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Song Bunan couldn't sleep in the bed when he finally arrived. The brief but high-quality sleep left him wide awake, though he felt a bit fatigued. Fortunately, the breakfast that Xin Yi brought was still warm. After a quick wash-up, he sat down at the table. On the plate was a pancake, and the green lettuce had wilted slightly from the steam, while the fruits inside had become soft and no longer crisp.
Xin Yi was pouring some warm soy milk into a bowl, planning to heat it up, when he heard the rustling of a plastic bag behind him. Turning around, he saw Song Bunan opening the dishes he had brought last night, seemingly intending to heat them up along with their containers in the microwave.
Xin Yi casually tossed his empty cup into the trash can and turned to take the takeout container from Song Bunan's hands, placing it on the cutting board while meeting the child's bewildered gaze. After selecting a plate from the rack, he directly transferred the food onto it.
"Are you planning to heat it up with the plastic container?" As the microwave started working, Song Bunan remained frozen in his two-handed grip on the box. Blinking his eyes between his hands and the microwave, he finally responded, "My brother always puts it in like this. He says these boxes can be heated."
Xin Yi felt helpless at this statement. He pushed Song Bunan out of the kitchen and handed him chopsticks before sitting down across from him with his own portion. "If your brother hasn't taught you anything right, then don't listen to him. Putting plastic containers in the microwave is usually something you do when you're tired of life."
The pancake had become soft but retained its flavor. After taking a bite and chewing away some excess lettuce, Song Bunan nodded obediently, indicating that he understood. He didn't dare say much to Xin Yi; after all, that night spent away from home was still a point of leverage against him. Yet, as he finished most of his pancake, he stood up to get more food and quietly said, "I didn't tell your brother."
Song Bunan's face lit up as if he had been granted a pardon; his expression became much happier. Xin Yi thought that if there were any special effects commonly used by colleagues in photos at that moment, flowers would surely be blooming above Song Bunan's head.
After finishing their meal and heading to the hospital, Song Bunan received a call from Xiao Mei while sitting in the car. On the other end of the line, she criticized him for leaving before dawn and launched into a passionate tirade filled with various dialects. He and Xin Yi listened quietly as Xiao Mei complained for three to five minutes before Song Bunan sincerely apologized to conclude the call, adding that he hadn't understood a single word she said.
"Understand? Go die!" The call was abruptly ended. Xin Yi watched as Song Bunan pretended to be mature while muttering about how unreasonable she was.
He glanced at the road ahead, unable to suppress a smile at how they both shared similar traits of being stubborn and disobedient yet only pointed fingers at others.
"You and Song Buxian really are brothers," Xin Yi remarked, prompting Song Bunan to widen his eyes in excitement as if awaiting further elaboration. "You both love pretending to be mature."
The one pretending quickly pouted and tucked his chin in, forcing out a triple chin while lowering his voice dramatically: "Young man, don't speak like that; you never know who you're dealing with."
With an amused glance at this performance, Song Bunan's round face brightened even more due to laughter: "But I'm just a freshly graduated college student!"
"..." This strange sense of humor was indeed absent in Song Buxian; it seemed that there were still differences between the two brothers.
As they joked around in the car, they soon arrived at the hospital. Upon reaching the entrance, they spotted Jiang Ling in a white coat standing under a pillar with a medical record book in hand, speaking with an elderly man. When they approached, he looked up and smiled, signaling them to wait upstairs.
Song Bunan recalled that Jiang Ling would be responsible for him moving forward; he would be handling his dressing change this time. However, he noticed that Xin Yi had lost his smile and walked seriously alongside him toward the elevator. Fortunately, they were alone in the elevator; Song Bunan didn't hold back and directly asked why Xin Yi seemed unhappy.
The response caught him off guard. Xin Yi said, "That person has a fake smile; he doesn't seem much like a doctor."
After pondering for a while without grasping what Xin Yi meant, Song Bunan shook his head to indicate confusion. Just as he intended to ask for further clarification, the elevator door opened to reveal an elderly lady outside with her hair styled in an old-fashioned way and leaning on a cane. She waited patiently for them to exit before stepping inside.
Feeling an eerie familiarity with this grandmother, Song Bunan instinctively turned back just in time to see her unique silver hairpin glimmering atop her head. A chill ran down his spine as if someone had shoved him into an ice pit; out of reflexive anxiety, he grasped Xin Yi's wrist tightly enough to startle him into asking what was wrong.
Since their last encounter in his family's elevator with that grandfather haunting his memories—especially after dreaming about him last night—Song Bunan couldn't shake off his fear upon seeing her today. But Xin Yi didn't believe in such ghostly encounters; once they reached their floor and calmed down enough for Song Bunan to release his grip on Xin Yi's wrist while assuring him it was nothing more than being startled by an old lady.
