“What do you mean?” Zou Beiqi was startled.
“You have no need to care about me at all.” Heng Shi met Zou Beiqi’s gaze. “You don’t need to worry about your father’s illness, and you aren’t short on living expenses. I imagine you have no interest in wanting my affection.”
“Believe it or not, I just want to give the child a complete family.” It sounded quite ridiculous, but this was Zou Beiqi’s genuine thought.
“You think a child can grow up well in a family like this where we’re only together in name?”
Zou Beiqi fell silent involuntarily.
“At least it’s better than not having one.”
“That’s not necessarily true.” Heng Shi let out a cold snort. “Anyway, if you find you can’t stay here anymore in the future, you can leave at any time. The child was born by you, and if you can’t bear to part with them, you can take them with you, but you must let me visit at fixed times every week, and I will pay the appropriate alimony.”
Zou Beiqi did not reply immediately; he hadn’t thought deeply about the future. Partnering up with Heng Shi for a lifetime, or getting divorced, these thoughts had merely flashed through his mind. “As for whether I’ll leave or not, we’ll talk about it when the time comes.”
“Then let’s talk about the present.” Heng Shi withdrew his injured hand from Zou Beiqi’s palm. “I promised you to keep our distance, and now I’d trouble you to uphold it as well.”
Never mind why Heng Shi suddenly brought this up, the request itself was quite reasonable. After all, if keeping distance was something only realized on one side, it obviously wouldn’t hold up. It was just that Zou Beiqi couldn’t quite figure it out: was Heng Shi truly allergic to other people’s concern? Or was he allergic to him? Yet back at Central Hospital, Heng Shi had proactively held his wrist; it had nothing to do with the child, and the other man didn’t have to do that.
“I know.”
Zou Beiqi kept these words in mind. Even when he watched Heng Shi awkwardly use his right hand during breakfast to first cut the sausage, then put down the knife to pick up the fork and feed it into his own mouth, he had no intention of stepping in to help.
Even though this was already the nine hundred and ninety-eighth time he couldn’t bear to watch.
“Eat your own food.” Heng Shi noticed his gaze.
“I’m full.” Ever since he started his leave, Zou Beiqi had nothing else to do after eating besides fiddling with flowers and plants, so he found an excuse to sit at his spot and stare blankly at Heng Shi, though he couldn’t quite explain why he had to keep watching even when it felt awkward, likely still because of that injury on the other man’s hand sustained for his sake.
“Go take photos, raise flowers, or take a nap. Any of those is fine.”
“I don’t want to do any of those.”
“Does watching someone else eat make it look delicious?”
Not gonna lie, eating was indeed more appetizing when watching someone else do it. “I don’t mean that I still want to eat.”
“And I don’t mean to share with you either.”
“How truly impolite.”
Even on a Saturday morning when Heng Shi would normally take his briefcase back to the company, today he was unhurriedly stuffing food into his mouth. Zou Beiqi hadn’t forgotten about the man taking time off due to injury, and seeing Heng Shi organizing his clothes to go out right now, he couldn’t help asking, “Where are you going? The hospital?”
“Mm.” Heng Shi didn’t say much, buttoning up the topmost button of his white shirt before walking out the front door. Hearing the sound of a car speeding away outside, Zou Beiqi inexplicably felt the urge to follow along.
After all, Heng Shi was his nominal husband, the father of his child, a workaholic who was like a spiritual father to him, and an outpatient patient injured because of him.
Xiao Li drove steadily and quickly, and Zou Beiqi arrived at the hospital, deducing the department where Heng Shi was likely to be. As luck would have it, he ran into Heng Shi just as the man was coming out of the treatment room, preparing to head down the stairs on the other side.
Confirming that Heng Shi wouldn’t turn back to look in this direction, and with no other patients waiting in line in the treatment room, Zou Beiqi approached the doctor, confessed that he was the husband of the patient who had just left, and wanted to inquire about his condition.
Fearing the doctor wouldn’t want to share too much, Zou Beiqi whipped up a story in record time: “A husband working odd jobs in the middle of the night for many nights without coming home, his wife shedding tears of sorrow upon seeing his hand injury, pressing him for the reason behind the wound while the husband evades the question, is the underlying reason heartwarming or terrifying?”
Perhaps moved by his story, the doctor offered a few brief words of comfort before telling him that Heng Shi’s injury was of no major concern; the wound had scabbed over, the gauze had been removed, and basic movement posed no problem.
“Thank you.” Zou Beiqi didn’t forget to put on an expression of overwhelming gratitude.
With terrible timing, right as he stepped out of the treatment room, he bumped face-to-face with Heng Shi.
Silence.
“What are you doing here?” Heng Shi’s gaze swept coolly over him. “Did you specifically come to tell others that I work odd jobs in the middle of the night?”
“When did you get here?”
“From the moment you walked in. I forgot to ask a question and just turned back when I saw you.”
“I didn’t mean to.”
“An accidental story?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Shedding tears of sorrow?” Heng Shi chuckled. “Were you that moved?”
Zou Beiqi thought to himself, someone save him.
After teasing him just about enough, Heng Shi greeted him and went downstairs on his own. Zou Beiqi got back into the backseat of Xiao Li’s car, returned to the backyard to fiddle with flowers and plants, and within a few moments, the phone in his pocket vibrated. Pulling it out, he saw it was a few words of thanks from Lin Huixi.
Zou Beiqi’s remittance had arrived just in time, supporting the little girl’s medical expenses for quite a while. Later, he had contacted Sheng Wanzhong to help publicize Lin Huixi’s situation, and the latter immediately patted his chest in agreement, quickly raising a generous amount of charitable donations for the little girl.
