Mu Ran lowered his gaze and quickly closed the news interface.
Knowing full well that nothing could ever happen between him and Lu Chengfeng, there were certain things he didn’t care to bring upon himself just to court displeasure.
“I heard you got into an accident last night, and it was only after seeing that you didn’t have any major problems that I went on duty. How are you feeling today?” A tall man pushed open the door and walked in. He was wearing a doctor’s white lab coat and holding an overcoat, clearly looking ready to get off work. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, and his gentle temperament made even his vocal tone sound much softer the moment he saw people.
He was the standard doctor friend found by the side of a dominant CEO in novels.
Mu Ran pressed a hand to his forehead.
This dream really was true.
“Much better. I can still take down eight of you with a single punch,” Mu Ran replied with a smile, resting his chin in his hand.
He Jing’an wore an expression of someone well-accustomed to this, naturally sitting down beside Mu Ran. “Get some rest. If you’re dying to talk that badly, come find me on the sixth floor. I hear you’ve been staying at the company for ages go out and see some people, don’t go getting depressed.”
Mu Ran curled his lip, but his body honestly sat up and he reached out his hand, gesturing for He Jing’an to support him.
“Come over and give me a hand. Why are you so lacking in situational awareness?”
Now it was He Jing’an’s turn to curl his lip: “Bro, you just woke up not too long ago. What on earth are you trying to get up for?”
“Going out for a walk to get some fresh air. I won’t drop dead.” Mu Ran buttoned up his hospital gown and climbed out of bed, leaning on He Jing’an’s arm.
He really did need to go out for a walk; right now, it felt as though a massive boulder was pressing down inside his chest, leaving him unable to exhale or swallow properly. If he didn’t breathe in some fresh air soon, he might just suffocate.
He Jing’an looked him up and down from front to back, confirming that he truly didn’t have any major issues, before hesitating for a moment, draping the overcoat over Mu Ran, and supporting him out the door.
“When did you start working at this hospital?” Once they stepped out of the inpatient building’s doors and saw the flowers and plants in the courtyard behind it, Mu Ran finally felt as though he had sprung back to life.
“My thesis is practically finished anyway, so my dad had me come back early to treat it as gaining some early experience. Anyway, I don’t really like pharmacy, so I’ll just bluff my way through it,” He Jing’an stated honestly.
Since He Jing’an had already returned to China, it was likely that the plot’s beginning wasn’t far off either. The mere thought of He Jing’an having to pull all-nighters in the future to treat the other protagonist made him want to laugh.
Given He Jing’an’s knack for having his undergraduate studies extended by a year and his graduate studies extended by another, it was pretty dicey whether he’d even graduate with his doctorate this time around. Fortunately, he was just dealing with minor ailments like fevers; if he were truly left in charge of serious cases, he’d probably manufacture illnesses where none existed.
Suppressing his laughter and wanting to say something, Mu Ran caught sight of a middle-aged woman striding over in two or three quick steps.
“Dr. He! What a coincidence, we’re meeting again.” The woman looked to be around forty-odd years old, very well-maintained, and dressed in upscale attire. She greeted them with a full smile on her face.
He Jing’an’s face darkened at a speed visible to the naked eye, and he looked as though he wanted to hide behind Mu Ran.
Mu Ran looked utterly bewildered: “What’s wrong with you? What are you afraid of? Is this a debt of romantic karma you stirred up? Or did you borrow high-interest loans behind Uncle He’s back?”
The woman didn’t look like someone collecting a monetary debt, which left only one answer.
He hadn’t expected this fellow to act all upright and righteous during the day, yet be quite something behind closed doors…
“Go on with you,” He Jing’an shot him a blank stare. “A few days ago, she brought her daughter in for a physical examination. The hospital was short-handed, so I was the one who reviewed their test results, and as a result, this auntie keeps clinging to me, insisting we get acquainted. I’ve rejected her countless times already; it’s genuinely giving me a headache.”
Ah, so it was indeed romantic karma.
Actually, it was easy to guess. Most young doctors working at this hospital were returned students from abroad, and their family backgrounds went without saying. Coupled with He Jing’an’s striking appearance, people naturally set their sights on this piece of prime meat.
Seeing that He Jing’an had apparently been pestered for quite a while, shouldn’t he help a friend out?
