Chapter 51

Perhaps it was because he was lying in bed like this, unable to go anywhere, and needed others' help for anything beyond the confines of his bed. Chen Chao was also a person with extremely strong self-esteem who was used to being independent. Lying there day after day inevitably caused one's psychological defenses to retreat again and again.

Aside from Grandpa, Grandma, and Chen Guangda, Miao Jiayan was the only person Chen Chao saw every day.

Once Chen Chao had gotten used to seeing him every day, if there was a day he didn't see him, he would feel that everything was off, unsettled, and uncomfortable.

The day before, Miao Jiayan had sold two hundred bouquets of flowers. After subtracting more than ten unpaid orders and a few returns, he only needed to ship one hundred and eighty in the end. The flowers were cut, their stems wrapped, bundled, packaged in paper, and placed in boxes. The three aunties' movements were very deft and swift. At first, Miao Jiayan lent a hand, cutting a few stems, but he later discovered there was nothing for him to do, so he just watched from the side, picking out flowers he thought were substandard and replacing them with new ones.

The weather was hot, so Miao Jiayan didn't dare expose his arms and legs, afraid of getting a tan. He could only wear very thin long-sleeved shirts and long pants, not even daring to show his ankles. Previously, his ankles had gotten tanned, and Brother Di had disdained him for it for quite a while, saying his calves had lost their elegance.

A few days ago, while bathing at night, Miao Jiayan discovered his ankles were a little dark. Frightened, he quickly wrapped a used face mask from his face around his ankles and squeezed out the remaining essence from the packet to rub on them. Otherwise, he would get scolded again at the next photoshoot.

Miao Jiayan went to look at the flowers in the other greenhouses. The batches of flower seeds were different; some seedlings hadn't even budded yet. Dozens of the greenhouses contained imported flower species, which were also more delicate. Grandpa Miao and Grandma Miao watched over them very carefully.

Miao Jiayan made a round of the greenhouses. By the time he returned, the goods were almost all shipped out. He waited there until the delivery truck came and watched it haul away the hundred-plus cardboard boxes before putting on his big hat and heading back.

Grandpa Chen had borrowed a crutch for Chen Chao from someone in the village. His injury wasn't as severe as Chen Guangda's, so it was okay for him to occasionally take a few steps with the crutch. It was just that he couldn't walk for long, couldn't have his foot unsupported for too long, and couldn't exert any force on it.

When Miao Jiayan came back and saw Chen Chao shuffling on the ground with a crutch, he was so scared his soul nearly flew out of his body.

“Brother Chao, where are you trying to go?” Miao Jiayan went over to support his other arm, his brows furrowed tightly. “You're not supposed to get off the bed.”

“You're back?” Chen Chao shushed him. “Be quieter. I only came down for a walk because Grandpa fell asleep.”

Miao Jiayan was used to obeying him, so he did indeed lower his voice at first and asked, “Is it okay for you to get up now?”

Chen Chao said nonchalantly, “It's fine.”

Miao Jiayan fell silent. After sulking for a while, he turned his head and said, “I'm going to tell Grandpa Chen. Grandpa Chen will take away the crutch then.”

Chen Chao quickly grabbed him, holding his wrist and saying with a smile, “Hey, hey, don't go.”

Miao Jiayan felt he wasn't listening to the doctor's advice and didn't want to talk to him anymore. He just said, “I'll tell him when Grandpa Chen wakes up.”

“So you know how to tattle now?” Chen Chao found it rather amusing. “I'm just going to the bathroom.”

Miao Jiayan said in a small voice, “Your foot is definitely going to hurt tonight.”

It was still too early to be up and about. Just from taking those few steps to the bathroom, Chen Chao's ankle had swollen up again. Miao Jiayan, annoyed that he wouldn't listen, ignored him. Grandpa Chen took the crutch away, saying he would give it back to him next week.

Miao Jiayan sat there, using his phone to talk in some unknown group chat, constantly busy with his own affairs.

Chen Chao's foot hurt because he had brought it on himself, so he couldn't complain. Miao Jiayan sat beside him without even lifting his head. Chen Chao reached out and twirled a lock of his hair. Miao Jiayan seemed too absorbed in his chat to notice and casually brushed it back to the front.

