IMGH Chapter 32

Aftereffects of Disconnection

Jiang Yi felt aching and drained all over. He shifted slightly to stretch his muscles, but the fatigue didn’t ease. He rubbed his face and forced himself to stay alert. When he looked up, he found Han Yuancheng watching him with a calm expression. He knew that Qiu Rui must have already told him everything from beginning to end.

Understanding the situation, Jiang Yi smiled faintly. “Since Mr. Han already knows everything, how shall we proceed with our cooperation?”

Han Yuancheng studied Jiang Yi for a moment before saying, “I’ll need to discuss this with the CEO when I get back. Ryan, we’ll be in touch.”

Han Yuancheng’s gaze shifted slightly to the side where Qiu Rui stood, his eyes warm and reluctant. Jiang Yi knew he was speaking to Qiu Rui, and the feeling in his chest grew even more unsettled.

What did Rui’er tell him? Their relationship really is something else. Jiang Yi couldn’t help himself — his mind began to wander into troubled territory.

Han Yuancheng took his leave, and Jiang Yi gave a distracted, mumbled response.

The exhaustion that weighed on his body, the stuffiness pressing down on his heart — his whole being felt deflated and listless.

Qiu Rui noticed Jiang Yi sitting in silence and glanced over. He looked pale, and something seemed off about him. Qiu Rui wanted to ask, and words of concern were already forming on his lips — but then he remembered that man’s ridiculous, wandering thoughts. His cheeks flushed faintly, and the gaze he fixed on Jiang Yi sharpened into something pointed.

Jiang Yi rubbed the back of his neck — it had gone cold.

He turned his head and found Qiu Rui staring him down. Jiang Yi broke into a sheepish grin. “Rui’er, why did you just cut me off without a word!”

Qiu Rui glared at him fiercely and let out a cold snort. “Idiot.”

Jiang Yi felt wronged. He hadn’t done anything — how was he already being despised by his Rui’er again?

He drooped his head and followed Qiu Rui out of the café. As they walked home, Jiang Yi felt as though his legs had been filled with lead.

The morning had been bright and sunny when they set out, but now the sky was thick with dark clouds. Before long, raindrops came pelting down onto the pavement.

The rain quickly grew heavy. Jiang Yi, afraid the water might reach Qiu Rui, held the small umbrella almost entirely over him.

The rain was too heavy, and there were no taxis to be caught on the road. It was the first time Jiang Yi had regretted selling his car.

As they walked, Jiang Yi kept checking on Qiu Rui. “Rui’er, did the rain get on you?”

“Rui’er, are you cold?”

“Rui’er, just hold on a little longer — we’re almost home!”

Qiu Rui cast him a cold sideways glance. “Why are you so insufferable?”

Jiang Yi scratched his rain-dampened black hair, laughing awkwardly. “I was worried the rain would make you feel unwell!”

“Have you ever seen a ghost catch anything from getting rained on?”

Qiu Rui’s tone was icy. Jiang Yi touched his nose and, figuring Qiu Rui was probably in a bad mood, didn’t dare say anything more.

When they got home, Jiang Yi immediately felt a chill run through his body. He began sneezing repeatedly.

Probably caught a cold from the rain, he thought.

He dragged his heavy body to the bathroom for a hot shower, but when he came out, he felt even worse — a pounding headache had set in, and he slumped onto the sofa, unwilling to move even an inch.

Qiu Rui stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, watching the fine curtain of rain outside. Earlier that day, he had learned from Han Yuancheng that his physical body lay in the Qiu family estate like a man in a vegetative state, and that countless doctors had been consulted, all to no avail. Qiu Chen had already begun making his moves, and in just a few days he would be convening a board of directors meeting to elect a new chairman.

If a way to return his soul to his body wasn’t found in time, Qiu Chen would truly succeed.

Qiu Rui felt quietly desperate but had no solution. He could only hope that the plan would go smoothly — that Han Yuancheng would be able to stall Qiu Chen in the meantime and soon find someone with the power to undo the soul-trapping spell.

His mind turned these thoughts over, and gradually he became aware that something about the atmosphere felt wrong.

It was too quiet.

Every day, that infuriating voice of Jiang Yi’s seemed to ring constantly in his ears — even at mealtimes, that man’s mouth never stopped.

So what was going on today?

Qiu Rui turned his head curiously and found that Jiang Yi had fallen asleep slumped over the sofa.

Why is he sleeping on the sofa?

Qiu Rui pressed his lips together. He told himself not to bother getting involved — and yet he drifted over without quite meaning to.

Standing before Jiang Yi, Qiu Rui could see that something was wrong.

Jiang Yi’s face was drained of all colors, white as chalk. Though he was asleep, his entire body was trembling faintly.

Could he really have gotten sick from the rain?

On instinct, Qiu Rui reached out a hand — then snatched it back just as quickly.

Why should I bother? That idiot might as well drop dead.

Qiu Rui turned away indignantly and went back to stand by the floor-to-ceiling window.

His eyes faced the window, but his thoughts had drifted somewhere he couldn’t quite place.

Time passed slowly. Jiang Yi showed no sign of waking.

Somehow, without realising it, Qiu Rui had moved from beside the bed to Jiang Yi’s side.

His eyes held a tension he hadn’t even noticed in himself. He stared unblinking at Jiang Yi, and only when he confirmed that the man’s breathing was still steady did Qiu Rui allow himself to let out the faintest breath of relief.