Chapter 303

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Protagonist:

Lin Xiyu

Nanjiang, Kashgar.

Kashgar in September — short sleeves by day for the ancient city's light and shadow, a windbreaker by evening waiting for the bazaar sunset; the temperature swing within a single day is top-tier romance in a photographer's eyes.

Transferring at WLMQ from Jinan, by the time they arrived in Kashgar it was already 9 p. m.; accounting for the time difference, that was the equivalent of 11 p. m. Beijing time.

Grandma Gu had just stepped off the plane when she felt a hint of chill; she raised her eyebrows proudly at her grandson: "Bringing extra clothes wasn't wrong, was it? I'm the sensible one — if you'd had your way, the babies would all have caught colds."

"Right, right, right, everything you say is correct......"

Guben hurriedly laid on the flattery: "No wonder they say a family with an elder has a treasure; this family simply couldn't do without you."

"Less with the smooth talk......"

Grandma Gu laughed and scolded: "Hurry up and get the luggage, put jackets on the babies."

"Roger that!"

Guben deliberately played the clown, threw a salute, and with the four little ones in tow sped off like a gust of wind.

"Hey hey, this kid......"

Grandma Gu wore a look of disdain: "He's in his thirties and still this flighty."

"Hahaha."

Grandpa Liu watched with delight, laughing heartily.

By the time the two elders reached baggage claim, Guben had already dressed all four babies.

The babies happily swarmed around Dad and Mom; Pingping and Xixi vied with each other, fighting to push the luggage cart.

"Hey hey, those two are too mischievous."

Grandma Gu feigned disapproval, but her eyes brimmed with pampering.

"It's still livelier with kids around."

Grandpa Liu chuckled happily, his gaze turning toward the arrivals exit, quickly locking onto a familiar figure.

"Grandpa Liu, you're here too?"

Fu Zheng stood outside the railing, craning his neck to peer inside; the instant their eyes met, he broke into a happy smile.

"What's this? Not welcome?"

Grandpa Liu walked over with steady, measured steps, deliberately teasing him.

"No......"

Fu Zheng was tongue-tied, not silver-tongued like Guben; suddenly put on the spot by Grandpa Liu, he floundered, and the more he tried to explain, the less coherent he became, breaking into a cold sweat from anxiety.

Grandpa Liu knew his temperament well, smiled helplessly, and didn't blame him.

"How come you came alone? Where's Ruirui?"

Grandma Gu followed along, scanning the area; not seeing her beloved great-grandson, surprise showed in her eyes.

"Ruirui's running a fever....."

Fu Zheng hastened to explain: "He's on an IV in the infirmary, couldn't make it in time, so I didn't have him come over."

"A fever?"

Grandma Gu ached for her great-grandson, unable to keep a note of reproach from her voice: "How do you look after a child, letting him fall ill."

"It's nothing serious......"

Fu Zheng gave an embarrassed laugh: "Just a bit of tonsillitis; I didn't want him to fall behind in his studies, so I thought two days of IV would clear it up faster......"

"You raising a child alone, your care really is too slapdash."

Grandma Gu, relying on her seniority, spoke without reserve: "Haven't you ever thought about finding another partner? Staying single like this isn't a solution; with a woman around, someone knows cold from hot, and it's better for the child too."

"Cough cough."

Fu Zheng was embarrassed again; he hadn't expected the old lady to arrive and immediately land him with a load of blame.

He covered his mouth with his hand and coughed twice, wanting to find an excuse to fudge past the matter.

"Don't you think about pulling the wool over my eyes......"

Grandma Gu didn't let him open his mouth, cutting him off with a single sentence: "I came this time to see with my own eyes how you father and son are really living; suffering hardship alone is one thing, but dragging the child into it — is that how a father acts? Too irresponsible."

Fu Zheng was scolded until his face and ears burned red.

"What's going on here......."

Guben sensed something was off, strode over on his long legs in a few steps: "We're here on vacation, happily — how nice; why start fault-finding the moment you meet?"

"Ruirui's sick, didn't come to meet the flight."

Grandma Gu, unable to see her longed-for great-grandson right away, had a ball of fire smoldering in her heart; she'd be uncomfortable if she didn't vent it.

"Is it serious?"

Guben winked at Eldest Brother, helping him out of the siege.

"The doctor said it's nothing."

Fu Zheng smiled gratefully: "Just a chill-induced fever; two days of IV and he'll be fine."

"If the doctor says so, then it's definitely fine."

Guben deliberately spoke up for Eldest Brother: "How about this — let's not go to the guesthouse first, go straight to the infirmary; once Grandma sees him, her mood will naturally settle."

"Deal."

Fu Zheng was thinking exactly that, and agreed very readily.

"Then let's go, don't all just stand around here."

