After Marrying The Wrong Person, I Can’t Leave

Chapter 4

“…the place was really luxurious, decorated even more extravagantly than a party in a TV drama. Plus, there were so many big wigs there, I even saw several A-list celebrities.”

As soon as he returned to the dormitory, Song Linchu heard Su Zhan, who was lying on the bed, boasting on the phone to someone.

Choosing to ignore him, Song Linchu took his pajamas and went to take a shower.

As he was about to enter the bathroom, he could still hear Su Zhan’s voice continuing on the phone.

“At an event like that, how could I ask for autographs? Hehe, let me tell you, my boyfriend even introduced me to his wealthy second-generation friends. They’re all really nice people and they even called me sister-in-law, making me feel kind of embarrassed.”

With a “click”, Song Linchu closed the door of his dormitory, cutting off the words he knew were intended for him.

He had considered changing dorms, but there were only six male students in their major, each living in one of two dorms. Even though Su Zhan’s dorm was still available, he couldn’t leave Li Chang with such a person.

Renting a place outside was an option, but in this first-tier mega city of theirs, the cheapest small single rooms around the school cost over a thousand or two thousand yuan.

He couldn’t bear to spend that kind of money.

His mother had been sick and had incurred over 200,000 yuan in debt a few years ago. Over the years, he had managed to pay it off bit by bit by taking on various projects and participating in competitions, with the remaining 40,000 yuan owed to his aunt.

He estimated that by the end of the year, he would have saved enough money to pay off all his debts. He didn’t want to use the money to rent a place.

He would just have to endure it a little longer. When school started next year, he would have enough money to rent a place outside.

The next day was Saturday.

It had been snowing all night, and everything outside was covered in a blanket of white. The snow had piled up to his calves, and the misty air exuded a silent loneliness.

Song Linchu wrapped himself up like a dumpling and walked through the snow to the small commodity street outside the school.

Due to the snow, the usually busy street was deserted, with hardly anyone around.

Song Linchu walked up to the door of a jewelry store and pushed open the glass door to go inside. The ample heating inside rushed to embrace him, making him feel comfortable and sigh in relief.

There was a mixture of herbal cuisine and chicken aromas in the air, and the owner of the store was having lunch. She looked up at the sound of the door opening and when she saw Song Linchu, she said with a smile, “Hey, you’re here.”

“Sister Youran, “ Song Linchu took out a stack of paper from his backpack, “These are the drafts for this month.”

“So many,” Xu Youran took a tissue to wipe her hands before taking them, teasing him, “You’re like a sea surging with ideas, while others are like a spring flowing with thoughts.”

Song Linchu smiled lightly, “I had more free time this month and didn’t take on many projects, so I drew more.”

Xu Youran ran a hand over them and said, “Eight pieces, right?”

“Yes,” Song Linchu confirmed.

“OK,” Xu Youran didn’t even look at the content of the drafts, and transferred the money to him via her phone. She then asked, “Speaking of which, why haven’t I seen your boyfriend recently?”

“…We broke up,” Song Linchu forced a laugh, not wanting to talk about it any further. He changed the topic and said, “I smell Chinese medicine. Are you sick?”

“Not really, I’ve just been staying up late recently and my body has suffered. My husband made me a tonic chicken dish to help, but it tastes terrible. Anyway, take this money,” she replied.

Song Linchu thought to himself as he accepted the money. He used to take care of his sick mother, and the doctors would always recommend food therapy to help her because her body was weak. However, the medicinal dishes outside were all over a hundred yuan, so he learned to make them himself.

He was naturally gifted in cooking, especially with his medicinal chicken dish. It made the patients in the neighboring beds and even the next ward drool and ask for his recipe. Even if others used the same ingredients and cooking techniques, they couldn’t match the fragrance of his stew.

Song Linchu thought to himself that Tang Yue, as a terminally ill patient, must also need tonics. Should he make one for him?

It’s often said that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, which was more effective than dry flirting on his phone.

In fact, after being choked yesterday, Song Linchu had given up being a “licking dog,” but Su Zhan always had a way of reviving his spirit.

Su Zhan was like a piece of sticky plaster that he couldn’t get rid of. He always found a way to annoy him and bring out his fighting spirit.

Leaving Xu Youran’s store, Song Linchu held his phone in his pocket. He couldn’t resist and took it out, opening Tang Yue’s WeChat chat.

‘One last time,’ he thought.

Little Songlin: [Ge~ good afternoon!]

Little Songlin: [(little fox dancing.gif)]

***

Aikang Hospital.

As soon as Tan Yue finished his lunch, the butler who had delivered the meal removed the leftover soup and brought over some medicine. Tan Yue took the cup of hot water handed to him by his personal assistant, Cheng Bin, and was about to drink it when his phone, which had been set aside, vibrated twice. Tan Yue glanced at it and saw that it was the boy his grandfather had introduced to him again.

He was surprised because he thought that after their conversation yesterday, the other party understood his feelings and would give up. He didn’t expect him to continue fighting.

Tan Yue ignored it and took his medicine. Just as he handed the cup back to Cheng Bin, his phone vibrated a few more times.

Only then did he pick up his phone.

Little Songlin: [Brother, I heard that you’re not feeling well. Can you eat medicated food?]

Little Songlin: [The medicated food I make is exceptional! If you can eat it, I’ll make it and bring it to you.]

Little Songlin: [(shy)]

Tan Yue smiled sarcastically. He saw through the other person’s little trick at a glance. Sending medicated food was just an excuse. It was obvious that he wanted to come and see him.

He opened WeChat and was about to use his “forcing off enemy” skill to drive the other person away when his phone vibrated again.

The person messaging him was his grandfather.

The old man’s eyes were not good, so he sent voice messages.