Lin Huixi: [I really don’t know how to thank you. Are you free this weekend? I’d like to invite you and Wanzhong over to my place for dinner.]
[Wanzhong mentioned that you’re pregnant?]
Zou Beiqi: [Um.]
[I’m free.]
Lin Huixi: [I’ll prepare dishes suitable for you.]
[I’ll send you, my location; you can come over or I can pick you up.]
Zou Beiqi: [I’ll have the driver drop me off.]
He sent the location navigation to Xiao Li. As soon as he arrived at the entrance of the residential complex, he saw Lin Huixi waiting there. Seeing him get out of the car, she naturally walked up and greeted him: “Beiqi, you came just in time, I just came out from inside too.”
Not long after, Sheng Wanzhong arrived at the location as well. The three of them entered the complex together and finally stepped into the small apartment Lin Huixi rented. The conditions looked similar to Zou Beiqi’s previous residence; it was very clean, tidy, and exceptionally warmly decorated.
Lin Huixi invited the other two to sit at the dining table while she went into the kitchen to start bustling about. Taking advantage of the moment, Sheng Wanzhong poured various pieces of gossip into Zou Beiqi’s ears, still a string of names of Liwan City celebrities unfamiliar to Zou Beiqi, with the only familiar one being Heng Shi.
“I hear your husband has been making moves recently,” Sheng Wanzhong picked up the glass of plain water on the table and took a sip. “Something to do with a new drug?”
“I don’t meddle in his business affairs.” Zou Beiqi paused his movements.
“Fine, I’ll go nose around myself then.”
“Is there anything you don’t know?”
“News travels fast sometimes, slow other times, hard to say.”
The dishes were served, mostly light and clean foods. Sheng Wanzhong was used to heavy flavors, but facing Zou Beiqi’s face, he could only sigh silently.
The three of them ate and chatted, creating a harmonious atmosphere. The dishes were wiped clean, and Sheng Wanzhong left early because he was pressed for time. Zou Beiqi stayed a little longer before being seen off by Lin Huixi to the entrance of the complex.
“Beiqi,” Lin Huixi suddenly called out to him, “I really don’t know how to repay you.”
“Just take good care of your daughter and get her well.”
Overcome with emotion, Lin Huixi stepped forward and tightly grasped Zou Beiqi’s hand, uttering plenty of words of gratitude before she couldn’t help parting with a friendly hug.
“I’m so fortunate to have you.” Lin Huixi’s voice was so full of emotion it was practically trembling.
The two of them lingered at the entrance for a while. Just as Zou Beiqi finally said his goodbyes and turned around, he spotted a black sedan parked not far away, its window slowly rolling down to reveal Heng Shi’s face inside.
“How did you know I was here?” Zou Beiqi walked up to the car.
“Xiao Li told me.”
“You promised me to keep our distance, yet you still snooped around my itinerary without permission?”
“You’re different. You’re an expectant father, I need to check on your situation.”
“I’m fine, I just came to eat.”
“You even went into someone else’s home.” Heng Shi’s peripheral vision swept over Zou Beiqi.
Zou Beiqi inexplicably felt that look was extremely bizarre. “She invited me to her house to thank me for lending her money, and Sheng Wanzhong was there too.”
“Did she hold Sheng Wanzhong’s hand too, and hug him?”
Zou Beiqi had to admit that although Lin Huixi felt equally grateful to Sheng Wanzhong, she indeed hadn’t had those physical contacts with him. “No.”
After answering, he paused slightly: “Does that matter?”
“I said it before, I don’t want any cuckold gossip spreading about me, I’m just reminding you to be careful,” Heng Shi deliberately emphasized the last few words. “My Qiqi.”
Zou Beiqi felt goosebumps all over his body. “I know, there’s nothing between her and me.”
“Better not be.” For some reason, Heng Shi repeated what Lin Huixi had just said. “Ha, fortunate to have you.”
“Actually, I wanted to say it too: fortunate to have you.” Zou Beiqi met Heng Shi’s gaze.
“Just like that?”
“What else do you want?” Zou Beiqi paused for a moment. “Should I give you a hug too?”
Heng Shi didn’t speak, nor did he make a move. Seeing that the other man didn’t intend to push him away, Zou Beiqi boldly got into the car and gently wrapped his arms around Heng Shi’s waist.
Only then did he notice that Heng Shi had a faint fragrance on him, resembling woody scents, which smelled very pleasant.
“Zou Beiqi,” Zou Beiqi was gently pushed back by Heng Shi, “keep your distance.”
Zou Beiqi awkwardly sat to one side, staring blankly out the car window. When he was hugged by Lin Huixi, he felt nothing at all, yet just now in Heng Shi’s embrace for a mere second, he felt an indescribable sensation, like someone scratching an itch in his heart.
As expected, the protagonist attacker’s halo was real.
Zou Beiqi sat together with Heng Shi in the back seat, driven by the chauffeur. He noticed that the gauze on Heng Shi’s hand had indeed been removed just as the doctor said, leaving only a scabbed scar across his palm.
“Did you catch a disease where you’d feel uncomfortable if you don’t care about others?” Heng Shi spoke up abruptly.
Zou Beiqi knew the other man had noticed his gaze. “After all, you got hurt because of me.”
Heng Shi paused inexplicably for a moment before speaking again: “If someone else had saved you, would you care about them like this too?”
Zou Beiqi thought about it seriously. If Sheng Wanzhong had gotten hurt for him, he probably would also drop by for a visit and bring gifts like fruit.
“Mm, yes.” Zou Beiqi replied with a straight face.