Chapter 31 As luck would have it, Zhou Lan was with...
As luck would have it, when Zhou Lan took Tang Nian back to the ward after the examination, they ran into Shen Li, who was out picking up the forms.
Both of them paused for a moment, as if by magic.
Zhou Lan spoke first, greeting Shen Li with a smile: "Haha, what a coincidence! President Shen is also at the hospital?"
Shen Li nodded: "I came with my family."
Perhaps the scene from half an hour ago was too shocking for Zhou Lan. As soon as he heard the words "family," Jiang Huaichuan's face appeared in his mind. He blurted out, "Oh, I came with my husband."
The words had barely left his mouth when Zhou Lan wanted to slap himself. What the hell was he saying?!
Tang Nian stood to the side, glancing helplessly at her husband before silently looking away. She took a step to the side, trying to escape the awkward atmosphere, but Zhou Lan stopped her.
Tang Nian ignored her husband's pleading eyes and focused her gaze on Shen Li's face.
Tang Nian is a little nearsighted. She hadn't been able to see Shen Li's face clearly before because they were too far apart. Now, the three of them were only two meters apart, and the young man's handsome and gentle face came into view, his warm eyes looking at them.
Tang Nian felt that the face looked somewhat familiar.
Shen Li looked at Zhou Lan and Tang Nian's clasped hands, his eyes suddenly trembling. He looked away and said, "Yes, he has a slight fever."
Overview: ? ? ?
Upon hearing this, Zhou Lan's eyes widened instantly. These two are married?
Since same-sex marriage was legalized, people have become more careful about how they address their partners. Only same-sex couples who have already registered their marriage will use the term "husband" to refer to each other.
Zhou Lan was so shocked that his language system was in chaos. He blurted out, "Ah, congratulations, no, I wish you a speedy recovery."
——
When Shen Li returned to the ward, Jiang Huaichuan was already lying on the bed, half asleep. The central air conditioning was blowing warm air, and the ward was so quiet that the sound of the wind outside the window could be heard.
Sensing movement, Jiang Huaichuan opened his eyes and asked in a hoarse voice, "Why did you take so long?"
"I ran into Mr. Zhou from HCL and we chatted for a bit."
"Zhou Lan?" Jiang Huaichuan.
Shen Li placed the test results together with the previous ones: "Well, his wife is five months pregnant and has had a bit of a cold these past few days, so she came here for a check-up."
Jiang Huaichuan squinted and recalled, "I remember his wife was the youngest daughter of the CEO of Tangsheng Group. Four years ago, the Zhou and Tang families arranged a business marriage. Zhou Lan's father liked to make a big show of things, and it was Tang Lao's first time marrying off his daughter, so the extravagance of that wedding was known even in City A."
Shen Li paused in his pouring of water, and that silvery-white light flashed before his eyes again. He suppressed the envy in his eyes and said gently, "Their relationship seems to be quite good."
Jiang Huaichuan keenly sensed that Shen Li's emotions had sunk, but the high fever and dizziness in his body made his thoughts somewhat blocked, and he couldn't figure out the reason for it for a moment.
Even three days after being discharged from the hospital, Jiang Huaichuan was still thinking about this matter.
Jiang Huaichuan realized that Shen Li's mind was different from others; his ability to fill in the blanks was exceptionally strong. If you didn't explain clearly, he could send you straight to the crematorium.
Just like last week, Jiang Huaichuan was so angry that his liver hurt.
Three years ago, Shen Li collapsed at the entrance of the building and suffered an unexpected heart attack. She almost didn't survive. Jiang Huaichuan was afraid that it would happen again, so he put a bracelet on Shen Li to monitor her heart rate and health, and the data was linked to his phone.
This bracelet broke last week.
Since it was broken, Jiang Huaichuan had the company's R&D department bring over a new product, thinking he would put it on Shen Li before he went to bed that night. But Shen Li, who was leaning against the headboard looking at his phone, saw the bracelet and, like a mouse seeing a cat, quickly climbed off the bed, grabbed his pillow, and headed to the next bedroom.
Jiang Huaichuan quickly stood up and pulled her back, then put his arm around Shen Li's waist in confusion and asked, "Is it uncomfortable to wear? I had the R&D department use a skin-friendly soft silicone material."
