Chapter 88

That day, news of Gu Yang seeing Lin Xiaoran off at the airport quickly spread. Someone had recorded the moment when Gu Yang turned around, capturing the subtle change in his expression.

The topic of “Feeling sorry for President Gu” exploded online.

“Our President Gu is so heartbreaking. He forced a smile in front of Dr. Lin, fearing that Dr. Lin would worry, while inside, he was struggling with sadness.”

“How could he not be heartbroken? A relative of mine works at West City Hospital, and she said Dr. Lin was sent to the U.S. for a year-long study exchange.”

“Wait, so President Gu will have to spend the whole year alone with the child? That’s so sad!”

“Don’t even talk about President Gu, I’m heartbroken just reading this! I won’t go to West City Hospital anymore if I’m sick, since I won’t be able to see Dr. Lin. Actually, I live on the east side of the city, and it’s so tiring to go all the way to the west side for an appointment.”

“But now that transportation is so convenient, and President Gu isn’t short on money, he can always visit Dr. Lin in the U.S.”

“True, but what about the company? What about the child?”

“Exactly. Don’t you all read the news? I saw an interview with Gu Xiuyuan in a financial magazine. It seems like Gu Xiuyuan is planning to retire soon, and he’s going to hand over the family business to President Gu. The company has been expanding, and with the family business to take care of and a child who is going to kindergarten, how does President Gu have time to fly back and forth?”

“Aww, poor President Gu.”

“Poor President Gu.”

“Poor President Gu.”

The person who was being pitied online was too busy to pity himself. Just after sending his Omega off, he was still occupied with comforting his little one at home.

Lin Xiaoran had taken the earliest flight, and when he left, the little one was still asleep.

By now, the child had probably woken up, realized that his father wasn’t there, and definitely cried.

Sure enough, when Gu Yang entered the house, he saw the nanny holding the child, trying to calm him down, but the child was still crying miserably.

Gu Yang quickly took the child from the nanny’s arms. The little one’s face was streaked with tears, his sobs choking him. “Daddy… Daddy left without telling me… I miss him… Can he… can he leave tomorrow instead?”

As Gu Yang wiped his tears, he whispered something in the child’s ear. The little one suddenly stopped crying, looking at Gu Yang with wide eyes. Despite his sobs still echoing, his voice was hoarse, “Really?”

“Really!” Gu Yang nodded, reassuring him. “So stop crying, okay? Your eyes will be all puffy. Let’s video call Daddy. He’ll be heartbroken if he sees you crying, right? Didn’t you promise Daddy that you’re a big kid now and won’t cry when something happens?”

The little one was a child of his word. Remembering what he had said, he quickly wiped his tears with his chubby hands, then pouted and showed a sweet smile. “I won’t cry. When we video call Daddy, I’ll smile like this, and he’ll be happy, right?”

“Right! You’re amazing, little Gu Yang!”

Once Gu Yang had finally calmed his son, Lin Xiaoran, after a long flight, had arrived in a foreign country.

As an Omega, Lin Xiaoran, even though married, was given special treatment, like not being allowed to stay in the hospital dorms. So, for the year he would be in the U.S., he was settled in a five-star hotel next to the hospital. The accommodations and security were exceptional.

His new colleagues at the hospital were all friendly, warmly welcoming him, the beautiful yet highly competent guest from the distant East. Integration into the team was smooth, although some were overly enthusiastic.

Perhaps due to differences in cultural perspectives, Lin Xiaoran made it clear on his first day that he was married with a child. Despite this, there were still people who openly flirted with him.

Thankfully, after he made it clear he wasn’t interested, they didn’t persist.

What truly troubled him, however, was how much he missed his little one.

Even though they video called every day, and the little one seemed fine, Lin Xiaoran still often dreamed of him. Sometimes, upon waking up and being disoriented, when he heard a knock on his door, he would have a fleeting illusion that the next sound would be his child’s soft voice, “Daddy, Papa, the sun’s shining on my bottom! Get up!”

Of course, the little one wasn’t there. The one knocking was usually a hotel service staff.

As for Gu Yang…

Lin Xiaoran turned over, resting his head on his arm, gazing out the window at the dim light. His thick lashes fluttered slightly.

Gu Yang seemed to be extremely busy recently. It had been over a month since Lin Xiaoran had come to the U.S., and the frequency of their video calls had decreased drastically. Most of the time, the nanny was the one bringing the little one into the video call, while Gu Yang appeared to be preoccupied with something.

They had private contact too, but their conversations rarely lasted more than five minutes. Gu Yang was either attending social events or holding meetings, and their chats always ended abruptly.

