Lin Yao didn't know how he fell asleep. Anyway, when he woke up in the morning, he was lying on the bed in yesterday's clothes, his whole body aching.
"Oh..." He gritted his teeth and struggled for a long time before turning over as if he had just been tortured. He felt that his ribs were almost broken by himself.
He looked at the clock on the table and realized that he had woken up a little earlier than usual. He rubbed his stomach, which felt sore and numb. His eyebrows almost twisted off his forehead before he finally got over the numbness and soreness.
After waking up, he suddenly remembered what happened last night. He suddenly felt a cramp in his calves and had difficulty getting out of bed.
Lin Yao, you actually told Lin Zong about this!
Aren’t you afraid that he will beat you up
Lin Yao quietly opened the door and glanced at Lin Zong. The door of Lin Zong's room was still closed. If he didn't go back to the resort, he would usually sleep until noon.
Lin Yao closed the door and went into the bathroom. He stared at the mirror for a long time. His face was not very good. Not to mention the cross-stitch-like patterns on his face, his eyes were swollen and surrounded by black circles. He looked like he had gone out to do hard labor last night and was beaten and cried. It was a bit horrible.
He sighed, took off his clothes, turned on the hot water and planned to take a shower. He didn't feel anything when he was asleep, but now that he woke up, he felt very upset and confused.
Water had just started to spray out of the shower head and Lin Yao was tilting his face up and holding his breath as he put it into the water when the cell phone in the room rang.
He choked on the water, ran into the house naked while coughing, grabbed the phone and saw that it was indeed Guan Ze's number.
When he answered the phone, his hands were shaking for some unknown reason: "Guan Ze?"
"Well," Guan Ze's calm voice came from the other end, "Are you up so early?"
"I didn't sleep well last night and woke up early," Lin Yao squatted beside the bed. When he heard Guan Ze's voice, he felt relieved. "Were you okay yesterday? I called you but you didn't answer."
"It's nothing, I just had insomnia, I took some medicine and fell asleep so I didn't hear it," Guan Ze said lazily, "I saw it when I woke up in the morning. What's wrong? Do you have something to talk to me about?"
"… It's nothing." Lin Yao hesitated for two seconds. He didn't know whether he should tell Guan Ze what Lin Zong already knew. "Can't I call you if I'm fine?"
"Tell me," Guan Ze smiled, "You're fine, it's not like this."
Lin Yao felt a little cold, so he stood up and walked back to the bathroom, where he stood under the hot water. After a while, he whispered, "My brother knows about us."
"Did you ask him?" Guan Ze paused, with some surprise in his voice.
"How do you know I asked him?" Lin Yao looked down at his feet. "Am I being impulsive? I called you yesterday before I went to see him, but you didn't answer. I just couldn't bear it. You know, my brother is getting married suddenly."
"marry?"
"Well, my mother has always wanted a daughter-in-law, and my brother suddenly said yesterday that he would bring one back for her after the Chinese New Year," Lin Yao sighed, "I think my brother... Anyway, I can't stand it anymore, so I went to find my brother."
"Is that so?" Guan Ze was silent for a while, "Let's go out early today. I'll take you to have breakfast."
"good."
Lin Yao drove the car to the yard and parked it. He took a piece of cloth and tried to clean the dust off the roof. His mother, who had been watering the flowers on the roof early in the morning, sprinkled some water from the watering can directly on his head: "Second son."
Lin Yao was startled when water suddenly dripped onto his head. Was it raining? When he looked up, he saw a lot of water on his face. He then saw the kettle in his mother's hand and quickly jumped away: "What are you doing? I am your biological son, right? Why are you pouring cold water on my head in such a cold weather..."
"Going out so early? I haven't made you breakfast yet." Mom was probably in a good mood because Lin Zong was going to get married, and she looked at him with a smile.
"No need. I have a day off tomorrow. There is a lot of work at the company today, so I have to go and deal with it early." Lin Yao got in the car.
"Are we having a dinner party tonight?" Mom leaned on the railing.
