BPTCMW : Chapter 20

 

The rain had already begun to fall.

 

Xia Yang took large strides towards Grandma, wanting to pull her behind him, but it was too late.

 

The large Norwegian Forest Cat, like a black whirlwind, swept past Mrs. Tang’s head, its powerful impact catching the elderly woman off guard and causing her to stumble and fall down the stone steps…

 

“Grandma!” Xia Yang heard the dull thud as she hit the steps, feeling his heart sink.

 

The large cat jumped into the back of the hill, disappearing from sight. Xia Yang rushed down the steps and saw Mrs. Tang lying motionless on a platform halfway down the hill.

 

“Grandma!” he shouted again, receiving no response. He squatted down to check her breathing; it was warm and steady.

 

There was a scratch on her forehead, but no other visible injuries. She must have hit her head and lost consciousness.

 

The housemaids gathered around, their faces pale with fear.

 

“Don’t just stand there! Call an ambulance! Quickly!” Xia Yang shouted. “Someone help me carry Grandma onto my back!”

 

One maid, hands trembling, pulled out her phone to call 120. The others rushed over but hesitated at the sight of his slight frame.

 

“Young Master Xia, can you manage?”

 

“Stop talking and hurry!”

 

The maids complied, carefully placing the elderly woman onto his slender back.

 

Mrs. Tang wasn’t a frail old lady, and the sudden weight made Xia Yang’s knees buckle slightly.

 

The rain intensified, large drops hitting his head and shoulders, soaking his hair and trickling down his neck, mixing with sweat and dripping to the ground.

 

From the scenic hill to the manor gate, Xia Yang felt it was the most arduous journey of his two lifetimes.

 

Finally reaching the gate, he could faintly hear the ambulance siren. Just then, a figure suddenly emerged from somewhere, blocking his path.

 

“What did you do to Grandma! She was fine when she left with you!” Jin Yang’s eyes bulged with rage, pointing at Xia Yang and shouting.

 

Xia Yang had no time to battle with him. He wiped his face, flicked the water off his forehead, and snapped, “Move.”

 

Jin Yang grabbed his arm. “Stop! I’m going to tell my brother you—”

 

“I said move!” Xia Yang interrupted angrily, shoving him aside and striding towards the ambulance with Grandma on his back.

 

* * *

 

Early the next morning, at a high-end private hospital, Han Yi appeared in the VIP ward before 7 AM.

 

He had flown back overnight from Country D upon hearing the news. Arriving early in the morning, he went straight to the hospital without even having breakfast.

 

The room was quiet. Mrs. Tang lay with her eyes closed on the bed, the screens of two monitoring devices showing stable indicators.

 

On the other side of the bed, Xia Yang was sleeping in his clothes on a small leather sofa, using a throw pillow as a makeshift pillow. The room’s air conditioning was set low, so he hugged himself, his legs slightly curled, like a cat trying to keep warm.

 

Han Yi glanced at the sofa and asked the nurse, “Isn’t there an extra room?”

 

“Yes, Mr. Han,” the nurse explained, “the family reception room next door has a double bed and a small kitchen, but this gentleman insisted on staying here to watch over Mrs. Tang.”

 

Han Yi said nothing more, grabbing the air conditioning remote to raise the temperature a few degrees.

 

Soon, the attending physician arrived and thoroughly explained Mrs. Tang’s condition to him. A scratch on her forehead, a mild concussion, and a sprained right ankle.

 

Overall, it wasn’t serious, but she would need some time to recover.

 

Han Yi nodded. “When will she wake up?”

 

“It’s uncertain, but it should be soon. It’s normal for an elderly person to sleep for over ten hours after a head injury. There’s no need to worry too much, Mr. Han.”

 

“Okay.” After the doctor left, Han Yi returned to the bed and pulled the blanket up over Mrs. Tang.

 

He heard a slight noise behind him and glanced back to see Xia Yang shifting from his side to lie flat on his back.

 

The young man’s long eyelashes lay quietly on his cheeks, his pale pink lips lightly pursed, presenting a beautiful sleeping face.

 

Han Yi’s gaze lingered on his face for a moment, then he noticed a small patch of gray near Xia Yang’s collarbone.

 

It looked like dirt or some kind of stain.

 

It wasn’t noticeable at first, but now that he saw it, it seemed glaring, like an immaculate sheet of paper marred by an inexplicable smudge.

 

He hesitated, then turned away, grabbing two tissues from the cabinet to wipe away the stain.

 

However, just as his fingers touched Xia Yang’s collarbone, the young man opened his eyes.

 

Han Yi: “…”

 

Xia Yang: “?”

 

The air froze.

 

Xia Yang rubbed his eyes and sat up quickly from the small sofa. “Han Yi? You’re back?”

 

The unexpected appearance of his husband shocked him for a few seconds. The next moment, his gaze fixed on the man’s oddly positioned right hand.

 

Even more oddly, that hand held a wad of tissue.

 

Xia Yang: “…”

 

Xia Yang: “???”

 

His expression suddenly became complicated.

 

Geez, did the big ice block change his personality after a business trip?

 

But the timing… was clearly not ideal!

 

“You…” he hid his shock, glancing at the hospital bed. “Grandma isn’t awake yet, and you’re thinking about that? Isn’t it a bit inappropriate?”

 

Han Yi: “…”

 

Han Yi: “…”

 

He knew this person’s mind worked in strange ways but hadn’t expected it to be this strange.

 

It was as if his brain was a pot of Yunnan mushrooms: chaotic and toxic.

 

“…You have a spot of dirt on your neck.” He balled up the tissue and tossed it into the trash, striving to maintain his composure.

