CH 43

TL: Hua

“Hello? Third Master?” Qi Xiaoyu’s voice came from far away through the receiver. It was low and hoarse, as if gently rubbing against his heart. Every tone could make him tremble slightly.

“Yes.” Xun Qian’s whole body relaxed, and the five fingers that had been clenched together slowly relaxed and dropped.

Hearing Xun Qian’s response, Qi Xiaoyu smiled softly, although there was clear tiredness in his voice. “I heard from Mama Li that you found a doctor for me. I want to make a call to thank you.”

Xun Qian leaned back in his chair. Outside, there was the sound of rising waves hitting the rocks. Inside, there was the sound of the puppy sticking out its tongue and panting. From the moment he pressed the answer button, it seemed like everything had just begun to show its true form.

Xun Qian replied, “No need.”

“Woof woof woof.” Probably because it keenly heard the voice of its owner on the other end of the phone, the little black dog anxiously circled the wheelchair twice, then raised its head and barked eagerly at Xun Qian.

On the other end of the phone, Qi Xiaoyu’s attention was immediately drawn away. He coughed and asked, “Huh? Is White-browed Hero next to you? Is it convenient to bring it with you when you have business outside?”

Xun Qian bent down, took the little black dog into his arms, and patted its head comfortingly. “It’s fine.”

After a while, he squeezed the puppy’s front paws seemingly subconsciously and said, “I’ll come back tomorrow to celebrate the New Year.”

“Are you coming back tomorrow?” After Qi Xiaoyu finished speaking, he probably realized something was wrong. This was Xun Qian’s home. Of course, Xun Qian could come back any day he wanted, so he quickly changed his words and said, “Okay, I’ll talk to Mama Li and ask her to buy more vegetables tomorrow.”

“Um.”

Xun Qian hung up the phone and came to the window, holding the puppy.

Fog condensed on the glass, and outside was the endless black sea.

The nights at the end of winter are darker than any other time.

Qi Xiaoyu…is afraid of the dark.

*****

“Third Master, why are you back?”

Mama Li was cooking porridge when she heard the noise outside and hurried out. She saw Butler Cheng push Xun Qian in with the dog in his arms.

Butler Cheng’s expression appeared heavy, but his tone was obviously joyful. “Does the Third Master have to inform you first when he comes back? Where is Mr. Qi? Is he in the room?”

Mama Li nodded quickly. “Yeah, Mr. Qi is resting in the room. I just sent a pot of hot water up. He seems to be sleeping.”

Butler Cheng lowered his voice subconsciously and asked, “Is the fever still severe?”

“Yes, his clothes are all wet. Where’s the doctor? When will he come?”

“I just called and asked. It would take another hour.”

After speaking, Butler Cheng waved to her, “Okay, you can go make porridge. If I don’t call you later, don’t come up again.”

“Okay, okay.” Mama Li poked her head out and watched Xun Qian enter the elevator without a moment’s pause.

Qi Xiaoyu was indeed still asleep.

Under the dim yellow night light, his eyebrows furrowed slightly, his lips parted, his eyelashes trembled, his cheeks sunken, and his hair on his forehead and temples was soaked with sweat.

Seeing him like this, Xun Qian couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. Just an hour ago, he still had the energy to call and thank him.

When the little black dog saw Qi Xiaoyu, it wanted to bark and climb onto the bed, but Xun Qian quickly pushed it into Butler Cheng’s arms.

Butler Cheng understood, immediately picked up the little black dog, closed the door, and went out.

Soon, the only sound left in the room was Qi Xiaoyu’s somewhat stuffy breathing.

Xun Qian pushed the wheelchair to the bedside.

Qi Xiaoyu seemed to be in a nightmare, breathing fast and slow and turning over with difficulty from time to time.

This kind of Qi Xiaoyu made him feel reluctant to leave.

If he was at home, he could have taken him to the hospital yesterday.

He himself just started to get sick and didn’t get treatment in time. The delay got worse and worse, leading to the present situation.

He was already in this state, so he didn’t want Qi Xiaoyu, too, to suffer from this.

Xun Qian lowered his eyes and saw Qi Xiaoyu’s hand hanging over the edge of the bed.

The hand was also red, but the fingers were slender and slightly curved, giving a particularly pitiful and helpless look.

