Chapter 60 Hospital
Wu Ming's group of friends are used to seeing handsome men and beautiful women. They have money, and they can still shout out names in the entertainment industry, where good-looking men and beautiful women abound.
Even so, anyone who has seen Jiangxia will still admire his good looks.
Jiangxia has the kind of good looks that people can remember after just one meeting.
Wu Ming was disgusted by this and disliked their offensive discussions about Jiang Xia in private.
In his home far away in the misty country, he sat on the edge of his bed, only able to look at the photos of Jiangxia and express his longing.
He has many photos of the Yangtze River Gorges on his phone, but most of them were taken during his school days.
If back then, nine out of ten photos featured Jiang Xia, after graduation and starting work, only a few of those photos could be found among a hundred or so.
Wu Ming swiped the screen with his fingertips. In the photos from recent years, most of Jiang Xia was seen at home cooking with his sleeves rolled up.
However, most of these candid photos were taken by myself sitting on the sofa, quite a distance away, and casually pressing the shutter button with my phone.
Even the appearance of the Lianjiang Gorge is not very clear in the photo.
After searching for a long time, he finally discovered that all of Jiang Xia's photos after graduation were blurry, distant views.
He suddenly remembered that it wasn't that he hadn't taken any photos, but that Jiang Xia simply didn't like taking pictures after graduation and always found reasons to refuse him.
"I just got off work, I'm too tired, forget it."
"It's not a holiday today, let's forget about it."
"I'll go cook, wait a bit."
At first, he just wanted to take some casual photos to record his life, but since Jiang Xia refused, he didn't insist.
Over time, he became busy with other social engagements and was entangled in various banquets hosted by his friends, and gradually and naturally neglected Jiangxia.
The assistant next to him watched as his fingers repeatedly swiped across the screen, looking deeply engrossed, and couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement, secretly glancing over there.
The second young master had already started looking through photos from his school days. Jiang Xia looked at the camera every time, his gaze fixed on him behind the lens.
The assistant muttered to himself, "They've flipped through the photos but haven't taken many pictures of my recent situation. What's with the act of regret?"
He sent him tomorrow's itinerary and casually asked, "Second Young Master, what would you like to eat tomorrow? I'll arrange for the housekeeper to buy the ingredients in advance."
After thinking it over carefully, Wu Ming said in a low voice, "I want to eat cola chicken wings."
Jiang Xia made this dish at home last time, but I was busy and missed it. It was a new dish that Jiang Xia had learned to make; I hadn't tried Jiang Xia's cola chicken wings yet.
The assistant breathed a sigh of relief, thinking to himself that since he still had an appetite, it seemed he wasn't contemplating suicide...
After giving a few brief instructions, the assistant returned to his room and finished writing his daily report. These tasks didn't normally require daily reporting back to China, but the Second Young Master's illness and low spirits were a serious matter; it would be troublesome if he did something rash.
Work must be documented!
He sent the email to Xie, the assistant in charge of domestic liaison.
It was late at night in China, and Assistant Xie was at home with his wife and children fast asleep, completely unaware of the message.
As a result, no one in China knew about Wu Ming's sorrow, helplessness, and longing for Jiangxia while he was abroad.
On the other side, Wu Zhou was on the phone with Jiang Xia.
Jiang Xia was indeed very scared when he saw the picture, but he has calmed down now.
I realized I was awake much earlier than I had imagined.
I've never allowed Wu Ming to eat with me since we were in school, so it should be fine...
Jiang Xia suddenly became angry and his breathing became heavier. He was annoyed and disgusted.
Wu Zhou heard him let out a very soft hum and asked, "Jiang Xia, are you angry?"
Jiang Xia, feeling a little embarrassed that her thoughts had been exposed over the phone, touched her hair and said, "A little."
Wu Zhou replied, "It's normal."
Jiang Xia felt even more embarrassed, not because he was ashamed, but because Wu Zhou understood him too well.
The sudden fluster of meeting a kindred spirit left him somewhat flustered, and he quickly made an excuse: "It's getting late, I won't bother you any longer, I'll hang up now."
After hanging up the phone, Jiang Xia finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He quickly cheered up and decided to take the day off to go to the hospital for a full medical check-up.
Jiang Xia thought he wouldn't be able to sleep, but he fell asleep as soon as he got into bed, feeling both physically and mentally exhausted.
The next day, he got up earlier than usual for work, cooked himself a bowl of noodles, ate, and then went downstairs to take a taxi to the hospital.
Being late for work is no big deal, but being late for a doctor's appointment can mean waiting an extra hour if you're even a few minutes late.
