Chapter 3, Chapter 3: Jing Yi also came?
Jing Yitong's words were like a thunderclap, completely shutting down Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian's brains: Brother? What brother?
Fang Xin has an older brother, Jing Yitong?
...That can't be right, I've never heard Fang Xingu say that before!
The two stared blankly, trying to rethink their thought processes, until finally Ying Zhen's voice broke the silence from Qi Qiu's phone: "Eh? Is that Xiao Tong?"
All three of them turned their attention to their phones, and Qi Qiu belatedly realized that he hadn't hung up the call with Ying Zhen.
He stiffly raised his phone, struggling with how to explain the scene before him, when Jing Yitong stepped forward and said into the phone, "Auntie? My mom told me about the recent incident, and I'm already at the hospital."
"It really is you! When did you come back to Shen City?" Ying Zhen said with a hint of reproach, but her tone was noticeably more relaxed. "I feel relieved to have you here. I'll have to trouble you with Xin Gu."
"Okay, I'll call you back in a bit."
Jing Yitong and Ying Zhen started chatting on Qi Qiu's phone, further solidifying their "brother" status. Ye Wenlian and Qi Qiu exchanged bewildered glances.
Qi Qiu: No, these two are really brothers? Did you know that?
Yeh Wen-lien: If even your agent doesn't know, how would I know?
Qi Qiu was furious at their lack of ambition: What a fake brotherhood you guys have!
Ye Wenlian sneered: "It's still better than you, a mere accessory manager!"
Finally, Jing Yitong's voice interrupted their eye contact: "Then I'll go in and see what's new and old?"
The patient's own mother has agreed, so what else can they say?
Qi Qiu: "Okay, but Xin Gu is still asleep."
Jing Yitong entered Fang Xingu's ward. As the ward door was gently closed, Qi Qiu picked up his phone again and asked Ying Zhen about the situation: "Sister, is Teacher Jing Xingu's brother?"
"You mean Xiao Tong?" Ying Zhen replied, "Well, they're not blood brothers, but the Fang and Jing families are old friends. They grew up together, so they're practically brothers."
Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian exchanged a glance and raised an eyebrow: "Huh? You grew up together?"
Fang Xingu is really tight-lipped; he hasn't mentioned this matter once in four years.
At this moment, Jing Yitong had already tiptoed to Fang Xingu's side in the ward.
Actually, this was not a good time to visit a patient. Fang Xingu was still unconscious, his eyes were closed, and he showed no signs of waking up. However, Jing Yitong was really worried, so as soon as he learned that Fang Xingu was hospitalized, he rushed over without stopping.
Fang Xin was still wearing the same costume he had worn on stage, but he looked nothing like the dazzling person he had been on stage. He was pale and haggard, without a trace of color, and his brows were furrowed, as if he was having a bad time even in his sleep.
The lights in the ward were dim. Jing Yitong sat on the edge of the bed and wanted to touch Fang Xingu's forehead with his hand, but he was afraid of waking him up. In the end, he just held Fang Xingu's right palm to test the temperature.
It's definitely a bit hot; it seems the high fever hasn't subsided yet.
Jing Yitong's gaze slid back to Fang Xingu's face, tracing Fang Xingu's cheeks with his eyes, and he felt that Fang Xingu seemed to have lost a lot of weight than before.
Jing Yitong then smiled wryly. The word "seems" was really apt. In fact, he hadn't seen Fang Xingu for a long time. The last time they met was during the Chinese New Year when the two families had dinner together.
When did they stop being as close as they were when they were children, and instead drift further and further apart?
Mingming and Fang Xin were very attached to him when they were little. From the time they learned to walk, they liked to follow behind him and always called him "brother". This made many people think that they were brothers. They never explained and even enjoyed encouraging this misunderstanding.
...Perhaps everything changed from the moment he realized he wasn't a good older brother.
Just as Jing Yitong was about to fall into his memories, Fang Xingu's right fingertips suddenly trembled and scratched Jing Yitong's hand.
Jing Yitong thought Fang Xingu was about to wake up. He withdrew his hand, held his breath, and subconsciously concocted a reasonable explanation for his presence here. Unfortunately, he stared at Fang Xingu for a full three minutes, but in the end, Fang Xingu only trembled slightly and did not break free from the nightmare to wake up.
