CH 83

Chapter 83

On the third day of becoming Jiang Xu’s legitimate spouse abroad, Shen Fangyu returned to China and called Li Yalei, hoping to get a box of Mao-tai liquor from him at a 20% discount.

Li Yalei listened to Shen Fangyu’s explanation of the liquor’s purpose over the phone, and was momentarily stunned before cursing, “You married my white moonlight and you still have the nerve to ask me to help you buy liquor. Shen Fangyu, you’re a really a good brother.”

“What’s the big deal,” Shen Fangyu heard a familiar voice from Li Yalei’s phone, “He proposed with the yacht I lent him.”

Shen Fangyu casually joked, “How did you two end up together?”

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and then Li Yalei hung up directly.

Shen Fangyu looked at his phone with a subtle expression, and after a while, he received a message from Li Yalei: “No need for a 20% discount, I’ll give you 50% off.”

“I’m not being loyal to you, I’m just afraid that Jiang Xu will be treated unfairly if you run out of money.”

Shen Fangyu lowered his head and chuckled, then entered the luxury goods store on the first floor of the mall. He carefully selected two ladies’ handbags and made a phone call as he walked out of the mall. A slightly puzzled female voice came from the other end, “Who is this?”

“Miss Yang,” Shen Fangyu said to her, “I’m Shen Fangyu, Jiang Xu’s colleague.”

————-

Jiang Xu glanced at his phone, it was already midnight and Shen Fangyu hadn’t come back yet.

When they got off work, Shen Fangyu said he had something to do and asked Jiang Xu to go home early and rest without waiting for him.

Due to pregnancy fatigue, Jiang Xu had been sleeping early recently, but for some reason, he was slightly insomniac tonight.

Shen Fangyu had voluntarily linked his salary card to his phone before. During this period, he kept receiving notifications of large expenses every once in a while. If it wasn’t for knowing that Shen Fangyu wouldn’t do anything reckless, Jiang Xu would have suspected that he was involved in some shady business outside.

While he was lost in thought, the sound outside the door suddenly caught Jiang Xu’s attention.

Insomniacs are particularly sensitive to sounds. With his eyes closed, even if Shen Fangyu moved lightly, Jiang Xu could still hear him enter the door, change into slippers, and search for something in the living room. Then, it seemed like he went to the bathroom.

However, there was no sound of the shower even after a long time.

The soundproofing of the bathroom door wasn’t bad, but if Shen Fangyu was taking a bath, it shouldn’t be completely silent.

Jiang Xu sat up from the bed with some concern and put on his coat before walking out.

The living room was dark, with only the frosted glass of the bathroom door showing some light.

As soon as he approached the bathroom, Jiang Xu smelled the heavy, pungent smell of alcohol.

He knocked on the door a few times, but there was no response from inside. He reached out and pushed open the bathroom door, only to see Shen Fangyu vomiting in front of the toilet.

“Why did you drink so much?” Jiang Xu furrowed his brows.

If the last time he drank wine was just a casual drink, this time it was definitely considered heavy drinking.

Jiang Xu turned around to prepare to check the medicine cabinet, but Shen Fangyu’s hand suddenly reached out and gently held him.

“I’m not drunk,” Shen Fangyu’s mind was still clear. He threw the tongue depressor he was holding into the trash can and explained to Jiang Xu, “Drinking too much and not vomiting hurts the stomach. You don’t need to bother, I took anti-alcohol medication before drinking.”

He let go of Jiang Xu’s hand, cleaned up the toilet and stood up slowly. Then he turned on the tap of the sink, splashed his face with gushing water, and rinsed his mouth while saying to Jiang Xu, “I took time off for you. Five months in total, three months before childbirth and two months after childbirth. Is that okay with you?”

Jiang Xu was stunned, looking at Shen Fangyu with a dazed expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Shen Fangyu dried his hands, smiled, and pinched Jiang Xu’s face. “We agreed to do this, remember?”

“Did you drink because of my matter?”

“It’s not ‘your’ matter, it’s ‘our’ matters,” Shen Fangyu pushed him out of the bathroom. “I’ll tell you later, let me take a shower first. White wine doesn’t smell good, I don’t want it to irritate you and Xiaoxiao.”

