After leaving Dr. Watson’s clinic, they took a taxi home.
On the way, Shen Yu appeared unwell and fell asleep with furrowed brows.
Qi Fang felt his forehead and asked a few questions in a low voice. Reassured there was nothing serious, he carefully drew Shen Yu closer, letting him rest against his shoulder.
Qin Xiaosa caught sight of Qi Fang’s actions in the rearview mirror. After a moment’s thought, he asked quietly, “Did Dr. Watson mention how long it took for his last patient with a similar condition to recover?”
“Two years,” Qi Fang replied.
Qin Xiaosa relaxed slightly. “That’s not too bad.”
If Shen Yu’s current state could gradually improve through ongoing psychological therapy, he should be able to resume a normal life soon.
“Did Dr. Watson say anything else?” Qin Xiaosa casually inquired. “Li Congming is still waiting for an update.”
Qi Fang, who had been staring absentmindedly at Shen Yu’s long eyelashes with his head slightly bowed, murmured in response to Qin Xiaosa’s question.
“He also said…” Qi Fang drawled, “Shen Yu loves me very much.”
“Oh,” Qin Xiaosa nodded. “Is that something you imagined, or something you imagined?”
“It’s a reasonable deduction based on a comprehensive analysis of language, demeanor, and microexpressions,” Qi Fang stated seriously.
Qin Xiaosa summarized, “So, a guess.”
Qi Fang: “…”
He argued his case. “Dr. Watson said Shen Yu cares for me, cherishes me, and desperately wants to take care of me, which led to this strange illness. How is that not deep love?”
Qin Xiaosa shrugged it off, rolling down the car window for a breath of fresh air. He played along with Qi Fang’s reasoning, “Maybe he feels you’ve taken care of him too much and wants to return the favor.”
“That makes sense,” Qi Fang agreed. “As expected of my good friend, your mind is as brilliant as mine. I thought the same thing.”
Qin Xiaosa: “?”
He just made an offhand comment. Did Qi Fang take it seriously?
He was about to speak when he caught Qi Fang gesturing for silence in the rearview mirror.
Shen Yu stirred uncomfortably, nearly slipping from Qi Fang’s shoulder. Qi Fang quickly embraced him to keep him steady.
Looking down at Shen Yu’s slightly furrowed brow, Qi Fang unconsciously reached out, gently massaging the spot with his fingertips to ease the tension.
“What kind of dream is my Shen Yuyu having?” he murmured. “Is it scary?”
*
In his dream, Shen Yu saw Comrade Qi Xiaopang freeloading at his home.
He sat in a chair at the dining table. Because of his age and short legs, he could not reach the ground, so he could only put his feet on the bars under the chair. He watched as Qi Fang scurried back and forth between the kitchen and dining room.
Qi Xiaopang eagerly carried dishes out from the kitchen.
With each dish, in the short distance of a few meters, Qi Fang would swiftly reach out, quickly pluck a piece of meat from the edge, and pop it into his mouth. After glancing around and realizing only Shen Yu had noticed, he confidently set the plate on the table.
“Delicious,” Qi Fang mumbled, his cheeks full. “Shen Yuyu, you should eat too.”
“Dad’s not here yet,” Shen Yu replied.
Qi Xiaopang genuinely repented for his snacking for a second, then repeated the trick, nibbling on a few stalks of the vegetables he’d brought out.
“Shen Yuyu,” Qi Fang gazed at him, bowing with clasped hands, and pleaded, “I want a dad like yours, too. Can I move in and be your brother?”
Shen Yu glanced at his chubby cheeks, then at his pudgy arms, considered the food left in the fridge, and shook his head.
“You’re too fat,” Shen Yu said. “Unless you lose weight.”
Qi Xiaopang ate too much. If he really moved in, Dad would be exhausted cooking every day.
Qi Fang was shocked. His strong frame was once again dealt a heavy blow.