"No, the boss said to just give us the money for the dinner together," Lin Yao opened the car door and leaned out half of his body to look at his mother, "Don't lie down like that, the railing is so low, it's scary to look at it."
"Go, go." Mom waved her hand and turned to water the flowers on the other side.
Guan Ze's car was parked at the intersection. When he saw Lin Yao's car coming, he honked the horn and took him to another road. A few minutes later, they stopped on a small street.
"What do you want to eat?" Lin Yao got out of the car and ran over.
"What's wrong with your eyes?" Guan Ze opened the car door and touched his face, "Did you cry?"
“Is the swelling still not gone?” Lin Yao put his face close to the rearview mirror and stared at it for a long time before glancing at Guan Ze a little embarrassedly. “I was crying, and my brother said he wouldn’t stand on my side… I wanted to find some comfort from you but you didn’t answer the phone, so I had to swallow my tears with the bath water…”
Guan Ze looked at him and laughed, then he put his arm around his shoulders and said, "Is it delicious?"
"It's OK, bitter and salty, just as delicious as the bitter melon and apple juice my mom makes." Lin Yao looked around and saw that there were not many people around. He quickly leaned over to rub Guan Ze's shoulder, then dodged. "You don't look very well today. Did you not sleep well after taking the medicine?"
"I didn't sleep normally after taking the medicine. There must be some impact." Guan Ze touched his face. He didn't know how he fell asleep yesterday, and he didn't hear Lin Yao's phone ringing. When he woke up in the morning, his headache was gone, but his stomach was terribly uncomfortable. "Let's go have some porridge."
Guan Ze likes to watch Lin Yao eat. He is very quiet, and no matter what he eats, he eats very seriously. He even drinks spoiled yogurt very seriously. Guan Ze feels that watching him eat can increase his appetite a lot.
"Is it delicious?" Guan Ze looked at the small beads of sweat on the tip of Lin Yao's nose.
"Well, hot is fine. Do you usually eat here? It's very romantic." Lin Yao looked around. This was a roadside stall. There were four or five tables set up in the cold wind early in the morning. Everyone was eating in the wind.
"Not necessarily. I usually go out for a morning workout and buy something to eat on the way home. I didn't go for a run today," Guan Ze picked up a pot sticker, "Lin Yao, just tell your brother about this. Don't be stupid and rush to tell your mom."
"I know. Actually, I haven't figured out how to tell my mother yet." Lin Yao frowned and stared at the porridge in the bowl. "I feel that this matter can't be delayed any longer. I should tell her now. But I really don't know how I should respond after I've finished telling her. I'm really afraid that my mother can't stand it..."
"Don't say anything for now." Guan Ze felt distressed when he saw Lin Yao's haggard appearance.
"I feel like I've said sorry to my parents, but I haven't said sorry to you," Lin Yao put down his chopsticks and sighed, "I'm really afraid that if this goes on for a long time, I'll... lose you."
Guan Ze didn't say anything, just lowered his head and ate the pot stickers. Lin Yao's words made his heart suddenly twitch and his head hurt again.
"When are you going to the hospital? Tomorrow?" Lin Yao changed the subject. For him, the most important thing besides coming out was Guan Ze's illness.
"Take Lu Teng out to play tomorrow and buy some things for the kids in their yard," Guan Ze thought for a moment, "Maybe number two or three."
"Then I'll go with you."
"No need, I've asked my friend to arrange it. Just go and get it checked. I'll call you when it's done."
"Guan Ze," Lin Yao glanced at him, "Are you not used to people caring about you? I'm the only one who keeps staring at you and asking you to go to the doctor. Are you not used to it?"
"No," Guan Ze smiled. If someone else did this, he would not be used to it. He has always been alone, handling everything by himself, with no one to rely on. He is also used to not relying on anyone, but Lin Yao's concern will not make him feel uncomfortable. "Why do you think so?"
"I don't know, I just thought you were a little weird these past two days," Lin Yao sniffed, "Maybe I'm thinking too much."
