TA •Chapter 89

As the saying went, "A friend after three days should be looked at with new eyes."[[N]]

Jiang Yuduo felt that Cheng Ke had been away for so many three-day periods that it was impossible to count, and yet he was still a hooligan, with not a shred of improvement.

No, that was not quite right. He had improved, actually. Judging by hooligan standards, he had improved quite a bit.

But Jiang Yuduo himself had improved a lot too. If this had been before, hearing Cheng Ke say something like this would probably have made him a little uncomfortable, maybe even hit too hard.

But now, when Cheng Ke said those two words, besides the conclusion of "old hooligan," he really did not feel anything else. No discomfort, no awkwardness.

Maybe it was because right now he really wanted to kiss Cheng Ke.

It was just that the surroundings did not allow it. The ward was right next door, along with the doctor’s office, and all the windows faced this courtyard.

"Dr. Li said that if we observe you for a while longer, you can be discharged first," Cheng Ke said.

"I can be discharged now," Jiang Yuduo said, looking at him.

"You still have to cooperate," Cheng Ke said. After a pause, he asked softly, a little hesitantly, "Can you still… see them now?"

"Very rarely," Jiang Yuduo said. "I’m on medication. If I do see something, or hear something occasionally, I’m still okay. If I don’t look, I won’t even notice to listen."

"Mm." Cheng Ke sat down beside him.

"Dr. Li said my symptoms are even milder than a lot of other patients, but…" Jiang Yuduo bit his lip and turned to look at Cheng Ke. "Staying under control and being cured are two different things."

"I know." Cheng Ke smiled.

"I may never get better in my life. I might relapse," Jiang Yuduo said. "I’ll still have to keep taking some medicine."

"I know," Cheng Ke said, turning to look at him too. "You don’t need to worry about that. If I were really going to run, I would’ve run the first time you laid a hand on me."

"Dr. Li said I still have a lot of cognitive issues. I have to take it slowly." Jiang Yuduo picked up Miao and covered his face with Miao’s belly.

Miao’s belly was very soft, full of fluffy fine fur, and it felt wonderful pressed against his face.

And maybe because it had just been bathed, Miao smelled like a little ball of powder.

The only problem was that when he took it away, his face ended up covered in fur.

"It’s shedding season again," Cheng Ke said, handing Jiang Yuduo a wet tissue. "But it sheds in winter too. It sheds all year round. Why does it always lose fur?"

"You lose hair without caring about the season either," Jiang Yuduo said as he wiped his face. "It’s just that you don’t have as much hair as it has fur… You’ve been hung up on this for over half a year."

"Have I been hung up on it?" Cheng Ke asked.

"You’ve been hung up enough to talk in your sleep…" Jiang Yuduo smiled.

"…Really?" Cheng Ke froze, then thought about it and smiled too. "You eavesdropped on me talking in my sleep."

"I’ll record it for you when I get the chance," Jiang Yuduo said.

"You…" Cheng Ke suddenly remembered. "Do you still use your phone now? Did you change your number? How did you keep in touch with Sister Luo?"

"Sister Luo came to see me directly, or called Dr. Li’s office," Jiang Yuduo said, rubbing his nose. "I left my phone at home. Didn’t you find it?"

"You left it at home?" Cheng Ke was extremely shocked. "Where?"

"You didn’t even look, did you," Jiang Yuduo said, clearly dissatisfied. "Take your time looking. If you can’t find it, buy me a new one."

"You hid it and I have to buy you a new one if I can’t find it?" Cheng Ke glared at him.

"I didn’t hide it! It’s super easy to find!" Jiang Yuduo glared back. "You just didn’t look, that’s why you can’t find it!"

"Stop bullshitting," Cheng Ke said. "I’ll go look when I get back. I never even thought you’d hide things."

"I didn’t hide it," Jiang Yuduo said, then stared at him for a while longer. "You… when are you going back?"

Cheng Ke understood immediately what Jiang Yuduo meant. "I took a week off. If you want me to come see you, I’ll come every day. If you…"

"Okay." Jiang Yuduo answered quickly before he even finished.

Hospital visiting hours were limited. Cheng Ke stayed with Jiang Yuduo in the little courtyard for a while longer, then had to leave. They agreed on the time for tomorrow’s visit.

"Bring me some food," Jiang Yuduo said. "Snacks, milk tea, stuff like that."

