[Qi Er Shao: Emergency! Code red! Help! Help!]
[Li Congming: … Why the hell are you messaging me after kicking me out of the group?]
[Qi Er Shao: What’s the most effective hangover cure? I searched online and found XXX, XX, and XXX. Which one works best?!]
[Li Congming: Dog Qi! I’ll tell you one more time! I’m! An! Orthopedic! Doctor!]
[Qi Er Shao: Cut the crap. Which one works?]
[Li Congming: … The second one, I guess. I checked the ingredients. Are you drunk?]
Qi Fang didn’t bother replying.
Shen Yu sat cross-legged in the center of the room, his head tilted slightly back as he stared at Qi Fang.
His snow-white face was calm, his eyes darker and deeper than usual.
Aside from speaking less, nothing else seemed out of the ordinary.
Qi Fang paced the room twice, unsure what to do, not knowing how Shen Yu behaved when drunk.
From childhood, Shen Yu had barely touched alcohol.
Firstly, due to his strict self-discipline, and secondly, because Qi Fang was often by his side, deflecting all ill-intentioned toasts.
At most, he’d wet his lips during New Year’s celebrations, never getting tipsy.
Ridiculous… Qi Fang thought. If Shen Yu had ever passed out drunk in front of him, wouldn’t he have already dared to steal a kiss?
Would he still be preserving his precious first kiss to this day?
At this thought, Qi Fang’s courage stirred slightly.
He tentatively waved his hand in front of Shen Yu’s face.
Shen Yu lowered his lashes, showing no reaction.
Qi Fang inched closer, pondering before asking, “Shen Yuyu, can I kiss you?”
Shen Yu: “…”
“We’ve been married for two years now,”
This close, Shen Yu’s sweet scent mixed with alcohol wafted over. Qi Fang’s head spun as he held up four fingers, saying, “How about three kisses? That’s not too much, right?”
Seeing Shen Yu still silent, Qi Fang cleared his throat. “I’ll take that as a yes, then.”
He mustered his courage and approached Shen Yu’s flushed face at an excruciatingly slow pace. Just as he was about to make contact, a palm suddenly covered his face.
At that moment, Qi Fang dazedly thought at least he’d tried, even if he got slapped…
However, when he opened his eyes, he realized Shen Yu had pressed his left hand over Qi Fang’s mouth.
Shen Yu covered Qi Fang’s mouth with his palm, slowly pushing him away, then said with utmost seriousness:
“It’s unhygienic to touch another person’s mouth with your own.”
“…” Qi Fang broke free, utterly bewildered. “Comrade Shen Yu, we’re already in a great revolutionary alliance…”
Shen Yu seemed not to hear him. He stood up from the floor, swayed slightly before steadying himself, then took a few steps forward. After a pause, he took Qi Fang’s hand.
“It’s time for bed,” Shen Yu said.
Qi Fang: “?”
He looked at Shen Yu, then at their joined hands.
…Am I the drunk one? Qi Fang wondered.
Like a puppet, he was led by Shen Yu to the bedside. Just as he was about to sit down, Shen Yu suddenly pulled him back up.
Shen Yu turned to face him and asked, “Have you brushed your teeth?”
Qi Fang: “…No.”
Shen Yu nodded, then led him to the sink, released his hand, and meticulously prepared the toothbrush, rinsing it, filling the cup with water, applying toothpaste, and handing it to Qi Fang.
…Is this end-of-life care? Qi Fang thought to himself.
“Stand here. Don’t move,” Shen Yu pointed at the tile under Qi Fang’s feet, then instructed, “Put the toothbrush in your mouth.”
Qi Fang complied, bewildered.
“Good,” Shen Yu observed his actions, nodding approvingly, his tone softening, “That’s right. Well done.”
“Count to one hundred and twenty in your head,” Shen Yu continued. “Then rinse the foam from your mouth with the water in the cup. Don’t swallow the water.”
Qi Fang: “Mmm?”
Then, Shen Yu stood nearby, watching Qi Fang brush his teeth with the solemn attitude of conducting scientific research.
His stern expression and serious demeanor made Qi Fang break into a cold sweat. He nearly swallowed the toothpaste foam several times, causing Shen Yu to frown repeatedly.
“Don’t be nervous,” Shen Yu suddenly spoke, “You’re doing fine.”
