Chapter 24: Are you pregnant?
The situation just now was too "urgent" for Pei Yumin. In a moment of instinct, he made a decision before his brain could process it. By the time he realized what he had said, it was too late, and everything was over.
Pei Yumin felt increasingly uneasy as he thought about it, and finally buried his head in the steering wheel, trying to pretend he was dead and deny what had just happened.
Lu Shangyan's breathing was very light. Even if he didn't look, he could feel Lu Shangyan's probing gaze on him. Time passed by, and he waited anxiously for his final judgment.
While he was suffering greatly and thought Lu Shangyan intended to respond with silence, he calmed himself down and decided not to mention the matter for a while. However, he didn't expect that when he was preparing to set off again, Lu Shangyan suddenly said, "Don't you want to be good brothers?"
Pei Yumin took a deep breath, not daring to exhale easily. Although he looked straight ahead, his ears were glued to Lu Shangyan, afraid of missing a single word he said.
Moreover, he felt a glimmer of hope rise in his heart, but it was quickly extinguished by Lu Shangyan: "Then let's be 'close' brothers."
He spoke in a measured tone, his voice full of praise for his brilliant idea: "Then let's go and become sworn brothers now."
Pei Yumin thought he had misheard, so he raised his hand and rubbed his ears several times. Finally, he caught a glimpse of Lu Shangyan's eyes shining brightly and his lips were taut and straight. Only then did he realize that Lu Shangyan was not joking with him.
He finally let out a heavy sigh, tinged with helplessness.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Lu Shangyan looked at him with utmost sincerity and said, "I really consider you a good friend now."
Previously, he was afraid that some of the troubles around him would involve other people, so he was used to being alone. Even if he had friends, he had gradually lost contact with them due to the "harassment" from his uncles, aunts, brothers and sisters.
He had no family or friends, and he had no intention of making any more friends, let alone becoming close friends with Pei Yumin like he was now.
He hadn't dared to before, fearing trouble, but Pei Yumin had helped him time and time again. Even after Chen Shuo had caused such a commotion for so long, Pei Yumin's attitude towards him hadn't changed. So he felt that he could be friends with Pei Yumin, and Pei Yumin would definitely not distance himself from him again like those people before.
Thinking of this, he looked at Pei Yumin with even more determination, and couldn't help but say, "Let's find a peach garden and swear brotherhood there."
Pei Yumin's heart was in his throat, but he was genuinely happy to see Lu Shangyan with such a so-called "friend." At least, it was the happiest time he had ever been with Lu Shangyan.
So now he accepts whatever the situation is, and he says casually, "Okay, let's do it your way."
Since sworn brotherhood involves bowing to heaven and earth anyway, he can secretly put his parents' photos in front of him and pretend to be getting married.
He quickly calmed himself down, and a smile returned to his face: "After the ceremony, we'll never be apart again. Have you thought it through?"
Lu Shangyan nodded: "Of course I've thought it through!"
"We'll go after my graduation exam."
He actually wanted to go in the next few days, but he was busy with other things. The nearest peach orchard was at the foot of the mountain, and it would take almost two hours to get there from the school. He had to work a full-day job on Saturdays and Sundays and also study. Pei Yumin had to work on weekdays, so they couldn't find the time. He could only wait until the summer vacation.
Pei Yumin was unaware that he had already considered the matter several times in his mind, and was still relieved that the matter had not reached the point of no return.
Lu Shangyan, however, suddenly remembered something else: "Chen Shuo dropped out of school. Does this have anything to do with you?"
Pei Yumin knew he would ask about this sooner or later, so he immediately pulled out a prepared explanation: "You've been his roommate for several years, so you know best how much he cares about his reputation. Before, when you hit him a few times in the dorm, he was determined to get revenge on you."
“That day, I saw something was wrong while I was on the street, so I immediately called the police. They were causing a disturbance and threatening people in public, which is a crime punishable by imprisonment! There were so many witnesses. Although Chen Shuo’s family has some money, they are not powerful enough to control everything. They panicked when the police called, afraid that if I continued to sue, it would escalate the situation and affect their crappy company.”
“That day, he took advantage of his mother’s presence to continue bullying you. So many people were watching, but he ended up getting beaten up and did nothing. Someone like him definitely can’t stand so many people pointing fingers and mocking him. Dropping out of school is a small matter. If he can’t handle it, he might do something even more heinous. So you have to be extra careful during this time. Don’t go out alone in the future. If you go out, ask me to go with you.”
In the end, even the seemingly all-powerful CEO Pei couldn't resist taking a few extra benefits for himself.
Lu Shangyan knew Chen Shuo well. In the afternoon, he even used Zhao Jian's phone to browse the school forum. Chen Shuo was being scolded and ridiculed terribly. Some of the words were so offensive that he couldn't bear to read them, let alone Chen Shuo, who was so concerned about saving face.
Upon hearing this, I felt it made sense and didn't press the matter further.
