Chapter 21
“Doctor, please take another look for me.”
It was rare for Xia Fengsheng to be unable to keep up appearances. He felt the same helplessness as a widow slandered by filthy rumors.
His daily routine might have been an utter mess, but in matters of love and sex he had always kept himself clean.
Xia Fengsheng had never been forcibly kept!
He had to prove his innocence!
No matter what, they could not say his kidneys were weak. That would make him think he was inherently no good.
Either it was from overwork, or the Chinese medicine doctor had misdiagnosed him. In any case, it absolutely could not be his own problem.
Xia Fengsheng leaned more toward the latter. After all, who could accept that after diligently serving as a beast of burden, the final outcome was kidney deficiency and bodily depletion? It was simply unjust heaven’s law.
Xia Fengsheng was in the prime of life. He was handsome, well-proportioned, polite in speech, and carried himself like a proper social elite.
The old Chinese doctor had assumed someone like him would pay great attention to his health. Who would have thought that the moment he took his pulse, it would turn out to be kidney deficiency.
Seeing the embarrassment on his face, the old doctor took pity on him and said, “I’ll check your pulse again.”
Given a sliver of room for reversal, Xia Fengsheng let out a breath of relief. The words he had been too uncomfortable to say before now came one after another as he reassured himself.
“Maybe there’s been a mistake.”
“It can’t be kidney deficiency.”
The old doctor rested his fingers on Xia Fengsheng’s wrist.
A faint hope shone in Xia Fengsheng’s eyes. “Doctor?”
The old Chinese doctor nodded repeatedly. “Deficient, deficient.”
Then he stood up, raised one hand in front of Xia Fengsheng, and with grand momentum declared, “A tremendous deficiency! Great depletion!”
Xia Fengsheng: ……
You old man.
The old Chinese doctor took several quick steps to the medicine cabinet, sprightly in a way that did not match his age.
“I’ll prescribe you some medicine to replenish kidney qi.” As he spoke, he pulled open a drawer and grabbed out a huge handful with both hands.
“Some.”
In a serious tone, the old doctor said, “This much will do.”
Xia Fengsheng: ……
Enough for him to eat as a meal.
The old Chinese doctor had his apprentice pack up the medicinal herbs. Since it was already late at night, there was no way to boil it for them and let them take it away. “Remember, do not take it before meals.”
Otherwise, after drinking it, they would not be able to eat.
Shi Ye had a dark face the entire time and did not say a word. When Xia Fengsheng met his eyes, a strange sense of guilt rose up in him for no reason.
He went over to the old Chinese doctor. “Doctor, give me another prescription—something to reduce internal heat.”
“For who? You don’t need that.” The old doctor pointed off into the distance. “See that silk banner hanging on the wall? I don’t make black-hearted money.”
That banner had been given to him by a patient, and there were many more like it.
Xia Fengsheng’s eyes flicked once in Shi Ye’s direction.
The old doctor immediately changed his tune. “Mm, yes, you do need it.”
When you were old, you really did know how to adapt flexibly.
So the trip was not in vain. Shi Ye and Xia Fengsheng each left carrying a packet of medicine.
On the drive back to the hotel, Shi Ye did not say a single word to him, maintaining a silent front.
Shi Ye had been rushing around for him in the middle of the night, and Xia Fengsheng had seen that clearly. Out of the basic conscience of a human being, he decided to take the initiative and say something to him.
Since the other man was in a bad mood, and because he wanted to display his high emotional intelligence, he even changed the way he addressed him.
“Handsome.”
Shi Ye refused to engage. “Like I need you to tell me that.”
“……”
Even if Xia Fengsheng did not say it, Shi Ye already knew he was handsome.
He had heard it since childhood. It was not as if he were stupid.
The silent one brought the patient back to the hotel, set the medicinal herbs somewhere dry, and then walked into his room.
Not giving Xia Fengsheng even the slightest opportunity to talk.
It was three in the morning now, so Xia Fengsheng had no choice but to go back and rest first. He was already sick and uncomfortable, and after running around the hospital, his stamina bar was completely depleted. He was utterly exhausted.