Shen Li remained silent. He turned his head away, put his wrists behind his back, and his eyes were red. No matter what Jiang Huaichuan said, he refused to take him.
Jiang Huaichuan knew that Shen Li was not a willful person. Seeing that he was resisting so hard, he put the bracelet into the drawer next to him, even though he didn't know why.
Jiang Huaichuan ruffled Shen Li's fluffy, soft head and coaxed him gently, "Alright, alright, if you don't want to take us, then we won't."
In the middle of the night, Jiang Huaichuan found his arms empty. He groggily reached out, and then a soft, rustling sound came from beside him.
Jiang Huaichuan stopped what he was doing, opened his eyes slightly, and saw Shen Li squatting in front of the bedside table, looking down at the bracelet in the drawer.
Looking at the exquisite black bracelet in the drawer, Shen Li's gaze was dim and deep, like a pool of stagnant water.
He did it on purpose.
The smart health bracelets developed by Jiang's Group's pharmaceutical and biological subsidiaries all have strict waterproof functions, so you don't need to take them off when showering or swimming in daily life.
On Tuesday morning, when Shen Li was swinging her bowl, she accidentally swung it too hard, and the watch face hit the wall, making a crisp sound.
Shen Li withdrew her hand and saw obvious cracks.
In the afternoon, Shen Li sat at her workstation, her fingertips constantly rubbing the crack that was hurting her finger. It was very quiet around her, with only the sound of the keyboard and the soft rustling of pages turning.
As Shen Li stared at the computer screen, the cracks in front of her seemed to transform into an insurmountable barrier. An idea sprouted from the depths of her mind and grew wildly.
That evening, Shen Li stood in front of the bathtub, silently reaching out to turn on the water filling button. He stepped into the bathtub, bent his knees, and completely immersed his wrists in the water.
It's okay. Jiang Huaichuan said he liked him, so it's alright if he accidentally broke the "surveillance camera"...
Ripples danced in his eyes as Shen Li gazed at the water's surface, a flicker of pleasure crossing his gaze.
After a long while, when the hot water cooled down, Shen Li got up, stepped out of the bathtub, and wrapped herself in a bathrobe.
Standing in front of the mirror, Shen Li looked at her reflection and suddenly arched her eyebrows, a smile spreading across her lips.
"Chen Li".
There was a knock on the bathroom door, and Jiang Huaichuan's worried voice came from outside, "I'm coming in."
Shen Li immediately stopped smiling.
As soon as Jiang Huaichuan walked in, he saw Shen Li's wet hair and quickly grabbed a towel from the side to wrap around her wet head.
With a gentle, rhythmic rubbing motion, Shen Li's gaze was hidden beneath the white towel, his eyes flickering in and out of focus.
Jiang Huaichuan's voice continued: "After taking a shower, make sure to cover your head so you don't catch a cold. Also, dry your feet and put on fluffy slippers, and..."
Shen Li lowered his eyelashes, staring at Jiang Huaichuan's pajamas swaying in front of him. He said in a low voice, "...The watch got wet and broke..."
Jiang Huaichuan continued working, saying, "If it's broken, it's broken, it's okay."
Shen Li's Adam's apple bobbed up and down: "...Mm."
——
The bedroom light was on, casting a warm yellow glow on the two of them, creating a soft halo. A water glass that had been accidentally knocked over lay on the floor beside the bed.
Shen Li sat on the bed, his head stubbornly lowered, not daring to look at Jiang Huaichuan, his voice dry: "I'm sorry, I broke it on purpose, I don't want to wear the bracelet."
Jiang Huaichuan had expected this. He squatted down and looked up at Shen Li: "Can you tell me why?"
"I...don't want to die out there..."
"What?" Jiang Huaichuan's pupils dilated in shock.
Jiang Huaichuan swayed and almost lost his balance, so he grabbed Shen Li's arm.
Jiang Huaichuan couldn't bear to hear that word.
Everyone in his life was leaving him. He was even prepared that Shen Li would one day say goodbye to him, but once the word came out of Shen Li's mouth, Jiang Huaichuan still couldn't bear it.
Shen Li's voice was barely audible: "This bracelet... isn't it just for monitoring my body data...?"
Jiang Huaichuan nodded: "Yes."
"You... didn't you want to... prevent me from dying at home...?"
