Substitute Bride to the Crippled Billionaire

Chapter 174: Chapter 174: Accompaniment

"Huh?" Su Qinnuan looked puzzled.

Seeing her standing there without moving, Fu Yihan raised an eyebrow: "Not sitting?"

"..."

Under Fu Yihan’s pointed gaze, Su Qinnuan slowly sat down.

Awkwardly taking the chopsticks, Su Qinnuan couldn’t help but keep observing Fu Yihan’s expression.

Luckily, he didn’t show any noticeable reaction on the surface.

Just as Su Qinnuan hesitated about whether or not to pick up some food, a piece of rib was placed into her bowl.

Startled, she looked up in shock, staring blankly at Fu Yihan.

Fu Yihan frowned: "Eat."

"...Alright."

The room fell quiet, with only the sound of utensils gently colliding echoing through the air.

At first, Su Qinnuan was still a bit uneasy, but as she noticed the person in front of her not paying her much mind, she gradually relaxed.

In truth, halfway through the meal, Fu Yihan had already stopped eating.

But he didn’t set down his chopsticks; instead, he leisurely picked at the dishes, gazing at the person across from him who was eating with such focus.

When Su Qinnuan ate, she always gave off a sense of pure satisfaction.

Just watching her eat could stimulate one’s own appetite.

It wasn’t until Su Qinnuan sensed the slowness of the movements across the table that she realized something was off and looked up questioningly.

"Mr. Fu?" Su Qinnuan paused for a moment. "You’re not eating anymore?"

"Not anymore." Fu Yihan set down his chopsticks and glanced at the food left in her bowl. "Finish your food. No wasting."

"...Alright."

Lowering her head, Su Qinnuan continued eating, all the while wondering, since when had Fu Yihan become so frugal?

After letting her thoughts drift for a bit and finishing her food, she set down her chopsticks. "I’m done eating."

"Mm."

Fu Yihan adjusted his wheelchair and said, "Let’s go out for a walk to digest."

"Now?" Su Qinnuan got up and asked hesitantly, "But isn’t everyone else already asleep?"

"Keep your voice down, we won’t wake them."

"...Alright."

Lightly and carefully, Su Qinnuan pushed Fu Yihan outside. Only when they exited the villa did the breath she’d been holding release.

The night outside was pitch black, with only a few streetlights faintly illuminating the path.

The household servants had all gone to rest, so naturally, nobody had left any lights on for them.

Pushing Fu Yihan forward, Su Qinnuan walked through the shifting shadows of the trees surrounding them.

As the night breeze brushed past, Su Qinnuan couldn’t help but quicken her steps slightly.

In this still of night, any slight movement she made was instantly noticed by Fu Yihan.

He glanced back at her and asked, "Cold?"

Su Qinnuan paused momentarily, then shook her head. "Not really."

In the late autumn night, with only jackets on, it was naturally chilly.

Turning his gaze back to the front, Fu Yihan said, "Walk a few more steps, and we’ll head back."

"Huh?"

They had only just come out; going back so soon seemed like it would undermine the purpose of the walk.

As they approached the flat garden area ahead, Su Qinnuan suddenly suggested, "Mr. Fu, since you’re sitting, it might not help much with digestion. Would you like to try standing and walking a bit?"

"..."

The man in the wheelchair fell silent all of a sudden.

Su Qinnuan leaned forward to check on him, but his expression was shrouded in shadows, making it hard to discern.

"Mr. Fu?" she called out cautiously.

Fu Yihan abruptly turned his head, his dark, shiny eyes devoid of any emotion as he stared at Su Qinnuan. "Do you think I can stand up?" noveldrama

"..."

Lowering her gaze, Su Qinnuan fixated on his knees, her voice soft as she replied, "Of course you can stand. Didn’t you use crutches to stand before? Even though you don’t have them now, I can be your crutch!"

With that, she patted her own shoulder and looked at Fu Yihan with anticipation.

There was depth in Fu Yihan’s eyes, his gaze quietly fixed on her.

In the dark of night, she couldn’t make out what lay in his expression. But his tightly pressed lips told her that Fu Yihan might not be as pleased as she had imagined.

"...Mr. Fu..." Su Qinnuan hesitated. "If you really don’t want to, I can just..."

"Help me up."

Fu Yihan interrupted her and extended his hand.

"Alright!"

Su Qinnuan locked the wheelchair in place and moved to his side, her shoulder leaning close to him.

"Hold onto my shoulder. Don’t worry about anything else, just focus on standing."

Facing away from Fu Yihan, she couldn’t see his expression.

Behind her, there was no movement for a long time. Just as she was about to turn her head to check, a force was suddenly applied to her shoulder.

Looking sideways, Su Qinnuan noticed his pale fingers resting on her black jacket, their contrast strikingly sharp.

Feeling the slight pressure on her shoulder, Su Qinnuan smiled faintly. "Mr. Fu, you can do it. Keep pushing!"

"Hmph—"

A cold grunt escaped him, and the force on her shoulder increased.

Su Qinnuan steadied herself, silently waiting for the person behind her to stand up.

However, the pressure on her shoulder merely hung there without any upward momentum.

Heavy breathing reached her ears, and Su Qinnuan could sense Fu Yihan’s growing frustration.

"Mr. Fu, no need to rush. Gather your strength first, then use it to stand."

The force stilled momentarily before resuming, this time with a larger motion. Before Su Qinnuan could fully react, he leaned his entire weight forward.

Quickly, Su Qinnuan grabbed onto his hand, supporting half of his body’s weight.

"Mr. Fu, can you move?" she asked softly while observing his legs.

Fu Yihan didn’t immediately reply. He stared down at his legs for a long moment before murmuring, "Let’s try."

Nodding, Su Qinnuan helped support him, slowly taking a step forward.

Following her guidance, Fu Yihan also shifted his foot forward, dragging it along.

Though his leg was weak and limp, it still managed to rest steadily on the ground.

Seeing his foot firmly planted, Su Qinnuan smiled. "Mr. Fu, you’re standing."

Sweat had gathered on Fu Yihan’s forehead, and his eyes were slightly reddened.

Glancing briefly at Su Qinnuan, he mumbled, "It’s useless. I can’t feel the strength in my legs."

"That’s okay," Su Qinnuan encouraged him, her face bright with a smile. "We’ll take it slow. You’ll definitely be able to stand fully."

Her cheerful smile radiated hope, her eyes sparkling as if the future was within reach.

Fu Yihan stared at her, momentarily dazed.

"I think that medicine is working. Maybe if I improve it a little, it’ll yield unexpected results," Su Qinnuan said, her smile growing brighter. She turned to Fu Yihan, seeming to seek his affirmation. However, Fu Yihan continued to gaze at her, lost in thought.

"Mr. Fu?" she called out uncertainly.

"Ah?" He snapped out of his daze and lowered his head. "I can’t move anymore."

"That’s okay," Su Qinnuan reassured him, gently helping him sit back down. "The fact that you could stand is already a big step forward. We can try again next time."

"Mm..."

Though the goal of walking had not been achieved, being able to stand was undoubtedly the first success along the way.