Become the Sickly Villain in the Novel - Chapter 42

“Eat on time, take your medicine on time, don’t forget the supplements, exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, and don’t stay up late at night. Go to bed early.”

“You’ve said that for the third time,” Li Nuo said, looking helpless. “I’m not a three-year-old child. I have long remembered it.”

“I’ll say it as many times as needed. If you collapse again, I’ll lock you up in the hospital.”

“…Brother He, is it really okay for a doctor like you to say something like that?”

Li Nuo picked up his bag. The rest of his belongings had already been sent home by Li Yan, leaving only this bag to take.

He Yan opened the hospital room door and continued nagging.

“I’m being serious. I really will lock you up in the hospital.”

“I don’t want that.”

“If you don’t, then do as I say. Avoid spicy foods. Your digestive system is still weak. Stick to porridge for now.”

Li Nuo wrinkled his face. “I don’t want to eat porridge.”

He Yan smirked coldly. “Is this about what you want? It’s about what your stomach can handle. You wouldn’t want to end up back in the hospital right after being discharged, would you?”

Li Nuo nodded reluctantly with a bitter face.

As they reached the hospital entrance, He Yan asked, “You’ve packed your medications, right?”

“I have,” Li Nuo replied, opening his bag to show him. Inside were medications, a charger, and other items.

He Yan glanced at Li Nuo. Although he still looked pale, he seemed much better than a few days ago. Reaching out, He Yan ruffled Li Nuo’s hair.

“You know, as much as I enjoy seeing you, it’s much better when you’re not in the hospital.”

Li Nuo gave him a silly grin.

He Yan ruffled his hair again. How could such a silly look captivate both Mo Chuan and Qin Xu?

He watched as Li Nuo got into a taxi.

Last time, when he wasn’t paying attention, Mo Chuan had snatched him away halfway. This time, Li Yan had pre-arranged the taxi.

Li Nuo made it home safely.

That evening, after finishing the household chores, Li Yan was stopped by Li Nuo.

“I have something to show you.”

“What is it?”

“Wait a moment while I get ready.”

Li Nuo dashed into the bathroom.

He brought in the suit Mo Chuan had given him.

After putting on the entire outfit, Li Nuo grinned and opened the bathroom door. He walked up to Li Yan in the living room.

“How is it?”

He spread his arms, looking at Li Yan with expectant eyes.

“……”

“…Hmm?”

Li Yan’s reaction wasn’t what he had expected. Li Nuo blinked and walked over to the full-length mirror to take a look himself.

“Looks fine to me.”

No matter how he looked, the suit seemed perfect. The expensive material naturally exuded quality, and it fit his body flawlessly. It didn’t look odd from the back either.

“Does it look strange?”

He turned to ask Li Yan.

“No… It’s very fitting.” Li Yan’s eyes sparkled with surprise. It was the first time he had seen his brother in such a formal suit, so different from the white shirt and black trousers he wore at the café.

The suit showcased his charm to its fullest. Despite his slender frame and modest height, his proportions were perfect. The suit, with its tailored waistline, suited him exceptionally well.

“It suits you very well, Brother.”

Li Nuo smiled brightly at the compliment. “Do you think the color is too eye-catching? Is it appropriate for work? This is the only suit I have.”

“It’s fine. You look very handsome.”

“Ah, I know that.”

Li Yan chuckled at his brother’s narcissism. But it was true. Rather than handsome, beautiful might be more accurate.

“Then I’ll wear this tomorrow. It’s my first day, after all. I need to look formal.” Li Nuo took off the suit and hung it on a hanger.

Li Yan’s gaze fell on his brother’s chest.

There, a scar ran deep, one that seemed to have split him open. No amount of time could erase it, and in another month, he might bear new scars as well.

Because of this, Li Nuo always avoided showing his chest when dressing and opted for high-collared clothes.

Lately, however, he seemed indifferent to these concerns. He even wore white T-shirts and didn’t mind changing clothes in front of others.

