Chapter 5 Four Years Later

Chapter 5 Four Years Later

Four years later.

Fooled again…

Xue Shu had his driver drop off his "date" and then settled into a secluded corner of Central Park.

He was locked in a fierce argument with his mother, who had recently become obsessed with studying the Thirty-Six Stratagems.

Xian Yin: Why did you lie to me?

Iron Tree Blooms When?: How did I lie to you?

Xian Yin: Uncle Liu?

Iron Tree Blooms When?: Oh, Uncle Liu couldn't make it, so what's wrong with his nephew filling in?

Iron Tree Blooms When?: You're the same age, you'll have more in common, more to talk about.

Xian Yin: …

If I recall correctly, Uncle Liu is a soldier, right? Would his nephew really wear head-to-toe leather, with shoulder-length hair and full makeup?

Uncle Liu would probably be livid if he saw his nephew like that.

And the guy had flirtatiously winked at him the moment they met, then sashayed over on slender legs encased in tight pink pants.

Xue Shu’s mind had completely shut down. All he could see were those fluorescent pink "chopsticks" for legs, and he almost yelled, "Begone, evil spirit!"

If he hadn't already sent his driver away to wait elsewhere, he would have jumped back into the car and fled without a second thought!

During that one-hour "date," Xue Shu had to summon every ounce of his self-control to tolerate the little imp who kept taking liberties with him.

Xue Shu closed his eyes, repenting for having insulted the term "little imp."

He couldn't even begin to imagine what his reputation had become among the wealthy matrons' circle since he came out four years ago.

Xian Yin: Please stop worrying about my love life.

Iron Tree Blooms When?: Stop worrying? And let you stay single for thirty years, then another sixty?

Iron Tree Blooms When?: If I don’t worry, your dad will!

Iron Tree Blooms When?: And about your coming out—don't even get me started.

Iron Tree Blooms When?: Next time you come out, could you at least have someone to show for it? Your dad fought with you for nothing—I couldn’t even find a reason to defend you!

Iron Tree Blooms When?: Stay away for a few days. I don’t want to see you!

Xue Shu’s ears faintly echoed with Ms. Gu’s angry roar. He rubbed his ears, which seemed to ache from the phantom pain, and sighed.

What could he do?

Not only was he avoiding the arranged marriage, but Ms. Gu genuinely wanted him to have a partner. Yet he... genuinely didn’t want to be in a relationship.

He looked at the profile picture taken under the Wishing Tree, which perfectly framed the wooden wish plaque he had thrown exceptionally high.

Some memories fade with time, while others... only grow sharper.

Taking a deep breath, Xue Shu tightened his grip on his phone and stood up to leave.

"Uncle! Move!!"

Xue Shu’s eyes narrowed, and he turned his head sharply.

A car!

An out-of-control... toy car.

"......"

Xue Shu stood still.

"Rrrrr—"

He placed his foot on the front of the red toy pickup truck.

The car screeched to a halt. The child on it cried out and lurched forward, only to be stopped by Xue Shu’s long leg. The ice cream in the child’s hand ended up splattering on Xue Shu’s black suit pants.

"Ahhhh, it’s a car accident!" Xue Shu lowered his leg. The child knelt on the ground, staring at his pants with a mournful expression. "Farewell, Comrade Ice Cream! Comrade Car and I will miss you. Your sacrifice will be part of the future revolution!"

"......" Xue Shu reached out and lifted the little actor to his feet. "Are you okay...?"

He widened his eyes, dazed, thinking the person he had been thinking of moments ago was standing before him... No, at his feet.

Xue Shu crouched down, bringing himself eye-level with the child.

The child sat up straight, blinking his peach-blossom eyes—the same ones etched in Xue Shu’s memory—and asked curiously, "Uncle, what’s wrong?"

Xue Shu’s gaze slowly scanned the child’s face, unable to stop comparing his features to that person’s.

The eyes were almost identical. The nose and mouth were not as similar, but somewhat... had a hint of his own features.