It looks like I won't be waking up today.
Jing Yitong found it somewhat amusing to recall his own startled reaction.
He released Fang Xingu's hand, and before getting up to leave, he tucked him in, but noticed that Fang Xingu's collarbone was red.
Under the dim light, Jing Yitong frowned and pulled Fang Xingu's collar open to both sides. Actually, this action was a bit offensive, but Jing Yitong couldn't care less at this moment because he had already seen that Fang Xingu had also developed a large patch of red rash below his collarbone.
It's eczema.
Fang Xin was prone to allergies as a child. He frequently suffered from eczema and tested positive for a multitude of allergens, including dust mites, seafood, egg whites, and pineapple. As he grew older, his condition gradually improved. He encountered fewer allergens and became less prone to allergies. His eczema would only flare up when he was under a lot of stress.
...So you've been under a lot of pressure lately?
Jing Yitong stared silently at Fang Xingu for a long time, then finally sighed, took out his bag, and pulled out a tube of eczema ointment that Fang Xingu often used.
The unique medicinal scent of the ointment wafted out, and Jing Yitong used a cotton swab to apply some to the red rashes on Fang Xingu's body.
Half an hour later, Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian sat in the corridor outside the ward, their souls seemingly leaving their bodies.
Ye Wenlian: "It's been half an hour, and he still hasn't come out."
Qi Qiu: "I don't understand, what's so interesting about a sleeping person?"
Ye Wenlian nodded in deep agreement.
A few minutes later, the door to the ward finally opened, and Ye Wenlian and Qi Qiu immediately changed their expressions, walking forward with smiles: "Teacher Jing, how is it?"
Jing Yitong: "He has developed eczema. I just applied some medicine to it and left a tube of his usual ointment by his bedside. But it would be best to have Dr. Qian from the dermatology department take a look. He is more familiar with both recent and past conditions."
Qi Qiu quickly replied, "Oh, okay."
Jing Yitong continued to instruct, "The saline solution he's on will probably finish in about two hours. I've installed a monitor, so remember to call someone to remove the needle later. I have to catch my flight, so I'll be going now."
Qi Qiu and Ye Wenlian were so shocked today that they could only nod blankly in agreement.
Jing Yitong hesitated, wondering why these two seemed so dim-witted. Could he really entrust Fang Xingu to them?
But time was limited, and no matter how worried Jing Yitong was, he had no choice but to get up and head to the airport.
He was filming in Yan Province recently, and he took half a day off from the film crew so that he could come to Shen City to see Fang Xin Gu's concert today. However, the sudden thunderstorm delayed his trip, and his flight was delayed for more than four hours. As a result, he almost missed Nebula's last song.
He had finally arrived in Shen City and met Fang Xin, but he couldn't stay too long. He only had half a day off. Although he was still reluctant to leave, he still had to catch a red-eye flight back to Yan Province.
On the way back to the airport, Jing Yitong called Ying Zhen again.
"Auntie, Xin Gu had a fever and was too tired from the recent tour, so she couldn't hold on and fainted."
"Is he alright?"
"It's alright, it's just that I've developed eczema."
"Eczema again?" Ying Zhen was a little surprised. "He hasn't had it since junior high school, what's wrong with him lately?"
Jing Yitong rubbed his temples, and after a moment of silence, he hesitated before saying, "It might be because he's been under a lot of pressure lately... Is it because you told him about that?"
Ying Zhen was stunned for a moment before realizing what Jing Yitong was talking about—
A marriage alliance. The Jing family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Fang family.
The Jing family's main business is ocean shipping, but it is rumored that shipping policies may change in the next few years, which will not be conducive to the development of the Jing family's shipping business. Fortunately, everything has not yet been settled and there is still room for maneuver.
It just so happens that the Fang and Ying families have extensive connections in this area, and the Jing and Fang families are old friends. Jing Yitong's father immediately thought of the Fang family and even swallowed his pride to ask them for help.
The Fang family had previously received a favor from the Jing family, and Ying Zhen and his wife were naturally willing to help their old friends. However, since they were dealing with higher-level departments, while the departments were willing to give the Fang and Ying families face, it was uncertain how much effort those people, who were not related to the Jing family, would still be willing to put in after passing through several hands.
However, if the two families become one through marriage, the situation will naturally be different.
