Chapter 18

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Thinking about the day he left his position\n

It’s a lawful society, so of course He Yu could not throw Xie Qingcheng into the bushes and torture him for revenge.\n

But they couldn’t leave no matter what, so they accepted their fate, and returned to the campground.\n

Two pairs of eyes faced each other, nothing else to do but idle chatter.\n

From this you can see that perhaps Adam and Eve didn’t necessarily love each other, but it was because they had no one else to pick from. They couldn’t just talk to the serpent in the tree all the time.\n

Xie Qingcheng, “Xiao Gui.”\n

Other than Xie Qingcheng, there was no one else that had called He Yu ‘Xiao Gui’.\n

And when he is using this nickname, it more or less means Xie Qingcheng is willing to communicate properly with He Yu for now.\n

He Yu turned his head. “En?”\n

“…… Has the injury on your hand healed?”\n

“Fully healed.” He Yu chuckled. “Why would Dr. Xie care about the injury on my hand? Didn’t you want to give me another stab that day at the police station?”\n

“… You know I really don’t like it when people bring up the past.”\n

“Then did you know that day I sincerely wanted to apologize to you?”\n

“……” Xie Qingcheng raised his gaze.\n

He Yu still carried a smile on his face, but his gaze was cold towards him. “That’s just the way I talk, Xie Qingcheng. That day I wasn’t faking an apology, or making some sort of capitalist speech. Ever since I was young, it was you all that told me to control my emotions. Have you left your position for so long that you’ve forgotten what you told me?”\n

A few moments of silence.\n

Then Xie Qingcheng said, “It really has been a long time since I left.”\n

“It’s been four years.”\n

Xie Qingcheng said, “…… I still haven’t properly asked. How’s your condition now?”\n

“Much better.”\n

He Yu smiled and spoke again. “You don’t have to worry, no matter how I feel about you personally, I very much agree with your treatment philosophy. I’ve always kept your teachings in mind.”\n

Xie Qingcheng looked at the indifferent youth in front of him: “Very well then. Your condition requires you to help yourself. No matter which doctor you have, the most important thing is your own state of mind.”\n

He Yu was silent for a moment, then lowered his head and smiled, “Do you hear that, why do these words sound so familiar.”\n

“Ah.” He paused, frostiness in his eyes, “I remember now. You’ve spoken these words to me before. I still remember, Dr. Xie.\nIt was on the day you left……”\n

It was on the day Xie Qingcheng left his position.\n

The day before that, He Yu and Xie Xue finished studying together at the library. It was raining outside, so He Yu walked Xie Xue home holding an umbrella.\n

“Thank youuu, for walking this far with me.”\n

“No problem.”\n

“Do you want to come in and sit for a bit, though my home is pretty small……”\n

“Would it be too much trouble?”\n

“Not at all, I’m just worried you won’t be used to it.” Xie Xue smiled, pulling He Yu’s hand towards the small alley where she lived.\n

Xie Qingcheng wasn’t home, but Li Ruoqiu was.\n

That woman sat in front of the desk, in the middle of messaging someone, face carrying an uncontainable smile. She didn’t even look over when her sister came in, just said absentmindedly, “Oh, Xie Xue is home.”\n

He Yu had not met Li Ruoqiu many times. When he came in, he politely said, “Li-sao, sorry for the trouble.”\n

Li Ruoqiu was startled when she heard his voice, she raised her head. “…… Ah, a guest. Please have a seat.”\n

She quickly got up, and went to make them tea.\n

He Yu chuckled. “Saozi, you don’t need to do anything. I was just walking Xie Xue home, I’ll be leaving soon.”\n

“That won’t do. Just sit, I’ll get you guys some snacks.”\n

She turned and walked away.\n

Xie Xue whispered, “Saozi is a really nice person, very welcoming. If you refuse, she’ll get mad.”\n

Li Ruoqiu really is a woman with a strong personality. He Yu could sense that from the few short times he had met her. Besides, how can any regular woman marry someone as paternalistic and cold as Xie Qingcheng?\n

He sat down. The old houses in Huzhou’s alleys are quite cramped. It’s a common room divided by curtains. The high school boy had already gone through puberty and grown—he already knows some things he shouldn’t really know about yet.\n

This was his first time going into Xie Qingcheng’s private quarters. His gaze swept across the room and landed on the double bed half-covered by the curtain. He had a complicated feeling.\n

It was really difficult to imagine Xie Qingcheng and Li Ruoqiu doing those kinds of things.\n

