Chapter 80
On Friday, at the outpatient clinic of West City Hospital, Dr. Lin, dressed in a white coat with gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose, was intently asking his patient questions.
He wasn’t talkative, only asking the most critical questions, but his voice was pleasant, and his good looks drew attention. As a result, every Friday, the number of patients in his department seemed to increase compared to other days.
Today, however, things were unusually quiet. There were quite a few patients in the morning, but by the afternoon, only two or three came in, and they had minor issues.
At around five, after sending off the last elderly patient, he took off his glasses, tidied up his desk, and was preparing to leave. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
It was likely another patient trying to register right before closing time.
He put his glasses back on and sat down, his voice clear and pleasant as he said, “Come in.”
The door opened, and when he saw the person enter, his clear eyes widened in surprise. A flash of joy passed over his face, and without realizing it, his voice rose. “You’re back?”
The visitor looked at him with surprise. “Dr. Lin knows me? I came here to see a doctor.”
With that, the person walked over and sat down in the chair, looking entirely like a patient.
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
He blinked his thick lashes in confusion, staring at the Alpha across from him, wondering what was going on. This guy had been abroad for a month, and it had been agreed he wouldn’t be back for another two days. Yet, here he was, back early and pretending to be a patient.
This was totally like him.
In the past, when he returned from a long trip, he would usually come back famished, like a starving wolf.
What was going on today?
Gu Yang, still enjoying his role as a patient, continued, “Dr. Lin, I don’t know what’s going on lately, but I’ve been feeling uncomfortable all over. Can you check and see what’s wrong with me?”
Unfortunately, his acting skills weren’t great. He didn’t look like a patient at all. There was no sign of the usual worry a patient would have on his face. Instead, his eyes had been fixed on Lin Xiaoran from the moment he entered, scanning him from head to toe. While speaking, he even grabbed Lin Xiaoran’s hand and placed it on his chest. “Feel it, is my heart beating really fast? Do you think I have lovesickness?”
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
I think you’ve got a mental illness!
But just as the words were about to slip out, Lin Xiaoran reconsidered. He forcefully pulled his hand away, stood up, and spoke in a cool, detached tone as though he was dealing with a real patient. “Your condition is a bit complicated. Lie down, and I’ll give you a full examination.”
With that, he turned and walked toward the inner room.
It was separated by a curtain from the main area, and there was a single bed used for examining patients.
At this point, Lin Xiaoran stood by the window, speaking in a businesslike manner, instructing Gu Yang to lie down.
Gu Yang hadn’t expected this turn of events, but he was more than happy to comply. He walked over and lay down, even asking, “Should I take off my clothes? I’ll take them off to make it easier for you to examine me, Dr. Lin.”
Lin Xiaoran wanted to roll his eyes but held back, ignoring his shameless comment. He placed his long, slender fingers lightly on Gu Yang’s chest. “Does this feel uncomfortable?”
After a month apart, Gu Yang could feel Lin Xiaoran’s hand, barely touching his chest through the thin shirt, sending a ripple of sensation across his body. It was as if Lin Xiaoran was teasing him, stoking the flames inside him. Gu Yang practically wanted to throw him onto the bed and devour him whole.
But this time, he held back.
The rare moment when Dr. Lin was willing to indulge in a bit of flirtation in the office, Gu Yang thought he should enjoy it a little longer.
Suppressing his rising impulse, he obediently nodded. “Hmm, there’s another place that feels uncomfortable.”
“Where?” Lin Xiaoran asked, fully cooperating as his hands moved over Gu Yang’s body, examining him.
Gu Yang wasn’t sure why, but whenever he was with Lin Xiaoran, his composure seemed to crumble so easily. Just the touch, and his mind would wander.
“Lower, a bit more,” he lay on the bed, looking at Lin Xiaoran with a mix of anticipation.
“Here?” Lin Xiaoran asked, pressing on his ribs with his fingertips.
“Lower, just a little more.” Gu Yang’s voice unconsciously dropped, filled with an unspoken expectation.
Lin Xiaoran shot him a half-smiling, half-amused look, his fingers continuing downward.
Gu Yang held his breath, his heart racing with excitement, but then Lin Xiaoran stopped, suddenly turning serious. “How does it feel uncomfortable?”
Gu Yang felt a moment of disappointment but didn’t give up. He grinned mischievously, looking at Lin Xiaoran. “Dr. Lin, don’t you think it’s too big? Every time I think about you, it just gets bigger. What should I do… hmm!”
Before he could finish, Lin Xiaoran grabbed him, leaned in, and whispered in his ear, “I suggest castrating it. That would solve everything… Ah!”
Before he could finish speaking, Lin Xiaoran felt his arm tightened around his waist. In an instant, he was flipped over and pressed onto the bed.
Gu Yang’s breath surrounded him, his Alpha leaning in to kiss his lips lightly, a wicked, teasing smile on his face. “Dr. Lin, are you really this cruel to yourself? If I were castrated, what would you do for the rest of your life?”
As soon as he finished speaking, he couldn’t wait any longer and kissed him again, his hands not staying still.
A month apart was too long, and it was impossible for Lin Xiaoran not to miss his Alpha. The moment Gu Yang’s presence surrounded him, his body almost went weak.
