Breaking the Rules (Male Protagonist's Perspective)
The following afternoon.
Zhu Shiyi: [Do you still stand by what you said?]
Pan Yue: [?]
Zhu Shiyi: [My flight is the day after tomorrow, can you pick me up?]
Pan Yue: [Okay.]
Zhu Shiyi: [I have something I want to tell you.]
Pan Yue did not reply.
Zhu Shiyi put down her phone and stopped worrying about it.
Last night, she posted her duet with Wan Chongshan on her WeChat Moments. Her classmates liked it, her friends liked it, her colleagues liked it, her mother liked it, and even her father, who doesn't usually check WeChat Moments, liked it.
Pan Yue, who had previously liked every comment, remained silent.
Mobile phones and the internet have facilitated the transmission of information between people, making the concept of "being as close as neighbors" a reality.
Yet, the coldness of machines can distance us from those close to us. The people on the internet are diverse, some sincere, some hypocritical, and some feigning sincerity.
When you can't touch the other person's arm or see their eyes, you can't truly feel their heartbeat and every breath. This is a communication that lacks intuitive depth and warmth.
There are some things Zhu Shiyi cannot say through online communication. She needs to keep her eyes fixed on his dark pupils, not missing a single thought in his mind.
It would be meaningful for her and his feelings to be clarified face-to-face.
She wanted to hear the truth from him, even if it wasn't a good outcome, she wanted to find out.
Zhu Shiyi called Yu Fan: "I've thought it through, I want to confess my feelings to him in person."
Yu Fan asked with some surprise, "Now? When?"
"I have a flight back to school the day after tomorrow."
Yu Fan paused for a moment: "...Why don't you wait a few days before talking about it?"
Zhu Shiyi frowned deeply: "Why?"
"Didn't you know? Pan Yue's father is in the hospital. He might not be in a good mood lately. If you confess your feelings to him, you might not succeed."
"Hospitalized?" Zhu Shiyi's voice rose unexpectedly. "What happened to his father?"
"It seems to be a recurrence of cerebral infarction, I heard it from Lin Changren."
Zhu Shiyi's heart tightened, a sharp pain gripping her: "Is his father seriously ill?"
Yu Fan said he didn't know, but added, "But Pan Yue doesn't seem to be in good condition. He hasn't been to the company for several days."
“A few days ago, Lin Changren went to the hospital to visit Pan Yue’s father. When he spoke to his father, he took a long time to react and couldn’t answer. After a while, he said he was sleepy and wanted to go to sleep. Pan Yue stayed by the bedside, looking several years older and haggard.”
Zhu Shiyi opened his mouth, but no sound came out.
She searched online non-stop for information about stroke, including cerebral hemorrhage, hemiplegia, and coma...
Her eyes welled up with tears, and she covered her lips, swallowing the pain and confusion.
......
"I'll change my ticket. I want to go see him as soon as possible." Zhu Shiyi made the decision without hesitation; she couldn't wait any longer.
"Change your ticket?" Yu Fan was only surprised for a second. "Then I'll ask Lin Changren for the hospital address. After you arrive in Jinrong, remember to buy a high-speed rail ticket to Hanshan."
"Hanshan?" Zhu Shiyi was taken aback.
She knew Hanshan, which was not far from Jinrong, and its historical sites were very famous.
"Yes, he's from Hanshan. I found out, his father works at the First People's Hospital of Hanshan."
Zhu Shiyi didn't mind: "Okay."
The ancient town was remote, and it was already past 3 p.m. The last bus to the city had already left. Besides driving, she had no other way to get out of this mountainous area. Thinking of this, she immediately went downstairs to ask Wan Chongshan for help.
"Brother Shan!" Zhu Shiyi said earnestly and urgently, "I have urgent business and need to go to the provincial capital to catch a flight. Could you take me to the airport? The price is negotiable, please!"
Jingci Town Airport is small and there are no direct flights to Jinrong, so she would have to rebook to the provincial capital anyway.
"Now? Driving to the provincial capital?" Wan Chongshan was watering the flowers. Perhaps seeing her urgency, he toned down his roguish air. "What time is your flight?"
"...Tomorrow's, but I'm in a hurry to go," Zhu Shiyi hurriedly pulled out her phone, "I'm changing my ticket now."
Wan Chongshan hummed in agreement and leaned slightly closer to look at the plane ticket.