"…Aren’t you not supposed to eat that stuff?" Cheng Ke looked at him. "You want me to sneak it in?"

"I’m not at a weight-loss camp. I’ve always wanted to eat it, I just didn’t have the nerve to keep asking Sister Luo to bring it for me," Jiang Yuduo said. "Now that you’re here, shouldn’t I make good use of you? I’m a patient."

Cheng Ke laughed. "I think you’re doing pretty well now."

"A little better than before, I guess," Jiang Yuduo thought about it, then sighed. "I just don’t know how long it’ll last."

"Don’t think too far ahead. It’s fine as long as things are stable for now," Cheng Ke said. "Nothing can’t be solved."

"Mm." Jiang Yuduo answered, and after a while he smiled again. "You really came to see me."

"Nonsense. I not only came to see you, I also want to come beat you up," Cheng Ke clicked his tongue. "It’s just that the environment isn’t convenient for fighting right now."

"You know you can’t beat me," Jiang Yuduo said.

"Get lost, you can try," Cheng Ke said after thinking it over. "Who do you think I am, Chen Qing?"

Jiang Yuduo looked at him, seeming a little hesitant.

Cheng Ke knew he probably wanted to ask about Chen Qing’s situation.

The two of them had talked for quite a while today, but Jiang Yuduo had never asked about Chen Qing and his little brothers, especially Chen Qing. Maybe he was afraid to.

No matter how strangely Jiang Yuduo defined friendship, Chen Qing was still his most important friend. After being gone for so long, what had happened to Chen Qing, Jiang Yuduo probably had not even dared to imagine.

"Can I tell Chen Qing you’ve got news and you’re traveling or something?" Cheng Ke said. "He’s so anxious he’s almost cried himself dry. Every time he finishes collecting rent, he goes to Lu Xi’s place to cry for a while. Lu Xi won’t even let him go there anymore."

"Bullshit." Jiang Yuduo smiled.

"It’s true," Cheng Ke said. "He’s matured a lot all of a sudden. If you didn’t know better, you’d think he’d just gone through a breakup."

"And Lu Xi…" Jiang Yuduo thought for a moment. "Lu Xi should be fine. She’s very open-minded."

"She’s fine. She just said you’d come back," Cheng Ke said. "She’s even still letting me stay in the house."

"How about…" Jiang Yuduo hesitated for a while. "You tell Chen Qing I went back to my hometown to deal with some old matters. I’ll be back in at most half a month."

Hometown.

Old matters.

Cheng Ke was a little surprised to hear those two things come out of Jiang Yuduo’s mouth. They were the past Jiang Yuduo had always avoided, the past he had desperately wanted to forget.

But really, there was no reason to be surprised. If Jiang Yuduo wanted to move toward the "good" side, the first thing he had to face was his past.

"Mm." Cheng Ke nodded.

"Where is he? Fuck! Where the hell is his hometown?" Chen Qing shouted into the phone, half crying, half yelling. "How the fuck would I know where his hometown is? He never even told me where he was from, and he doesn’t even have an accent when he talks…"

"Anywhere is fine. I’m not asking you to go there. He’ll be back very soon," Cheng Ke sighed.

"Oh." Chen Qing froze.

"No, Qing’er, I always thought you were useless in a fight, that you didn’t deserve the title of Grand Protector," Cheng Ke said. "Looking at it now, was that title of yours actually something you cried your way into with Jiang Yuduo?"

"Don’t think I don’t know how you cry behind people’s backs!" Chen Qing said.

"How do I cry?" Cheng Ke asked.

"How would I know how you cry? Ask me something I know!" Chen Qing shouted.

"…Fine," Cheng Ke sighed. "I’m on a business trip right now, I’ve got things to do, I won’t keep talking."

"What business trip, you’re on a business trip my ass," Chen Qing said. "You think I’m really stupid? You two are together! A business trip, my ass, you’re out traveling together!"

Cheng Ke could not help laughing out loud. After hanging up, he even lay in bed laughing for a long while.

He really had not cried much. He had only cried hard on the day Jiang Yuduo left, and after that he mostly could not cry anymore, like a bottle of water sealed shut. After a long wait, the cap was finally opened, only to find the water had already dried up.

He had not cried much, but it had also been a very long time since he had laughed this happily.