When Xin Yi teased him about being afraid of elderly people, Song Bunan's racing heart finally slowed down as he smiled and nodded: "Yeah, I got scared."
He realized that perhaps he'd become seen as timid in Xin Yi's eyes—an epiphany that struck him later on. They both sat on chairs outside Jiang Ling's office waiting for him to return when suddenly calls flooded Xin Yi's phone one after another since around eight-thirty; it seemed like it never stopped ringing.
Will I be this busy too someday? Sitting idly beside him while swinging his legs absentmindedly amidst all those incessant phone notifications felt more familiar than school—the lingering scent of disinfectant filling the air as nurses and doctors rushed past them while people cried or laughed nearby. He once belonged among them—crying over medication or boasting about getting discharged from another ward. Back then time moved slowly; every day felt like an eternity spent within those hospital walls—but now here he was about to officially start working himself.
The boss sat nearby, speaking in a serious tone to each caller about work matters and tasks that needed attention, completely different from how he had been recently.
However, Song Bunan found him handsome no matter what. Perhaps it was because of what Xiao Mei had analyzed yesterday; having suddenly gained some clarity about his own feelings, he could accept this affection with surprising ease. After all, liking someone is just that—who doesn't have a little crush now and then?
Xiao Mei was also astonished by his level of acceptance. Just half an hour ago, she had been earnestly analyzing the possibility and reasons why this person named Xin Yi liked her brother. Now, half an hour later, she had switched her stance under her own analysis, cheerfully accepting the theory that they indeed had mutual feelings. She even wore a delighted expression, saying how nice it was.
"Li Ze is such a person; his mind doesn’t even consider romance at all—he's completely clueless," was Xiao Mei's final remark before stepping out of her room.
It could be troublesome not being at one's post during work hours, especially since Song Buxian was on a business trip and had left many tasks for him to handle. The situation of not being physically present but needing to keep his mind in the game made him slightly irritated. He couldn't tell if it was the hospital's noise or the sheer number of calls that bothered him more. The stuffy hospital corridor made him crave a cigarette, but he couldn't indulge.
While connecting calls, he glanced at Song Bunan, who sat quietly beside him, swinging his legs slightly and gazing up at the ceiling with a calm expression, lost in thought. From his angle, he could see a bit of neck peeking out from the collar of his shirt, marked with several red mosquito bites. From the side, his face appeared round and soft, making one feel as if they could pinch it and squeeze out some water.
He had seriously contemplated his feelings for Song Bunan. Analyzing rationally, regardless of gender, Song Bunan's personality and age fell well within his preferred range. After all, compared to a mature partner, someone lively and somewhat childish would certainly bring more freshness to his life. Emotionally speaking, Song Bunan's childlike demeanor made him utterly endearing; especially that aura he unconsciously exuded—one that seemed to crave protection—struck right at the heart of what ignited his affection.
When faced with Song Buxian's doubts, he had openly admitted his feelings. Yet upon reflection, he felt somewhat apprehensive—not about whether his family would approve but rather whether Song Bunan would still want to talk to him after breaking through that barrier.
Why hadn’t he felt such hesitance when pursuing relationships with others before? This question lingered in his mind as he tried to sleep at night.
Finally finishing up with the issues at hand, Xin Yi intended to chat with the person next to him. However, when he turned around after putting away his phone, he found Song Bunan laughing and chatting with Jiang Ling, who had somehow appeared beside them. This young man hardly looked like a doctor; he possessed charming peach blossom eyes that sparkled mischievously when he smiled.
Clearly comfortable with Jiang Ling now, Song Bunan’s eyes sparkled with joy as he leaned toward Jiang Ling, exuding an air of camaraderie between them.
Though Xin Yi believed he had outgrown jealousy, seeing this scene still stirred some unhappiness within him. Coupled with the lingering irritation from earlier, his mood soured further. Regardless of whether they noticed his emotions or not, Xin Yi decided to stand up and address Jiang Ling directly: “I’ve finished my tasks here; can I help Bunan change his dressing now?”
One of them nodded slightly with a smile indicating it was fine while the other turned around with a bright grin that lifted Xin Yi's spirits just a bit. He watched as Song Bunan stood up and handed him a piece of candy wrapped simply without any branding: “Jiang Ling just gave me one for you and one for me. I can go in by myself; you can keep busy for now; it won’t take long!”
In his cheerful state, Song Bunan spoke lightly and joyfully—a tone that seemed to have the power to uplift those around him. Xin Yi accepted the candy and replied more casually than before: “It’s fine; I’ve already taken care of everything.”
Jiang Ling observed everything with keen interest and gestured for them to go inside while casting a meaningful glance at Xin Yi.
Interesting.
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