It was obviously just a small piece of hand hanging outside, but Xun Qian couldn’t look away from it.

It was a long, long time before he moved slightly, leaning his body forward halfway.

He seemed to be trying to grab the hand, and then again, just to look at it.

He cautiously wanted to touch the fragile artwork and approached it slowly and lightly, touching the little skin on Qi Xiaoyu’s fingertips.

Piping hot and moist.

It seemed as if he could feel the pulse beating at his fingertips.

He first touched Qi Xiaoyu’s fingertips lightly, then held his fingertips, then moved up little by little, hooked his entire fingers, and finally wrapped his hand in his palm.

Finally, Xun Qian supported his forehead with her right hand, grabbed Qi Xiaoyu’s hand with his left hand, and raised the corners of his mouth in a self-deprecating smile. How childish.

But there is another kind of contentment.

He thought he cared about Qi Xiaoyu a little more than he thought he did.

I don’t want him to get sick.

I don’t want him to get hurt.

I don’t want him to be lonely.

If you are also a lonely person, then let me accompany you for a while.

****

An hour later, Zhang Han accompanied the doctor to Xun’s house.

After the doctor carefully examined Qi Xiaoyu, he concluded that the latter was overworked, coupled with fever and bronchitis caused by repeated colds.

He brought fever-reducing medicine and said that if Qi Xiaoyu was given an injection for three consecutive days, then took the medicine on time and rested in bed for a few days, he would be cured.

Qi Xiaoyu was suffering from a fever and was unconscious, so the fever-reducing drug had to be injected at the hip area.

Xun Qian gave Zhang Han and Butler Cheng a look, and the two immediately turned around and left the room.

When Zhang Han came out, he said, “I thought the third master was interested in a no-name celebrity, but I didn’t expect him to be so serious.”

“Yes,” Butler Chen said as if he were watching his children fall in love. “It’s not easy for someone to accompany him after so many years. In the entertainment industry, you should always look out for Mr. Qi.”

Zhang Han slightly wondered, “If he’s the person that the third master wants, why bother joining the entertainment industry? That place is such a mess, and the work is hard. Every time he goes out to record a show, it takes at least ten days or half a month… Why not let him stay at home and properly accompany the third master to recuperate?”

“This…what you said makes sense, but it depends on what Mr. Qi means.”

Zhang Han was even more curious: “Do we still have to listen to what he wants?”

“Yes,” the butler nodded. “You’ll know later after spending more time here. Things are too much for me to say in a moment right now.”

Zhang Han and Butler Cheng stood in the corridor chatting for a while, then saw the doctor walking out of Qi Xiaoyu’s room carrying a medical kit.

Zhang Han walked over and glanced behind the doctor. “Where is the Third Master?”

The doctor replied, “He’s still in the room. I guess he wants to accompany the patient.”

Zhang Han was even more surprised.

Butler Cheng made a “please” gesture and patted Zhang Han on the shoulder. “Send the doctor back. You don’t have to worry about things here.”

****

The next morning, the late New Year’s Eve sun shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows into Qi Xiaoyu’s room.

The sunlight first shone on Xun Qian’s back and then on Qi Xiaoyu’s quilt.

Qi Xiaoyu raised his hand to block the bright light shining on his face and squinted his eyes.

Then he turned to the side and saw Xun Qian sitting next to his bed.

Xun Qian supported his head with his hands and seemed to be asleep.

He stared at Xun Qian for a while, and a strange feeling arose in his heart. Although it sounds a little pretentious, having someone accompany him when he was sick always felt different.

Qi Xiaoyu opened the quilt and climbed up gently and slowly.

He moved very slowly. Although the fever had subsided after the injection, he still felt sore all over his body, as if he had been run over by a car. He felt muscle soreness just now when he raised my arm.

Xun Qian woke up just as he sat up.

Xun Qian watched him get up from the bed. His face still paled as if he were sick, and he beckoned to him, “Come here.”

Qi Xiaoyu walked over, as he said.

Xun Qian grabbed his hand and squeezed it. “Well, the fever has indeed gone away.”

Qi Xiaoyu was stunned for a moment, feeling that this gesture was a bit overly caring and overly intimate and exceeded the boundaries between him and Xun Qian.