He Yu respectfully moved his gaze away.\n

“Here’s the tea and some snacks. I hope it’s to your tastes.” Li Ruoqiu smiled as she brought over a pot of hot tea and pastries, along with a plate of cut fruits. “Try it, I baked the pastries myself.”\n

“Saozi, you’re too kind.”\n

Li Ruoqiu covered her mouth and laughed, a pair of curious eyes looking back and forth between He Yu and Xie Xue.\n

Even though these two kids were a few years apart, boys grow very quickly when they reach adolescence. He Yu did not wear his school uniform today, just a high-collared black shirt, jeans, and baseball cap. With a height close to 180cm, he didn’t quite look like a high schooler.\n

Sitting beside Xie Xue who was a few years older, both their size and appearance looked well-matched.\n

The room was quiet for a while.\n

Xie Xue, “……”\n

He Yu, “……”\n

Li Ruoqiu, “……”\n

A few seconds later, Li Ruoqiu let out a pfft laugh, unable to hold back. She waved her hand. “You guys have fun and chat, I’m going to visit Auntie Li for a bit.”\n

“Eh,” Xie Xue said. “Saozi—”\n

Li Ruoqiu had already left.\n

That aunty smileshe had as she was leaving, even an idiot could tell what she was thinking. Xie Xue immediately felt a little awkward, a blush creeping up on her cheeks.\n

“Um, sorry about that, He Yu. My sister-in-law likes to watch idol dramas. When she watches too much of these things, she likes to let her imagination run wild.”\n

“It’s fine.” He Yu lowered his eyes and took a sip of the warm tea. He felt Li Ruoqiu’s misunderstanding was rather useful to him, he smiled and said, “I don’t mind.”\n

He already quite liked Xie Xue, so it didn’t really matter that Li Ruoqiu thought that way.\n

“Oh right, your brother is not working tomorrow, but he’s coming over to my house to sort out a few things. Do you want to come with him? When he’s done, I’ll take you to eat BBQ.”\n

When Xie Xue heard there’s food, she enthusiastically agreed.\n

However, when He Yu got home that night, he noticed the living room lights were on. When he entered, Lu Zhishu was sitting in the room reading a newspaper.\n

He Yu was a bit surprised.\n

Lu Zhishu and He Jiwei were usually not home. The He family had two manors they typically resided in: one in Huzhou, and the other in Yanzhou. The main residence was in Yanzhou. He Yu had only lived there before the age of five, then he was taken to the south. His brother was not the same. His brother had to study there, and had gotten used to playing around with his boys there. Whenever he saw his multi-talented gege he’d feel attacked, and so he’s always lived at the main residence.\n

The two brothers were separated by a large distance. When the parents were free, they would of course rather spend time with that innocent and cute baby brother. Unless something happened, they’d rarely spend any time with He Yu.\n

“…… How come you’re back?”\n

“Just finished with a business trip.” Lu Zhishu put down the newspaper, and spoke to her elder son, “Come sit, there’s something I have to tell you.”\n

The high school freshman dropped his bag, took off his shoes and came inside. His mother had to look up to meet his gaze.\n

He Yu lowered his eyelashes. “Go ahead.”\n

Lu Zhishu poured herself a cup of wine, took a sip, then said, “Tomorrow is the last day Dr. Xie is coming to see you. After this, he will no longer be our private doctor.”\n

He Yu did not expect it was this sort of thing. He froze.\n

After a long while, he heard his seemingly calm voice. “…… Why is it so sudden?”\n

“En. I didn’t tell you earlier. I was afraid you’d be torn.”\n

“…… Why?”\n

Lu Zhishu did not answer this question directly, instead said, “The payment is already being processed. Tomorrow when he has settled everything with me, he will let you know as well. But after this—”\n

She took another sip of wine. “You shouldn’t interact with his family anymore.”\n

“……”\n

“Do you understand what I mean? We are not people from the same level. When I sent Laozhao to pick you up this afternoon, he told me you went to Yinyu alley with his sister to visit.” Lu Zhishu sighed. “To be honest, you really disappoint me. Mencius’s mother moved three times, just so he can have good neighbors. All parents wish their children to be surrounded by suitable companions.”\n

She regarded the boy’s already towering figure, moved her gaze up, and stopped at He Yu’s handsome face.\n

