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Chapter 55: Huo Niansheng had truly been moved
In recent days, the non-stop heavy rain and sudden temperature changes have caused a surge in colds and fevers among people.
Men, women, the old, and the young, whether sitting or lying down, crowded the clinic, resembling dumplings in a pot.
The janitor swung a long-handled mop to sweep the floor, only to have it immediately covered again with muddy footprints.
Chen Wengang sat awkwardly with a needle inserted in the back of his hand, leaning against a plastic armchair that seemed to have been dragged from somewhere, offering minimal comfort. When he entered, the beds and sofas were already full, and only when a patient was about to leave, vacating a corner seat, did he manage to find a place to sit.
Yu Shanding continued to babble in his ear: “When I was young and ignorant, without parents, I lived with my grandma. She always emphasized the importance of education, but I couldn’t even finish middle school. I used to get into fights every day, smoking…”
Chen Wengang found it impossible to concentrate with Yu Shanding’s incessant chatter, feeling as though his head might explode.
He had long known that Yu Shanding was the “good-for-nothing” grandson of Grandma Zhou, an unimprovable foster grandson who didn’t live up to expectations. However, when he went to the Medusa Club last time and Yu caused trouble, he stayed silent about this secret, waiting to see when Yu Shanding would discover it himself.
Neighbors were closer than distant relatives; after Lu Chenlong went abroad, Chen Wengang occasionally visited Grandma Zhou’s house, buying groceries and occasionally running into Yu Shanding. Grandma Zhou’s unexpected fall in the rain was unforeseen by Chen Wengang in his previous life.
Fortunately, it was noticed in time, and she wasn’t seriously injured.
Yu Shanding continued to recount the hardships of his early life: “Once, we got into a fight, and I used a steel pipe and a knife. A brick hit someone’s head, almost crippling him. That’s when I realized the seriousness of it. The police came to arrest us, and Grandma Zhou paid compensation and even served time for me. After that, I couldn’t face her, so I left a note and disappeared. It’s been almost twenty years since then. Look, even now, she still tries to push me away whenever she sees me…”
“Mr. Yu,” Chen Wengang interjected tactfully, “Has your grandmother’s scans been completed?”
“Everything that needed to be done has been done. We have to wait another two hours for the results,” Yu Shanding replied. “It’s alright; grandma is resting in the hospital room upstairs, but she insisted I come down to check on you. I’ve been telling her to come stay at my place, but she’s too attached to the old place…”
“Maybe you could stop talking for a while,” Chen Wengang finally interrupted him. “I have a ringing in my ears.”
“Oh, I’ll stop. I’ll stop. You rest,” Yu Shanding said, after a pause, “Do you need to use the restroom?”
Chen Wengang closed his eyes, his head buzzing, pretending he couldn’t hear. Then suddenly, he opened his eyes again. “Mr. Yu.”
Yushanding asked, “What’s the matter?”
He said, “Please stop bothering me. There’s a restaurant named Wanhai on Jiangchao Street; it’s run by someone who owes you a favor. It would be nice if you could go and support their business. I’ll give you their contact number; you can add them now.”
With his neck unsupported, Chen Wengang sat with his back straight, moving slightly, maintaining the posture, feeling extremely tired, until the back of his head bumped against a soft wall—except that the wall seemed to move toward him, gently supporting his head backward.
At the same time, Yu Shanding stood up. “Hey, Mr. Huo—did you come by yourself? Where’s your driver?”
“Downstairs.” Huo Niansheng lowered his head and kissed Chen Wengang’s forehead. “Why do you always end up like this?”
As soon as he entered, he stood out from the typical style of a public hospital outpatient clinic. He hadn’t even taken off his suit yet, looking like a model stepping off the runway into a market, drawing everyone’s attention in the hall. Chen Wengang was pleasantly surprised and couldn’t help but smile slightly, offering his free hand to Huo Niansheng.
“Have the flights resumed? Wasn’t it said that due to the heavy rain, it would take a few more days for you to come back?” Chen Wengang inquired.
“The driver drove back,” Huo Niansheng replied, clasping his hand.
“It’s so hard on you. You should let him rest instead of staying here,” Chen Wengang suggested.
