When office hours ended that afternoon, Xia Wennan was in no mood to work overtime, so he called Ming Luchuan and they went to the hospital together.
Ming Luchuan had no opinion on where Xia Wennan wanted to go, his sole request at the moment was that Xia Wennan not go anywhere alone.
Xia Wennan shifted uneasily in his seat in the car. He couldn’t say he was particularly fond of Ming Sichen, and it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d realised how badly Ming Sichen was doing—however, when it came to the fact that someone had wanted to kill him, he felt inexplicably unsettled, and he couldn’t sit still even though he sat there mutely.
When they arrived at the hospital, Xia Wennan assumed that Ming Qin was still around, but when they reached the door of the hospital room, he saw that the person sitting at Ming Sichen’s bedside was Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan came to a halt, and Ming Luchuan stopped just a scant few centimetres behind him.
Nobody knew if Ming Siyan had noticed their arrival, but he kept his head down the entire time and never looked up. Some time later, Xia Wennan watched as he buried his face on the edge of Ming Sichen’s bed, a hand grasping Ming Sichen’s and his entire body leaning forward. It was then that he realised that Ming Siyan was crying.
Ming Siyan raised his head after a while of crying, tucked Ming Sichen’s hand back under the blanket, and straightened the blanket. He then rose to his feet, at which point he spotted Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan.
“Da-ge, Wennan.” Ming Siyan’s eyes were still stained red.
Xia Wennan entered the room and asked, “Where did dad go?”
“He went home first,” Ming Siyan answered.
Xia Wennan nodded, approached the bed, and examined the sleeping Ming Sichen.
Ming Sichen’s condition had made no improvement. He’d been sleeping peacefully in his bed the entire time.
Ming Luchuan walked in, unhurriedly made his way to the chair on the other side of the bed, and sat down.
“What are your plans for tonight?” Xia Wennan asked Ming Siyan.
“Aunt Zhang went home to pack up a few things, so I came here to accompany Sichen,” said Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan nodded. Unable to come up with a response, he simply stood by the bed and stared at Ming Sichen, despite the fact that there was nothing of note. As Xia Wennan studied his wan, slumbering face, he considered seeing Lin Shuqiu, but he had no idea whether Lin Shuqiu’s shift had ended or not.
Ming Siyan abruptly stated, “This is all my fault. If Sichen and I hadn’t gone on that trip, he wouldn’t have gotten into that accident.”
Xia Wennan couldn’t help but give him a quick glance and ask, “How is that your fault? It was an accident. You shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”
Ming Siyan looked at Ming Sichen with red eyes. “Dad’s upset too. He thinks that I’ve neglected Sichen. They’ve reexamined Sichen so many times, but no one has ever figured out what was wrong with him.”
This time, Xia Wennan held his tongue, thinking to himself, Ming Qin actually had the audacity to say such a thing? He turned his head and shot a glance at Ming Luchuan, only to see that the man’s head was slightly ducked and his eyes were on his phone, appearing as if he wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.
Not wanting to talk to Ming Siyan any longer, he changed the subject and asked, “Have you had dinner?”
Ming Siyan shook his head.
“Then why don’t you go get something to eat?” said Xia Wennan. “Luchuan and I will stay here and wait for Aunt Zhang.”
“I’m not hungry,” mumbled Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan went over to Ming Siyan’s side and reached out to pull his arm, but before he made contact, he realised that this was an inappropriate gesture and hastily switched to giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “You still have to eat though,” he pointed out. “If you starve yourself and lose weight, your dad will definitely worry.” He casually nudged Ming Siyan towards the door. “Go have dinner. After that, go home and get a good night’s rest. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to find out what’s wrong with Sichen by tomorrow.”
Ming Siyan rubbed his red eyes. “Really?”
Xia Wennan promptly exclaimed, “Of course!” By now, he had managed to push Ming Siyan to the door. With a bit more force, he successfully pushed him out entirely. After that, Xia Wennan stood in the doorway and said, “Siyan, you have to keep your head up!
“Ah?” was Ming Siyan’s response.
“Both dad and Sichen are relying on you.”
Ming Siyan had a blank look on his face. “Oh.”
