Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Wen Yanxu was approaching from the other end of the corridor.

He was still in the suit he had worn to work that morning, his stride unhurried, his expression as calm as ever.

But a closer look would reveal that his breathing was slightly faster than usual.

Wen Yanxu seemed to have come specifically for He Yishui, walking straight up to him and asking with concern, "Dad, I heard you were coming to Ruiping Kanghe for a check-up today. I happened to be in the area after a meeting, so I thought I'd stop by."

He Yishui glanced at him, then let his gaze drift to Wen Jueqian standing not far away. He knew exactly who Wen Yanxu was really here for—the nearby excuse was just a cover.

He didn't call him out on it, just giving a faint hum of acknowledgment.

Only then did Wen Yanxu seem to notice Wen Jueqian and Qin Jingqiu, as if seeing them for the first time, and looked mildly surprised. "Qianqian, Auntie, you're here too?"

Qin Jingqiu quickly stepped forward. "Yanxu, you're here! Jueqian came along to keep me company for my check-up, and to help Li Yi check out Ruiping Kanghe's full maternity package. We just finished the consultation and ran into your father."

Wen Yanxu asked, his tone considerate, "Auntie, are you feeling unwell? If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"At my age, a few aches and pains are normal." Qin Jingqiu was beaming at his courteous words. "Yanxu, you're so busy with work, yet you still think about my health. You're truly thoughtful."

If it weren't for the fact that Dr. Chen beside them had been personally arranged by Wen Yanxu, Wen Jueqian might have actually bought his "just happened to be here" story.

He watched Wen Yanxu's flawless performance, found it amusing, but didn't call him out.

The moment Wen Yanxu appeared, Li Yi stopped supporting her lower back, lifting her head slightly to look up at him, looking demure and quiet.

When Wen Yanxu's gaze landed on her, Li Yi's eyes lit up faintly.

But the glance lasted only an instant before Wen Yanxu looked away, instructing Dr. Chen, "Take Mrs. Wen to process the full maternity package. Make sure the specialists do their job properly—don't let a client question Ruiping Kanghe's standards." His voice had turned slightly cold by the end of the sentence.

Dr. Chen quickly bowed and gestured for Li Yi to follow. "Mrs. Wen, please come with me."

By then, Wen Yanxu had already walked over to Wen Jueqian's side, placing a hand on his shoulder. His voice turned genuinely warm as he asked, "What's wrong? You look so pale."

Li Yi bit her lip. Her gaze landed on the intimate posture between Wen Yanxu and Wen Jueqian, then quickly darted away. The gentle smile on her face was barely holding up.

Qin Jingqiu urged, "Let's head over first. Yanxu arranged this personally—don't keep the specialists waiting."

Li Yi eventually followed Dr. Chen, and Qin Jingqiu hurried after her, not forgetting to remind Wen Jueqian in a low voice to bring Wen Yanxu home for dinner sometime soon.

Wen Jueqian felt the warmth radiating from the hand on his shoulder. The sudden storm in his heart had stopped; the overcast skies were clearing.

He shook his head. "I'm not feeling unwell. It's just that there's a very urgent test at Lingjing Era that I need to get back to right away."

Wen Yanxu's expression immediately turned serious, as if this were truly a matter of life and death. "That really can't wait. I'll have Assistant Chen drive you over. I'll handle things here."

Wen Jueqian lowered his head, said goodbye to He Yishui, and turned to leave. Unconsciously, his steps had grown much lighter.

He Yishui watched Wen Jueqian's retreating figure with a slight frown. Wen Yanxu smoothly changed the subject. "Dad, why didn't you have Father and me accompany you for the check-up?"

He Yishui replied, "No need. This is just a routine check-up, and it's not my first time here. Isn't Aegis keeping you busy enough? Don't waste your time here on my account."

"Father's got Aegis covered." Wen Yanxu smiled, his tone relaxed. "I'll take a little break and come with you for the check-up. He won't say anything."

He Yishui didn't chase Wen Yanxu back to work, but he didn't give him a warm look either, turning to follow his personal physician for the exam.

In the elevator, a faint smile curved the corner of Wen Jueqian's lips.

But a question arose in his mind—why had Wen Yanxu shown up here at this exact moment? It was too much of a coincidence.

His wrist-mounted optical device buzzed a few times. He tapped it open.

"Qianqian, guess who called Wen Yanxu over?"

Yun: "Was it the thoughtful and kind 99?"

99's message came back quickly, with a string of smug little emojis: "Got it! Your mom, Wen Yanxu's dad, and that scheming sister-in-law are all too hard to handle. It's only fair to let the source of the trouble deal with it."

Yun: "You're right."

Wen Jueqian put away his optical device and left Ruiping Kanghe, leaving all the trouble for Wen Yanxu to handle.

