Chapter 13: Safety Measures

Qiao Le forgot to bring the ointment when he got out of the car.

Shen Hechuan called out to him, pushed the car door open, and handed it to him.

Still a bit concerned, he asked, “Do you need to go to the hospital to get checked?”

Qiao Le quickly waved his hand, “No, no, it’s really not a problem.”

If he went to the hospital with Shen Hechuan and the doctor asked about the details of last night, wouldn’t that be mortifying?

Seeing that Qiao Le’s complexion didn’t look too bad, Shen Hechuan didn’t press further.

“Alright.”

“Then you can head back, I’ll-“

“Daddy!”

A voice interrupted him, startling Qiao Le.

He looked down to see his younger brother clinging to his leg, pouting as he asked, “You’re back, Daddy!”

Qiao Le: “…”

Shen Hechuan’s eyes flickered with surprise.

The child looked about four or five years old.

Qiao Le had just said he was nineteen-what nineteen-year-old has a kid this big?

“Xiao Man?” Qiao Le bent down to ask, “Why are you here? Where’s Brother Jiaxu?”

Xiao Man pointed behind him, where Fang Jiaxu was waving at them from a breakfast shop not far away.

Xiao Man said, “Brother Jiaxu took me out for breakfast. Daddy, um—”

“Don’t call me Daddy today,” Qiao Le covered his mouth and introduced Shen Hechuan, “This is my friend, not one of those strange people.”

Xiao Man, still with his mouth covered, made a couple of muffled sounds, his big, curious eyes turning to Shen Hechuan.

From their brief exchange, Shen Hechuan roughly understood the situation-it seemed the younger brother was Qiao Le’s shield against unwanted romantic advances.

He asked Qiao Le, “Your brother?”

“Yes,” Qiao Le let go of Xiao Man.

“Xiao Man, say hello.”

Xiao Man looked at Shen Hechuan and said, “Hello, Uncle. My name is Qiao Man.”

Shen Hechuan: “…”

There was nothing wrong with Xiao Man calling him “Uncle” at his age, but it did make him feel like there was a generational gap between him and Qiao Le.

“Hello, Xiao Man,” Shen Hechuan nodded at him and introduced himself, just as Xiao Man had.

“I’m Shen Hechuan.”

Xiao Man called out again, “Hello, Uncle Shen.”

Shen Hechuan wasn’t particularly fond of children, but Xiao Man was fair-skinned, cute, and polite, with a pair of little tiger teeth when he smiled.

He was indeed endearing.

Shen Hechuan couldn’t help but ask, “How old are you?”

“Five,” Xiao Man held up five short fingers.

“I’m in the senior class at kindergarten.”

Adorable.

Shen Hechuan thought it was like seeing a child version of Qiao Le.

It was a pity he had come in a hurry and didn’t have a gift to give.

He’d have to make up for it next time.

“Then I’ll head off now,” Shen Hechuan said to Qiao Le.

“Alright.”

After Shen Hechuan left, Qiao Le took Xiao Man over to Fang Jiaxu.

Fang Jiaxu’s sharp eyes immediately noticed the clothes Qiao Le was wearing.

Due to financial constraints, Qiao Le wasn’t picky about his food, clothing, or daily necessities.

Aside from his work uniform, most of his clothes were bulk purchases from a budget online store, prioritizing affordability and durability.

But the clothes he was wearing now, both in cut and material, clearly weren’t cheap.

Moreover, they weren’t his size.

Combined with the person who had just dropped him off and the luxury car with the prominent emblem that ordinary vehicles would instinctively yield to, Fang Jiaxu immediately sensed something unusual.

Why hadn’t Qiao Le ridden his bike over?

Why had someone driven him?

And why was he wearing someone else’s clothes?

“You’re acting strange,” Fang Jiaxu circled Qiao Le, sniffing the air.

“You smell like a man.”

Qiao Le: “…”

Are you a bloodhound or something?

And seriously, that line is so embarrassing!

Fang Jiaxu: “Whose clothes are you wearing? Who dropped you off just now?”

Qiao Le: “A friend.”

“A friend?” Fang Jiaxu noticed the bag in his hand labeled “Yihe Pharmacy” and quickly snatched it.