Guben saw Lin Xiyu come out with the babies and made faces at her.

"Babies, say hello to Uncle?"

Lin Xiyu understood at heart, smiling as she had the babies greet Eldest Uncle.

"Hello, Uncle."

The babies were all very obedient, calling out in childish voices.

"Good."

Fu Zheng finally had an excuse to escape from the old lady's intense staring, hugging each of the four babies in turn, then taking out the milk candies he had prepared beforehand from his pocket and giving a few pieces to each.

With the milk candies, the babies were even happier, joyfully frolicking around him.

In front of the children, Grandma Gu couldn't lose her temper anymore, and could only force down the anger filling her belly.

Fu Zheng smiled luckily, took the luggage cart from Lin Xiyu's hands, and led the way in front.

"Grandma, tired? Let me support you."

Guben seized the chance to curry favor, supporting the old lady's arm, unspeakably considerate and filial.

"Hmph."

How could Grandma Gu not see through his little thoughts? She hmphed from her nose tip, taking it as an answer.

"The Old Buddha moves her seat, idle people quickly make way."

Guben imitated a TV drama shout, signaling the babies to clear a path.

"Hehehe."

The babies found it interesting and were very willing to cooperate with Dad, separating to both sides according to their own preferences.

Dabao was the most mischievous, running left and right, back and forth several times, before finally choosing to stand on the right side with Lele under Mom's warning, standing straight and proper.

Guben nodded satisfied, supporting the old lady as they walked through the middle.

"Hurry up and follow, serve as the honor guard for the Old Buddha's phoenix carriage."

Lin Xiyu smiled as she coaxed the four little brats.

The babies were innocently cute, truly trotting along behind the two, solemnly acting as the honor guard.

"Hahaha."

Sixth Grandpa watched with amusement, laughing until he couldn't close his mouth.

——

Military Region Clinic.

Ruirui lay on the hospital bed receiving an IV, a woman in a white coat with a beautiful face standing beside her.

"Auntie Su, you go be busy, no need to keep me company."

Ruirui shifted her body somewhat awkwardly, moving further from the bedside.

Su Qin is a military doctor, integrating Chinese and Western medicine, with superb medical skills, very famous in the military region.

She and Fu Zheng are acquainted; after Ruirui fell ill, she has constantly asked after his warmth and cold, showing great concern.

Ruirui is already sixteen, no longer a child, able to see Su Qin's special care for him, containing an unknown purpose.

Thinking of the eager gaze Su Qin had when seeing Dad, a very uncomfortable feeling would surge in his heart.

Another woman who wants to be his stepmother.

Since coming to Nanjiang, he has seen this kind of thing many times.

Those women before, Dad refused them all very decisively, not leaving a shred of face.

Only this Auntie Su is a rather special existence.

The best medical skills in the military region belong to her, no one wants to offend a divine doctor who can cure diseases and save lives.

Dad is no exception.

Not only does he not dare offend her, every time they meet he still has to symbolically say a few nice flattering words.

For fear of making the divine doctor unhappy, causing her to add a few more bitter medicines to the prescription when treating him.

That taste, unspeakably sour and refreshing.

"If there's any discomfort, call out, Auntie is right next door."

Su Qin saw his resistance, didn't force it, instructed a few more words, and left the consultation room.

"Phew."

Seeing her leave, Ruirui only then relaxed her nerves, secretly letting out a breath of relief.

——

Su Qin walked out of the consultation room, just happening to run into Grandma Gu's group coming face to face.

Fu Zheng held a pink-and-jade-carved little girl in his arms, happily teasing her, both big and small laughing very happily.

Su Qin narrowed her eyes, a few points of displeasure welling up.

So this person can smile too?

Why is it that every time he sees me, he wears a stiff face, looking like strangers keep away?

"Fu Zheng?!"

She was just thinking this when the group had already arrived close by.

"Doctor Su?"

Fu Zheng heard someone call him, withdrew his gaze from Lele, turned to look at the comer, and sure enough, his smile stiffened, then returned to his usual coldness.

Su Qin laughed in anger: "Captain Fu has some grievance against me? Even forgot how to smile?"

"No."

Fu Zheng flatly denied it.

"No?"

Su Qin raised an eyebrow and retorted, "Then why do you change expression the moment you see me? As if I've done something unconscionable, as if I owe you a massive apology?"

"Doctor Su, you've misunderstood......"

Fu Zheng was pressed by her questioning until his scalp tingled.

"So many pairs of eyes are watching."

Su Qin didn't wait for him to finish; she glanced at the Gu family group with a half-smile: "You still want to play the rogue?"

"You all saw it?"

Fu Zheng seized the chance to turn back and seek help from his relatives and friends.

However, to his utter astonishment, the whole crowd of relatives and friends looked at him with the gaze of spectators enjoying a show.

