“Uh… Mr. Qin, the test results are out. How about… you let the young master lie down first, and I’ll take you to the director’s office?”
“Alright, give me a moment,” Qin Zelin patted the person in his arms. “Lie down for a bit. I’ll step out.”
The moment he finished speaking, the person in his arms wriggled around in protest.
“No~”
Qin Zelin fell silent for two seconds, then tested the waters: “…If you lie down now, I’ll buy you buns tomorrow.”
The nurse: Wow~~ such a simple and unpretentious way of coaxing from a domineering CEO!
“Be… beef buns?”
Qin Zelin took a deep breath. “Mm, beef buns.”
The nurse: ………? Is that the name of some new luxury bag??
“Xiao Liu, stay here and take care of him.”
“Y-yes, boss.”
After placing Cen Miao on the bed and carefully tucking him in, Qin Zelin followed the stunned little nurse out of the ward.
In the office, the emergency director adjusted his thick glasses, his gaze shifting between the CT scan on the computer screen and the report in his hand.
After a long while, he suddenly took a deep breath and frowned. “Does the patient usually have… unhealthy eating habits?”
Hearing the tone that sounded like ‘your family member only has a few days left’, Qin Zelin’s heart tightened. He tried to stay calm. “Not very good. He’s picky, likes meat and sweet flavors, and… eats quite a lot.”
The doctor nodded gravely, his brows tightly furrowed.
After a moment, the doctor turned the monitor slightly toward Qin Zelin and pointed at a prominent shadow in the abdominal area. “Do you see this shadow here?”
Qin Zelin’s gaze followed the tip of the pen. His heart suddenly sank, and a chill spread down his spine.
“I see it,” he said, his hand on the table tightening unconsciously, knuckles turning pale as he tried to remain composed. “Is it… something serious? Some kind of growth?”
“Mm… ahem.” Just as the doctor was about to speak, his throat suddenly became itchy.
Hearing the implied confirmation, all color drained from Qin Zelin’s face. Thinking that Cen Miao was only twenty, he couldn’t even describe what he was feeling.
“Then… do we need to arrange further tests immediately to determine a treatment plan?”
“Hm? No need for further tests. Ahem, cough cough.”
Qin Zelin froze. “???”
What did that mean?
Was the little monster beyond saving???
He was still so young…
The doctor picked up his thermos and took a sip of warm water to soothe his throat before continuing, “No need for further tests. Based on my experience, that shadow is stool.”
“At least about ten jin.”
“…………！！？？？”
Ten jin… of what???
Qin Zelin’s brain shut down for a few seconds. After instinctively letting out a breath of relief, he was left speechless for quite a while.
“Ten jin of stool… then… he… he was in so much pain…”
“He just needs to pass it. I’ll prescribe some laxatives,” the doctor said calmly, setting down his thermos and chewing on a goji berry that had accidentally slipped into his mouth.
“………………”
“Make sure he eats more vegetables and high-fiber foods in the future.”
“…………”
After that emotional rollercoaster, Qin Zelin returned to the ward with sweaty palms, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Seeing him come back, the driver quickly asked, “How is Madam? Is he okay?”
“…Mm. You can head back first. Take tomorrow off. Have Xiao Zhang come pick me up in the morning, and bring a set of Cen Miao’s clothes.”
“Got it, boss.”
“Wuu… am I going to die again?” Cen Miao sniffled, looking at Qin Zelin with red eyes.
Qin Zelin didn’t know where the word “again” came from. He had wanted to tease him, but seeing his swollen eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“You won’t die. Once you take the medicine the doctor prescribed, you’ll be fine.”
An hour later, after being forced to drink two large bottles of laxatives and making several trips to the bathroom, Cen Miao turned into a shy little quail.
Qin Zelin looked at the small lump on the bed and suppressed a laugh. “Come out. At this rate, even if you didn’t die from holding it in, you’ll suffocate under there.”
“Ah~~~~ don’t say that!”
“Then hurry up and come out,” Qin Zelin said, patting the blanket.
Cen Miao shook his head under the covers.
He wasn’t coming out! Not ever!
Wasn’t he just afraid of starving and wanted to store more food in his stomach?
How could there be so much…
Too embarrassing for a zombie!
“I won’t laugh at you. Come out already!”
“I don’t want to,” Cen Miao’s muffled voice came from under the blanket.
“Then I’ll tell the driver not to bring beef buns tomorrow morning. No point if you’re not coming out to eat them.”
After just a few seconds, a head peeked out from under the blanket. “Will Uncle Lin and Auntie Wang know? Will everyone… know?”
Qin Zelin looked at his flushed face and pinched it with a smile. “No. Only me, the doctor, and the nurse know. Come out.”
“Th-then… I’ll believe you.”
After several more trips to the bathroom, Cen Miao’s stomach finally settled, and he fell asleep on the bed.
Qin Zelin rubbed his temples tiredly and lay down as well after taking off his coat.
After eight in the morning, the two were sitting and eating breakfast. Cen Miao was happily eating beef buns when the ward door suddenly opened, and Qin Jianye and Shao Siheng walked in one after the other.
“Oh, Miao Miao, I heard you suffered last night. Grandpa came to see you. You can’t be picky anymore—having ten jin of stool in your stomach must’ve been so uncomfortable.”
“…………”
With a plop, the half-eaten bun in Cen Miao’s hand dropped onto the tray. He looked at Qin Zelin with a resentful gaze: Liar! Big liar!
Qin Zelin: “………………”
“Look at that, can’t even hold a bun anymore. You really went through a lot.”
Cen Miao turned to Qin Jianye, seeing the concern in his eyes. It reminded him of the time when the red-haired zombie had invaded the base, and Caretaker Dad had hidden him away, looking at him with that same expression.
Forget it! Even if others were heartless, a zombie couldn’t be ungrateful.
“Grandpa, have a bun!” Cen Miao took a big bun from the bag and handed it over with a bright smile.
“Oh, thank you, Miao Miao,” Qin Jianye said happily as he accepted it, then shot Qin Zelin a glare. “Look at that! Look! You’ve never handed me a bun before!”
Qin Zelin choked. “…I was the one who had those buns bought.”
“You couldn’t even take good care of him, and now you want credit for buying buns?”
Qin Zelin glanced at Shao Siheng, who was holding back laughter, fists clenched. “……”
Ten minutes later, Qin Jianye had ‘reluctantly’ finished the three buns that Cen Miao had insisted he eat. After praising them repeatedly, he prepared to go back to the fifth floor with Shao Siheng. Qin Zelin stood up to see them off.
Outside the ward—
“How did you two find out?”
“Oh, we ran into Director Wu from the emergency department this morning. He told us.”
“…………”
“Director Wu also said…” Shao Siheng grinned wickedly, “you thought he had a terminal illness and were almost crying.”
Qin Zelin: “…………” He suddenly wanted Director Wu to cry instead.