Chapter 16 Yunshang

Chapter 16 Yunshang

The late autumn water is really cold!

Chi Suiyong waited for Chu Yan to clean himself up properly, then told him to go downstairs to find Suisui. He needed some time to sort himself out.

Because of work and his involvement with Chu Yan, he hadn't attended to this matter in too long. If it had been just a normal morning reaction, ignoring it would have made it go away in a while. But that wasn't the case. Chi Suiyong knew clearly that this overwhelming desire had been aroused by Chu Yan.

He could have spared himself the torment, since he was alone in the room now. But of course, when he untied his pants and tried to rely on habit to soothe his restless body, a voice in his head warned him.

Chu Yan had a child's mind. His actions held no hint of seduction.

It was his own body that couldn't resist temptation.

So Chi Suiyong turned on the water faucet, twisting it all the way to the right.

After flushing for nearly twenty minutes, his body finally heeded reason.

The clothes Chu Yan had soiled were thrown into the laundry basket. By routine, after Mom Chi had breakfast, she would gather the clothes and take them downstairs to wash. Chi Suiyong rinsed off the stains under cold water, then found a bag, put the clothes in, and stuffed them into the closet.

Taking a cold shower this early and for this long—it's a wonder he didn't catch a cold. After going downstairs, he first made a cup of Chinese medicine granules. The smell of traditional Chinese medicine spread through the living room, prompting Dad Chi to ask what was wrong.

"Why did you catch a cold?"

Chi Suiyong sniffled. "Suisui stole the covers last night, and I froze."

Passing the buck like that, Suisui had to defend himself. "Uncle insisted on sleeping in my bed. I was squished against the wall and I didn't even complain, and now you blame me."

Chi Suiyong felt a bit guilty at the complaint. "I wasn't accusing you. I've been having some symptoms the past couple of days, and it just decided to flare up today."

"Then, uncle, make me one too, so I don't catch it from you."

Chi Suiyong quickly put away the remaining granules. "This is just from being cold. You can't catch it."

Dad Chi said, "Exactly. Don't take random medicine when you're not sick. Just drink more hot water today."

Mom Chi, who had just returned from buying groceries, saw everyone up and went to the kitchen to bring out the steamed clay pot soup. Dad Chi had also kneaded dough earlier, rolled it out thin, cut it into noodles, boiled them, and poured marinade on top to serve.

Chi Suiyong avoided looking at Chu Yan, but the latter's gaze remained the same as before. Wherever he went, Chu Yan followed, even without any communication.

How could Chu Yan know how much the morning incident had affected Yong Yong? Seeing his pale face, he only thought he truly had a cold, and his eyes filled with concern. "Yong Yong, are you feeling very unwell?"

Chi Suiyong pulled the bowl of pork rib and peanut soup in front of him, stirring it with a spoon to cool it down. "I'm fine. Just a little cold. I'll be alright soon."

"Then let's not go out today. It's cold outside."

Last night, Chi Suiyong had promised to take Chu Yan for a walk around the university town. There was also a nearby wetland park with dense metasequoia trees in the shallow water area, and those along the lakeside path grew extremely well too. It was the season for falling leaves, and they could also go boating—a popular spot with local young people.

Chi Suiyong didn't know if Chu Yan had been there before, but he himself went almost every year during this season.

"It's okay. I'll wear an extra layer. I promised to take you boating; I can't break my word."

Dad Chi brought over the divided bowls of noodles. "You still need to be careful—it's cold, and falling in the water is no joke."

Hearing about going out to play, Suisui chimed in, "Uncle, I want to go too."

Chi Yu tapped her son on the head. "'Go'? What do you mean 'go'? You have programming class this afternoon. And have you finished your homework? All you think about is playing. How are you going to pass your finals?"

Suisui pouted.

"Don't be upset. We'll take you tomorrow, your dad and I."

Suisui cheered up again. "Great! We could even have a picnic in the park."

Chu Yan, hearing a new word, asked curiously, "Picnic? How is it 'wild'?"

Suisui sat down beside Chu Yan and explained, "It means bringing a blanket, a tent, snacks, and fruit. You sit on the grass, soak up the sun, listen to music, and eat. Oh, and this season you can also fly kites."

Chi Yu, sitting across, smiled and said, "Sui Yong, we have all the gear at home. If you want to take Chu Yan on a picnic, let Mom pack some good food for you."

Chi Suiyong pushed the slightly cooled clay pot soup toward Chu Yan. "What do you think? We haven't left yet, so we can still plan a bit more."

Chu Yan thought for a moment. "No. Let's stick to what we agreed on last night—boating. Picnic and kite-flying can wait for another time."

After a gaze they couldn't avoid meeting, Chi Suiyong looked away again. "Alright, then."

Mom Chi placed the last bowl of noodles on the table. "So, will you two come back for lunch?"

"No. We'll head directly back to the hospital later."

Upstairs earlier, he had called someone to swap shifts, and even tomorrow's appointments had already been scheduled. Chu Yan's impulsive decision had disrupted the routine of the past few days, and he felt it was best to return to the hospital.

From now on, he probably wouldn't bring Chu Yan home again.

After the family finished breakfast, everyone started getting ready to go out, each busy with their own tasks. Around nine o'clock, the doorbell in the courtyard rang.

Suisui opened the door.