Lin Xiaoran’s pink lips tightened as his fingers unconsciously brushed the small silver maple leaf pendant on his collarbone. It was something Gu Yang had insisted he wear years ago. Over the years, Lin Xiaoran had gotten used to it and continued wearing it.

At that moment, the person who had helped him put on the necklace probably didn’t know what he was doing.

He exhaled softly, glanced at the time, and realized it was time to get up and go to work.

Quickly pushing away these bothersome thoughts, he got out of bed, took a shower, and changed into his work clothes.

Today, Lin Xiaoran had been a little delayed and missed the chance to have breakfast at the restaurant, so he went directly to the hospital.

As soon as he entered his office, his colleagues immediately greeted him with knowing smiles, joking in English, “Dr. Lin, the mysterious Eastern beauty, naturally attracts so many admirers. Look, today another admirer has sent you a breakfast filled with love.”

Indeed, there was a delicate takeout box on his desk, and to Lin Xiaoran’s surprise, it contained a traditional Chinese breakfast.

Although his colleagues were joking, their words had some truth. Despite Lin Xiaoran repeatedly stating that he was married and in a stable relationship, admirers continued to send him gifts and attention. However, most of them seemed to be pursuing him with their own ideas of romance. It was the first time someone had thoughtfully sent a breakfast that reflected his Eastern heritage, like today’s.

Looking at the delicate soup dumplings and tofu pudding, Lin Xiaoran, who had not had a proper Chinese meal in a long time, was moved.

The key was, he hadn’t had breakfast at all.

So, this time, unlike before when he didn’t touch the food at all and just passed it on to his colleagues, he kept some for himself and gave the rest to his teammates.

As for who had sent it, he wasn’t particularly interested in knowing.

However, the admirer seemed determined. At lunchtime, another delivery arrived—this time an even larger and more extravagant meal, with three delivery men bringing it in. The table in the office was filled with all of Lin Xiaoran’s favorite dishes, prepared in authentic flavors.

While his colleagues were happily eating, Lin Xiaoran couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

It wasn’t unusual for someone to know he missed Chinese food and want to make a gesture, but the extravagant nature of the meal made it clear that it was intended not just for him but for the entire department. Moreover, every dish was his favorite and none of them contained coriander—something that wasn’t normal.

Gu Yang?

Lin Xiaoran immediately took out his phone and dialed Gu Yang’s number. It was quickly answered, but the sound of clinking glasses and chatter came through the line, and Gu Yang’s voice, tinged with alcohol, was a little lower than usual. “Sorry, baby, I’m still out. It’s a bit noisy here, can you hear me?”

“Are you busy?” Lin Xiaoran asked.

“Yeah, it’s been hectic lately. Is something wrong, Ranran? Are you upset? After I’m done here, I’ll come see you, alright?” Gu Yang seemed to realize that he hadn’t been in touch much lately, and there was a hint of guilt in his voice.

“Hmm, drink less. I’m hanging up,” Lin Xiaoran replied, before ending the call.

It didn’t seem like it was Gu Yang. He thought to himself.

Gu Yang had been so busy lately that he barely had time for phone calls. How could he be sending him meals and making such thoughtful gestures?

Since it wasn’t Gu Yang, Lin Xiaoran decided not to dwell on it.

However, the admirer clearly wasn’t done. In the afternoon, another large bouquet of roses was delivered.

This time, unlike the anonymous breakfast and lunch, the bouquet came with a card. The message, written in English, praised Lin Xiaoran for his beauty, claiming that he was the most beautiful person the sender had ever seen, and that he had been thinking of him constantly since the first moment they met, unable to sleep at night.

The message was overly cheesy.

The card ended with an invitation to dinner, but there was no name signed.

Lin Xiaoran read it and promptly tossed the card into the trash. He then passed the flowers on to a nurse.

But of course, his colleagues couldn’t resist gossiping. They all started speculating on who the admirer might be and even suggested that Lin Xiaoran go meet him for dinner. “He might actually be a nice guy,” they said.

Lin Xiaoran didn’t bother to pay them any attention, focusing instead on his work, blocking out their chatter.

The day passed smoothly without any disruptions, and he clocked out on time, heading back to his hotel to grab a quick bite. But when he entered his room, he froze.

The entire room had been transformed. Flower petals covered the floor, the lights were dimmed to create a soft, intimate atmosphere, and the dining table was set with a beautiful French meal paired with red wine. The candlelight flickered gently.

Lin Xiaoran: “!”

After a brief moment of shock, Lin Xiaoran turned to leave.

He didn’t want to call the front desk; he intended to go directly to ask. He didn’t believe anyone could freely enter his room while he was away.

But just as he stepped out the door, he froze again.

Standing in front of the neighboring room was someone with a suitcase, holding a room key, as if they had just checked in.