But when he looked at Xun Qian, the other party’s expression was still the same as before: indifferent, as if it were just a matter of course, so casually shaking it.

He asked, “When did you come back?”

He originally wanted to ask, did you come back last night? But Xun Qian replied vaguely, “For a while, I heard from Mama Li that you were sick, so I came to see you.”

Then he said, “Let’s go; push me down to have breakfast.”

Butler Cheng, Mama Li, and the little black dog are all downstairs.

Although the family hadn’t prepared any new-year goods, nowadays, with advanced commerce and convenient express delivery, as long as you have money, anything can be delivered immediately.

Butler Cheng had risen early in the morning to make preparations, and now the red lanterns had been hung at the entrance, and the living room had been piled high with all kinds of food.

Biscuits, chocolates, oranges, apples, and grapes filled the coffee table, and boxes of express delivery were still being delivered to the house.

The little black dog had never seen this battle before, and he was very excited to see so much food.

Hearing the doorbell, it barks frantically. When it saw the food being brought in, it barked again with excitement.

When Butler Cheng was there setting up the plate, it circled around Butler Cheng’s feet, wagging its tail uncontrollably.

When it sees any food, it raises its hind paws, stands up straight, and wants to go up and smell it.

Butler Cheng was so annoyed by it that he kept laughing, “Xiao Hei, don’t make trouble. I bought you some fresh, canned beef. I’ll give it to you when it arrives.”

The little black dog seemed to understand the word “eat” and howled “oooooooooo” even more cheerfully.

Over in the kitchen, the aromas of cooked food were going strong.

Mama Li has been giving her all, starting with breakfast, with noodles and congee, fried eggs, and stewed soup.

It was like she wanted to make breakfast a full banquet.

Just as Qi Xiaoyu pushed Xun Qian out of the elevator, the little black dog heard the sound and caught the familiar smell. When its ears moved, it ran towards them at a sprint speed of 100 meters.

Qi Xiaoyu quickly squatted down, caught the flying little black dog, picked it up, and bounced it into the air like a child.

When Butler Cheng saw them coming down, he also came over with a smile and said, “Why are you up so early? You should sleep a little longer.”

While comforting the overly enthusiastic little black dog, Qi Xiaoyu said a little shyly, “I’m hungry and want to come down for breakfast.”

Butler Cheng laughed out loud. “That’s just right. Mama Li has made a table for breakfast, just waiting for you to eat when you’re hungry.”

Then he said, “You should eat more when you’re sick. Third Master, you should also eat more.”

When Xun Qian and Qi Xiaoyu were having breakfast, sitting opposite each other, the canned beef they bought for the little black dog also arrived.

Two people and one dog gathered around the dining table to have breakfast on another sunny winter day.

Thus, the last day of this year begins in such a harmonious and warm atmosphere.

****

The weather was good on New Year’s Eve. The sun shone on the outdoor lawn, making it a vibrant green.

But Qi Xiaoyu wasn’t well and couldn’t go outside to avoid catching a cold again.

So they stayed indoors throughout the day, sitting on the sofa in the living room and watching Qi Xiaoyu’s variety show.

The show has reached its third episode. The first episode is when they first arrived in New Zealand to run a restaurant; the second episode is when they prepare a birthday party for guests from New Zealand; and the third episode is when they go deep diving together.

After deep diving, the camera caught Qi Xiaoyu leaning against the speedboat with a frown on his face.

In the later stage, a short piece of sad BGM was added, and a pitifully crying emoticon was added to enhance the atmosphere.

The program team didn’t want the scene to be emotional, but rather to be funny. The emoticons used were also adorable.

Xun Qian’s face didn’t look very good. He looked at the TV and asked casually, “Did you get sick before you even went to the sea?”

Qi Xiaoyu didn’t expect that Xun Qian would suddenly become concerned about this, so he felt a bit like a child caught by his parents. “It was fine at the time, not too serious… I didn’t feel anything.”

Xun Qian said nothing.

After a while, the program filmed him falling asleep in the car and being sent to the hospital. Xun Qian suddenly said, “Next time you get sick, don’t record the program.”

Qi Xiaoyu was keenly aware of something slightly wrong in the atmosphere. “Oh, okay.”