On New Year's Day, Lin Yao's family went out for a trip. They went hiking in the morning and shopping in the afternoon. Lin Yao would send text messages to Guan Ze every one or two hours to report on his itinerary. Guan Ze's phone was full of photos he sent.
Lin Yao's family occasionally appeared in the photos, including Lin Yao's mother and Lin Zong, whom he had met, and Lin Yao's father, whom he had never met. Everyone was smiling happily. Family affection and a warm family were what he longed for. Lin Yao had what he wanted most, but he might lose it all because of him. He flipped through the photos one by one, a little distracted, and only heard Lu Teng when he called him a few times.
"Dad," Lu Teng leaned against his legs, "Can you buy a doll for Xiaohui?"
"Xiao Hui? Is she the little girl in the room next to you?" Guan Ze squatted down, "Didn't she get picked up by her new parents?"
"Yes, but she was sent back yesterday," Lu Teng bit his lip, "The new mother doesn't like her and said she doesn't like to talk. She has been unhappy since she came back. Can I buy her a doll?"
"Okay, go pick it."
After playing with Lu Teng for a whole day and buying a bunch of things for the children in the courtyard, Guan Ze was a little tired when he returned home. He sat on the sofa with his eyes closed for a long time without moving.
After all the busyness, the first day of the new year just passed like this, which was fine. He was willing to take Lu Teng out to play during holidays. First, during holidays, Lu Teng hoped more than ever that he could be accompanied by his parents like other children. Second, he was the same. He needed something to keep busy to forget that he was always alone, especially on days when everyone was accompanied by their families.
At this time, Lin Yao was having dinner with his family. The photos sent over showed a sumptuous meal. Lin Yao took the time to go to the bathroom and call him.
"Sent Lu Xiaoteng back?"
"Well, I'm so tired," Guan Ze patted his legs, "You should go eat quickly."
"I'm not hungry. I'm dying of walking. My mom doesn't exercise normally, but when she goes shopping, her physical fitness can easily beat the three men in my family in seconds," Lin Yao laughed softly, "Are you going for a check-up tomorrow?"
"Well, I'll go to sleep soon. I'm a little sleepy." Guan Ze lay down on the sofa.
"Then... go to sleep. I won't call you at night so you can sleep well." Lin Yao covered the microphone and kissed it. "Did you hear me?"
"I heard you," Guan Ze smiled and kissed the microphone, "I'll call you tomorrow after I finish the inspection."
Guan Ze was sitting in Zhang Xing's office. Zhang Xing looked very solemn. Several test results had not come out so quickly, but based on his experience, Guan Ze felt that he was almost certain of his condition.
"I won't beat around the bush with you," Zhang Xing looked at him, "There's nothing wrong with your cervical spine, and the other factors are basically ruled out. You don't remember having a serious brain injury, right?"
"Yeah." Guan Ze nodded.
"Then there is basically only one possibility, something is compressing the nerves," Zhang Xing pushed up his glasses, "Do you have any other feelings, numbness, restricted movement, etc., like your hands suddenly have no feeling and can't hold things?"
"No," Guan Ze frowned, "I just find it a little unbelievable. How can so many things grow in the brain..."
"What's so incredible? I see it every day. It's like the set of a soap opera." Zhang Xing took off his glasses, wiped them, and put them back on. "But don't be stressed. If there's a growth, we can just cut it off. I have many examples of people who are still alive and kicking after the surgery."
"Tell me what bad consequences there will be." Guan Ze sighed.
"If it's benign and doesn't damage any important nerves, and there's no recurrence after the surgery, there will be no problem if you can recover well."
"Let's not talk about malignant tumors. Even benign tumors are not foolproof, right? What if they recur? Do we need to cut them off again? What if they recur again?"
"Not many people are that unlucky. There are cases of relapse, but they can recover. If you say it keeps relapsing," Zhang Xing tapped the table twice with a pen, "it's basically useless even if you don't die."
"I see," Guan Ze nodded, "When will I get the results?"