“Ma’am.” Mu Ran took a sideways step to block in front of He Jing’an, smiling as he greeted the woman and slowly spoke up, “I’m Dr. He’s friend. He’s a bit busy right now is there something you needed Dr. He for?”
True to form, He Jing’an beside him played along brilliantly, pulling out his phone to pretend he was making a call.
The woman stopped in her tracks. Upon hearing Mu Ran say this, she was surprised at first, but quickly replaced it with her initial smile, grabbing Mu Ran to ask, “You’re Dr. He’s friend, so you must be very close with him. Do you happen to know what Dr. He’s family does for a living?”
Mu Ran coughed into his clenched fist, rolled his eyes, and said with complete naturalness: “His family runs an underground casino.”
Hearing this, He Jing’an’s hand trembled so violently he almost dropped his phone.
Years had passed, but Mu Ran’s talent for making things up off the top of his head hadn’t dulled by even a fraction.
It was simply getting smoother and smoother.
“Huh?” The rest of the woman’s words choked in her throat. It took her a good half-minute to digest it before asking the next question, “Then… then why is he working at a hospital?”
“That’s because you don’t know,” Mu Ran said with an expression so natural it left no room for suspicion. “Precisely because his family runs a casino, they moonlight in loan-sharking. Since Dr. He happens to study surgery, hacking off hands and feet when collecting debts makes it much more convenient.”
The woman blinked, looking somewhat at a loss as she tried to search Mu Ran’s face for any possibility that he was “joking.” Looking left and right, Mu Ran’s expression remained completely unmoving, leaving her with no choice but to believe that what he said was likely the truth.
“Well, then… I won’t disturb Dr. He any further.” The woman casually picked an excuse, turned around, and walked away with absolute firmness, showing not a shred of hesitation.
“Huh? Ma’am, why are you leaving? Don’t go yet look at me, my family runs a crematorium, and we make a pretty penny! Ma’am!” Mu Ran even felt like standing on tiptoes to call out to her, only feeling reassured once the woman’s figure vanished from sight.
“Since when did your family expand into the crematorium business?” Lu Chengfeng’s voice suddenly rang out from behind, giving Mu Ran such a start that he jumped.
“You’d believe anything anyone says.” Mu Ran spread both hands, having no intention of explaining.
Lu Chengfeng cast a cool glance at Mu Ran. The youth’s complexion was still somewhat pale, but having spoken a little too loudly just now, a faint flush had spread across his cheeks like spring peach blossoms, giving him an unexpected hint of mischievous charm. Even dressed in a hospital gown, his striking looks could not be concealed.
It was just that the clothes he had on looked somewhat out of place and didn’t match Mu Ran’s usual style, which hurt Lu Chengfeng’s eyes.
“I would,” Lu Chengfeng replied, casually stripping the overcoat off Mu Ran’s shoulders and replacing it with his own. “If I didn’t, you’d have been beaten to death by Uncle Mu ages ago.”
“Shit.” Mu Ran glared fiercely at He Jing’an, who was standing to the side laughing so hard his face was turning red. “You still have the nerve to laugh? Your Grandpa me did all this for your sake! You’re treating me to dinner tomorrow!”
“Treat, treat, treat.” Since Mu Ran had solved such a massive headache for him, he naturally had to show his appreciation.
“What was going on with you guys just now?” Lu Chengfeng had merely taken a trip to the consultation room and gone to fetch some daily necessities for Mu Ran, only to return and find the ward empty. It wasn’t until a nurse mentioned they went outside that he rushed over, only to catch Mu Ran tilting his head and shouting something, alongside He Jing’an standing nearby shivering as he tried to hold back his laughter.
He Jing’an wanted to open his mouth, but Mu Ran clamped a hand over it.
“It’s nothing. Let’s head back, I’m a bit tired.” Mu Ran’s breathing was slightly rapid; he wasn’t terribly keen on continuing this topic.
Walking behind Mu Ran, Lu Chengfeng grew increasingly certain that Mu Ran was acting strange.
The Mu Ran of the past would never keep anything from him.
Mu Ran had always been like a little sun, full of vibrant energy every single day, sharing everything with him. He had believed he was the person who understood Mu Ran best in this world, but what was going on right now?
