TBSDRA 22: It’s True, He Really Does Hate Him

Xu Xishuang realized his attempt to drive Yan Yushan away had been a little too obvious. He pressed his lips together and watched as Yan Yushan headed upstairs to change clothes.

As Yan Yushan’s figure disappeared around the staircase landing, Xiao Wang came out of the kitchen. He was a little afraid of Yan Yushan now—not that he could explain exactly why. Maybe it was because of the way Yan Yushan had looked at him the other night when they talked about the contract. It was a look that said if he dared to leak anything, Yan Yushan might just kill him.

He had overheard part of Xu Xishuang and Yan Yushan’s conversation from the kitchen and now understood they were staying in Yan Yushan’s house. He didn’t dare act as confidently as Xu Xishuang. Instead, he asked a bit timidly, “Director Yan—no, Best Actor Yan, have you eaten?”

“Haven’t asked,” Xu Xishuang said, tossing the bloodied tissue into the trash. “It’s almost two in the afternoon. He probably has, right?”

Just then, Yan Yushan came down the stairs in casual clothes, catching Xu Xishuang’s comment mid-sentence. He answered naturally, “Not yet.”

“I’ll cook! I’ll cook!” Xiao Wang immediately offered. “Yan-ge, what do you want to eat?”

Xu Xishuang: …He was calling him ‘Best Actor Yan’ just a second ago. Now it’s ‘Yan-ge’?

Xiao Wang, you thick-browed traitor—how could you switch sides so fast?

“Anything is fine. I’m not picky,” Yan Yushan replied. “Just a bowl of noodles will do.”

Xiao Wang turned and went back to the kitchen. Xu Xishuang met Yan Yushan’s eyes for a second, expecting him to sit back down and start another conversation. He was already thinking about how to avoid an awkward silence but Yan Yushan changed direction and walked straight toward the small garden outside.

Xu Xishuang blinked. He watched Yan Yushan pick up the watering can, then quickly turned his head the moment Yan Yushan glanced back. He grabbed the remote from the coffee table and turned the TV back on.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yan Yushan’s back as he watered the plants—seemingly on the phone with someone. Xu Xishuang silently shifted his gaze and began watching a rerun of the historical drama.

In the garden, Yan Yushan was on the phone with Dr. Xu. Even though Xu Xishuang had said he was fine, Yan Yushan still didn’t feel at ease. He needed to check if there was anything important to keep in mind.

Dr. Xu wasn’t taking patients at the moment, so he picked up quickly—perhaps out of professional courtesy, or maybe because of Yan Yushan’s status as the benefactor. His voice was calm. “Mr. Yan, is there something you need?”

“I want to ask about Xu Xishuang’s coughing blood,” Yan Yushan said quietly.

“Oh, that,” Dr. Xu replied, “It’s an extremely rare condition—might even be the only recorded case worldwide. It could potentially be named after Xu Xishuang… Ahem. Anyway, based on all the literature I’ve reviewed, there hasn’t been anything quite like it and as of now, there’s no treatment.”

Yan Yushan’s hand paused mid-pour.

The flower water enriched with trace minerals dripped down from the leaves, soaking into the soil, but it wasn’t long before the excess began to overflow from the surface of the soil.

Yan Yushan felt his heart grow colder bit by bit. He couldn’t understand why, after Xu Xishuang had told him about the pregnancy, he would still hide something this serious.

He tightened his grip on the watering can and frowned. “Is it really that bad? There’s truly no way to treat it?”

Back when Xu Xishuang had revealed his pregnancy, they had called Dr. Xu together, and Xu Xishuang had told him to disclose everything to Yan Yushan. So now, Dr. Xu assumed the same applied to the coughing blood and spoke freely.

“It’s not life-threatening—at least, not inherently. It’s tied to how frail Xu Xishuang’s body is. I believe it’s not the illness that caused his frailty, but his frailty that triggered the illness. If his overall health improves, the symptoms may go away on their own.”

“Of course, that’s the ideal scenario. Whether it can be fully cured is still uncertain,” Dr. Xu added.

Yan Yushan didn’t feel reassured at all. He glanced down at the soil—now soaked through—and quickly lifted the watering can, saving the plant from drowning just in time.

“One more thing,” Dr. Xu tapped his pen. “Even though it’s called random, I believe this illness follows some kind of pattern. My preliminary theory is that the coughing fits are linked to Xu Xishuang’s emotional state. That’s why I initially emphasized that he should keep a positive mood, to prevent flare-ups.”

“According to traditional Chinese medicine, emotional stagnation can block one’s energy and blood flow. For Xu Xishuang, being in a bad mood might very well trigger the bleeding.”

Yan Yushan was silent for a moment. Dr. Xu glanced at the time and asked, “Any other questions, Mr. Yan?”

“No,” Yan Yushan’s voice was slightly hoarse. “Thank you, Dr. Xu.”

He ended the call and continued watering the plants but his thoughts drifted, replaying everything Dr. Xu had said.

If emotional distress could trigger the bleeding, then Xu Xishuang had already coughed up blood twice in front of him.

The first time had been not long after that reckless night between them. Xu Xishuang had come to return his clothes. That was the first time they’d been alone since, and Xu Xishuang had clearly been deeply uncomfortable with his presence—but he, completely oblivious, hadn’t picked up on it at all.

The second time was just now. Xu Xishuang had wanted to live alone but he’d called anyway, making Xu Xishuang angry. His words had all but told him to get lost, and not long after, he coughed up blood.

…Xu Xishuang really, truly didn’t like him.

Yan Yushan lowered the watering can and turned to look through the floor-to-ceiling glass window, where he could see Xu Xishuang sitting on the sofa.

Xu Xishuang had been watching Yan Yushan from the corner of his eye, too. When he saw him turn around, he instantly changed the channel, switching from the historical drama to something else and pretending to watch with great interest.

Yan Yushan had sharp eyes. He’d caught a glimpse of his own face flashing across the screen. That had been the drama he’d filmed last year. Xu Xishuang had immediately changed the channel the moment he saw him.

Yan Yushan closed his eyes briefly and exhaled slowly before walking back inside and stopping next to the sofa.

Keeping a bit of distance, he clenched his fists and said in a neutral tone, “I just got a last-minute job. I might be away for the next few days… maybe even half a month.”

Xu Xishuang turned his head and blinked.

His eyelashes were long and curled, and even from this distance, Yan Yushan could see how beautiful his eyes were and in that instant, he saw them light up. Xu Xishuang looked… genuinely happy. Something struck Yan Yushan in the chest, a dull, aching thud.

Xu Xishuang looked at Yan Yushan’s calm expression and gave him a polite smile. “That sounds tough. Good luck.”

Yan Yushan lowered his gaze to hide the look in his eyes and managed a smile of his own. “…Thanks.”