A Beacon of Light

To avoid being photographed by the reporters lurking at the hospital’s main entrance late at night, Jiang Yan opted to take the elevator to the basement.Although his car was parked directly outside the hospital’s main entrance, he could simply have his driver pick him up.It was nearing three in the morning, and for asking someone to work at such an hour, Jiang Yan typically offered five times their usual compensation.

****

The driver, having received the call, promptly arrived at the hospital’s basement, where, from a distance, he spotted his young master leaning against someone in the glow of the headlights.

‘What on earth…?’

Having driven for the Jiang family for nearly a decade, the driver knew Jiang Yan rarely engaged in physical contact with unfamiliar individuals.Even when filming, Jiang Yan meticulously reviewed scripts for overly intimate scenes and had yet to shoot a single kissing scene.Such scenes were always either faked through camera angles or performed by a body double.For scenes requiring skin-to-skin contact, Jiang Yan invariably insisted on clever camera positioning and multiple camera angles, maintaining his principle of avoiding physical touch whenever possible.Consequently, he was utterly bewildered by the sight of the beautiful, pale-faced young boy in Jiang Yan’s arms, who appeared to be in considerable distress.

The driver’s attention was quickly drawn to Lin Yu’s face and his undeniable aura of melancholy.

“He looks quite ill; his complexion is so poor, yet he’s still so handsome.This child truly has a gift for growing up beautifully,” the driver mused admiringly, pulling the car to a stop beside Jiang Yan.

“Mr. Jiang, who is he?” Although Jiang Yan occasionally acted, those outside the entertainment industry always addressed him as Mr. Jiang, given his responsibilities managing the Jiang Corporation.His acting endeavors were merely a pastime, a few months taken off for a relaxing holiday.

“I don’t know him,” Jiang Yan replied succinctly.

The driver was astonished; to embrace someone so tightly despite not knowing them was baffling, yet he dared not inquire further, simply opening the car door.

Lin Yu, however, did not get into the car.Jiang Yan gently pulled him, but after taking a step forward, Lin Yu recoiled.

He softly shook his head, uttering a faint, weary but clearly articulated “Thank you.” He continued, “I’ll repay you.Could you give me your contact information?I’ll pay you back little by little once I earn the money.”

Jiang Yan: ‘?’

“Who said anything about you repaying me?Get in the car; I’m taking you to the hospital for treatment.”

“I’m fine,” Lin Yu insisted, shaking his head.

How could he possibly impose on Jiang Yan further?

They were strangers, with no ties, meeting only by chance.

Having met his idol even once in this lifetime was already more than he could have ever hoped for.

Jiang Yan was truly a good person; his admiration had not been misplaced.Such an idol was a beacon of light.

Lin Yu’s current resolve was to first work diligently to earn money, repaying the hospital fees Jiang Yan had covered, and only then would he consider taking his own life.

He could not depart this world burdened by debt.

“You’re fine?” Jiang Yan questioned, his voice laced with alarm at the severity of Lin Yu’s condition.He touched Lin Yu’s forehead.”You’re frighteningly cold, and so are your hands.You absolutely must go to the hospital.”

“I can’t go…” Lin Yu had no money and dreaded accumulating more debt.

“You must go,” Jiang Yan stated, his tone gentle but his resolve firm, as he reached out to take Lin Yu’s arm.

Lin Yu flinched backward, then a wave of dizziness swept over him, his vision darkening to a shower of golden sparks.A surge of nausea and discomfort welled up, and his body felt as though it were floating.

He could no longer hear anything.

Jiang Yan quickly caught him.

****

On Funing Bridge, he had witnessed Lin Yu collapse in precisely the same manner.

At the time, he had been reviewing his lines at the other end of the bridge, having already noticed the strikingly handsome boy clad only in a thin, worn white sweater on that cold late autumn night.

He had even entertained the thought that with such exceptional looks, even a cameo or a minor role in one of his films would undoubtedly make him an overnight sensation.