Qi Fang rinsed the foam from his mouth and asked sincerely, “What’s fine?”
Shen Yu said, “Your life skills have improved. That’s a good sign.”
Qi Fang: “???”
“Comrade Shen Yu…” he hesitated, “You’re drunk. You should rest early.”
Shen Yu checked the time and nodded, “Yes, it’s time to rest.”
Then, he supervised Qi Fang washing his face, making his bed, getting under the covers, tucking himself in, and turning off the bedside lamp before leaving.
Qi Fang listened intently until he heard Shen Yu finish his own bedtime routine and go to sleep. Only then did he secretly retrieve his phone and type under the covers.
[Qi Er Shao: Do you think I’m still alive?]
[Li Congming: ? Just now, our hospital declared you medically dead. We can send you for cremation.]
[Qi Er Shao: I mean, tonight, Shen Yu was as gentle and attentive as if he were preparing my body for burial.]
[Li Congming: Oh, are you sure Shen Yu would be gentle with you if you were dead?]
Qi Fang’s fingers paused, then he promptly blocked Li Congming again.
He scrolled through his phone under the covers, finding the situation increasingly strange.
Shen Yu’s behavior tonight… was really too unusual.
If he had to describe it, Qi Fang pondered, it seemed as if Shen Yu was treating him like a child.
After a moment of contemplation, Qi Fang reopened his phone and searched for the top ten typical characteristics of drunkenness.
The search results appeared immediately. Just as Qi Fang was about to click on them, he felt a chill above his head. Looking up, he found his shelter of blankets had been lifted, and Shen Yu stood silently by the bed, his gaze fixed intently on Qi Fang.
Qi Fang, holding his phone: ??!
*
The next day, Qi Fang unblocked Li Congming and told him: [Don’t let Shen Yu drink in the future. He confiscates phones when he’s drunk.]
Li Congming, probably on his way to work, replied quickly: [Then how are you messaging me?]
Qi Fang replied candidly: [I stole it.]
Li Congming: “…”
Qi Fang thought for a moment, then typed: [I don’t think this is good. I was planning to stay a few more days, but now I’m thinking of going back.]
Before Li Congming could respond, Qi Fang heard familiar footsteps outside the door. He suddenly sat up, hastily stuffing the phone into his trouser pocket.
However, in his haste, he missed the pocket, and the cold, hard phone slid directly down his waistband.
Qi Fang: “…”
Shen Yu opened the bathroom door and looked at him. Seeing Qi Fang standing normally in front of the mirror, he seemed to relax slightly, then said, “Have you washed your face?”
“We should leave for the airport now.”
Now it was Qi Fang’s turn to be surprised. “What’s wrong? Aren’t we staying for a couple more days? Don’t you still have a few days off?”
Shen Yu shook his head, paused, glanced at Qi Fang as if slightly surprised he remembered the number of days, and said, “We’re going to Country L.”
Qi Fang was taken aback.
Country L… was not unfamiliar to Qi Fang. After all, it was where Shen Yu’s mother resided. In their two years of marriage, they had visited a few times to pay their respects to his mother-in-law.
“Why do you suddenly want to go there?” Qi Fang asked casually. “There’s no special occasion, is there? Does Auntie Shen want to see you?”
Shen Yu had kept his mother’s surname. After their marriage, at Shen Yu’s insistence, Qi Fang didn’t change how he addressed Shen Yu’s parents, still calling them Uncle and Auntie like Shen Yu did.
Shen Yu spoke up, “Last night, she asked about our recent situation.”
Qi Fang: “Hmm, is Auntie Shen back from Iceland?”
Shen Yu nodded, then hesitated before honestly saying, “I told her your condition wasn’t very optimistic, so she wants to see you.”
Qi Fang: “…”
He opened his mouth, racking his brains for how to explain this huge misunderstanding, when suddenly, as he shifted his feet, an object slid out of his trouser leg and clattered to the floor.
Shen Yu looked down to see Qi Fang’s phone, which he had confiscated last night, mysteriously appear in the bathroom.
*
On the way to the airport, Qi Fang pondered several of life’s difficult questions.
First, why was Shen Yu still confiscating his phone even though he was sober??
Second, how should he explain Shen Yu’s condition to Shen Yu’s mother in Country L?
