009
Lu Chengyang stirred awake to the sound of voices, his gentle eyes filled with the hazy confusion of someone just roused from sleep. But upon seeing the handsome couple standing before his hospital bed, he was instantly alert.
“Who are these…?”
“Uncle, this is my wife, Lu Tian. I brought her to see you,” Meng Jingdong said, holding Lu Tian’s hand. His large hand was neither too warm nor too cold, dry and comfortable, his palm gently resting against the back of her smooth hand.
Lu Tian maintained a smile and addressed him as “Uncle” as Meng Jingdong instructed.
“Hello, Lu Tian.” Lu Chengyang’s gaze lingered appreciatively on her face. He sat up. Although wearing a hospital gown, it was neat and almost wrinkle-free, as if specially prepared.
Lu Tian subtly observed him. Lu Chengyang had already instructed Meng Jingdong to bring over two chairs, and the two sat by the bedside, chatting with Lu Chengyang.
Most of the questions were directed at Lu Tian—about her school, her studies, her life, whether she was happy. Lu Tian answered politely and formally, much like she did when meeting Meng Jingdong’s parents. Lu Chengyang seemed pleased, presenting Lu Tian with a thin, but undoubtedly substantial (likely a check), gift.
“I’ve watched Jingdong grow up. He’s calm, steady, dedicated, and has a good temperament. The two of you together are a perfect match.”
Lu Tian continued to smile, stealing a glance at Meng Jingdong. He remained composed, so she listened to Lu Chengyang’s praise without any qualms, ignoring the slightly strange look in the professor’s eyes.
However, they didn’t stay long. Their main purpose was a bone marrow compatibility test. Meng Jingdong had already contacted the doctor, and Lu Tian said she could go alone. She left with a nurse, leaving Meng Jingdong to keep Lu Chengyang company.
As soon as she left, Lu Chengyang breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze fixed on the doorway. “Jingdong, did I act strangely?”
After considering it, Meng Jingdong answered honestly, “A little more enthusiastic than my parents.”
“…That’s good then.” He slowly relaxed against the pillows; he had been sitting straight up, and it was tiring.
“Do you intend to keep this up?”
Lu Chengyang chuckled wryly. “Should I suddenly appear before her and tell her I’m her father, who disappeared over twenty years ago? She hates me so much, she wouldn’t want to see me. If… if I survive this, I’ll definitely tell her.”
Meng Jingdong remained silent; no one knew the outcome of the bone marrow test.
—
Lu Tian was still resting after her blood draw when Tian Jing called.
“Where are you?” Tian Jing’s voice sounded unusual.
“At the hospital, visiting a relative with Meng Jingdong.” Lu Tian was sensitive to the emotions of those around her, and she could hear Tian Jing’s uneven breathing through the receiver.
Tian Jing asked which hospital, and Lu Tian obediently replied. After a while, Tian Jing mentioned the post she had shared on her Moments.
“What’s with that Professor Lu you shared? Mom was once close friends with him but lost touch. I only found out about this from your Moments. I need to visit him.”
Lu Tian’s heart stirred. “Mom, the person Meng Jingdong and I saw at City Hospital today was that Professor Lu. You know him too? What a coincidence.”
“Is that so? It’s a real coincidence,” Tian Jing masked her excitement. “Be good, don’t disturb him, and don’t mention me for now. I’ll visit him when I have time.”
“I know.”
Tian Jing breathed a sigh of relief and asked how she would get back to school.
“Meng Jingdong will probably send me back,” Lu Tian said uncertainly. Even if Meng Jingdong didn’t, she had enough money for a taxi.
Meng Jingdong stood behind her, hearing her smoothly mention his name. It felt strange, but eavesdropping wasn’t appropriate. He cleared his throat to signal his presence.
Lu Tian turned around abruptly, but not before saying goodbye to Tian Jing on the phone.
“I’ll take you back?”
“Aren’t you going to say goodbye to your uncle?”
Meng Jingdong looked at her intently and nodded. “Just a quick goodbye. Are you feeling okay?”
“I’m fine.” Since her time travel, Lu Tian had started running and taking better care of herself, determined to cherish her body. A blood draw wouldn’t stop her from being energetic.
They walked towards the ward together. Three or four more people in suits and carrying reports and laptops had joined the room. They stopped when they saw the couple.
Lu Chengyang, wearing glasses, maintained his composure despite his hospital gown. But when he saw Lu Tian, his demeanor softened. When she said she was leaving, he even got out of bed to see them off. Lu Tian tried to stop him but couldn’t, so she waved goodbye to him at the door.
Meng Jingdong explained, “My uncle is a bit old-fashioned and formal. Don’t mind anything he might say or do.”
“Why would I? Professor Lu is a very nice person.”
“You know him?” Meng Jingdong asked, surprised.
“Of course. Isn’t he our school’s visiting professor? I’ve heard my classmates mention him.”
“I see.”
On the way back, Meng Jingdong remained silent, only saying goodbye when they reached her building. Lu Tian didn’t mind; she was destined to be his ex-wife, and she didn’t plan on maintaining a pretense of being a couple.
