Huh?
Zou Beiqi almost rolled his eyes. Clearly, it was Heng Shi who had been having a nightmare, muttering for company, and even begging him to stay in his sleep. Out of a soft-hearted reluctance to leave such a pitiful-looking figure, he had climbed into bed and pulled the man into his arms. How on earth did that translate to him being clingy?
“You were the one having a nightmare, talking in your sleep and asking me to stay with you.”
“Oh.”
Zou Beiqi was long used to Heng Shi’s attitude. “How are you feeling?”
“I’m fine.”
Xiao Li’s car pulled up in front of the mansion. The moment Zou Beiqi stepped inside, he saw Heng Shi typing away furiously on his phone. Noticing the movement by the door, the other man paused. “Come here.”
Zou Beiqi sat down beside Heng Shi and pointed at the phone. “Working again?”
“He’s not here, so I need to give a few instructions.” Heng Shi abruptly shifted the topic. “What did I say at the hospital earlier?”
“You said, ‘Don’t leave, my whole body hurts so much, keep me company, hold me, don’t throw me away!'” Zou Beiqi listed a series of similar phrases. Heng Shi’s expression shifted slightly, and he interrupted, “That’s enough, I get it. Thank you.”
Who knew what Heng Shi was thanking him for? Was it for relaying his sleep-talk, or for staying by his side at the hospital?
“Next time, you don’t need to mind me,” Heng Shi said out of the blue.
“I couldn’t bear it. At that moment you looked, like you desperately needed someone to stay.”
“Perhaps it’s the influence of hormones. In any case, focus on yourself and the child first, and stop worrying about me.”
“Oh.” Zou Beiqi responded with an equally detached attitude for once, though it didn’t feel satisfying at all. What on earth was wrong with Heng Shi? Was he allergic to a little bit of care from others?
Heng Shi clearly sensed his displeasure. “Why are you upset?”
“You’re unappreciative.”
“I am not unappreciative; I thanked you. I simply believe you have no reason to put yourself through trouble for my sake.”
“Oh.”
Heng Shi paused for a moment. “There is something here that should cheer you up when you see it.”
Zou Beiqi’s curiosity was instantly piqued as he watched Heng Shi unpack a box beside him and pull out a brand-new camera. Compared to the broken one sitting in Zou Beiqi’s room, the model in Heng Shi’s hands was newer and far more expensive.
“Here, take it.” Heng Shi pushed the camera into Zou Beiqi’s hands.
The dormant photography genes in Zou Beiqi’s body instantly awakened. He cradled the camera, tinkering with it for a good long while, completely enamored. “What made you think of getting me this?”
“Consider it a token of gratitude.” Heng Shi thought for a moment before adding, “I happened to pass by a digital store on the way and told the driver to stop and buy it.”
“Thank you, though this gift is a bit too lavish.”
“It’s what the store owner recommended. It’s fine.”
With the brand-new camera in hand, Zou Beiqi eagerly adjusted various settings, snapped a few test shots of the living room to check the effects, and finally aimed the lens at Heng Shi’s face. “Look over here for a second?”
“I don’t like taking pictures.” Heng Shi ungraciously blocked Zou Beiqi’s lens.
There were plenty of published press photos of Heng Shi online, Zou Beiqi thought. Perhaps having his picture taken constantly by the media had made him a bit averse to the whole process.
Yet, looking at the empty living room photos in the storage, Zou Beiqi was suddenly gripped by a strong urge to photograph a person. With Heng Shi, such a flawless model, refusing to enter the frame, and no one else around, he certainly wasn’t accustomed to taking selfies as a straight guy.
Just as he was about to force himself to drop the idea, Yan Ze pushed open the door. Zou Beiqi instinctively called out to him, “Assistant Yan, come help out.”
Though not quite on par with Heng Shi, Yan Ze was well above the passing mark. Zou Beiqi raised the camera toward Yan Ze, who clearly looked bewildered by the sudden gesture, wanting to strike a pose yet finding his mind entirely blank.
Zou Beiqi couldn’t help laughing. “Just walk over normally. Keep it natural.”
So Yan Ze walked a short distance with agonizing unnaturalness.
Zou Beiqi snapped a very unnatural photo.
Heng Shi cast a very unnatural gaze back and forth between the two of them.
“Come here,” Heng Shi motioned for Zou Beiqi to approach. “Take a picture of me.”
“Didn’t you just say you don’t take pictures?”
“It would look bad if someone asks about you and you don’t even have a single photo of your husband.” Heng Shi looked at him. “What do you need me to do?”
“Just act natural.” Drawing from his experience with the previous snap, Zou Beiqi didn’t rush to lift the lens, choosing instead to observe Heng Shi’s movements. The other man took the instruction to heart, ignoring Zou Beiqi’s presence and casually tapping away at contacts on his phone.
Zou Beiqi traced the contours of his profile with his gaze: the high bridge of the nose, thin lips, and immaculate curves that were practically flawless. His focused expression added an extra layer of charm.
Gently pressing the shutter button, Zou Beiqi couldn’t resist taking a few extra shots before picking the most satisfying one to show Heng Shi. The man himself merely glanced at it casually. “Not bad.”
Zou Beiqi silently deleted the awkward photo of Yan Ze, tossed a few poorly framed shots of Heng Shi into the recycle bin, and stared at the remaining photo for a long time. He hadn’t expected that after so long away from a camera, he could still capture a work he was proud of.
After a long pause, he lifted his gaze and realized Heng Shi was watching him.
From Heng Shi’s perspective, it probably looked like Zou Beiqi had been staring intently at his own photo the entire time.
