CH 84.2

It rained all night, and when the curtains were drawn, only bright and dazzling sunlight filled the room.

It was a lazy morning and Dr. Jiang didn’t have to go to work, but Dr. Shen had to go out to earn money for milk powder.

Jiang Xu was accustomed to waking up at the same time, so as soon as Shen Fangyu turned off the alarm clock, he opened his eyes. Shen Fangyu kissed his forehead, covered his eyes with his palm, and asked softly, “Is there any discomfort?”

When they finished their activity last night, they went to take a shower. Perhaps it was because the mirror was too dazzling, and they couldn’t help but start again.

Being pregnant had already overdrawn Jiang Xu’s strength. After the second time, his legs were so weak that he didn’t even bother to use the showerhead and fell asleep leaning against the bathtub. In the end, it was Shen Fangyu who helped him wash up and carried him back to bed.

Jiang Xu shook his head, obviously very sleepy and didn’t feel like talking.

Shen Fangyu didn’t bother him anymore and put on his slippers. “I’m up now. You can sleep a little longer. I’ll put breakfast on the table for you later.”

Jiang Xu made a sound of agreement. Shen Fangyu stared at his lover’s sleeping face for a long time, but still couldn’t resist and lowered his head, pressing his face against Jiang Xu’s lips. “Give me a kiss.”

Jiang Xu smiled with his eyes closed and brushed his lips against Shen Fangyu’s cheek.

A beautiful day of hard work begins from here. For the first time, Dr. Shen didn’t want to work overtime or be part of the rat race. Immediately it was time to go home, he walked out of the hospital with a light heart.

However, just when he had reached the hospital entrance in a good mood, he saw his eldest brother whom he hadn’t seen in many days.

“Come back with me to our hometown,” Shen Baihan said, holding a black briefcase and blocking Shen Fangyu’s way. “I asked your department, you’re off tomorrow. Come back with me now.”

Shen Fangyu was reluctant. The person who was waiting for him at home after a night of passion was not someone he would want to suddenly part from.

“Brother,” Shen Fangyu took a few steps back and refused, “I’m tired from work and just want to go back to my own home.”

“You still need to go back and explain to our parents who you married, what they do, where they work, how many people are in their family, and what the specific situation is,” Shen Baihan said.

Dr. Shen got married abroad without consulting his family, then sent a letter to his parents explaining that he had found a lifelong partner and gotten married, asking them not to worry. “I’ve paid back your money and our parents’ money,” Shen Fangyu said, “Why do we need to talk about this so much? Why are you checking on my issues?”

“I’m not checking your issues, I’m just concerned about you, Fangyu. You’re acting recklessly now. How can you not even tell your family about such a big thing as getting married?”

“I did tell them,” Shen Fangyu said. “It’s just because I told you that you came to stop me, right? If I knew that, I wouldn’t have said anything. Brother, to be honest, after you got married, I didn’t bother you and your wife. Now that I just got married and my partner is waiting for me at home, you suddenly want me to go back to our hometown?”

Shen Baihan’s expression changed at these words. “Waiting for you at home?” He frowned and asked, “Are you supporting someone? Who did you find?”

“…,” Shen Fangyu said, “Brother, remember when you lent me money without hesitation? I was really touched, but now I really don’t want to go home. Can you understand me?”

“Was it for this person that you borrowed money before?” Shen Baihan asked.

At that time, Shen Fangyu suddenly came to borrow money from him, saying that he needed it for his partner’s surgery. His younger brother had never mentioned finding a partner to their family in all these years, and since he was finally willing to open up and talk more to him, he didn’t dare to ask too many questions for fear of making him unhappy.

He didn’t expect that his younger brother wouldn’t bring his partner home to meet their family, but just told them that he got married.

“It was for this person,” Shen Fangyu said, “but not for supporting him.”

Shen Baihan paced back and forth in the same spot twice, and said to him, “We can let you do whatever you want, but when it comes to such a big matter like marriage, you can’t just do as you please. Fangyu, be careful or you’ll be deceived.”

Shen Fangyu didn’t like Jiang Xu being suspected like this, and his face turned cold, “I know what I’m doing.”

He had originally wanted to say, “Since you haven’t bothered me for so many years, there’s no need to come and bother me now.” But when he looked at the fine lines on his older brother’s face, he swallowed those words.

“Then come back with me and explain it to mom and dad,” Shen Baihan said. “If you found a decent person, your big brother won’t say anything and will give you both a big red envelope.”

“Fangyu, when mom and dad heard that you needed money back then, they were so worried that they even took out their retirement savings. We all care about you…please think about it carefully?”

“I came to borrow from you at that time. Why did you have to tell mom and dad?” Shen Fangyu asked.

“Okay, it was my fault. But now, I’m begging you to come back with me. Mom and dad are so worried after hearing that you suddenly got married, they can’t even eat properly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have taken a leave of absence and come to A City to find you. I know you can come up with many excuses over the phone, but I’m here now. Can you come back with me?”