The courtyard floor was tiled with ceramic, and the striking sound of high heels echoed as they stepped on it. Suisui asked in a clear voice, "Excuse me, Auntie, who are you looking for?"

"I'm here to see Dr. Chi."

Chi Suiyong and Chu Yan, who were about to leave, exchanged a glance upon hearing this familiar voice.

Chi Suiyong wondered to himself, how did she know I live here?

Suisui found a pair of slippers for the guest. "Auntie, please come in."

"Thank you. What a good kid."

Yunshang walked in loaded with bags, greeted everyone, and then explained her purpose. "Uncle, Auntie, I'm Chu Yan's girlfriend. My brother called me this morning and said Chu Yan stayed here last night, so I came by first to express my thanks. Next time he's free, he'll come in person."

Chu Yan stepped forward first. "Did you bring the thing I asked for last time?"

"Tsk, hold on." Yunshang shot him a sideways glance, then placed the bags on the coffee table in the living room. "I came in a hurry this morning. I didn't know what everyone liked, so I just grabbed a few things."

Mom Chi was a bit taken aback. "Oh my, he just had a simple meal here. There's no need to be so formal."

Yunshang smiled. "It's only right, Auntie. Ever since Chu Yan was hospitalized, Dr. Chi has been taking care of him. We, as family, haven't been able to help at all. It was rude of us not to thank you in person sooner!"

"Oh, this is really..." Mom Chi didn't know what else to say, so she just asked, "You came over so early—have you eaten yet?"

"Not yet. I'll grab something at the company cafeteria later."

Dad Chi chimed in, "We have homemade hand-rolled noodles at home. If you don't mind, feel free to have some."

"Hand-rolled noodles?"

Mom Chi smiled, "Come, come, sit here. There's still soup simmered overnight in the steamer; I'll get you some."

Yunshang didn't stand on ceremony and sat down. "Then thank you, Uncle and Auntie. I am a bit hungry."

Chi Suiyong watched them chat. Yunshang, like Chu Yan, was impeccably dressed from head to toe when out and about, but unlike Chu Yan, she was outgoing and warm—maybe it was that complementary nature that brought them together.

As he faced Yunshang, thinking about what had happened that morning, Chi Suiyong felt a bit uneasy. He sat down across from her with a smile. "Chu Yan and I are heading out soon to check out the wetland park."

"That's great. Chu Yan usually prefers staying in; it's rare for him to be willing to go out," Yunshang said while rummaging through her bags to find the bag she'd gotten ready a few days earlier, pushing it toward Chi Suiyong. "This is what Chu Yan asked me for earlier. He said it's for Dr. Chi."

Chu Yan remembered that he had set a deadline of three days and was a bit displeased. "How long's it been? Why'd you take so long to bring it?"

"Come on, I told you, it takes at least a week. I've been swamped with work; when would I have had the time to go hunt it down?"

Chu Yan snatched the bag and began taking out the contents. Chi Suiyong glanced and saw they were exactly the same items that Chu Yan had intended to give him before.

"Yong Yong, all these are for you."

"No, Chu Yan..."

Chu Yan tilted his head, seeming confused. "They're all unused..."

True, Chi Suiyong never liked sharing items with others, but that wasn't the only reason he had refused before. Still... he hadn't expected Chu Yan to keep thinking about it.

It caught him off guard.

If he refused again, he didn't know how far Chu Yan would take this.

"Then I'll accept them. Thank you, Chu Yan."

As if a weight had been lifted, Chu Yan packed the items back with a relieved expression. "Yong Yong, let me put them in your room for you."

At the Chi house, Chu Yan was in his element.

Yunshang, chin resting on her hand as she waited for breakfast, watched her "boyfriend"—a total different person from what she remembered.

She couldn't help saying, "If only it could always be like this."

"What?"

"Well... because Chu Yan looks so happy right now."

Chi Suiyong asked, pretending it didn't matter. "What was he like before?"

"One word: bitter and resentful. Dr. Chi, don't be fooled by his bright, sparkling eyes now; when he's his usual self, his face could freeze someone solid."

"I really can't imagine that, but..." Chi Suiyong met Yunshang's gaze. "He must treat people close to him differently, right?"

Yunshang shrugged. "A little different, but not by much. Not to sound ungrateful—without Chu Yan, I probably wouldn't have graduated from college."

Sensing the topic was getting personal, Chi Suiyong dropped it. "Director Xing told me the other day that Chu Yan is recovering well."

"That's good. I can manage at the company for a short while, but if it goes much longer, I might not be able to keep it up." Yunshang looked eager to chat. "By the way, Dr. Chi, do you know what Chu Yan and I do?"

"At first no, but I looked it up online later."

"Uh-huh. That Orderly Serenity you use was personally blended by our former chairman—Chu Yan's mother."

"How come you and Chu Yan have such sharp noses?"

"That's the basic requirement for a perfumer, though it does take a little talent. Chu Yan probably inherited his mother's excellent genes; he even won an international perfume award back in college!"

Just then, Dad Chi brought over a bowl of freshly made hand-pulled noodles. "Here, eat while it's hot. There's more if you need."

Yunshang's eyes lit up. "Thank you, Uncle. It smells amazing!"

Chi Suiyong added, "My dad's from up north—he makes great noodles. Give it a try."

"Then I'll dig in."