Chapter 658

Fang Ziye was doing a mental arithmetic problem right now.

When Fang Ziye met Luo Tingzhu, Luo Tingzhu was only twenty-three years old; Lan Tianluo is Luo Tingzhu's younger brother, so at the very least he had already graduated from undergraduate studies and had already come to Zhongnan Hospital.

Lan Tianluo wouldn't be that much younger than Luo Tingzhu.

Luo Tingzhu had said that her parents separated when she was very young.

After Luo Tingzhu could remember things, her parents divorced, and before the divorce Lan Tianluo had already been born.

If Lan Tianluo is the child of Luo Tingzhu's father and stepmother Lan Limin, then Luo Tingzhu's father would count as "cheating during marriage".

But is there a possibility that Lan Tianluo and Luo Tingzhu really are full siblings, same father and same mother?

If Lan Tianluo hadn't mentioned the matter about Luo Pan to him today, Fang Ziye would never have thought of this angle...

Referencing Liu Gaobo and Aunt Ruan Qiutao's other daughter Liu Xia—

Lan Tianluo's persistent fixation on finding Luo Tingzhu and getting close to Luo Tingzhu doesn't hold water at all.

If they really are half-siblings, either paternal or maternal, would their relationship really be this good? Would there really be this kind of obsession?

Then if my guess is true, Lan Tianluo is also somewhat "not acting human"...

All along the way, the three of them were silent for a long time, until the car was about to reach a restaurant, when Luo Tingzhu suddenly ordered: "Lan Tianluo, drive, go back to your home."

"Not eating?" Lan Tianluo hit the brakes and reduced speed.

"Go back first, then eat." Luo Tingzhu's tone was rather urgent.

Lan Tianluo didn't say anything more either, and simply turned off the navigation directly.

In a relatively old-fashioned residential community without an underground garage, Lan Tianluo parked the car steadily downstairs of the residential building.

Luo Tingzhu couldn't wait to push open the car door, then hurriedly urged Lan Tianluo upstairs.

Fang Ziye could only follow behind and ask: "Tingzhu, don't bring the luggage upstairs, right?"

The two of them had booked a hotel; they'd have to go stay there in a bit.

However, the usually obedient Luo Tingzhu didn't give Fang Ziye a reply this time, so Fang Ziye simply didn't follow up.

After Lan Tianluo brought Luo Tingzhu inside, Luo Tingzhu directly braced the room's door shut with her back.

"Lan Tianluo, did you know something early on? Who told you?" Luo Tingzhu's mindset was slightly collapsing, both eyes bloodshot, gaze flickering and fearful, even more panic-stricken.

Because there was one thing she remembered especially clearly: her grandma disliked Lan Tianluo's parents extremely.

Disliked her own father, disliked Aunt Lan even more.

The two basically never returned to their hometown for the New Year, but Lan Tianluo had returned; Luo Tingzhu remembered it clearly!

Lan Tianluo bit his lip and said: "Sister... this isn't important."

"No, this is very important. I need to know the whole story!!!" Luo Tingzhu said with a firm tone.

"Even if I was wrong, I still need to know the truth."

Lan spoke.

Luo Tingzhu continued pressing: "My mother, is she really your mother?"

"Aunt Lan and Dad, have they been acting all along?"

Whether my mother is your mother is a completely nonsensical question; logically speaking, Luo Tingzhu shouldn't have asked such a thing.

"It's not acting! ~"

Lan Tianluo pulled Luo Tingzhu to one side: "According to what I tricked out of Aunt Lan, the year I was about to be born, Aunt Ruan."

When Lan reached the three words "Aunt Ruan", his Adam's apple rolled up and down.

"Aunt Ruan was targeted."

"Targeted by whom?" Luo Tingzhu asked.

"Don't know; if we knew it'd be easy to handle. Then Dad and Aunt Lan, afraid you'd be affected, for the sake of your safety, divorced."

"And Aunt Ruan quickly found Uncle Liu and remarried, my dad also quickly found my mom, my age was reduced by four months..."

"I was premature; I heard I was born at only thirty-two weeks."

"Although someone said it was from a fall, I absolutely don't believe that explanation."

Luo Tingzhu said: "Because of Dad's work?"

Lan Tianluo nodded.

Luo Tingzhu then stared carefully at Lan Tianluo, her gaze like a knife.

