Chapter 117

Chapter 117

◎Hello～◎

On the way back, Li Qingjiang faced the wind and asked Meng Qi, "Who was that reckless guy? Was he calling me out?"

Upon hearing this, Meng Qi first laughed heartily for a while, then answered Li Qingjiang, "His name is Liang Wenkai. He's a local. He used to be a manager at a KTV in the capital. I went there a few times, and he was always the one taking care of me. We got to know each other. He's a good person, just looks a bit burly, doesn't seem like a good guy."

"To me, he doesn't just not look like a good guy; he looks like he's missing a few screws." Li Qingjiang added with a smack of his lips.

That made Meng Qi laugh again. "He's straightforward, but that's exactly why he's loyal and generous, and trustworthy."

"Does he know about your situation?" Li Qingjiang asked.

Meng Qi shook his head behind Li Qingjiang. "No, never had the chance to tell him, and we're not that close yet. But he might come to work at our school in the future... Let's keep it from him for now. Not everyone who's seen me needs to know about this."

Li Qingjiang nodded in front of Meng Qi, a big nod that Meng Qi could see, then continued, "What about Qi Yun, who's coming in a couple of days? Does he know?"

This time Meng Qi answered without hesitation, "I haven't had the chance to tell him yet, but I definitely will. From now on, I don't have to hide things from him. What I can know, he can know too."

Li Qingjiang immediately put on a gossipy face, glanced back at Meng Qi, and teased him, "Oh, you're that close with him? Then why is he only coming now to keep you company?"

"Well, he got delayed by something." Meng Qi couldn't explain to Li Qingjiang why Wang Boyuan was late, so he had to be vague. As he spoke, he was so happy that Li Qingjiang was baffled, not knowing what he was so giddy about.

There was no help for it—anytime Wang Boyuan was mentioned, his mood was infinitely good, and he even made excuses for him. "And it's not too late for him to come now. As long as he can come, no matter when, it's never too late for me. It's a great blessing."

Li Qingjiang drew out his "oh" suggestively, then asked with a smile, "So we don't need to prepare another room, right? You two can just share a bed, can't you?"

He probably had a dirty mind for a moment and misunderstood Meng Qi's relationship with Wang Boyuan.

Meng Qi didn't catch the implication in Li Qingjiang's words and answered without thinking, "We still need to prepare a room. My bed isn't big, and it would be too cramped to sleep together."

Li Qingjiang raised an eyebrow, seeming to realize he had misidentified the person.

Meng Qi, unaware of the melodrama going on in Li Qingjiang's head, continued, "Our school has plenty of empty rooms. I'll pick the biggest one for him... Actually, I think I'll give him the room I'm staying in now. I'll move to another room. He likes to sunbathe, and my room has the best orientation and the most sunlight. He'll love it. Give him my room, decorate it beautifully for him, and he'll feel right at home and forget about going back!"

Li Qingjiang frowned for a while, unable to figure out the relationship between "Qi Yun" and Meng Qi, so he directly asked, "What is he to you?" To make you fawn over him like this...

Meng Qi excitedly replied, "He's my brother, closer than a blood brother."

Over the next two days, everyone at the school who had free time helped clean up the room for Meng Qi's more-than-a-brother brother. The chief coordinator, Meng Qi, had many ideas. Not only did he give up his spacious, bright room, but he also added many thoughtful touches to "his brother's" room:

For example, he heard that a student's grandmother was skilled at weaving beautiful flower baskets from bamboo strips, so he drew a pattern himself and asked her to try weaving a pair of bamboo vases for him. He placed them on the bedside table and filled them with colorful wildflowers picked from the mountain.

For example, a student's mother could cut out entire springs with scissors, so he asked Li Qingjiang to make another trip to the county seat to buy lots of colored paper, then had the mother cut many lively little animals and pressed them under glass on the desk as a handmade tablecloth.

For example, Elder Gu Bangqi was good at woodworking, so he asked the elder to make him a simple rocking chair, covered with a soft cushion, placed in a corner of the beechwood bed that was spread with brand-new bedding.

"'Qi Yun' is a person who values quality of life and has a bit of romanticism. The room I had before couldn't even be called a room for him—it was more like a doghouse," Meng Qi explained cheerfully to the confused crowd about why he went to such lengths to decorate the room. "I was afraid he'd be disappointed, and disappointment makes him homesick... So I wanted to make this place feel like home in advance. If he's happy, he won't have time to miss home."

Although Wang Boyuan was stronger and more mature than him, suddenly coming here would make him homesick too. There was only so much he could do; he wanted to comfort Wang Boyuan as best he could, hoping that Wang Boyuan would be as happy and joyful here every day as he was in the real world.

After Meng Qi's explanation, everyone's expectations for "Qi Yun" soared, almost surpassing Meng Qi's own expectations for Wang Boyuan.

While Meng Qi and the others were busy decorating Wang Boyuan's room, Li Qingjiang was also busily installing the equipment his friend had sent him. For ease of transport, some equipment had been disassembled, and the various parts were all mixed up, costing him quite a bit of effort.

He installed the equipment in his room and made a sign with the words "Sunflower Clinic" written in large characters, hanging it on the doorknob. Then he said seriously to the entire school, "The things in my room are very expensive. Don't touch them. If you break them, you can't afford to pay for them."

His words scared the children's faces pale, and they scrambled to assure him they would never enter his room without permission.

