Chapter 44

The elevator stopped at the top floor, and when the doors opened, Fan Xing encountered Song Yang, who was on the phone and about to go downstairs. Since Song Yang was preoccupied with the call, he gestured towards a room and then entered the elevator himself.

Fan Xing wanted to ask about He Qingmo’s condition, but he couldn’t find an opportunity. Instead, he decided to approach the room quietly.

The door of the room was slightly ajar. As Fan Xing reached out to knock, he heard Zhou Haoran’s voice from inside, “President He, you finally woke up. You have no idea; I was so worried.”

For some reason, Fan Xing, impulsively withdrew his hand from knocking and decided to eavesdrop on He Qingmo’s response.

After waiting for a while, there was no sound. Fan Xing couldn’t resist peeking through the slightly open door. He saw He Qingmo leaning on the hospital bed, disheveled hair, pale complexion, and an IV drip in his hand.

Feeling a pang of sympathy, Fan Xing reached out to push the door open, but he caught sight of Zhou Haoran sitting quietly next to the bed, cutting fruits. Fan Xing hesitated and withdrew his hand.

“Hey? Why is Fan Xing standing there and not coming in? Isn’t Little San here?” Zhou Haoran, seemingly unaware of Fan Xing’s internal struggle, asked.

Fan Xing, still processing the situation, turned to He Qingmo, and only when Song Yang brought Jijin and Linlin up after a while, did he greet them, “Mom, Second Sister-in-law, you’re here too. My brother is inside.”

Without saying much, Jijin, despite her usual scolding, went inside with Linlin.

It was Linlin who noticed that Fan Xing seemed different. She walked behind him, concerned, and asked, “What happened to you? You look tired. Are you not feeling well?” She reached out to check his forehead for fever.

Fan Xing, appreciating her concern, was about to explain when He Qingmo said, “What’s wrong? Isn’t everyone coming in? Where’s Little San?”

Fan Xing, seemingly caught off guard, turned his head to look at He Qingmo, unsure of how to interact with him.

Jijin scolded He Qingmo, and even after the call with Wurong Chuan, she was still unsatisfied. She pulled a chair and sat down next to the bed, starting another round of reprimands. Feeling a headache from the hangover, He Qingmo showed signs of impatience, “Mom, Second Sister-in-law, I’m fine. Can you let your son and daughter-in-law have a moment alone? We haven’t seen each other for half a month. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Can’t you be a bit more considerate?”

Suddenly, Fan Xing found himself included in the conversation. Initially, he might have felt embarrassed in such a situation, but now, he simply hoped that Jijin and Linlin wouldn’t leave.

He realized that he didn’t know how to deal with this man anymore.

Jijin and Linlin left, and Song Yang soon called Zhou Haoran out too. Zhou Haoran, on his way out, reminded He Qingmo to eat the prepared fruits.

After Zhou Haoran left, He Qingmo greeted Fan Xing, and soon after, Fan Xing followed Jijin and Linlin out. They had left the room with He Qingmo and Fan Xing as the only occupants.

Fan Xing subconsciously clenched his hands. For some reason, facing He Qingmo now was more uncomfortable than their first meeting. From the moment he entered the room, he deliberately avoided making eye contact with the man.

“Come over here,” He Qingmo, lying on the hospital bed, motioned for Fan Xing to approach.

Fan Xing sighed softly in his heart, feeling inexplicable. Nevertheless, he forced himself not to overthink, walked over, and sat down on the chair by the bedside.

He Qingmo patted the space beside him, “Come closer.”

After a brief pause, Fan Xing complied and moved closer. He hesitated before speaking, “Big brother, are you feeling better? Do you have a headache? Do you want me to help you…uh?”
!
He lowered his head as he spoke, avoiding eye contact with the man. However, before he could finish, his chin was pinched, lifting his face, and the man’s face came close, locking eyes with him.

“What’s wrong with you? Your complexion is terrible, and you have dark circles. Didn’t you sleep well last night?” the man asked.

Feeling uneasy with the man so close, Fan Xing instinctively lowered his gaze and confessed, “Um, Senior Lu asked me to accompany him. He got drunk, and after I sent him home, it was already dawn.”

The man’s grip on Fan Xing’s chin tightened slightly, and his tone became displeased, “So, you spent the night with another man behind your husband’s back?”

Fan Xing looked at him in surprise, initially thinking the man was joking. However, when he met the man’s dark eyes, he realized the man wasn’t joking; he was genuinely angry.

Feeling a bit wronged, Fan Xing couldn’t help but lift his eyes and asked, “Then, what about you, Brother? Weren’t you also with someone else behind my back?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, he immediately realized he had said something he shouldn’t have. He wanted to bite off his tongue but was too late, so he quickly apologized, “I’m sorry, I… I’m not blaming you, I just…”

The more he spoke, the more confused he felt, and the more he spoke, the less he knew what to say. Moreover, he felt really uncomfortable.

He looked at the man, and his rosy lips opened and closed, eventually condensing into three words, “I’m sorry.”

The man paused for a moment, then felt a tightness in his chest. He released Fan Xing’s chin, slid his hand to his earlobe, gently pinched it, and asked in a low voice, “So, is it because I stood you up that you ended up like this?”

When He Qingmo entered the room, he noticed something unusual about Fan Xing. Not seeing him for half a month, the soft and tender little guy appeared weary.