[Little Yue, how did you get along with the boy I introduced you to? If you don’t get along, it doesn’t matter. Don’t force yourself. I’ll introduce you to someone else.]

Tan Yue: “……”

Tan Yue rubbed his forehead and held down the voice message button: [No need, this one is fine.]

He didn’t think he would like the boys his grandfather introduced him to and was too lazy to deal with new people.

Grandfather Tan quickly replied, [Is that true? Don’t lie to your grandfather. I will ask that boy. Don’t let me catch you fooling me.]

At this question, the truth was revealed immediately.

Tan Yue glanced outside at the snowy scenery. If the old man came in this cold weather, slipping and falling would be a big deal.

[Well, he said he’ll bring me medicinal food later.]

Grandfather Tan’s voice in the voice message was full of laughter. [Oh, you’ll see him so soon. Good, good, you guys take care of each other. Grandpa can rest assured now.]

———————

After leaving Xu Youran’s shop, Song Linchu had lunch at a nearby hot pot rice noodle restaurant. The thick soup with spicy oil, shiny white rice noodles, fatty beef slices, meatballs, and various vegetables were slowly simmering on low heat. When it was served, the soup was still bubbling, and it was especially appetizing on such a snowy day.

Song Linchu was eating the rice noodles, but his phone remained silent. The several messages he sent to Tan Yue went unanswered, and he felt like his dog licking career was over.

Just as he was considering deleting WeChat, his phone lit up on the table.

Tan Yue: [You can come.]

Song Linchu almost choked on the spicy soup.

Did this mean Tan Yue had agreed?

Song Linchu put down his chopsticks and typed a message.

[Can I make medicinal chicken?]

After thinking for a while, he also sent the several herbs he planned to use.

A few minutes later, Tan Yue replied: [Yes.]

Seeing this word, Song Linchu didn’t know if he was excited or for some other reason, but his heart was beating fast, and his typing became a bit clumsy.

[Then I’ll make it and bring it to you in the evening as dinner.]

[Okay.]

[Location.]

[Hospital Ward A1, 12th floor.]

Song Linchu checked the location Tan Yue sent. It was a bit far from their school, but luckily, the subway went directly there, so it was convenient.

Looking at the string of messages from Tan Yue, Song Linchu realized, belatedly, that they were about to meet?

He felt like everything was going too smoothly, and wondered if there was some conspiracy. But then again, he was poor and single, and there was nothing for the other person to gain. Moreover, it was a hospital, so the other person wouldn’t dare to do anything inappropriate.

After thinking for a while, Song Linchu had no more worries. After finishing his rice noodles, he turned and went to the nearby market to buy an old hen and some traditional Chinese medicine from a nearby pharmacy. Then he called He Wenyan and asked to borrow his kitchen.

He Wenyan readily agreed, but he was not at home. Fortunately, his house had a password lock, so Song Linchu could enter without a key.

The house He Wenyan rented was well-equipped with cooking tools, and Song Linchu spent most of the afternoon preparing the medicinal chicken dish. He also stir-fried two vegetables and left a portion for He Wenyan, packing the rest in the thermal lunch box he bought and taking it to the hospital.

Although it was Saturday, the subway was surprisingly empty due to the snow. Song Linchu carefully protected the lunch box and sat on the subway for more than 40 minutes before arriving at the station near the Aikang Hospital.

This was obviously a private hospital, and from the outside, it did not look like a hospital building but rather like a high-end resort. With his familiarity with hospitals, Song Linchu found the inpatient ward with almost no effort, amd took the elevator to the 12th floor.

The moment the elevator “dinged”, his heart skipped a beat.

Did this count as… meeting someone from the internet?

It was ridiculous to think of meeting someone he had only known for a day through the internet.

After entering the ward marked “12A1 Area,” Song Linchu realized that Tan Yue had not given him the room number. He was about to take out his phone to ask when he noticed that there seemed to be only one room in this area.

–So it wasn’t that he forgot to give him the room number, but that these wealthy patients all had their own private areas.

“Excuse me, whom are you looking for?” A tall man with a stern expression intercepted Song Linchu as he entered the 12A1 area. His powerful hands looked as if they were not to be trifled with.

“I’m looking for Mr. Tan Yue, and I’m here to deliver food,” Song Linchu said.

The man’s gaze lingered on the lunch box in his hands and coldly replied, “I’m sorry, you can’t go in.”

At this point, Song Linchu was already having some regrets. Not to mention the fierce appearance of the man in front of him, the ward was different from the one he was familiar with. It was so empty and lonely that only the occasional nurse or doctor could be seen passing by.

‘Maybe I should just forget about it.’

As this thought came to mind, Song Linchu was about to turn around when the door to the ward opened with a “click,” and a young man walked out.

“Yong ge, who is it?”

“I don’t know him. He said he was delivering food to the boss.”

“Delivering food?” The young man at the door was much more friendly than the last person. He looked at Song Linchu and smiled warmly, “You are Mr. Song, right?”

Song Linchu was rarely called “Mr.”, and nodded uncomfortably.

“Hello, Mr. Song. I’m sorry I forgot to inform Yong earlier. Please forgive me for any inconvenience,” the young man said apologetically.

“It’s okay.” Song Linchu said dryly, handing the lunch box to the young man, “Please bring it to Mr. Tan.”

The young man smiled and said, “I’m afraid I can’t do that. You’ll have to deliver it yourself.”

As he spoke, he made a gesture of invitation.

Despite the young man’s gentle demeanor, he gave off a strong sense of dominance that could not be refused.

Song Linchu: “…”

He regretted it now, very much regretted it.

He must have been kicked in the head by a donkey.

However, with a fierce-looking man watching him, Song Linchu could only grit his teeth and enter the hospital room.