“I’ll lose weight,” he said dejectedly. “Shen Xiaoyu, I won’t eat so much anymore. I’ll leave it all for you. You look malnourished.”
“Dinner’s ready!” A familiar figure emerged from the kitchen carrying the last plate of vegetables. He set it down and pulled out a chair nearby. “Student Qi, please sit.”
Qi Fang responded loudly, “Thank you, Uncle Chen! You’re like a second father to me!”
Chen Ziqiu smiled, patting the chubby boy’s head.
“Remember to go home early after eating,” he said. “Don’t hide under Shen Yu’s bed like last time, making your parents search all night.”
Qi Xiaopang’s scheme was exposed, and he immediately turned red.
Before picking up his chopsticks, Shen Yu looked up at his father and asked curiously, “Is Mom not coming home again today?”
Chen Ziqiu, who was wearing a light gray sweater with rolled-up sleeves, was ladling soup for the two children. He paused briefly at the question before answering, “Mom’s project team had an issue with a lab overseas. She went to deal with it a few days ago. She probably won’t be back so soon.”
Shen Yu nodded, picking up his spoon. He asked again, “Can I video call Mom tonight?”
Chen Ziqiu said, “Xiao Yu, Mom’s very busy right now. Let’s try not to disturb her, okay?”
Little Shen Yu pursed his lips, swinging his legs under the table, feeling a bit down.
Beside him, Qi Fang had already quickly finished a bowl of soup. He wiped his mouth and suddenly spoke up, “Uncle Chen, why can’t we video call?”
He shook his head knowingly, adopting a precocious tone, “My parents say both love and family need nurturing.”
“Regular communication is part of that nurturing. Like how my dad always makes time to ask about my test scores, no matter how busy he is with meetings.”
Shen Yu glanced at him, naturally not understanding what Qi Xiaopang was talking about.
Chen Ziqiu smiled wryly, “Student Qi, you’re so young and already understand love?”
Qi Fang shot a quick glance at Shen Yu, then nonchalantly looked away.
“Love is…” he pondered, trying to summarize his parents’ marriage in simple terms, “It’s when two people are better off together than alone.”
Chen Ziqiu was surprised. He couldn’t help but pat Qi Fang’s head again, praising, “You make a very good point.”
“So, can we video call Aunt Shen after dinner?” Qi Fang asked, his mouth stuffed full of rice. “Shen Yu hasn’t seen his mom in many days.”
Chen Ziqiu hesitated for a moment before nodding, “Alright. After you finish your homework, we’ll video call Aunt Shen.”
Eager to fulfill Shen Yu’s wish, Qi Xiaopang raced through his homework that night, his pen flying across the paper.
Unfortunately, half of it was wrong.
Shen Yu expressionlessly circled the errors in pencil. Seeing this, Qi Fang scooted over pitifully and whispered, “Can I fix it tomorrow? Right or wrong, I’ve finished writing. Can we video call Aunt Shen now?”
Shen Yu: “…”
Torn between talking to his mom and enduring the illogical mistakes, Shen Yu chose to close Qi Fang’s workbook, deciding ignorance was bliss.
After connecting the video call on the computer, the two children squeezed in front of the desk, greeting the low-resolution camera.
On the other end, Shen Wenxun was still wearing her lab coat, looking extremely tired. She had barely spoken a few words to Shen Yu when several people rushed over, calling for her.
“Xiao Yu,” Shen Wenxun paused, speaking softly, “Mommy’s quite busy now. How about I bring you a gift when I return?”
“Be good and listen to Daddy at home.” She noticed Qi Fang’s face. “At school, play more with your classmates. Don’t always stay in the classroom reading, okay?”
Qi Fang solemnly promised, “I’ll always play with Shen Yu!”
As Shen Wenxun was about to say goodbye and end the call, Shen Yu suddenly spoke up, “Mom, can you talk to Dad for a bit?”