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The first examination He Yishui needed required entering a fully sealed exam pod, which would conduct a comprehensive scan and analysis of cellular activity, metabolic levels, and potential lesions throughout his entire body.

When he opened his eyes again, he felt clear-headed and light, as if he'd had an exceptionally restful sleep.

He asked the doctor waiting outside, "How long was I in there?"

"One hour."

When He Yishui walked out, he saw Wen Yanxu standing in the waiting room on a call. From what he was saying, he could tell Wen Yanxu was handling work matters, so he didn't interrupt.

After Wen Yanxu hung up, he prepared to accompany He Yishui to the next appointment.

He Yishui said flatly, "If you're this busy, go back to work. Handling things remotely from a hospital is a pain, and don't hang around here getting on my nerves."

Wen Yanxu replied lightly, "It's fine. Nothing's urgent."

"Your father handed you the 'Immortality Code' project. The laws of nature are that dangerous, and he doesn't even care, just letting you handle it all." He Yishui's tone carried clear displeasure. "I asked your secretary—you've been pulling overtime for three months straight. After the last aircraft incident, did you go for a follow-up? Not once, right? How am I supposed not to worry?"

Wen Yanxu gave a helpless smile. "Dad, you worry too much about our health. Jueqian and I are both adults now. We can take care of ourselves."

He Yishui let out a cold laugh. "What, are you saying I'm being a busybody?"

Wen Yanxu's smile faded, and he said seriously, "Of course not. I just hope you'll put Jueqian's wishes first. He has his own thoughts and career—he doesn't need to be managed."

He Yishui's face darkened. "Did Wen Jueqian tell you that? That I'm ignoring his wishes and forcing him to do things he doesn't want to do?"

Wen Yanxu's expression also turned strained. He paused for a moment before speaking. "Dad, since you know he doesn't want to, why are you still pushing him?"

"It's not me pushing him." He Yishui's voice rose. "Since he's going to be the future matriarch of the Wen family, these are his responsibilities. Did you think he could just marry into the family and do nothing?"

Wen Yanxu said solemnly, "I want to marry Wen Jueqian so he can be happy—not so he can carry layer after layer of shackles and force himself to fulfill duties."

"Don't worry. I'll take care of everything for him."

He Yishui was momentarily at a loss for words.

Wen Yanxu didn't want to stay at odds with him either. He changed tack and asked, "Dad, when Father married you back then, did he ever make you suffer any grievances?"

He Yishui froze. He didn't answer right away, his gaze briefly losing focus as memories from years past flashed through his mind. When he'd first married in, he'd been nervous inside, and the newlyweds had needed time to adjust to each other, but he truly hadn't suffered any grievances. Wen Shijun was tough on the outside, yet he had protected He Yishui well.

Seeing his expression soften, Wen Yanxu said, "Dad, Father loves you, so he never let you suffer. I love Qianqian too—when he's sad or hurt, I hurt even more than he does. I love Jueqian, and I want to spend my whole life with him."

He pleaded, "Dad, please be a little more accepting of my beloved as well."

He Yishui was silent for a long time before finally saying, in a tone of grudging concession, "Fine. I won't interfere with him anymore. He's your choice, after all. Whether he meets the standards of Mrs. Wen is none of my business."

Wen Yanxu knew that He Yishui had already compromised, and was now just running his mouth.

"Dad, Jueqian will be part of our family too. We'll be counting on you to look after him."

He Yishui snorted but didn't directly refuse.

He took a few steps forward, then added as a reminder, "Since you've made up your mind about him, don't let anything happen. You've been engaged this long—time to start talking about a wedding date."

Wen Yanxu followed his pace, a dark undertone swirling in his eyes. "Once everything's handled, I can finally bring Qianqian home as my husband."

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Although Wen Yanxu had defused the situation at Ruiping Kanghe in time, what happened today still left Wen Jueqian feeling uneasy.

After returning to Lingjing Era, Wen Jueqian couldn't focus at work for the entire afternoon, so he just clocked out and went home to rest.

Perhaps because he had expended so much mental energy today, not long after boarding the air vehicle, sleepiness hit him. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.

When the bodyguard woke him, Wen Jueqian was still half-asleep.

He blinked, and it took him over ten seconds to realize that the scenery outside the window wasn't the rooftop of Jing'an Mansion.

In the distance, mountains rose in layers, and nearby was a dense bamboo grove.

"Where is this?"

The bodyguard who'd woken him was already gone. The air vehicle's hatch was open, and a cool breeze carrying the smell of the outdoors blew in.

Wen Jueqian stepped down from the air vehicle and walked forward along the only path outside.

He checked his location and confirmed his position: a hot spring resort halfway up Mount Cangwu in Yinmian City.

Sunset light filtered through the bamboo, dappling the cobblestone path beneath his feet. Bamboo leaves rustled, the sound building in layers.

Walking along this path, the noise of the outside world seemed to fade away, leaving only bamboo's distinct scent.

