A medical checkup

Well, the rich guy really did have the money to back it up.

Xu Zhou took out a check, wrote it out for a million, and handed it over.

At the sight of that string of zeros, Xu Chao's eyes curved into little crescents.

Oh, wow. He had only been joking around with a meme. He hadn't expected to pocket a million.

With that thought, he swiftly clutched the check in his hand and smiled bashfully. "We've only just met, and you're giving me a million? Isn't that a bit much?"

Xu Zhou smiled. "You're my little brother. Of course I should earn money for you to spend."

Those words made Xu Chao's heart blossom with joy.

But when he caught the man's slightly darkened expression out of the corner of his eye, he immediately puffed out his little chest and said solemnly,

"Second Brother, how can you spend all your money on your little brother? A good man earns money for his wife to spend."

"Just like me. Every penny I earn is for my husband to spend. Hehe, I'm a good man, and my name is Xu Chaochao!"

Xu Zhou shot him a hostile glare. "You spend Chaochao's money?"

Fu Sichen held the boy around the waist and gave a somewhat pleased hum of assent before asking in return, "I spend my wife's money. Do you have a problem with that?"

Yes, of course he did!

But seeing the increasingly rosy bubbles between the two, Xu Zhou exhaled and changed the subject. "Chaochao, let the hospital give you a full medical checkup tomorrow."

Xu Chao thought Xu Zhou was referring to the things online and hastily said, "No, no, no. I really just slipped in the bathroom, but my husband was so worried he insisted on bringing me to the hospital. It's nothing like what people are saying online."

"I know they're talking nonsense online, but you have a routine checkup every year. Have you forgotten?" Xu Zhou said, his gaze flickering.

The original novel hadn't mentioned anything like that.

But afraid of being exposed, Xu Chao immediately backed down and changed his tune. "Sure. A checkup it is."

At that moment, Fu Sichen gave Xu Zhou a cold glance.

Xu Zhou said, "It's late, and you have to get up early for your checkup tomorrow. Get some sleep. I'll be going."

"I'll walk you out," Fu Sichen said mildly.

Hearing that, Xu Chao wanted to see him out too.

Fu Sichen stopped him. "It's cold outside. Stay in here."

Xu Chao blinked his big, dark eyes and obediently said, "Okay," watching Fu Sichen and Xu Zhou leave the hospital room.

The door clicked shut.

Xu Chao nimbly sprang over to the door and pressed his ear to the crack to eavesdrop.

Please. His husband was so aloof. When had he ever seen a guest out?

Something was up. Something was definitely up.

His thirst for gossip blazed!

He was going to hear what those two were whispering about behind his back!

But the door was too well soundproofed. It was utterly quiet, and he couldn't hear a thing.

Unable to resist, Xu Chao pulled the door open a crack and listened, listened, listened with all his might.

What was that about coughing up blood?

What was that about not living another two years?

The intermittent snatches of conversation outside left Xu Chao panicking, and he pulled the door farther open.

Then came a loud thud.

Fu Sichen and Xu Zhou turned at the sound to see Xu Chao sprawled face-first on the floor, his hands planted on the ground and his butt sticking up.

He stuck to the principle that as long as he wasn't embarrassed, someone else would be, and as long as he acted ridiculous enough, everyone else would have to adapt to his rhythm!

Xu Chao spread his legs into a split and stretched his arms straight out, holding an elegant pose in which his lower body remained perfectly still and only his upper body moved.

He sang with feeling as he twisted his torso.

"Look left, look right, look ahead."

"How many turns must love take before it arrives?"

"Baby, come on, let's dance!"

Xu Chao extended an enthusiastic invitation.

Fu Sichen calmly declined. "No, thanks. It's cold out here. Go dance in your room."

Xu Chao said, "Okay," and started to crawl back into the room on all fours.

He had barely moved when a sudden feeling of weightlessness swept over him. His whole body rose into the air, then settled into the man's slightly chilly embrace.

Xu Chao instinctively wrapped his arms around his neck. Finding it cold to the touch, he hurriedly asked, "Honey, come for a checkup tomorrow too. We can do it together."

The man's body temperature was abnormally low.

Xu Chao was truly worried.

Fu Sichen was just about to refuse when he met the boy's worried, anxious eyes. His steps paused briefly, and then a pleased smile touched the corners of his eyes.

"All right," he agreed.

Then he stepped into the room and kicked the door shut behind him.

Fu Sichen put him on the bed. His little face flushed, Xu Chao rolled under the covers, leaving only his fluffy little head poking out.

"Go to sleep," Fu Sichen coaxed.

Xu Chao closed his eyes, then snapped them open again two seconds later.

Fu Sichen raised an eyebrow. "Not sleepy?"

Xu Chao nodded, then shook his head. "Honey, where are you going to sleep?"

The hospital in the small border town had much more basic facilities. The VIP room contained only a single hospital bed, a sofa, and a television.

There were plenty of folding beds out in the corridor, provided for family members staying to care for patients.

But the president of Fu's Consortium, curled up pitifully in a hospital corridor to sleep?

That wouldn't do!

Before Fu Sichen could answer, Xu Chao immediately added, "Come up and sleep with me. This bed's pretty big. We'll both fit."

Was this... an invitation?

The man's prominent Adam's apple bobbed.

The next second, Xu Chao briskly patted the covers beside him. "Then we can get up early together for our checkups tomorrow."

Fu Sichen: "..."