“Buying medicine? Are you feeling unwell?”

He moved too fast; Qiao Le hadn’t even reacted before the bag was taken.

“No”

Fang Jiaxu saw the two ointments inside, which looked all too familiar.

Because he had used them before.

Anti-swelling and anti-inflammatory ointments, wearing someone else’s clothes, and being dropped off in a luxury car.

Fang Jiaxu, having had a boyfriend before, connected the dots instantly.

If nothing had happened, he’d eat his hat!

He looked up at Qiao Le, his pupils shaking: “Did you sleep with “

Qiao Le swiftly covered his mouth: “Keep it down! Is this something to shout about?”

Fang Jiaxu mumbled incoherently, and Qiao Man, who had also been silenced by Qiao Le earlier, thought they were playing a game and covered his own mouth too: “Mmm!”

Qiao Le: “…”

Qiao Le sighed, releasing Fang Jiaxu: “Let’s eat breakfast first. We’ll talk when we get back. I actually need your help with something.”

Fang Jiaxu: “What breakfast? Let’s pack it up!”

The three of them took the breakfast back to Fang Jiaxu’s place.

Fang Jiaxu served Qiao Man his portion and sent him to eat in another room, leaving just him and Qiao Le.

He couldn’t resist asking who the person from earlier was.

He’d known Qiao Le for so long and didn’t recall him having such a friend.

“Shen Hechuan,” Qiao Le said.

“The guy I mistook for someone else at the West Coffee Shop last time.”

Fang Jiaxu remembered the incident vividly.

He had even speculated that the guy was interested in Qiao Le, but Qiao Le had firmly denied it.

And now?!

“You two…” Fang Jiaxu pointed at the ointments.

“Hmm?”

Qiao Le: “…It’s exactly what you’re thinking.”

“!!” Fang Jiaxu exclaimed, “I told you! I said he was into you, and you said no way! See? I was right!”

Shen Hechuan was into him?

No way.

Qiao Le only thought Shen Hechuan had helped him out of momentary pity and denied it again: “It’s not like that. It was just an accident. I was drugged “

“What?!” Fang Jiaxu shot up from his chair.

“Drugged?! What happened? Did he force you?!”

Seeing Fang Jiaxu ready to storm off and confront Shen Hechuan, Qiao Le quickly pulled him back down: “No, no! He helped me.”

Fang Jiaxu sat back down: “Helped you?”

Qiao Le recounted what had happened the previous night.

Fang Jiaxu exploded after hearing it, abandoning his breakfast and immediately calling a friend.

His friend, still half-asleep, was jolted awake by Fang Jiaxu’s scolding.

After hearing the story, he promised to handle it and assured Fang Jiaxu not to worry.

Fang Jiaxu cursed a few more times before hanging up.

He turned to Qiao Le, his gaze lingering on the clothes he was wearing.

Earlier, not knowing the full story, he had been in the mood to tease and gossip.

Now, all he felt was guilt.

He was the one who had introduced Qiao Le to the bar job.

He never expected something like this to happen.

If Shen Hechuan hadn’t been there, Qiao Le didn’t dare to think about who might have taken him away.

If anything had happened to Qiao Le, he would never have been able to forgive himself.

“It’s all my fault,” Fang Jiaxu looked at Qiao Le, his eyes filled with regret and guilt.

“If I hadn’t asked you to go over and help, this wouldn’t have happened to you. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely help you get revenge.”

Qiao Le hadn’t come to Fang Jiaxu to make him feel guilty.

It was just that he wasn’t familiar with the bar owner, and if he handled things himself, it was likely that a big issue would be minimized into a small one.

But if Fang Jiaxu stepped in, it would be different.

Besides, this incident wasn’t Fang Jiaxu’s fault.

Fang Jiaxu had introduced him to the job for his own good, not only giving him time off but also taking care of his younger brother for a few days.

“Why are you saying that?” Qiao Le punched his shoulder lightly.

“This isn’t something you could have predicted. Besides, I didn’t lose anything, it’s just “

It’s just that his butt was a bit sore, and his waist was a little achy.

After all, Qiao Le had no experience in relationships and was a complete novice when it came to matters of intimacy.