He caught himself thinking that if he and that person had a child, they would probably look like this kid.

"You..." He wanted to ask about the child’s parents, wondering if they might be distant relatives from some branch of the Xue family.

"Mao Mao!"

A man came running from the path—a refined, bookish type who clearly wasn't used to running. By the time he reached Xue Shu and the child, he was leaning on his knees, wheezing and gasping, unable to speak.

Xue Shu didn’t recognize him.

The child clasped his hands behind his back and lectured with comical seriousness: "Comrade Mu Jilu, you’re out of shape! How can a young person walk so slowly? Where’s the energy and vitality of youth?"

"......" Mu Jilu pinched the child’s chubby cheeks. "Stop copying Grandpa's way of talking."

"Uh-huh, okay."

After dealing with the child, Mu Jilu turned to Xue Shu, who was still crouched there, stunned.

The man averted his gaze, making Mu Jilu pause for a moment. At first glance, the man bore a slight resemblance to Mao Mao.

No, no, Mu Jilu shook his head. Mao Mao was his junior’s child—maybe it was just one of those common resemblances?

He took a closer look and decided he must have been mistaken. There were plenty of people with high nose bridges in the world, and Mao Mao and this man were just two of them!

Xue Shu stood up slowly, allowing Mu Jilu to see the stains on his trouser legs.

"..." Mu Jilu didn't need to think twice to figure out what had happened and immediately began apologizing, "Sir, I'm so sorry, kids will be kids..."

"It's fine," Xue Shu shook his head, "This... accident, I'm partly to blame too."

So formal, Mu Jilu couldn't help but think to himself: This gentleman's way of thinking is surprisingly on the same wavelength as Mao Mao's.

As a doctor skilled in observation and deduction, he inadvertently saw through President Xue's cold exterior to glimpse a... childlike side.

But he couldn't say that out loud. Mu Jilu said, "Let me compensate you for the trousers."

"No need," Xue Shu replied with a calm, detached manner.

Just then, his driver sent a message. Xue Shu waved to the child's father, "I should get going now."

"Alright, Mao Mao, say goodbye to uncle."

The child named Mao Mao looked up, "Goodbye, uncle. Sorry for dirtying your trousers."

His large, almond-shaped eyes blinked.

Even without being biased, he was really cute.

Xue Shu couldn't help but smile slightly, "It's alright. Be more careful next time, don't get hurt."

"Goodbye."

As the man left, Mu Jilu looked down at the innocent little Mao Mao.

"Wen Xiaoyi, my friend, I'm sure you wouldn't want your dad to find out that you almost caused trouble today, would you?"

"!" Mao Mao was shocked by the uncle's precise threat, but there was no way around it—Mu Jilu had hit a nerve.

He hung his head in shame, "Please... I'll give you anything you want... toys, snacks, whatever... just please don't... tell Dad..."

"...Talk properly," Mu Jilu silently decided to limit this kid's exposure to those strange TV shows from now on, "And no more driving in second gear so I can't keep up."

Unaware that his fun was about to be taken away, Wen Xiaoyi agreed readily, "No problem."

"And no more swerving all over the place! No deliberately ditching me!"

"Oh..." He looked guilty, as if his secret plan had been exposed.

—

In the spacious, grand living room.

Ms. Gu finished her angry texting, elegantly put down her phone, and smiled warmly at the young doctor in front of her.

"Doctor Wen, are you Director Lin's disciple?"

"Yes," Wen Yu nodded, looking at the elegant lady, "My teacher is on a business trip, so he asked me to come for the routine consultation. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course not! Doctor Wen, studying under Director Lin, you're sure to be a talent in the medical field. It's my honor to have you here."

"Thank you for the praise," Wen Yu smiled gently, "Shall we begin?"

Ms. Gu was indeed charming and tactful, very skilled with words. Perhaps spurred by something, her compliments carried a slightly tongue-in-cheek tone, piling on the compliments that left him a bit overwhelmed.

Taking out his notebook, Wen Yu went through the questions his teacher had prepared one by one.

