Chapter 34 The Hospital

Chapter 34: The Hospital

Lin Xishan stared at Pei Zhi steadily. "You think I lied to you."

Pei Zhi was silent for a few seconds, then nodded, then shook his head: "I don't know anymore. I thought we were using each other. But now you're telling me you're the heir of the Lin family... Do you think I'm ridiculous for offering you everything I had—just one million?"

"I am the heir of the Lin Group, that's true." Lin Xishan said. "But I've never thought you were ridiculous. One million is a lot—whether it's to you or to me."

Pei Zhi's eyelashes trembled, and his voice was bitter: "It wasn't all I had, but after that confrontation between you and Ye Jiaonan, I remembered some things. I more or less guessed why you let me keep you—it's because I could keep you clear-headed, right?"

True, Pei Zhi wasn't stupid. Lin Xishan hadn't exactly tried to hide it before, so it wasn't surprising that Pei Zhi could piece it together once he got home.

And honestly, from the start, Pei Zhi was right.

He had accepted Pei Zhi's closeness because Pei Zhi could break Ye Jiaonan's hold on him.

But that was at the start. Everything that came later—the kisses, the hugs—had nothing to do with whether he could stay "clear-headed."

Lin Xishan chose to lay his own scars bare, since that would be more convincing: "Pei Zhi. When I say I like you, I really mean it. Otherwise I wouldn't have been so heartbroken that day you threw up."

Hearing this, Pei Zhi's fingers gripped his sleeve tightly.

Lin Xishan's voice was steady, like he was stating a fact that was beyond dispute: "The poor student Lin Xishan you saw was fake, but the Lin Xishan who likes you is real. He's been real the whole time."

Pei Zhi slowly let go of the hem of his coat: "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Lin Xishan hesitated, then decided to be honest: "Because it was troublesome? And besides, being kept by my patron felt pretty good."

Pei Zhi said his name: "Lin Xishan."

"Yeah."

"The things you said before—do they still count?"

"Which part?"

"You said you like me." Pei Zhi looked nervous saying this, which was rare for him.

"They do." Lin Xishan said. "Ask me as many times as you want, they still count."

Pei Zhi said his name again: "Lin Xishan."

Lin Xishan answered without a trace of impatience: "Yeah."

"That Liu Guoliang thing—did you go to your dad about it?"

"Yeah."

"Didn't you say you were in your probation period and couldn't use family resources?"

"So I made a deal with my dad. My original two million got doubled to four million. I have to earn it before graduation."

Pei Zhi fell silent. Four million. He knew that amount meant nothing to the Lin family, but for a college student—even Lin Xishan—it wasn't something you could just easily come up with.

"You're crazy." he said.

"Not crazy." Lin Xishan smiled. "I've done the math. Professor Chen's project will pay out dividends at the end of the year, plus I have a few other resources on hand. If I push hard, I can make it."

That was a lie, though—he wasn't actually sure.

But in front of his sweetheart, you had to put on a brave face even if you were broke.

Otherwise that would be way too lame.

Pei Zhi reached out and took Lin Xishan's hand, not hard, but held it tightly: "It's fine, I'll earn it with you. After all, you're the one I'm keeping."

"Oh, so protective. Don't worry—more than the four million, I'd rather you accept my confession sooner." Lin Xishan reached out with his other hand and gently stroked Pei Zhi's cheek.

"Only after I finish my treatment." Pei Zhi was adamant about that.

The atmosphere was probably too good right now, so Lin Xishan couldn't resist reaching out to ruffle his hair like he was petting a cat: "Alright, alright, after you finish your treatment. Now finish your meal first, before it gets cold."

After they finished eating, Lin Xishan went to pay the bill as a matter of course—only to be told Pei Zhi had already taken care of it.

"Seriously, I said I was treating. The subsidy really came through, and you know I'm not actually broke now—why are you still trying to pay?" Lin Xishan was exasperated.

If anyone else knew his real identity, they'd be thinking about how to squeeze a fortune out of him at least—not fighting to pay the bill.

This guy really was a fool.

"Don't you still need to earn four million?" Pei Zhi didn't look at him. "Come on. As long as I'm here, you'll always have someone to take care of you."

Wow, so domineering. It hit him right in the heart.

Being taken care of was really nice, and Pei Zhi was really adorable—you get it?

And that's all there is to it.

Pei Zhi hadn't ridden his motorcycle today, unusually—to protect Lin Xishan, and to protect the hair he'd carefully styled for the date.

Lin Xishan was about to hail a ride on his phone when Pei Zhi stopped him: "I'll do it."

"Come on, I still have money for a ride." Lin Xishan thought Pei Zhi was still worried about the four million, so he smiled helplessly.

"It's not about money." Pei Zhi bit his lip, then continued, "You don't know the destination..."

"How would I not know—isn't it your place..."

Lin Xishan's words were cut off. Pei Zhi looked him in the eyes and said slowly, deliberately: "No, it's the hospital."

Lin Xishan raised an eyebrow slightly: "You're going to the hospital today?"