After waving at him, Xia Wennan gently closed the hospital room door. He then pressed his back against it, silently listening for movement outside. When he heard Ming Siyan’s departing footsteps, he turned and tiptoed away from the door, confident that Ming Siyan was already far away.
In the next second, Xia Wennan patted his chest and returned to the hospital bed, dragging a chair to Ming Luchuan’s side and plopping down next to him. He then asked in a whisper, “What did you think of my acting?”
Ming Luchuan raised his head. “What?”
“My acting skills in front of Ming Siyan!”
Ming Luchuan chuckled, after which he lifted a hand to rub Xia Wennan’s head. “Pretty decent,” he said with his deep voice.
Xia Wennan glowered. “You’re so stingy with your compliments.”
Xia Wennan rested his head on Ming Luchuan’s shoulder as they sat next to each other in the hospital room, his gaze fixed on the bed. “Are we going to wait here until Aunt Zhang arrives?” he asked after a while.
“Wasn’t it you who told Siyan he could leave first?”
“I just didn’t want to talk to him.” Xia Wennan then lifted his head. “I’m gonna go find Lin Shuqiu.”
Ming Luchuan tugged on Xia Wennan’s hand as he moved to stand up. “Don’t go.”
Xia Wennan knew what he meant. “We’re in a hospital, and there’s a lot of people outside. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
Ming Luchuan glanced towards the door.
“I’m just going to see if he’s still on his shift or not,” Xia Wennan explained. “I’ll come back right away.”
Ming Luchuan eventually gave a nod.
Xia Wennan exited the hospital room. It was coincidentally dinnertime then, and the hospital corridor was a rather hectic space with people coming and going. He walked down the corridor, intending to check out the doctor’s office, but before he even got to the nurse’s station, he spotted a tall alpha in a suit walking in his direction.
“Lu Huaiye!” Xia Wennan called out in surprise.
Lu Huaiye had seen Xia Wennan as well, but instead of stopping, he turned around to leave.
Xia Wennan hurriedly chased him down and grabbed his arm. “Why are you leaving?”
Lu Huaiye’s gaze flitted to the hand Xia Wennan was holding him with and said, “I just wanted to see how Sichen was doing. I don’t have anything else to say.”
“Go ahead and see him then,” said Xia Wennan.”
“Who else is here, aside from you?” Lu Huaiye asked him.
“Ming Luchuan.”
Lu Huaiye frowned. He was seemingly hesitant. “I’ll come here another time,” he said after some time.
“Wait—” Xia Wennan had yet to release his grip. “I’ve got a few things to say to you.”
Lu Huaiye looked at him. “What else is there to say? Haven’t we already talked this morning?”
Patients in hospital gowns were walking down the narrow corridor on the arms of family members, and patients’ families emerged from the rooms carrying lunch boxes with the purpose of washing them.
Despite the fact that the majority of them were betas, Xia Wennan found it difficult to stay in such a cramped and crowded space. “Can we talk elsewhere?” he said to Lu Huaiye. “I’ll keep it short.”
After a beat of hesitation, Lu Huaiye nodded.
They went to a quiet stairwell with a window that could be opened just a crack. Through the small opening, fresh, chilly air was let in.
Xia Wennan inhaled deeply and asked Lu Huaiye, “Can you tell me what’s really going on between you and Ming Siyan?”
“Did Siyan ask you to ask me? I’ve already spoken with him,” said Lu Huaiye.
Xia Wennan promptly shook his head. “No, I’m the one who’s curious. When did you and Ming Siyan start dating?”
“What’s the use of you asking me all these questions?”
“I just find it weird… but I can’t puzzle it out,” said Xia Wennan. “I wanted to know if there’s anything I’ve missed.”
“‘Weird’?”
“Ming Siyan, Ming Sichen.”
Lu Huaiye’s brows remained creased until now. Following a moment of silence, he said, “Do you need a specific time? We started dating nearly two years ago.”
“Two years?” Xia Wennan was a little taken aback. “Was this before Sichen’s car accident?”
“When Siyan and I got together,” Lu Huaiye began, “Sichen had already been involved in that accident.”
When office hours ended that afternoon, Xia Wennan was in no mood to work overtime, so he called Ming Luchuan and they went to the hospital together.