Next, Li Qingjiang first praised the children for being good, then put on an air of profound mystery and started advertising himself: "Starting tomorrow, Teacher Li will transform into Miracle Doctor Li and begin practicing. If anyone at home has headaches, fevers, arm or leg pains, or discomfort during pregnancy or after childbirth, tell them to come to Teacher for treatment. Those with money can contribute money, those without can contribute support. Everyone is welcome. When you go back, remember to help Teacher spread the word. Our 'Sunflower Clinic' is officially open!"

As soon as Li Qingjiang finished speaking, accompanied by the enthusiastic cheers and crackling applause of the entire school, a bang sounded, startling everyone. They all stopped and looked toward the source of the sound. There, Meng Qi was laughing heartily, shaking his phone. "Electronic firecrackers, eight rounds in total. Seven more to go. Anyone scared better cover their little ears. I'm going to set off the rest."

Li Qingjiang: ...

Elder Gu and the rest of the teachers and students: ...

Meng Qi, who had enthusiastically played the electronic firecrackers for the opening of the Sunflower Clinic, was very fortunate to become the first patient of the clinic.

That evening, Li Qingjiang called Meng Qi over, briefly introduced the names and uses of the equipment, and then asked Meng Qi to lift his shirt and lie down on the bed, to be his first guinea pig.

As he lay down, Meng Qi joked with Li Qingjiang, "Are you sure it's safe? Will it electrocute me?"

Li Qingjiang confidently said, "I've checked everything. Please feel free to use it."

After a pause of a few seconds, Meng Qi made another joke, "How much are you planning to charge me, master? You're not going to rip me off, are you?"

Anyone with eyes could see that Meng Qi was nervous and just trying to make small talk.

Li Qingjiang walked over to Meng Qi and poured something from a white plastic bottle onto Meng Qi's lower abdomen. Unprepared, Meng Qi flinched at the cold, sticky substance. Seeing this, Li Qingjiang immediately comforted him, "Don't be afraid. This is medical ultrasound gel. It's non-toxic, harmless, and has no side effects." Seeing Meng Qi relax a bit, though his fingers were still unconsciously twisting the sheet beneath him, he lowered his voice and continued to reassure him, "No need to be nervous. It's just a simple little check-up."

Meng Qi responded vaguely, but still didn't let go of the sheet.

This was the first time in his life he had used such cold equipment for a medical check-up. His heart was pounding. It wasn't something that could be calmed by saying "don't be nervous."

Some people seemed to be born with a tendency to avoid doctors. The mere thought of facing unpredictable results after the check-up made them nervous before the doctor even did anything, their minds filled with all sorts of problems and ailments...

"Meng Qi, look here!"

Li Qingjiang's loud call successfully drew Meng Qi's attention. He immediately looked in the direction Li Qingjiang was pointing and saw, in the center of the screen of an instrument that looked a lot like an old-fashioned bulky computer, a small life moving like a kitten. It stretched its neck and opened its mouth, as if yawning.

"How cute..." Meng Qi murmured, his eyes fixed on the screen, his nervousness forgotten.

Li Qingjiang pointed to a spot on the screen and told Meng Qi to look closely. "His heart is here. See, it's beating strongly, right?" As he said this, he handed a device that looked like a stethoscope to Meng Qi's ear, signaling him to listen carefully.

Thump, thump, thump—the sound of a vibrant heartbeat!

This not only moved Meng Qi deeply but also signaled that from now on, the being inside him was no longer an abstract symbol but a living, tiny life.

"He's healthy, right?" Meng Qi asked, staring at the screen. He could see the little one's eyes, but only as a blurry outline. It was truly a shame he couldn't see the color. Yet he was so vivid and energetic, his little hands and feet constantly moving, which filled him with warmth.

Li Qingjiang said, "As far as I can see, he's healthy. It matches the results from my pulse diagnosis, so you can rest at ease, right?"

Meng Qi's gaze was still glued to the screen as he said, "With Miracle Doctor Li here, I've always been at ease."

"Flattery will get you everywhere. I find I'm susceptible to it too," Li Qingjiang said, staring at the screen even more intently than Meng Qi. He didn't even glance at Meng Qi while speaking. As he stared, he took out his phone and recorded a video, then looked at the phone screen in amazement. "Truly a masterpiece of nature. I never thought I'd see such a rare case in my lifetime. What luck! I'd win the lottery if I bought a ticket..."

Meng Qi had been deeply moved by his first glimpse of the little one, his eyes even welling up. But hearing Li Qingjiang's words, he laughed. "If anyone's winning the lottery, it should be me."

Li Qingjiang finally turned to look at Meng Qi and agreed, "Hmm, I think you're right. How about we both buy tickets? Maybe one of us will win."

"Yeah, right," Meng Qi couldn't help rolling his eyes, but quickly looked back and asked Li Qingjiang in exasperation, "Master, are you done? Can I get up now?"

And could you please tone down that excitement in your eyes...

"Let me take one more look." Li Qingjiang turned his head back in an instant.

Meng Qi sighed and turned his gaze back to the small screen. At that moment, the little one on the screen kicked its little feet and turned to face Meng Qi directly.

Meng Qi's heart melted. His eyes curved into crescents as he greeted the little one silently: Hello, little baby. Welcome to this beautiful world.

Under his protection, his child would surely have a perfect life. This world, which for most people was a mess, would for his child be a bright and beautiful April day.

"Author's note"

Keep going.