The door In front of him was closed, and the sound of water could be heard from the bathroom. Jiang Xu stood at the door for a while, then went to the refrigerator and got a small jar of honey from the corner.

It was sent by his mother not long ago, saying it was very natural honey from the mountains but it had to be soaked in warm water. It couldn’t be taken when it’s too cold or too hot.

Jiang Xu found it troublesome, so he had never taken it before.

But now he didn’t find it troublesome. He boiled water in the electric kettle, searched online for the temperature for brewing honey water, and used Shen Fangyu’s measuring cylinder to carefully measure and mix the honey water for a while before finally brewing a cup of honey water with the right temperature.

When Shen Fangyu finished taking a shower and came out, Jiang Xu was still fiddling with it. Shen Fangyu stood behind him with his hands crossed and watched for a long time before Jiang Xu realized someone was behind him.

“The madam has started going into the kitchen,” Shen Fangyu teased, “is this a fairy coming to the mortal world, or is the sun rising from the west?”

Jiang Xu clicked his tongue and said, “Hurry up and drink it, why do you talk so much?”

He handed the honey water to Shen Fangyu without expression, then turned and walked back to the bedroom.

When Shen Fangyu entered the bedroom, he could hardly smell any alcohol on his body. He probably drank half a bottle of mouthwash, and his breath smelled of ice mint.

He sprayed some perfume on himself again before lying down next to Jiang Xu.

“I told you to sleep first, why aren’t you sleeping?” Shen Fangyu kissed his cheek.

Jiang Xu didn’t respond to his words and said, “Let’s talk about the leave of absence first.”

“Alright,” Shen Fangyu leaned his head on his shoulder, speaking slowly as if telling a story, “After you told me about Yang Rui and Huang Bin last time, I saved Yang Rui’s phone number, took her out for a meal and gave her a bag. She remembered our kindness and promised to invite Miss Cao to have a meal together.”

“Miss Cao refused to accept the bag, saying that she was already grateful for helping her friend and didn’t want to trouble us. So I used her connection to invite President Cao at Xianju for a meal, and gave him a box of Mao-tai liquor, while also mentioning the matter of taking leave.”

“These past two days, he contacted me and hinted that things are progressing well, and it’s likely that it will work out. So I invited him to another meal, and we drank until we were half dead. I almost praised him as a contemporary Bo Le and Hua Tuo before the old fox finally agreed.” Shen Fangyu said as he pinched his brow.

Jiang Xu asked him, “Is there anything else?”

Although President Cao wasn’t a completely incorruptible person, it wasn’t easy to convince him to grant such a long leave with just a box of liquor and flattery.

Seeing Jiang Xu’s skeptical look, Shen Fangyu curved his lips, “As expected of Professor Jiang, so clever.”

He sat up and took out a few documents from the bag on the bedside table, handing them to Jiang Xu.

“I told President Cao that we came into contact with the patient mentioned by Dr. Kenn and are planning to perform surgery on him.” Shen Fangyu said, “I also said that this case is complicated and that you need to focus your attention on tracking and observing the patient’s condition, recording various data throughout the pregnancy to reduce the risk of surgery.”

“President Cao is not an obstetrician and gynecologist, so he’s not very clear about our diagnosis and treatment methods for obstetric patients. But he was genuinely concerned about this case, and after I sweet-talked him a bit and made some promises, he agreed.”

“You’ll mainly be responsible for supervising students during this period, and you can work online for other tasks, oh… also, President Cao has assigned you some online consultation tasks.”

Nowadays, there is a lot of misleading medical information online, so most tertiary hospitals have been assigned tasks that require doctors to answer patients’ questions online with certain quotas.

“And there’s one thing you need to prepare for,” Shen Fangyu said, “In the next few months, your surgical fees, night shift fees, outpatient fees, and various subsidies will definitely be gone, and your annual bonus will probably be deducted.”

Jiang Xu had already thought of this. The hospital wasn’t a charity organization, and they wouldn’t pay him for nothing.

But with these wages deducted, Jiang Xu would only receive a meager amount of money.

