Chapter 96 “Pain is the least of his worries.”
Lin Che really didn't expect Jiang Tingyun to come.
He had just finished a full-time outpatient clinic and was returning to his office, planning to sort out the morning's medical records before lunch break when there was a knock on the door. The man who entered, dressed in a well-tailored dark gray suit, stood tall and composed, with the composure of someone who had long held a high position, yet a subtle, barely perceptible tension lingered.
"Doctor Lin?" The man's voice was gentle and polite, his gaze lingering on Lin Che's name tag. "Excuse me for interrupting. I'm Jiang Tingyun."
Jiang Tingyun.
Those three words exploded like a silent bomb in Lin Che's mind. All his fatigue and thoughts were instantly cleared. He stood up from his office chair almost reflexively, his fingertips pale from exertion as he pressed down on the medical records folder on his desk.
Lu Yuan's biological father.
That name only existed in Lu Yu's few, secretive mentions. Lin Che had never imagined that this shadow would appear before him in such a concrete way and so suddenly.
"Mr. Jiang?" Lin Che tried to keep his voice steady, but the surprise couldn't be completely concealed, and it came through clearly. He quickly adjusted his breathing, his professionalism forcing him to suppress his turbulent thoughts. He leaned aside and gestured, "Please sit down."
Jiang Tingyun followed his instructions and sat down on the chair opposite the desk, his posture still decent, but Lin Che keenly noticed that his hand on his knees unconsciously curled up his fingers, revealing his inner unrest.
The air in the office seemed to be stagnant. The midday sun was shining through the window, casting stripes of light and dark on the floor, but it could not dispel the sudden silence, which was heavy with secrets.
"Doctor Lin, I'm sorry for the sudden visit." Jiang Tingyun was the first to break the silence. His eyes fell on Lin Che's face, with a complex scrutiny and a desperate earnestness. "I... am here for Yu'an."
Lin Che's heart sank suddenly.
"I...want to talk to you? Are you free?"
Hearing Jiang Tingyun's request, Lin Che wanted to refuse but turned away after seeing his face that looked very similar to Lu Yu'an.
Lin Che looked down at the time on his computer and said, "I still have ten minutes until my lunch break."
Jiang Tingyun's fingers curled again on his knees, their knuckles turning white. He took a deep breath, as if trying to calm his surging emotions, but the pain and struggle deep in his eyes were hard to conceal. His voice dropped, a barely perceptible hoarseness. "I would like to... request that Mr. Lin take me to see Yu'an."
"But... I know I may not be qualified..." Jiang Tingyun eagerly added to his request. He was afraid that Lin Che would reject him directly in the next second.
Lin Che didn't respond, simply watching him quietly, waiting for his next words. Beneath the mask of professional composure lay a surge of vigilance. This man's presence spelled trouble, a threat to Jinshu and An'an's peaceful lives.
"Jinshu and I..." Jiang Tingyun said with difficulty, "Jinshu doesn't really want me to meet Yu'an, but I really, really want to meet this child."
Lin Che's heart felt as if it were being gripped by an invisible hand. He looked at the man opposite him, whose well-defined face, eyebrows, and slightly pursed lips bore a striking resemblance to An An's innocent face.
The bond of blood is so strong that even after years of gaps and hurts, it silently demonstrates its existence at this moment.
"Mr. Jiang," Lin Che said in a low but remarkably clear voice, "An An's life is currently under the full responsibility of Jin Shu. She is his legal guardian and the only person who has accompanied and raised him for the past five years. Her wishes are paramount."
He paused, seeing the light in Jiang Tingyun's eyes dim for a moment. However, Lin Che's tone didn't waver at all, instead becoming even more resolute: "An An isn't an object, not something that anyone can see. He's a living child with his own feelings and perceptions. His world right now is simple and safe. He has a mother who loves him, an uncle, a grandmother, and…"
Lin Che's voice softened slightly for a moment. "We are the ones who care about him. He's used to this kind of peace and warmth."
"And you," Lin Che said, still having the heart to tell the truth after seeing Jiang Tingyun's gloomy face, "you are a complete stranger to him. What does your sudden appearance mean to him? Is it a surprise? Or a shock? Is it the gain of a father, or the possibility of losing the familiar sense of security? Mr. Jiang, have you ever thought about An An's feelings?"
Every word Lin Che said was like a hammer, hammering down on Jiang Tingyun's heart. He clenched his hands tighter on his knees, his knuckles turning white and even trembling slightly. He opened his mouth, as if to argue, but ultimately he simply lowered his head dejectedly, his Adam's apple rolling with difficulty.
"I... I know." Jiang Tingyun's voice was dry, full of self-mockery and powerlessness. "I know I'm not qualified to ask for anything. I was absent for five years and missed all of his first times... I can only imagine what he looks like."
He raised his head, his eyes filled with unfathomable pain and a desperate sincerity. "Doctor Lin, I don't ask for anything else. I don't dare to hope to be close to him immediately, or for him to call me dad. I just... I just want to see him from a distance. Just one look. I want to know, my son... what does he look like when he smiles? How does he walk? Is he... is he healthy and happy?"
There were no flowery words in his words, only the simplest desire of a father. The deep pain and humble request made Lin Che's hardened defenses waver slightly.
Lin Che looked at him in silence. The sunlight outside the window seemed to have shifted its angle, and the light and shadow flowed between them.
Time passed minute by minute, and the only sound in the office was the faint ticking of the second hand of the wall clock.
Finally, Lin Che let out a soft breath, breaking the suffocating silence. His voice remained calm, but with a subtle hint of gentleness.