The next morning, Ding Qizhen woke up to a deeply penetrating and utterly awful smell.
Ding Qizhen: !
Where the hell had he been sent? Was this still abroad?
That highly distinctive smell of Chinese medicine instantly reminded him of how his parents used to force-feed him medicine like they were stuffing a pig.
He quickly left the room to investigate the truth. When he reached the living room, he found Shi Ye, dressed in casual clothes and barefoot, standing by the kitchen counter, casually stirring the Chinese medicine in a small pot.
“What are you doing?” Ding Qizhen walked over. “Why are you boiling this stuff?”
Wasn’t there a breakfast buffet downstairs? If not, he could have asked the butler to send breakfast up.
Could medicine be eaten as a meal?
Shi Ye briefly told Ding Qizhen what had happened the night before.
After listening, Ding Qizhen clicked his tongue and shook his head. “I told you the finance world was a mess.”
He glanced toward Xia Fengsheng’s room. “Getting back together with him has dragged you in too. You lost both the lady and the soldiers.”
Shi Ye skillfully turned the flame down to low.
“So did you punish him at all?” Ding Qizhen asked.
If he was angry, there ought to be at least some kind of punishment.
Shi Ye said indignantly, “I didn’t talk to him all night.”
“……”
He had not talked to him all night, and then got up before breakfast to boil Chinese medicine for him.
Ding Qizhen had a hard time describing the feeling. He took out his phone, turned on the camera, and framed Shi Ye’s back as he boiled the medicine.
Then he made a smiling face and pointed at him.
Click. The photo froze in place.
Ding Qizhen even gave it a title: Cold Face Washing Underwear.
He planned to bring it out later and laugh at Shi Ye properly.
Like clowns and primary school language textbooks, some things were only funny for a certain period of time.
Actually, Ding Qizhen was not surprised by Shi Ye’s behavior. The way his family had raised him was simply too good. Optimistic, positive, emotionally stable, handsome, gracious, and kindhearted—ever since they were little, Ding Qizhen had never seen Shi Ye truly hold grudges or hate anyone.
Only when it came to Xia Fengsheng did he have this strange persistence.
The medicine looked like a lot, but once boiled, it only made a small bowl.
When Xia Fengsheng came out and saw the finished medicine, he specifically went over to thank Shi Ye, lightly placing a hand on his arm. “Thank you.”
Having just woken up, the crafty sharpness of Xia Fengsheng’s face was softened somewhat.
Shi Ye pulled away from him and walked off with a cold face.
“I don’t like physical contact. Don’t touch me so much.”
After Xia Fengsheng finished drinking the medicine, the three of them went downstairs together to the buffet restaurant for breakfast.
Normally, Xia Fengsheng did not have the habit of eating breakfast, so he did not take much, mainly because he had just had Chinese medicine and there were many things he could not eat with it. He just took a little salad and bacon.
The moment he sat down, his phone vibrated.
Shi Ye and Ding Qizhen came over carrying their own breakfasts. Halfway there, Ding Qizhen suddenly grabbed Shi Ye.
Shi Ye asked, “What? Forgot to get a fork?”
“What do you mean forgot a fork.” Ding Qizhen looked at him like iron refusing to become steel. “Do you have zero insight?”
Shi Ye looked at him with a slightly complicated expression. After spending too much time with Xia Fengsheng, Ding Qizhen was also becoming less and less normal, muttering mystically to himself.
Ding Qizhen continued in a very logical tone. “We’ve got a time difference with China. It’s eight in the morning here, which means it’s eight at night over there.”
Late at night, and Xia Fengsheng was in an amnesia state. Who would be calling him for no reason?
Ding Qizhen wagged his brows. “Could it be one of his boats?”
Shi Ye’s mouth pulled into a straight line. In his mind, he did not think Xia Fengsheng was the type to juggle multiple relationships.
But the private messages on Instagram the night before were enough to prove just how popular Xia Fengsheng was.
Ding Qizhen added, “Could also be a pursuer or a confidante.”
Shi Ye stuffed a bread roll into his mouth. Even breakfast could not shut him up.
Ding Qizhen: He’s getting anxious.
