Chapter 52

Miao Jiayan had only been back for two hours.

—What's wrong?

Miao Jiayan asked.

He attributed Chen Chao's recent clinginess and petulance to the anxiety of a bedridden patient. Miao Jiayan didn't dislike Chen Chao's current state; he even kind of liked it. This was the most natural and intimate period the two of them had shared since Chen Chao graduated from middle school.

Miao Jiayan smiled and sent another message: Do you need anything?

"Bro, can you even shower? What do you do about going to the bathroom?" his younger cousin asked with concern, unable to hide his amusement.

Chen Chao looked down and replied to Miao Jiayan: I don't want to be fussed over.

"You haven't showered since you fell, have you?" the cousin said, laughing and inching closer to Chen Chao. "Won't you start to stink then?"

Chen Chao had just washed his hair this morning and now smelled of fresh shampoo. Chen Chao reached out, pushed his head away, and ignored him.

"Smells pretty good, actually," the cousin said after a sniff.

In Chen Chao's current condition, showering every day was indeed unrealistic, but it wasn't as if he hadn't washed in days; he had just washed the day before yesterday. Showering required the help of many external objects, like a plastic stool. Chen Chao now had a phobia of plastic stools and felt a pang of fear every time he was about to sit on one.

"Want me to help you wash tonight?" his younger cousin offered, unabashedly enthusiastic.

"No need. Just worry about yourself," Chen Chao said.

—Second Uncle and the others only asked a few questions and then stopped.

Chen Chao shifted his inconveniently immobile leg to make a little more room; his cousin leaning over like that made him feel unsafe. He looked at his phone and replied: They've been asking ever since they got here.

Miao Jiayan tried to think of a solution for him: Why don't you pretend to be asleep?

Chen Chao: I just woke up.

Miao Jiayan could imagine the look on Chen Chao's face as he was being bombarded with concerned questions. He couldn't think of a solution either; no matter who came, they were bound to ask about the father and son's legs. Trying to comfort him, Miao Jiayan sent a default "hug" emoji, but after sending it, he felt it was a bit inappropriate, hesitated, and then retracted it.

The younger cousin had always been more talkative than Chen Chao, and that afternoon, he annoyed Chen Chao until his heart felt numb. The cousin stared at his leg and asked endless questions, until Chen Chao finally said, "Just let me have some peace and quiet."

"Aren't I keeping you company?" the cousin said, his mouth not idle even as he chatted with his girlfriend on WeChat. "Keeping you company with some talk."

"I don't want to talk," Chen Chao said sincerely. "Just stay away from me."

"Bro, why are you so withdrawn? That's not healthy." When the cousin's large, round eyes crinkled into a smile, he was quite handsome. "I'll definitely keep you good company for the next few days."

Chen Chao wasn't buying it. "Hurry up and go home."

The cousin laughed and leaned against him. "Not going back. I'll stay with you."

The apricots in the garden were ripe, so Miao Jiayan got a small ladder and picked a small basinful. He had planted this apricot tree for fun when he was a child and hadn't expected it to actually survive. However, none of them really liked eating apricots, but they could be dried and preserved.

Miao Jiayan didn't hear any message notifications while on the ladder. By the time he finished picking and saw them, almost an hour had passed.

On his phone was a single, lonely message from Chen Chao: The topic still hasn't passed.

Miao Jiayan replied: What about now?

Chen Chao: Now they're tired of laughing.

Miao Jiayan knew Chen Chao must be completely speechless right now, so he asked him: Do you want to eat some apricots?

Chen Chao: No.

The two of them had never made idle chitchat like this over the phone before. In high school, they would occasionally send text messages, but usually only a few words when there was something specific to say. This kind of back-and-forth small talk was a new experience for both of them.

Chen Chao: What are you having for dinner?

Miao Jiayan: Mixed noodles? It's too hot to eat much.

Chen Chao: I'll have that too, then.