He initially thought someone had bullied his little friend during his absence. But unexpectedly, he turned out to be the culprit himself.

Fan Xing, with his head bowed, remained silent, unsure of what to say.

The man’s hand passed through Fan Xing’s ear, landed at the back of his neck, and pulled him into an embrace. He whispered, “My bad. I didn’t explain to you. Yesterday, I happened to meet a troublesome old man at the airport. He had a project in his hands, and I had to join him for a drink.”

He Qingmo had no choice in the matter. He blamed himself too. Last time, he unilaterally canceled the meeting with Wu Rongchun to attend a lecture at Qing University. As a result, Wu Rongchun was angry.

Later, He Qingmo tried to make amends, but the old man stubbornly refused. It was only yesterday that the old man, coincidentally remembering it was He Qingmo’s birthday, decided to forgive him. He invited He Qingmo to dinner, brushed off the previous incident, and the cooperation became smoother.

Opportunities like this were rare, and He Qingmo couldn’t refuse. He also wanted to call Fan Xing to explain, but the old man insisted on challenging him by making him drink excessively.

Fan Xing made the first call, but He Qingmo didn’t hear it. In the second call, he was in the restroom, having just finished vomiting and preparing to continue. At that time, he was already a bit disoriented, vaguely remembering saying a few words to Fan Xing. However, he didn’t recall what was said. Later, his phone ran out of battery, and he was busy with endless drinking games.

In the end, unable to handle more alcohol, he collapsed on the table. When he woke up, he was already in the hospital.

Fan Xing listened quietly as He Qingmo spoke. His heart tightened, and he looked up at the man, saying, “Brother, next time, you can’t do this. No matter how important work is, it’s not as important as your health.”

The man’s fingertip gently brushed over the bruise under his eye, and he felt distressed. “You also know the importance of health? What’s the big deal that kept you up all night? Why didn’t you sleep?”

Fan Xing opened his mouth to explain, but in the end, he just nodded obediently, “Yes, I know. Next time, I will remember to call him.”

He Qingmo gently played with his hair, and Fan Xing, half-true and half-false, added, “Next time, you must remember. No going out late at night with other men behind my back.”

“I didn’t. I just sat with Senior Lu for a while. I didn’t do anything,” Fan Xing explained.

The man pinched his small face and said firmly, “That’s not allowed either.”

Fan Xing looked at him, remained silent for a moment, then nodded softly, “Oh, I remember now.”

Satisfied, the man rubbed his hair and said, “That’s a good boy. Let’s go home.” Saying that, he released Fan Xing and started removing the needles and tubes.

Fan Xing quickly stopped him, “Brother, don’t mess around. Let me call the doctor… huh?”

Fan Xing hadn’t finished speaking, and the man had already removed the needle and tube. A small amount of blood oozed from the back of his hand, which the man casually wiped away with a piece of paper. Then, he turned around, grabbed the little guy, and started walking out.

Fan Xing was worried, so he held onto him, preventing him from leaving. “But, Brother, is it okay for you to leave the hospital like this? Shouldn’t we let the doctor check, just to be sure…”

The man stopped, turned to look at him, and for some reason, he suddenly leaned down, approaching Fan Xing’s ear with a low and ambiguous tone, “A little separation is good for a new marriage, understand?” After saying that, he lightly bit the tender earlobe of the little guy and prepared to enjoy the shy and cute expression.

However, Fan Xing just visibly stiffened, and then, lowering his head, he didn’t say anything. Instead, he took the initiative to pull the man towards the exit.

The man, being led by him, frowned, and his ink-colored eyes fell on the little guy in front of him. It seemed like the little guy had something on his mind.

At this moment, Song Yang happened to walk by, holding various forms. When he saw He Qingmo, he immediately wore a look of “I knew it” but didn’t say much. He volunteered, “I’ll drive you guys home,” and threw the neatly prepared hospital forms into the trash.

He was meddling too, but He Qingmo wouldn’t obediently stay in the hospital for such a trivial matter. Song Yang understood him, but when Ji Jin left, he pulled Song Yang and earnestly asked him to make sure He Qingmo stayed in the hospital. He wanted He Qingmo to undergo a thorough examination, making sure there were no lingering effects.

Drinking too much and getting an IV, what kind of lingering effects could there be? Song Yang thought.

But after all, Ji Jin was the boss’s mother, and he had to comply. He personally went to complete the procedures, only to find out that the boss had already left the hospital when he returned.

Alright, since he had completed the hospitalization procedures, when Ji Jin asked, he could just shift the responsibility to He Qingmo himself.

Song Yang was quite pleased with the situation. Driving, he sent He Qingmo and Fan Xing home.

By the time they arrived home, it was already past ten in the morning.

He Qingmo had been on a long-haul flight for over ten hours, then went to the hospital after drinking. Essentially, he hadn’t eaten anything, and now his stomach was empty.

So, as soon as Fan Xing entered the house, he went to the kitchen to prepare some millet porridge. He Qingmo’s stomach could only handle light and non-irritating food at the moment.

However, the man followed closely, grabbing his wrist and pulling him out of the kitchen. “I ordered takeout from Song Yang. It’ll be delivered soon.”

Fan Xing was taken aback and said, “Then, let me help Brother take a bath.” After that, he was about to run upstairs.

The man pulled him back with a single motion, then embraced him, “What’s wrong? Why are you avoiding me?”

 

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