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Recovery was a pain.
But the problem was, he couldn’t let people know it was a pain.
Xie Yuchen could not afford showing weakness to people - it was a lesson he learnt very early in his life, in a very harsh way, and he knew that showing weakness was something he would not get away with.
But still, being a tomb raider meant people knew there were occupational hazards. People weren’t batting an eyelash when he was taken to the hospital, and even went overseas for treatment.
Hua-ye needed the best treatment possible. It just made sense.
People were waiting, holding their breath - he was sure some of them were waiting for news about Xie Yuchen’s passing.
That did not happen.
Obviously.
But it still didn’t mean he could afford to show weakness.
Recovery period was… a struggle.
He was used to hiding his struggles, but it was way harder when he had a physical pain to cover up.
So even when he had to spend some more time in the hospital after returning from the states, he’d sit down, have his man bring his computer and phones in, so he’d be able to keep an eye out on the business.
Zhai Xingyao helped a lot while he was overseas, but he didn’t want the uncles to get some ideas again, after all.
So, he had to stay on top of things, while trying to struggle with being on painkillers. Not ideal, but he couldn’t ask for help from outsiders - Zhai Xingyao was still hovering around him, and Jia Sha was always present, especially since he returned. But they were family - that helped a lot.
He couldn’t ask help from people outside of the Xie family now.
Wu Xie and Huo Xiuxiu were both wrecks, although in different ways.
They were both grieving, and both had to deal with getting their hands on the family business - but Wu Xie still had his second uncle to help from behind the scenes, as usual, while Xiuxiu was left alone to the wolves that was her family.
Wu Xie still came to visit him, and he looked like hell - so even if Xie Yuchen would have needed help from him, he wasn’t going to ask for it. No way.
He wasn’t going to ask help from Huo Xiuxiu either, just like she wasn’t asking help from him - both of them knew quite well that unless they sort their situation out, they are going to struggle.
They had to make their families independent. If the Huos would see Xiuxiu depending on a man, they would try to push her out of power, just like it’d happen to Xie Yuchen as well, if the family would see him depend on another Jiumen family.
They all had their own battles to fight.
But it didn’t mean Xiuxiu was willing to stay away from Xie Yuchen whatsoever.
It was always like that, actually.
Xiuxiu was a constant in his life.
She was always there, she related to her struggles more than most people did - maybe Wu Xie could also relate to them, in some way, but he was always somewhat distant from them. He didn’t grow up in this life the same way Xie Yuchen and Xiuxiu did, the Wu family did their best to shield Wu Xie from this life that he fell into either way.
But that was a different story altogether.
Even after Xie Yuchen returned from the States, it was mostly Xiuxiu.
It was always Xiuxiu.
“How is the family handling you taking over?”
“They don’t have much choice, at least for now,” Xiuxiu shrugged. “I didn’t really take over to begin with. Grandma left everything for me. They cannot yet contest it. I’m sure they’ll try it further down the line.”
Xie Yuchen nodded - it was the same with him, really. Back when he had to take over the family, there had been some feeble attempts, claiming that he was way too young - but it wasn’t until later when the family members thought they could collect reasonable doubt against him, that they tried again.
He had no doubt the Huo family would try again.
He was aware some of Granny Huo’s descendants came back to China, claiming that they only came for the funeral - and then didn’t leave.
Both he and Xiuxiu had known they were watching like hawks for any mistakes.
And of course there was that one thing - something that Xie Yuchen’s family members used against him, and they both were aware that the Huo family would try to use against Xiuxiu as well.
You claim to be the way you are just because you want to lead the family.
It was nonsense, obviously. Even if Xie Yuchen would not be a man, he would have probably had to take over the family as well. And if Granny Huo would not have agreed that Xiuxiu was indeed a woman, she would not have appointed her as the heir. To attack that point would mean the family would attack Granny Huo’s judgment, and for now, nobody dared to do that.
So they could take a deep breath.
For now.
Just a bit.