The person was tall and handsome, with sharp, chiseled features.

Hearing the noise, the person turned and looked at him, and his amber-colored eyes curved into a smile. He then waved enthusiastically, “Wow, what a coincidence, Ranran! We’re staying at the same hotel? And right next door?”

Lin Xiaoran: “…”

His clear eyes blinked as he stared at the Alpha across from him, his mind still processing what had just happened.

Gu Yang, however, couldn’t hold it in anymore. He dropped his suitcase and quickly crossed over, wrapping his arms around Lin Xiaoran, burying his face in his neck and inhaling deeply, savoring the scent of his Omega. “Baby, do you miss me?”

Lin Xiaoran could feel the familiar scent of Gu Yang on his skin, and the sound of his voice echoed in his ears.

Lin Xiaoran slowly came to his senses from Gu Yang’s sudden appearance. He reached out and wrapped his arms around his waist, nodding gently, “Mm.”

He really had missed him.

Pleased by the honesty of his Omega, Gu Yang couldn’t help but laugh. “Really? Ranran, are you teasing me? You miss me but are eating breakfast, lunch, and receiving roses from someone else? And now, you want to have a candlelit dinner with a suitor behind my back? Ranran, I think you’ve already forgotten about me.”

By now, Lin Xiaoran had realized that everything that had happened that day had been arranged by Gu Yang, so he didn’t explain and nodded confidently. “Yeah, I’m having candlelit dinner with someone later. Maybe you should avoid it?”

“What did you just say?” Gu Yang, holding Lin Xiaoran, pushed him into the room and closed the door behind them. He pinned his intentionally mischievous Omega against the wall, threatening, “You want to have dinner with someone else in front of your Alpha? Baby, are you sure you want to be stuck in bed with me for the rest of your life?”

“I’ll be stuck in bed…” Lin Xiaoran paused for a moment, then leaned in to whisper in Gu Yang’s ear, “Aren’t you also stuck?”

They had been apart for over a month, and Gu Yang couldn’t resist the temptation. He grabbed Lin Xiaoran’s chin and kissed him deeply.

In the quiet room, the only sound was their passionate movements. They stumbled across the room, falling onto the bed covered with flower petals. However, at that moment, Lin Xiaoran pushed him away, saying, “I’m hungry.”

Gu Yang found it hard to let go, his lips still tingling from their kiss, but he knew if he didn’t stop now, the candlelit dinner would be ruined.

Lin Xiaoran had worked the whole day, and if Gu Yang didn’t stop now, he would be hungry until the next morning, and that would make him feel guilty.

Gu Yang rubbed his forehead lightly, realizing he was also starting to feel weak. Maybe he hadn’t eaten much in the past couple of days, overwhelmed with work?

They ate, but the more Gu Yang ate, the more drained he felt. The sound of Lin Xiaoran’s voice seemed to fade away.

Noticing that something was off, Lin Xiaoran immediately stood up and walked over. “What’s wrong?” He opened his mouth to speak, but instantly noticed the problem when he touched Gu Yang’s forehead—his temperature was unnaturally high.

“Are you running a fever?” Lin Xiaoran’s voice faltered slightly, and his heart raced as he turned to grab the thermometer.

Gu Yang rarely got sick. Unlike Lin Xiaoran, whose weak constitution made him catch a cold standing barefoot on the cold floor for just five minutes in winter, Gu Yang had always been healthy. In the years they had been together, he’d only had a few colds and one fever, a memory Lin Xiaoran would never forget.

People who didn’t get sick often tended to fall seriously ill when they did.

Gu Yang, struggling, collapsed onto the desk.

Lin Xiaoran quickly returned with the thermometer, growing more worried when he saw Gu Yang’s state. He gently patted his back. “Let me help you to bed and take your temperature.”

Gu Yang obediently lay down on the bed, allowing Lin Xiaoran to take his temperature.

Sure enough, it was 38.5°C.

Lin Xiaoran glanced at the thermometer and then at Gu Yang, his clear eyes unable to hide the concern.

Gu Yang, though, mustered up a weak smile, trying to stay positive. “Maybe I’m just exhausted. I’ll take some medicine and sleep it off. But, I have some good news for you. I’m going to be here for work, for almost a year. And Gu Rang will be joining me soon.”

Lin Xiaoran’s beautiful eyes widened in surprise, and he stared at Gu Yang in shock.

Now it made sense why Gu Yang had been so busy these past few days—so busy that it had led to him getting sick.

Gu Yang had suddenly come to the U.S. for work and was staying for a year. He had likely been handling matters back home over the past month.

Lin Xiaoran felt a mix of emotions—he was touched, yet also a little heartbroken.

“Idiot, take the medicine!”

 

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