Back in the dorm, only Peng Yangyang was there, eating instant noodles. The smell of braised beef noodles made Lu Tian realize she had skipped lunch. She had been too nervous to feel hungry.
“Yangyang, can I have a bowl of noodles?” Lu Tian’s mouth watered.
Peng Yangyang generously shared a bowl with her. Lu Tian’s hands trembled as she tore open the packaging; having a healthy body meant she could finally enjoy instant noodles again. She followed Peng Yangyang’s instructions, pouring hot water over the noodles, adding the seasoning, and placing her textbook on top of the container, patiently waiting for the noodles to soften.
“Lu Tian, did you go meet the parents?” Even the studious Peng Yangyang couldn’t help but be curious.
Lu Tian focused on her noodles, grumbling, “Have you ever met parents who don’t feed you?”
“That’s true.” Peng Yangyang bit into her noodles, and all speculation vanished.
“Yangyang, the noodles are loose enough to eat, right?”
“Yes.”
Lu Tian smelled the noodles, happily swallowing her saliva. She removed the textbook, picked up her fork, and checked the noodles. As Peng Yangyang said, they were perfectly cooked. She was about to take a bite, but her phone rang again. It was the person she had just said goodbye to.
“What is it?” Lu Tian answered the call resentfully; overcooked noodles wouldn’t be tasty.
Meng Jingdong’s voice was as calm and unemotional as ever. “Sorry, I forgot to offer you lunch. I’ve asked Song Ci to buy you something to eat. I don’t know if it suits your taste, but someone will deliver it to your dorm in about ten minutes. I gave him your number; you and your roommates can come down to get it.”
“Okay, thank you,” Lu Tian said blankly, surprised that Meng Jingdong had thought of this.
What delicious food could he send? Yet, inexplicably, Lu Tian had a strange feeling it would be a grand meal.
“Yangyang, stop eating!”
Peng Yangyang looked up in surprise. “Why?”
“I have a feeling we’ll have a feast in ten minutes!”
Peng Yangyang: “…”
Eight minutes later, Lu Tian answered a call. The male voice was emotionless, just like Meng Jingdong’s. “Lu Tian, I’m here to deliver your food. Come get it; it’s best if all four of you come down.”
“Yangyang, let’s go!”
Peng Yangyang, half-believing, went downstairs with Lu Tian. They happened to meet He Lianchen and Jiang Feifei returning to the dorm, making it four people.
Lu Zhenzhe and his roommate, Chen Kang, stood awkwardly at the foot of the girls’ dormitory building. Passing students kept looking at them. Even when pursuing girls, they’d never seen anyone bring luxury lunch boxes to a dorm building. Was this a food delivery? Perhaps the ultimate 24-karat boyfriend?
Lu Tian and her roommates saw the two men with the lunch boxes and cake and approached them without hesitation. “Hello, I’m Lu Tian.”
Lu Zhenzhe’s mouth moved, his handsome brows furrowed, but he didn’t say his name. “Meng Jingdong asked me to deliver this.”
“Okay, thank you very much.”
Jiang Feifei, following Lu Tian, looked from one to the other, suppressing her urge to reveal the truth. The four of them took the steaming, substantial lunch boxes and cake, thanking the two men profusely.
Once they were back in the dorm, Jiang Feifei whispered gossipyly, “Lu Tian, why would Lu Zhenzhe deliver food to you? Who is that Meng person? Your boyfriend?”
Lu Tian vaguely said, “No, a relative.”
“Oh, so you and Lu Zhenzhe are also related?”
“Probably not. A relative asked me for a favor and didn’t get a chance to treat me to a meal, so they asked him to bring it over,” Lu Tian calmly guessed the truth.
The four opened the lunch boxes, revealing dishes from a famous restaurant near the university—pepper steak, tomato shrimp, and Sichuan spicy chicken, as well as a dish that looked like stir-fried pig liver.
“Huh, why is there pig liver?”
Lu Tian mentally murmured, For blood replenishment.
Lu Zhenzhe, having experience as a food delivery person, duly replied to Meng Jingdong: “I’ve already delivered it.”
“A tip is unnecessary. I’ll thank you in person next time,” Meng Jingdong replied after a long pause.
“What’s your relationship with her?”
Meng Jingdong’s reply was quick this time: “You’re not allowed to like her. She and I are in a legal relationship.”
Legal? The adolescent Lu Zhenzhe covered his face in despair. His friend Chen Kang, who had been bought off, stifled a laugh. “How does it feel to have your crush become your sister-in-law?”
“Shut up!” Lu Zhenzhe said angrily. He didn’t reply to Meng Jingdong but instead found Lu Tian’s number and sent her a message.
“I’m sorry about the friend request I sent before. Please forget about it.”
Lu Tian, smelling the instant noodles and eating a shrimp, only then remembered Lu Zhenzhe’s message. She smiled and replied, “Okay.”
She also accepted his friend request.
Author’s Note:
A bow of sympathy for Lu Zhenzhe.