FMT 49

Chapter 49 Xiaodan is Back

When Liandan heard those words, his lashes trembled. He softly leaned against the young man’s back, pressed his cheek to the nape of his neck, and said, “You are not ugly at all…”

Chen Shuangning did not move. He sat on the bed and let him lean on him.

Liandan closed his eyes. He could hear the man’s unsteady heartbeat.

In that moment, he felt his own heartbeat slowly align with the sound by his ear. Thump, thump, thump, until they overlapped completely.

….

For the first month after taking medicine, the effect was obvious.

Chen Shuangning’s condition changed daily. His flesh slowly filled out, the rotten stench on his body faded. But he still could not stand long and tired easily.

He was still irritable and quick-tempered, but both Liandan and Shuangruo could clearly feel he was trying to control it.

Most of Liandan’s time each day was spent around Chen Shuangning. His belly was now over three months. Even though Shuangruo was there as a doctor, he still suffered from pregnancy sickness, eating and sleeping poorly.

Once, when Shuangning was eating, one dish had a heavy medicinal taste. Sitting nearby, Liandan smelled it, couldn’t hold back, covered his mouth, and ran out.

When he returned, he saw that the medicinal dish in front of Shuangning was gone.

Shuangning looked him over, then pushed a bowl of vegetable porridge from his tray toward him. “Drink this, then go lie down. You don’t need to be here.”

Liandan sat and drank the porridge, but he did not leave. After clearing the tray away, he came back.

Shuangning leaned against the headboard with a book, not looking up. “Didn’t I tell you to go back?”

Liandan said, “You have to drink medicine again tonight. If I don’t stay, you won’t drink it.”

Shuangning set down the book, pulled up his knee impatiently. “Get up here and lie down!”

Liandan froze. Shuangning said, “If you won’t, then leave.”

Before the words finished, Liandan already sat at the edge, took off his shoes, and climbed past his feet to the inside of the bed.

Shuangning’s face was cold. He pulled down a pillow from the pile and placed it beside his own. Liandan lay down quietly.

Shuangning picked up the book again. Liandan, truly exhausted, reminded himself to wake later and bring medicine, but once his eyes closed, he fell asleep quickly.

The one leaning against the headboard did not turn a page for a long time.

After a while, he set the book down. He looked at the thin boy sleeping soundly beside him, then tugged part of his own quilt over to cover him.

Shuangruo brought the medicine herself when Liandan didn’t come.

When she entered, she saw her brother reading. She was about to speak when he raised a finger to his lips.

Shuangruo then noticed the sleeping figure on the inside of the bed.

She looked at him with some surprise, then placed the medicine at the bedside.

After her brother finished and waved her out, she carried the empty bowl away, unable to keep a smile off her lips.

That night, Liandan stayed in that room. He had not slept so soundly, so peacefully, in a long time.

When he woke, his whole body felt refreshed.

But seeing Shuangning eating breakfast by the bed, and Shuangruo smiling to the side, made him embarrassed. He quickly excused himself to wash and left for his own room.

Shuangning watched his back vanish behind the door. When it closed with a snap, he said to Shuangruo, “Go find Bai Wushuang and Liang Yun. Ask if they can go to Miaoyun Town tomorrow.”

Shuangruo quickly understood. “To bring Xiaodan back?”

Shuangning nodded. “Yes.”

Shuangruo asked, “They will surely agree. But why so suddenly?”

Shuanning’s gaze stayed on the closed door. He said quietly, “Last night he talked in his sleep. He called Xiaodan’s name several times.”

That afternoon, Bai Wushuang and Liang Yun came and said they wanted to take their child out for a while, passing by Miaoyun Town. They asked Liandan if he wanted them to bring Xiaodan back.

Of course Liandan wanted it. When he had left Xiaodan at his sister Lianye’s home, he had already thought of the chance he might not be able to fetch him himself. So they agreed then, using Xiaodan’s pair of shoes as a token. If his sister saw them, she would know the child could be safely handed over.

But he didn’t dare answer lightly. He still went to ask the child’s father.

Shuangning said, “Those two are reliable. You can trust them.”

So Liandan happily brought out the little shoes, wrapped them, and gave them to Liang Yun.

