Chapter 8: Night Rain
Time passed unknowingly. Mu Jiashu’s days as a bodyguard were very easy, and he didn’t find anything unusual about Pang.
Actually, he was quite surprised when he first heard that Wei Xun had chosen to go into business. His impression from childhood was deeply ingrained; he thought Wei Xun was destined for the military, especially given his family background.
To be fair, Dingfeng, in its early stages, had already achieved considerable scale, which was undoubtedly related to the Wei family’s strong background and abundant wealth. However, Wei Xun’s personal abilities also played a significant role. Still, Mu Jiashu felt he didn’t particularly enjoy this job.
He didn’t know why Wei Xun was doing this. Many things seemed to have changed after his rebirth, just as he didn’t know why, on such a rainy night, Wei Xun wasn’t going home after work but was taking him to the hospital.
This was the first rain of late winter and early spring; the weather was damp and cold.
Mu Jiashu drove towards the hospital. The rain outside was torrential. Although it wasn’t too late, the sky was already dark as night. Car lights flashed past occasionally. Wei Xun had slightly opened the car window; cool, damp air seeped in.
Wei Xun remained silent the entire way until they reached the hospital entrance. He said, “Alright, stop here.”
The underground parking lot was full; only two spots remained at the entrance. Mu Jiashu stopped as instructed. They were still some distance from the hospital building. Looking at the heavy rain, he asked, “Where’s the umbrella? I’ll go get one.”
Wei Xun opened the car door and also saw the increasing rain. He frowned and glanced back at Mu Jiashu’s thin frame: “There’s no umbrella. I don’t like carrying those things.”
Mu Jiashu was about to say, “Let’s just run,” when Wei Xun had already quickly taken off his coat, threw it at him, and instructed, “Cover your head with this and follow me,” before rushing out.
Mu Jiashu quickly locked the car and followed Wei Xun. They walked past puddles, one after the other, rushing into the hospital. Wei Xun ran into the building, wiping the water off his face, and Mu Jiashu followed closely behind.
He looked back. Mu Jiashu hadn’t used his coat to shield himself from the rain. He’d bundled the coat in his arms, his body drenched, looking rather disheveled. Wei Xun immediately frowned: “Why didn’t you use it to cover yourself?”
Mu Jiashu smiled, shook out the coat, and draped it over Wei Xun’s shoulders: “It’s not necessary with this rain. It’s cold; you should keep the coat.”
Wei Xun glanced at him, said nothing, and walked ahead.
Perhaps due to the heavy rain, the hospital’s first floor wasn’t crowded. They took the elevator; it was empty except for them. Mu Jiashu saw Wei Xun press the sixth floor button. Remembering the floor, he thought it was the gastroenterology department. He was even more curious about who Wei Xun was visiting.
If it was a Wei family relative, they would have their own doctors. Gastrointestinal problems shouldn’t be major issues requiring hospitalization.
Wei Xun led him into the ward area. He seemed unfamiliar and asked a nurse for directions.
There seemed to be a new patient; everyone was busy. The nurse quickly pointed the way and left.
At the ward, Wei Xun seemed to remember something. He looked back at Mu Jiashu hesitantly: “You…forget it, come in with me. If no one speaks to you, don’t say anything. Keep a low profile, okay?”
Mu Jiashu: “…Oh.”
Inside, he saw an elderly woman with white hair lying in bed. A folding bed was beside it, with an old man sitting next to it, presumably her husband.
Mu Jiashu froze for a moment, unconsciously supporting himself on the doorframe. Fortunately, Wei Xun was facing away, not seeing his actions.
He walked straight to the bedside and leaned down, “Grandma Li, I’m here to see you!”
Wei Xun’s voice was loud enough for the hard-of-hearing couple to hear. Grandma Li seemed very happy to see Wei Xun, but her eyes welled up. She grabbed his hand and said repeatedly, “Xiaoxun’s here, Xiaoxun’s here.”
Wei Xun smiled, “Are you feeling better today?”
His smile was joyful, unlike his previous silence in the corridor. Grandma Li said, “Much better. The doctor said I can be discharged tomorrow.”
