Chapter 106 You Can't Be a Bad Person
The morning Lin Yi and Mu Yan picked up Mu Juanhua from the hospital was sunny.
Air pollution in the urban area of City A is quite severe, making it rare to see such blue skies and white clouds.
Five days have passed since the surgery, but it still feels like a dream. As she walked out of the hospital, Mu Juanhua couldn't help but look back.
She has been sick for six years.
The first year she fell ill, Mu Yan was in her second year of high school, and Lin Yi was originally in junior college. Shortly after learning of her illness, he decided to drop out of school and go to work.
Although Mu Yan finished high school and university as usual, he had to work part-time while studying, practically splitting one day into two. While other kids were playing sports, dating, and enjoying campus life, he was always thinking about how to earn more money to help support his family.
Her illness seems to have drastically changed the lives of both children. Even now that she is cured, it will be difficult for them to return to their original paths.
"Mom, what are you spacing out for?" Lin Yi called out to her. "The car is here, 8528, this is it."
Mu Juanhua came to her senses. Lin Yi had already sat down in the passenger seat and given her the last four digits of his phone number. Mu Yan opened the car door for her. The sunlight was shining on his face, which was a bit dazzling. Mu Yan reached out to shield his eyes from the sun.
Mu Juanhua suddenly felt her eyes sting, and as she got into the car with her back to Mu Yan, she hurriedly wiped away her tears with the back of her hand.
Everything has gotten better; everything has finally gotten better.
This place isn't actually that far from Lin Yi's home. They usually come by subway or bus, but today Lin Yi took a taxi, and Mu Juanhua tacitly didn't spoil the mood by asking him why he didn't wait for the bus.
Xiang Zhuo went to buy groceries in advance, and when the three of them arrived home, he had already prepared a large table of dishes.
The dishes are fresh and bright, making them look very appetizing. The crabs are plump, and the bream is topped with finely shredded ginger and scallions, just waiting to be drizzled with the last bit of hot oil.
Just as they arrived home, Xiang Zhuo called Lin Yi over to help.
Hot oil is poured over the fish, instantly filling the air with aroma.
"Why are you making such a big spread of food at midday?" Mu Yan smiled and went to get bowls and chopsticks for the family. "There are only four of us, how can we possibly finish all this?"
"Mom's digestion isn't good right now, so she should eat less tonight. Lunch is better; it's easier to digest after lunch." Xiang Zhuo smiled and handed out bowls and chopsticks to everyone. He then said to Mu Yan, "You said you were going to buy pig's tongue, do you think you can eat that?"
Lin Yi is actually a person who loves to drink. He kept saying that with so many dishes, he wanted Xiang Zhuo to take out the bottle of wine that their company gave them last year, which cost several hundred yuan, and drink it.
Xiang Zhuo had originally intended to keep the bottle as a gift since it hadn't been opened for so long, but upon hearing Lin Yi's request, he took the bottle out of the wine cabinet and opened it without much hesitation.
Mu Juanhua, who had just been discharged from the hospital, naturally couldn't drink alcohol, and Mu Yan didn't like drinking either. Xiang Zhuo knew that Lin Yi liked to drink, so he only poured a small half-cup to keep him company.
The scallion oil bream was delicious this time; it was very tender and not fishy at all, probably because it was pan-fried for a while beforehand.
Mu Yan remembered that when his brother and Xiang Zhuo first got married, Xiang Zhuo was very polite and always invited him to his home for meals.
Lin Yi was busy with work, and Xiang Zhuo wanted to treat him, but his cooking was really not very good; the fish always had a fishy smell.
Mu Yan felt embarrassed not to eat, but if she ate too much, she was afraid that Xiang Zhuo would make her eat more. She always felt caught in a dilemma.
“You’re quite picky,” Lin Yi said, picking up a large piece of fish belly meat from his plate and tearing off the fish skin that Mu Yan didn’t like, putting it in his own bowl. “This is what I taught Xiang Zhuo. You didn’t like it this much when he used to cook it with a fishy smell.”
"You're criticizing me again. I really can't tell if it's fishy or not," Xiang Zhuo smiled helplessly. "I feel like they all taste the same. My family always cooked it like this when I was a kid."
“I wasn’t talking about you,” Lin Yi put a piece of food on Xiang Zhuo’s plate, “I was praising your improvement. You should eat it too, it really tastes better than what you cooked before.”
As Xiang Zhuo muttered about whether it was true or not, Mu Yan lowered his head and smiled. The scallion oil broth from the fish slightly soaked a few grains of rice around him, turning them golden yellow as well.
Mu Yan ate the fish with rice in a few bites.
As they chatted, Lin Yi and Xiang Zhuo had almost finished their drinks, leaving only a small amount at the bottom. Mu Yan planned to wait until they finished before getting up to wash the dishes.
The phone suddenly rang at that moment. Mu Yan took it out and was slightly taken aback when he saw the caller's name in the contact list.
Mu Yan answered the phone without much hesitation: "........Mr. Xie?"
"It's me," Xie Chen's calm voice came from the other end of the line. "Have you eaten?"
It's 1:30 now. If Xiang Zhuo hadn't just cooked a big meal today, it would be right after lunch and the afternoon nap would be over.
"Hmm, we're almost done eating."
"...Did I bother you?"
"No, no, we were almost done eating," Mu Yan hurriedly said. "Has Mr. Xie eaten yet?"
"I've already eaten," Xie Chen replied. "Are you free this afternoon?"
