GLIHBN Chapter 18
by VolareThe hospital was bustling early in the morning. Nurses were preparing for their rounds, and patients and their families were washing up, fetching water, and buying breakfast.
Su Shi woke up to this kind of noise. He had slept soundly. He stretched and looked around, but Chi Ye was nowhere to be seen.
His gaze landed on the bedside table, where he found a note.
“Gone to buy breakfast.”
It was from Chi Ye. The handwriting was quite beautiful, even better than his own.
Su Shi got out of bed and headed to the restroom. He passed Liu Qi’s bed and saw him packing his belongings. He casually asked, “Are you being discharged?”
“Yes, I can go through the discharge procedures after the doctor’s rounds.”
Su Shi sincerely said, “Congratulations.”
Liu Qi smiled. “You can be discharged tomorrow too.”
“Okay.”
Liu Qi packed his few belongings into a bag and hesitated, looking at Su Shi.
Su Shi couldn’t stand such dithering. “What’s wrong? Do you have something to say to me?”
Liu Qi’s throat bobbed. He wanted to say something but felt he shouldn’t meddle.
Just then, Chi Ye pushed the door open, slightly frowning when he saw Su Shi and Liu Qi facing each other in silence. “I’ve bought breakfast.”
Su Shi said to him, “Great, I’ll go wash up. I just woke up.”
Chi Ye put down the breakfast, crossed his arms, and coldly stared at Liu Qi.
Liu Qi spread his hands. “I didn’t say anything, okay?”
Chi Ye wasn’t afraid of what this person might say. Su Shi wouldn’t easily believe a stranger’s words. Still, he really disliked this overly familiar and boundary-less person meddling. It was especially annoying.
Su Shi came out of the restroom and ate breakfast with Chi Ye.
Right after breakfast, a group of doctors came in for their rounds.
The doctor told Su Shi to stay for another day of observation and that he could be discharged normally tomorrow. He would have to have another IV drip today.
Over there, Liu Qi confirmed that he could be discharged and said goodbye to Su Shi and Chi Ye.
Only the two of them were left in the ward.
It was rare for Su Shi to have such free time. He usually rushed around for work and was used to a busy state.
He thought he would be restless if he suddenly had free time, but he was quite adapting to it.
Little Jie had taken over the work matters, so Su Shi spent his time reading, playing on his phone, and daydreaming.
Actually, things that were thought to be very important, when you don’t do them or pay attention to them, you’ll find that things will still be okay without you.
Chi Ye was very patient, reading some computer science books.
Su Shi remembered that Chi Ye studied finance. “Why didn’t you major in computer science if you like it so much?”
Chi Ye always looked into Su Shi’s eyes when he spoke. “Grandfather said that studying finance would allow me to take over the family business in the future.”
Another one who has to inherit the family business if he doesn’t work hard, Su Shi thought noncommittally.
There were many footsteps outside the door, and several people squeezed in. At first glance, they were all familiar faces, all of Su Shi’s colleagues from the studio.
Assistant Little Jie, planner Xu Huai, and finance Zhou Jie.
“Teacher Su.”
Little Jie’s full name was Jin Xiaojie, but he never let anyone call him by his full name because Jin Xiaojie sounded like “Miss Jin”, and it was easy to mishear.
But Su Shi would sometimes deliberately call him that, usually as a joke. “Jin Xiaojie, you brought them all here. Is the studio closed?”
“Teacher Su!” Little Jie’s expression immediately turned sour.
Finance Zhou Jie was a woman in her thirties with glasses, always wearing the same uniform, dressed meticulously, with even her hair neatly in place.
“Several large payments just arrived, so it won’t go bankrupt.”
Finance had the most authority to speak on the matter, and Little Jie and Xu Huai immediately chimed in.
Chi Ye, watching their harmonious interactions, made space for them.
Little Jie walked up to Chi Ye. “Chi Ye, thanks for your hard work.”
“It’s no trouble, it’s what I should do. Su Shi-ge took me in, so it’s only right that I take care of him when he’s sick.”
“I’ll stay here today, so you can go back and rest.”
Chi Ye refused. “No need, you have to help him with work. I have nothing to do anyway.”
Little Jie thought for a moment and agreed. “Okay, it looks like Teacher Su is being well taken care of.”
The group chatted with Su Shi for a while and then left, and the ward returned to silence.
Su Shi, while getting his IV drip, talked about the hardships of starting a business and the sense of accomplishment after making money.
Chi Ye was a good listener. After a while, he asked him, “Do you want to sleep for a while?”
“Maybe, there’s nothing else to do anyway.”
Chi Ye helped him lie down, watching the IV drip. The medicine was about to run out, and Chi Ye seized the right moment and pressed the call button.
The nurse quickly came over and changed the IV bag, telling Chi Ye, “This is the last bag. Notify me to remove the needle when it’s finished.”
“Okay.”
The nurse was supposed to leave, but she stood there holding the empty medicine bottle, stealing glances at Chi Ye.
Chi Ye was expressionless. “Is there anything else?”
“No, nothing.” Actually, a colleague wanted her to ask for his phone number, but she didn’t have the courage to ask. This person seemed quite aloof.
After the nurse left, Su Shi opened his eyes. “Did that girl want to ask for your phone number?”
“You weren’t asleep?”
“Not soundly.” Su Shi turned to face Chi Ye. “I’m asking you?”
“I don’t want to make friends.”
Su Shi was speechless. Chi Ye was so uninteresting.
The phone kept ringing. Su Shi glanced at it and didn’t answer.
Chi Ye probably guessed who it was. After a while, Chi Ye’s phone started vibrating. Sure enough, it was Xu Chongming.
Chi Ye hesitated whether to answer.
Su Shi said, “Answer it.”
Chi Ye hummed in acknowledgement and answered the call.
Xu Chongming somehow found out about Su Shi’s hospitalization and blamed Chi Ye for not telling him. He also questioned when he and Su Shi had gotten so close.
Chi Ye just hummed, ahhed, and ohhed, only saying a few more words when Xu Chongming asked to speak with Su Shi. “He’s resting.”
Su Shi raised his eyes and looked at Chi Ye.
Chi Ye’s calm eyes reflected only Su Shi’s image.
Chi Ye hung up the phone.
Su Shi opened his mouth, and after a long while, he finally said, “Do you know that we had a fight?”
“Yes.”
“Will this make things difficult for you?”
Chi Ye shook his head. “No, I’m not his biological brother after all.”
He remembered the summer when he was 12 years old. It was raining heavily that day, and Chi Ye took an umbrella to pick up Xu Chongming, who had gone out to play ball. On the way, he saw Xu Chongming and his friend Shen Lin sharing an umbrella.
The umbrella was held very low, and Xu Chongming and Shen Lin didn’t see Chi Ye.
Chi Ye brushed past them and heard Shen Lin ask Xu Chongming, “Your mom always makes you take your cousin everywhere. Doesn’t it bother you? He’s not even your real relative.”
Then Xu Chongming said in a disdainful tone, “It bothers me, it bothers me to death, okay? Every summer, I have to take this burden with me.”
“Then just tell your mom directly.”
“I did.”
“Your mom doesn’t agree?”
“Not really. My cousin’s family is rich and well-connected. He can be a great help to me in the future. It’s all beneficial to maintain a good relationship with him.”
“You’re really something, thinking so far ahead.”
Chi Ye’s small body stood still in the wind and rain. The puddles soon soaked his trouser legs.
Xu Chongming’s back receded into the distance.