“It’s all about caring for others’ hearts. Come on, let me take care of you, darling. Otherwise, who will take care of me?” Huo Niansheng touched his chair. “This seat is uncomfortable. I’ll have Lao Li get you a hospital room.”
Yu Shanding suddenly slapped his forehead and chuckled. “Look at me, I didn’t even think about it…”
Huo Niansheng waved his hand. “Forget it. You’re busy with things at home. Just go upstairs and take care of the elderly.”
Yu Shanding felt guilty and glanced at Chen Wengang.
In the morning, he got caught in the rain and developed a fever. His temperature was measured at 38.1°C, so the nurse took him to the outpatient clinic for an IV drip. A cold and fever typically don’t require hospitalization, and even if they did, it would be at one’s own expense, which most people wouldn’t consider. Yu Shanding helped him get a registration number, while Chen Wengang urged him to take his grandma for an X-ray. Lu Chenlong’s younger brother was still locked at home, and after a brief instruction, he was quickly sent back.
Yu Shanding was busy running around all morning and didn’t have time to think much.
It wasn’t until now that he noticed the half-dry clothes the man was still wearing.
Chen Wengang lazily rested his head on Huo Niansheng’s waist, squinting, his eyes filled with Huo Niansheng. When there were elderly or children around, he would take a step back, but it seemed that with this person’s arrival, he found someone to rely on, someone who needed care, and he could relax and be patient.
Yu Shanding was stunned by the scene before him. On the one hand, he felt a little ashamed that he hadn’t even thought to ask the nurse for a patient gown.
On the other hand, he had never seen anyone else act so coquettishly toward Huo Niansheng.
Soon, Huo Niansheng’s driver arrived, and the young nurse directed them, “You go to the doctor to get a hospitalization order, then go to the cashier to pay.”
Huo Niansheng, using his height advantage, lifted the IV bag high with one hand and supported Chen Wengang’s arm with the other, leading him to the elevator.
The ward was a single room with a small door, but it was much better than the crowded lobby downstairs. Huo Niansheng hung the IV bag on the hook, Chen Wengang sat on the bed with his hands supported, and soon he was gently laid down by Huo Niansheng. He dared not exert force with his arms, lightly resting them on the edge of the bed.
Huo Niansheng held his hand, which was cold.
He sighed and bent down to take off his shoes, instructing him to put his legs on the bed.
Chen Wengang lay there, teasing him, “Is this because I’m too delicate or because you’re foolishly rich…”
Huo Niansheng chuckled, “I don’t who else will take care of you.”
With that, he left. Chen Wengang sensed his displeasure in his tone but wasn’t particularly worried. When Huo Niansheng returned, he brought a hot water bottle with the hospital’s name printed on it, wrapped it in a towel, and placed it under his hand.
Chen Wengang turned his head and looked at his face.
His palm warmed up, and his body followed suit. He lay comfortably, his eyelids gradually becoming heavy, and soon his breathing slowed.
When Huo Niansheng looked again, Chen Wengang had already fallen asleep.
The blanket was tucked under his head, and Huo Niansheng found another one in the locker, covering him as best as he could. A hand with an attached IV needle emerged from the blanket, the fingers fair and slender, lightly resting on the hot water bottle.
Huo Niansheng reached out, using the back of his fingers to brush against his wrist.
After sleeping for a while and hearing him cough a few times, Huo Niansheng sat on the bedside and leaned in to look. Chen Wengang opened his eyes slightly, looked at him, and Huo Niansheng bent down, lifting his hair and gently touching his forehead with his lips, feeling the warmth, “Go to sleep; I’m here.”
Chen Wengang smiled contentedly, turned his head to the side, and closed his eyes again.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and Huo Niansheng had been away for almost a month. His thoughts had changed, and he couldn’t even remember why he had wanted to torture himself like Liu Xiahui. ” All he wanted now was to come back and tie him up. Once the door was closed, there would be no use crying—
Reality always falls short of expectations, but his mind was calm now. His heart felt like it had been stung by nettles, the lingering sourness and itchiness gradually creeping up.
He wondered if this person was made of paper; as anyone who took care of others, he seemed incapable of taking care of himself.