They couldn’t lower their guards, but they could get a little breathing room, and to slowly prepare for when the family members would strike again.
They knew they could rely on each other, but they also knew that they should not.
They trusted each other, but people should not know that.
Trust was not something Xie Yuchen gave freely, and it greatly depended on who he was talking about. He would trust Zhai Xingyao to have his back, and Jia Sha to give his life for him if it would have been needed. But there were definitely things he could not trust them with.
Unconditional trust was not somehing he could just give to anyone freely.
He didn’t want to think about Wu Xie, and what did it mean how quickly he inserted himself back into Xie Yuchen’s life and how quickly he grabbed his trust - he didn’t understand how could Wu Xie trust people like Zhang Qiling or Wang Pangzi, but if nothing else, Xie Yuchen knew he could trust them with Wu Xie.
Except they weren’t here, not anymore, and whenever Wu Xie visited him, his eyes were glazed over.
A lonely Wu Xie was a frightening being, and Xie Yuchen had a feeling he had seen nothing of it yet.
Wu Xie had his trust when they were children, and when he came back, Xie Yuchen tried to keep his distance, but was unable to. He was back in his life now, and Xie Yuchen was determined not to let him slip away again.
On the other hand, Huo Xiuxiu never lost Xie Yuchen’s trust, she never left Xie Yuchen.
She was there.
She was a constant.
Xiuxiu always had her trust, Wu Xie quickly got it back, but he didn’t quite think there’d be someone who’d earn his trust quickly. Not at this stage of his life.
And yet.
“Guess who came by my house today.”
“Annoying relatives?”
“No. Well, yes. But that is not the point. But the annoying part is still correct.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down.”
“The one and only - Hei-ye.”
Oh.
Well, that was a person who definitely earned being called annoying.
“What did he want? Money?”
Xiuxiu hummed, shrugging.
“Probably. He kept whining about being out of a job and struggling, but I refused to understand his hints. So he’ll probably try with you in a few days.”
“Fantastic,” Xie Yuchen muttered, scrolling through his phone. “I already have my hands full with the business. I don’t need a leech to pester me as well.”
Xiuxiu laughed, putting her head on Xie Yuchen’s shoulder.
“So maybe you could… hire him so your hands would be less full?”
“And trust him with anything in the business? No thanks.”
Truth is, when Hei Xiazi indeed appeared in his bedroom, munching on some grapes he no doubt stole from the kitchen, there was a part of Xie Yuchen that was relieved to see him.
Xiuxiu was a constant in his life, but the only constant that Hei Xiazi was, that he would be constantly gone.
“How’s the leg, Hua’er-ye?”
…and of course another constant was that Hei Xiazi had the tact of a gunshot to the face.
“The leg is fine.”
It was a lie. Obviously.
And there was no way Hei Xiazi didn’t notice the way he shifted his leg when he sat down.
“You know, you can always use a cane.”
“And you could always use a white cane or a seeing eye dog. But neither of us does, I wonder why.”
He didn’t want his voice to be that harsh, but in the end, he just sighed, leaning back.
And Xiazi walked closer, sitting down next to him, and Xie Yuchen allowed Xiazi to pull his leg into his lap - taking off his shoe, and his hands gently applying pressure.
Maybe his damn massage business wasn’t a total scam.
“You know, you need to ease up your leg somehow, otherwise you’ll end up back in the hospital.”
“Probably. Xiuxiu said the same.”
“She is right,” Xiazi said cheerfully. “Trust me. I’m a doctor.”
“No you aren’t.”
“I’m almost one! Took a bunch of classes,” Xiazi tilted his head forward, humming under his breath as his fingers were still loosening the tension in Xie Yuchen’s muscles.
The door opened, and Xie Yuchen tensed again, and tried to pull his leg away - but Xiazi didn’t let him.
The person who walked in was Xiuxiu, who just walked in like she had been invited, and even grabbed the grapes that Xiazi left behind on the table.
“I was just telling Hua’er how you are right. He needs to ease up the tension in his legs.”