Miao Jiayan replied while running water to wash the apricots: Okay.

The two of them would send a message every now and then. Miao Jiayan kept his phone beside him whatever he was doing. It seemed he was a bit more open and livelier from behind a screen than when they spoke face-to-face.

The younger cousin had just started dating his girlfriend and was in the clingy honeymoon phase. The cousin showed Chen Chao a photo, showing off in a low voice, "Isn't Xinxin pretty?"

Chen Chao glanced at it without getting a clear look and gave a perfunctory "Mhm."

"Let me see yours," the cousin said, peeking at his phone.

"See what?" Chen Chao asked.

"Stop pretending. Aren't you chatting with someone too?" The cousin, afraid that his dad and Eldest Uncle talking nearby would hear, lowered his voice. "Let me see."

Chen Chao understood what he meant, put down his phone, and frowned uncomfortably. "It's not that. Don't talk nonsense."

The cousin pouted and went off to the side to continue his own chat.

Chen Chao's school was starting in twenty days, so he definitely had to leave before then. He didn't know how well he would have recovered by then, but no matter what, he couldn't just lie at home forever.

When Miao Jiayan came over to deliver the noodles, Chen Chao was looking at plane tickets. Seeing it was him, he put down his phone and sat up.

The younger cousin greeted Miao Jiayan, asking, "What's good to eat?"

"Mixed noodles. They're a bit plain, you might not like them," Miao Jiayan said with a smile.

He didn't have to go out today, so he was dressed casually at home. He had showered in the afternoon and changed into a loose blue short-sleeved shirt, shorts, and slippers, exuding a fresh and comfortable air.

"I have a classmate who's a fan of yours," the cousin praised him sincerely. "You look really good now."

A straight guy's compliments were always so frank that it saved one the trouble of even feeling embarrassed. With a relationship this familiar, Miao Jiayan didn't need to say thank you either, so he just honestly said, "It's okay."

Chen Chao asked, "Have you eaten?"

Miao Jiayan replied, "I'm not eating tonight. I'm not hungry, so I can't eat."

Second Uncle's family had gone to eat with Grandpa Chen and Grandma Chen, leaving just the three of them in the room again.

Miao Jiayan and Chen Chao had been messaging on WeChat for a good part of the afternoon, but now they had run out of things to say. Miao Jiayan sat on his little stool by the bed watching Chen Chao eat, and Chen Chao would glance at him from time to time.

After he finished eating, Miao Jiayan took the bowl and left. Before leaving, he asked Chen Chao, "I'm leaving now?"

Chen Chao made a sound in his throat as an acknowledgment.

Second Uncle and Second Aunt had work and couldn't stay in their hometown forever. After two days, they left, leaving their son, who was still on summer vacation, behind.

For the cousin, it didn't matter where he stayed, and here he could even help his grandparents take care of the two injured men. With him there, Miao Jiayan suddenly seemed to lose his standing to hang around Chen Chao's bedside every day. The patients weren't even getting out of bed; there was no need for so many people.

Every day, the cousin would flop onto either Chen Chao's or Chen Guangda's bed, either playing games or chatting. He was a rather competent caregiver. If Chen Chao hadn't told him to scram, he would have even helped Chen Chao shower.

Miao Jiayan had a livestream in the afternoon, so he stopped by Chen Chao's place in the morning before heading to the flower shed. Chen Chao had just gotten up and was changing clothes. The ones he had taken off were to the side, and he hadn't put on the new ones yet. The cousin had also just woken up, shirtless and wearing only a pair of baggy shorts he slept in.

When he arrived, the two boys in the room were quite calm; the younger cousin even greeted him.

The most uncomfortable one was Miao Jiayan. He didn't enter the room, but stood at the doorway and said to Chen Chao, "Brother Chao, I'm going to the flower shed."

Chen Chao asked, "How much are you selling today?"

