Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Su Tinghe entered the hospital room with Bai Hua. Bai Hua's adoptive father was now in a private room. The thin man sat on the sofa, reading a book, and his complexion had improved.

When Bai Hua's adoptive father saw them enter, his eyes lit up, clearly surprised and delighted. He set down his book, invited them to sit, and personally made tea.

Su Tinghe accepted the teacup from Bai Hua's adoptive father and took a sip. It suddenly occurred to him whether pregnant people could drink green tea.

Uncertain, Su Tinghe sipped a few times before holding the cup, hesitant to drink more.

The room was warm with the air conditioning on. Noticing Su Tinghe's scarf, Bai Hua's adoptive father suggested he remove it and hang it up.

Su Tinghe offered an awkward smile, scrambling for an excuse, but Bai Hua came to his rescue: "He's been feeling cold lately, and the doctor advised him not to catch a chill, so he's been dressing warmly."

Bai Hua's adoptive father nodded. "Then I'll turn up the air conditioning a bit more."

"No need," Bai Hua quickly stopped him. "This temperature's perfect. Too hot wouldn't be good."

Bai Hua's adoptive father looked puzzled but let it go. Instead, he added some more hot tea to Su Tinghe's cup. "Here, warm your hands with the cup."

Su Tinghe maintained an awkward smile, regretting his hasty scarf choice to hide a neck mark. He hadn't expected to face one awkward situation after another.

Su Tinghe held the teacup and asked a few polite questions about Bai Hua's adoptive father's condition. His eyes wandered to the side, where he noticed a freshly written calligraphy piece on the table. Su Tinghe rose for a closer look, noting the calligraphy's resemblance to Bai Hua's, exuding a unique charm.

Bai Hua's adoptive father also stood up and came over to look at the calligraphy. He said to Su Tinghe, "Recognize it? I taught Bai Hua his calligraphy."

"Bai Hua praised your calligraphy, honed from years of practice. I haven't had the chance to see it yet. Care to write something today?" Bai Hua's adoptive father prepared the ink and paper, looking at Su Tinghe expectantly.

Su Tinghe obliged, taking the brush to write: "With heartfelt sincerity, I wish you health, long life, and joy in your golden years."

Bai Hua's adoptive father smiled with satisfaction. "I accept your blessing. Your calligraphy truly shines, vibrant and reminiscent of ancient masters. It seems you put in a lot of effort as a child. Bai Hua has little left to teach you. I heard you're now practicing with Bai Hua's teacher. That's good. Keep at it, and you'll achieve great things."

Su Tinghe expressed gratitude for the praise and urged continued treatment. Bai Hua noticed Su Tinghe's flushed face, likely from the warmth, and proposed a walk.

There was a small park near the hospital. Under the soft midday sun, park-goers strolled, some pushing strollers to soak up the rays.

A mother lifted her baby from the stroller, and Su Tinghe's gaze was instantly drawn to the infant. The baby, resting on the mother's shoulder, saw Su Tinghe and blew bubbles at him.

Bai Hua's adoptive father joked, "This baby probably likes you."

"Really?" Su Tinghe felt incredulous.

The baby's mother noticed the three of them and saw her son smiling at Su Tinghe. She laughed. "Not probably, he definitely likes you. Here, hold him. If he doesn't cry, it means he likes you."

Su Tinghe froze as a warm, soft baby was suddenly in his arms. The baby didn't cry or fuss, just smiled at him, while the others around him also smiled.

"This child isn't afraid of strangers, just like Bai Hua when he was little," Bai Hua's adoptive father said.

Bai Hua's adoptive father had found Bai Hua when he was just a few months old and raised him alone, so he had quite a bit of experience with raising children. He chatted with the baby's mother for a while.

After the mother pushed the stroller away, Bai Hua's adoptive father asked Su Tinghe, "Do you like children?"

Su Tinghe hesitated, then said, "Children are quite cute."

Bai Hua and his adoptive father just smiled, not saying much more.

After returning home, Su Tinghe thought things over and decided to call Shang Huoyong on video. When the call connected, Su Tinghe noticed that it was daytime on the other side of the screen.

Shang Huoyong asked what was going on, and Su Tinghe said, "I went to the hospital today."

"What's wrong with you?" Shang Huoyong frowned slightly, his expression serious. "That day... were the injuries on your back that severe?"