Just as he was about to inquire if the boy had any interest, he saw the child steady himself on the railing and prepare to leap over.

That sight had startled Jiang Yan, who, disregarding the passing traffic, threw his script aside and sprinted toward him.

Yet, before he could reach him, the boy had softly fallen backward.

Fortunately, he didn’t collapse instantly; he seemed to retain some consciousness, first sinking to the ground with a pained expression, then clutching his chest and groaning softly in discomfort, before finally losing consciousness entirely.

Jiang Yan swiftly transported him to a nearby hospital.

After admitting him, the doctor performed a brief diagnosis and sent him directly to the emergency room.Jiang Yan, unsure of the boy’s ailment or his own motivations, simply stayed.

Ultimately, he still believed that such a beautiful boy was destined for the big screen and would undoubtedly captivate audiences.

Therefore, he decided to wait.

The boy possessed an ethereal, pure aura, a clarity Jiang Yan had never encountered before.

He quite liked that feeling.

However, what he witnessed next were the deplorable actions of that scoundrel, Cai Xinyu.

For some inexplicable reason, Jiang Yan felt a protective, paternal instinct surge within him.

Recalling this, he instinctively asked the somewhat disoriented boy, “You’re 21 this year, aren’t you?”

At the time, he hadn’t clearly heard what Lin Yu was muttering to himself; he had merely guessed from the side view of his lips that he was likely 21 and that it was his birthday.

‘What a miserable birthday.’

****

Lin Yu could hear nothing but a persistent buzzing in his ears; he felt terribly unwell.

Jiang Yan directly scooped him into the car, telling the driver, “Brother Zhang, thank you for your trouble.Please take us to Chengan Medical Center, one of Jiang Corporation’s facilities.”

“Right away,” the driver affirmed, closing the door.

Lin Yu, dizzy and nauseous, had damp tear stains at the corners of his eyes, and he indistinctly mumbled, “Grandma… it hurts so much…”

‘Xiaoyu, are you sleepy again?Grandma made you red bean soup to replenish your blood; drink two more bowls.’

‘Grandma… it’s so sweet.Can you not add sugar?’

‘If I don’t add sugar, the red beans will taste bitter when fully cooked.’ Grandma’s rough, calloused hands gently stroked Lin Yu’s head as she kindly coaxed him, ‘Drink it, child, or you’ll faint again.Grandma has no money for tonics, so I can only plant more red beans.I know you’ve had enough, but it’s Grandma’s fault for not being able to earn money…’

“Grandma, I finished it!It’s super delicious!” Lin Yu dutifully drank the red bean soup he had long since grown tired of, his actions soothing his grandmother’s self-reproach.

“Grandma, I’m not going to school anymore.I’m going to work and earn money to support you.” Thirteen-year-old Lin Yu, with his clear, bright eyes, flexed his small arm, showing off a hint of muscle.”I can go work at the construction site with Second Grandpa from the village!”

“Nonsense!Xiaoyu, you’re so good at studying; how can you not go to school?Only by studying can you earn big money!” Lin Yu’s grandmother feigned anger.”Grandma is still waiting for you to get into a prestigious university and bring honor to our ancestors!”

But no sooner had Grandma finished speaking than she clutched her heart and collapsed.Then, flames erupted all over her body, growing larger and larger, quickly reducing her to ashes.

“Grandma!”

****

Lin Yu awoke with a jolt, abruptly springing up from the bed, only to be met by a wave of dizziness.

“What’s wrong?Did you have a nightmare?”

A gentle, middle-aged voice reached him.

Lin Yu forced his eyes open, seeing a kind-faced doctor with black-rimmed glasses, whose brow was slightly furrowed with concern.

Realizing he had been dreaming, Lin Yu hastily wiped away the tear stains from his face.

“This is… a hospital?” he finally registered, feeling incredibly uneasy.He threw back the covers and got out of bed, acutely aware that he had no money for medical bills.

This ward appeared far more luxurious than Cai Xinyu’s workplace; it must cost a fortune.