It was even colder in Mengcheng today. Jiang Xia went downstairs but then went back home to put on a scarf. When she went downstairs again, the sky was a hazy blue, with an unreal quality.
He casually took a picture, realized there was no one he could share it with, so he posted it on his WeChat Moments, visible only to himself.
Upon arriving at the hospital, Jiang Xia underwent a series of examinations according to procedure. Instead of going to the medical examination center, he conducted a targeted investigation based on Wu Ming's examination report.
The doctor routinely asked, "Have you been experiencing any discomfort lately?"
"No."
The doctor looked up at him and asked, "So why did you decide to come for a checkup?"
“A friend of mine is not feeling well, so I came here to get checked out.”
The doctor typed: "Girlfriend?"
He quickly explained, "No, we're just ordinary friends."
The doctor asked one more question: "Are you married?"
"No."
Have you ever had a sexual relationship?
Jiang Xia was very open and said softly, "No..."
The doctor glanced at him and reassured him, "It's usually nothing serious, don't worry. It's just a few minor tests. Have you eaten anything?"
"Um."
"Fasting is best, but we don't check blood sugar or anything like that, so it won't have much of an impact. Let's see how it goes."
Jiang Xia said thank you, took the form and went out to pay for the examination.
After taking a number and waiting, most of the tests were finished after Jiang Xia's blood was drawn, but the results still needed to be awaited.
He sat in the chair and closed his eyes to rest.
As noon approached, Jiang Xia got up to buy some steamed dishes near the hospital. This was Wu Ming's late-night "emo" moment abroad. Before calling this time, he had sent a message first, cautiously asking, "Jiang Xia, are you taking a lunch break? Are you free?"
Jiang Xia replied, "I'm a bit busy."
After a while, Wu Ming replied listlessly, "Then I won't bother you for now."
When the phone rang suddenly, Jiang Xia was startled, fearing it was Wu Ming calling.
Upon closer inspection, he discovered it was Wu Zhou's call.
Jiang Xia thought for a few seconds, then answered the call.
After the call connected, neither of them spoke first.
Wu Zhou heard Jiang Xia's breathing, but the noise from his side was even more obvious. He asked in a low voice, "Are you in the hospital?"
Jiang Xia happened to walk into a steamed dish restaurant and was carefully looking at the dishes.
Many restaurants near the hospital serve this type of food quickly.
"Hmm." Jiang Xia was looking at what dishes to order when the owner came over to ask him and quoted the prices for meat and vegetables.
While the restaurant owner was asking Jiang Xia what dishes he wanted, Wu Zhou quickly asked Jiang Xia, "Which hospital are you in?"
"center."
Wu Zhou smiled and replied, "I understand."
"What?" Jiang Xia didn't react.
Wu Zhou explained, "I happen to be free this afternoon. If it's convenient, may I take a look at your test report?"
Jiang Xia didn't want to give it to him, nor did he want him to come, but if he really had something to do, he would probably have to tell Wu Zhou.
Jiangxia agreed.
He had just finished lunch and was waiting for the results when Wu Zhou called again to ask his location. He was already at the hospital entrance.
Jiang Xia couldn't refuse, so he could only tell the other party his location. Fortunately, he had already finished eating and returned to the rest area in the lobby on the first floor of the outpatient department.
He kept checking his phone, hoping the test results would come out soon so he could ask the doctor.
During this process, someone sat down next to him. Jiang Xia turned his head and saw Wu Zhou.
He wasn't wearing a suit, but a jacket, which made it seem like he had changed his clothes specifically for the occasion, giving him a much more casual look.
The hospital chairs weren't wide, and as soon as he sat down, the two of them became much closer.
Wu Zhou asked softly, "Approximately how long until the results are available?"
Jiang Xia shook his head: "I don't know."
Wu Zhou said the same thing as last night: "It's okay, it's just a small thing, don't worry."
Jiang Xia gave a soft "hmm," unsure of what to say.
While the two were waiting, Wu Zhou suddenly placed his hand gently on the back of Jiang Xia's hand.
He slightly tightened his grip on the river gorge.
Jiang Xia wasn't wearing gloves today. Although the temperature in the hospital was high, it was only around ten degrees Celsius, and the air was very stuffy.
He deliberately sat very close to the door, where a windproof and heat-insulating curtain hung. As people came and went, the room was no longer stuffy, but the temperature was a bit lower than inside.
Jiang Xia's hands were a little cold, so Wu Zhou warmed them for him.
Jiang Xia tried to pull his hand away, but Wu Zhou gently tightened his grip: "It's alright."