"Wait, Shen Li, we can try to avoid that word when we're communicating, okay?" Jiang Huaichuan almost had to go to the hospital for oxygen. He asked incredulously, "Why would you think that?"
"Didn't you plan to monitor my physical condition at all times and send me outside if you sensed anything abnormal? ...I still want to...stay at home."
Heaven can bear witness.
Jiang Huaichuan's wrongful convictions throughout his life were all due to Shen Li's judgment.
“I want to monitor your health at all times because I’m afraid something might happen to you when you’re alone. If Zhang Ma hadn’t come half an hour early that time, we wouldn’t have had the chance to talk face to face like this now.”
Jiang Huaichuan felt an overwhelming pang of heartache. Almost four years had passed since then, and Shen Li had been wearing a watch every day, living with misunderstanding and fear for three years, yet he hadn't noticed anything amiss.
What Jiang Huaichuan found most unacceptable was that he knew why Shen Li didn't pick it—because it was a gift from him, and Shen Li would accept anything he gave her.
Shen Li stared blankly at the unusually pale patch of skin on his left wrist: "...Is that so?"
It wasn't because I thought it was bad luck for him to die at home, but because I was afraid he would die quietly at home...
Jiang Huaichuan buried his head in Shen Li's chest and pleaded, "Shen Li, you can't keep things to yourself. It's not good for your health, and it's not fair to me either."
Shen Li didn't wear the new bracelet; he and Jiang Huaichuan agreed to wait a while. Since becoming connected with Jiang Huaichuan, the huge weight on Shen Li's heart had been lifted. Although old wounds still lingered, everything was moving in a positive direction.
Shen Li went to complete the discharge procedures and pick up her medication.
Song An flew back to City A on the same day Jiang Huaichuan was hospitalized. With Jiang Huaichuan away, Song An could still fill in for half of the company. Jiang Huaichuan was considering transferring Song An to the City B branch as its head in two years.
Song An is capable and decisive; she shouldn't be confined to the position of an assistant.
Shen Li is also...
Jiang Huaichuan followed Shen Li's instructions and went to the medicine collection hall. Shen Li was sitting in a chair waiting for her number to be called. Jiang Huaichuan took a long stride and sat down next to Shen Li.
Jiang Huaichuan especially liked to pinch Shen Li's fingertips. As soon as he sat down, he gathered Shen Li's fingers in his palm and asked, "What do you want to eat for lunch?"
Shen Li shook his head; he had no appetite.
Just as he was about to say something, Jiang Huaichuan's name appeared in window number 2, and Jiang Huaichuan stood up.
"I'll go get it."
As Jiang Huaichuan took the medicine, he turned around and suddenly met a familiar face.
Zhou Lan has appeared again.
Zhou Lan also expressed his helplessness, saying that the hospital is so big, with three pharmacy dispensing halls alone, and yet he still encountered this situation.
"President Jiang." Zhou Lan stepped forward. "Nice to meet you. Are you heading back to City A?"
Jiang Huaichuan shook hands with him: "Well, the timing wasn't right this time. Next time you come to City A, let me know in advance, and we can have a meal together."
"Sure, I added Mr. Shen on WeChat earlier, planning to rip you off. Since you've said so, I won't be polite. After my wife gives birth, the whole family of four will come over for a free meal."
A faint smile appeared on Jiang Huaichuan's usually cold and hard face: "Congratulations."
Zhou Lan laughed heartily, revealing eight big teeth: "Congratulations, congratulations! I haven't wished President Jiang and President Shen a happy marriage yet. You have to make up for it with the wedding candy."
Jiang Huaichuan did not respond immediately.
Shen Li happened to hear this. He stood next to Jiang Huaichuan, his eyes flashing slightly: "Okay."
Even after Zhou Lan had walked more than ten meters away, Jiang Huaichuan remained in the same position. He finally understood the reason for Shen Li's emotional change that day.
In the rush of the year, he and Shen Li hastily registered their marriage without holding a wedding ceremony, taking wedding photos, or even buying rings.
Five years of wasted time, Shen Li's increasingly deteriorating health, declining mood, and precarious marriage—marrying him had truly taken very badly for Shen Li.
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Author's Note: I revised the following text; it was rushed out so quickly that even I couldn't stand reading it the next day. [Cracking face]
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