After a long flight of over ten hours, Pei Rong nestled in his first-class seat to catch some sleep. Four hours after takeoff, he had an airplane meal.
He usually didn’t like airplane food, but this time, unexpectedly, he found it appetizing. The pickled radish tasted good, and so did the cheesy fried rice. He even considered having a second serving.
Upon landing, he was scheduled for a blood draw, and it was advised to refrain from eating or drinking for ten hours before that.
Wrapped in a blanket, Pei Rong managed to endure the flight by sleeping for ten hours.
In Country M, it was 8 AM when the plane smoothly taxied to a stop. Pei Rong, on this trip without an assistant, wearing a duckbill cap and a mask, carrying a backpack, discreetly followed the crowd as they disembarked.
As soon as he stepped out, he spotted Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan drove over with a small assistant in the car. After Pei Rong got in, he obediently extended his wrist.
Jiang Yan tied a rubber band, wiped the prominent veins with alcohol swab, skillfully inserted the needle, drew blood, five tubes in a row, placed them in the medical box, and said to the assistant, “Send the blood back to the hospital for testing, get the results as soon as possible.”
The assistant responded and took the blood sample back to the hospital.
Pei Rong’s lips were slightly pale, and Jiang Yan handed him a piece of dark chocolate.
Pei Rong shook his head.
Jiang Yan brought out a thermos of lean pork congee with preserved egg, saying, “This is the only thing I know how to make.”
Pei Rong: “Delicious.”
Seeing Pei Rong eating, Jiang Yan figured he must have been hungry on the plane. “See, isn’t my plan to draw your blood at your place tomorrow morning better?”
Pei Rong lazily replied, “No, that would require getting up early.”
In the entertainment industry these past few years, holidays were rare. Every time he went on a holiday, he needed to sleep until he woke up naturally.
As a salted fish, he had to choose the most convenient option, even when doing a health check. Sleep on the plane, draw blood after landing—wasn’t that killing two birds with one stone?
Pei Rong finished half of the congee, feeling the strength gradually returning with the flow of the drawn blood.
Aunt Zhao lived on the outskirts, in a humble house. Despite Pei Rong’s offer of more help, they were not close. After their initial encounter in the hospital, where Pei Rong saved the life of the person from the same country with financial assistance, they remained distant and seldom met.
Pei Rong asked Jiang Yan to pay attention to the old lady’s health, and that was about it.
“Aunt Zhao told me not to tell you,” Jiang Yan said while driving, “But seeing your WeChat post about taking a half-month vacation, I thought I should inform you.”
Jiang Yan met Pei Rong four years ago when he was working as a doctor at a large hospital in the city center. At that time, he hadn’t started his own practice yet.
During that period, Pei Rong brought his seriously ill mother to country M for medical treatment. Jiang Yan witnessed a cruel period of time where the beautiful and fragile young man’s hopes slowly shattered.
The situation was already bleak. Domestic experts couldn’t provide a positive outlook, and seeking treatment abroad was just another way to hope for a miracle.
When Pei Rong was starting his career, he wasn’t as wealthy as he was now. He had to stay in the country, working hard to earn money to support his mother’s high medical expenses.
As his career prospered, Pei Rong’s mother weakened day by day. Life seemed to be a process of give and take.
Pei Rong couldn’t accept it. He worked hard to make money but couldn’t keep his mother, and instead, he spent less time with her during her last moments.
Pei Rong’s mother’s illness became critical suddenly, and Pei Rong was away filming domestically. When he rushed back, Pei Rong practically kneeled, pleading with the doctors to save his mother, willing to spend everything he had.
At the same time, in the hospital corridor, Aunt Zhao was sadly being discharged because she couldn’t afford the fees.
Jiang Yan witnessed Pei Rong going mad, crying to continue treatment for his mother in the VIP ward. “I have endless money; I’ve maxed out this card. Is it enough? Can you save her again?”
That day, “Can you save her?” was the only thing Pei Rong said.
Jiang Yan, observing the unfortunate fates on both sides of the corridor, suddenly didn’t want to stay in that hospital anymore.
When Pei Rong saved Aunt Zhao, he didn’t get a clear look at her face. Later, he discovered she had eyes similar to Pei Rong’s mother, leading to many concerns.
However, Pei Rong and Aunt Zhao didn’t have much contact.
Jiang Yan, being an observer, noticed that when Aunt Zhao was declared “unable to continue treatment,” her expression remained calm. Her will to survive wasn’t strong; she had wanted to depart with her daughter long ago.
