An Yao’S Observation Diary Chapter 13
byTuesday, May 20th, Sunny to Cloudy
By the time I registered the light kiss that landed on An Yao’s eyelid, we had already been sharing a bed for over ten days.
I couldn’t fathom why I had instinctively leaned in for that kiss. Was it because An Yao seemed so pitiful at that moment? Or was it because I harbored some private, hidden intentions?
I didn’t understand, nor did I dare to delve deeper, so I simply drifted off to sleep, holding An Yao in a daze.
An Yao curled up in my arms, docilely resting his forehead against my neck. We were like two plants leaning on each other, silently growing intertwined roots. His breath gently brushed against my chest, and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat, transmitted through the thin fabric of my clothes, gradually merged with the beat inside my own ribcage.
I actually tasted happiness in this simple embrace and allowed myself to sink into it.
I was utterly content.
Perhaps due to these days of sleeping in each other’s arms, the distance between us had significantly closed. It felt as if an invisible thread connected us, and sometimes, before I even realized it, my fingertips would involuntarily brush An Yao’s cheek.
At this moment, we were face-to-face. A slight turn of the head would allow our noses to brush, and I could easily catch the rhythm of the person’s breathing before me.
I widened my eyes, nearly drowning in that shallow, gray lake.
I turned my head away in a panic, feeling as embarrassed as if I had just crawled out of the water, completely soaked. But when I looked down and saw An Yao instead nestling his head against my neck, his eyes curved into crescents as he flashed a faint dimple, I forgot everything else. All I knew was to hold him tightly and laugh along with him.
An Yao seemed quiet in everything he did. He covered his mouth, tilted his head, letting his light gray hair and the white magnolia-like scent gently fall onto my shoulder. He was laughing happily, leaning softly into my embrace, nuzzling my neck, causing the small braid at the back of his head to sway gently.
I couldn’t help but lean closer, intently watching the sunlight fall on his trembling eyelashes, watching the person in my arms with his eyes curved and filled with brilliant light.
I suddenly felt as if my heart was filled with something soft.
I instinctively hugged An Yao tighter, the proximity so close that a passing young girl couldn’t help but tease, “Oh my, oh my, being married really is different! So mushy—”
I instinctively covered An Yao’s ears. “Go on, go on. If you have nothing to do, go clear inventory. Don’t cause trouble here.”
An Yao stirred slightly, his eyelashes brushing my fingertips. “Qingyan?”
“It’s nothing,” I ruffled his hair. “The little girl is talking nonsense, don’t listen.”
He obediently nodded, picked up an empty medicine box, and started learning to check the dosage instructions using the method I had taught him earlier.
I sat down next to him and picked up a stack of Prescription Slips, quietly starting to organize them.
The afternoon sun was warm, and the Clinic office was peaceful. A little girl who had just received an injection was sniffling softly while nestled in her mother’s arms, but before half a minute passed, she secretly tugged at my white coat.
She sniffled. “Doctor Lin…”
“What is it, Yueyue?” I put down the slips. “Is there still something bothering you?”
The little girl shook her head and scratched her face. “Yaoyao gege’s scent… it smells like Doctor Lin’s.”
I was a little confused by what she meant. “Maybe it’s because Yaoyao gege and Doctor Lin use the same body wash?”
“N-no, it’s not that,” she struggled to organize her thoughts. “It’s not the fragrant kind. It’s, it’s—”
“It smells like bitter Chinese medicine and old books.” She wrinkled her nose. “It’s very, very strong! Yueyue could smell it from far away!”
That was the scent of my Pheromones.
I don’t use Pheromones blocking patches when I sleep. Perhaps my Pheromones unconsciously seeped out while I was dreaming, thoroughly saturating An Yao. Since An Yao has Gland Damage, he naturally wouldn’t smell it, and I was so accustomed to my own Pheromones that neither of us thought to deal with it before haphazardly heading out to work.
An Yao’s eyes suddenly widened, his gaze darting frantically between the little girl and me. His fair cheeks instantly flushed crimson, and even his neck was tinged with scarlet.
My ears were burning fiercely, but I maintained a facade of composure, merely clearing my throat with a loosely clenched fist pressed against my lips. “P-perhaps Yaoyao gege accidentally picked up the scent while helping Doctor Lin organize the medicinal herbs?”
That’s what I said, but the arm beneath the table honestly pulled An Yao even closer.
The little girl was skeptical and tried to ask more questions, but her mother pinched her cheek. “Oh, Yueyue, Doctor Lin and Yaoyao gege are married, you know.”
The little girl blinked. “Like Daddy and Mommy? Then… will Yaoyao gege have a baby someday?”
Her mother suppressed a laugh. “You’ll have to ask Doctor Lin and him.”
The little girl’s eyes lit up. She pattered over to An Yao, jumped up, and clung to his pant leg, asking, “Yaoyao gege, when are you going to have a baby?”
