Only when he was around his friends would Huo Mingxuan return to his true self.
“What’s wrong?”
Yang Xiwen came out of the bedroom, nudged Huo Mingxuan’s lower leg aside with his foot, and found a place to sit.
“By the way, when are you going back?”
Ever since Huo Mingxuan had returned home and been scared into running away by a whole room full of women, he had been staying here.
They were brothers, so under normal circumstances, Huo Mingxuan could stay as long as he wanted.
But Yang Xiwen was different from Huo Mingxuan, who was supposedly back home to “recover.”
He had an actual mission.
“The dignified eldest young master of the Huo family has lowered himself to stay at my place. It’s way too conspicuous. If I fail my mission, I’m definitely going to report you to the commander.”
Huo Mingxuan glanced at him.
“What do you know? Precisely because I’m here, no one will suspect your identity.”
“I…”
Yang Xiwen was speechless.
He really couldn’t find a way to argue with that.
But he simply couldn’t stand the fact that this guy clearly wasn’t sick at all and could enjoy a whole month of rest for free, while he still had to work day and night, keeping watch over suspects.
The more he looked at him, the more annoyed he became.
He rolled his eyes.
“Go, go, go. Stop sighing in my house. You’re ruining my mood.”
“Ah!”
The moment Huo Mingxuan brought it up, he wanted to sigh again.
“If I’d known this would happen, I wouldn’t have gone home in the first place. What do you think? Should I submit a report to cancel my leave and join your team?”
Yang Xiwen casually glanced at his right forearm.
Then he laughed exaggeratedly.
“Forget it! A dignified Colonel Huo becoming my subordinate? If word got out, the soldiers under you would gossip about me to death.”
“You haven’t taken leave in several years. Now that you’ve finally come home, you should spend more time with your family.”
“You think I don’t want to?”
Huo Mingxuan’s face fell.
Yang Xiwen asked,
“Is your grandmother still arranging blind dates for you?”
Huo Mingxuan sighed.
“If only it were just a blind date. At least I could simply refuse. But now she’s found an excuse.”
“She said some goddess-like miracle doctor saved her life, and she wants me to find her and personally thank her.”
Yang Xiwen: “…”
“Pfft! Hahahaha!”
He couldn’t hold it in anymore and burst out laughing.
But when he met Huo Mingxuan’s resentful gaze, he immediately shut himself up, his face turning red from trying to suppress his laughter.
“Your grandmother’s excuse… That’s brilliant!”
Huo Mingxuan rubbed his face.
Brilliant, my ass.
And he wasn’t even allowed to refuse.
Otherwise, his grandmother would accuse him of not caring about the person who had saved her life.
If word got out, she’d probably say Heaven itself would punish him.
“Hey!”
Yang Xiwen nudged Huo Mingxuan with his elbow, his eyes lighting up with curiosity.
“Come on, tell me. What does this goddess-like miracle doctor look like? Is she like Hua Tuo or Li Shizhen?”
Huo Mingxuan: “…”
Just imagining that scene made him want to die.
As for what Grandma and his cousin had said—
Very beautiful. Willow-shaped eyebrows. Almond eyes. Long, fluttering eyelashes…
What else had they said?
He racked his brain but couldn’t come up with any more details.
The only thing he was certain of was that all of this was part of his grandmother’s scheme.
Yang Xiwen asked with amusement,
“So what are you going to do? Just stop looking?”
Huo Mingxuan gritted his teeth.
“Of course I’m going to look. If Grandma asks, I’ll just tell her that her description was too vague. Where in the world would there be a young woman who’s beautiful, looks like a fairy, and is also that skilled at medicine?”
“What fairy?”
The two of them were still talking when a woman in her forties walked in from outside.
Her loud voice could be heard from far away.
The moment Huo Mingxuan heard it, he immediately sat up straight.
The lazy, rough-around-the-edges soldier from a moment ago instantly transformed into a serious young man with ambition and discipline.
That transformation… impressive.
Yang Xiwen suppressed the admiration—and the urge to roll his eyes—in his eyes and greeted her.
“Auntie, what brings you here?”
Wang Zhilan smiled.
“I’m in a good mood today. On my way home, I happened to buy a chicken, so I made chicken stewed with mushrooms and brought you a bowl.”
Yang Xiwen was deeply touched.
“Thank you, Auntie. I’ll take it.”
He accepted the large bowl with both hands.
Huo Mingxuan was also quick to act. He went into the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and brought it over.
“Auntie, have some water.”
Yang Xiwen had been orphaned at a young age.
It was his uncle and aunt who had raised him.
When he turned eighteen, he joined the army.