Mu Ran was deliberately avoiding him.
Had he done something to offend Mu Ran?
Seeing that Lu Chengfeng had arrived, He Jing’an didn’t plan to linger here any longer. Yawning, he took his leave, “I haven’t slept a wink all night. Since someone’s here to look after you now, I’m clocking out first.”
“Your clothes,” Lu Chengfeng reminded him.
He Jing’an took back his clothes, shot Mu Ran an “I understand” look, waved his hand, and walked away.
“Go back and get some rest. I’ve prepared some daily necessities for you. I’ll stay at the hospital to accompany you these next couple of days, and I’ll go talk to Uncle Mu about it.” Lu Chengfeng pressed the elevator button. There were only the two of them inside the elevator car, and Mu Ran remained silent, leaving the air feeling frozen solid for a moment.
The only sound inside the entire elevator was the humming drone of electrical equipment.
After a long silence, Mu Ran finally spoke up: “There’s no need, is there? I don’t want to stay in the hospital anymore; I don’t like the smell here.”
“Then come stay at my place.”
“I have a new apartment.”
The two of them spoke in unison.
“What did you say?” Lu Chengfeng couldn’t believe his ears.
In the past, whenever Mu Ran got drunk, fell ill, felt unhappy, or hit a rough patch at work, he would always latch onto Lu Chengfeng’s place, staying for a month or two at a time. Only when someone managed to coax him into a good mood would he go to work for a few days before getting dead drunk all over again.
From initially preparing a guest bedroom for Mu Ran, to moving him into the adjacent room, and eventually deciding that tidying up rooms only increased the helper’s workload so he might as well let Mu Ran move directly into his own bedroom, his life had been incrementally invaded by Mu Ran bit by bit.
What was Mu Ran saying right now?
He was sick, yet wanted to live by himself?
“No way. Your health hasn’t fully recovered yet, and Uncle Mu would worry. I need to keep an eye on you until you recuperate,” Lu Chengfeng flatly refused with a cold tone.
Lu Chengfeng was half a head taller than Mu Ran, and Mu Ran had long since grown accustomed to tilting his head slightly upward when speaking to him, though this time the feeling seemed somewhat different.
“Lu Chengfeng, I’m older than you. I learned how to take care of myself a long time ago, and you don’t need to feel like my dad will worry. You’ve been shackled by the friendship between our two families for far too long.”
The two of them were born on the exact same day, except Mu Ran was older than Lu Chengfeng by two hours.
Back then, his father had even teased him, saying that clearly he ought to be the older brother, yet all the caretaking work was done by Lu Chengfeng, making the Mu family’s face have nowhere to hide.
At first, Mu Ran hadn’t taken it to heart, but now those words suddenly hit home.
Perhaps fearing that his transformation was too abrupt and that Lu Chengfeng wouldn’t be able to accept it all at once, Mu Ran forced a nonchalant facade once more: “Don’t worry, I’ll send you regular status reports on whether I’m dead or alive.”
“No.” Lu Chengfeng instinctively refused.
“Why?” Mu Ran stepped out of the elevator a step ahead. “You meddle way too much.”
Lu Chengfeng gave him zero room for refusal: “Either you come to my place, or I move into your place, or else you stay right here and properly hospitalize yourself. Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I won’t let it slip if Uncle Mu asks me one of these days.”
Lu Chengfeng was consistently skilled at manipulating Mu Ran, and this time was no exception.
Sure enough, Mu Ran wilted instantly.
“Fine, fine, fine.” Mu Ran returned to the hospital ward and promptly wrapped himself up in the blanket. “I’ll stay hospitalized.”
He didn’t want to go to Lu Chengfeng’s house he was far too familiar with the place, and the mere thought that there might genuinely be another master of the house moving in there later made him feel sick at heart.
Nor did he want to return to his own place; he had stumbled across that housing development by chance while negotiating a partnership previously and bought a unit on a whim. The renovations had just wrapped up recently, and Lu Chengfeng hadn’t even visited it yet. He had originally planned to invite everyone over once the renovation was finished, but now his mind had changed he just wanted a place devoid of Lu Chengfeng’s shadow where he could rest in peace.
Lu Chengfeng sat down naturally by the bedside, the corners of his lips curving upward.
“Leave some room for me; I need to rest too.”