If I exert a little more force, the other person will probably just grip it tightly.
In public... Jiang Xia hid his hands by placing them on his sides, and Wu Zhou followed suit, placing his hands down to hold them so that no one else could see them.
Jiang Xia checked her phone more frequently, hoping for a quick result so she could get up and leave sooner.
But waiting always feels like an eternity.
Wu Zhou patted his hand very lightly.
Wu Zhou suddenly spoke up: "Wu Ming said that when you were in school, he always warmed your hands like this, right?"
Jiang Xia didn't know how to answer, so he gave a dry laugh.
Wu Zhou added, "You and Wu Ming used to be really close. I used to always see your posts on his WeChat Moments."
Wu Zhou lowered his eyes and looked at Jiang Xia's fingers, whose skin was very white, perhaps because of the cold.
In the past, his younger brother would hold his hand like this, or perhaps he would wrap his palm around his hand even more tightly.
Jiang Xia didn't want to hear anything about him right now, so she pursed her lips and said, "He's already gone abroad."
Wu Zhou noticed the small mole on his cheek and saw that he was a little unhappy, so she coaxed him, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked..."
He spoke as if it were playful banter between lovers, like asking about his partner's past crush, being jealous, and then trying to appease his partner when they got angry and didn't want to talk about it anymore.
Wu Zhou originally wanted to ask Zhan Lintian about it, but then he thought that Zhan Lintian hadn't come to the hospital all day, so it was highly likely that Jiang Xia hadn't told him.
The two of them tugged at each other for a bit. Jiang Xia checked his phone again and found that the results were out, but at this time, he could only have a follow-up appointment after 2 p.m.
He looked at all the data but couldn't find anything unusual.
Wu Zhou consulted his family doctor, who took photos and quickly replied that there was no problem.
Jiang Xia breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Zhou offered to drive him, but Jiang Xia declined, making an excuse: "There's a big park nearby, I'd like to go see it, so I won't trouble you."
Wu Zhou looked at him and said, word by word, "Perfect timing, I'm free this afternoon, I'll go with you."
Wu Zhou lowered his head and said, "Look, I've changed my clothes, I'm really fine."
He looked into Jiang Xia's eyes with a hint of a smile: "I really didn't lie to you."
Jiang Xia's face flushed; the other party had realized he was lying.
Is it okay if I say I don't want to go for a walk anymore?
Jiang Xia's shoulders slumped, and he sighed helplessly, "Fine."
On a weekday, during the midday lunch hour, you still need to buy a ticket for this park.
Jiang Xia guessed that Mr. Wu probably didn't know these things, so he went to the window and bought two tickets himself. He brought the paper tickets over and said, "I saw a post about this place online, saying that taking photos here will result in better photos."
Photos and videos online showcase the scenery, with tall trees on both sides providing ample shade, creating a serene and ancient atmosphere.
Jiang Xia rarely saw such tall trees in the city, which reminded him of the deep forests and layered mountains of his hometown.
So he was really looking forward to it.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, let's go in now."
Jiang Xia tilted his head at him, gesturing for him to follow. Suddenly, a rice ball was offered to him.
Wu Zhou bought it specially, right at the park entrance: "I just bought it for you, you seem to really like this kind of food. But it was many years ago, I don't know if your taste has changed, so I took the liberty of adding spice."
Jiang Xia froze, neither accepting the rice ball nor letting go of Wu Zhou's hand...
He could only accept it, looking at the rice ball in his palm, still warm, the heat transferring to his hand, the aroma permeating the tip of his pen.
A sudden warmth filled his heart, and his tone softened: "How did you know?"
Wu Zhou did not explain.
I only saw information about Jiangxia on Wu Ming's WeChat Moments, but Wu Ming hasn't posted much in the last four or five years.
Wu Zhou had no idea what his tastes had changed recently.
But things shouldn't change much... In the last few meals, Jiang Xia still doesn't like sweet dishes and sour fruits.
If the ingredients aren't fresh enough, he'll prefer spicy food...
After all, this is the kind of food Jiangxia's hometown has.
Mr. Wu didn't answer, he just stared at him. Jiang Xia coughed awkwardly and said, "Let's go in quickly."
Jiang Xia turned around and walked quickly forward, looking back at Wu Zhou, whose gaze remained fixed on him.
A note from the author:
[Please], Mr. Wu and Mr. Zhan really enjoy feeding Jiang Xia. Actually, Jiang Xia isn't very thin, just well-proportioned, but they really enjoy watching him eat; it gives them a sense of happiness.
If you can't take care of your wife, you should let someone else take care of her. [Good]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com