 

Xia Yang blinked, grabbing a small mirror from the cabinet. Indeed, he saw the dirty spot on his neck.

 

It must have happened while carrying Grandma.

 

Thinking about his earlier inappropriate assumptions, his ears started to burn.

 

“Sorry, I’m awake but my brain isn’t,” he said with an embarrassed grin, quickly changing the subject to cover the awkwardness.

 

“You came back early for Grandma, right? She had a check-up last night; it’s nothing serious.”

 

“The doctor has already told me,” Han Yi replied, following his lead. “You carried her here.”

 

“Yes,” Xia Yang nodded, waving his arm nonchalantly. “I know what you’re going to say. No need to thank me, or compensate me.”

 

Han Yi: “.”

 

Just then, Mrs. Tang stirred and hoarsely asked for water.

 

Xia Yang leapt to the bedside. “Grandma, you’re awake!” He carefully helped her up, and Han Yi poured a cup of warm water, helping her drink it.

 

After drinking, Mrs. Tang lay back on the bed for a while. Soon, the attending doctor arrived, indicating that the patient needed some further examinations, and several nurses wheeled her to the examination room.

 

Family members weren’t allowed in the examination room, so the two men waited in the ward. Xia Yang sat beside Han Yi, handing him a cup of goji berry tea.

 

“You… don’t have any questions for me? Like how Grandma fell, if it was my fault?”

 

That brat Jin Yang had threatened to tell on him and would definitely blame the cat incident on him.

 

“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll tell you everything…”

 

“No,” Han Yi said calmly. “I have no questions.”

 

“You trust me that much,” Xia Yang was a bit taken aback, “Jin Yang… didn’t say anything to you?”

 

“He did,” Han Yi replied indifferently.

 

Xia Yang was about to ask more when there was a knock on the door.

 

He got up to open it and saw Mrs. Tang’s housekeeper standing there, holding a phone with a video call on the screen.

 

“Sir, your video call…” The housekeeper respectfully handed over the phone.

 

Xia Yang leaned in and saw a familiar figure in the small video window.

 

It was Jin Yang!

 

At this moment, he was kneeling, head down, softly crying.

 

People were gathered around, pointing at him.

 

“Sir,” the housekeeper said again, “Young Master Jin Yang has been kneeling at the hospital entrance for a long time.”

 

Xia Yang’s eyes widened, looking at Han Yi. This was a satisfying plot twist!

 

Han Yi didn’t look at him nor spoke, his face expressionless as usual.

 

An idea flashed through Xia Yang’s mind. He crouched close to the phone but kept himself hidden from Jin Yang.

 

Then, lowering his voice to imitate Han Yi’s deep tone, he said into the microphone, “Does he know his mistake?”

 

The housekeeper: “…”

 

Han Yi: “…”

 

Jin Yang shuffled forward on his knees, covering his face and sobbing. “I know my mistake, Brother. I’ll never do it again!”

 

Pfft!

 

Xia Yang struggled to hold back his laughter, barely stopping himself from snorting.

 

Han Yi glanced at him and told the housekeeper, “Get Jin Yang out of here. Don’t let him embarrass himself.”

 

“Yes, sir. I’ll do it right away.”

 

Once the housekeeper left, Xia Yang finally let himself go, laughing so hard his shoulders shook and tears streamed down his face.

 

He laughed so hard he could hardly breathe, then touched Han Yi’s arm. “What did you say to Jin Yang to scare him so badly?”

 

Kneeling in public, losing all dignity. If it were him, he would’ve died of embarrassment a hundred times over.

 

Han Yi pursed his lips. “I didn’t say anything. I just hung up on his call.”

 

Xia Yang: “…”

 

Impressive.

 

He didn’t know whether to laugh at Jin Yang’s foolishness or admire Han Yi’s silent authority.

 

In any case, this husband was worth keeping. With a wise wife and staying away from petty people, their family would prosper!

 

* * *

 

The results of Mrs. Tang’s examinations came out at noon. Apart from a mild concussion, a scratch on her forehead, and a sprained right ankle, everything else was normal.

 

“We suggest Mrs. Tang stay in the hospital for a week for observation and recovery. If any issues arise during this period, we can handle them promptly,” the doctor recommended.

 

“No need. There won’t be any issues,” Mrs. Tang, feeling much better, waved her hand and declined. “It’s just a minor injury. I’ll recover better at home. Hospitals are full of negative energy, and there might be ghosts at night.”

 

The doctor: “…”

 

Everyone else: “…”

 

Xia Yang smiled, taking her hand. He didn’t believe in the superstitions of a wealthy lady; she probably just didn’t want to stay in the hospital.

 

“Grandma, how about this,” he suggested, tilting his head, “even though it’s a minor injury, you still need proper care. How about you stay with Brother Xiao Yi and me for a while, and we’ll take care of you?”

 

He glanced at Han Yi out of the corner of his eye.

 

Mrs. Tang hesitated. “Isn’t that too much trouble for you two?”

 

“Not at all!” “Not at all.” Han Yi and Xia Yang spoke in unison.

 

They were surprisingly in sync, thinking alike.

 

Seeing their united front, Mrs. Tang didn’t refuse further. “Alright then, I’ll go with you.”

 

The next morning, Fang Ming completed the discharge procedures, and the two took Grandma back to the South City villa.

 

No one spoke in the car. Xia Yang lowered his head and secretly sent messages to Han Yi.

 

[Yang]: After Grandma comes over, won’t our little secret of sleeping in separate beds be exposed?

 

[Yang]: Should we add some “bed scenes”? Consider it, my dear client…

 

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Author’s Note:

Xia Yang: Adding bed scenes comes at an extra cost~

 

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