“I haven’t taken photos in a long time. This shot turned out really well,” Zou Beiqi explained.
“Mhm.”
Was that perfunctory response a sign of belief or disbelief?
Zou Beiqi couldn’t be bothered to guess. Clutching the camera, he prepared to head elsewhere to take more pictures, only to be stopped by Heng Shi again. “The new drug matter is nearly settled. You should talk with your family about it properly.”
At the mention of his father, Zou Beiqi halted. Currently, Heng Shi was footing all the medical bills, yet maintaining the original treatment plan was only slightly slowing down a worsening condition rather than halting it. The doctor had warned that at this stage of illness, they were nearly at the end of the road.
Despite that, every time he visited the hospital, his mother still managed a smile, asking how his day went, how his relationship with Heng Shi was, and reminding him that they had to go out for Western food with his husband soon. Looking at his gaunt father and listening to his mother, Zou Beiqi always felt a sharp pang of sorrow.
His father had already taken a hit from a failed trial once. How would his family feel? Would they be willing to gamble on this again?
If the choice fell to him, Zou Beiqi was willing. It wasn’t just because of Heng Shi’s protagonist halo; the new drug had genuinely shown positive effects during the initial trial phase, something he, his mother, and the doctors had all witnessed firsthand.
“I understand.” Changing directions, Zou Beiqi instantly lost all interest in taking pictures.
Zou Beiqi hurried to the hospital straight after getting off work. He explained the details of the new drug situation to his parents in full, plunging the hospital room into silence.
For once, his mother couldn’t squeeze out a smile for Zou Beiqi. “Qiqi, I don’t really understand all these technical issues with new drugs. I’m just afraid that, like last time, if things go wrong and we can’t save him.”
“But Dad struggles just to say a single sentence now. He shouldn’t have to live like this,” Zou Beiqi said with a solemn expression. “I’m afraid if we keep going like this, we’ll lose him anyway.”
He could tell his mother wanted to comfort him, wanted to forge an atmosphere that wasn’t so bleak, but she failed, lapsing instead into a quiet silence. After a long while, she looked toward the bed where his father had just opened his eyes, leaned down to his ear, and whispered a few words.
“Qiqi, didn’t you say, the whole family is going to eat Western food together.” His father’s voice was agonizingly weak, as if it might vanish the next second. “I haven’t, eaten a meal with Xiao Shi yet. Dad, isn’t going to die.”
“Dad,” Zou Beiqi hurried forward to take his hand.
“Maybe, the new drug will work. When we first started using it, it was really good. If we can just hold on a little longer, hold on until we can have that meal.”
“Dad, think it over, there’s no rush.” Zou Beiqi was on the verge of tears. “I can have Heng Shi come to the hospital room to have a meal with you guys.”
“That’s still not quite the same.”
Zou Beiqi stayed in the hospital room late into the night. The conversation didn’t just revolve around the new drug; they also asked about him, Heng Shi, and the child. Naturally, he didn’t reveal the complicated reality of his arrangement with Heng Shi, assuring them instead that they were on great terms and that he was being treated well.
The decision was made on a bright, sunny afternoon. Holding Zou Beiqi’s hand, his father said that more than anything, he wanted to live to see the child born, with all five of them gathered around a round table for a meal.
“We definitely will.” Zou Beiqi met his father’s gaze. Leaving the hospital, he immediately messaged Heng Shi to confirm the new drug arrangement. The reply came swiftly, stating that the clinical trials could resume in a few days.
Because of the new drug, Heng Shi made a rare visit to his father’s hospital room. Ordinarily, as a son-in-law, he should have visited more often, but Zou Beiqi had explained it away by citing Heng Shi’s heavy workload and daily overtime, preventing his parents from growing suspicious.
His parents chatted quite a bit with Heng Shi, mostly inquiring about how things were going between him and Zou Beiqi. Heng Shi’s reassuring answers put their minds completely at ease, after which the conversation naturally drifted back to the new drug. He did his best to comfort the two elders, guaranteeing that no major mistakes would happen again.
Facing Heng Shi, both parents wore warm smiles. It was truly miraculous; despite having only shown his face a handful of times before his parents, Heng Shi had managed to win over both elders with such swift ease.
Zou Beiqi smoothly joined the conversation, though it didn’t last long before a sudden, dull ache blossomed in his chest, causing his expression to shift instantly.
“Qiqi?” Heng Shi quickly pulled him into his arms. “What’s wrong? Are you feeling nauseous again?”
“It hurts,” Zou Beiqi said, frowning.
“Where does it hurt?”
“My chest.” Fearing Heng Shi would misunderstand and think of his actual chest, Zou Beiqi poked him right on the pectoral muscle. “Probably right here.”
Though for a split second Heng Shi seemed to wear an expression that said if you mean here, why did you have to poke me like that, he quickly smoothed his features back into an expression of tender concern. “I’m sorry, Dad, Mom, I’m going to take Qiqi to see a doctor.”
Wrapping an arm around Zou Beiqi’s waist, Heng Shi guided him out to a bench in the hallway outside the room and sat him down. “Does it hurt badly?”
“Not enough to call it badly, it’s just really uncomfortable.” Zou Beiqi couldn’t even sit up straight.
“Chest discomfort like this is a normal phenomenon during pregnancy, don’t worry,” Heng Shi said, operating his phone with swift efficiency. “Massaging helps ease the symptoms. I’ll borrow an empty hospital bed for you.”
Zou Beiqi froze.
Heng Shi was going to help him massage there? The scenario was entirely too surreal.