Huo Chen clung tightly to Gu Qingshi’s waist, unwilling to let go, and secretly took several deep breaths. He still smelled so good.
“How did you get here?” Gu Qingshi asked with a frown.
Huo Chen whimpered, “I snuck out and made the nanny bring me here.” He finally lifted his head.
Gu Qingshi pushed him away with clear distaste. “Stand up straight.”
Every day is like visiting a grave with all this crying. Are his tear ducts really that overactive?
The nanny felt deeply uneasy. As she stepped forward to offer an explanation, Huo Chen spoke up first. “Do not blame the nanny. I insisted that she bring me here.”
Gu Qingshi’s face remained pale. He frowned and pushed the boy’s forehead away as Huo Chen tried to lean in again. “Did I say I was angry?”
The child was stunned for a moment before looking up. “Not yet.”
“Then do not make assumptions on my behalf.”
Gu Qingshi picked up the book that had been knocked over. “Sit on the chair. I need to get an IV started in a moment.”
Even if Huo Chen was not very bright, he knew that Gu Qingshi was in a foul mood. He moved aside obediently, though his eyes kept darting back to Gu. Who made him angry? Huo Chen stared unblinkingly, observing him with intense focus.
“Leave it there. Thank you.” Gu Qingshi accepted the food container gently before telling Li Xu, “You can take the nanny home now.”
The nanny looked embarrassed. She had intended to leave already, but she apologized to Gu Qingshi. “Sir, I should not have acted on my own and brought Little Huo here. I am truly sorry. I will take him home.”
Huo Chen stood up abruptly, making his presence known. Gu Qingshi looked up at him, still smiling as he offered comfort. “It is fine. Children love to cause trouble, and bringing him along is no issue. Do not take it to heart. He is just acting out because he knows you care for him.”
His words were so pleasant that they immediately eased the nanny’s concerns. She smiled involuntarily, felt a bit bashful, exchanged a few more words about the food, and left with a peaceful mind.
The moment the door closed, the smile vanished from Gu Qingshi’s face, and he returned to his usual expression. The book in his hand was not very thick. It was Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha. Gu Qingshi planned to read for a while before eating.
However, an unidentified object began moving toward him, settling against the side of his bed with a heavy presence. It did not make a sound, staying perfectly still.
There was a knock at the door. Gu Qingshi answered, and the nurse entered efficiently to start the IV. She paused briefly upon seeing the child. “There are two bottles and a small bag. Once they are done, just press the nurse call button,” she said routinely before hanging the IV bags. Her gaze drifted toward the child. He was fair-skinned and rosy-lipped, truly beautiful. Is he his younger brother?
“Big Sister, can he eat while the IV is running?” Huo Chen could not help but ask.
Hearing the boy speak, the nurse softened her voice. “Of course. It is just a bit inconvenient with the IV hand, but you can help him.” She offered some encouragement and pushed her medical cart away.
Gu Qingshi had said very little throughout the interaction. He set the book down and stared blankly at the back of his hand where the IV was inserted.
“Do you want to eat?” Huo Chen poked his head out, asking cautiously.
Gu Qingshi looked over, his eyelids drooping slightly. “Stop crying?”
Huo Chen felt embarrassed and lowered his head.
“I do not want to eat now.” Gu Qingshi answered his previous question; he was feeling sleepy.
Huo Chen moved from the other side of the bed to the side with the IV drip and said earnestly, “You must eat. Not eating is bad for your body.”
He spoke with such seriousness. The young man leaned against the hospital bed, scanned the child beside him, and said calmly, “Have you grown taller?” He did not seem as short as before.
Huo Chen knew the man was in a bad mood, though it did not seem to be because of him—if he had truly angered him, he would be crouching at the door right now. He had been feeling dejected, but hearing this, he grew excited.
“Really?” His little tail seemed to wag.
Gu Qingshi could not help but smile at the emotional changes on that small face. “Yes.”
“Then shall we eat?” the little puppy asked happily.
They had circled back to the beginning. Gu Qingshi frowned slightly. “The food container is right there; it will not get cold. Have you not eaten?”
Huo Chen immediately said, “I have eaten.”