Unable to find his own shoes and not wearing the hospital’s specialized slippers, Lin Yu sprinted barefoot toward the door.

The moment he opened it, he collided directly with Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan steadied him, gently asking, “Where are you going?”

“Home…” He wanted to say ‘home,’ but his home had long since vanished.

Lin Yu’s words caught in his throat, his eyes reddening, yet he stubbornly held back his tears.

“Go back to bed.” Jiang Yan noticed the doctor pushing an IV stand.Fortunately, the doctor was quick-witted; otherwise, with such a reckless child, the IV tube would have been torn out, and the needle might even have broken off in his hand.

Lin Yu now seemed to realize he had caused trouble for others.Feeling deeply apologetic, he murmured an apology to the doctor and reached to pull out the IV needle.

“Lin Yu,” Jiang Yan interjected, stopping him.”Don’t be disobedient.”

Lin Yu looked up at him, meeting a gaze that was gentle yet brooked no refusal, and for a moment, he felt a sense of disorientation.

Sunlight from the corridor outside faintly cast its glow from behind Jiang Yan, dappled with the shadows of leaves.The crisp chirping of sparrows punctuated the air, and an occasional cool breeze brushed against his still-hazy mind.

“You…” He felt that everything before him, everything he had experienced, was utterly surreal.”Are you really Jiang Yan?”

“Hmm…” Jiang Yan pondered for a moment before asking him, “What, am I not as handsome as I appear on screen?Am I a disappointment?”

Lin Yu hadn’t expected such a humorous reply; he paused, then scrutinized Jiang Yan thoroughly once more.

He was truly flawless, even more captivating than he appeared on the big screen.

Yet, Lin Yu remained silent.

He had once fantasized that if he ever had the chance to visit Jiang Yan on set, he would leap with excitement, perhaps even cry tears of joy.

Yet now, with Jiang Yan right before him, he found his heart to be remarkably calm.This profound sense of tranquility emanated from Jiang Yan himself.

Jiang Yan instilled in Lin Yu an extraordinary sense of security, as if this stranger had erected an impenetrable fortress of bronze walls around him, allowing him to relax, to cease living in constant trepidation.

“I… I’ll write you an IOU; I promise I’ll repay you.Please don’t let me incur any more debt; I… I fear I might never be able to repay you in this lifetime.” Lin Yu remained insistent on leaving.He turned to glance at the pen in the doctor’s pocket, carefully asking, “Could I borrow a piece of paper?”

The doctor looked around, finding no paper in the ward, and casually asked, “Do you need to use the restroom?”

Lin Yu shook his head.”I want to write down Jiang Yan’s phone number so I can contact him when I have money.But I might be quite annoying, paying back little by little, because I’m afraid I won’t save it up, so I’ll call you often.”

His head remained bowed, fingers tightly clasped, his face a picture of acute embarrassment.

Jiang Yan gazed at the slender, delicate, yet beautiful boy before him, feeling a pang of deep sympathy.

Doctor: ‘?’

He said, “You can just use your phone to note it down.”

Lin Yu grew even more reserved, shaking his head, his voice growing softer.”I don’t have a phone.I’ll buy a cheap one once I go out and earn some money.”

“No phone?” The doctor was utterly bewildered.’Does anyone still not have a phone these days?’

“Go back to bed for now,” Jiang Yan interjected, breaking the awkward silence.”Once you finish this IV drip, I’ll write you an IOU.”

Lin Yu, however, stood his ground stubbornly.

“You’ve already used this medicine, and the money has already been spent.Finishing the drip won’t change the cost,” Jiang Yan reasoned, his words carrying undeniable logic.Lin Yu seemed to accept this, slowly turning and lying back down on the hospital bed.

“Such a good boy.” Jiang Yan found his obedience heartbreaking.

He couldn’t imagine what kind of oppressive life Lin Yu had endured with Cai Xinyu, to the point of not even being allowed a phone.

An unwarranted surge of anger flared within him.