Third… Qi Fang looked down at the tracking watch on his wrist and the long black cord attached to it, feeling his brain was about to short-circuit.
——Why had Shen Yu bought this tracking watch for him on the way and put it on him, and why was he leading him with a cord??
What???
Qi Fang followed Shen Yu closely, step by step, trying to keep the distance between them as short as possible to make that dog-leash-like thing less noticeable.
“Hey, Shen Yuyu.” As they approached the waiting hall, Qi Fang finally couldn’t hold back and asked in confusion, “Why are you tethering me with a cord?”
Could it be that Shen Yu had some unspeakable strange fetish, and after getting drunk, his kinky side had exploded?
Qi Fang thought about it and decided that if Shen Yu really liked it, then he… might not be entirely opposed!
Shen Yu turned his head and glanced at Qi Fang, his fair face showing no strange expression. He patiently explained, “There are many people here. I’m afraid you might get lost.”
Qi Fang was baffled. He was nearly thirty years old; only someone with a mental disability would get lost for no reason, right?
Before he could voice this thought, a tall figure approached them, removing his sunglasses and greeting, “Here you are.”
Qin Xiaosa finished his greeting, then noticed the cord on Qi Fang’s hand and raised an eyebrow, his expression meaningful.
Qi Fang: “…”
Seeing him, Shen Yu first nodded in acknowledgment, then handed the cord to Qin Xiaosa, saying, “I’ll go communicate with the service desk first.”
As soon as Shen Yu left, Qi Fang immediately turned to Qin Xiaosa, forcefully pulling the cord from his hand, and asked dissatisfied, “What are you doing here?”
“Shen Yu messaged me yesterday,” Qin Xiaosa said slowly. “He said your dementia had worsened, and he wanted to take you to see his mother before you completely forgot everyone. He asked me to help him ensure your safe passage.”
Qi Fang: “……”
“Dementia?” he asked bewilderedly. “Is Shen Yu still drunk?”
“I couldn’t reach you by phone,” Qin Xiaosa explained concisely. “But seeing Shen Yu’s condition has new developments, I’ve already spoken with Li Congming. Besides, I’m free these few days, so I’ll accompany you guys.”
Qi Fang couldn’t understand why, after Shen Yu had a few drinks, he himself had become demented and needed to be led by a cord to prevent getting lost.
“Tell me,” Qi Fang sat on the waiting chair, slightly worried, “When we meet Shen Yu’s mother, how should I explain Shen Yu’s condition to her?”
No cause, no warning signs, no authoritative medical test reports, no complete treatment plan.
Everything could only be inferred from experience, relying on careful, step-by-step care for conservative treatment. No one knew how long Shen Yu would be ill or how far the condition would progress.
Occasionally, Qi Fang would think that after Shen Yu fell ill, their relationship seemed to have grown closer.
The cold Professor Shen would now take the initiative to hold his hand, was willing to try things he’d never tried before, and would spend time listening to his stories. Emotionally, “everything” seemed to be slowly improving.
But more than wanting Shen Yu to fall in love with him, Qi Fang hoped for Shen Yu to be healthy and free from any troubles.
No matter what kind of troubles.
He could wait a lifetime for Shen Yu’s love, but Shen Yu couldn’t be ill for a lifetime.
“You hadn’t told Shen Yu’s family before?” Qin Xiaosa suddenly asked.
Qi Fang collected his thoughts, let out a long sigh, and said, “Auntie Shen was too busy. She was at a roundtable in Iceland recently and spent some time in the lab. Since Shen Yu’s illness wasn’t confirmed, I didn’t tell her.”
“Then this is a good opportunity to tell her everything,” Qin Xiaosa patted his shoulder and added, “There are quite a few famous psychologists in Country L. I’ve already asked Chen Ke to contact them. We might be able to arrange a house call.”
Qi Fang’s eyes brightened, and he said, “That makes sense.”
He turned to Qin Xiaosa, holding out his hand shamelessly, “Give me a phone.”
Qin Xiaosa: “?”
Just as the two good friends were about to fall out over money, Shen Yu returned with boarding passes and a white lanyard name tag.
Qi Fang looked closely and saw that the freshly printed name tag bore his name in both Chinese and English, along with the name and contact information of his “guardian,” Shen Yu.
“…”
A dog… dog tag?
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