Her husband chimed in, “If Young Master Wei hadn’t found such a good hospital, I wouldn’t have recovered so quickly.”
Wei Xun just smiled, “Heh, Grandpa Zhao still calls me Young Master Wei.”
Grandpa Zhao said, “You’re a big boss now; why call you like you’re still a child?”
Grandma Li retorted, “So what if he’s a big boss? Even big bosses ate the food I made when they were kids. Xiaoxun and Xiaoshu both loved my golden noodles…”
She stopped abruptly, and Grandpa Zhao secretly tugged at her clothes.
Wei Xun said casually, “Yes, I still love them.”
Grandma Li paused and forced a smile, “Grandma will make them for you again later.”
Wei Xun pretended not to see anything and smiled, “Okay, when you’re better, I’ll definitely come over.”
He and Mu Jiashu were raised by Grandma Li since childhood and had a deep bond. He wanted to make her happy, adding, “I won’t eat for a few days; I’ll just wait for Grandma’s feast.”
Grandpa Zhao said, “Child, your grandma and I are going back to our hometown.”
Wei Xun was stunned, blurting out, “What?”
Grandma Li said, “My grandson, your Pingpingge, has a child. He wants us to live with him. He said a four-generation family is auspicious. Grandma hasn’t been back to our hometown in many years, and I want to go back and see it.”
Wei Xun seemed unable to accept this for a moment, then smiled, “That’s good news. I’ll get you something to take back and give to my nephew.”
Grandma Li patted his hand. After a while, she sighed, “You should also quickly marry a girl and have a child. You’re always alone and rarely truly happy. Once you’re married…it’ll be better.”
She seemed to want to say more but hesitated, but Wei Xun knew she was thinking of Mu Jiashu.
He talked with the elderly couple for a while longer, then said goodbye and told Mu Jiashu, “Let’s go.”
Mu Jiashu nodded, following Wei Xun a few steps, then turned back, “Grandpa, Grandma, take care of yourselves.”
He wasn’t close to the bed; the elderly couple couldn’t see the young man’s face clearly but replied and praised his politeness.
Mu Jiashu forced a smile and left the ward.
As soon as Wei Xun left, his joyful expression collapsed. He lowered his head, leaning against the corridor wall, his expression unreadable.
He had been smiling just now, feeling like a flamboyant and clumsy actor; his facial muscles were sore.
Mu Jiashu had something on his mind and didn’t notice him. He stood aside, lost in thought, equally silent.
After a while, Wei Xun suddenly said, “Oh no.”
Mu Jiashu: “Huh?”
Wei Xun said, “I forgot the fruit and nutritional supplements. Let’s see…”
He peeked out the window, “The rain stopped. Shen Shu, go get the things.”
Mu Jiashu nodded and went downstairs, lost in thought.
His current mood was like a long-lost traveler, having endured hardships and dangers, finally reaching his doorstep, eager to rush inside. However, he discovered that the gatekeeper was someone who had harmed him during his journey. His joy turned into bewilderment, hesitating whether to approach.
Although his personality was deep, he was goal-oriented and didn’t like dragging things out. This confused state of life made Mu Jiashu unhappy with himself.
Home, for him, had become candy wrapped in barbed wire, making him long for it like a child yet afraid to swallow it. Even those dear to him had become indistinct.
Actually, it wasn’t just them; Mu Jiashu himself wasn’t sure if he was still himself.
“Through wind and rain, I came from the sea.”
He had once heard Rene Liu sing this song on the street and randomly remembered the lyrics. Today, they suddenly reappeared in his mind.
Mu Jiashu’s mind was filled with chaotic thoughts. He quickly retrieved Wei Xun’s things from the car. This time, his luck wasn’t good; the elevator was crowded, so he used the emergency stairs, until a shout interrupted his thoughts.
“I told you, get lost!”
Mu Jiashu was at the corner of the stairs and couldn’t see who was speaking. He only saw three shadows elongated by the motion-activated lights on the stairs.
He didn’t care much and was about to continue when another female voice said, “Alright, brother, just yell, but don’t hit her. If you injure her, you’ll be in even bigger trouble.”
Hearing this voice, Mu Jiashu stopped.
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