-
Having finalized the matter, especially after realizing that Pei Yumin shared the same thoughts, Lu Shangyan walked with a much lighter heart.
On Wednesday, he finished class early and studied at the library for a while. At 5:30, he waited for Pei Yumin to pick him up at the school gate. Usually at this time, he would take the bus to his part-time job by himself or run home.
But two days ago, after Pei Yumin heard him refuse, he said righteously, "A good brother should always think of the other and never be afraid of troubling the other. I am worried that Chen Shuo has ulterior motives towards you. This is for your sake, but you always feel that this is troubling me. This means that you do not truly consider me a friend!"
He pursed his lips, looking serious, and seemed genuinely heartbroken. He assessed the situation and made a concession: "At the very least, you have to let me be with you whenever I'm free, otherwise I won't feel at ease."
So Lu Shangyan had no choice but to agree. It was just strange that after Pei Yumin received his latest daily schedule, he almost always said he was free. So he quickly got used to the feeling that Pei Yumin accompanied him every time he set off for his next destination.
He didn't know how to get along with his friends. After Pei Yumin discovered this flaw, he treated his "good friend" like a "boyfriend" and spoiled him.
Pei Yumin sent a message saying there was a bit of traffic on the road and he would be a few minutes late. Knowing which road Pei Yumin would come from, he crossed the road first and walked to the other side while waiting for him.
The area around the school was not bustling, and the roads were not particularly wide. Lu Shangyan had only walked a few steps when he heard someone calling him from a side street. At first, he thought it was someone else calling him, but as he walked past, the person tapped his ankle with a cane, and he finally stopped.
The intersection was only about three meters wide. That day, he carried a small stool and sat on the right side of the intersection, where a tree provided complete shade.
The man was dressed neatly and looked to be in his seventies. He stared at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and said, "Young man, let me take your pulse."
Lu Shangyan's gaze then shifted from his face to the small table in front of him. On the table was a piece of paper with the four characters "Traditional Chinese Medicine Free Clinic" written in bold calligraphy. The rest of the writing was rather messy, but since Lu Shangyan's major was also in medicine, he could vaguely make out a few words.
The names of these herbs are indeed correct, and their effects are largely the same, which certainly adds to their authenticity.
"It's free, I promise I won't charge you any money." The old man smiled kindly. "I only have this one table, and I don't have any magical medicine to sell you. There won't be any extra charges, so don't worry."
“I used to work at the city’s central hospital. After I retired, I couldn’t stay idle, so I started setting up a stall to provide free medical consultations. Now that I’m older, I think it’s a way of accumulating good karma for myself.”
Lu Shangyan hesitated, unsure whether to leave or stay.
The old man stared at him up and down several times with his cloudy eyes, and suddenly said, "Young man, have you been feeling sleepy and listless lately? Do you also often feel nauseous and vomit when you eat? Sometimes you can eat something one second, but you can't eat it the next."
Upon hearing this, Lu Shangyan pulled out a small table from under the table, sat opposite him, and stretched out his hand in front of him.
To be able to describe someone in such detail just by looking at their face, this person must be extraordinary.
The old man squinted as he took his pulse, his expression growing increasingly serious. Finally, he sighed deeply and said, "What a pity, what a pity."
Lu Shangyan broke out in a sweat, nervously asking, "Am I sick?"
The old man shook his head, raised his slightly withered arm, and pointed his index finger at his lower abdomen: "You have a tumor here. You should have it removed as soon as possible, otherwise it may trouble you for the rest of your life."
"More importantly, this tumor is spreading and has already reached your stomach, which is why you have a poor appetite and feel lethargic. It's all because of this tumor."
Lu Shangyan's muscles tensed up as he heard him say regretfully, "If it's not removed, he won't last more than a few months. Young man, you need to make plans as soon as possible."
In an instant, Lu Shangyan felt extremely dizzy. When he came to his senses, he had already staggered to the next intersection. Looking back, he saw that the old man had already sadly packed up his stall and gone home.
His palms were sweaty, his mind was blank, and all the words he had just heard echoed in his ears. Pei Yumin honked the horn for him several times but he didn't hear it, so Pei Yumin had to roll down the window and call his name.
Lu Shangyan then turned to look at him, and he panicked at the sight of him. He quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road and let Lu Shangyan get in: "What's wrong? You look so pale, your lips are so white? Are you hungry or feeling unwell?"
Several questions came at him in a row, and Lu Shangyan didn't know which one to answer. He just stared at him blankly.
Pei Yumin was extremely nervous: "Could it really be Chen Shuo coming to see you?!"
He was about to make another call when he said that.
But Lu Shangyan grabbed his wrist first, making him slowly move closer to him, and then placed Pei Yumin's hand on his lower abdomen: "Can you feel it? It's a bit big here."
Seeing his unpleasant expression, Pei Yumin wanted to ease the tension, so she joked, "What's wrong? Are you pregnant?"
Lu Shangyan's expression didn't improve much, and he stared at him with his eyes: "I have a tumor here, and the doctor said I don't have more than a few months to live."
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