Chapter 62
After Aunt Wei finished her IV drip, Fang Jing Yao pressed the call button for the nurse and carefully took care of her himself. The nurse distributed Aunt Wei’s afternoon medication and reminded Fang Jing Yao of the precautions to take. Seeing that he had agreed to everything, she left.
Aunt Wei woke up and saw him like this, and smiled, “You’re so thoughtful. I’m relieved that Long Yu is being taken care of by you.”
Fang Jing Yao smiled and said, “I should be thanking him.” He looked at the ring on his finger, the little heart on it was really cute. Fang Jing Yao smiled and said, “Auntie, you don’t know, I once found a piece of jade in Yunnan. I was quite lucky back then… but I’ve used it all up now. I want to try my luck again, and I’m counting on Long Yu to protect me.”
Aunt Wei said, “That child has always been lucky, otherwise he wouldn’t have met you.”
She spoke casually, but Fang Jing Yao still felt a little embarrassed by the praise. It’s probably how both sets of parents react when they see each other’s children; his mother adored Long Yu, and Long Yu’s elders felt it was a blessing for him, both thinking their children had gotten a great deal.
After finishing her physical examination, Fang’s mother made a special trip to visit Aunt Wei. They were old neighbors, and seeing each other again filled her with emotion.
Fang Jing Yao’s mother said, “When Long Yu’s mother came to our house, I had a vague impression of this child, but so many years have passed and I didn’t dare to acknowledge him. I never expected that he would actually be an old neighbor… This is fate.”
Aunt Wei sat on the headboard, leaning against the wall, smiling and nodding, “That’s right, it’s been more than ten or twenty years. They were still young then, and I never imagined that after all this time, our two families would become in-laws.”
This made Fang’s mother smile from ear to ear. “Yes, we’re family now. If you need anything, just tell Jing Yao to do it. He’s very meticulous.”
Aunt Wei smiled and nodded, “Okay.” She looked at Fang Jing Yao, reached out and patted the back of his hand, saying, “Jing Yao is a good boy. Longyu is a quiet person, and I was worried that he would be wronged.”
Fang Jing Yao’s mother was straightforward and made no secret of her affection for Long Yu. Although she sometimes criticized Fang Jing Yao, she ultimately hoped that others would like her child. Seeing Aunt Wei praising Fang Jing Yao, she was naturally happy. She then said to Aunt Wei, “I’ll make some soup tomorrow and have Jing Yao bring it to you. I’ll also send some to Long Yu… I just went to the outpatient building to queue for a number for my physical exam. There were so many people there, I couldn’t keep up. Long Yu will definitely have to go through a lot too. I can’t help much, so I’ll just take care of the children’s logistics.”
Aunt Wei politely declined, but seeing that she insisted on bringing it, she said, “Long Yu likes corn and pork rib soup, and I’ve been craving some whole grains these past few days, so I’ll trouble you to do this.”
Mrs. Fang agreed. The two women hadn’t seen each other for many years and had a lot to talk about. Fang Jing Yao couldn’t get a word in edgewise if he stayed, so he went out to get them some water. When he returned, he noticed a hint of sadness on their faces. The moment they saw Fang Jing Yao enter, they stopped talking about what they had been discussing. Mrs. Fang’s eyes were a little red, and Fang Jing Yao couldn’t help but glance at her a few more times. Mrs. Fang took the cup of hot water, drank a couple of sips, and ignored him, only saying to Aunt Wei, “I’m retired now. I don’t have much to do these days, so I’ll come visit you often when I have time.”
Aunt Wei remained calm and advised her, “At our age, the most important thing is to take care of ourselves. Since your knees aren’t good, don’t walk around too much. Jing Yao is here, everything is fine, so don’t worry.”
Fang’s mother sighed, and before leaving, she insisted on leaving Aunt Wei a few hundred yuan, then picked up her bag and left.
Unable to argue further, Aunt Wei slipped the money into Fang Jing Yao’s bag while he was seeing her downstairs. At her age and with her illness, she wasn’t short of money. Having lived to this point, she was more concerned with finding peace of mind. She had held on until today not only for herself, but also for the sake of her children.