"Mr. Jiang, I understand how you feel." Lin Che's words were chosen very carefully. "But understanding doesn't mean I can step in and make decisions for Jinshu. Nor does it mean I can arbitrarily put An An in a situation that might make him uneasy."
He saw the light in Jiang Tingyun's eyes completely extinguished, leaving only a grayish look. But Lin Che's next words made him raise his head again.
"However... I can convey your request and... your current attitude to Jinshu. That's all. Whether to agree, when to agree, and how to meet, all of this decision is 100% in Jinshu's hands. Until she gives her clear nod, please respect her decision and do not attempt to approach An An in any way, including at the nursery class, the Lu family's old house, or anywhere else An An might appear."
Regarding Lu Yu'an's safety, Lin Che's tone unconsciously took on a serious tone. "Any contact without Jinshu's permission will be seen as an intrusion into An'an's peaceful life and a challenge to the Lu family's bottom line. I hope you understand this and will abide by it."
Jiang Tingyun's body suddenly tensed up. He looked into Lin Che's clear yet extremely sharp eyes, which did not contain the slightest hint of joking.
He nodded heavily, his voice hoarse with a sense of relief, yet even heavier than before: "I understand! I promise! I will never approach An An without permission! I... I'll wait for Jin Shu's decision." He paused, then added with difficulty, "Whatever the outcome, I... will accept it."
"Okay." Lin Che nodded and glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer screen. "Ten minutes are up, Mr. Jiang. I should go for lunch." He stood up, and the meaning of seeing him off was self-evident.
Jiang Tingyun also stood up immediately, his movements even a hint of haste. He looked at Lin Che with a complex expression, a mixture of gratitude, loss, and even a sense of exhaustion from being scrutinized.
"Thank you, Dr. Lin. Thank you... for listening to me and for helping me convey this." He nodded slightly, his posture very humble.
Lin Che didn't say much, but just watched him leave calmly.
When the office door gently closed, isolating the tall and lonely figure, Lin Che slowly sat back in his chair.
————
A warm yellow light enveloped the living room, and heavy snow fell outside the window as night fell. Lin Che, wearing a pure white sweatshirt, leaned back on the sofa, watching Lu Yu place a glass of warm milk on the coffee table in front of him. Lu Yu, holding a glass of water, sat down beside him, his arm naturally wrapped around Lin Che's shoulders, allowing him to lean against him.
Lin Che held the milk cup, his fingertips feeling the warmth coming from the cup wall. He was silent for a few seconds, organizing his words, and finally chose to get straight to the point.
"Lu Yu," he turned his head and looked up at Lu Yu's clear jawline, "Jiang Tingyun came to see me at the hospital today."
Lu Yu's arm around Lin Che's shoulders tightened imperceptibly for a moment, then returned to normal. Lu Yu looked down at him, his deep eyes showing no surprise, only a calm scrutiny as he waited for Lin Che's next words.
"He deliberately waited until ten minutes before my lunch break." Lin Che's voice was steady, trying not to let any subjective emotions enter his narrative. "He said he came for An An."
Lu Yu's eyes instantly turned a little colder, but he did not interrupt. He just used his eyes to signal Lin Che to continue.
"He said..." Lin Che chose his words carefully, "Jinshu doesn't want him to see An'an, but he... sincerely wants to see the child."
He paused and clearly recounted Jiang Tingyun's humble request at the time, "He didn't even dare to hope to get close to An An or let her recognize him. He just wanted to see her from afar."
The living room fell silent, with only the subtle ticking of the second hand of the wall clock. The lines on Lu Yu's face were tense, and his jaw was slightly tightened, which was his usual expression when he was suppressing his emotions.
"How did you respond to him?" Lu Yu's voice was as low as ever, making it impossible to tell whether he was happy or angry.
Lin Che met his gaze and said calmly, "I told him that Jinshu is fully responsible for An'an's life, and her wishes are the highest principle. An'an is not an object. He has his own feelings and cognition. His peace and safety cannot be disturbed at will."
"I emphasized that the decision of whether to agree, when, and how to meet is 100% in Jinshu's hands. Before Jinshu's clear consent, he must respect her decision and must not approach the child in any way, including going to the nursery, the old house, or other places where An An might appear. Otherwise, it would be an intrusion into An An's life and a challenge to the Lu family's bottom line."
"Did he agree?" Lu Yu looked down at Lin Che's serious expression, touched his thin shoulders, pulled a blanket from the side, and wrapped him up while speaking.
"He agreed at the time, promising not to approach An An without permission, that he would wait for Jin Shu's decision, and that he would accept whatever the outcome was." Lin Che recounted the story truthfully. "In the end, I only agreed to convey his request and his attitude to Jin Shu, that's all."
After saying that, Lin Che shrugged the blanket off his shoulders, turned sideways to look at Lu Yu's tense face, and unconsciously asked softly, "Lu Yu, what do you think?"
It was crucial for him to know what Lu Yu thought.
Lu Yu was silent for a moment, then picked up the water cup and took a sip. "Jiang Tingyun...he knows how to pick on people."
"Knowing that going directly to Jinshu would be a rebuff, I came to you in a roundabout way. I took advantage of your professional status, your... soft heart, and your close relationship with An'an and Jinshu."
He put down the water cup and covered Lin Che's hand on his knee with his big hand. His thumb unconsciously rubbed his knuckles. Lu Yu's eyes fell heavily on Lin Che's face. "Did he give you any trouble? Did he make you feel uncomfortable or...coerced?"
Lin Che immediately shook her head and held Lu Yu's hand. "No. He was very restrained and kept a low profile. It's just... he looked very painful."
"Pain?" Lu Yu sneered, "Pain is the last thing he cares about."
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