Ming Luchuan had no opinion on where Xia Wennan wanted to go, his sole request at the moment was that Xia Wennan not go anywhere alone.
Xia Wennan shifted uneasily in his seat in the car. He couldn’t say he was particularly fond of Ming Sichen, and it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d realised how badly Ming Sichen was doing—however, when it came to the fact that someone had wanted to kill him, he felt inexplicably unsettled, and he couldn’t sit still even though he sat there mutely.
When they arrived at the hospital, Xia Wennan assumed that Ming Qin was still around, but when they reached the door of the hospital room, he saw that the person sitting at Ming Sichen’s bedside was Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan came to a halt, and Ming Luchuan stopped just a scant few centimetres behind him.
Nobody knew if Ming Siyan had noticed their arrival, but he kept his head down the entire time and never looked up. Some time later, Xia Wennan watched as he buried his face on the edge of Ming Sichen’s bed, a hand grasping Ming Sichen’s and his entire body leaning forward. It was then that he realised that Ming Siyan was crying.
Ming Siyan raised his head after a while of crying, tucked Ming Sichen’s hand back under the blanket, and straightened the blanket. He then rose to his feet, at which point he spotted Xia Wennan and Ming Luchuan.
“Da-ge, Wennan.” Ming Siyan’s eyes were still stained red.
Xia Wennan entered the room and asked, “Where did dad go?”
“He went home first,” Ming Siyan answered.
Xia Wennan nodded, approached the bed, and examined the sleeping Ming Sichen.
Ming Sichen’s condition had made no improvement. He’d been sleeping peacefully in his bed the entire time.
Ming Luchuan walked in, unhurriedly made his way to the chair on the other side of the bed, and sat down.
“What are your plans for tonight?” Xia Wennan asked Ming Siyan.
“Aunt Zhang went home to pack up a few things, so I came here to accompany Sichen,” said Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan nodded. Unable to come up with a response, he simply stood by the bed and stared at Ming Sichen, despite the fact that there was nothing of note. As Xia Wennan studied his wan, slumbering face, he considered seeing Lin Shuqiu, but he had no idea whether Lin Shuqiu’s shift had ended or not.
Ming Siyan abruptly stated, “This is all my fault. If Sichen and I hadn’t gone on that trip, he wouldn’t have gotten into that accident.”
Xia Wennan couldn’t help but give him a quick glance and ask, “How is that your fault? It was an accident. You shouldn’t beat yourself up about it.”
Ming Siyan looked at Ming Sichen with red eyes. “Dad’s upset too. He thinks that I’ve neglected Sichen. They’ve reexamined Sichen so many times, but no one has ever figured out what was wrong with him.”
This time, Xia Wennan held his tongue, thinking to himself, Ming Qin actually had the audacity to say such a thing? He turned his head and shot a glance at Ming Luchuan, only to see that the man’s head was slightly ducked and his eyes were on his phone, appearing as if he wasn’t paying attention to their conversation.
Not wanting to talk to Ming Siyan any longer, he changed the subject and asked, “Have you had dinner?”
Ming Siyan shook his head.
“Then why don’t you go get something to eat?” said Xia Wennan. “Luchuan and I will stay here and wait for Aunt Zhang.”
“I’m not hungry,” mumbled Ming Siyan.
Xia Wennan went over to Ming Siyan’s side and reached out to pull his arm, but before he made contact, he realised that this was an inappropriate gesture and hastily switched to giving him a hearty pat on the shoulder. “You still have to eat though,” he pointed out. “If you starve yourself and lose weight, your dad will definitely worry.” He casually nudged Ming Siyan towards the door. “Go have dinner. After that, go home and get a good night’s rest. Who knows? Maybe we’ll be able to find out what’s wrong with Sichen by tomorrow.”
Ming Siyan rubbed his red eyes. “Really?”
Xia Wennan promptly exclaimed, “Of course!” By now, he had managed to push Ming Siyan to the door. With a bit more force, he successfully pushed him out entirely. After that, Xia Wennan stood in the doorway and said, “Siyan, you have to keep your head up!
“Ah?” was Ming Siyan’s response.
“Both dad and Sichen are relying on you.”