Gu Qingshi glanced at him without comment and handed him a book. “If you have nothing to do, read to me.” His eyes hurt.
It was Siddhartha. Huo Chen looked at it, not understanding what kind of book it was. He flipped to the bookmark. Gu Qingshi had just finished a section, and the next was titled “Awakening.”
“When Siddhartha left the grove where the Buddha, the Awakened One, resided…”
Zhi.
Huo Chen awkwardly rubbed his nose and stumbled over the reading: “When he left the grove where Govinda stayed, he walked alone, wandering…”
“Wandering alone.”
Huo Chen’s face flushed as red as a pig’s liver. He pouted, not wanting to continue. There were so many characters he did not recognize.
Gu Qingshi did not even lift his eyelids, merely asking with a smile, “Are there some characters you do not recognize?”
“Yes,” Huo Chen whispered.
“Then how did you build a website?” Gu’s tone remained flat.
Huo Chen grew nervous instantly. He thought the man had forgiven him; why bring it up again? He stammered, “School… school taught us programming.”
Gu Qingshi looked at Huo Chen. The boy’s eyes were red, and he looked quite convincing. He certainly had a talent for fake crying.
Just then, a suspicious sound came from Huo Chen’s stomach. Gu Qingshi frowned. Huo Chen covered his stomach, whispering, “It is just digesting.”
“Why did you not eat?”
Gu Qingshi took the book back, placed it on the bed, and gestured to the side. “Bring it over and eat.”
Huo Chen immediately ran to fetch the container from the table, then looked at the hospital bed before placing it down. He struggled to unlatch the tray table on the bed, sliding it over from the foot. Then, he bent down to lift the container onto it. Gu Qingshi watched his movements and smiled for no apparent reason. Huo Chen felt his heart flutter, his cheeks turning red.
The meal was substantial, featuring corn and pork rib soup, yellow rice, and various home-cooked dishes in several layers, along with a plate of sliced fruit. It was all arranged neatly.
“Eat.”
The nauseous feeling had faded slightly, but it was still there, so Gu Qingshi did not eat much at lunch. Huo Chen, however, ate quite a bit, eventually feeling somewhat embarrassed.
“Do not waste it.” Gu Qingshi spoke again.
Only then did Huo Chen finish everything, earnest and clean. After eating, he did not forget to look up at Gu and whisper, “Do you feel better now?”
Gu Qingshi was momentarily stunned. How did he know?
Huo Chen cleaned the table with a napkin, wiped it spotless, and pushed the small table back to the foot of the bed. Gu Qingshi watched him the entire time, his gaze filled with slight confusion.
Huo Chen tidied up the container and looked up at Gu Qingshi. “Will the nanny come to collect it?”
“Yes, she will take it away tonight.”
“Oh, then I will not wash it,” Huo Chen muttered to himself.
This led Gu Qingshi to an illusion: was he being taken care of by an eight-year-old child? Yet Huo Chen was clearly industrious, and although there was a hint of wanting to impress him, he still brought a glass of water and placed it on the nightstand beside Gu Qingshi.
He then pulled the cushion off the high chair and sat directly on the floor beside the hospital bed, resting his arms near Gu Qingshi’s hand and staring up at the IV drip.
Gu Qingshi found it strange, but the feeling of nausea had vanished.
“It is boring here, so why did you have to come?” Gu Qingshi leaned against the bed, looking down at the boy.
Huo Chen, sleepy from his meal, lay by the bedside. “I just wanted to come.”
His eyelids felt heavy. He yawned, looked up at Gu Qingshi, and blinked, physiological tears hanging from his lashes.
Gu Qingshi thought, Must he keep pretending?
Huo Chen felt a twinge of regret. Gu Qingshi had never called him cute, and he showed no reaction now, so Huo Chen turned back to watch the IV drip, very seriously.
“Go home tonight.”
Huo Chen shook his head. “No.”
Gu Qingshi could not understand it. What was so good about being here? He did not need to please him; was he still worried?
“There are so many sick people in the hospital; what if you get infected?” the young man stated calmly.
Huo Chen, half-asleep and tired of pretending, mumbled, “I will not…”
“I am not leaving.” His voice held a touch of stubborn childishness. His head felt heavy and began to droop.