Even in front of his close friend, he couldn’t help but feel a bit awkward talking about it.

Fang Jiaxu, on the other hand, treated it as a completely ordinary matter.

Hearing Qiao Le’s words, he took over the conversation: “So, your butt hurts?”

Qiao Le: “…”

“Did it bleed?” Fang Jiaxu asked with concern.

“Is Shen Hechuan that bad at it?”

Was Shen Hechuan bad at it?

Probably not.

Qiao Le shook his head: “No bleeding, it’s just… I’m not used to it.”

Fang Jiaxu: “Well, that’s how it is the first time. You’ll get used to it after a few more times.”

A few more times?

Qiao Le thought about last night’s experience.

It definitely couldn’t have been just once.

From what he remembered, it was at least three times, and he didn’t even know if there were more after that he had already passed out.

“What are you thinking about?” Fang Jiaxu leaned closer.

“Why is your face so red?”

What was he thinking about?

Thinking about a man!

Qiao Le picked up his soy milk and took a big gulp.

The coolness of the soy milk slightly reduced the heat on his face, but then he heard Fang Jiaxu ask:

“Did you guys take safety measures last night?”

“Huh?” Qiao Le was stunned.

“Safety measures?”

“Yeah,” Fang Jiaxu asked, “Did he wear a condom?”

Did Shen Hechuan wear a condom?

Qiao Le tried to recall but realized he had no memory of it.

He had been completely out of it last night and hadn’t noticed whether Shen Hechuan had worn one.

Moreover, it was his first time, and if Fang Jiaxu hadn’t brought it up, he would have overlooked this issue.

Right, did Shen Hechuan wear a condom?!

Shen Hechuan might be a good person, but that doesn’t mean his “equipment” is good!

What if he had some health issues?!

The thought made Qiao Le uneasy.

It wasn’t that he wanted to speculate maliciously, but he had only met Shen Hechuan three times and had no idea about his background.

If there really was a problem, and something happened to him, what would happen to his younger brother?

Qiao Man was still so young-who would take care of him?

At this thought, Qiao Le lost his appetite for breakfast.

No, he had to confirm this.

He also needed to get checked.

He picked up his phone, opened WeChat, and sent a message to Shen Hechuan, whom he had just added that morning.

At that moment, Shen Hechuan had just finished listening to his secretary Judy’s work report and was signing off on a proposal.

After parting ways with Qiao Le, he went straight to the company.

Shen Hechuan handed the signed documents back to Judy, instructing her to prepare some gifts that children would like.

“Sure, Mr. Shen,” Judy asked, “How old is the child? Is it a boy or a girl?”

Shen Hechuan: “A boy, five years old, in kindergarten.”

He added after a pause, “He’s very cute.”

Judy had been working with Shen Hechuan for six years, and this was the first time she heard him describe someone as “cute.”

Naturally, she became curious: “Mr. Shen, is he a relative’s child?”

A relative’s child?

Indeed, there were children in his extended family around Qiao Man’s age, but Shen Hechuan had never paid attention to whether they were cute or not.

He wasn’t the type to interact much with children in the first place.

“No,” Shen Hechuan replied.

“He’s the younger brother of a friend.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone, which was placed nearby, lit up.

A new WeChat message popped up, and the sender was Qiao Le.

The message content was hidden by default, but Qiao Le had sent five messages in a row.

This surprised Shen Hechuan.

They had just parted ways that morning-why was Qiao Le suddenly sending so many messages?

Could it be that she needed help with something from last night?

Or was she feeling unwell?

Thinking this, Shen Hechuan said to Judy, “You can go ahead with your tasks.”

“Alright.”

After Judy left, Shen Hechuan opened Qiao Le’s messages.

[Qiao Le: [Health Certificate]]

[Qiao Le: [Medical Checkup Report]]

[Qiao Le: Mr. Shen, here are my health certificate and medical checkup report. The checkup was done just last week, and I’m in perfect health!]

[Qiao Le: I wasn’t entirely clear-headed last night, so I wanted to ask-did we take safety measures? [whispering emoji.jpg|]

[Qiao Le: Also… do you have a health certificate or a medical checkup report?]

Shen Hechuan: “…”

Well, he certainly has a strong sense of safety awareness.