It was hard to say he felt completely relieved, but his heart really had opened up all at once, broad and level as far as the eye could see, with the sun rising at the horizon.

Miao stayed at the hospital. Dr. Li had specially approved it. The next day, when Cheng Ke went over, he was carrying not only the snacks and milk tea Jiang Yuduo wanted, but also a cat carrier, with a bag of cat food and several cans inside.

"Yesterday I fed it steamed buns, and the nurse even gave me some meat paste. It ate it a little disdainfully," Jiang Yuduo said, squatting on the floor and watching Miao eat the canned food. "Is it used to living with you? So picky."

"I’m picky?" Cheng Ke asked.

"Not just picky, you’re also fussy." Jiang Yuduo said.

"I’m not poor," Cheng Ke reminded him.

"Oh right, rich guy," Jiang Yuduo said as he stood up. "How’s your shop going?"

"Everything’s going smoothly, business as usual. It’s pretty good," Cheng Ke said. "When you go back, do you want to stop by and take a look?"

"Mm," Jiang Yuduo nodded. "I still have to… think about what to do later."

"Later?" Cheng Ke looked at him.

"We’ll talk about it then," Jiang Yuduo said, then waved a hand. "I’m only twenty-two."

Cheng Ke smiled without saying anything.

"Did you prepare my birthday present?" Jiang Yuduo suddenly remembered. "You didn’t forget my birthday, did you?"

"Your birthday is hard to forget." Cheng Ke said.

"Then did you prepare something?" Jiang Yuduo pressed.

"I did." Cheng Ke nodded.

"What is it?" Jiang Yuduo kept asking.

"…If I tell you now, won’t there be no surprise?" Cheng Ke sighed.

"I don’t want a surprise," Jiang Yuduo said. "You kind of pampered young masters like surprises."

"That’s why I’m not telling you now," Cheng Ke said. "We pampered young masters have to wait until the gift is actually given before revealing it."

"Hey…" Jiang Yuduo squatted down again and watched Miao eat. A few seconds later, he suddenly looked up. "Cheng Ke!"

"Hm?" Cheng Ke was startled. "What is it?"

"The birthday surprise you’re giving me!" Jiang Yuduo lowered his voice. "Could it be… that?"

"That what?" Cheng Ke looked at him.

"Going to bed?" Jiang Yuduo said. "Tying a bow on yourself…"

"Shut the fuck up!" Cheng Ke could not help yelling under his breath. After he finished, he hurriedly looked around, afraid some doctor or nurse might see and think he was bullying a patient.

"Isn’t there often something like that in novels…" Jiang Yuduo was still trying to say, but Cheng Ke cut him off.

Cheng Ke glared at him. "Jiang Laosan, tell me, exactly how many dirty books and porn clips have you watched?"

"That kind of thing doesn’t have to be in dirty books, normal novels have it too," Jiang Yuduo said.

Looking at his serious, earnest expression, Cheng Ke suddenly had nothing left to say. He sighed. "I wasn’t planning to wait until your birthday to deal with you."

"…Deal with me?" Jiang Yuduo narrowed his eyes. "We’re going in circles again. You can’t beat me."

"Not necessarily," Cheng Ke said, lighting a cigarette. "There are some things that can give me strength."

Cheng Ke extended the one-week observation period by two days. He did not tell Xu Ding, only called the shop to notify Huihui.

When the observation period ended, Dr. Li gave Jiang Yuduo a series of examinations and tests, then agreed to discharge him.

Cheng Ke had originally been considering whether he should take the bus back with Jiang Yuduo, starting from the moment of discharge and helping him appreciate the different scenery along the way.

But after recalling how he had felt when he took the bus over, he decided to postpone this experience tour for the time being.

It was not only because the ride was too long and hard to endure, but also because it was too long, and hard to hold back.

Every day he went to the hospital to keep Jiang Yuduo company for only one or two hours, enough to look but not touch.

He had been watching Jiang Yuduo’s condition all along, but more often than not, what filled his head were not exactly decent thoughts.

So in the end, he still booked a flight directly. After Jiang Yuduo was discharged, he treated Sister Luo to a meal, then took a taxi straight to the airport.

"Did you tell Chen Qing I was leaving today?" Jiang Yuduo asked.

"No," Cheng Ke said. "Once we get off the plane, we’ll take a taxi straight home. If Chen Qing found out, from the second he knew, he’d show up at least for a week except when he was sleeping."