"I'll call you tomorrow to let you know the result," Zhang Xing stood up and looked at the calendar. "You should have a good rest recently and don't get upset. I'll prescribe some medicine for you. Guan Ze, you're in good health, so you can handle this."
Guan Ze walked out of the hospital and sat in the car for a while before calling Lin Yao. Before the phone rang, Lin Yao picked up the phone: "Is it done? How is it?"
"There's a problem with my cervical spine. I just need treatment after the New Year." Guan Ze rested his arms on the car window, his fingers against his forehead.
"Fuck, I told you it won't be a big problem," Lin Yao said with excitement, his voice a little off-tune, "How do you treat it? Take medicine? Massage?"
"All of them, maybe acupuncture or something, combining Chinese and Western medicine," Guan Ze thought about it, and he couldn't just say that the disease was gone, so he added, "If these don't improve, I guess I'll still have to have surgery to correct it."
"Yeah, it's okay, it's just a minor operation," Lin Yao's voice was a little shaky, and it sounded like he was running, "Have you left the hospital?"
"I'm out, still in the car..." Guan Ze suddenly reacted, opened the door and jumped out of the car, "Where are you?"
"Wifey, look back!" Lin Yao shouted.
Guan Ze heard the voice coming from behind and through the receiver at the same time. He turned around and saw Lin Yao turning from the path next to the hospital and running towards him.
"Why are you here?" Guan Ze threw his phone on the seat, opened his arms, and leaned one leg slightly backward, preparing for Lin Yao to lose control and crash into him.
"I'm afraid my wife will be scared," Lin Yao rushed over and hugged him, then kissed him on the neck before patting him on the shoulder a few times, pretending to be an old friend who had met after a long time, "You look good, buddy!"
"Not bad," Guan Ze was happy and patted Lin Yao on the shoulder twice, "What a coincidence, long time no see."
"Let's go, get in the car," Lin Yao chuckled twice, ran to the passenger side and jumped into the car, lowering his voice and saying, "Your husband has been freezing to death outside the hospital since early this morning."
"Thank you for your hard work, husband," Guan Ze smiled as he got into the car and turned up the heat. He knew Lin Yao would be worried, but he didn't expect Lin Yao to wait outside the hospital so early in the morning. Looking at Lin Yao's red face from the cold, he couldn't tell what he felt in his heart, "Didn't you drive? Why weren't you waiting in the car?"
"You think too highly of my little Xiali. The heater is not even as hot as a fart." Lin Yao looked around. There was no one around. He quickly pushed himself over to Guan Ze and hugged him. "Besides, I have to squat by the gate. Otherwise, I won't be able to see you if you come out."
Guan Ze didn't say anything. He put his arms around Lin Yao's waist and pulled him towards him, then turned around and kissed him.
A few minutes later, Lin Yaocai panted and reluctantly let go of Guan Ze. This was the first time he let go of Guan Ze on his own initiative when kissing. He bared his teeth and said, "The handbrake hurt me to death."
Guan Ze held back his laughter and pushed him back to the passenger seat, then reached over and kissed him twice: "I should have gone to the back seat earlier."
"Take a break now. Are you having sex in the car in broad daylight?" Lin Yao smiled with his eyes narrowed. "You are so shameless."
"Let's go eat..." Guan Ze said as he was about to sit back in his seat when his vision suddenly went dark without any warning. His heart sank and he quickly lowered his head to kiss Lin Yao's lips and closed his eyes. After the darkness passed, he slowly raised his head and sat back in the driver's seat.
In the past, when things went dark in front of his eyes, he would feel it, and his vision would become blurry for a very short time before he could see nothing. But this time, it went dark directly.
"You're really proactive today," Lin Yao wiped his mouth, and with a satisfied look on his face, he pulled the security cover over and buckled it, "It's so frustrating."
Guan Ze smiled and said nothing. He took a taxi and slowly drove along the road to the street.
"Wife, have I told you?" Lin Yao was in a good mood. Guan Ze's illness was not a serious problem. The stone in his heart was finally removed, and a smile was always on his lips.
"What?"
"I love you."