Seeing Lin Xingchen agree, Pei Qingjian relaxed.
“Then if you have late work at night, I’ll bring you dinner too,” he added.
Lin Xingchen: ???
Wait—now he’s thinking about the future? Even dinner deliveries?
“You really want to eat with me, huh?”
Pei Qingjian nodded without hesitation. “Mm.”
Lin Xingchen: …
His straightforward “mm” caught Lin Xingchen off guard. So direct! So… dedicated!
His ears flushed as he paused briefly, then feigned casualness with a soft “Oh.”
“Then it’s settled. If you’re late due to work, tell me in advance.”
Lin Xingchen thought: Checking in, huh? But then realized that with Pei Qingjian cooking nightly, if he had business engagements, he did need to know—otherwise, he’d have to wait for him to return before starting dinner.
“Got it,” Lin Xingchen agreed.
Pei Qingjian’s smile widened. “You’re so nice.”
Lin Xingchen: …
Damn! Why the sudden compliment again? And he’s smiling! Smiling at what? Just sharing a meal—nothing to get excited about!
Turning his head awkwardly to avoid Pei Qingjian’s gaze, his ears flushed bright red.
After carefully comparing their reports, Pei Qingjian was satisfied that Lin Xingchen’s health was generally good.
“Let’s go,” he said, putting the forms away. “Time to head home.”
Lin Xingchen nodded out of habit, then remembered—wait, going home now? The urology department hadn’t been visited yet!
He hesitated, then softly asked, “Is that it?”
Trying to hint delicately: “Did we miss any department we should have gone to?”
Pei Qingjian thought it over and confirmed that they had completed all items listed on the form.
“Nope, all checked.”
“Maybe you should double-check,” Lin Xingchen suggested, “anything you should’ve gone to but didn’t?”
“Nope.”
“How could there be none?”
Pei Qingjian frowned. “Then where do you think I went wrong?”
Lan Xingchen: ……
How was he supposed to answer that?
Some things, he thought, are just not the same when you say them yourself versus when someone else says them.
And if Pei Qingjian got too sensitive again, he might retreat even further.
Better to let it be for now, Lan Xingchen told himself. Pei Qingjian was young, and being at the hospital probably made him feel uneasy and embarrassed—this was a psychological hurdle he had to overcome on his own.
What he could do was support him, encourage him, stay by his side, and accompany him.
Absolutely no pressure. No forcing. No adding to his mental burden.
So if he didn’t go now, he didn’t go. Maybe next time, when he had adjusted his mindset, he’d find the courage to face it.
Treating someone like a patient required patience and care—never pressure.
“All right then.” Lan Xingchen patted his shoulder. “Let’s head back.”
“Mm.”
They spoke softly and turned to leave.
Just as they reached the staircase, ready to go down, three men appeared coming the other way.
The three stopped in their tracks the moment they saw them.
Lan Xingchen’s steps faltered too.
Recognition?
Pei Qingjian, puzzled, heard the man in the middle say, “Lo… long time no see.”
Lan Xingchen gave a noncommittal “Mm.”
Another man, excited, said, “What a coincidence! I was just telling Jiajia how rare it is for him to be back. We should all meet up in a few days.”
“Jiajia?” Pei Qingjian blinked, thinking the name sounded familiar.
Lan Xingchen remained silent.
The man directly facing Pei Qingjian finally spoke: “Xingchen, who’s this?”
At once, all eyes turned to Pei Qingjian.
He was about to answer when Lan Xingchen pulled him close, voice cheerful, “My boyfriend, Pei Qingjian.”
He leaned in and introduced each one: “This is Xu Ya, Xu Jianian, and Xu Jianian’s friend Chen Cheng.”
Xu Jianian!!
Pei Qingjian’s eyes widened. So this was the Xu Jianian from the original story!
Xu Jianian looked at him with a confused, slightly melancholic gaze.
Pei Qingjian: ??? Wait, why the sadness? Weren’t you supposed to be secretly falling for the protagonist Tang Wenzhen by now? Why the melancholy?
He didn’t understand, but one thing was clear: he had to keep Lan Xingchen out of the original protagonist’s romantic drama.
Those two were the leads—they wouldn’t die no matter what. But Lan Xingchen? He was a side character! And he already had a stomach problem!
If he got involved, that stomach problem would escalate into something serious, maybe even cancer!
Thinking this, Pei Qingjian subtly edged Lan Xingchen behind him.
Lan Xingchen: ???
Xu Ya noticed the small movement: ……