Xiazi’s voice was cheerful still, and Xiuxiu sat down on the other end of the couch, pressing herself to Xie Yuchen’s back, almost hugging him still.
“Stop being so tense, Xiao Hua-gege,” Xiuxiu muttered. “Jia Sha won’t let anyone else in.”
“What are you two up to?”
“You didn’t listen to me.”
“So you thought I’d listen to Xiazi?”
“Hurtful,” Xiazi chirped up. “I had known someone you know. High social standing. Similar to you, in a sense. Young Master who had to lead the whole business, and got even higher. Got a leg injury. Walked around with a cane and leg braces. Questionable hairstyles, but quite a dashing man.”
“I do not want to hear you talk about questionable hairstyles. You have a mullet. Anyway, is there a point to this story?”
“Obviously. The point is, that it did not diminish his standing at all.”
“Was his family in the tomb raiding business?”
“You don’t have to go to tombs. Traditionally the lower three gates are merchants, aren’t they?”
“Aren’t you a Qi? How many times did Ba-ye have to go to tombs even though he was part of the lower gates?”
“That was ages ago!”
“And I was in a tomb less than a year ago. I still don’t have all the answers I want.”
“And you think you can go in like this, with this leg?”
“I’ll have more surgeries. It’ll get better.”
“The pain will probably get better sometimes. Other times worse. It’ll never fully go away Hua’er-ye.”
“What do you want me to do?” Xie Yuchen raised his eyebrows.
“I’m saying support your leg. Get a brace that you can hide under your clothes. That’d instantly help a lot. Get a cane. A cane can be sexy!”
“Do not call medical devices sexy.”
“I’m serious!” Xiazi said vehemently. “That person I’m talking about… he had a blade hidden in his cane. That’s sexy.”
“Or what about this?” Xiuxiu piped up, showing her phone to Xie Yuchen.
He looked at it, and blinked.
It was a cane, modified into being an umbrella.
“Just think about it,” Xiuxiu continued. “You can use this, and lean on it when you have to, without suspicion.”
Xie Yuchen sighed, taking the phone out of Xiuxiu’s hand, and putting it down.
“Can we stop talking about my leg?”
“We can stop talking altogether~” Xiazi purred, his grin widening. “I have some real good ways of easing your pain. Mainly by the variety of taking your mind off the pain.”
“Oh!” Xiuxiu put her arms around Xiao Hua. “I can help!”
“I was counting on that,” Xiazi smirked, taking one of Xiuxiu’s hands, pressing a kiss to her palm. “Every good doctor needs an assistant, you know.”
And with both of their kisses on his skin, he didn’t even hate to admit that this method worked for easing his pain.
After all, at the end of the day, Hei Xiazi may not be someone who should be trusted, but there were secrets he’d never tell.
He told them his name, the name he was ashamed of, the messed up scars on his chest, because he knew they’d understand, and in some way, they understood each other. Outsiders were probably trying to figure it out, but honestly, the less they understood, the better.
He sometimes wondered if Wu Xie figured it out. If someone would, it’d probably be him. But at this point, he couldn’t ask about it.
Wu Xie did, though.
“So you, Huo Xiuxiu and Hei Yanjing, huh.”
“I don’t know what you are talking about.”
But there was a small smile in the corner of his lips, and Wu Xie smiled back at him, although there was no strength in his smile.
Xie Yuchen knew where Zhang Qiling had to go, and he knew where Wang Pangzi was, but the point was - they were not on Wu Xie’s sides.
And just like Huo Xiuxiu had her own life and own issues to sort out, and how Hei Xiazi was often away, Wu Xie was in a similar boat.
But now, they were away.
Now, even though Wu Xie occasionally came to visit him, and the icy atmosphere between him and Xiuxiu also eased up with time, Wu Xie was alone in such a way that Xie Yuchen wasn’t.
Not really.
“Nice umbrella.”
And Xie Yuchen smiled again.
“Thank you.”