Moreover, the marriage alliance also brings many benefits to the other family. At the very least, the Fang family's slightly tight cash flow can be greatly alleviated through the Jing family's resources.
Since one side has connections and the other has resources, there's nothing wrong with the two families getting married, but they can't ignore the child's wishes.
The marriage will inevitably affect the lives of the two children, leaving an indelible mark on their lives. As a parent, Yingzhen cannot interfere arbitrarily.
Yingzhen stammered, "The new and old places over there... sigh."
Jing Yitong's fingers tightened unconsciously: "He doesn't want to?"
"It's not that I'm unwilling..."
She hadn't even told Fang Xin Gu yet!
Although it was the Jing family who needed his help, Ying Zhen felt extremely awkward, since his family could also profit from it, and it felt like he was selling his son...
Ying Zhen couldn't bring himself to ask Xingu for the advice, and was at his wit's end: "Sigh... I can't make the decision on this. You should discuss it with Xingu yourself."
Jing Yitong's veins bulged on the back of his hand. Judging from Ying Zhen's tone, Fang Xin Gu really did disagree.
It's normal that Fang Xingu was unwilling; no one would easily accept this situation, especially since Fang Xingu is a straight man.
But soon, Jing Yitong loosened his fingers again, showing no sign of anything amiss during the conversation: "Okay, then I'll talk to him again after Xin Gu is feeling better."
After passing the hot potato to Jing Yitong, Ying Zhen felt much more at ease. She comforted Jing Yitong, saying, "Don't worry too much about your family's situation. No matter what, your uncle and I will do our best to help."
"Okay, thank you, Auntie."
.
The next afternoon, Fang Xingu finally woke up from his deep sleep. He had slept so soundly that he was still a little disoriented when he woke up.
Fang Xin felt his eyelids were very heavy. Before he could even open his eyes, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital, along with a familiar smell of ointment, entered his nostrils.
In a daze, Fang Xin recognized the smell as that of Temis.
As he regained consciousness, Fang Xingu remembered that he had fainted after the concert and had been brought to the hospital.
But why does it smell like termes here? Did someone notice his eczema and apply medicine to it?
But he didn’t have any ointment with him when he fainted. This ointment is also rare in China. How could it be such a coincidence that the person applied Temisti to him?
Perhaps it is because people always think of their closest loved ones when they are sick, Fang Xin's confused mind pondered and pondered, and a possibility inexplicably surfaced in his mind.
Could it be that he came here?
With a hint of anticipation that she herself was unaware of, Fang Xingu opened her eyes, only to find Qi Qiu sitting on the sofa with his legs crossed, playing cards on his phone.
...What a huge difference.
Fang Xin took a deep breath, feeling as if his heart was shattering into powder. He quickly closed his eyes, turned his head, and chose to continue playing dead.
He must have lost his mind. How could it be Jing Yitong who came to see him!
Meanwhile, Qi Qiu noticed the movement on the hospital bed during a break from playing cards. He moved to Fang Xingu's bedside with a puzzled look and tentatively asked, "Are you awake?"
Fang Xin reluctantly opened his eyes and hummed in response.
Qi Qiu was overjoyed and quickly pressed the call button. A group of doctors and nurses rushed over to help Fang Xingu with his examination.
Only after confirming that Fang Xin was alright did Qi Qiu reveal a relieved expression: "You scared me to death yesterday. Wenlian stayed with you all night and I just sent her back to rest. If anything had really happened to you, I would have atoned with my death."
Fang Xin looked at him helplessly, and when his gaze inadvertently swept across the bedside table, he caught a glimpse of a used and very familiar Temis bottle on it.
Amid Qi Qiu's rambling, Fang Xingu stared blankly at the ointment, his mind reeling.
Qi Qiu continued earnestly, "Never mind, it's good that you're alright. Young people should take better care of their health, so they don't end up with a bunch of health problems when they get old..."
Fang Xin, however, paid no heed, his mind and eyes only focused on that ointment.
He felt a little dizzy and it took him a while to come to his senses. He asked in a hoarse, slightly nasal voice:
"Jing Yitong has been here?"
A note from the author:
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Yingzhen: It's really hard for a mother to bring up marriage arrangements.
Fang Xin Gu: ...Is that why I endured the hardship without complaint?
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