****

This subtle atmosphere lasted until dinner time before slowly recovering.

At night, they all gathered to watch the spring festival gala.

After Butler Cheng and Mama Li finished their respective duties, they also went to the living room to watch the show together.

Qi Xiaoyu ran upstairs as soon as he finished eating and didn’t come down until the show started, holding a big paper bag in his hand.

Xun Qian glanced at him and asked, “What are you carrying?”

Qi Xiaoyu smiled mysteriously and said, “You’ll find out later. Let’s watch the show first.”

There was nothing in the program that particularly attracted Xun Qian. He wasn’t very interested in the singing and dancing sketches. His eyes would fall on Qi Xiaoyu’s bag every now and then.

On the other hand, Mama Li and Butler Cheng enjoyed the program a lot and even discussed together, “There are more and more young actors and actresses appearing in the Spring Festival Gala nowadays.”

“Will we be able to see Mr. Qi on TV in two years?”

“Mr. Qi will definitely look better than them if he goes up there.”

Xun Qian folded his hands on his knees, glanced to the side out of the corner of his eye, and thought so as well.

When the program on TV was coming to an end, the twelve o’clock bell finally rang.

In an instant, the sound of fireworks exploding could be heard in the distance, and the windows of the living room were filled with colorful fireworks from far away.

Qi Xiaoyu first took out a red envelope and gift bag from the paper bag and handed them to Butler Cheng. “Uncle Cheng, happy new year.”

Butler Cheng took it with a smile and said, “Thank you, Mr. Qi. Normally, I’m the one who should give it to you1Because it’s customary for elders to give red envelopes to younger people.. You don’t have to spend so much money next time.”

Qi Xiaoyu had a smile on his face. His recovery from the illness made him look particularly sweet and lovely. “Uncle Cheng, you’ve taken such good care of me at home. Now that I finally make money, this is what I should do.”

After saying that, Qi Xiaoyu took out a red envelope and gift bag from the paper bag and said, “Mama Li, happy New Year.”

Mama Li took it with a smile, not as modest as Butler Cheng. She just said thank-you repeatedly.

In December, Xun Qian will pay double wages to all the servants in the family. When they come to work next year, Butler Cheng will also give them red envelopes.

But since New Year’s Eve isn’t usually celebrated, the family isn’t in the habit of giving out New Year’s Eve red envelopes.

When suddenly receiving a new year’s red envelope and a thick one at that, Mama Li is naturally very happy.

She had thought that this year it would be her turn to keep such a big villa all to herself for New Year’s Eve, deserted and cold. But this year turned out to be unexpectedly lively, and she even received such a big red envelope!

Xun Qian’s eyes followed Qi Xiaoyu’s hands until those hands finally turned to him.

“Third Master, this is a New Year’s gift for you. I wish you a happy New Year and peace every year.”

Xun Qian took the red envelope and gift bag from Qi Xiaoyu. Inside was a gray wool scarf.

This is not an expensive gift, not even valuable to Xun Qian, but the last time he received a New Year’s gift was when he was six years old. After that, the family didn’t celebrate the New Year anymore, and even more so, no one dared to give Xun Qian a gift. After all, facing Xun Qian, no one felt their gifts were worthy.

Xun Qian accepted the gift and looked up at Qi Xiaoyu, who was also looking at him.

Xun Qian said softly, with a smile as light as a gossamer, “Happy New Year.”

Another firework rose high and exploded outside the window.

****

After the New Year, just after the seventh day of the lunar month, Qi Xiaoyu had to fly to New Zealand again to record the program. This time the recording time is two weeks.

After resting at home for a few days, Qi Xiaoyu’s body has almost completely recovered.

Under Mama Li and Butler Cheng’s supervision, he even gained a little weight, and the look on his face became more energetic and brilliant.

Xun Qian sent a driver to take Qi Xiaoyu to the airport. “It’s not convenient to park the car outside… Ask the driver to pick you up when you come back.”

Going back and forth to the parking lot to pick up the car is really not as convenient as having someone pick you up. “Thank you, Third Master.”

Xun Qian thought about it for a moment, looked at Qi Xiaoyu, who was about to get in the car, and added, “If you encounter something on the program set… you can call me and let me know.”