Even Sixth Grandpa's eyes revealed an unmistakable little gossip flame.

Grandma Gu was even more so; her gaze toward Su Qin was that eager, just short of asking outright, "What exactly is the relationship between you two?"

Fu Zheng was embarrassed; two beads of cold sweat dripped down his nape.

"I prescribed a few doses of traditional Chinese medicine for Ruirui; come with me to the Internal Medicine Clinic for a moment......"

Su Qin's brows and eyes revealed a few degrees of smugness; she dropped those words and walked off on her own.

The corner of Fu Zheng's mouth turned bitter; not daring to offend her, he could only brace himself, stuff Lele into his younger brother's arms, turn around, and follow after her.

"Heh."

Grandma Gu found it amusing; watching the two figures leaving one after another, she laughed and teased him: "My eldest grandson, when did you become this obedient?"

Fu Zheng's spine stiffened; several more beads of cold sweat dripped down his nape.

——

Internal Medicine Clinic.

Once he entered, Su Qin promptly shut the door and pinned him against the wall: "Ruirui resists me; you still haven't told him about us?"

"Us?"

Fu Zheng feigned ignorance: "What thing?"

"You still dare to play dumb with me?"

Su Qin grabbed his collar and yanked him down: "We've kissed; don't tell me you want to renege on the debt?"

"That time, it wasn't intentional......"

Fu Zheng laughed bitterly: "It was just an accidental brush when I fell......"

Su Qin didn't let him finish; she rose on tiptoe and sealed his mouth.

Fu Zheng's heartbeat went chaotic; his breathing likewise stalled for a beat.

"You still dare say you don't like me?"

Su Qin released him before he could react, raising the corner of her mouth smugly: "This time there was no falling, right? Your first reaction has already betrayed your heart — you didn't push me away, which means your subconscious has already accepted me; it's just that your mouth is hard, unwilling to admit it."

"There are many officers in the military region around your age; they're all more suitable for you than me."

"I don't like young ones; I like mature and steady ones."

"I'm eleven years older than you."

Fu Zheng smiled bitterly in resignation, deliberately emphasizing his tone on the age.

"I said, I don't care about age."

Su Qin gave him no chance to evade: "Eleven years is nothing; with my learning and life experience, those immature youths who haven't even grown all their fuzz have zero charm in my eyes."

You're only twenty-nine, talking like you're seventy or eighty.

Just skipped a few grades, went to university a few years early; in my eyes you're still a yellow-haired girl.

Fu Zheng sneered inwardly in a sneaky way; the meaning revealed in his eyes was too obvious, and he got looked down on again.

"Are you cursing me?"

Su Qin narrowed her eyes, looking at him threateningly.

"No."

Fu Zheng subconsciously denied it.

"Can't even lie properly."

Su Qin sneered: "There's a mirror over there; go look yourself, see what 'hypocritical expression made concrete' means — it's exactly your current look."

Fu Zheng: "......."

——

Outside the Internal Medicine Clinic.

"Tsk tsk, just picking up a prescription; does it need this much time?"

The whole Gu family crowd waited in the corridor, not the slightest intention of leaving.

Grandma Gu spoke in a yin-yang sarcastic tone, seemingly expressing dissatisfaction, but her face was written full of gossip desire.

"Something's off, way too off."

Guben nodded in agreement: "Eldest Brother isn't the type to be manipulated; unless he's willingly jumping into the fire pit himself."

"You think it's a fire pit; maybe the other person thinks it's a honey pot."

Lin Xiyu also went black-bellied for once, teasing her grand-uncle.

"Whether it's a honey pot I don't know......"

Guben abruptly shifted gears and added: "I only know if we keep standing here like this without moving, we'll soon become the gossip center of the entire infirmary."

"Aiya......"

Lin Xiyu heard this and looked around, and sure enough saw quite a few little nurses, their ambiguous little gazes fixed on her own people.

"Let's hurry up and go, if we don't leave we'll be made a spectacle of."

Her ear roots reddened, she conveniently scooped up Lele, used her daughter to block her face, and scurried into the consultation room.

Guben held back a laugh, also quickened his pace, and took Sanbao to make a clean getaway.

Sixth Grandpa walked with hands behind his back in a perfectly serious manner, pretending it had nothing to do with him, pacing measured steps as he left.

The three nannies were very perceptive and followed behind.

In the blink of an eye, the whole crowd of idle onlookers scattered completely, leaving only an old lady in the corridor who had worn her heart out for her grandchildren.

Grandma Gu was still imagining the scene inside the Internal Medicine Clinic.

"I feel that female doctor is most likely interested in Xiao Zheng, Xiao Bin, what do you say?"

The old lady smiled with a face full of mischief, her outstretched hand patted empty air, only then discovering there was no one beside her anymore.