Changing your flight at the last minute means there aren't any good deals; all options require paying an extra thousand yuan or so. But Zhu Shiyi didn't care. She asked, "How long does it take to drive from here to the provincial capital's airport?"
"It's less than 300 kilometers, but there are many mountain roads, so it takes more than four hours to drive. If you want to go faster, take the highway for the latter part, which will save half an hour."
"It'll take four hours?" Zhu Shiyi frowned deeply. "The latest flight is at eight o'clock."
Wan Chongshan shook his head: "It's too late."
Zhu Shiyi scratched her head, unable to hide her frustration. She glanced at the high-speed train tickets from Yaoliang to the provincial capital for today; all tickets were sold out for any time slot. In the later stages of the Spring Festival travel rush, it was impossible to buy a ticket for the same day.
"Don't rush," Wan Chongshan said slowly, taking out his phone to check tickets as well. "What about tomorrow? Let's check tomorrow's plane tickets."
Zhu Shiyi looked around and said, "There's one for 10:30 in the morning."
Wan Chongshan said, "Okay, I checked. There's a high-speed train at 7 a.m. tomorrow. I'll take you to the high-speed train station in Jingci City. You can take the high-speed train there and then take a taxi to the airport. You'll make it in time."
Zhu Shiyi felt a tightness in her chest, and her emotions were written all over her face.
"Will it be enough time to go tomorrow morning?"
“…Mm.” Zhu Shiyi nodded. There was no question of whether it was too late or not; she just really, really wanted to see him.
I really, really want to.
Even if she saw him, it wouldn't help. Her father's illness wouldn't improve because of her arrival, and his mood wouldn't necessarily change in the slightest because of her.
But she just wanted to be with him. To stand by his side when he was grieving and vulnerable.
Pan Yue was a man of few words; his personality meant he would only bear things on his own and would never confide in others.
Thinking of this, Zhu Shiyi's heart ached.
"Don't be sad," Wan Chongshan comforted, "Think about it, this is a good thing. It's a 600-kilometer round trip. I treat you as a friend, so I won't charge you for your labor, but the gas and toll fees would add up to five or six hundred. I'm saving you money."
Zhu Shiyi gave a muffled "hmm".
She knew that this was indeed the best solution.
*
Hanshan First People's Hospital.
Pan Yue sat by the hospital bed, peeling an orange while working on his iPad.
He lowered his eyes and lowered his eyelashes, his eyes were slightly dark, and the stubble on his chin had grown a bit.
"I'm fine now, you can go back to work in Jinrong." Pan Zhenguo leaned against the headboard, glancing at Pan Yue with his head turned to the side. He looked tired because of his illness.
Pan Yue didn't respond, but silently handed over the peeled apple: "I can handle many things online."
"How can you concentrate on your work when it's so noisy here?"
"Then I'll transfer you to a private room."
“No need,” Pan Zhenguo’s tone became more serious as he turned his head away. “This place is perfectly fine. Why waste money? Do you think your money is so easy to earn?”
Pan Yue slightly raised his lips: "It seems this is really good. Judging from your tone, you have a strong voice."
"I'm fine. I just get sleepy in winter and my legs go numb from lying down for too long. It's nothing serious."
Pan Yue glanced at his father.
Confusion, unsteady gait, and general fatigue are all warning signs of a stroke. If you don't get to the hospital for examination soon, it will be too late to treat the problem once it's too late.
As people reach middle age, they often experience anxiety about death. This anxiety isn't just about health or death itself, but also about the money and energy spent maintaining health and dealing with death. The saying "a long illness tests filial piety" perfectly encapsulates this anxiety that those who are ill often experience.
Pan Yue gave his father face and didn't say anything explicitly: "Let's talk about it after your review report comes out."
A new message popped up on WeChat.
......
Zhu Shiyi is returning to school the day after tomorrow, and he had previously promised to pick her up because he had been soft-hearted.
Pan Yue kept his word.
Zhu Shiyi: [I have something I want to tell you.]
Pan Yue stared at the message for a few seconds, then silently turned off the screen.
During this time, he wanted to break up countless times, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, and he was afraid that being too violent would hurt her.
Pan Yue could guess that Zhu Shiyi was probably in a bad mood and wanted to get to the bottom of things. He didn't know how to reply, so he simply endured it and didn't reply, just like he had been doing lately.
"...You have a girlfriend?" Pan Zhenguo suddenly asked.
Pan Yue looked up and caught Pan Zhenguo's gaze as he looked away.