"A lot today. I'm selling them together with Sister Fangfang's, so I don't know if we can sell them all," Miao Jiayan said to him. "I might be back quite late tonight. If it's too late, I won't come over, okay?"

Chen Chao said, "Alright."

"You go do your thing. I'm here." The cousin was extremely enthusiastic as always. "Go sell your flowers. I'll place an order later to support you."

"Have the courier pick it up just to deliver it back here?" Miao Jiayan said. "Don't cause trouble."

"Are you looking down on me? You think I have no one to send them to?" the cousin said smugly. "I'll buy them for Xinxin."

"Then go ahead and buy them," Miao Jiayan said with a laugh. "You can even leave a note saying they're for Xinxin, and I'll cut some roses for her."

Miao Jiayan stood at the door for a while. He had said he was leaving but still lingered, looking at Chen Chao and asking, "Do you want me to help you wash your hair?"

"I can wash it!" the cousin waved him off. "Hurry up and go. Go prepare your flowers. Washing hair... you really have too much free time."

Miao Jiayan: "..."

"Then... alright," Miao Jiayan pursed his lips and could only say, "I'm leaving then."

"Go on, go on," the cousin said. "Good luck."

After Miao Jiayan left, Chen Chao said, "You didn't seem this annoying when you were little."

"Huh?" The cousin pulled on a shirt. "How am I annoying?"

Chen Guangda hadn't been fully awake but was woken up by their conversation. He picked up a medicine box and tossed it at the cousin's back, saying, "You are plenty annoying. Shut your mouth for a bit."

The cousin said, "Alright, alright. You go back to sleep."

Jiang Xun also came for the afternoon livestream. Last time, Miao Jiayan had just been casually streaming on his own to sell two hundred bouquets, but for a formal stream, he needed someone with him. It was inconvenient for him to grab things and post links back and forth while streaming by himself.

Hearing his voice in the livestream, the fans enthusiastically started prompting him.

—Brother Xun, if you don't show up, your man will be gone!

—Reporting, Brother Xun! Last time Yanyan said he likes someone else!

Jiang Xun saw the comments on the public screen. "Oh?" he said. "So something like that happened."

—Yes!!!

—I can testify, he really said it!

—Brother Xun, I don't believe it. The CP I ship can't possibly be fake.

Today they were selling flowers, so he couldn't let the conversation get derailed by this. Jiang Xun said no more and pointed the camera at the flowers.

Chen Chao had the livestream playing as background noise while he read a book.

He had walked to the bathroom by himself that morning, not putting weight on his injured foot. Now, his foot was a little swollen but didn't hurt too much.

Youth really does heal fast, much to Chen Guangda's envy.

"When will your old man be able to get out of bed?" Chen Guangda asked melancholically.

"You've still got a long way to go," Chen Chao said.

"Just buy one bouquet, don't buy too many," Miao Jiayan advised his fans in the livestream. "One bouquet has twelve stems, that's more than enough. Don't be wasteful."

On the public screen, two people said they had bought ten bouquets.

"Ten bouquets is too many... I won't ship ten bouquets," Miao Jiayan said. "Please refund and re-buy. Ten bouquets is very wasteful."

The fans just wanted to buy more from him to let him earn money, but Miao Jiayan was earnestly telling them not to buy too much. Later, he had Jiang Xun set a purchase limit on the link.

"I know you're supporting me, but I'd rather you could truly enjoy these flowers, otherwise it's meaningless." Miao Jiayan held up a wrapped bouquet of mini roses for them to see. "These flowers are so beautiful. If you buy too many, you won't be able to take care of them all. What a waste it would be to buy them just to throw them away."

Over on his side, Chen Guangda heard this and laughed, saying, "The kid is so honest."

Chen Chao glanced at the screen and said, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"It is," Chen Guangda said. "Sincere and down-to-earth."

Chen Chao hummed in agreement, leaving the phone on as background noise as he continued to read his book.