Was it a shift in mindset? Perhaps he no longer cared about that scar.

Still, that was a good thing. Dr. Zhou had said the same. Just as flowers bloom toward the sun, people must move forward.

Li Yan hoped his brother could leave the past behind and embrace a brighter future.

“Are you that excited? Work can be exhausting, especially since the company has been busy lately.”

“I don’t like working. I just enjoy payday. Plus, I want to learn new things.”

“……”

“All right, I liked that moment too.”

The brothers looked at each other and smiled.

Li Nuo added, “It’s not useless either. My coffee-making skills have improved.”

Recalling the coffee he drank every morning, Li Yan nodded. “That’s true.”

“But what does a secretary assistant do?”

Having never worked in this field, Li Nuo was confused. He took out his phone and started searching for information about the role.

“Ahem, technically, there’s no such title as ‘secretary assistant,’” Li Yan explained, slightly embarrassed. “The role is just ‘assistant,’ like an assistant to the chairman or CEO.”

“So, I’ll be assisting both you and Secretary Yang, but this position didn’t exist before?”

“Hmm.” Li Yan cautiously glanced at his brother, worried he’d be disappointed. “It’s just as Director Mo explained, you’ll mostly be photocopying documents and organizing files.”

Seeing his brother’s concern, Li Nuo smiled. “I won’t be disappointed. It’s a short-term role anyway, and I’m already grateful for the opportunity. No need to keep searching, I’ll just figure it out tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Li Yan took something out of his pocket and handed it over.

“What’s this?” Li Nuo turned it over to check. “An employee badge? But I’m just a part-timer, do I really need one?”

“It’s mainly for accessing the building. Since your face isn’t registered in the system, we issue badges to interns as well. Oh, and lunch is free, but you can’t take food out.”

Li Yan continued explaining some workplace details, and Li Nuo listened attentively.

The next day, as soon as the alarm rang, Li Yan got up to turn it off. He glanced at his brother, who had already woken up in a daze next to him, and said softly, “Want to sleep a bit more?”

“No,” Li Nuo rubbed his eyes. “It’d be bad if I was late on my first day.”

“Alright, then you go wash up first. I’ll make breakfast.”

“Ugh, back to porridge,” Li Nuo sighed as he sluggishly went to freshen up.

After breakfast, the two headed to the subway station, where Li Nuo froze.

“So, this is rush hour?”

The crowds were packed like sardines, jostling back and forth on the train.

You’d never know how strong your arms are until you experience a rush-hour subway.

Li Yan held tightly onto his brother’s hand. “Stick close to me. Thankfully, the train we’re waiting for isn’t the most crowded one.”

Li Nuo silently thanked the company for its location.

Even so, the station was packed. After much effort, they finally arrived at the office building.

Li Nuo looked up at the skyscraper he had visited once before. It was now bustling with people as work hours began.

Everyone was dressed impeccably, exuding an air of professionalism and competence.

Now returning in a different capacity, Li Nuo smoothed the creases on his clothes and recalled the workplace etiquette he had reviewed the previous night.

Swiping his badge, he entered the building, thus beginning three weeks of workplace life.

During working hours, a long line formed in front of the elevator. Following behind Li Yan, they arrived at the floor where Qin Xu’s office was located.

“You don’t have a secretarial department?” Li Nuo tilted his head curiously.

Li Yan, walking ahead, replied, “We do, but I rarely stay there. Secretary Yang and I are usually in Director Qin’s office. It’s much more convenient this way.”

As he opened the office door, Secretary Yang was already there. Seeing the two enter, he greeted them with a wave. Noticing Li Nuo following behind, he gave a thumbs-up and remarked, “This suit looks great on you. Is this the one Director Mo gave you?”

“Yes.”

Secretary Yang nodded. “Good taste.”

Li Nuo’s desk had already been arranged—just an additional one placed next to Li Yan’s. It wasn’t much, but it was sufficient.

While the three were chatting, Qin Xu pushed the door open and entered.

“Good morning, Director.”