Eastern Han is a great power, a constantly developing nation; at any time, there are those who hide their names and bide their time.

Not merely for the sake of doing their careers well, but more for the safety of their families and others.

Luo Tingzhu only knew her father was a professor, settled in Henan Province; she knew nothing else.

Suppose!

Suppose Lan's words are all true, that Luo Pan and Ruan Qiutao didn't separate because of "incompatible personalities" but had other concerns.

Then?

Wouldn't that mean, for the safety of Luo Tingzhu and Lan Tianluo, the fact that Ruan Qiutao was Luo Pan's wife was discovered, so they were forced to separate helplessly, and then Lan Tianluo was fostered to "Luo Pan" and "Aunt Lan Limin"?

Then Ruan Qiutao, to prove the relationship was broken, quickly married Uncle Liu and even had a child?

Aunt Lan Limin and Ruan Qiutao, the two of them?

Then?

Luo Tingzhu is very smart; all the intricate threads Fang Ziye could analyze, she could analyze too.

"Knife sound!" Fang Ziye inappropriately knocked on the door.

"Don't tell Senior Brother." Luo Tingzhu decided quickly and decisively.

Lan Tianluo nodded.

Lan Tianluo's tone was very light: "But the things I said to you earlier, Senior Sister, Senior Brother should be able to guess a little bit of."

Luo Tingzhu had already opened the door; seeing Fang Ziye, her voice was slightly sweet and cloying: "Senior Brother."

Fang Ziye looked at Luo Tingzhu, who now seemed like a completely different person, his brows and eyes flashing lightly as he said: "Tingzhu, are you alright?"

Luo Tingzhu shook her head, her expression returning to high cold.

"Go pour a cup of water." Luo Tingzhu instructed Lan Tianluo.

"Okay, we have tea at home. Senior Brother, do you want coffee? We can order delivery..."

After the three sat down in the living room, Fang Ziye asked: "Before?"

Luo Tingzhu nodded at him.

Fewer mistakes, fewer mistakes; don't speak, don't make mistakes.

This world will never be that perfect; Eastern Han is too big, no one can say for sure which person has been infiltrated.

Luo Tingzhu only wanted to know the truth, and did not want to publicize the truth.

"Didn't you say you were going to eat something before? How come you're not going again? Aren't you hungry?" Fang Ziye hurriedly changed his address.

Just then, the knocking sound rang out again.

Lan Tianluo hurriedly stood up, volunteering: "I'll go."

Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu sat tensely side by side, thinking it was Lan Limin returning, but when Lan Tianluo looked through the peephole, he discovered it was Luo Pan.

"Dad! ~"

"How come you're back?" Lan Tianluo opened the door, very surprised.

"There are guests at home; if I can rush back, I naturally must rush back." A very warm and moist voice drifted in from outside.

Through this tone of voice alone, Fang Ziye could determine with certainty that Uncle Luo Pan was absolutely not the kind of taciturn, socially inept person he had previously thought.

The visitor had an upright stature, lofty brows, and a appearance somewhat similar to both Luo Tingzhu and Lan Tianluo; steady and magnanimous.

He lowered his head slightly, put on slippers, and said: "Xiao Fang, Tingzhu, you sit, no need to be polite."

Fang Ziye maintained a standing posture, squeezing out a smiling face: "Hello Uncle, I'm called Fang Ziye."

Luo Pan turned around, dressed rather simply; he wore old-style suit trousers and a short-sleeved shirt with a chest pocket, no tie: "You sit first, your Aunt Lan will be back in a bit."

"She originally planned to eat in the canteen; I sent her a message, she went to buy vegetables." Luo Pan's tone was warm and moist.

While speaking, he walked further inside, smiling at Lan Tianluo: "You're really not polite either, didn't even buy a share of fruit."

Lan Tianluo understood immediately, patted the back of his head: "Dad, I'll go downstairs to buy right away, forgot when I came."

Lan finished and turned to leave.

Luo Pan continued to approach inside, steps firm but slow.

"Dad." Luo Tingzhu was exceptionally apprehensive and uneasy at this moment, her tone nervous.

"You sit." Luo Pan smiled.

"Uncle, are your legs and feet inconvenient?" Fang Ziye looked at Luo Pan's gait, which seemed slightly off; moreover, if he wasn't mistaken, Luo Pan's hand muscles were comparatively stiff right now.