Chen Chao: “...”

Sister Fangfang told Miao Jiayan to do another livestream next week. Miao Jiayan had invested a lot of money into this flower base; half of the money he'd earned over the past few years was in it. He himself wasn't in a hurry to earn back the investment, but Sister Fangfang was worried for him.

The group chat was filled with people from Sister Fangfang's team. The customer service staff Miao Jiayan was using now were also people she had lent him, and the after-sales service was handled directly by them.

Fangfang: Why aren't you worried? If you lose that little bit of money you have, it's not like you had much to begin with.

Miao Jiayan thought to himself, 'I feel like it's quite a lot... I'm already very satisfied.'

Miao Jiayan: Don't you worry, Sis.

Fangfang: I'm just worried that you'll lose the little money you've earned these past few years, and it'll all be for nothing. I tell you to make money, but you never take it seriously. You're so young, what are you doing if not making more money?

Basically, for every sentence she said, Miao Jiayan would have a rebuttal in his heart. After she finished, Miao Jiayan thought, 'I'm already working very hard.'

Miao Jiayan: I still have some money.

Fangfang: Oh, please.

Fangfang: Do you think I don't know how much money you have?

Miao Jiayan thought to himself, 'Then how much is considered a lot?'

Chen Chao's foot hurt. He couldn't get into his book, nor did he feel like playing on his phone. Lying flat on his back was tiring, and lying on his side made his shoulder sore.

After he had tossed and turned a few times, Miao Jiayan finally noticed him and turned his head to ask, “Are you uncomfortable, Brother Chao?”

Chen Chao asked, “Are you done being busy?”

“Not yet,” Miao Jiayan replied. “Still talking.”

“Oh,” Chen Chao said, lying flat and staring at the ceiling. “Then you go on and be busy.”

The two of them didn't usually talk all the time; neither was very talkative. They would often just be in each other's presence, occasionally saying a word or two. Miao Jiayan talked with Sister Fangfang and the others for a long time. Chen Chao kept tossing and turning. Later, Chen Guangda got bored too and started chatting with his son.

Miao Jiayan was being lectured by Sister Fangfang's team and didn't have the attention to spare to listen to what Uncle Chen and Chen Chao were talking about.

“Who's Miao'er talking to? He's not even lifting his head.” Chen Guangda glanced over and asked.

“Don't know,” Chen Chao said.

“Tomorrow your Second Uncle and his family are coming back. They said they want to see us,” Chen Guangda said.

Chen Chao frowned slightly. “You told them?”

“I certainly did not. They were already planning to come back to see your grandpa and grandma; it was your grandma who told them.” Unlike Chen Chao, Chen Guangda didn't find it embarrassing. He was actually quite happy that Second Uncle's family was coming back; it would be less boring.

Chen Chao thought about the scene of being surrounded and fussed over by Second Uncle's family and could only feel a headache coming on.

Miao Jiayan finally finished his chat. Grandpa Chen also came over to wheel the two of them to the bathroom to get cleaned up. Usually, this was the time Miao Jiayan would go back home to sleep.

The two of them hadn't exchanged more than a few sentences all day. Miao Jiayan said, “I'm heading out now?”

Chen Chao gave an expressionless “mhm.”

Miao Jiayan instructed, “Don't toss and turn all night, and don't move your foot too much.”

Chen Chao said, “Got it.”

Miao Jiayan was about to leave. Chen Chao glanced up at him, then looked away.

“Are you going to the greenhouses tomorrow morning?” Chen Chao asked.

“No,” said Miao Jiayan. “There's nothing to do tomorrow.”

Chen Chao then nodded and said, “Got it,” again.

The next morning, Miao Jiayan arrived at six. Chen Chao had a thin layer of sweat on his forehead from sleeping. Miao Jiayan went and turned on the fan.

Chen Chao had lost a lot of weight. No one who lay in bed all day like this could still look healthy. Chen Chao was clearly two sizes thinner than when he had just come back for the break. This was the most listless Miao Jiayan had ever seen him since they'd met.

Miao Jiayan sat on a small stool, resting his arms on the side of Chen Chao's bed to watch him. He laid his cheek on his own arm and just kept watching, and his heart ached for him.