Shen Fangyu was afraid that Jiang Xu might be in a bad mood, so he teased him a few times, “They say that babies are like little beasts that swallow gold. Our baby hasn’t even been born yet and has already started swallowing. When she grows up, who knows how much more she’ll swallow.”

Jiang Xu wasn’t unhappy at all. He flipped through the documents Shen Fangyu had handed to him, and his fingertips paused, “Why is there a confidentiality agreement?”

“I requested that the entire surgical process be kept confidential, and the patient’s privacy must also be ensured,” explained Shen Fangyu.

“President Cao said that the higher-ups also have the same opinion. If this surgery is successful, everyone will be happy. But if there are problems, with Dr. Albert and the precedent of S country, and Dr. Kenn being aggressive, the country needs to keep this a secret before the surgery is successful. If it leaks out and draws too much attention, the consequences of failure would be severe.”

Jiang Xu listened halfway and jokingly said, “It’s a bit like making an atomic bomb in the past.”

Shen Fangyu chuckled, “Indeed, but the difficulty level of what we’re doing is much lower than making an atomic bomb.” He touched Jiang Xu’s stomach and said, “Our country was able to successfully make atomic bombs before, and now you can safely give birth to our baby.”

Perhaps realizing that she was being mentioned, the baby inside Jiang Xu’s stomach moved slightly, and Shen Fangyu extended his hand to touch her. “Little atomic bomb, grow up well.”

Jiang Xu also put his hand, and Shen Fangyu wrapped his other hand around his back, resting his chin on Jiang Xu’s neck. “President Cao said that during this period, some people from higher authorities may contact us. I wanted to let you know in advance so you can be mentally prepared.”

“Okay.”

“Also, President Cao has arranged a highly confidential operating room for us through a special channel. It’s located in the suburbs of A city and is fully equipped. When the surgical team is ready, we can go and take a look.”

“He said we can recommend the members of the rescue team and the medical staff who will be directly involved in the surgery. I have made a list with acquaintances whom I know well in terms of their skills, and I have confirmed that they do not know you. They will be required to sign confidentiality agreements by the authorities at that time, so they should be trustworthy.”

“You will be wearing a ventilator, oxygen mask etc during the surgery, so they are unlikely to remember your appearance. If you’re worried, we can also pull a curtain.”

“The incident of Mr. Baker’s privacy leak caused a big uproar in S country, and it’s been said that the government officials involved have also been severely punished. The assistants who will participate in the surgery won’t seek to verify your identity. They just want to document the surgical process with videos…”

“I am mentally prepared for that.”

Shen Fangyu made a sound of agreement and comforted, “Think of it positively. When Xiaoxiao grows up, we can show her the videos and tell her that this is how she was born.”

Jiang Xu nodded, “She should learn relevant knowledge, and we can give her the thesis to read when the time comes.”

Shen Fangyu: “…”

There’s no need for that.

He mourned for the unborn Xiaoxiao for a brief moment, then suddenly remembered something, “By the way, have you seen Mr. Baker’s interviews?”

“I have.”

The gimmick of ‘domineering CEO having a child for love’ is the same in any country. Mr. Baker was chased by reporters multiple times, and even many S country media went directly to his company. He was so angry that he publicly sued the media and government officials who leaked his private identity.

In the last interview he reluctantly accepted before the appeal, Mr. Baker, who was distressed, said to the media, “Men giving birth is very dangerous, but there are also many risks for women giving birth, such as advanced age, illness, life stress, and fatigue from work.”

“Even before my wife had her uterus removed, her health was not good, but she was willing to take the risk to conceive our child, just like me.”

“In fact, I have only done what many women in the world are willing to do and have done. I don’t think it’s worth the sensational reporting you are doing.”

Mr. Baker sarcastically said with a gloomy face, “If you think this is worth mentioning, you might as well go interview your mother.”

The reporters’ face turned green and white from being scolded, and after an awkward pause, he blurted out, “If you could choose again, would you still want this set of organs that brought you shame?”

Mr. Baker, who had walked the line between life and death, did not hesitate at all. Upon hearing this question, even the domineering demeanor disappeared in anger, and he said angrily, “I am lucky to have the opportunity to conceive the fruit of our love. I never felt it was my shame.”

