Chapter 22
Zhang Ning's surprising question was like a bolt from the blue, leaving Chen Liuchi at a loss as to how to answer it.
If he said yes, he would definitely not be able to escape repeated questioning. What if he blurted out Cen Zhao in a fit of rage? Then Zhang Ninghe Chenmushan would most likely have to hire a private doctor to measure his heart rate and blood pressure. But he didn't want to deny it from the bottom of his heart. On the one hand, he felt sorry for Forensic Doctor Cen, and on the other hand, he was an adult. There was no need for him to have a secret relationship.
In the two seconds he hesitated, Chen Mushan snorted and answered for him first: "I really like him, but with his lazy and unfocused attitude, I'm not sure if he's willing to be with me."
"Really?"
Zhang Ning's surprise turned into joy. She ignored Chen Mushan's sarcastic second half of the sentence and pulled Chen Liuchi to ask him to tell her in detail: "When did you meet? Where are you from? What do you do?"
Chen Liuchi answered them honestly, but worried that Zhang Ning would have a heart attack after learning the truth, he could only say tactfully, "He...he might be a little different from what you imagined."
Zhang Ning waved his hand generously: "Everyone is bound to be different from what others imagine. As long as you like it, it's fine. It doesn't matter to us."
Chen Liuchi agreed with his mother that what she said was right, but he couldn't help worrying in his heart. He was so open-minded now, but he hoped she wouldn't be angry when they really met in person.
Chen Mushan listened silently for a while, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any other plans?"
Chenliuchi didn't understand at first, until he looked up and met the eyes of an old couple sitting shoulder to shoulder, then he suddenly understood.
"Well...I..."
Words suddenly became difficult, and it seemed that more courage was needed to continue describing my vision for the future.
No one spoke in the room for a while, but everyone's heart was restless, as if a pendulum was swinging, and words were ticking like a needle, rising to the throat several times, but then falling down, over and over again.
"Let's not talk about this for now. The second child is still young."
Zhang Ning quickly noticed Chen Liuchi's predicament and, thinking he was still unwilling to discuss this, naturally changed the subject: "It's getting overcast outside. Are you going back tonight? Or are you staying here?"
Chen Liuchi remembered Cen Zhao's instructions and nodded: "Stay here. It might not be safe if it rains."
Zhang Ning was a little surprised when she heard this. She looked at Shen Mushan and couldn't help laughing: "It turns out it's true that men change their personality when they fall in love."
She raised her chin and gestured to Shenliuchi's phone with a confident look as she spoke. "You were just talking to him about this, weren't you? It's different when you have a girlfriend to talk you through it. Everyone knows it's unsafe to drive on a rainy night. If it were before, he would have definitely gone out and acted recklessly."
Chen Liuchi scratched his chin: "I'm talking about this, but..."
But not a girlfriend, but a boyfriend.
Zhang Ning was in no hurry to leave. She wanted to hear him finish his story, but he dragged his feet for a long time and still couldn't come up with anything. Zhang Ning rolled her eyes. "You're only saying half the story, hiding the other half. You're just like your dad. So annoying."
Chen Mushan was inexplicably scolded and immediately glared at his son: "But what? Don't hide it, there is nothing your parents can't say!"
Chen Liuchi thought to himself, "You told me to tell you this. Now that you've asked me this, I really can't hold it back any longer." So he took a deep breath, sat up straight, and, as if hinting at something, dragged out each word with a hint of meaning: "But... he's not—"
Just as he started talking, his cell phone rang and interrupted him. The courage that Chen Liuchi had finally gathered was instantly deflated. He took out his cell phone and took a look. He was a little surprised: "It's my brother calling."
Zhang Ning glanced at the time and subconsciously felt something was wrong: "Why are you calling me at this hour? Is there something wrong?"
"I don't know."
Chenliuchi didn't avoid anyone and picked up the phone: "Brother? What's wrong?"
Shen Maoyuan, contrary to his usual behavior, did not directly explain the matter, but asked first: "Where are you?"
Chen Liuchi answered honestly: "The living room of my parents' house."
“…”
Shen Maoyuan seemed to choke: "Forget it then."
"Why let it go?" Chen Liuchi also heard something was wrong. He stood up, mouthed something to Zhang Ning and the others, and lied casually, "It's about work."
The old couple nodded and gestured to him, "Go to the study. I'll have someone clean up your room."
Chen Liuchi hummed and walked upstairs, but was stopped by Shen Maoyuan on the other end of the phone: "No need to go upstairs, go to my apartment and get me some clothes, and then come to the Central Hospital."
Chen Liuchi's footsteps suddenly stopped, his brows furrowed, "What's wrong with you?"
It took about half an hour to get from Chen's house to the Central Hospital. It was raining and the road was slippery at night. In addition, I had to turn and go to Shen Maoyuan's apartment, so it was almost twelve o'clock when I arrived at the hospital.