On the other side, speaking softly and gently into the phone, Xia Fengsheng said:
“Yes, yes, that’s right. Just leave the package at the delivery station.”
*
After breakfast, Xia Fengsheng received a message from his senior brother Qin Buming. Qin Buming had long been kept under Yang Liwan’s hand and never released, which only proved how outstanding his personal ability was.
The message informed Xia Fengsheng that he had now made initial contact on a project, and had drafted a preliminary proposal and quotation for the client, along with the later stability and growth range of the fund.
“Are you free now?”
Xia Fengsheng: “Yes.”
Qin Buming: “I’ll send you the proposal and report. You tell me your thoughts after reading them, and the two of us can compare ideas and settle on the final version.”
Xia Fengsheng: “Sure. Senior brother, how are you sending it?”
Qin Buming: “QQ.”
Xia Fengsheng had not used QQ in a long time.
QQ made receiving files very convenient, and most people liked using it, but in the past few years Xia Fengsheng had used VX more often.
He went back to the room and specifically logged into QQ on the computer. He had two accounts—one from his high school days, and another new one created after he entered university. His hand moved too quickly, and out of habit he clicked into the first one.
The moment the profile picture appeared, Xia Fengsheng even went blank for an instant.
It was a picture of an old yellow dog.
The old yellow dog’s name was literally Old Yellow Dog. Xia Fengsheng had always called it that. Old Yellow Dog had stayed with him for many years.
He remained dazed for quite a while before remembering what he was supposed to be doing.
After adding Qin Buming on QQ, the file was quickly sent over. Xia Fengsheng received it, put on his glasses, and swiftly entered working mode.
Time passed bit by bit. Once Xia Fengsheng entered work mode, he was meticulous to a fault. By the time he pulled himself back out, two hours had already passed. After sending over the ideas he had organized, he opened his QQ photo album, intending to look through old photos of Old Yellow Dog.
Back then, he had always had the habit of saving photos to his QQ photo album, because his phone memory was too small. Afraid he would run out of space, he would upload the photos to QQ, then delete them from his phone.
All the photos were kept together in one private album. When he opened the private album, the first thing that caught his eye was a screenshot of a chat record.
It was the very first chat between Xia Fengsheng and Shi Ye, and also their very first chat on the day they started dating.
Xia Fengsheng: “My name is Xia Fengsheng. I’m in Class xx, First Year.”
After that came a long self-introduction, all to help the other party understand him.
But Shi Ye did not reply for a long time. After several more messages, Xia Fengsheng sent another one.
Xia Fengsheng: “Why aren’t you replying to my messages?”
This time, Shi Ye replied.
“Why should I reply to your messages?!”
“Don’t you know how the two of us got together?!”
“You may get my body, but you’ll never get my heart!”
There were many screenshots of chats, all of them saved by Xia Fengsheng in the past. He scrolled downward looking for photos of Old Yellow Dog.
By accident, the mouse slid to the very last chat screenshot.
Shi Ye: “Haven’t seen Shengsheng for a whole week.”
Shi Ye: “Can we video call? I really miss you [crying hard].”
Shi Ye: “Why aren’t you replying, quack, wuwuwuwu.”
Halfway through looking, his phone rang. It was a call from Qin Buming. Xia Fengsheng stood up with the phone in hand and went out to the balcony.
Barely two minutes after he left, Shi Ye and Ding Qizhen came in to ask if he wanted to go buy baseball jackets together.
They could wear them to the game in a few days.
There was no one in the room, only the computer still on.
Neither of them had the habit of snooping through other people’s privacy. Shi Ye only meant to close the laptop for him, but in the instant before it shut, both of them saw what was on the screen.
Looking at Shi Ye’s awkward expression, Ding Qizhen immediately stood up for his friend.
“Who’s Xia Fengsheng chatting with?”
“Using duck and all that, talking so coquettishly. Obviously some green tea.”
“Who is it? So annoying and cheap.”
“Just look at that ingratiating way of talking.”
The more Ding Qizhen spoke, the more disgusted he got, even making a gagging gesture.
Shi Ye said in a low voice, “Me.”
Ding Qizhen, midway through gagging: ……