"No, no," Su Tinghe shook his head and waved his hands frantically, his cheeks flushed red, almost too embarrassed to look at Shang Huoyong on the screen. He explained, "I went to visit Bai Hua's adoptive father."

"Hmm," Shang Huoyong replied nonchalantly, casually following up with Su Tinghe's words, "How is his adoptive father doing?"

"He looks quite well," Su Tinghe thought for a moment and said, "Today, I also met a mother who was taking her baby out for some sun. She let me hold the baby for a while. At that moment, I was thinking, if you were to have a child, what would it be like?"

"I won't have a child," Shang Huoyong said.

Su Tinghe persisted, "I mean, just in case, haven't you ever imagined what kind of child you might have in the future? Whether it's a boy or a girl, tall or short..."

Shang Huoyong interrupted Su Tinghe, "Why imagine something that's never going to happen?"

Su Tinghe was at a loss for words, "Don't you want someone to call you dad?"

Shang Huoyong replied, "If you want to call me that, go ahead."

Su Tinghe: "..."

Just then, someone on the other end of the screen called out to Mr. Shang. Shang Huoyong said to Su Tinghe, "I have something to attend to, I'll hang up now."

The call ended abruptly, and Su Tinghe felt downhearted, stroking his belly and wondering how he could make Shang Huoyong accept that he actually already had a child.

From then on, every day when Su Tinghe and Shang Huoyong talked, Su Tinghe would always bring up children. After hearing it so many times, Shang Huoyong was thoroughly annoyed and bluntly said, "I've only been with you, so where would a child come from?"

Su Tinghe was both surprised and thrilled. He hadn't expected that Shang Huoyong had only ever been with him. No wonder it was so intense that day—maybe he was just really pent up? But regarding the issue of the child, Su Tinghe stammered and couldn't say a word.

Shang Huoyong's business trip was primarily to avoid Su Tinghe, because after that night, he had no idea how to face Su Tinghe. Someone who was once an enemy had become the most intimate person, and after what happened, it no longer mattered who was right or wrong. So he could only find excuses to stay as far away as possible.

But these days, from the hints in Su Tinghe's words, if it weren't for confirming that Su Tinghe was indeed a man, Shang Huoyong might even have started to suspect that Su Tinghe was trying to seduce him to get a child to tie him down.

To stop Su Tinghe from getting any other crazy ideas, Shang Huoyong directly laid down the law: "Kids are especially annoying. I don't like them one bit, not now, not ever."

Su Tinghe looked both shocked and hurt, and Shang Huoyong felt a sense of satisfaction seeing that.

The next day, a person claiming to be a biology teacher came to the villa, "Mr. Shang mentioned there's someone here who needs a refresher on male and female biology. Where is the young Mr. Su?"

Su Tinghe pointed at himself suspiciously, "I'm the only one with the last name Su in this house."

The biology teacher was momentarily taken aback, "Su Tinghe, right? You seem like a grown-up kid. Shall we start now?"

Su Tinghe was at a loss for words, but he really knew nothing about the biological knowledge of this world, so learning a bit wouldn't hurt.

But during dinner, Aunt Qin inadvertently remarked, "Lately, you've been looking tired, eating less, and sleeping in. Are you sick?"

The comment was offhand, but Su Tinghe took it to heart. Su Tinghe touched his belly and told Aunt Qin he was fine, just feeling a bit sluggish because of the cold.

Aunt Qin, worried about Su Tinghe's health, made him some chicken soup that night to help him recover. However, Su Tinghe felt sick after just one sip and nearly threw up. Aunt Qin was frightened, and Su Tinghe suspected he might actually be pregnant this time, even though it contradicted the biological knowledge he had learned that day.

During the evening video call, it was rare for Shang Huoyong to initiate. After Su Tinghe answered, Shang Huoyong began to quiz Su Tinghe on his learning progress: "What is each person made from and how do they develop?"

Hearing this question, Su Tinghe's eyes immediately welled up with tears. He bit his lip, stared at Shang Huoyong for a few seconds, and then shouted at him, "Shang Huoyong, you're not just a jerk, you're a complete idiot. You better never come back, I don't want to see you at all."

Shang Huoyong looked at the disconnected phone screen, feeling a bit panicked. He tried calling Su Tinghe back, but no matter how many times he called, no one answered. Helplessly, Shang Huoyong could only call Aunt Qin to ask what had happened to Su Tinghe today.