“No.” Pan Yue denied.
While his father was hospitalized for observation, he ran around consulting doctors, collecting test results, staying by his father's bedside, and also had to handle his work. The frustration on one side was pressing on his mind, while the frustration on the other side was hiding deeper and deeper.
"Then which one did you call 'Little Kid' in your contacts?" Pan Zhenguo clearly didn't believe him. "Is it the little girl in your phone's background?"
Pan Yue pursed his lips.
"We did not talk."
Pan Zhenguo responded without asking any further questions.
Neither father nor son are used to deep conversations about their feelings.
“I’m going out for a bit.” Pan Yue got up and left.
......
A wisp of bluish-gray dust fell from his fingertips.
On the hospital terrace, Pan Yue tilted his head back, exhaled deeply, and the tobacco slowly floated into the air, gradually disappearing, leaving only an unpleasant smell.
Nicotine stimulated his nerves, which slightly relieved Pan Yue's vexation.
But when he threw the cigarette butt into the ashtray, he frowned deeply.
Cigarettes are really no good; they're bad for your health and bad for the environment.
But reality is too harsh.
In the end, he broke his vow.
......
After washing up briefly, Pan Yue returned to the ward, where Yue Chunlan was holding her medical examination report and communicating with the doctor.
"Fortunately, the treatment was timely, and no more serious symptoms appeared. The indicators are relatively optimistic, and the condition has not worsened. I still want to emphasize again: do not smoke or drink alcohol, do not stay up late, and do not eat pickled animal organs."
The doctor said seriously, "This isn't the first time this patient has had a stroke. You, the family, must take this seriously and supervise the patient. This kind of long-term chronic disease needs to be improved gradually through a healthy lifestyle. Don't wait until the patient is in a coma after a stroke before you start to regret it!"
Yue Chunlan patted her chest: "Okay, thank you, doctor. What should we do now?"
"You can be discharged now. If you take your anticoagulant medication properly and take good care of your daily protection, the chance of recurrence will generally be reduced."
Yue Chunlan asked anxiously, "Will it recur?"
"It's hard to say. But as long as you take the medication and maintain a healthy lifestyle, even if it recurs, it generally won't be more serious than before, unless there is an organic lesion in the body."
Yue Chunlan's lips trembled slightly.
"Thank you, doctor. Thank you for your help." Pan Yue stepped forward and stood beside his mother.
"You're welcome, it's my pleasure."
Yue Chunlan looked up at Pan Yue, her expression calming down considerably.
"Doctor, does my father need to go to the rehabilitation department?" Pan Yue asked.
"If you have the ability to go, that would naturally be even better."
"Okay, thank you."
The doctor left.
Yue Chunlan sniffed the air, then frowned instantly: "Pan Yue, you're smoking again! Didn't you hear what the doctor said? Don't smoke, don't smoke! Do you want to wait until you get sick before you regret it?"
“…” Pan Yue lowered his eyes and remained silent. He walked to the side and sat down.
“The doctors all said there’s no problem and I don’t need to go to the rehabilitation department anymore. I’ve been hospitalized for so many days, and it’s hard to explain to my boss,” Pan Zhenguo said.
"Then I won't do it." Pan Yue silently registered.
“You’re not retired yet, you have to work. How can you just laze around at home?” Pan Zhenguo sternly refused.
"Then find a daytime job!" Yue Chunlan's eyes softened, and she was about to cry as she spoke. "After all these years, can't you find a job that doesn't require night shifts? You've been sick for so many years, and you still don't know how to change?"
“At my age, and with some underlying health conditions, where am I supposed to find a new job? My current job pays me seven or eight thousand yuan a month, plus social security. My boss has never been late with my wages in all these years. What’s wrong with that?”
Yue Chunlan wanted to say more.
“Kangfu Ke doesn’t require hospitalization,” Pan Yue interrupted his parents’ usual argument. He told his father, “You should rest for a while. Mom will pick you up after get off work to go for physiotherapy.”
"No......"
Pan Yue interjected, "If you don't get better, who will take care of the wheat you planted in the fields? It will all rot."
......
Yue Chunlan burst out laughing.
Pan Zhenguo remained silent for a while before reluctantly agreeing.
They come from a rural family and were allocated land, but now farming alone is no longer profitable, so they leased out the extra land to outside producers.