"Yeah, I was going to go alone." Pei Zhi said casually while hailing a cab, "But now I'm thinking I should use my rights as your patron."

Lin Xishan knew this was a lie, but he wasn't going to call it out.

The taxi ride was silent.

Both Lin Xishan and Pei Zhi were on edge.

After about twenty minutes, the car stopped at the hospital entrance.

"Let's go." Pei Zhi pushed open the car door, and the cold wind rushed in. He instinctively hunched his shoulders.

Lin Xishan got out after him, following half a step behind.

They first picked up the appointment number Pei Zhi had booked on his phone at the outpatient desk. Then they walked through the corridor beside the main building and into the small building that housed the psychological counseling office.

The elevator light was harsh and fluorescent. Lin Xishan watched Pei Zhi press the button for the fourth floor, watched his Adam's apple move slightly.

Pei Zhi was nervous—Lin Xishan could tell—but he was just as nervous himself.

This was the first time he'd come to the hospital with Pei Zhi—a big step forward in their relationship.

The elevator doors opened.

The hallway had light yellow carpeting, with a few landscape photographs hanging on the walls. The air carried a faint smell of disinfectant and incense.

At the end of the hallway was a slightly ajar door with a sign on it that read "Counseling Room 1."

Pei Zhi walked up to the door, paused, glanced back at Lin Xishan, and finally raised his hand to knock.

"Come in." A gentle female voice came from inside—the kind of voice that instantly put you at ease.

Pei Zhi pushed the door open and went in. Lin Xishan followed, closing the door quietly behind him.

The counseling room was a lot more ordinary than Lin Xishan had imagined.

No reclining couch like in the movies, no hypnotist's pendant—just a consultation room like any other doctor's office.

A woman who looked to be around forty sat in an armchair. She wore thin-framed glasses, had short hair tucked behind her ears, and was dressed in a dark blue cardigan, with a notebook open in front of her.

Her eyes landed on Lin Xishan and lingered for a moment.

Her expression shifted subtly. Lin Xishan noticed her eyebrows lift slightly, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth—something between surprise and delight.

"Pei Zhi." She greeted him first, her tone casual, like she was talking to an old friend. "You actually showed up on time this time. You stood me up last week."

Pei Zhi didn't respond to her remark, and he didn't sit down either. He stood by the sofa, his back ramrod straight, like he was carrying out a task he had no choice but to complete.

"He's Lin Xishan," Pei Zhi said, without explaining who he was—just his name.

The psychologist looked at Lin Xishan with a look that was professionally scrutinizing but even more curious. She stood up and extended her hand. "Hello, I'm Xie. Xie Zhien."

Lin Xishan shook her hand. "Dr. Xie, nice to meet you. I'm Lin Xishan."

Xie Zhien let go of his hand, her eyes lingering on Lin Xishan's face for a few seconds. Then she turned to Pei Zhi, the smile at the corners of her mouth growing more pronounced. "I've heard so much about you. No wonder Pei Zhi mentions you every time he comes lately—you really are handsome."

Pei Zhi tried to keep his usual serious demeanor in front of the doctor, but he couldn't.

He turned his face away, his tone stiff. "Don't say things like that."

"What kind of attitude is that? I'm just stating a fact." Xie Zhien sat back down, picked up her notebook, and flipped through it, her tone light and casual. "So why are you willing to bring someone along today? I suggested it many times before, and you always refused."

Pei Zhi sat down, his movements stiff. He took a moment to gather his thoughts, then finally said just one thing: "He wanted to know."

"Just because he wanted to?" Xie Zhien asked.

Pei Zhi paused before answering. "I wanted to tell him too."

"Then I'll tell him." Xie Zhien said, smiling. "Mr. Lin, Pei Zhi has been coming to me for counseling for about three years now. At first, he came sporadically—sometimes he'd book an appointment and not show up, wouldn't even answer his phone. But over the past month or so, he's been much better about coming—he shows up on time, takes his meds regularly, and even asked to have more frequent sessions."

She glanced at Pei Zhi before continuing: "I've been wondering what brought about this change. Now that I see you, I think I have my answer."

Lin Xishan didn't know how to respond to that.

"So today," Xie Zhien closed her notebook, her tone shifting from warm to businesslike, "we'll do the usual thing and start with an individual session. Mr. Lin, would you mind waiting outside? There's a water dispenser and magazines in the hallway. It'll take about forty minutes."

Lin Xishan nodded, then turned to Pei Zhi: "I'll be right outside."

After they exchanged a look, Pei Zhi gave a slight nod, and Lin Xishan walked out of the counseling room, gently closing the door behind him.

The lighting in the hallway was dimmer than in the room. He sat down on the plastic chair against the wall, legs stretched out, hands shoved into his coat pockets, staring blankly at the landscape photograph on the opposite wall.

Forty minutes.

Lin Xishan wasn't someone who couldn't sit still, but these forty minutes were truly agonizing.

The counseling room had excellent soundproofing—he couldn't hear anything happening inside.

Lin Xishan buried his face in his palms and let out a long, deep breath.