At the end of the path, Wen Yanxu was waiting for him.

He'd changed out of his tailored suit from earlier, dressed in loose casual clothes, looking totally relaxed.

When he saw Wen Jueqian approaching, he reached out a hand from afar.

Wen Jueqian strolled over to him before asking, "Why'd you bring me here?"

"I just wanted to bring you here."

Wen Jueqian placed his hand into Wen Yanxu's palm, their fingers laced together.

They walked side by side.

The hot spring resort was built into the mountainside, laid out like a traditional Chinese courtyard. The entire resort had only seven independent courtyards, each separated by vegetation and natural rock formations, for maximum privacy.

They'd booked the innermost courtyard, called "Listening to the Spring."

Pushing open the courtyard gate, steam drifted up from the central pool, blurring into a hazy white mist.

The room was open-plan, opening straight onto the courtyard, with a low wooden dining table. On the other side, a huge floor-to-ceiling window, and from inside, you could see the layered mountains in the distance.

The low table was already spread with food.

Good food, hot springs, and the person he loved—it all made for a comforting atmosphere, and the heaviness in his chest slowly melted away here.

During the meal, Wen Yanxu suddenly said, "Back in school, you always lost weight around finals. You've lost weight again lately."

Wen Jueqian's hand froze mid-motion.

Since 99 had come to him with "the future," and after everything that had unfolded, Wen Jueqian had lost almost ten pounds.

The things they'd put aside made the air feel heavy.

Wen Jueqian was the one to lighten the mood: "That's why this peace is precious. Once everything's over, things will get better."

Wen Yanxu met his eyes. "Mm, it will."

He set down his chopsticks, his tone teasing. "By the way, shouldn't a certain little cat confess why he secretly went to that 'Mrs. Wen training class'?"

Wen Jueqian couldn't help the corners of his mouth turning up. "There's no such thing as a 'Mrs. Wen training class'! Stop making stuff up."

"Indeed, there shouldn't be such a thing." Wen Yanxu's eyes softened. "Wen Jueqian is the standard for Mrs. Wen. No more training needed."

Wen Jueqian's eyes stung, and he ducked his head, hiding it by taking a bite.

He Yishui had never fully approved of him, thinking his background wasn't good enough and that, as a beta, he wasn't worthy of marrying into the Wen family.

Wen Jueqian privately agreed.

So when He Yishui made him study etiquette, social skills, and family management, hiring private tutors and letting him set his own schedule, Wen Jueqian never pushed back.

Wen Jueqian didn't want Wen Yanxu stuck between him and his father. Besides, the classes weren't too frequent—he could just barely handle them—and he'd even deliberately hidden them from Wen Yanxu.

He hadn't expected Wen Yanxu to just show up and help him out at the hospital today. He also didn't know what exactly Wen Yanxu and He Yishui had said to each other.

But Wen Yanxu was definitely on his side, standing up for him in front of his family and making his position clear to He Yishui.

After dinner, Wen Yanxu stayed in the room to deal with a few urgent work things.

Wen Jueqian took his time changing, slipping into a bathrobe, and walked to the hot spring. He tested the water with his toes first, found it perfect, and slowly slid into the water. The moment the warm water reached his shoulders, he let out an involuntary sigh of satisfaction.

He leaned back against the pool wall, closed his eyes, and let the hot spring melt away the day's fatigue and gloom.

After a while, he heard footsteps and the rustle of clothes. Ripples spread out in rings, lapping at his chest.

An arm came around from behind, pulling Wen Jueqian into a solid embrace.

Wen Jueqian opened his eyes. The other man's steady, strong heartbeat pulsed through where their skin touched. He shifted, resting his head on Wen Yanxu's shoulder, and looked up at the night sky.

The sky was clear tonight. Countless stars twinkled in the dark, and the Milky Way stretched across the sky like a glowing river, flowing silently into the deep universe.

Wen Jueqian suddenly asked, "Is the night sky the same in every world?"

The light brain by the pool buzzed as 99 answered enthusiastically: "Nope! Every world has its own unique sky."

"Why'd you ask that?" Wen Yanxu also looked up at the sky, just like Wen Jueqian.

Wen Jueqian mused, "Just curious. Is it one eternal sky watching over all worlds, or does each world see a different one when it looks up?"

Wen Yanxu's knowledge hadn't reached multiverse astronomy yet, so he didn't have an answer either.

99: I know!

The light brain by the pool buzzed a few times from 99's excitement, but neither of them picked it up.

This question came up only because the mind was drifting aimlessly in a relaxed state, and its answer didn't matter.

What mattered was this quiet moment, just the two of them.

They chatted about all sorts of unimportant little things.

If there were no conspiracies, no system, no life-or-death choices, their life would be just this ordinary and uneventful.

==========Author's Note:==========

Painful Monday.