Fang Jing Yao escorted his mother downstairs, glancing at her furtively the whole way, and tentatively asked, “Mom, were you crying just now?”
Fang’s mother sighed and said, “I just felt sorry for her. At her age, she’s not afraid of anything else, but she’s afraid of getting sick.”
Fang Jing Yao said optimistically, “The doctor said I’m getting better every day, and the treatment will be over in a few days. I heard from my aunt that she’s not used to living here, so she’ll get some medicine to take home in a few days. Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get better.”
Fang’s mother glanced at him, patted his head, and said helplessly, “Silly son, alright, you can stay here and take care of things for a few more days. Your father and I are fine. You can come home tomorrow and I’ll cook you something nice. You and Long Yu have been busy these past few days. I see you two…” She looked closely and noticed that Long Yu had lost weight, but her silly son had gotten a little chubby.
Fang Jing Yao took her hand and made her touch his waist. “I’ve lost weight too. Look, my waist is so thin!”
Fang’s mother laughed and slapped him, “You’re such a chatterbox. Remember to come home and get it tomorrow.”
Fang Jing Yao laughed and said, “Hey!”
When they got home that evening, Fang Jing Yao stopped Long Yu from preparing dinner for the next day. He said to him, “I ran into my mom today. She came for a check-up and stopped by my aunt on the way. She said we must not have been eating well these past few days, and she wants me to go home tomorrow so she can cook something delicious for us. Don’t bother, I’ll bring it to you at noon tomorrow. My mom will definitely prepare a lot for you.”
Long Yu nodded in agreement and said with a smile, “Then I’ll have to look forward to it.”
Fang Jing Yao said, “Of course, my mom treats you like her own son, almost as well as Huang Bao. She cherishes you dearly.”
Hearing his words, Long Yu seemed jealous and couldn’t help but laugh, saying, “I’ll take care of you.”
As always, Dr. Long did indeed pamper Fang Jing Yao that night, leaving no stone unturned. Perhaps because he had been under immense stress these past few days, even when he was holding Fang Jing Yao and enjoying the moment, he was more forceful than usual, as if he wanted to bury himself entirely inside him, seeking a sense of security, and penetrating to a place he had never been before.
Fang Jing Yao was panting heavily from his actions. As if sensing something, he reached out and hugged Long Yu, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but before he could speak, he was kissed by Dr. Long again, and they started making love again…
After venting his unease, Long Yu seemed much better the next day. He didn’t rush to get up when he woke up, but touched the purplish handprints left on Fang Jing Yao’s body, feeling somewhat guilty. Having lived with him for a long time, Fang Jing Yao’s waking pace was basically the same; he woke up as soon as Long Yu moved. The touch tickled him, and he chuckled twice with his eyes closed, saying in a nasal voice, “Now you feel bad, huh? You were so rough last night… But it doesn’t hurt, it’ll be fine in a couple of days. Do you want to do it again in the morning? Let me make it clear, I really don’t have the energy anymore, you do it yourself.”
Long Yu hugged him, nuzzled his neck twice, and chuckled softly.
Fang Jing Yao turned around and touched Dr. Long’s shoulder. “Does it hurt?”
He only felt the stinging pain when he touched Long Yu. He tilted his head and glanced at it, seeing a bright, gleaming tooth mark left there, looking adorably arrogant. He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and shook his head, saying, “It doesn’t hurt. You can bite me again in a couple of days.”
Fang Jing Yao pushed him away, got up to put on his clothes, and mumbled, “Come on, I’m not like you. I wouldn’t have bitten you if you hadn’t been pushing so deep…”
Long Yu watched him go to take a bath, lay on the bed for a while and thought about it, then put on a bathrobe and followed him in.
Fang Jing Yao was a little reluctant, but the homeowner insisted on washing together, so he gave in.
When Long Yu went to work, Fang Jing Yao didn’t get the real thing done again while he was taking a shower, but Dr. Long insisted on washing him himself, so he was washed all over again, inside and out. After Long Yu left, he took a nap before getting up.
After tidying up a bit, and seeing that it was almost time, I went home first.
Fang’s mother prepared a lot of food for him, each small portion was placed separately, which looked very particular.
Fang Jing Yao saw some edamame and couldn’t resist trying to steal some, but his mother slapped him and said, “You’re so unambitious!”
