Chapter 14 Urging Marriage

Chapter 14: Urging Marriage

Before anyone realized it, the attention shifted to Chu Yan.

Everyone stopped talking in unison, their gathered gazes like a catalyst for his discomfort, pushing Chu Yan, whose mind was only that of a four-year-old, onto a stage he couldn't step down from.

It was just a blessing; at worst, he could repeat what others said. But as he dwelled on it, he felt a lump in his throat before he could even form the words.

He couldn't say it.

He wanted Yong Yong to resolve this awkward situation for him.

Chi Suiyong met Chu Yan's pleading gaze, the innocence in those eyes seemingly about to spill over. He was momentarily stunned, then quickly thought back over what had just happened.

Nothing in the past few moments could have made him look like that!

If they were at the hospital or alone, Chi Suiyong could take his time figuring out the root cause. But now, with family around, he had to be cautious in his actions and words. He didn't know what Chu Yan truly wanted, but first, he had to soothe him.

He smiled. "Chu Yan, welcome to my home. Let's clink glasses first."

As the focus shifted, Chu Yan's tightened throat finally loosened, and his expression visibly relaxed. "Then, cheers!"

The crystal glasses clinked together, producing a crisp sound. "Cheers!"

The Chi family also breathed a sigh of relief. Although Chu Yan was tall, when that face truly showed a pained and aggrieved expression, it was even more impactful than when Sui Sui was a kid.

With Chi Suiyong taking the lead, everyone skipped the blessing segment and clinked glasses with Chu Yan one by one.

Chi Yu was puzzled for a long time before turning to the birthday celebrant and whispering in his ear, "This... is he slow?"

"Tsk..." Qin Zheng corrected her wording. "It's amnesia."

"Huh?" Chi Yu was stunned. "Then my brother..."

Qin Zheng placed a piece of beef rib on her plate. "Let's eat first. We'll talk tonight."

Tonight's birthday dinner was a group effort. Each person had prepared three signature dishes, including Dad Chi's pagoda-style braised pork, which he had been busy with since the previous night, and Mom Chi's specialty fried lotus root balls, which were also time-consuming and labor-intensive.

Because he was taking care of Chu Yan, Chi Suiyong hadn't been home for two weeks. The table was filled with his favorite foods. Instead of reaching for his chopsticks immediately, he used the serving chopsticks to pick some dishes for Chu Yan based on what he roughly knew about Chu Yan's preferences, picking out the large pieces of ginger.

After doing this, Chi Suiyong took a hair tie from his wrist and tied up Chu Yan's hair. "I'll pick more for you after you eat. You can pick out anything you don't like." He performed these actions with practiced ease, his voice exceptionally gentle.

"Thank you, Yong Yong."

Everyone was watching, too absorbed to pick up their chopsticks.

Chi Yu watched with delight, murmuring so softly that only Qin Zheng could hear, "They really are a sight for sore eyes!"

Qin Zheng chuckled. "Indeed, I've never seen such a good-looking young man."

"You don't understand me at all."

Qin Zheng shook his head. "Mom and Dad were just saying the same thing. Stop staring, or Sui Yong will get uncomfortable."

Chi Yu thought her husband was too serious and not good at reading between the lines, so she stood up, changed seats, and sat next to Dad Chi. "Hey, Dad, tell me, what's really going on?"

"Don't talk while eating. Go away, why are you squeezing over here?" Dad Chi cut off his daughter's attempt to pry and turned to praise Mom Chi. "The lotus root today is good, and it's cooked just right."

"Of course. I picked the tenderest first section. I was busy all morning!"

After being praised, Mom Chi stood up, used the serving chopsticks to place two fried lotus root balls on Chu Yan's plate. "Chu Yan, try this."

Chu Yan nodded obediently. "Thank you, Mom."

After thanking her, Chu Yan took a big bite of the ball. Chewing slowly, his eyes lit up with delight at the taste. "Delicious."

Pleased by the compliment, Mom Chi showed a satisfied smile and patted her son's back. "Pack some to take to the hospital later. They're already cooked; just microwave them."

Chi Suiyong laughed softly, the hand holding his chopsticks trembling slightly. "Okay, okay."

The Chi family's hospitality was fully displayed during Chu Yan's first visit. Dad Chi chimed in, "Chu Yan, from now on, you can come home with Sui Yong every weekend and holiday. If there's anything you want to eat, just tell him, and I'll make it for you."

Chu Yan blinked and looked at Yong Yong with a questioning gaze. "Can I? Will you bring me along?"

"Of course you can. As long as you want to come."

Chu Yan nodded quickly. "I want to come. When is the next weekend?"

Sui Sui, who was almost full, answered, "Today is Friday. Tomorrow is the weekend."

This child was clearly more open-minded than the adults. Since she knew Chu Yan wasn't her uncle's boyfriend, she adjusted how she addressed him. "Uncle Yan, would you like to stay at our house tonight? We can play more games."

Chu Yan wasn't very interested in playing games, but the idea of staying at Yong Yong's house was a tempting thought.

"Can we, Yong Yong? We won't go back tonight."

"Well..."

The hospital had night rounds—he could deal with that by phone—but staying overnight meant he had to inform Chu Yan’s guardian.

Chi Suiyong thought of Chu Chenzhi's previous concerns about him and Chu Yan and felt he should maintain some distance. "No, you can't. You're still a patient. It's fine to go out during the day, but you must be in the ward at night."

Chu Yan lowered his eyes, looking unhappy. "But I don't want to go back."

"Why don't you want to go back?"

Chu Yan couldn't remember exactly which day he had been admitted to the hospital, but he knew it had been at least a week. He had heard Dad Chi say that Yong Yong came home every weekend. Because of him, Yong Yong had to stay at the hospital on weekends. "Tomorrow, Yong Yong doesn't have appointments. You'd be bored staying in the hospital with me."