She even deliberately stood on her tiptoes and whispered, in what she clearly thought was a very low voice, “I’m telling you, kids aren’t fun! Yaoyao gege, how about having a puppy? A kitten is okay too!”
An Yao’s entire face turned completely red. “Huh? Me?”
“Yes, yes!” The little girl babbled on, “A bunny is okay too!”
Seeing that biology was about to be completely overturned on the spot, I quickly bent down and picked up the little girl, rescuing An Yao, who was about to spontaneously combust.
“Do you want a friend to play with or a puppy?” I pinched her nose. “If you want a puppy, ask your mom to buy one.”
The little girl was indignant, squealing and throwing herself into her mother’s arms. “Mommy! Then will you have a puppy for me?”
Her mother tapped her head. “I think you look like a puppy!”
The little girl whimpered and clung to her mother, who carried her away. The Clinic finally returned to quiet. I sighed in relief, leaning my face gently against An Yao’s soft hair. “That little girl is quite a handful.”
An Yao laughed. “Maybe she’ll be cured tonight.”
“That’s true,” I smiled. “To be able to joke around so lively, she must be much better.”
“But speaking of which…” I said. “Yaoyao, would you like a puppy?”
If we had a puppy at home, a big fluffy thing and a small fluffy thing running around together, it would probably be fun.
An Yao paused. “Can… can I really have a puppy?”
“No,” I mused. “I can’t have one either.”
An Yao belatedly realized what he had asked, and his ears instantly turned bright red. We leaned against each other, inexplicably bumping foreheads and laughing for a long time.
Chen Xuanyi walked past and saw us laughing like two idiots. She walked over curiously. “Yo, what’s so funny? Did you find money?”
“Are you two secretly planning where to celebrate the holiday tonight?” She deliberately drew out her words, teasing. “It’s nice for people who have partners. Unlike us single dogs who have to play games alone and lonely at home.”
An Yao immediately stopped laughing, his face full of confusion. “What holiday is today?”
Chen Xuanyi’s gaze flickered back and forth between us, revealing an expression of disbelief. “No way? You really don’t know what day it is?”
“Is it some holiday packaged by businesses?” I rubbed my temples. “We don’t celebrate those.”
“If all else fails, just look at the date,” Chen Xuanyi complained. “Brother Lin, you old fossil!”
An Yao pulled out his phone and quietly read the date aloud. “May 20th… Does this date have any special meaning?”
“It symbolizes ‘I love you’,” Liang Yue, who happened to be passing by, chimed in. “Young people treat it like Valentine’s Day now.”
“If I recall correctly, there are quite a few Valentine’s Days throughout the year, aren’t there?” I couldn’t help but frown. “Qixi Festival, White Day, Valentine’s Day… and now another 520?”
“Actually, 521 is also one,” Chen Xuanyi added with a giggle. “Now you can celebrate for two days straight.”
My head instantly started throbbing.
To be honest, today was Tuesday, tomorrow was Wednesday. When things got busy, I almost forgot my own name, let alone remembering to celebrate a holiday.
But seeing the bright look in An Yao’s eyes, I softened considerably.
“Yaoyao, do you want to go out and see a movie tonight?” I asked softly. “My shift ends at 9:30, which is the perfect time.”
An Yao thought seriously for a moment, then shook his head. “I have to work tomorrow.”
“It’s fine, it’s just one movie, it won’t affect your rest.”
An Yao shook his head. “L-let’s not.”
“There are too many people outside,” his voice grew smaller. “I… I just want to stay with you.”
My throat instantly tightened, and I felt my ears uncontrollably burning, the heat spreading to half my cheek.
“Ah, I see.” I replied dryly. “You’re right, it’s crowded outside, definitely not as comfortable as home.”
“And we have a projector at home,” I said. “We’ll watch a movie on that.”
“But will that be too simple? After all, it’s the first holiday you’re spending at home…” I took his hand and squeezed it lightly. “Is there anything you want?”
Even if An Yao asked for the stars in the sky, it would be fine. Star naming rights are 399 on Taobao—a good price, economical and practical.
An Yao lowered his eyelashes, unconsciously tightening his grip on my hand. When he was nervous, he had a small habit he didn’t even notice—he would unconsciously grab something and constantly rub his fingertips. Before, it was his clothes; now, it was my entire ring finger.
He held and rubbed my hand for a long time, then suddenly leaned in cautiously, raising a pair of wet eyes. “Can… can I have a hug?”
“Of course,” I asked. “Besides a hug, is there anything else?”
An Yao thought about it, then shook his head. “This is enough.”
I rubbed his head. “Yaoyao, you can ask for more.”
“You can ask for anything you want.”
“But this is already very good.” An Yao smiled, his eyes seeming to hold a galaxy of stars. “I am already very, very satisfied.”