Mu Yan was slightly taken aback, wondering why Xie Chen would suddenly ask this question.
Why was Xie Chen looking for me? Wasn't he He Fan's bodyguard?
Haven't I and He Fan already... had absolutely no relationship anymore?
“The medical standards in City A are no worse than those abroad,” Xie Chen said. “I want to take you… to get another check-up on the false pregnancy. False pregnancy is more troublesome than you think, and it will make you very uncomfortable later. Although it doesn’t have a substantial impact on your health, you will feel nauseous and weak, and the pregnancy symptoms will become more and more severe… They say in Country A that once it’s past eight months, there’s no way to suppress it with medication. I want to see if there are any other treatment options here.”
Xie Chen seemed afraid that he wouldn't take it seriously, so she solemnly talked about several possible reactions in the later stages of a false pregnancy.
Mu Yan was taken aback upon hearing this.
"...Are you there yet? Can you wait for me?" He walked out of the kitchen, quietly closed the door, avoiding his brother and mother, and said in a low voice, "I still need to wash the dishes before I come over."
"I haven't arrived yet, take your time, there's no rush. Where are you now? I'll come pick you up."
"No need to trouble you," Xie Chen said. He was unfamiliar with the area, and Mu Yan felt embarrassed to let him pick him up, so he quickly declined. "I can come by myself. It's very convenient to take a taxi."
When Mu Yan returned to the kitchen, everyone had almost finished eating, and he quickly went to help clear the dishes.
"Who was looking for you just now?" Lin Yi didn't hear what Mu Yan said on the phone, but since he was his younger brother, he could guess what Mu Yan was thinking even without him saying anything. He quickly shooed him out of the kitchen, "Is something wrong? Go ahead and do your work, don't keep others waiting."
Mu Yan hesitated for a moment, thinking that it wouldn't be good to keep Xie Chen waiting, so he helped wipe the table and left Lin Yi's house, taking a taxi to the First Municipal Hospital.
Xie Chen was waiting for him in the hospital lobby near the door. He stood there, neither looking down at his phone nor looking around. He was tall and slender, with a cold and aloof look, and his temperament stood out from the crowd. It was almost impossible for Mu Yan not to notice him.
He kept looking towards the door, and after seeing Mu Yan, he quickly walked towards Mu Yan.
Today he was wearing a beige chunky knit sweater and casual pants, and his demeanor looked much softer than when we first met.
"I've got you a new medical record book. Take a look at it. When the doctor calls you by this name, they're calling you."
As Xie Chen spoke, he handed over a brand new medical record. Mu Yan took it and saw that the name column of the medical record read "Mu Xiaoyan".
These three words looked a little strange, and Mu Yan subconsciously felt a little embarrassed. He immediately flipped the medical record over and covered the side with the name on it.
Xie Chen was unaware that Mu Yan was hiding from Shang Qiyue. He only thought that Mu Yan had lost many documents when she was kidnapped, and she might not have carried her medical records with her. It would be more convenient to get a new one.
Seeing Mu Yan's slightly embarrassed reaction, he subconsciously raised the corners of his mouth, but quickly regained his usual expression.
“This is a specialist recommended by my friend. The appointment is already booked. Let’s go to the third floor first. I brought your blood test report from last time, so you shouldn’t need to have your blood drawn again.”
"Do you want to carry them yourself, or should I put them all away for you?"
Xie Chen was holding a transparent file bag containing registration slips, blood test reports, and a bunch of other miscellaneous forms, as if he really was just bringing Mu Yan to see a doctor.
Mu Yan hesitated for a moment: "...Mr. Xie."
Xie Chen noticed that Mu Yan neither took the file bag nor let him keep it, but simply called out to him, which he found rather strange.
"What's wrong?" he asked gently.
Mu Yan looked up at him slightly, seemingly considering for a moment before finally speaking.
"You're actually... not He Fan's bodyguard, are you?"
Xie Chen was taken aback; he had no intention of telling Mu Yan about his identity and background at this moment.
Things need to be dealt with one by one. Mu Yan's stepmother has just recovered from her illness, but he himself still has some heart problems. Xie Chen doesn't think now is a good time to tell him.
Xie Chen has a strong mental fortitude, and his years of military experience made him appear very calm in the face of Mu Yan's questioning: "Why do you say that?"
"He Fan and I... are no longer lovers. Actually, we weren't really lovers before. He shouldn't be coming to me again."
"Furthermore," Mu Yan paused again, "you are very skilled and have excellent physical abilities. Hiring you would be very expensive, and it would be a waste of money to hire you for medical treatment."
Had He Fan already broken up with Mu Yan before this?
Xie Chen was slightly stunned, not expecting He Fan to be willing to break up with Mu Yan so quickly.
Mu Yan was still waiting earnestly for his confession or explanation, her eyes fixed intently on him.
“…Mu Yan,” Xie Chen didn’t have time to think about He Fan anymore. He looked at Mu Yan with some helplessness, “Should I say you’re smart or stupid?”
"Knowing I might have lied to you, you still agreed to come out with me? Didn't you ever think about what if I were a bad person?"
“You’re not a bad person,” Mu Yan said almost without thinking, her eyes widening slightly.
“If you’re a bad person, you shouldn’t have saved me in the first place. You could have just let me die on that ship… I have nothing that you would want from me,” Mu Yan said seriously. “Why did you hurt me?”
[Author's Note]
I had three final exams in the last few days, sorry for being so late today. I'll be giving out red envelopes to the first 50 commenters.
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