Looking at Shen Baihan’s sincere expression, Shen Fangyu turned his face to the side and remained silent for a while.

No matter how sincere it sounded, he still held a grudge against his parents and brother in his heart.

In the past, it was his parents and brother who distanced themselves from him, but now that they have started to care for him, he just wanted to keep his distance from them.

After a while, he said to Shen Baihan, “Wait a moment, I’ll make a phone call.”

He walked to the side and called Jiang Xu, who answered and asked, “Are you on your way home?”

“My parents heard that I got married and want me to come back,” Shen Fangyu said.

There was a long pause on the other end before Jiang Xu said, “Do you need me to go with you?”

“No need,” Shen Fangyu said. “Don’t worry, I can handle it. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

“Okay, go and come back early,” Jiang Xu said, and before Shen Fangyu hung up, he added, “Speak nicely and don’t argue.”

Shen Fangyu, who had been feeling inexplicably unhappy about being forced to go home, suddenly felt soothed.

On the high-speed train back home, the two brothers were particularly silent.

Shen Baihan’s feelings towards his younger brother had always been complicated.

When they were younger and he and his parents were in A City, their parents always missed their younger son. Shen Baihan had even overheard them several times saying they wanted to go back or bring their younger son over.

But even as a young child, possessiveness was strong. In fact, during the days when his younger brother was born, he had already felt neglected by his parents.

When other children bought toys and he wanted them too, his parents would say that they had to use the money to pay a fine for his younger brother and couldn’t afford toys. From that time on, he instinctively disliked his younger brother.

Later, when their family of three finally went to City A, leaving the younger brother behind in their hometown, he refused to let his parents bring his brother over no matter what.

Every time the issue was brought up, he would throw a tantrum or fake an illness, making his parents feel that they were already overwhelmed with one child and didn’t have time for another.

Later, he finally grew up, became sensible, and began to realize that his younger brother was also a family member. He realized that having a brother he could support and rely on was a fortunate thing, but by then there were already irreparable wounds between him and his brother.

When he was in high school, he told his parents that he wanted to bring Fangyu over, but Shen Fangyu refused to come. Later, Shen Fangyu took the college entrance examination, applied for a job after graduation, and didn’t even tell them which department he was assigned to.

He knew he owed his brother and wanted to repair their relationship, but his smooth-talking brother, who always seemed harmless in front of outsiders, was like a hedgehog with thorns when he was at home. From a distance, he seemed harmless, but as you got closer, he would unconsciously reveal his defensive thorns.

By the time they arrived home, it was already dark outside.

Shen Fangyu followed Shen Baihan into the house and saw his parents whom he hadn’t seen in a while.

“Dad, Mom.”

He handed the fruits he bought before entering the house to his parents and peeled a mangosteen for each of them. He then wiped his hands dry with a paper towel, sat on the sofa, and looked at his parents and brother as if he were facing a court trial. He said bluntly, “If you have any questions, just ask.”

Father Shen glanced at him, and the concern he was about to express was swallowed back. Mother Shen sighed and hinted with a glance at her eldest son.

Shen Baihan had to take a sip of water before asking, “Tell us first, who exactly is this person?”

“Someone like me,” Shen Fangyu said.

“A doctor?” Shen Baihan breathed a sigh of relief. “Being a doctor is a respectable profession. It may be busy, but other than that, it’s all good. But we have to talk.”

“Fang Yu, when are you going to bring her back so we can meet her?” Mother Shen hesitated and said, “I don’t mean to interfere, I just want to see her. After all, she is my daughter-in-law, and I want to meet her.”

“Our family is easy-going,” Father Shen added. “If she’s afraid it will be awkward, let Baihan bring his wife too, and we can all have dinner together.”

Shen Fangyu looked at the three of them and continued, “Someone like me, a doctor, and a man.”

Father Shen’s hand holding the mangosteen shook, and it fell directly to the ground, while Mother Shen covered her heart, as if she couldn’t understand what he was saying for a while.

Shen Baihan didn’t seem to have such a big reaction, but his eyes were still shocked.

“You’re trying to give me a heart attack, right?” Mother Shen said. “What are you doing? Marrying a man, are you crazy?”

Shen Fangyu grabbed a tissue, wrapped the mangosteen, and threw it into the trash can. Then he wiped the fruit juice off the ground.

“Don’t act so exaggerated. I do your annual physical examinations every year. I choose the exam items, so how could I not know your physical condition? If I didn’t know that you were both healthy, I wouldn’t have told you so easily.”

Shen Baihan: “How can you talk like that, Shen Fangyu!”

Shen Fangyu pursed his lips and glanced at his parents. Father Shen was calming down Mother Shen while looking at Shen Fangyu with a somewhat disappointed expression.

Shen Fangyu lowered his head without a trace and chuckled lightly, not caring too much.

Anyway, his parents had never shown any expectations towards him.

If they were disappointed, then let them be disappointed.

“It’s the 21st century,” he said. “Your son is not in high school anymore so you can’t oppose it.”