Gu Qingshi felt as if he were watching a puppy in a short video. He pressed his lips together but said nothing. The nausea in his throat had subsided. He did not know what had come over him.
Huo Chen kept his hand over the back of Gu’s IV hand, saying it would be less cold that way. His eyes were bleary, and he was so tired his head was tilting. Gu Qingshi watched him with a calm, indifferent gaze. He could not figure it out. There is no need to go this far. He is only eight years old. Is he faking it? Even so, he has cried too many times.
“Knock, knock!”
“Hmm?” Huo Chen woke up with a start, turning to the door with an alert expression.
A middle-aged man entered. “Is this Mr. Gu Qingshi?”
Huo Chen grabbed the man’s wrist, staring at him unblinkingly, full of hostility.
“Yes,” Gu Qingshi replied.
“I am the nurse Fu Lian hired for you. I am responsible for your diet and daily life in the hospital. He said he was too busy to visit you today. This is the lunch he ordered… have you already eaten?” The nurse saw the food container and asked with confusion.
Huo Chen’s ears were sharp; he heard the words “Mr. Fu” and became even more guarded. He was not sleepy at all.
“No need,” Gu Qingshi said.
The nurse smiled apologetically. “I have already received Mr. Fu’s money. It would not be right if I did not do the work. He specifically instructed me to take good care of you. I can run errands or buy things for you.”
Huo Chen found it annoying just listening to him. Had Gu Qingshi not said it was unnecessary?
The IV was still dripping, and the room was quiet. Huo Chen turned to look at Gu Qingshi, whose chin was lean and pale. He remained expressionless, showing little reaction.
“I do not need a nurse. You may leave; I will speak to Fu Lian myself.”
The nurse stood at the door, feeling awkward, but he had no intention of leaving. “The money has not been fully paid yet, and the remainder might not be secured…”
Huo Chen immediately said, “If you do not leave, I will call the police.”
The nurse left immediately.
Huo Chen returned to Gu Qingshi’s side, feeling unhappy. He rested his head against the bed, looking up at the IV. As it neared the end, he got up to press the call button. Before Gu Qingshi could say anything, Huo Chen mumbled, “He is truly annoying.”
“Who?”
Huo Chen looked up, confused. “Fu Lian, of course!”
“Why?” Gu Qingshi asked, looking down.
Huo Chen found the question bizarre. Aggrieved, he said, “He arranged some weird nurse for you without asking your opinion. He is not a good person.”
A nurse entered the room to interrupt the conversation. She replaced the IV and told the patient, “There is a nebulizer treatment at 3:00 PM. Someone will bring the medicine, so just stay in the room.”
Huo Chen beat Gu Qingshi to it. “Oh, okay, okay.”
Gu Qingshi: “…”
The nurse laughed. “Your younger brother is truly cute.”
Huo Chen did not know what struck him, but he retorted, “I am not his younger brother.”
The nurse, having finished, prepared to push her cart away. “Is that so? Then what are you to him?”
“I…”
His ears turned bright red.
The nurse left, and Huo Chen closed his mouth, pretending nothing had happened.
“If you feel it is inappropriate outside, just call me ‘older brother’.”
“No.” The child sounded muffled. “You are Gu Qingshi.”
The room returned to silence. Huo Chen felt like a row of ants was crawling over him, tingling and itching. He felt a dry thirst. He reached into his pocket, but it was empty; he had no mints.
“Do not hate Fu Lian.” Gu Qingshi flipped through the book, speaking casually.
Huo Chen became instantly unhappy, looking up. “Why!”
“He arranged people for you without your consent; should I not hate him?”
Gu Qingshi turned his head to look at the boy and said softly, “Hatred is also a heavy emotional burden.”
“It is exhausting.”
Huo Chen was bewildered, but he obediently rested his head against the man’s hand, covering the back of his IV-laden hand. His eyes were bleary, and he was too tired to hold his head up.
“You have no conflict with Fu Lian, so there is no need to be angry on his account.”
The pages rustled again, very peacefully. Huo Chen did not understand, but for some reason, he felt unwilling to agree. Regardless, he hated him. He would certainly be more capable than him one day.
