CH 29

“Pestered?” Song Zhi Xu didn’t expect it. He raised his eyebrows slightly, a little surprised, “Shouldn’t you be quite happy to be pestered, you like to have a bunch of little girls pestering you at school too.” 

Mu Qingting was originally a bit flamboyant in nature. He lived a sophisticated life, watches, stud earrings, he didn’t lack everything like that. He was always the target of his fellow senior or junior female schoolmates. When he was in school, a boy even wrote a touching confession to him on the school’s confession wall.

The post was somehow put on top of it and the administrators could not block it, so it hung around for half a year until Mu Qingting graduated before the post was suddenly withdrawn. 

“This time is different.” Mu Qingting also didn’t know how to say it. He thought for a while and said, “He’s one of my patients, moreover he’s a man. Previously, he had a car accident and was sent to the hospital, it’s me who operated on him. Since then, he only recognized me, no one else could check on him as he blatantly and openly stared at me. This spread throughout the hospital, this … isn’t it blocking my ‘peach blossom right?”

Mu Qingting was somewhat annoyed, rubbing his slightly sweaty hair, and only after a moment, he then said again.

“He’s been in the hospital for a month. Supposedly he was already discharged from the hospital a few days ago. I just breathed a sigh of relief, however today I saw him in the hospital again, greeting me in perfectly healthy condition. Whenever I saw him, I was annoyed, so I took leave and ran out.” Mu Qingting had even arrived at the hospital in the morning, but immediately after he met with that person, he ran to ask for leave.

The director temporarily refused to approve his application for leave, so Mu Qingting ignored him, notified his hospital colleagues and drove straight home once he took off his white coat. 

He was working in the hospital purely as a hobby. He also didn’t lack money so he came out when he didn’t want to do it. The hospital wouldn’t fire him anyway.

Song Zhi Xu was a bit surprised that Mu Qingting unexpectedly also had a person he wanted to hide from, so he was a bit curious what kind of person the other party was. 

“So you hid for today, but what about tomorrow? Since he knows you’re working at the hospital, he’ll definitely go there again.” Song Zhi Xu said reasonably.

Mu Qingting shook his head as he revealed helplessness on his face. 

To think that he, Mu Qingting who had been a wanderer in Jiang Hu for so many years, unexpectedly there would be a day when he was chased by someone and run away.

He wouldn’t give up a whole forest for merely grass, but that man’s blatant and unashamed appearance has obviously affected his life where now those little nurses in the hospital didn’t even dare to come near him. 

Although Lin Ran was eating the snack, his eyes were fixed on Song Zhi Xu, therefore when he saw that Song Zhi Xu had stopped and sat on the ground for a long time without moving.

He lifted his body and called out, “Song Zhi Xu.” 

Song Zhi Xu turned back and looked at Lin Ran for a moment. Lin Ran also didn’t stand up. He didn’t go and bother Song Zhi Xu as long as he got Song Zhi Xu’s response.

Song Zhi Xu looked at Lin Ran and then suddenly turned to Mu Qingting who was beside him. 

“Lin Ran …he seems to be abnormal sometimes.” He frowned slightly, “He would hide in the room and talk to the photo frame as if the people inside would respond to him. He would also subconsciously fear, obey or make some reactions towards some people or things.”

For example, when he saw a mop, Lin Ran would immediately wipe the floor, when he saw a wipe he would wipe his surrounding, when he finished eating, he would wait until Song Zhi Xu put down his chopsticks, Lin Ran immediately stand up, clear the table and wash the dishes. Besides that, he was extraordinarily fearful of nannies or people dressed as middle-aged women. 

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After Song Zhi Xu discovered this, he would hide the wipe and mop and so on, but whenever Lin Ran saw that he had changed from his dirty clothes, he would still wash it clean and dry it for him.

“You mean… he’s a bit OCD about doing housework?” Mu Qingting also looked at Lin Ran who was eating the snack innocently. 

Song Zhi Xu nodded gently, he had tried forbidding Lin Ran to do housework, but Lin Ran acted in panic, even fear, after he stopped him, therefore Song Zhi Xu gave up.

“He must have suffered a long period of abuse before and has been living in an oppressive environment, which has affected his psychology. Doing housework is an inertial reaction, to make him change this inertia (tendency to do things in the accustomed way), it needs patience and time, but I’m not good at this, it’s better to find a professional psychologist.” 

If it were an (surgical) operation, Mu Qingting could pick up the scalpel with ease, but he really couldn’t do this kind of work.

Song Zhi Xu lowered his eyes. He also thought of these, but Lin Ran was afraid of people and did not want to get in touch with strangers, plus these were not a big impact on Lin Ran’s normal life, so Song Zhi Xu wanted to take his time, that was why he did not take him to the hospital. 

The two of them sat on the floor for a while, then stood up again and walked towards Lin Ran. Before they even reached Lin Ran, Mu Qingting was stunned and couldn’t help but let out a ‘Pfft.’ laugh.

He covered his stomach as he laughed and gave a thumb up to Lin Ran who raised his head with some confusion. 

Lin Ran didn’t quite understand and stood up from the ground, then over cautiously hid himself beside Song Zhi Xu.

Song Zhi Xu then just rubbed his head helplessly. 

Because just before Song Zhi Xu left, he had instructed Lin Ran not to eat too much, that he could only eat a little, therefore Lin Ran really only ate a little.

