Chapter 100 Courtesy Before Force

Song Jingmo carried Lu Er on his back, walking steadily toward his parking spot.

Lu Er’s arms wrapped tightly around his neck, his cheek pressed against the warm nape, feeling that reassuring body heat and steady heartbeat.

Occasionally, medical staff finishing their night shifts would catch sight of them and couldn’t help but throw curious yet friendly glances.

Lu Er, realizing it a little late, felt shy and buried his flushed face deeper into Song Jingmo’s neck.

He murmured softly, “Put me down… so many people are watching. You carrying me like this… it’s embarrassing…”

Song Jingmo said, “Carrying my own wife—what’s embarrassing about that?”

He tilted his head and brushed his cheek against Lu Er’s soft, fluffy hair. “Don’t overthink it. Just hold on tight.”

Hearing the word “wife” made Lu Er’s face flush all the way to his ears.

That tiny bit of embarrassment instantly transformed into overwhelming sweetness. He obediently whispered, “Mm,” and hugged him even tighter.

After walking a bit, Lu Er’s muffled voice sounded again: “Do people at the hospital gossip about you a lot? I keep hearing all those messy rumors from Ye Qingge…”

The more he thought about it, the guiltier he felt. His voice dropped. “I’ll try not to do so many variety shows in the future, but as long as I’m in this circle… it seems hard to completely avoid…”

“Stop overthinking. People from other departments don’t know you; it’s normal if they gossip. My colleagues in Orthopedics are all on our side.”

“From the moment I decided to be with you, I considered all of this.”

“I chose you, which includes everything about you—the good, and these so-called troubles.”

Recently, several nurses in Orthopedics had been explaining things on Lu Er’s behalf.

Song Jingmo never mentioned Liao Xubai’s petty provocations; he didn’t want Lu Er to worry about such trivial matters.

Little did he know, Lu Er had already learned from Leng Keyan about the criticisms and stares Song Jingmo had endured because of him.

Thinking that Song Jingmo had suffered like this on his account made Lu Er’s heart ache with a mix of worry and guilt.

By the time they reached the car, Song Jingmo had just set Lu Er down.

Before he could even stand steadily, Lu Er stood on tiptoe, wrapped his arms around his neck, and kissed him without a word.

The kiss was full of longing, unspoken sorrow, and apology.

He kissed with urgency, even a touch of fierceness, as if trying to make up for all the days they had been apart.

Song Jingmo was slightly stunned but quickly responded.

One hand snaked around his waist, pressing him against the car door, while the other cupped the back of his head, deepening the kiss.

In the empty parking lot, only their hurried breaths and the intimate sounds of lips meeting filled the air.

It wasn’t until both were panting that Lu Er pulled back slightly. Forehead against his, eyes glistening with moisture, he whispered huskily, seductive yet tender: “Song Jingmo… let’s go home…”

Song Jingmo’s eyes darkened with restrained desire. He lowly hummed, opened the car door, and gently guided him into the passenger seat.

He went around to the driver’s side, started the engine, and the high-performance SUV shot out of the hospital like an arrow.

Back home, Lu Er’s last bit of energy finally gave out.

Song Jingmo watched him sway in exhaustion, feeling both tender and amused.

He carried him to the bathroom, carefully washed him, wrapped him in a large towel, and brought him to bed.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Lu Er fell into a deep, even sleep.

Song Jingmo looked at his peaceful face, pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, and then held him in his arms, falling asleep together.

The next morning, Lu Er was awakened by sunlight streaming through the curtains.

The space beside him was empty, carrying only Song Jingmo’s lingering scent. Stretching, he felt most of his fatigue melt away.

Walking to the dining room, he found milk and sandwiches on the table.

After enjoying the breakfast, he immediately called Bai Zhi: “Bai Zhi, send all the gifts I bought in Washington to the hospital.”

Over an hour later, Bai Zhi arrived in a spacious minivan, packed with luxury gift bags, and pulled up at the Orthopedics building.

Lu Er and Bai Zhi carried the elegantly packaged bags, logo prominently displayed, into the department one by one.

Medical staff passing by were stunned by the spectacle. Seeing those bags from top-tier luxury brands, their eyes widened.

Whispering among themselves, their envy barely concealed:

“Oh my god, that’s Lu Er! Is he handing out gifts to Orthopedics?”

“This is insane. That bag must be expensive!”

“I’m so jealous… why am I not in Orthopedics?”

“Song Jingmo’s boyfriend is a total jackpot!”

“That skincare set alone must cost five figures!”

Lu Er personally placed each gift on the desks of the staff in Orthopedics, including interns.

“A small token of thanks for taking care of Song Jingmo, and for trusting me.”

The ladies received top-tier skincare products endorsed by Lu Er, and the men got carefully chosen perfumes and tie gift sets.

The entire Orthopedics department was filled with festive joy; everyone’s fondness for Lu Er skyrocketed.

“Oh my god! That’s the skincare set I didn’t want to spend on!”

“This perfume is limited edition!”

“This aromatherapy set is so high-end, with matching essential oils!”

“Lu Er is handsome, rich, and thoughtful! Song Jingmo is insanely lucky!”

Lu Er then headed straight to Liao Xubai’s office.

Knocking on the door, Liao Xubai’s cold voice came from inside: “Come in.”

Pushing open the door, Lu Er made Liao Xubai pause in surprise: “Are you here to flaunt how strong my relationship with Jingmo is, or to warn me not to meddle again?”

Lu Er’s expression was calm, not provocative at all.

Placing the gift box on Liao Xubai’s desk, he said sincerely, “Dr. Liao, I’m not here to provoke. I’m here to thank you.”

Liao Xubai frowned, confused.

“Thank you for taking care of Jingmo during his six years abroad, especially during his depression, for being there through his hardest times.”

“I know you don’t like me. But because you helped Jingmo, I can overlook what you did before.”

Lu Er’s gaze was clear, his tone honest: “This is a small token of my appreciation, hoping to turn swords into plowshares. After all, we all want Jingmo to be well, right?”

Liao Xubai looked at the Rolex on the desk and then at Lu Er’s sincere face, momentarily speechless.

This completely unconventional approach caught him off guard, stirring complex emotions.

At that moment, Song Jingmo entered the office, likely worried after hearing Lu Er had come to see Liao Xubai.

Seeing the Rolex gift box on the desk and the expressions of Lu Er and Liao Xubai, he frowned slightly. “Er Er?”

Lu Er immediately smiled brightly, walked over, and naturally held Song Jingmo’s hand.

“To Dr. Liao, please accept this gift. It’s a small token of my appreciation. Jingmo and I won’t disturb you any further.”

With that, he led Song Jingmo out of the office.

Liao Xubai remained, staring at the Rolex and his own complicated feelings, speechless.

Song Jingmo whispered, “Isn’t he a bit stingy? Why such an expensive gift?”

Even without knowing much about luxury goods, he knew that watch alone was worth at least a few million.

With seventy to eighty people in Orthopedics, the gifts easily totaled over a million.

“Because he helped you. Anyone who has helped you or treated you well, I’m grateful. As for his previous little tricks…”

Lu Er smirked a little mischievously, “I’m generous, I won’t stoop to his level. And this is called courtesy before force. If he dares to stir trouble again, I won’t be so polite next time.”

“As for your colleagues, receiving gifts will definitely make them even more firmly on our side!”

Song Jingmo looked at Lu Er’s mix of protectiveness and playful calculation, unable to resist running his hand through his soft hair, his eyes full of uncontainable tenderness.