Apart from his poor health, Chen Wengang was simply a perfect lover, gentle and pure, unworldly, and unconditionally trusting him. There was no way to fault his appearance or character. Huo Niansheng had truly been moved, a sentiment he couldn’t deny.
He didn’t even know what to do with him.
Here, he propped his head up to look at Chen Wengang’s sleeping face, when suddenly his third uncle called.
“That Guan Shizhang, he’s been a longtime friend of your grandfather’s. What did he say when you went to see him?” Huo Niansheng went out to the corridor to take the call.
“This time, I only saw his son. Guan Shizhang passed away last Chinese New Year,” replied Huo Niansheng.
His third uncle fell silent for a moment. “Oh, I didn’t know that. When you get old, you never know when it’s your time. But he was in his nineties, so he lived a full life. What about the shares he held? Did he pass them all to his son?”
Huo Niansheng chuckled lightly. “Well, his beloved son isn’t very good at holding onto wealth. He’s willing to liquidate all the shares, not exceeding 5%, without listing. If you’re interested in buying, you can have someone else approach him. Otherwise, I think our second uncle might be tempted.”
He heard his third uncle sigh. “Let’s see if your grandfather can hold on until then.”
After hanging up the phone, Huo Niansheng stood outside for a moment, took out a cigarette box, and took out a cigarette.
As a nurse pushed a cart past him, she said, “Sir, smoking is not allowed in the hospital—”
He placed the cigarette in his mouth: “Don’t worry, I won’t lit it.”
During this time, Huo Niansheng had become intimately familiar with the smell of the hospital’s disinfectant.
The aging skin of Huo Kaisan, the various sophisticated medical devices in the ward, and the exchanges of more complicated glances than those devices all constituted symbols of impending death. Despite patients receiving careful nursing care, there was still an indelible scent of decay and aging in the ward, mixed with the smell of disinfectant. Every time Huo Niansheng visited, he would catch a whiff of this scent.
Compared to him, the cheap grandson, his third uncle had a much deeper emotional connection with Huo Kaishan; after all, they were father and son.
But emotions aside, the struggle for power was another matter, and it was imperative. If he didn’t act, others would. Not just reporters; even the grandchildren were counting on their fingers, calculating which day would be more appropriate for his death.
Huo Niansheng just observed all of this with cold eyes.
Actually, such major power struggles were not unprecedented. Several years ago, when Huo Kaishan had cancer, there had already been a palace coup to seize power.
This kind of script had been played out countless times in history, so it wasn’t particularly surprising. As people age, they become more stubborn. Holding onto power themselves, they feel secure, but as their descendants grow and become independent, they naturally become impatient. How could they not be anxious?
Privately speaking, one couldn’t truly be the leader of a family if they remained indifferent. Publicly speaking, society must progress, and corporations must undergo reforms. Being held back by an elderly person would only result in the sinking of a ship that had been rendered obsolete in the deep sea.
Everyone believed they were justified in their actions.
But Chen Wengang hadn’t misunderstood. Huo Niansheng intentionally kept him isolated from these matters.
While Chen Wengang might enjoy gossiping about these things privately, hearing them from Huo Niansheng’s mouth would burden him.
If he were to become a member of the Huo family, perhaps he would have an obligation to understand how to navigate these complex relationships.
But there was no need for that now. Huo Niansheng preferred to only discuss romance with him, leaving him with romantic memories.
When the nurse came to remove the needle, Chen Wengang woke up. Huo Niansheng was by his bedside, looking at the charity advertisement on his phone.
As the familiar music played, Chen Wengang instantly became more alert. Feeling somewhat embarrassed, he tried to reach for his phone with the hand taped with bandages, but Huo Niansheng held it, interlocking their fingers on top of the blanket.
Huo Niansheng gently touched his forehead again. “It’s gone down a bit, hasn’t it? It doesn’t feel as hot.”
Chen Wengang turned his head away. “Stay away; you’ll get infected.”
Huo Niansheng chuckled, choosing not to argue with him.
On the same day, Lao Li went to the nurse’s station to complete the discharge procedures again. As the car drove back, it didn’t take the route back to the Zheng residence.
Chen Wengang noticed they were going the wrong way: “Where are we going?”
Huo Niansheng replied, “Kidnapping you.”
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