“Especially female companions.”\n

The living room was silent for a long time.\n

Then He Yu asked, “This is what Dr. Xie wanted?”\n

“Leaving his position is what he wanted, telling you to stay away from his family is what I want.” Lu Zhishu admitted willingly. She smiled, walked in front of He Yu, raised her hand and brushed back his bangs.\n

“But I feel, he also wants what I want. He would not want to have unnecessary contact after finishing a period of employment. He is very clear-headed, this is one of the reasons both your dad and I admire and trust him.”\n

“……”\n

“If you don’t believe me you can ask him tomorrow.”\n

……\n

The next day, Xie Qingcheng came.\n

All of the paperwork had been done. He performed one last examination of his condition. Then Xie Qingcheng said composedly to the boy lying on the patient chair, “Your mom has probably already told you.”\n

He Yu, “……”\n

“Starting from tomorrow, I won’t be here anymore.”\n

“If you ever feel ill in the future, don’t choose the method of hurting yourself to divert attention like before. Also, no matter which doctor you have, you have to remember, the most important thing is still your own state of mind.”\n

When the young doctor said these words, he indeed had no personal emotions—\n

Lu Zhishu was right. In Xie Qingcheng’s mind, his boundary with He Yu had always been very clear. They were not from the same world. He Yu is the He family’s eldest young master, he was He Jiwei’s son.\n

And he was only a doctor hired by his family.\n

For He Yu, always relying on a doctor to relieve his mental predicaments was not a good thing.\n

Xie Qingcheng is very calm, he’s well aware of this.\n

He can provide patients with care, support, and give strong mental encouragement. But when it’s time to bid farewell, he won’t leave any sentiments. When dealing with patient relationships he had always been this decisive and clean, so he only said one final line, “…… Alright, Xiao Gui, I wish you a speedy recovery.”\n

The boy who had just reached adolescence suppressed the rage in his heart, watching him: “……There isn’t anything else you want to say to me?”\n

“……”\n

He waited for a while, but did not see a reaction from Xie Qingcheng.\n

He Yu said, “Alright. You don’t have any, but I do.”\n

“……”\n

“Xie Qingcheng, these past few years, I’ve gone through a lot of doctors. They made me take medicine, gave me shots, and viewed me as nothing more than an isolated case patient. Only you were different.\n

“It’s true that I don’t like you, but I’ve listened to everything you said.\n

“Because only you have ever treated me like someone who can belong in society. You told me taking shots and drugs aren’t the most important thing; making connections with others, and building a stronger mentality are the only ways I can truly survive.”\n

He Yu paused for a moment. “Dr. Xie, even though I’m not that close to you, but I……”\n

“……”\n

“I……”\n

When He Yu spoke of this, he was unable to continue for quite a while. A pair of almond-shaped eyes glared at Xie Qingcheng’s face. \n

“I thought you did not only think of me as a patient, but also as a normal person with emotions.”\n

“I did indeed think of you as a normal person with emotions.”\n

“Then you’re just going to suddenly walk away like this?” The high schooler’s body had already grown. When he’s in the midst of anger, his aura was actually quite terrifying, already exuding a sense of oppression, “Is this what a relationship between normal people is like?”\n

Xie Qingcheng was silent for a moment: “He Yu. I know you feel this whole thing is very sudden. I was going to give you prior notice, but I have communicated with your parents, especially your father. He is considered an old acquaintance, and is also my employer. As long as I’m not going against basic principles, I have to respect his wishes first……”\n

“Then what about my wishes?”\n

Xie Qingcheng said, “I’m only a doctor.”\n

“I should be considered your employer too.” He Yu stared at him, “Shouldn’t you ask for my opinion?”\n

“……” Xie Qingcheng sighed, “Control your emotions, young man. I mean no disrespect, but you’re still a student, and paying my salary isn’t something you’re able to do.”\n

He Yu didn’t know what he was thinking. At that time he was already quite mature. Even in social situations with adults, he can carry himself quite well without losing composure.\n

But when he thought about Xie Qingcheng and Xie Xue both leaving, he suddenly became very desperate, and actually blurted out, “I have a lot of allowance money, I can—”\n

“Use it to buy yourself some cake.”\n

“……”\n

Xie Qingcheng said to him rationally, “I’m not a piece of cake that when your father won’t buy it for you, you try to buy it yourself. A big reason for me to come treat you is to return a favor to him. I cannot go against his wishes, do you understand?”\n

“Why does he have to make you leave?”\n

“He didn’t make me leave.” Xie Qingcheng said, “I wanted to leave myself. Didn’t you ask me earlier, whether leaving like this is a normal part of ending a human relationship?”\n