“What’s wrong?” Shen Wenxun asked.
Shen Yu: “Because…”
Qi Fang had said that love and family need nurturing.
But he didn’t say this in the end, as Shen Yu didn’t fully understand it himself. Explaining it to Mom would be even harder.
He could only say, “Dad hasn’t seen you in several days either.”
Shen Wenxun, on the other end, was quiet for a few seconds, then said softly, “Be good, Xiao Yu. Mommy will be back soon. If anything comes up, I’ll call Daddy.”
After the call ended, Shen Yu looked at Qi Fang, but before he could say anything, they heard a commotion outside the room.
“Dr. Chen,” it was Qi Fang’s mother’s voice, strong yet elegant, “Thank you for your trouble. I’m here to pick up Little Fatty.”
Qi Fang tumbled off the chair, crawling on all fours towards the space under Shen Yu’s bed, whispering, “Shen Yu, tell them I’ve already climbed out the window!”
Shen Yu: “…”
*
When Shen Yu opened his eyes, it took him a moment to realize he was lying in bed.
Sunlight filtered through the half-drawn curtains, a thick, rich golden hue that bathed the entire room in a soft orange glow.
It was the warm light of sunset.
Ordinary people who sleep to this time often feel an incomparable sense of loneliness when they wake up. As Shen Yu lay on his side, he felt an unusual laziness, reluctant to move.
This subtle feeling of melancholy lasted only a few minutes before he heard the door open, and Qi Fang’s voice called out, “Shen Yuyu~?”
Shen Yu turned to look at him.
“Awake?” Qi Fang switched on the room light, its soft glow dispelling the last of the sunset. After examining Shen Yu closely for a moment, he sighed in relief, “If you hadn’t woken up soon, I might have reported Dr. Watson.”
A perfectly healthy person enters a clinic, then faints and sleeps for hours upon leaving – could it be poisoning?
Shen Yu remained silent, seemingly not fully awake, his eyes misty and appearing somewhat dazed.
This was an unusual sight for Professor Shen. Qi Fang leaned in for a closer look and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
“…” Shen Yu stared at him for a moment before saying, “Losing weight.”
Qi Fang: “?”
Qi Fang: “???”
Had he gotten fat recently?
Qi Fang instinctively touched his waist, feeling his abs before coming to his senses: “Shen Yuyu, if I lose any more weight, my abs will disappear.”
Shen Yu parroted, “Abs?”
Qi Fang was shocked, wondering if he hadn’t been shirtless enough at home. How could Shen Yu not know about his abs?
“You don’t believe me?” He grabbed Shen Yu’s hand, pretending to pull it towards himself. “Want to feel?”
Shen Yu sat up as Qi Fang tugged at him.
Qi Fang swayed Shen Yu’s hand back and forth but didn’t dare to actually lift his shirt – Shen Yu disliked physical contact. Although Qi Fang often spoke carelessly, he was careful not to cross any lines, fearing upsetting Professor Shen.
They had only recently made progress and were able to hold hands occasionally. If he messed up now, wouldn’t it set them back?
Just as Qi Fang was about to let go of Shen Yu’s hand, he felt a coolness at his waist.
Looking down, he saw Shen Yu lifting his shirt, staring for a moment before placing his hand against Qi Fang’s skin.
“It’s real,” Shen Yu said, looking up.
Qi Fang: “…”
“I don’t have any,” Shen Yu added. He lifted his own pajama top, seriously studying himself before comparing with Qi Fang and concluding, “Maybe you eat more.”
Qi Fang caught a glimpse of Shen Yu’s slim waist, the slight dip of his hip bones, and his fair, smooth skin.
His nose suddenly felt hot. Covering it, Qi Fang rushed out of the room in a panic.
Shen Yu slowly lowered his shirt: “…?”
As clever and quick to learn as Professor Shen was, sometimes he truly couldn’t understand why this dementia would cause nosebleeds when it flared up.
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