Jiang Yuduo laughed and reached out to grab his hand. "When did your arm get its cast removed?"

"It’s been off for a while. I can’t even remember when," Cheng Ke said after thinking it over. "Going to the hospital alone was a little depressing."

"Have Chen Qing keep you company," Jiang Yuduo said.

"Cut the crap," Cheng Ke said. "You know what I mean."

"Sorry, Cheng Ke," Jiang Yuduo said, leaning close to his ear. "I won’t be like that anymore."

"No need to apologize. I never blamed you anyway," Cheng Ke said.

Though he really had never blamed Jiang Yuduo, his frustration over these past few months had been real too. Now that he was hearing Jiang Yuduo apologize, he was genuinely happy.

"I’ll treat you to dinner when we get back," Jiang Yuduo said.

"No need," Cheng Ke said. "Let’s rest first when we get home. There’s no rush for one meal. I’m not even thinner, am I? Skipping one meal might help me slim down."

"You didn’t get thinner when I wasn’t around, but now that I’m back you’re getting thinner," Jiang Yuduo said. "What’s wrong with you?"

What’s wrong with you.

Nothing was wrong at all.

You’re back, and there’s more exercise now. Of course I’d get thinner.

Cheng Ke pinched the bridge of his nose and controlled the wildly surging imagination in his head.

They were still on the plane, with half an hour left before landing. From the airport to Jiang Yuduo’s home, the taxi ride would take at least an hour. Then there was still the time to pick up Miao after getting off the plane, plus the time spent finding a car. Any delay at all would make it nearly three hours.

If he kept thinking like this for those three hours, he would probably be spiritually exhausted before they even made it home.

He glanced at Jiang Yuduo. Jiang Yuduo was looking at him with his head slightly tilted, smiling at him.

That smile was relaxed and casual, carrying only the joy of a long-awaited reunion, with no shameless thoughts visible for now. That made Cheng Ke feel very guilty.

They had been apart for so long, and after finally seeing each other again, finally going home together, yet all he could think about was indecent stuff.

Maybe even heaven was a bit indecent. In any case, Cheng Ke felt they were still pretty lucky. They flew all the way home in one rush, and it only took two and a half hours.

Jiang Yuduo held his hand the whole way, only letting go once they got inside.

"It’s all sweat now." Jiang Yuduo shook his hand, took Miao out of the carrier, and set out the water and cat food.

"Jiang Yuduo, there’s something I want to tell you first," Cheng Ke said, standing in the middle of the living room. When Jiang Yuduo came over and wrapped his arms around him, he started talking all at once. "From the first day you left, I kept thinking about dealing with you. I thought about it every day, until I couldn’t even count how many days it had been."

Jiang Yuduo turned his head to look at him.

Cheng Ke pushed him away, yanked off his shirt in one motion, then grabbed Jiang Yuduo by the collar and dragged him into the bedroom. "I had nine thousand eight hundred and eighty-one ideas."

Jiang Yuduo was knocked onto the bed by his arm and froze for a long time. "Nine times nine is eighty-one."

"Take off your clothes," Cheng Ke said, kicking off his own pants as he pointed at him. "I don’t have time to count one, two, three with you. Hurry up."

"What are you doing?" Jiang Yuduo sounded shocked, but from his eyes and expression, it was already obvious that he did not need an answer to the question.

"Dealing with you," Cheng Ke said, leaping onto the bed and straddling him as he shouted, "Take off your clothes!"

"Fuck," Jiang Yuduo jumped, then took off his clothes. "You son of a bitch, are you holding in so much you’ve gone crazy?"

"Yes!" Cheng Ke kept shouting. "Pants!"

Jiang Yuduo hurriedly took off his pants too and threw them onto the floor, shouting right back, "Cheng Ke, are you fucking looking to get laid? So arrogant!"

Cheng Ke did not answer. He pounced on him and wrapped him in his arms, kissing him fiercely.

After a flurry of kisses that left no inch untouched, he grabbed Jiang Yuduo’s slightly dazed arm, flipped him over hard, and pinned him face-down on the bed. Then he leaned down against the back of his ear. "Who said they were looking to get laid? I’m the one looking to get laid. Can you do it?"

Jiang Yuduo panted without answering, only turning his head away.

"I’ll teach you right now," Cheng Ke said, biting hard into his shoulder.