Fang Jing Yao said, “I asked you for some last time, but you didn’t make it for me! Long Yu doesn’t like this either, so what’s wrong with me taking a bite first…” He looked at the plate of edamame and said angrily, “If Long Yu were here, he would definitely let me eat first.”
Fang’s mother was amused by his antics and handed him a plate, saying, “Here, eat up!”
As Fang Jing Yao ate, he watched his mother pack the food into two large boxes, each with several layers, and said from the side, “We can’t eat this much.”
Fang’s mother said, “I know, the bottom layer is the smoked mackerel that your aunt brought over. It’s freshly made. You usually like to eat it, right? It won’t spoil if you put it in the refrigerator. It’s perfect with some porridge or something.”
Fang Jing Yao hugged the old lady affectionately and said with a smile, “Thank you, Mom!”
Fang’s mother spat at him, “Now you’re calling me ‘Mom,’ but weren’t you feeling wronged just now!”
Fang Jing Yao: “I’m not wronged at all, not even a little bit!”
Fang Jing Yao’s mother packed a lot of things, stuffing them all into his car. As she watched him get in, she kept telling him, “When you get there, ask if there’s anything else you want to eat, and I’ll prepare it for you.”
Fang Jing Yao agreed.
When Fang Jing Yao arrived at the hospital, he remembered his mother’s last physical examination and called her to ask, “Mom, shall I ask about your physical examination report for you? I can bring it back to you on my way tonight.”
Fang’s mother said, “No need, everything else is done. We just need to do a gastroscopy. The results came out yesterday. It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry about it.”
Fang Jing Yao agreed, and then his mother asked, “Have you arrived at the hospital yet?”
As Fang Jing Yao parked the car, he said, “We’ve arrived. We’re parking. We’ll be up in a bit.”
Fang’s mother instructed him, “There’s also a box of fruit inside. Remember to give it to Long Yu’s colleagues. Remember that doctor who went to the conference in Sanya with you last time? Try to build a good relationship with him…” Fang Jing Yao had mentioned it before, and Fang’s mother had kept it in mind. Although Fang Jing Yao called Long Yu “brother” when he went to see him, they were still family, and he should greet Long Yu’s colleagues and friends.
“Okay, okay, got it.” Fang Jing Yao glanced at the rearview mirror; a doctor in a white coat was waving enthusiastically at him from a short distance behind. Fang Jing Yao muttered to himself, “What a coincidence, I actually ran into him…”
Hearing this, Fang’s mother asked, “That colleague of Long Yu’s whom you met last time?”
Fang Jing Yao said, “Yes, it’s right behind me, and it’s waving at me.”
Fang’s mother said, “You should honk your horn for them later too…”
Just then, Fang Jing Yao’s car bumped into the car behind him with a soft “bang.” His first reaction was to hang up the phone, stop the car, and quickly get out. He was reversing slowly, so there wasn’t much damage, just a scratch on the front of the other car. The doctor who had been waving and greeting them came over. He had seen Fang Jing Yao come to see Long Yu before, and had even shown him the way a couple of times, so they knew each other. Seeing Fang Jing Yao, he said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, “I’ve been waving and saying ‘Don’t back up! Don’t back up!’ and you’ve even honked your horn, why didn’t you stop!”
Fang Jing Yao blushed deeply and said, “I thought you were greeting me!”
The other person couldn’t help but laugh, and bent down to look at the damaged car. “It’s okay, it’s not a big problem. They’re all from our compound. You can just go up and tell them in a bit.”
Fang Jing Yao scratched his head and asked, “Um, Dr. Dong, whose car is this?”
Dr. Dong smiled and said, “It’s our director’s.”
Fang Jing Yao, carrying the soup for Long Yu, didn’t go anywhere else first and went straight to the director’s office. The director was on the phone and was taken aback when he suddenly saw Fang Jing Yao come in. After Fang Jing Yao stood there apologetically with the lunchbox in hand, the director recognized him and said with a smile, “I remember you. Your surname is Fang, right? Fang Jing Yao?”
Fang Jing Yao stood there and asked, “You… know me?”