They were about differentiating symptoms of gynecological diseases and common illnesses, designed to determine if the patient might be at risk.

Ms. Gu cooperated fully throughout.

Wen Yu flipped to the last question, "Have you had any worries lately?"

"One thing," Ms. Gu sighed.

"Mm," Wen Yu nodded gently, "If you don't mind, you can talk to me about it."

"Well, it's about my son's love life."

Mentioning her troublesome son, Ms. Gu couldn't maintain her perfect composure.

She held her face and shook her head, "Sigh, among his peers, if they're not married with kids, at least they've all been in relationships."

"But him? Thirty years old and not even a partner. How can I not worry?"

Wen Yu comforted softly, "It's alright, Ms. Gu. Children have their own paths. Perhaps the right person hasn't come along yet."

"Fate?" Ms. Gu snorted, "He's either at the company or at business dinners all day. He avoids banquets unless absolutely necessary, and even then, it's just for work."

"Now he won't even let me interfere in his love life. Does he think fate will just fall into his lap?"

Wen Yu smiled, "That just shows Mr. Xue has a very serious attitude toward love. Once he meets the right person, he'll become proactive."

"Sigh." Ms. Gu shook her head hopelessly.

Her mournful expression suddenly paused as Ms. Gu thought of something and looked at the doctor.

Wen Yu's heart skipped a beat—he had a bad feeling.

"Young doctor, are you... single?"

"..." Wen Yu subtly cut off her train of thought, "I have a three-year-old child."

Gu Ya's face fell, followed by envy.

"Doctor Wen, you're so young and already... Sigh, I don't even dare hope for a grandchild anymore. That child is as stubborn as a mule—not even a bud in sight. Really..."

She widened her eyes, had a sudden thought, "Doctor, do you think he might have some... illness?"

"...I couldn't say," Wen Yu maintained his smile.

Just how desperate has President Xue made his poor mother? She's even considering such ideas.

Ms. Gu rubbed her forehead, feeling like her head was pounding.

Wen Yu stood up and moved behind her, placing his fingers on her temples and gently massaging.

Ms. Gu closed her eyes and sighed softly, clearly feeling much better. She praised, "Doctor Wen, you have remarkable skill. You'll surely be a great doctor in the future."

Wen Yu smiled.

Having a child hadn't brought only good things into his life; it brought its share of challenges too.

There were plenty of headaches for him and those around him, which was why he’d learned some methods to ease headaches.

"Madam," the butler came in holding a phone, "Young Master Shu just called and asked us to bring him a change of clothes to CE."

CE is the largest chain hotel in City B.

"Oh? Is he having so much fun fooling around out there that he's forgotten to come home?"

"..."

He didn't respond. The butler remained silent. Based on his experience, Young Master Shu had likely been thrown out by the Madam, which was why he wasn’t returning.

Gu Ya had just finished complaining to the doctor. Although she was in a slightly better mood, she wasn’t quite ready to give Xue Shu what he wants just yet.

She first thanked the young doctor for his offer to continue the massage.

Doctor Wen pulled his hands back. "Then today’s consultation ends here. Madam, your health is in good condition, with no signs of relapse or complications. The detailed report will be sent to your email within seven days."

"I'll be going now."

Gu Ya stood up. "Doctor Wen, let me have someone take you home."

"No need, thank you."

Doctor Wen walked to the main entrance, and the butler followed him out, carrying a bag.

Doctor Wen glanced at the men’s clothing inside and understood: Mrs. Gu might sound tough, but she had a soft heart.

Just as he was about to leave, the butler called out to him, "Doctor Wen."

Doctor Wen turned back.

The butler's face had a bit awkward expression. "Doctor, the boss told us not to bring clothes to Young Master Shu, but..."

Doctor Wen understood what he meant and smiled understandingly. "If you don’t mind, you can leave it to me. I happen to go right by CE on my way home."

"That would be really helpful," the butler said with a grateful smile.

"You’re welcome."