Years ago, Yue Chunlan told Pan Zhenguo to stop doing farm work and to contract out all the land, but Pan Zhenguo was unwilling. He said that if they didn't farm, where would the food come from? They couldn't expect the rural people to buy rice from the supermarket.
In the end, only a small plot of land was left at home for growing rice, which Pan Zhenguo was fully responsible for. The workload was not heavy and did not affect his health. Of course, Pan Zhenguo used to ask Pan Yue for help, but now that Pan Yue is busy with work, he has not asked him to do any farm work.
Yue Chunlan, on the other hand, didn't need to work in the fields. She only needed to take care of the two trees in the yard, an orange tree and a gardenia tree. Every autumn and winter, the family had an endless supply of citrus fruits; and in spring and summer, the yard was filled with the fragrance of gardenias.
......
After completing the formalities and obtaining the physiotherapy prescription, Pan Yue drove his parents to the hospital.
“Go back to the countryside,” Pan Zhenguo directed from the left. “I can’t live comfortably on the city walls.”
“I like living in the city,” Yue Chunlan said, pointing to the right while rolling her eyes at Pan Zhenguo. “Pan Yue bought a house in the city. You’re not going to live there? Are you leaving it for rats to live in?”
Pan Yue: ......
He raised his hand and rubbed his temples.
There were too many things to do lately. His father's illness had come to an end, and his tense nerves relaxed for a moment, but he felt inexplicably tired.
Work messages would pop up from time to time, and the screen would light up brightly. Pan Yue was already used to it. He didn't think much of it and used the navigation rack to open his phone to reply to the messages.
"Pan Yue," Yue Chunlan, sitting in the passenger seat, exclaimed with delight, "is your girlfriend your phone's screen saver?"
...I was careless.
Here we go again.
"no."
"That girl is so pretty!" Yue Chunlan seemed not to hear, and continued to berate her. "When did you two start dating? Is she the girl you said you liked before? Do you have any other photos? How old is she?"
Pan Yue closed his eyes and took a shallow breath.
"...We didn't talk about it; she's only twenty."
"Twenty?" Yue Chunlan asked in surprise. "Still in school?"
"Um."
Yue Chunlan frowned, opened her mouth as if finding it difficult to speak: "Son, when you're dating, the boy must be careful about his behavior. You... you must take precautions. If you love her, you must protect her. Protecting her is also protecting yourself..."
“…Mom,” Pan Yue said with a dark expression, “You’re overthinking it. I have absolutely no relationship with her.”
"No relation whatsoever?" Yue Chunlan repeated incredulously, turning to look at Pan Zhenguo in the back seat. "Really? Your son, do you know anything about this?"
Pan Zhenguo coughed, seemingly a little uncomfortable. The next second, he waved his hand dismissively, looking quite nonchalant: "Why ask so many questions about a child's feelings? He'll be twenty-seven after the New Year, let him be."
Yue Chunlan clicked her tongue and gave in: "Alright then."
“...However,” Pan Zhenguo scratched the side of his head as if to cover up, “Pan Yue’s nickname for the girl was ‘Little Friend’.”
There was a three-second silence inside the car.
"A little girl?!" Yue Chunlan's eyes lit up, and she excitedly grabbed Pan Yue's arm. "Where is she from? Where does she study? How do you two know each other?"
Pan Yue: ......
Forget it. I can't explain it to my mother who's pressuring me to get married.
He was really scared of Yue Chunlan's constant nagging.
“Let’s go back to the city. Mom has to go to work tomorrow, and the city is closer. I’m going back to the company tomorrow, so I can’t stay with Dad in the countryside.” Pan Yue started the car and changed the subject.
Yue Chunlan responded, but she wasn't about to let him off the hook: "I know, it's just that you like her unilaterally?"
“...We’re not a good match.” Pan Yue, in a fit of despair, tried to shut his mother up.
That might stop Pan Zhenguo, who isn't good at talking about love, but it won't stop Yue Chunlan, who's eager for gossip.
“What’s inappropriate? Is it the age?” Yue Chunlan said to herself, “Age is indeed a major drawback, but older women are more caring. Pan Yue, you need to learn how to take care of girls. Don’t talk back when you argue. She’s young, so you have to give in to her. Otherwise, she’ll be snatched away by someone else.”
The others were shooed away.
Pan Yue kept his lips pressed together, not wanting to say a word.
Although it was out of concern, every word Yue Chunlan said felt like a knife, cutting into his heart again and again.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com