Given the chance by Pei Rong to live again, Aunt Zhao continued to live well, proving that money did occasionally have its uses.
Jiang Yan had told Pei Rong many times that during the last moments of his mother, she was very happy. Every time she saw Pei Rong’s performances or interviews, her mood was great. She was proud that others loved her son and supported his career wholeheartedly.
It’s unknown whether Pei Rong listened or that was the cause why he insisted on retiring from the entertainment industry.
To this day, Jiang Yan still remembered two things that Pei Rong said.
“What’s the use of earning too much money? It wears people out, and you can’t spend it all. It’s better to retire early.”
“Do you want to start a Chinese hospital? I’ll invest in it. Shares? No need for shares, just a bit is fine.”
In this hospital, Pei Rong was another small shareholder, but the other party had never cared about that. Apart from urging Pei Rong to undergo health check-ups to ensure his well-being, he hadn’t played any other significant role.
At ten o’clock, they arrived at Aunt Zhao’s cottage.
Pei Rong brought some special cookies from her hometown for Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao was very happy and exchanged a hand-knitted woolen hat with him.
“It looks so nice,” Pei Rong complimented, feeling a bit uneasy because he had only received the woolen hat in late spring, and he hadn’t visited country M for a long time.
Jiang Yan often said he was stubborn, but Aunt Zhao was no less persistent. She insisted on staying here to sweep her daughter’s grave, fearing that she might burden Pei Rong and that Pei Rong would be haunted by memories of his mother due to their similarities.
Aunt Zhao happily said, “I’ve never worried about my knitting skills. Even if it’s a tattered straw hat, Xiao Rong can still make it look pretty.”
Aunt Zhao now sat in a wheelchair, and Jiang Yan arranged a caregiver for her. She was recovering and needed further examination to check the healing of her bones.
Jiang Yan was concerned that the elderly woman’s weakened condition might trigger other health issues. He also arranged additional tests, saying, “You two go in and out together tomorrow. No one should try to skip any test.”
Whenever Pei Rong visited before, Aunt Zhao insisted on cooking herself.
Pei Rong particularly liked the minced meat and eggplant dish Aunt Zhao made. In his heart, there weren’t many home-cooked dishes that surpassed Aunt Zhao’s. Well, except maybe for Lu Qin.
This time, Aunt Zhao insisted on cooking again, and neither Pei Rong nor Jiang Yan could stop her. They ended up working together to prepare three dishes and a soup, creating a chaotic scene like mischievous children.
In the afternoon, Jiang Yan drove them to his hospital. Aunt Zhao had an X-ray first, and the healing of her bones was satisfactory, eliminating the need for a second surgery.
Jiang Yan smiled, “It’s your turn, Pei Rong. The CT scan will be quick. After this, if your manager arranges a health check, you can skip the CT part.”
Aunt Zhao added, “He knows how to avoid lazy work.”
Pei Rong touched his neck. “I’m going in.”
“Director Jiang,” a young nurse hurried over, her voice crisp, “The results of the blood test you ordered are out.”
“Okay, thank you,” Jiang Yan took the report and glanced at it out of habit. After seeing a series of values, almost instinctively, he blurted out, “The patient is pregnant and can’t undergo a CT scan.”
As he said this, he froze, realizing that this urgent test was from Pei Rong’s blood.
His heart pounded for a moment. Jiang Yan knew he was probably doing something absurd. But he still opened the radiation-proof door, pulled Pei Rong, who was about to undress, out.
Pei Rong asked, “What’s wrong?”
Jiang Yan: “...” Not sure what to say.
Jiang Yan had someone take Aunt Zhao to the next examination room first. He turned around, his expression serious, and confirmed with the nurse, “Didn’t you take the wrong sample?”
It was the first time the nurse had seen the hospital director so serious, as if facing a formidable enemy. “No, when Pete brought it over, I took charge. There’s nothing else to do today.”
Jiang Yan furrowed his brow so tightly that it seemed like he could catch mosquitoes.
Pei Rong, observing the situation, speculated, “Do I have a terminal illness?”
“Nonsense!” Jiang Yan shouted. “Can you stop talking nonsense?”
Pei Rong smiled charmingly. “Looking at your expression, a terminal illness seems mild.”
Jiang Yan was so angry that he flicked through a stack of test sheets, creating a gust of wind, “You just keep joking!”
This HCG value was outrageous, even more so than testicular tumors.