"Old chronic ailment, it's nothing." Luo Pan said.

"Uncle, may I ask, roughly what kind of ailment?" Fang Ziye once again squeezed out a smiling face with effort, asking in a gentle tone.

Caring about an elder's health is a proper matter.

Moreover, upon seeing Luo Pan for the first time, Fang Ziye recalled all the events of that year; the lines instantly became clear and he suddenly saw the light.

Luo Tingzhu previously chose Trauma Surgery because she recognized Lan Tianluo.

But Lan Tianluo went to Zhongnan Hospital, yet chose Trauma Surgery as his standardized training direction, not randomly picking a specialty, but having planned it long ago.

When Lan Tianluo was doing positioning, Zhongnan Hospital's positioning was because of Luo Tingzhu; the Trauma Surgery direction was because of Luo Pan.

"Hands and feet increasingly not too flexible. A few years ago writing was difficult; now wanting to type a few characters on the computer is also not easy."

"Today was good, had a meeting with the unit's leaders, notified early internal retirement..." Luo Pan laughed self-deprecatingly.

Luo Tingzhu heard this and hurriedly asked: "Dad, do you want to go to the hospital for a physical exam?"

Luo Pan shook his head: "The unit does physical exams every year; I've been to quite a few hospitals, none had a particularly good solution."

"I'm also taking medicine; you don't need to worry."

"Was this trip to Ya City for wedding photos fun?"

"If only the unit had processed my retirement procedures a bit earlier." Luo Pan sat down, sighing deeply.

Fang Ziye observed Luo Pan closely; Luo Pan's fingers were slightly deformed, but not the kind of deformation from rheumatoid arthritis.

His two hands' muscles were atrophied, skin practically wrapping the bones.

Looking again at Luo Pan's face plate and neck muscles, all were comparatively normal.

"Played very happily! ~" Luo Tingzhu nodded.

If it weren't for me and Senior Brother both having a middle-school syndrome relapse, creating some laughable and tearful incidents, it would probably have been even happier.

Fang Ziye's eyeballs turned lightly in a circle: "Uncle, do you have peripheral nerve muscle degenerative lesions?"

"Both hands and feet are comparatively stiff?"

Luo Pan's two eyes suddenly flashed with a bright light, scanning Fang Ziye with a meaningful look: "Xiao Fang can also treat illness?"

Luo Pan instinctively thought whether Fang Ziye had checked his medical records, but impossible; Luo Pan himself didn't even know what his information code meant.

Fang Ziye absolutely could not have found it out.

"Dad?!" Luo Tingzhu objected first.

"Senior Brother Fang is an Orthopedics Department professor; for Orthopedics diseases, Senior Brother Fang is very skilled. Placed nationwide, he's top tier."

Luo Tingzhu finished, afraid Luo Pan wouldn't believe, continued in a low voice emphasizing: "Even if not first, can rank second. It's an ordinal number."

Luo Pan heard this, brows tightly furrowed: "This kind of exaggerated talk, better not say randomly; Eastern Han is vast and resource-rich, talents abound; how old are you guys?"

"Your sincerity I've accepted."

Fang Ziye interjected, his tone firm: "Uncle, your body's condition — I have a way!"

"What way could you have? I've even been to Jishuitan and Xiehe — do you think you're more skilled than the professors here?" Luo Pan directly invoked the hospital to pressure him.

"Specialization exists in every field. For a disease type similar to yours, I performed a surgery this year with good results, though her condition was much lighter than yours."

"But your current situation also isn't impossible for surgical intervention." Fang Ziye said.

Fang Ziye's confidence stemmed from his current Knowledge Points Balance.

At worst he would simply exhaust all his Knowledge Points.

"Really or fake?"

"Little Fang, you speak so confidently, I almost can't refuse you face?" Luo Pan was still joking at this moment, his eyes glancing at Luo Tingzhu.

Fang Ziye did not answer directly: "Uncle, would you mind if I perform a physical examination to simply understand the general situation?"

Luo Pan extended two rather stiff hands: "Go ahead, you do it."

Fang Ziye also did not stand on ceremony; at this moment his eyes held only the physical examination, so he very carefully examined every muscle of Luo Pan's bilateral upper limbs in detail.