Aunt Qin recounted everything Su Tinghe had done that day in detail, especially mentioning that Su Tinghe was feeling sick, had a poor appetite, and felt like vomiting after drinking chicken soup.

It seemed he was feeling sick and was in a foul mood. Shang Huoyong understood and canceled the next day's biology tutoring, deciding to let Su Tinghe rest properly.

After hanging up the phone, Su Tinghe felt extremely agitated but didn't know who to turn to. To relax, he pulled out the TV drama that Shang Huoyong had once mocked as cheesy and started watching it. As he watched, he came across a scene where the young wife ran away while pregnant. Su Tinghe touched his belly and made a decision: since Shang Huoyong refused to acknowledge the child, he would also "run away while pregnant."

However, running away would require a lot of money, and relying solely on credit cards wouldn't work. Therefore, Su Tinghe made a quick decision and went to a jewelry store to purchase a large amount of gold, and withdrew some cash for emergencies.

Shang Huoyong didn't suspect Su Tinghe's spending habits at all. After all, Su Tinghe's fondness for gold wasn't a recent development, and he often gifted gold to those around him. Shang Huoyong simply considered it normal spending.

When Shen Shixi called Su Tinghe, Su Tinghe had just left the jewelry store. Thinking it was Shang Huoyong calling, his first words were, "Stop calling me."

Shen Shixi was startled and cautiously said, "I've returned to the country."

Only then did Su Tinghe realize his mistake and quickly apologized.

It turned out that Shen Shixi was on a school break and had returned to the country. The first thing he did was reach out to Su Tinghe. There was a domestic brand's spring-summer fashion show the following day, and Shen Shixi invited Su Tinghe to attend with him.

Su Tinghe agreed. The next day, Shen Shixi drove to pick him up. Without the villa's chauffeur accompanying him, Su Tinghe felt a sense of freedom.

The brand showcased in the fashion show aimed to blend traditional fabrics, embroidery, and craftsmanship with modern elements. When the first model walked out, Su Tinghe was completely captivated. If Hanfu (traditional Chinese clothing) wasn't suitable for everyday wear, then this fusion of traditional and modern clothing struck the perfect balance between the past and the present.

Shen Shixi, sitting beside Su Tinghe, assured him that he planned to establish his own fashion brand and host fashion shows. He promised to invite Su Tinghe as his finale model and, as the designer, would walk out holding hands with Su Tinghe to thank the audience. He would announce to everyone that Su Tinghe was his muse.

Seeing the desire in Shen Shixi's eyes, Su Tinghe didn't doubt his sincerity and hoped Shen Shixi would achieve his dream soon.

Shen Shixi smiled, noticing Su Tinghe's fondness for the collection. He told Su Tinghe that if he wanted to buy any of the pieces, he could do so on the spot.

Su Tinghe hadn't realized this was an option. After the show, he contacted the brand's representative and ordered several outfits.

During the fashion show, Su Tinghe unexpectedly encountered an acquaintance—his half-brother, Su Qingyue.

Su Qingyue was equally surprised to see Su Tinghe. The world was indeed small, and they often crossed paths.

Su Qingyue greeted Su Tinghe and mentioned the incident at the banquet. "Brother, were you feeling unwell that day?"

"No," Su Tinghe replied, confused by Su Qingyue's question.

Su Qingyue explained that he was concerned Su Tinghe had drunk too much. "I saw a waiter take you to a guest room to rest, so I thought you might have been unwell."

Su Tinghe glanced at the overly attentive Su Qingyue and said, "I wanted to rest, so the waiter took me to room 1407."

"Did you stay in room 1407 that night?" Su Qingyue asked.

Su Tinghe shook his head. "No, because Shang Huoyong had booked another room, so I rested with him."

"Is that so?" Su Qingyue's expression briefly faltered. "Brother, you and Shang Huoyong must be very close."

Su Tinghe replied, "We are indeed very close."

Su Qingyue's expression teetered on the edge of breaking, and he quickly bid Su Tinghe farewell.

At the banquet that day, aside from the drink Su Qingyue had handed him, Su Tinghe hadn't touched any alcohol. Even the drink from Su Qingyue, he had only taken a sip before letting Shang Huoyong finish it.

As Su Qingyue walked away, Su Tinghe had a troubling thought: Could the reason Shang Huoyong had been drugged that night have been because of that drink?