Secretary Yang and Li Yan stood up to greet him, and Li Nuo quickly followed suit. “Good morning, Director.”

“……”

Qin Xu paused in front of the desk, his gaze lingering on Li Nuo in his suit with an unreadable expression. Normally, he would have gone straight into his private office, but now he approached the desk instead.

Raising his hand, he tousled Li Nuo’s hair. “Not bad.”

What exactly he was referring to as “not bad” was unclear.

Secretary Yang, witnessing the action, was stunned. Is this the same Qin Xu who has a slight obsession with cleanliness?

Just the other day, when he hadn’t washed hir hair, he looked at him as if he were something dirty. And now, here he was, playing with someone else’s hair.

To be fair, Secretary Yang had been so swamped covering for Li Yan in recent days that he hadn’t had time to notice how often the boss had been visiting the hospital. Otherwise, his jaw might have dropped even further.

Though he had expected some interesting developments, he hadn’t anticipated it would start so soon on the first day back.

Seeing Qin Xu’s actions, Li Yan’s expression grew solemn.

The physical contact is getting more frequent.

For Li Yan, this wasn’t a good sign. Right now, it was just a casual hair ruffle—who could say what might come next?

While these thoughts occupied Li Yan, Li Nuo showed no intention of dodging. Whatever boundaries Mo Chuan had mentioned in the hospital had long been forgotten. He only thought Qin Xu’s touch was surprisingly pleasant, as long as his hand didn’t rest there completely.

After a moment of hair-tousling, Qin Xu retreated into his private office.

Secretary Yang quietly sidled up to Li Yan. “What’s going on today? Did the sun rise in the west? He’s scaring me.”

“……”

Li Yan had no response.

Fortunately, Secretary Yang quickly changed the topic. “By the way, isn’t there a meeting today?”

“Yes, in the morning. In fact, it starts in about half an hour.”

“Well, let me attend it today. It’s Li Nuo’s first day, his brother should stay with him.”

Returning to his desk, Secretary Yang began gathering the documents he needed.

“Thanks. I’ll start getting things ready,” Li Yan said gratefully.

“If you want to thank me, treat me to coffee. I’m feeling dead tired,” Secretary Yang yawned.

Li Nuo raised his hand. “I picked up some coffee-making skills while working at a café. Want some now?”

“Oh my, oh my, how timely,” Secretary Yang nodded in surprise and pointed behind him. “Then I’ll trouble you. Over there is the private pantry, it’s fully stocked. I prefer mine mild. Thank you.”

Li Nuo nodded and took note. He then turned to Li Yan. “What about you?”

Li Yan shook his head. “Brother, just remember where the pantry is. If you’re thirsty, help yourself to water.”

“Got it.”

Opening a side door, Li Nuo found a room that doubled as a reception area and pantry. The pantry was well-equipped, with a rack stocked with tea leaves, a water dispenser, a coffee machine, and even a complete tea set.

Li Nuo was amazed, though he only knew how to brew coffee.

When he returned with the coffee, both secretaries were already busy. Li Yan was sorting through files, and the sound of Secretary Yang typing echoed in the quiet room.

Placing the coffee beside Secretary Yang, Li Nuo quietly retreated to one side.

Li Yan gestured for him to sit down before standing up with a file. “I’m going to check the conference room. Brother, you can sit here for now.”

Li Nuo sat down as instructed, utterly clueless about what he was supposed to do.

Secretary Yang paused his typing, took a sip of coffee, and exclaimed that it had revived him. Turning to Li Nuo, he asked, “Li Nuo, do you know how to use a copier?”

“I haven’t done it before, but I’ve watched tutorial videos.”

“Hmm? Then it shouldn’t be too hard. You’ll get it after trying it once. Could you help me make 20 copies of this document?”

“Sure.”

Li Nuo stood up, took the file, and headed to the copier area outside.

Naturally, the copier wasn’t located in Qin Xu’s office. After all, the machine emitted some radiation, so it was better placed separately.