When Chen Chao woke up and opened his eyes, he saw Miao Jiayan beside him. His gaze fixed for a moment, and he asked, “You're here?”

Miao Jiayan smiled at him and said softly, “Good morning, Brother Chao.”

Chen Chao looked at him and said, “Smiling first thing in the morning. Silly.”

Miao Jiayan promptly tucked away the double chin that had appeared from his smile and asked him, “Are you going to sleep more?”

Chen Chao shook his head and sat up.

He seemed to be in a good mood, as if he were a little happy, though he didn't show it very obviously.

Miao Jiayan wheeled him over to wash up. Chen Chao wanted to wash his hair, but Miao Jiayan didn't let him reach for the faucet. Instead, he wrapped a towel around him and filled a small basin with warm water, placing it on his lap.

Every time Chen Chao washed his hair, he would get water all over himself. Miao Jiayan stood beside him and said, “Don't move, I'll wash it for you.”

With the towel wrapped around him, sitting there holding the basin, Chen Chao looked like a kindergartener. Miao Jiayan lathered foam on top of his head. His own hair was so long that he always had to use a lot of shampoo. Switching to hair of Chen Chao's length, he didn't control the amount well, and the foam multiplied the more he lathered.

After a while, Miao Jiayan started laughing as he lathered. He could toss away a handful of foam and still work up another.

Being scrubbed at like this, Chen Chao didn't get angry, just sat there with a speechless expression. Foam trickled down his forehead into his eye socket. Chen Chao raised his hand to wipe it with the towel, and Miao Jiayan asked, “What's wrong?”

As he spoke, he leaned over to look, bending down to be at eye level with Chen Chao. When he saw that half of Chen Chao's forehead was covered in foam, he burst out laughing.

Miao Jiayan wiped Chen Chao's face while still laughing, saying, “Sorry, I messed up.”

Chen Chao was expressionless: “It's okay.”

Miao Jiayan was still smiling, his eyes curving slightly into two arcs as he looked softly at Chen Chao.

His double eyelids weren't prominent. They say that seventy percent of judging a person is in the eyes, and Miao Jiayan's eyes were very gentle. Chen Chao could always see his own reflection in Miao Jiayan's eyes, under his soft gaze.

Although the foam production had gotten a little out of control, the hair wash was extremely comfortable. Chen Chao usually just rinsed his hair casually with water, but after washing up today, he felt refreshed and invigorated.

But he had been sitting for a little too long, and his foot hurt.

“I heard from Grandma Chen that Second Uncle and his family are coming today?” Miao Jiayan asked Chen Chao.

Chen Chao grunted in affirmation. “In the afternoon.”

“With so many family members around, it'll be a bit inconvenient for me to be here.” Miao Jiayan thought for a moment and asked, “So, I'll head back this afternoon then. If you need anything, call me?”

Chen Chao lay there without speaking, and it was unclear if he had heard.

It wasn't that it was actually inconvenient; the two families were so close, and there wasn't anything he couldn't hear. But with Second Uncle's whole family back, having a neighbor's kid sitting in the room while the family was talking would indeed be awkward for Miao Jiayan.

So, when Second Uncle and his family arrived, Miao Jiayan went home. Before leaving, he stood beside Chen Chao and said, “I'll just be at home. Call me if you need anything.”

Chen Chao, his face turned to the side, answered with an “mhm.”

Miao Jiayan said goodbye to Grandma Chen and went back to his own house.

He had just left when Second Uncle and the others pushed open the door and came in. Chen Chao closed his eyes, lay back, and pretended to be asleep.

Second Uncle, Second Aunt, and their younger son—the three of them gathered around Chen Guangda's bed. Beneath their concerned inquiries was an irrepressible sense of amusement. Chen Chao didn't even open his eyes until the topic was completely exhausted and some time had passed.

The younger cousin came over and leaned on his bed, saying, “Bro, you're not handsome anymore.”

Chen Chao: “I have no need for that anymore. All I want now is to get on my feet.”

The younger cousin laughed unrestrainedly for a long while. Chen Chao fished out his phone from under his pillow.

—Miao Jiayan.

Miao Jiayan replied instantly: Hey.

Chen Chao: Come over.