After asking this question, the reporter from this media was directly kicked out by Mr. Baker, and as a result, Mr. Baker no longer allowed anyone to interview him and sued all the media that tried to chase him.

However, this small newspaper in Country S gained a lot of attention with Mr. Baker’s sharp response, and the interview even spread to the domestic news, causing a small discussion in Jihua Obstetrics and Gynecology, making Mr. Baker a perfect man in the eyes of many medical staff.

Seeing other people’s good husbands, it’s inevitable to make comparisons.

It was said that even Senior Brother Wu Rui’s pregnant wife heard about this and asked him if he would be willing to give birth for her if he could, and Wu Rui was troubled as he discussed this matter with everyone in the department.

Zhong Lan, who was quick-witted, asked, “So, are you willing or not?”

Wu Rui remained silent for a long time and said frankly, “I don’t have a uterus, and she wouldn’t really want me to give birth. I know she would be happy if I lied to her and said I was willing, but…I don’t want to deceive her.”

Wu Rui was not a love expert, but he was honest and sincere enough.

“I’m an old a man, even if I really had a uterus, I wouldn’t give birth. Don’t just blame me, ask your boyfriend, it’s the same for him.”

He didn’t know Zhong Lan’s sexual orientation, but after hearing this, Zhong Lan gave a meaningful look and said after a long pause, “You men, huh…”

“If you could choose once, as a male, would you want this set of organs?”

This question, accompanied by Mr. Baker’s incident, has caused a heated discussion in Country Z.

Shen Fangyu helped Jiang Xuyi tuck in the blanket, propping his head up with one hand, and looked down at him with emotion, saying, “In fact, Senior Brother Wu’s thinking is more normal, and Mr. Baker’s ideological realm is indeed quite high.”

He said, “However… if there were a choice, I hope you wouldn’t have to go through this.”

Jiang Xu looked up at him, and the latter touched his lips lightly. “Instead of having our child, I would rather see you healthy and safe, without having to endure this pain and pressure.”

Jiang Xu remained silent for a moment, lowered his eyes, and gently placed his hand on his stomach.

“If I survive, my answer to this question would probably be…”

He whispered, “Yes.”

Facing Shen Fangyu’s obvious surprise, Jiang Xu sighed. “Maybe the hormones are affecting me,” he played with the tip of the pillow, a trace of helplessness in his eyes, as if he couldn’t fully understand himself. “Sometimes… irrational thoughts come to my mind.”

“Maybe in a few years, I would think that the decision I made and the words I said now weren’t so wise.”

And if he could go back more than ten years and tell the Jiang Xu of that time that he would marry Shen Fangyu after ten years and have a child with him, he would probably punch himself directly and think he was crazy.

“But at least for now,” Jiang Xu said, “I am guarded by love.”

His fingers traced Xiaoxiao’s bump through the fabric. “I love her very much, and she is the beginning of our fate.”

The “calculating” cub, in order to ensure its survival, will drive its carrier to secrete various hormones, which will change the structure of the carrier’s brain, further affecting cognition.

This is the essence of maternal love and the true reason behind the saying “pregnancy brain” for three years.

Jiang Xu was a very calm person, but he was not a saint.

He can be soft-hearted, have someone he likes, be impulsive because of emotions, rely on his lover, and show a side of himself that even he didn’t fully understand because of love.

The Doctor Jiang who didn’t have love would think that being influenced by love in his decision-making was irrational.

In his eyes, talking about “love” with a smiling expression was something exclusive to young girls.

But when he really experienced it, he realized that occasionally having the chance to have a brief moment of “love brain” is also sweet.

From a scientific perspective, humans will eventually succumb to hormones.

And from a humanistic perspective, it’s just like the line from the play “The Peony Pavilion” — “Love knows not where it starts, but it goes deep once it does.”

Shen Fangyu looked at him for a long time without knowing what to say. In the end, he hugged Jiang Xu and said, “If I could choose, I hope the one who gets pregnant is me. I’m not just comforting you… It’s my sincere thought.”

“I promise you,” he said, “love will protect you for a lifetime.”