Make Sure You're Happy

The entire treatment took less than fifteen minutes. He had the procedure down pat.

"All right, Meiqi, get down and try walking a few steps," Luo Yang said.

Song Meiqi climbed off the couch, walked a circuit around the living room, then headed toward the door with steady steps.

"She's better! She really is!" Ye Zi exclaimed excitedly.

Song Meiqi opened the door and walked outside.

Ye Zi was a little worried. "Meiqi, where are you going?"

"I don't want to get in your way. I'm going out to play by myself," Song Meiqi said.

Luo Yang and Ye Zi exchanged a glance. One look confirmed it: both were embarrassed enough to want to bang their heads against the wall.

Get in our way...

Get in the way of what?

Ye Zi suddenly remembered something. She took a card out of her trouser pocket and slipped it into Luo Yang's hand while he was still distracted.

"There are two million yuan on this card. The PIN is..."

Luo Yang snapped out of it. Before she could finish, he hurriedly tried to push the card back into her hand. "Ye Zi, I can't accept this money. Take it back."

"How could I do that?" Ye Zi stepped back.

Growing anxious, Luo Yang reached for her hand.

Ye Zi simply tucked her hands behind her back and faced him with her chest thrust forward. That put Luo Yang in a difficult position. If he kept advancing, those two fortresses would be the first things he encountered.

"Ye Zi, I told you I didn't want any money. Why are you still trying to pay me?" Luo Yang tried to reason with her.

"You said we'd talk about it after you cured Meiqi," Ye Zi said. "I'm not giving you that much, just two million. You have to accept it, no matter what."

Luo Yang threw caution to the wind. He suddenly stepped forward, slipped his hand into her trouser pocket, and stuffed the bank card inside.

The pocket wasn't very well made. There were loose threads, quite a lot of them.

Ye Zi froze. She hadn't expected Luo Yang to pull a move like that, and her pretty face flushed.

Luo Yang was nervous too, and hurriedly withdrew his hand.

Ye Zi reached for the bank card again.

Not wanting to keep arguing over the money, Luo Yang quickly said, "Ye Zi, how about this? If you really want to give me something, give me that mask."

Ye Zi smiled wryly. "All right. I'll get it for you."

Luo Yang stared after her in a daze.

Her figure was graceful from behind, with one particular spot that had ripened, shaped like a peach and fragrant as wine.

Good wine needed no advertising, even down a hidden alley.

Ye Zi suddenly glanced back.

Luo Yang hastily looked away.

Ye Zi turned back around, a faint smile curling her lips...

It took a whole day of work before the new home was finally set up.

Only then did Luo Yang realize how much there was to do when moving into a new home. He really couldn't manage without a woman's help.

Dinner was simple, but all three of them enjoyed it.

After dinner, Ye Zi helped Luo Yang clear the table, then went into the kitchen to wash the dishes.

Feeling embarrassed, Luo Yang followed her. "Ye Zi, no, you don't have to do that. You're a guest. How could I let you wash the dishes? I can do it myself."

"There are only a few dishes. I'll be done in no time. Go play with Meiqi for a while. Out, out! Don't get in my way." Ye Zi shooed Luo Yang out of the kitchen.

Luo Yang returned to the living room just in time to see Song Meiqi enter a room with a little backpack on her back. Curious about what she was up to, he followed her.

Song Meiqi surveyed the room and nodded her little head. "Mm, not bad."

When she noticed Luo Yang coming in, she added, "Oh, Uncle Luo, perfect timing. I wanted to tell you something."

"What is it?" Luo Yang asked.

"From now on, this is my room. You have to knock before you come in, understand? I'm a girl and you're a boy, so you need to be careful." Song Meiqi looked utterly serious.

Luo Yang was speechless.

He thought Song Meiqi was only joking, but then she took off her little backpack and pulled out a toothbrush and cup decorated with cartoon characters, along with a towel. Carrying them, she headed for the bathroom.

"You... you're going to live here?" Luo Yang was dumbfounded.

Song Meiqi nodded. "Of course."

Luo Yang wanted to say no, but he suspected it would be pointless.

Then Song Meiqi added, "Uncle Luo, you need to hurry things along on your end. I don't want to move in without a proper place in the family. If you really can't manage it, just say the word. I'll create an opportunity for you."

Luo Yang's head was spinning.

"Luo Yang, Meiqi, where are you?" Ye Zi called.

Luo Yang left the room and returned to the living room.

"What's Meiqi doing?" Ye Zi asked.

Luo Yang felt awkward, but told her anyway. "Meiqi says she wants to live here. She's putting out her toothbrush and cup now. I..."

I don't know what to do. You deal with it.

"Then let her stay," Ye Zi said.

Luo Yang froze. He was a single young man, and a widow was moving into his home with her child. What exactly did that make their relationship?

Ye Zi suddenly smiled. "You have such a strange look on your face. What are you thinking?"

Luo Yang grew a little nervous. "N-nothing."

"I need to go to Qingdi Mine tomorrow. Could you look after her for a couple of days? Let her stay here, all right?"

"Sure, no problem."

"I mean, I'm not staying here. Why are you so nervous?"

Luo Yang was having trouble keeping up. "You're going home?"

"Don't you want me to go home?" Ye Zi looked straight at him.

It was such a simple question, yet Luo Yang couldn't find an answer.

The atmosphere suddenly grew awkward, something indefinable hanging in the air.

"Uh, I forgot to tell you something. While you were treating Liu Youshui, I found time to get checked at the hospital. You were right. I have mammary hyperplasia. The doctor prescribed some medicine and told me to try it first, but I don't want to take those hormone medications. I wanted to ask your opinion. You said you'd treat it for me." Ye Zi's voice grew softer and softer, and her face redder and redder.

Luo Yang felt a little uneasy. "I did say that. Um... if you don't mind, I can take care of it for you."

"Will you need to cut anything? Will it leave scars?"

"No need for that." Luo Yang raised his Primordial Medical Finger. "This will do."

A strange expression appeared on Ye Zi's face. "Can those two fingers of yours do absolutely anything?"

Luo Yang smiled. "Trust me. You won't need surgery or medicine."

"Then... let's go to your room." Ye Zi's lovely face flushed even deeper.

Luo Yang grew nervous again. "To... my room?"

Ye Zi glanced around, looking a little embarrassed. "Would you rather do it here?"

"Then... let's go to my room." Luo Yang was also worried that Song Meiqi might suddenly come out and see him treating her mother. It would be bad if the little girl got the wrong idea.

Perhaps sharing the same concern, Ye Zi made a point of telling her first.

"Meiqi, Uncle Luo is going to treat Mommy. Wash up and go to bed by yourself."

Song Meiqi nodded obediently. "Mm-hmm. Go do your thing. Make sure you're happy! Don't worry about me."

Luo Yang glanced at Song Meiqi. What did this child know about happiness?

Ye Zi gave a dry cough. "Luo Yang, let's go."

"Oh, all right." Luo Yang followed Ye Zi.

Song Meiqi gave Luo Yang a thumbs-up, her smile blooming like a flower.

Luo Yang lowered his voice. "Meiqi, I'm buying you a math workbook tomorrow."

Song Meiqi: "..."

Her smile slowly faded.