But still, he held onto some reason and quickly pushed him away. “Stop fooling around here, move!”
Gu Yang was having none of it. He buried his head in Lin Xiaoran’s neck, acting pitiful. “How could you be so heartless, Ranran? We haven’t seen each other for a month. Don’t you miss me at all? Plus, you promised a vacation to go with me, but then you canceled, leaving me all alone. For a whole month, I could only think of you and do it myself. Aren’t you even a little heartbroken for me?”
Lin Xiaoran knew Gu Yang was just pretending to be pitiful, but when it came to the fact that he had canceled their trip a month ago, he did feel guilty.
Gu Yang had booked the trip half a year ago, because a game from his company was about to launch in North America, and he needed to be there to oversee it. It was supposed to last about a month, and the timing lined up with a long-awaited trip they hadn’t taken together in a while, so he asked Lin Xiaoran to join him.
Lin Xiaoran agreed, having been working overtime for months to prepare for this time off and had little time to be with Gu Yang.
But on the day they were about to leave, just as they were getting ready to go to the airport, the hospital called. A patient under Lin Xiaoran’s care suddenly became critical and needed immediate surgery.
There was no way around it, so he had to leave Gu Yang behind and rush to the hospital.
Gu Yang’s schedule couldn’t be changed, so he had to go alone.
Later, Gu Yang hoped Lin Xiaoran could catch a flight the next day or the day after, but the surgery went well, and Lin Xiaoran’s patient still needed close observation. So Lin Xiaoran had to cancel the trip entirely.
He knew how much Gu Yang had been looking forward to the trip, and the fact that it was canceled left Gu Yang disappointed. That was why, when Gu Yang brought it up now, Lin Xiaoran couldn’t bring himself to refuse.
“Do you really have to do this here?” Lin Xiaoran still couldn’t understand Gu Yang’s mindset. Ever since he chose to become a doctor, Gu Yang had always wanted to do things like this at his workplace.
It was clear that Lin Xiaoran’s resistance was softening, so Gu Yang pressed on. “Just once, please? You’ve already clocked off, right? And when I came in, I locked the door. No one will come in.”
So, it’s perfectly safe, right?
Lin Xiaoran gave him a look, then yanked him closer by his clothes. “Hurry up!”
“I’ll try my best!”
After being granted permission, Gu Yang nonchalantly threw out an offhand remark, then hurriedly leaned in to kiss him again.
Clearly, he quickly forgot about Lin Xiaoran’s instructions to “hurry,” and neither of them cared much about time. By the time they finally came out, it was already dark.
Having not seen each other for a month, Gu Yang was content, no longer needing to worry about jet lag. He dragged Lin Xiaoran out, took him to eat good food, and then to see a movie, before heading home late into the night.
The night was joyful, but as time passed, another month awaited them with new challenges.
A month later was Grandma Gu’s birthday, and the two of them had prepared gifts and returned two days early.
Since they both went to college in another city and settled there after graduation, Grandma Gu often called them or sent video messages, reminding them to visit more often.
It was rare for them to come back, and the old couple was overjoyed.
Especially Grandma Gu, who hardly paid attention to Gu Yang and instead kept talking to Lin Xiaoran without stopping.
After all these years, Lin Xiaoran had grown used to it, so he just quietly listened.
But then, suddenly, Grandma Gu leaned in close to his ear, her voice full of mystery as she asked, “Ranran, when do you two plan on having children?”
Lin Xiaoran: “…”
Grandma Gu didn’t seem to expect an answer, continuing on her own. “I know you young people want to enjoy your time alone, but once you have kids, I’ll help take care of them. Your mom is so busy with work and her career, she can’t help you with the kids, and hiring a nanny is too risky. Don’t worry, your grandpa and I are home with nothing to do. When the baby comes, we’ll take care of them, and you two can still enjoy your time together. What do you think?”
Uh…
Lin Xiaoran bit his lip, about to repeat the excuse he had used a thousand times before to dodge the question, but suddenly felt a wave of nausea, and acid reflux surged up in his stomach.
He quickly signaled to Grandma Gu, stood up, and hurried to the bathroom.
Gu Yang, who had been playing chess with Grandpa Gu, noticed and followed after him.
As soon as he entered the bathroom, he saw Lin Xiaoran standing in front of the sink, gagging. He quickly patted his back to help him settle down. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I ask Dr. Zhang to come over?”
The nauseous feeling began to subside, and Lin Xiaoran rinsed his mouth with water, shaking his head nonchalantly. “It’s fine, probably just a little stomach upset.”
But his face looked pale, and his lips were tinged with a faint redness.
“Are you sure you don’t need a doctor?” Gu Yang was still concerned.
Lin Xiaoran glanced at him. “I’m a doctor too!”
Gu Yang smiled. “Okay, if our Dr. Lin says it’s fine, then it’s fine. But still, how about resting for a bit? I’ll stay with you.”
Thinking about the large number of guests that would arrive later to celebrate Grandma Gu’s birthday and not knowing how late it would go, Lin Xiaoran nodded and followed Gu Yang upstairs to rest.
However, not long after lying down, the nausea returned, and he quickly sat up, rushing out of bed and into the bathroom.