The more he examined, the more Fang Ziye's expression froze, his gaze rigid: "ALS!"

Many disease types share the same abbreviation, but ALS — amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — is one-to-one, "commonly known" as Frozen Person Syndrome.

Luo Tingzhu heard this and also hurried forward to touch Luo Pan's hands.

Luo Pan smiled: "Right? You two little brats are a bit too confident, aren't you?"

"This thing, you can't treat it, right?"

Luo Tingzhu finished touching, her eyes reddening: "When did this happen?"

"There were signs very early on, always taking medicine to control it."

"Fortunately still articulate for now." Luo Pan replied in a low voice.

Luo Tingzhu listened, silent and speechless.

Feelings are a two-sided matter; while Luo Tingzhu refused Luo Pan's concern, she herself also knew little about Luo Pan's physical condition.

On the contrary, Lan Tianluo knew even more.

Luo Tingzhu was choked with emotion; today's emotions suddenly became very complex.

……

Lan Limin returned very soon; Aunt Lan Limin had an ordinary appearance, tall figure, very diligent and virtuous; after returning she skillfully cut fruit then drilled into the kitchen to busy herself.

After the few people finished dinner and sat a while longer, the time reached seven forty; it was Luo Pan who first soothed Luo Tingzhu's discomfort, saying: "Tingzhu, you guys are tired from taking wedding photos, go back early to rest."

"The time isn't early either."

Luo Tingzhu thought a moment, not yet having time to speak, Lan: "I'll go see off Senior Brother and Senior Sister."

Aunt Lan Limin then enthusiastically said: "Tian Luo, you pack some more fruit for your Senior Brother and Senior Sister. They can eat it for fun later."

Lan Tianluo nodded: "Okay okay."

……

On the road back to the hotel, Luo Tingzhu's hands pressed together on her abdomen, lightly pressing down, tone deep, quite possessing an elder sister's bearing.

"Lan Tianluo, did you know about Dad's ALS long ago?"

"Then why didn't you say so earlier?" Luo Tingzhu questioned.

Lan Tianluo replied: "Sister, what use is saying this? Besides a real suffering-the-flesh scheme, there's no substantive meaning at all."

"And at first, I actually didn't know it was ALS, thought it was an orthopedics problem."

"Saying it would only cause worry, better not to say."

Luo Tingzhu said: "So, last time when Senior Brother was in Enshi, after he performed surgery on Professor Qu Tangwei's niece, you proposed we collect her specimen because of Dad?"

"Planning to create a cell line?"

Lan Tianluo nodded: "We have to find a potential specimen first, right?"

"And I couldn't very well lure or suggest someone else to have surgery first; Professor Qu Tangwei's niece's surgery was requested by her family themselves."

"Anyway it was already cut, thrown away is thrown away, I just thought to utilize it once more."

"ALS is all progressive; a few years or a dozen years should be waitable."

"What if the delay is even longer?"

Lan Tianluo immediately sighed again: "But, even if it's a few years or a dozen years, it's estimated to be very hard to find a curative method."

"This disease's case quantity is extremely few; even Senior Brother is unwilling to touch this disease's R&D, feeling the input-output ratio is too small."

"National level or pharmaceutical companies are even more unwilling to make such a loss-making investment."

"I only thought of these after entering the profession."

Fang Ziye listened, lowering his head.

From a rational angle, pouring money into Frozen Person Syndrome is truly burning money for show; even if a curative method is developed, it only benefits hundreds or thousands.

And if this money were invested in other disease types, it could benefit millions or tens of millions — a ten-thousand-fold population base difference.

Luo Tingzhu glanced at Fang Ziye, comforted: "Senior Brother, Lan Tianluo isn't blaming you."

"I know. After all, the unknowing are not guilty." Fang Ziye replied.

His own choice wasn't wrong; Lan Tianluo and Luo Tingzhu, if standing from a medical scholar's angle, would understand him; even if they stood from Luo Pan's angle, they wouldn't blame him.

They also never raised this issue to him; perhaps they also knew saying it would carry some moral coercion meaning.

Doing research relies on consciousness, relies on freedom, relies on inspiration; it's not that thinking of a direction means you can charge in that direction.

Eastern Han does have such geniuses and predecessors, but those people are all talents who encompass heaven and earth; ordinary geniuses don't even have the chance to see their backs.