Chen Liuchi carried his bag and went straight to the single room on the eighth floor of the inpatient department. As soon as he entered, he saw Shen Maoyuan sitting on the head of the bed with his upper body naked, and Lu Xiaoming lying on the edge of the bed, already asleep.
"elder brother……"
"Shhh."
Shen Maoyuan made a silencing gesture to him, then held out his hand and said in a voice so low it was almost silent: "Give me the things, and you can go back."
Chen Liuchi looked at the heavy bandage on his shoulder and almost laughed out of anger: "You want to send me away without saying anything after being injured like this?"
He couldn't hold back his voice, and Lu Xiaoming, who was beside the bed, woke up immediately. He sat up suddenly and rushed to Shen Maoyuan's side, not even noticing Chen Liuchi standing next to him: "What's wrong? Is the IV drip finished?"
Shen Maoyuan moved his lips but didn't say anything when Chen Liuchi reached out first, grabbed Lu Xiaoming by the back of his collar and pulled him back, questioning him, "What's wrong? How did your brother Chen end up like this?"
"Why!"
Shen Maoyuan tried to interrupt him but failed, so he could only sigh tiredly: "You really know how to cause me trouble."
Chen Liuchi was puzzled: "It's not me who asked you to—"
"sorry!"
The words were drowned out by Lu Xiaoming's huge apology. Chen Liuchi's head was shaken and he uttered a "ouch" with his hands pressed against his ears. Before he could utter a word, he looked down and saw Lu Xiaoming bursting into tears: "I'm sorry, it's my fault, I'm sorry, Brother Shen..."
Chen Liuchi was most afraid and annoyed to see people cry, especially Lu Xiaoming, who cried like a floodgate. He was at a loss as to what to do: "No, why are you crying?"
Shen Maoyuan looked at the wailing Lu Xiaoming and his brother frantically pulling out paper towels, and sighed deeply again. The dull pain in his shoulder couldn't compare to the headache he felt right now, so he quickly waved his hand at Chen Liuchi and said, "It's okay, it's nothing serious. The car just skidded and flipped over in the rain, and I scratched my shoulder on the glass. You should be able to be discharged in two days. Go back, and don't tell your parents yet."
After saying that, he took the paper and pressed it against the corners of Lu Xiaoming's eyes. His tone was gentle and his movements were also gentle: "Cry again, if you cry any more, the water in your brain will not be enough."
Lu Xiaoming sobbed and tilted her face up to let him wipe her tears. Both of them moved naturally and skillfully, and it was obvious that this was not the first time they had done this.
Chen Liuchi wanted to ask how Shen Maoyuan, a veteran driver, could be so careless, but he just watched for half a minute without saying a word. Then he realized that he was really big and smart, so he had to grab his hair and kick and fight and leave first.
It was already very late at night. He had found an excuse of an urgent business trip when he came out of Chenliuchi, so it was not convenient for him to go back to the Shen residence.
The rain had stopped and the air was filled with the smell of damp earth, which was perfect for a drive with the windows down. Chen Liuchi drove around the street twice and actually felt a little bored. He used to be the one who loved being alone the most, so this almost imperceptible loneliness at this moment was really surprising.
The car circled around a few times and finally arrived downstairs of Cen Zhao's house. Chen Liuchi reclined the seat and opened the sunroof. Looking at the dark window of Cen Zhao's house, he suddenly laughed for no reason.
The wet rain is good, the shiny road is good, the sound of grass being broken by raindrops is good, and the water vapor floating all around is good.
And at this moment, the window that suddenly lights up from the darkness is also very good.
Lying on his back, Shenliuchi felt something extremely bright flash across his eyes and heart, and then it became soft yet hot.
A second later, the phone vibrated, and Cen Zhao's slightly hoarse voice echoed in the car, filling the originally empty space:
“Shen Xiaochi, what are you doing downstairs?”
Chen Liuchi smiled and waved to Cen Zhao on the balcony through the glass and air: "Waiting for you to discover me."
Cen Zhao then smiled and asked, "Am I timely enough?"
Chenliuchi hummed softly: "Very timely."
Cen Zhao's gaze, Cen Zhao's love, everything about Cen Zhao, were all very timely to Shen Liuchi.
Cen Zhao chuckled softly and leaned over the railing to look at him: "Should I go down or do you come up?"
Chenliuchi asked him, "What will you do if you go up? And what will you do if you come down?"
Cen Zhao thought for a moment and said, "If you come up, I'll kiss you. If you come down, will you kiss me?"
Chen Liuchi couldn't see Cen Zhao's face clearly, but he could imagine a gentle look seeping out from his eyes. He tried hard to control his breathing and said, "What do you think?"
Cen Zhao's breathing paused slightly. The next second, the balcony light turned off, and Cen Zhao's voice flowed out of the microphone, along with the sound of footsteps, repeatedly impacting Chen Liuchi's pulse:
"I'm coming downstairs, honey."
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