Liang Yun patted his shoulder and said, “Don’t worry, I will surely bring the child back to you safe and sound.”

Liandan thanked him again and again.

Strangely, after the couple left, Liandan’s pregnancy sickness suddenly stopped. He could eat, and he could sleep well.

They had been gone half a month. About six or seven days earlier, they had written back saying they had picked up Xiaodan. Counting the days, they should arrive now.

Whenever Liandan had free time, he stood at the restored gates of the residence and looked toward the valley entrance.

After standing like this for two or three days, he finally saw two carriages, one in front and one behind, clip-clopping through the entrance.

Even before they reached him, he saw Liang Yun waving with a smile. In Liang Yun’s arms, chubby Xiaodan had also spotted him, bouncing happily and laughing.

Liandan rushed forward. The carriages stopped in front of him with a creak. Bai Wushuang jumped down, took Xiaodan from Liang Yun’s arms, and placed him on the ground.

The child ran on his short legs straight to his dad, throwing himself into Liandan’s arms as he crouched to receive him.

“Xiaodan has grown.” Liandan’s voice caught in his throat.

“Daddy, daddy…” Xiaodan rubbed his soft little face against Liandan’s cheek, and then suddenly cried.

The joy of seeing his father again gave way to the grievance of having been left behind.

Liandan hugged him tightly, heart aching, apologizing again and again, kissing his little cheeks.

Bai Wushuang helped Liang Yun and their daughter down from the carriage. Liang Yun looked at the big and small pair, his heart aching a little. He gestured to his daughter, and the little girl ran over on quick feet. She wrapped her small arms around them and coaxed with her soft voice, “Don’t cry, don’t cry.”

Back in the house, Shuangruo already had food prepared for Xiaodan. He ate well, then slept for a while.

When he woke, Liandan bathed him and changed him into clean clothes.

Shuangruo stayed inside to play with him. Liandan went into the next room.

Chen Shuangning knew Xiaodan was back, but he did not go out to see the child.

Liandan sat on the bed and asked gently, “Xiaodan is looking for you. Can I bring him here to see you?”

Chen Shuanning turned his face away. “See what? He will be frightened.”

Liandan held his hand and, out of habit, massaged it lightly. This eased some of Shuangning’s tension.

“You are much better now. And he understands more things now. I told him you are sick, and that you look different from before. He can understand.”

Chen Shuangning looked at him, lowered his eyes, and after a very long hesitation finally said, “Take him to the garden at dusk.”

Hearing this, Liandan’s heart ached. He understood what Shuangning meant: the garden was open, so the smell would be less obvious, and in the dim evening light, things would not be so clear.

This was Shuangning’s pride, and of course Liandan would not go against it.

At dusk, after dinner, Liandan took Xiaodan’s small hand. “Come, dad will take you to the garden to play.”

Xiaodan happily followed, pattering outside into the garden.

There were many flowers there, and a pavilion. Inside, behind gauze curtains, someone sat in a wheelchair, watching from afar.

Xiaodan tilted his head, looking for a while.

The man in the pavilion called his name. “Xiaodan.”

Xiaodan recognized the voice. His eyes lit up, and he shouted, “Father!”

He tugged Liandan’s hand and ran joyfully toward the pavilion.

As they drew near, he climbed the pavilion steps, went around the curtain, and laughed loudly. He was about to throw himself into the man’s lap, but when he saw his face clearly, he suddenly stopped.

On the wheelchair, the hands that had been reaching toward him slowly withdrew. Chen Shuangning turned his face away, avoiding the child’s startled and frightened gaze. He said to Shuangruo behind him, “Push me back.”

Shuangruo’s face filled with sorrow. She reached for the handles of the wheelchair.

At that moment, Xiaodan mumbled, “Father is sick…”

Both Shuangning and Shuangruo froze. The chubby child then ran again, he pounced straight onto Shuangning’s lap.

Hesitating, Shuangning bent down and picked him up, placing him on his legs. Xiaodan clung to his neck, rubbing his face against his father’s.

Liandan came into the pavilion, crouched beside the wheelchair, one hand steadying Xiaodan, the other resting casually on Shuangning’s leg, smiling as he looked at them.

Shuangruo watched, the smile on her lips never fading.