Ming Siyan had a blank look on his face. “Oh.”
After waving at him, Xia Wennan gently closed the hospital room door. He then pressed his back against it, silently listening for movement outside. When he heard Ming Siyan’s departing footsteps, he turned and tiptoed away from the door, confident that Ming Siyan was already far away.
In the next second, Xia Wennan patted his chest and returned to the hospital bed, dragging a chair to Ming Luchuan’s side and plopping down next to him. He then asked in a whisper, “What did you think of my acting?”
Ming Luchuan raised his head. “What?”
“My acting skills in front of Ming Siyan!”
Ming Luchuan chuckled, after which he lifted a hand to rub Xia Wennan’s head. “Pretty decent,” he said with his deep voice.
Xia Wennan glowered. “You’re so stingy with your compliments.”
Xia Wennan rested his head on Ming Luchuan’s shoulder as they sat next to each other in the hospital room, his gaze fixed on the bed. “Are we going to wait here until Aunt Zhang arrives?” he asked after a while.
“Wasn’t it you who told Siyan he could leave first?”
“I just didn’t want to talk to him.” Xia Wennan then lifted his head. “I’m gonna go find Lin Shuqiu.”
Ming Luchuan tugged on Xia Wennan’s hand as he moved to stand up. “Don’t go.”
Xia Wennan knew what he meant. “We’re in a hospital, and there’s a lot of people outside. Nothing’s going to happen to me.”
Ming Luchuan glanced towards the door.
“I’m just going to see if he’s still on his shift or not,” Xia Wennan explained. “I’ll come back right away.”
Ming Luchuan eventually gave a nod.
Xia Wennan exited the hospital room. It was coincidentally dinnertime then, and the hospital corridor was a rather hectic space with people coming and going. He walked down the corridor, intending to check out the doctor’s office, but before he even got to the nurse’s station, he spotted a tall alpha in a suit walking in his direction.
“Lu Huaiye!” Xia Wennan called out in surprise.
Lu Huaiye had seen Xia Wennan as well, but instead of stopping, he turned around to leave.
Xia Wennan hurriedly chased him down and grabbed his arm. “Why are you leaving?”
Lu Huaiye’s gaze flitted to the hand Xia Wennan was holding him with and said, “I just wanted to see how Sichen was doing. I don’t have anything else to say.”
“Go ahead and see him then,” said Xia Wennan.”
“Who else is here, aside from you?” Lu Huaiye asked him.
“Ming Luchuan.”
Lu Huaiye frowned. He was seemingly hesitant. “I’ll come here another time,” he said after some time.
“Wait—” Xia Wennan had yet to release his grip. “I’ve got a few things to say to you.”
Lu Huaiye looked at him. “What else is there to say? Haven’t we already talked this morning?”
Patients in hospital gowns were walking down the narrow corridor on the arms of family members, and patients’ families emerged from the rooms carrying lunch boxes with the purpose of washing them.
Despite the fact that the majority of them were betas, Xia Wennan found it difficult to stay in such a cramped and crowded space. “Can we talk elsewhere?” he said to Lu Huaiye. “I’ll keep it short.”
After a beat of hesitation, Lu Huaiye nodded.
They went to a quiet stairwell with a window that could be opened just a crack. Through the small opening, fresh, chilly air was let in.
Xia Wennan inhaled deeply and asked Lu Huaiye, “Can you tell me what’s really going on between you and Ming Siyan?”
“Did Siyan ask you to ask me? I’ve already spoken with him,” said Lu Huaiye.
Xia Wennan promptly shook his head. “No, I’m the one who’s curious. When did you and Ming Siyan start dating?”
“What’s the use of you asking me all these questions?”
“I just find it weird… but I can’t puzzle it out,” said Xia Wennan. “I wanted to know if there’s anything I’ve missed.”
“‘Weird’?”
“Ming Siyan, Ming Sichen.”
Lu Huaiye’s brows remained creased until now. Following a moment of silence, he said, “Do you need a specific time? We started dating nearly two years ago.”
“Two years?” Xia Wennan was a little taken aback. “Was this before Sichen’s car accident?”
“When Siyan and I got together,” Lu Huaiye began, “Sichen had already been involved in that accident.”