Switching careers midway, changing research direction — where is it that easy?

Lan Tianluo is Luo Tingzhu's family, now also treating Fang Ziye as family; between family, moral coercion is impossible.

Luo Pan's illness has nothing to do with anyone, and it's not that Luo Tingzhu's ignoring him caused it!

"Senior Brother, even if you know, there's no need to temporarily change direction."

"The ALS research project — this major direction — its foundation is far too weak; if we're to research it, everything would have to start from scratch."

"My dad might not be able to wait." Luo Tingzhu's voice was on the verge of tears.

Today's Luo Tingzhu — her emotional fluctuations were too great. She had to face too many things all at once.

This isn't a matter of Luo Pan being bad at communication; rather, some things truly cannot be said.

Even if they were said, they could only be said in an extremely, extremely, extremely, extremely subtle way — more riddling than riddles.

Only comprehensible by intuition, inexpressible in words.

So, Luo Pan also had no way!

Even, Luo Tingzhu felt that actually her parents loved each other, but if they didn't want to be separated by yin and yang forever, there was only parting in the light.

These matters — clever as she was, Luo Tingzhu couldn't think of them, couldn't understand them; her own grandma couldn't understand them either.

Her own grandma once even said that even if she died, there was no need for him to return to mourn; only Luo Pan would often go back to offer incense, and would stagger his time to avoid Luo Tingzhu's.

What is a predecessor? A predecessor is actually someone who, in their own generation, learns from the predecessor's example, with flesh-and-blood body, does what they should do; they themselves may not feel they are great.

But later generations revere predecessors as saints — that is what a predecessor is...

Fang Ziye suddenly thought of another question.

That was: once, Luo Tingzhu's photo appeared in a group chat; Fang Ziye heard that after Luo Tingzhu's father learned of this, he flew into a rage.

What about that professor's current situation?

That Internal Medicine professor — perhaps it wasn't Lan Tianluo who forced him away, nor the 'Grandpa' Luo Tingzhu imagined, but Luo Pan.

If he wants to confirm this, Fang Ziye only needs to inquire about that professor's recent circumstances, and everything will become clear.

Because if it were Lan Tianluo's doing, he would only leave.

If it were that Grandpa behind Luo Tingzhu stepping in, he would only end up Hui Tou Tu Di; but if it were Luo Pan, that professor might have already changed careers by now.

But Luo Pan didn't make a big scene; perhaps what he worried about more was Luo Tingzhu's safety.

The more developed the internet is today, the more and bigger the loopholes become — not suitable for making a scene.

Lan Tianluo is only the first layer, because he excels at data statistical analysis.

Luo Tingzhu stands at the second layer, Luo Pan stands at the fifth layer...

All of the above — Fang Ziye has no way.

He can only be a spectator, watching this human world's bustle, watching Luo Pan and the others' brilliance; Fang Ziye can only remain UnknownBefore.

However, Fang Ziye is after all also a part of the human world.

He cannot reach Luo Pan's lofty position, but he can make Luo Pan's later years Live Better.

He is Luo Tingzhu's husband; he is his father-in-law; perhaps he didn't fulfill a father's responsibility to Luo Tingzhu, he let Luo Tingzhu down, but he himself must be worthy of him.

Even if Luo Pan achieves nothing in this life, lives in obscurity his whole life, his obscurity has no Meaning, Fang Ziye still feels he must be worthy of him...

Because he has this Capability.

"Lan Tianluo, after we go back, let's go do a live stream together." Fang Ziye said.

"Ah?" Lan Tianluo felt a bit Weird.

"We'll do a live stream together, relax a bit."

"Research requires Work-Life Balance." Fang Ziye said.

Lan Tianluo pursed his lips, nodded woodenly.

Geniuses always have quirks — for instance he does, Fang Ziye does too, and Lan Tianluo also knows that the old Fang Ziye had a "Collection Habit"!

The current Fang Ziye might just have a "Show-off Habit"!

So-called 'not returning home in brocade clothes is like a Brocade Clothes Night Walk'; Fang Ziye's achievements are Very High now, and his Medical Achievements aren't afraid of being public.

So, Fang Ziye wants to Show Off online, find a bunch of followers.

This is also a Self-preservation method.

(Chapter End)