The director smiled and nodded. “I saw your photo at my old classmate’s house in Sanya last time. It’s very nice.”
Fang Jing Yao thought for a moment. All he had taken in Sanya was a few photos with Long Yu’s father. That was all. He was pretty sure of what had happened. Just as he was about to apologize to the director again, he heard the director stop talking on the phone and ask him with interest, “Hey, what brings you here today?”
Fang Jing Yao honestly replied, “I came to visit the patient and also brought some food for Long Yu.”
The director responded with an “Oh,” and said with a smile, “Sending it to Long Yu? Not bad, not bad!”
Fang Jing Yao stood there and was looked up and down by the director. He looked almost as bad as when Long Yu’s father looked at him. He was a little at a loss for what to do.
The director asked him a few more questions, and Fang Jing Yao stammered a bit. The old man’s gaze fell on the lunchbox he was carrying, and he asked with great interest, “What kind of food did you send over?”
Fang Jing Yao readily complied and quickly presented the box of fruit. Just as he put it down, he heard Professor Long’s booming voice coming from the other end of the phone: “…You can’t make things difficult for my Jing Yao. How much is your beat-up car? I’ll get it repainted.”
The director chuckled, glanced at Fang Jing Yao, and said into the microphone, “You old man, I haven’t even said anything yet. Who is this young man to you? Why are you protecting him like this?”
Professor Long chuckled and said, “My godson!”
Fang Jing Yao immediately called out, “Dad!”
Professor Long was even happier; his laughter could be heard even through the phone.
The director didn’t press him any further, waving his hand and saying, “Go on, it’s lunch break now, Long Yu should be in his office. You don’t need to worry about the car anymore, just be more careful next time, or your godfather will be heartbroken!”
Fang Jing Yao thanked him politely and quickly left.
Professor Long, on the other hand, benefited from Fang Jing Yao’s louder “Dad” than Long Yu’s, which warmed his heart. He wasn’t annoyed by the director’s teasing, only smiling and remaining silent. After finishing their conversation, he asked the director, “Any updates from the oncology department regarding Long Yu’s aunt’s illness?”
The director lowered his voice and said, “The situation of your relative is not ideal.”
Professor Long sighed and said, “Thank you for your help these past few years.”
The director said, “It’s no trouble at all. I never expected you to entrust such an excellent doctor as Long Yu to me, haha.”
Professor Long chuckled, half with emotion and half with a sigh, “I didn’t expect it either. He had planned his future so well, but in the end he still came back. I’m not worried about his medical skills or his future development. I’m only worried that he can’t get over this mental hurdle… Please talk to him for me over there.”
The director was also filled with mixed emotions, and could only nod and say, “I’ll try my best, but it ultimately depends on him.”
Fang Jing Yao went to the inpatient department to deliver food to his aunt first, then went to find Long Yu. He told Long Yu about bumping into someone’s car, and said with a heavy heart, “Luckily, the director was on the phone with my uncle at the time, and he heard it and said he would help me fix the paint…”
Long Yu said, “Teacher’s car is fine, I’ll take care of it for you later. You should also install a reversing radar in your car, right?”
Fang Jing Yao nodded. “I’ll get it done tomorrow.”
Long Yu said, “I’ll have the 4S store handle it today. You can drive my car first.”
Fang Jing Yao said, “Forget it, your car’s headlights alone would cost nearly four thousand if touched. I’m not driving it.”
Long Yu raised an eyebrow: “Then you’ll wait for me to get off work. You’ll stay at the hospital today and you’re not allowed to go anywhere.”
Fang Jing Yao nodded reluctantly, having no choice but to accept it.
What he didn’t expect was that Dr. Dong had a very wide social circle. Within two hours, half the hospital knew about the incident where he accidentally hitched a ride with the director’s car while delivering lunch to Long Yu. Now the whole hospital knows that Dr. Long, who just returned from abroad, has a very handsome younger brother who obediently delivers lunch to Dr. Long every day!
The aftermath of this incident was that whenever Fang Jing Yao came to the hospital again, every doctor and nurse would greet him. Sometimes, even if he didn’t go to see Long Yu, they would enthusiastically take him to Long Yu’s place.
The news that he and Long Yu are “family” has been completely confirmed.