Bored?

Actually, not really.

Last weekend, he and Chu Yan watched a few movies in the ward, spending two quiet and peaceful days. He knew that with Chu Yan's current state of mind, the things he wanted to do didn't interest Chu Yan, but Chu Yan would sit with him without disturbing him. Having someone by his side during what would otherwise be alone time wasn't so bad after all.

Dad Chi intervened. "Then let him stay for the night. Sui Yong, call his family and let them know. It's no big deal."

Dad Chi's support made Chu Yan's desire to stay even stronger. "Chu Chenzhi is making things difficult for Yong Yong. I'll call him and explain."

Chi Suiyong felt a headache coming. "It's still early. Let's eat first. We'll talk after we finish eating."

"Let's call now."

Chi Suiyong had no choice. He took out his phone, dialed Chu Chenzhi's number, and put it on speaker.

As soon as the call connected, Chu Yan said directly, "I'm staying at Yong Yong's house tonight. I'm not going back to the hospital."

"Put Dr. Chi on the phone."

"Mr. Chu, I'm right here."

"Dr. Chi, if it's convenient for you and your family, just let him do as he pleases. If you refuse, he'll keep making a fuss."

Chi Suiyong replied, "It's no inconvenience on my end. I just wanted to give you a heads up."

"I understand. I'm sorry to trouble Dr. Chi's family. Could you send me the address? I'll drop by to thank you in person when I have time."

Chu Yan caught on right away. "Alright, I'll send it to you later."

From Chu Yan's attitude, it was clear he wasn't very close to his older brother, but Chi Suiyong could see how much Chu Chenzhi cared about him. It was just an address—if sharing it could put the other man's mind at ease, it wouldn't hurt.

Chu Yan, who had been listening nearby, interrupted, "You're coming over too? What for? Don't come."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line, but Chu Chenzhi never directly responded to what Chu Yan said. "Dr. Chi, I do want to thank you again for your thoughtful care. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll let you go."

"Alright."

After the call ended, Chu Yan thought Chu Chenzhi might actually show up, so he stubbornly reminded Yong Yong, "Don't tell him where we are. He's so annoying."

Chi Suiyong said seriously, "He's your big brother. Don't say things like that."

Chu Yan pouted. "He made you uncomfortable."

"No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did."

"I said no." Chi Suiyong sighed. "I'll get you more rice. After you finish eating, you can play games with Sui Sui."

Mom Chi stopped him. "Don't give him too much! We're cutting the cake later!"

"I know."

Once Chu Yan's mind was at ease, his appetite returned. Apart from that little hiccup, the meal went fairly harmoniously.

Chi Yu arrived last and hadn't lifted a finger, so she ended up being in charge of cleaning up after the meal. Qin Zheng didn't put on airs as the birthday boy either—he had just a small slice of cake before heading into the kitchen to do the dishes with her.

Chu Yan was dragged into playing with Sui Sui in the living room, while Dad Chi and Mom Chi went out for a walk, bringing Chi Suiyong along with them.

As soon as they were out of the yard, Dad Chi reminded his son, "You know to keep your distance, right? Once Chu Yan isn't so dependent on you anymore, find a way to get out of it."

Chi Suiyong had been thinking the same thing. "His attending physician said he should recover in two or three months."

Mom Chi voiced her concerns. "I know he's a patient, but Chu Yan stands out too much. If you keep hanging around the hospital with him all day, people who might be interested in you won't dare to approach."

"Oh Mom, you really think your son is that popular? I don't have that many admirers."

"Don't play dumb. Someone even came to the house last month."

"Last month?"

The person Mom Chi referred to was a former student of Dad Chi's. Back then, the guy had brought his nephew to see Chi Suiyong as a patient. He first asked for Chi Suiyong's contact info, then used his nephew as an excuse to call and chat. At first, he was restrained, but after finding out that Chi Suiyong was his teacher's son and also knew about his orientation, he dropped all pretense and started pursuing Chi Suiyong outright.

What showed up at the house last month was a birthday bouquet. Chi Suiyong was at work, so Dad Chi received it. Dad Chi had a strong impression of that student and liked him quite a bit, so he kept it in mind and had tried to persuade Chi Suiyong a few times.

"Don't tell me you don't know that young man named He has been pursuing you."

Chi Suiyong thought for a moment, and among the people who had approached him, whether intentionally or not, he singled out a Mr. He. "Oh, him. He hasn't been in touch since, right?"

Mom Chi got straight to the point. "Did you not reply, or did he just stop reaching out?"

Chi Suiyong felt a pang of guilt at the question. "He and I aren't right for each other."

Dad Chi asked, "What's not right?"

"He's almost ten years younger than me. I don't want to be a cradle robber."

Mom Chi was merciless. "You still know you're old? If you keep stalling, there won't be any cradles left to rob."

Chi Suiyong: "Come on, you two are intellectuals. Can we drop this nagging about marriage and kids?"

Mom Chi compromised a little. "Who's pushing for marriage? Your brother-in-law married into the family just to clear the path for you. Don't waste his thoughtfulness."

Chi Suiyong knew that well. Back when he was a freshman in college, he had come out to the whole family. His sister Chi Yu, to carry on the family line for her brother, had explicitly stated before dating that she would not marry out. As a result, she had two relationships that fizzled out, until she met Qin Zheng.

Chi Suiyong didn't want to let his family down, but feelings require the right time, place, and person. Moreover, his overly fastidious attitude toward relationships had created numerous rules that turned away several seemingly 'potential candidates.'

In short, he just wasn't that into them.