Jiang Yan was genuinely worried that Pei Rong, at such a young age, might have to undergo removal of the testicles like a eunuch. However, another kind of speculation crossed his mind because it wasn’t just the HCG that was abnormal.
Jiang Yan wiped away some sweat. “The CT machine is broken. Let’s do an ultrasound first.”
Pei Rong raised an eyebrow. “Should I drink a lot of water first?”
Jiang Yan couldn’t wait for him to hold it in. “No need.”
He ushered the medical staff out of the ultrasound room, closed the door, and told Pei Rong to lie down and roll up his shirt.
Pei Rong said, “Really sorry, last time I saw you, I still had two proud abdominal muscles.”
Bad news. Although there was no belly fat, the vest line had completely disappeared.
Jiang Yan’s hand trembled as he squeezed out a large amount of coupling agent.
When he leaned close to the abdominal cavity, the ultrasound waves brought a clear image.
Jiang Yan frowned, praying it wasn’t a malignant tumor. When a clearer angle was presented, Jiang Yan almost couldn’t maintain the composure expected of a medical professional.
This small thing was clearly an embryo over twelve weeks old. After changing the equipment, both genders could clearly be identified.
Regardless of the patient’s condition, he shouldn’t be surprised and add pressure to the patient.
Jiang Yan stabilized himself, glanced at the emotionally stable patient—Pei Rong was lying down with his eyes closed. Adding a bit of salt would turn him into a salted fish.
He suddenly calmed down. “Wake up. You’re going to be a father.”
“What father?” Pei Rong yawned, sat up, turned his head to see the ultrasound image on the monitor. “Congratulations, congratulations.”
Inside the room, there were two instruments. He thought it was an image left by the previous person and was just not deleted, so he looked at the other one and found it was not turned on.
Jiang Yan pointed at the image. “Yours.”
Pei Rong’s expression went blank for a moment. Just as he was about to say something, Jiang Yan turned his head on his abdomen, and the angle of the image changed accordingly.
Pei Rong closed his mouth, speechless.
Pei Rong: “Aren’t I a man?”
Jiang Yan: “Yes.”
Pei Rong sarcastically said, “So, this... a medical miracle?”
Jiang Yan dared not make a sound. “Perhaps.”
Pei Rong thought for a moment and asked, “Jiang Yan, do you remember the wrong diagnosis you gave in your freshman year?”
Jiang Yan choked. “Even with the emotional excitement of a pregnant father, you can’t expose my medical shortcomings.”
Pei Rong: “I just want to confirm that I haven’t entered some strange fanfiction.”
After all, there were a lot of bizarre things that he had read online.
Pei Rong pinched his thigh. His brain crashed, refusing to think about it. “Turn off the ultrasound first.”
Straight men couldn’t stand this kind of scene.
Jiang Yan, afraid of stimulating him, unplugged the wires at his words.
He pulled a chair over and sat in front of Pei Rong, seriously saying, “Children don’t come out of nowhere, right?”
Compared to medical miracles, metaphysical events were even more unimaginable.
Pei Rong remained silent. Yes, he had slept with a man.
Pei Rong: “Am I a monster?”
Jiang Yan: “No.”
Pei Rong nodded. He wasn’t a monster, then Lu Qin was the freak who made a man pregnant.
Speaking of the devil, the phone rang, showing a domestic number.
Pei Rong didn’t save this number, didn’t want to answer, but the other party persistently called. Pei Rong wanted to pick up and hang up in a second.
“Pei Rong.”
It was Lu Qin’s voice.
Pei Rong’s finger paused, saying, “What’s the matter?”
Lu Qin’s voice was, as always, steady, as if he could solve anything. He could cook, fish, make a bed—there was nothing he couldn’t do.
“Are you in Country M?” Lu Qin’s voice was low, sounding somewhat guilty. “When did you arrive?”
Pei Rong’s voice showed no emotion. “I don’t know.”
Jiang Yan on the side immediately realized that this must be the child’s other father, perking up his ears. Obviously, the other party didn’t know anything. Jiang Yan lit a candle for him metaphorically.
On the other side of the ocean, Lu Qin rubbed his thumb against the pen, his gaze heavy. “Pei Rong, I think the detoxification failed.”
Pei Rong pursed his lips.
Lu Qin confessed, “We may have to start over, every two days.”
Pei Rong opened his mouth slightly and said softly, “Take some medicine for impotence.”
Lu Qin: “What?”
Pei Rong: “I said, im-po-tence, medicine.”
