

Upon hearing his words, the other three were visibly taken aback. Li Nuo froze for a few seconds, then turned to Qin Xu with wide eyes, his face lighting up with surprise and delight. “Really?!”

Seeing his bright and hopeful gaze, Qin Xu cleared his throat, thinking he should have made this proposal earlier. If Li Nuo had stayed within his company instead of working at that café, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation, hospitalized after being attacked.

Qin Xu never wanted to see him lying in the ICU again, teetering on the brink of life and death.

At this moment, Qin Xu seemed anything but intimidating to Li Nuo. On the contrary, he radiated golden light like a Bodhisattva.

“So, am I going to be your secretary now?”

“Not mine, just an assistant secretary. If that’s unclear, think of it as…”

“I understand, I understand,” Li Nuo cut him off, not wanting to miss this opportunity. Even if he didn’t yet know how to do the job, he could always learn. Grasping the chance was the most important thing.

However, not everyone was pleased.

“Brother, didn’t you just say I didn’t need to worry?”

Facing Li Yan’s resentful gaze, Li Nuo thought for a moment and then said, “We could commute together. Wouldn’t that be nice? I’d always be within your line of sight.”

Working in the same place as my brother.

Li Yan’s pupils trembled violently, his hand dropped, and his body involuntarily took on a contemplative posture. It was obvious, he was tempted.

Being able to stay close to his brother sounded better than having him remain in the hospital. But the company wasn’t a playground, it required work. Moreover, Qin Xu was a very busy director, with numerous responsibilities and frequent overtime, especially recently with branch office matters. This workload might be detrimental to Li Nuo’s health.

All things considered, perhaps staying in the hospital to rest was better.

“I recall the office isn’t far from the hospital. Wouldn’t it work to come in for a check-up once a week?”

Seeing Li Yan’s hesitation, Li Nuo pressed harder, saying, “You’re not seriously going to make me stay in the hospital for a month, are you? That would drive me crazy! Mental well-being is also an important factor in physical health, you know.”

“I understand what you’re worried about. Being a secretary assistant shouldn’t be too exhausting, right…?” Li Nuo looked uncertainly at Qin Xu.

Having laughed enough, Mo Chuan sat up and offered an answer.

“It’s not hard. You’ll just need to handle copying and organizing documents. Very manageable.”

“Oh, okay.”

“Director Qin already has two secretaries, so there’s no real need for an assistant. I only have one secretary, so come work for me instead,” Mo Chuan interjected, attempting to poach Li Nuo.

“No,” Li Yan immediately rejected the idea.

“Compared to the overly busy Director Qin, staying by my side would definitely be more relaxing,” Mo Chuan teased, shaking his head in mock regret as he placed his hand on Li Nuo’s head.

Li Nuo didn’t resist. There was already a hand resting on the back of his head, so one more didn’t make much difference.

Mo Chuan squinted at him and remarked, “You really have weak boundaries. Most people would resist if someone kept touching their head like this.”

Realizing the validity of his words, Li Nuo immediately raised both hands and slapped away the two men’s hands.

They were heavy, and it was about time he protested.

Mo Chuan’s mouth twitched as he looked at his unceremoniously discarded hand. “So quick to react. But could you not do that to me?”

On the other side, Qin Xu, who was also caught in the crossfire, shot Mo Chuan a sharp look.

“Neither of you should touch my brother.”

Li Yan had long been displeased but refrained from acting since his brother hadn’t objected.

Although annoyed, he admitted Mo Chuan’s point was valid.

“Director, do you really think my brother should return to work? His health hasn’t fully recovered, and he might not be able to keep up with the demands.”

In truth, he was still somewhat unwilling. Staying in the hospital wasn’t ideal, but staying at home wasn’t great either. However, Qin Xu’s suggestion rendered the matter irrelevant.

Qin Xu instinctively wanted to cross his legs but stopped himself, considering Li Nuo beside him.

“I don’t want this either. Staying in the hospital, he’d be bored, and staying at home, I doubt the environment would allow him to rest well. Also, someone can’t sit idle. So, this is the only way.”

“Hehe…” Li Nuo chuckled sheepishly.

Seeing his brother’s response, Li Yan reluctantly thanked Qin Xu.

Looking at Li Nuo’s joyful face, Li Yan couldn’t help but smile as well.

Ever since his amnesia, his brother seemed inexplicably passionate about work. Learning about their family’s debt only deepened this drive. Though Li Yan understood his brother’s desire to pay off the debt quickly, he wished Li Nuo would learn to prioritize his health.

“We have an agreement. Don’t push yourself too hard. If you feel tired, rest immediately.”

“Got it.” Li Nuo readily agreed, not wanting to argue with his brother at this moment.

“And always wear your watch. This is a new one, the old one was damaged.”

Li Nuo touched the new watch on his wrist. The previous one had been forcibly removed and discarded by Manager Lin. Luckily, his slender wrist prevented a fracture; otherwise, it would have been another ordeal.

“I understand.”

Even though he wanted to be discharged immediately, He Yan firmly insisted he stay in the hospital for a few more days.

To pass the time, He Yan lent him books to read, or they would take walks around the hospital grounds.

Four days later, he was finally allowed to leave.