In the afternoon, there was a nebulizer treatment. Gu Qingshi had to wear a mask, feeling a slight sense of discomfort before they started.
“Huo Chen, the nanny is here to collect the lunch box. It is just outside the door. Do you want to go home for a while?”
Huo Chen shook his head like a bobblehead; he did not want to leave at all. Gu Qingshi frowned slightly, but simply added, “Then go home and get me something.”
“What?” Huo Chen agreed to this.
“Toothbrush.”
Is there not one in the bathroom? Huo Chen thought. Is he disgusted by it? But they are all disposable ones, so it should be fine. He was truly high-maintenance.
“Fine. Is there anything else?” Huo Chen looked at the strange nebulizer, feeling curious.
“No, go.” Gu Qingshi waved him away.
Huo Chen reluctantly walked out the door and took the elevator with the nanny. Halfway there, the nanny slapped her thigh. “Little Huo, you go down first. I have to go back up; I forgot the lunch box from noon.”
Huo Chen thought that was reasonable. Perhaps out of guilt, or perhaps just embarrassment, he volunteered, “I will go get it. Your leg was twisted the other day, so it is a hassle for you to run back and forth.”
This was so well-spoken that the nanny immediately forgot about being utilized at noon. “Alright then, Auntie will wait for you on the first floor.”
Huo Chen got off the elevator halfway and took the stairs. He arrived at the door before long.
“Cough, cough, cough…” A series of intense coughs rang out.
Huo Chen rushed to push open the door and saw a frail back; Gu Qingshi was alone in the room.
Did the nurse leave?
He ran over in a panic and circled to Gu Qingshi’s front, then froze. The man had a mask strapped to his face and was coughing terribly, his eyes red, looking incredibly fragile. Seeing him, Gu frowned more deeply and waved a hand.
Huo Chen knew this was a signal for him to leave.
“Cough, cough…” Gu Qingshi was struggling, unaccustomed to this treatment. He fumbled around the bed.
Huo Chen was stunned but panicked to grab tissues, reaching out to help him wipe. His lips were wet.
“Dirty. Cough, cough… go away.”
A nurse came in from outside. Seeing that the coughing was not improving, she turned the machine off first, and the noise in the room vanished. Gu Qingshi closed his eyes and removed the mask; his cheeks were damp. He lowered his eyes, wiped them with a tissue, and remained silent.
“This is likely because the airflow is too strong and too cold. Let me adjust it for you.” The nurse busied herself with the equipment. “Actually, coughing is normal. Most people cough during their first session, and medication can cause excess saliva. Just wipe it away in time.”
Huo Chen stood aside, watching the man, his mind wandering.
“Mm,” Gu Qingshi replied, his face pale.
The nurse readjusted the equipment and finally said with concern, “It is best to have someone watching over you; if you cough continuously, the results will not be ideal. Hey, Little Brother, you are here. Help your older brother keep watch. Wipe his saliva or whatever, and press the bell if something happens.”
Huo Chen nodded immediately, no longer caring about the label.
The mask had to be worn again. Gu Qingshi frowned, not wanting anyone by his side, and deeply regretted sending the nurse away. I look too wretched. What does having a child here mean? Gu Qingshi did not understand if he was being pretentious; he simply felt he was dirty.
“Little Brother, remember, if your older brother coughs continuously, call me again.” The nurse gave instructions and then turned on the nebulizer again.
Gu Qingshi’s cheeks were mostly covered; mist accumulated inside the mask, making his specific features difficult to see. The nurse left.
Huo Chen walked over to the bedside, holding a tissue, eyes fixed on the man’s profile. He was still coughing muffledly, but it was certainly better than before. The lips inside the transparent mask were slightly parted, looking quite sickly. Huo Chen did not know why, but he could not help but stare at them.
Finally, Gu Qingshi made a gesture.
Go away.
“You cannot be left alone… I will not go home. Shall I buy you a toothbrush?”
Gu Qingshi could not speak and pointed toward the corner.
Cough. He muffled a cough.
The food container is still there.
Huo Chen grabbed the man’s fingers. “I will wash it myself; I will call the nanny in a moment.”
He would not leave, even if it killed him.