Although he didn’t come home often, his uncle and aunt had always treated him like their own son.
If his cousin hadn’t gotten married, Yang Xiwen might still have been living next door with his uncle’s family.
Wang Zhilan thanked him.
She had met Huo Mingxuan before, so she didn’t stand on ceremony.
After taking a sip of water, she suddenly asked,
“By the way, what were you two saying about a fairy just now?”
Then, as if she had thought of something, she exclaimed,
“Xiwen, don’t tell me there’s a girl you like?”
“Which family is she from? What’s her name? How old is she?”
One question after another came flying out.
Yang Xiwen was helpless.
Especially when he saw Huo Mingxuan’s amused expression, which clearly said, Serves you right. Who told you to laugh at me just now?
Yang Xiwen hurriedly raised a hand to stop her.
“No, it’s not me. We were talking about the female miracle doctor who saved Mingxuan’s grandmother!”
“A miracle doctor?”
Wang Zhilan looked disappointed.
She had thought her nephew had finally found a girlfriend.
“Speaking of which, I also met a female miracle doctor today. She was practically a fairy, and her medical skills were incredible.”
Yang Xiwen immediately became nervous.
“Auntie, are you feeling unwell?”
“Ah!”
Wang Zhilan waved her hand.
“I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid you’d worry. Five days ago, I suddenly broke out in a terrible rash. I don’t know what happened, but it was so itchy I thought I was going to die.”
“I saw several doctors, but none of them could cure it. Today, I decided to try First People’s Hospital. And guess what happened?”
Wang Zhilan put on a mysterious and excited expression.
With that kind of dramatic delivery, it would have been a waste not to make her a storyteller.
Yang Xiwen became interested.
“What happened?”
Wang Zhilan smiled.
“Of course I got better!”
“She only had to take my pulse to know that I had a rash. Then she prescribed medicine and gave me acupuncture. I’m not itchy at all now.”
Yang Xiwen let out a sigh of relief.
Huo Mingxuan, however, caught the strong smell of medicinal ointment coming from her.
Yang Xiwen clearly noticed it too.
He couldn’t help complaining,
“Auntie, how could you not tell us you were sick? How could you just endure it by yourself?”
“If something had happened to you, what would I have done? What would my uncle and cousin have done?”
Wang Zhilan was in such a good mood that she wasn’t even annoyed at being scolded by her nephew.
She smiled and waved her hand.
“But I’m fine now, aren’t I?”
“Xiwen, since you don’t have a girl you like, why don’t you go meet her?”
“I’m telling you, that young doctor is absolutely beautiful. She has willow-shaped eyebrows, almond eyes, and such long eyelashes.”
“Just having her look at me made my heart go thump, thump, thump!”
Yang Xiwen’s expression cracked.
If your heart wasn’t going thump-thump, you’d be close to dying.
But this was the aunt he deeply respected.
He didn’t dare say that aloud.
Wang Zhilan had no idea what her nephew was thinking and continued praising Tang Youyou as though compliments were free.
“Not only is she beautiful, her medical skills are incredible too. The hospital director personally received her!”
“And she’s so friendly. She has such a sweet smile.”
“Oh, right! I have to go back for a follow-up in three days. Why don’t you come with me?”
Blah, blah, blah…
At first, Huo Mingxuan had been enjoying the show.
But the more he listened, the more it sounded exactly like his grandmother nagging him.
Especially since both women described the miracle doctor in exactly the same way.
Willow-shaped eyebrows. Almond eyes. Long, fluttering eyelashes…
Do all older women think every young woman looks like this?
He nudged Yang Xiwen’s back with his elbow and gave him a meaningful look.
Yang Xiwen understood immediately.
He hurriedly interrupted,
“I understand, Auntie. But I really don’t plan on finding a partner right now. It’s getting late. Isn’t Little Yue about to wake up?”
“Oh, wait! I think I hear her crying. You should hurry home and check on her.”
As he spoke, he pushed Wang Zhilan toward the door.
Wang Zhilan called out several times.
“Hey, Xiwen!”
How could she not know that her nephew was just trying to brush her off?
As she walked away, she continued nagging,
“Xiwen, don’t blame your aunt for talking too much. I’m only doing this for your own good.”
“You’re already twenty-six. It’s time to find a wife!”
“When your cousin was your age, he already had two children!”
“I know, I know! I’ll think about it. Auntie, be careful. Goodbye, Auntie!”
With a loud bang, Yang Xiwen closed the door.
He patted his chest as he walked back inside.
Then he exchanged a glance with Huo Mingxuan.
Two unfortunate brothers-in-arms indeed!