However, he ate all of them a little. Mu Qingting had bought a lot of snacks. This time, Lin Ran unpacked them all and neatly sorted it out, even the lollipop that Mu Qingting had casually thrown into the bag was eaten a little by Lin Ran, then he wrapped it back again. 

He really only ate a little.

“Quite good, the way he put it in order are quite neat.” Mu Qingting managed to stop laughing and nodded his head. 

Song Zhi Xu ignored him and asked Lin Ran again.

“It’s all unpacked, it’s easily spoiled. Do you still want to take it home?” 

Without any hesitation, Lin Ran nodded and said, “I want it.”

Song Zhi Xu could only squat down and sort out all the snacks that he had unwrapped and put them into the bag from before, handing over the lollipop that Lin Ran had eaten some of it and letting him continue eating it again. 

When the three of them came out of the gym, it was already late in the evening. Mu Qingting called and booked a private room at the Royal Garden. Song Zhi Xu took Lin Ran and drove to that place.

Mu Qingting also drove his car when he came here so he drove by himself in front. 

Lin Ran’s snacks were on the back seat. He was eating several lollipops in his hand.

Song Zhi Xu didn’t like eating sweet food, but this time the car was filled with the sweet and sugary smell because of Lin Ran. It was rare for Song Zhi Xu not to dislike it, but only urged Lin Ran. 

“If you can’t eat, don’t eat, you’re going to eat later, you’ll have no appetite if you eat too much candy.”

Lin Ran was unwilling to put it down. Song Zhi Xu forbade him to eat more candy, so he could only eat one a day. Today he finally had so much, thus he must eat it all. 

Hence, with the candy in his mouth, Lin Ran shook his head and said in an unclear voice.

“It’s okay, Ran Ran can eat it.” 

Song Zhi Xu knew he liked it, so he didn’t stop again.

Because it was rush hour, there was some traffic on the road and by the time he got to the entrance of the Royal Garden, Lin Ran had just about finished all of his candy. He carefully wrapped up the remaining sticks in toilet paper and threw them into the garbage bin when he got out of the car, before pulling the corner of Song Zhi Xu’s coat and walking in. 

Mu Qingting arrived a little early and waited for them at the entrance, only after the three arrived did they go upstairs and enter the private room.

After ordering their food, Lin Ran leaned over Song Zhi Xu and played with the disposable chopsticks on the table. 

Mu Qingting glanced at him before turned to Song Zhi Xu again and said,

“See he’s still very dependent on you. He has to stay tightly close to you even when he’s outside.” 

Song Zhi Xu stroked the top of Lin Ran’s hair and nodded his head.

“He’s a bit afraid of people.” Song Zhi Xu didn’t expect Lin Ran would rely on him so much either. 

It was probably because Lin Mu had said he was ‘a good person’ when he handed Lin Ran over to him, that was somehow useful, so once Lin Ran beside him, he began to rely on him, despite the fact that he was just a stranger to Lin Ran at that time.

When the waiter brought the dishes he had ordered, Song Zhi Xu prepared a small bowl for Lin Ran and then personally put the dishes into Lin Ran’s bowl for him to eat. 

By the timel Lin Ran’s bowl was almost full did he stop and eat his own, while talking intermittently to Mu Qingting across the table.

After a while, a piece of boneless rib meat was suddenly put into his bowl. Lin Ran next to him said in a low voice, “Song Zhi Xu likes to eat it.” 

Song Zhi Xu didn’t say much, he just picked it up with his chopsticks and ate it, moving naturally without pausing in the slightest.

Across the table, Mu Qingting still couldn’t help but be amazed, although Song Zhi Xu wasn’t exactly a clean freak, he never accepted food being served to him, not to mention that Lin Ran had just deboned it by hand and held it between his finger and thumb as he handed it over to him. 

Mu Qingting couldn’t help but “Tsk” twice. Song Zhi Xu heard it, looked up and saw it. He was about to ask what was wrong when suddenly his mobile phone in his pocket rang.

Song Zhi Xu took it out, glanced at it, and his face changed when he saw Lin Mu’s name on it. 

He stood up and said to Lin Ran, “Don’t mind me, you eat!” After saying that he got up, plan to walk out, Lin Ran subconsciously wanted to stand up and follow him, but Song Zhi Xu said in a cold voice, “Stay.”

Lin Ran could only sit down again and watched anxiously as Song Zhi Xu went out. 

The door of the private room closed, therefore only Lin Ran and Mu Qingting were left inside. A touch of fear slowly crept into Lin Ran’s eyes as he moved his body back uneasily, not daring to eat any more and looking at Mu Qingting with some caution.

He made Mu Qingting somewhat baffled by this. 

At the end of the corridor, Song Zhi Xu picked up the phone and put it to his ear. It was only after a while that Lin Mu’s gentle voice came from the other side, calling out to him, “Zhi Xu?”

Song Zhi Xu answered with “Hmm”, afraid that he might seem too cold so he added, “Lately, how is it going?” 

The other party was silent for a while and finally said, “It’s quite good. The loophole in the company has been closed, but it will take a little time to recover… I’m sorry that I have bothered you during this time.”

“It’s alright, Lin Ran is quite well behaved. It’s not a problem.” Song Zhi Xu naturally knew what kind of things Lin Mu was talking about. 

“That’s good, my side has almost stabilized. Recently I want to go to the capital and invite you to dinner, at the same time pick up Ran Ran. I can’t always trouble you.”

Lin Mu was embarrassed to always bother Song Zhi Xu, not to mention that he only had this one younger brother and still wanted to take care of him personally.