Xie Qingcheng looked into He Yu’s eyes.\n

“It is.\n

Even though in my eyes you are a normal person with emotions, the relationship you and I have is one of a doctor and his patient. Every relationship between people is periodic, even the parents that are the closest to you will not be able to accompany you for your entire life.”\n

Xie Qingcheng paused for a moment. “Right now our doctor-patient relationship is coming to an end, so I should be leaving. This is a very normal way of ending a relationship, between normal people.”\n

“……”\n

“The contract I had with your father from the very beginning, was just these seven years.”\n

As Xie Qingcheng said this, he looked at He Yu’s eyes again, “For your condition, at this point it’s no longer suitable for someone to continue to stay by your side like this. You’ll have to rely on yourself sooner or later to walk out from the shadows of your heart. Do you understand?”\n

“…… So just like my mother, you both feel that, after today, between us, between me and Xie Xue, there no longer need to be any unnecessary contact, right?”\n

Xie Qingcheng said, “If you need our help, you can contact us anytime.”\n

After a pause: “Other than that, there really is no need.”\n

“……”\n

“Also, your mother told me about how you and Xie Xue always hang out together alone.” Xie Qingcheng said, “As her guardian, I also feel this is not very appropriate.”\n

At this point in the conversation, he surveyed the high school boy, and spoke decently and calmly, “I know you two have a large age gap, what you feel towards her is a form of dependence, and nothing more. But after some time, it’s inevitable people will assume something bad, and that’s not a good thing for either of you.”\n

He Yu did not bother to correct his ancient and naive thinking, he only said, “So you agree with my mother’s decision.”\n

“I agree.”\n

He Yu stared at him for a long time, then he leaned back against the chair, holding his face, and gently laughed. That laugh was like a cloud covering the sun, concealing the inch of his heart that he had just barely exposed.\n

He Yu smiled and said, “Doctor, you are really…… so calm that no one would think you’re ill, but you’re even more heartless than I am.\n

“Alright. Since you’ve already said this much, you can leave.\n

“I will remember your words well. I’ll calmly save myself, and calmly continue to live on. I wish you a successful career and smooth sailing in your future.\n

“But—”\n

His tone changed.\n

“Xie Xue may be your sister, but she still has her own freedom. I don’t care what you all say, I’m still going to seek her company”\n

Xie Qingcheng frowned, his gaze becoming very serious. “She’s a girl, and you’re already fourteen, you should have a sense of distance. Why do you always have to tag along with her?”\n

“Because she’s not like you.”\n

The shadow drew a line on the ground, separating them into the dark and light side, like a fragment that’s been split in half. He Yu said, “She’s the only bridge connecting me to this world.”\n

Xie Qingcheng was silent for a moment. “Then you should find another one.”\n

The time was up. He still had some things to take care of, so he couldn’t speak with He Yu any longer. He left.\n

That day, He Yu sat on the chair without moving a muscle.\n

From dusk, till late into the night.\n

He Yu thought, Xie Qingcheng is actually a very clever person.\n

Xie Qingcheng’s words were always very logical. It was he who told him to treat himself like a normal person. It was he who told him you can rely on yourself to walk out from the shadows of your heart.\n

He even gave him the false sense that, even if he were to be really close to Xie Xue, Xie Qingcheng as her elder brother would accept him.\n

But on this day, he found out from Xie Qingcheng’s decision that he had thought too much.\n

An employer-employee relationship is really the most clear and simple of all human relationships. No matter if it had been ten or twenty years, when the relationship ended, you could settle the payment without a single bit of emotional entanglement; no one would owe anyone.\n

A private doctor who only worked for pay and leaving when there’s no benefit.\n

Compared to those doctors from before, there was nothing special about Xie Qingcheng. In fact, he was even more cruel than those doctors who regarded him as a different species, because he lied to him the longest, and got the most profit from his blood and suffering. It was he who let him wrongly believe that the connections he made can last, it was he who made him wrongly believe his love for Xie Xue can be accepted by their families.\n

But he was all wrong.\n

He Yu mulled over these past events as he looked at Xie Qingcheng’s face.\n

So many years have passed, and Xie Qingcheng was still that same Xie family big brother; not a single thing changed.\n

He still didn’t want Xie Xue to spend time alone with him, he still stood in front of his sister like some sort of tyrannical executive protector—even when you try to persuade him to be a bit more open-minded, his response was still the same.\n

Xie Qingcheng may have been a very good doctor, his treatment philosophy worthy of praise. He had fair beliefs, and responsibility towards patients.\n

But regrettably, he had no heart.\n

“Still thinking about the past?”\n

Xie Qingcheng’s voice pulled him out of his memories.\n

He Yu collected himself, and said, “…… You brought it up, so I thought of it. Thinking about it carefully, you really couldn’t possibly remember what attitude I had in the past.”\n

He Yu finally smiled. “After all, we had just a doctor-patient relationship that had already ended, am I right?”\n

Xie Qingcheng had yet to answer, when there was a sudden flash of light in the sky, followed by a loud BANG. Fireworks filled up the night sky.\n

Year after year, when the school festival ended, these brilliant fireworks were always used as the finale.\n

Endless sounds echoed, thousands of flowers bloomed.\n

Xie Qingcheng said, “Right.”\n

Amidst this brilliance, a sudden rumble of thunder sounded—it was a rain shower. The fireworks were fierce and gentle, but they cannot compare to the strong and cold lightning, and so they soon died down. In the distance the students giddily ran into the school building or dormitory for shelter. Raindrops the size of soybeans pitter-pattered in the lively atmosphere.\n

He Yu still carried that disingenuous smile, underneath the darkening sky, he said. “Let’s go take shelter from the rain, Dr. Xie. I think if you analyze with your clear level of thinking, other than a doctor-patient relationship, you’re also now my teacher’s brother. If you get all wet, it’ll make me look bad in front of her.”\n

He paused for a moment, and continued sarcastically, “For two people that have ended a doctor-patient relationship, taking shelter together should be a normal act, and not crossing any boundaries, right?”\n

Xie Qingcheng knew He Yu still antagonized him in his heart.\n

But Xie Qingcheng did not have much patience and tolerance to comfort him anymore, he coldly replied, “Right.”\n

He Yu smiled, “There’s a cave up ahead, you go ahead first.”\n

.\n

While He Yu and Xie Qingcheng looked for shelter on the island over here, over there, the xuezhang diligently worked for his pay. He guarded the entrance, not letting any other festival-goers come near.\n

The senior thought, at this time, most people would’ve already finished participating. It’s unlikely anyone would be bored enough to come all this way to Dream Island to get a stamp, so he relaxed a lot.\n

“Aiya, this rain sure is heavy.” He exclaimed while sitting on the duck-shaped ferry, curiously looking towards the island, hoping to see something.\n

But it was too far, earlier he only saw He Yu together with a tall and slim person. He was nearsighted and couldn’t see too clearly, so he thought that beauty was quite tall, probably close to 180cm. He didn’t know whether or not she was wearing heels.\n

The senior thought He Yu’s tastes sure were unique, liking such a tall gal.\n

Sigh…… people from capitalist families sure make others envious.\n

As he was thinking about this, he got a little antsy. He wanted to know now that it was raining, how the two people on the island were doing. Neither of them brought an umbrella, and there was only a cave. Students rarely went there, and it was a blind spot in the school’s surveillance system. The senior had heard that some couples really like to go there in the middle of the night for outdoor sex. He calculated, for someone with He Yu’s looks and background, and with the amount of effort he spent chasing that 180cm beauty, he must’ve already succeeded.\n

Maybe he should send a text message to sell a condom to the capitalist.\n

The senior took out his phone as he thought about this.\n

Hitting home base on the night of confession is fitting for the current fast-paced lifestyle, right?\n

Therefore the senior started composing a message, planning to send it to the cellphone that hadn’t been signal blocked, wanting to take advantage of his ‘promotion’.\n

“He-laoban, there’s an emergency kit in the cave on the island. In the second layer there are a few boxes of condoms. If you need, just go look in the box. Don’t forget to send me a red packet if you use it……”\n

.\n

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The author has something to say:\n

The stupidest thing a youth can do is to try and use his allowance money to keep the man his father spent a huge amount of effort to hire……\n

The stupidest thing a parent can do is to interfere in their children’s freedom of marriage, forcing the young boy to stay away from their own little girl. You’ll end up like Xie-ge, drawing the attention of the boy to himself instead……\n

Also the fact that Dr. Xie was paid to treat He Yu but still not having much money is not a bug. I’ll explain the main reasons later = = Ah, of course there are secondary reasons as well: the real estate in Huzhou is insanely expensive = = A few years of treatment is not enough to upgrade a house…… (??? such a realistic housing problem = =)

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