The midday sunlight spilled through the window lattice onto the snow-white walls.
A tall man stood amid the light and shadows, his silver-gray bespoke suit outlining his superb figure. His features were handsome and sharp, his phoenix eyes half-lidded, his bearing refined and distinguished.
The boy leaning back in the chair lifted his rounded eyes and met his gaze in some confusion, a plainly visible flicker of surprise crossing his eyes.
"Mr. Huo."
His thick, curled lashes fluttered like butterflies. He looked up at the man standing in the brilliant light and shadows and pressed his rosy lips together.
"What brings you here?"
Huo Yuzhou's pitch-black eyes settled on him. Nan Qing was unsure whether he had caught a trace of panic in those deep eyes.
But he had probably imagined it.
After all, Huo Yuzhou was always calm and composed, always certain of victory. His cool, distant gaze rested on him for a moment before withdrawing, his voice level.
"I happened to be passing by."
Huo Yuzhou closed the door behind him, and footsteps sounded through the spacious room.
Nan Qing's thoughts were rather tangled just then. He was a little scared, but he did not want to show weakness in front of anyone else. His dense lashes trembled several times, Huo Yuzhou's long legs at the edge of his vision.
Who knew what Huo Yuzhou had eaten growing up to get so tall? He had to be over six foot three. With him looking down from that height, Nan Qing could not stop regretting it.
If he had known, he would have eaten his meals properly back then.
Or drunk more milk, so he could at least have grown a little taller.
Soon, the rustle of fabric sounded beside his ear. Huo Yuzhou bent his long legs and sat beside him, and the scent of ebony and agarwood swept over him.
Huo Yuzhou turned his sharply defined profile slightly toward him, his voice low.
"How are you feeling?"
Nan Qing curved his eyes at him, the usual smug expression of a spoiled young master on his face.
"How else would I be? I couldn't be better!"
Huo Yuzhou could forget about getting a laugh at his expense.
Yet for some reason, although Huo Yuzhou's icy face showed little expression, Nan Qing could distinctly sense that he was not very pleased.
Nan Qing turned to pick up his water cup, naturally missing the flash of heartache in the man's eyes.
It was like a hole had been smashed through a snowbound, frozen lake, the howling north wind stirring up a raging tempest.
Unfortunately, the boy concentrating on drinking his water saw none of it.
Just as through all those years of being watched, he always had his back to Huo Yuzhou, always missing it.
"Mr. Huo, young master."
The instant the knock sounded, Nan Qing, who was drinking his water, abruptly lifted his lashes and instinctively looked toward the door, his heart rising into his throat again.
The potbellied hospital director wore a broad smile, yet looked like a judge pronouncing his fate.
"Would the two of you happen to be available now? Young Master Nan Qing's diagnostic results are back."
Huo Yuzhou gave an expressionless hum of acknowledgment, naturally slipping his arm around Nan Qing's lower back and gathering him into his embrace, like a lion drawing its prey into its territory.
"We'll be right there."
Nan Qing turned to look at him, his heart inexplicably skipping a beat.
In this life, he had family, as well as plenty of disreputable friends.
But no one had ever stood beside him as calmly and assuredly as Huo Yuzhou did.
Huo Yuzhou wore a suit, and he wore a jacket. There were clearly several layers of clothing between them, yet Nan Qing inexplicably found the contours of the other man's arm impossible to ignore.
And that broad palm resting at his waist was almost hot enough to melt it, even through his summer clothes.
Huo Yuzhou brought Nan Qing back to the consultation room.
There were still the familiar white walls and wooden desk and shelves, a whole array of medals within sight, and the same kindly smile on the female doctor's face. The only difference was the strikingly handsome man beside him, whose presence was impossible to ignore.
"And this gentleman is the patient's...?" The doctor hesitated.
Nan Qing had no idea how to explain Huo Yuzhou's presence either, and stumbled over his words.
Huo Yuzhou, however, remained perfectly composed. "Family."
Nan Qing's face began to heat up again. Clutching his own fingers, he looked at the doctor and asked in a very, very quiet voice,
"Doctor Liu, I looked it up online. Is my condition schizophrenia? Has it been confirmed?"
A large, warm hand closed around his fingertips, stopping him from picking at his fingers as he always did when nervous.
Doctor Liu adjusted her glasses, her expression friendly.
"It isn't that serious. Taking your brain CT and test results together, young master, your current symptoms show no other manifestations besides auditory hallucinations, let alone schizophrenia."
"We suspect that the trigger for the auditory hallucinations is related to the high stress we discussed earlier. We can continue monitoring you with some medication. Of course, as family, you can help the patient relax physically and mentally, relieve his stress, and get out more."
Nan Qing let out a long breath of relief, the sparkle returning to his clear, bright catlike eyes.
Since he was not ill, Nan Qing did not want to stay a moment longer.
After hurriedly saying goodbye to the doctor, Nan Qing, all bundled up, dragged Huo Yuzhou out with him.
Two cars were parked outside the lobby. Nan Qing swiftly let go of Huo Yuzhou, deftly pulled open the door of one, and slammed it shut with a bang.
He curved his eyes at the familiar face in the driver's seat.
"Uncle Li, take me to-"
The next second, the sound of a door opening came again.
The man in the silver-gray suit sat down on the other side.
Nan Qing stumbled over his words. He glanced back at the other car, then at Huo Yuzhou, who should have been sitting in it, his long lashes fluttering.
Huo Yuzhou's expression did not change. "That car broke down."
"Oh," Nan Qing said, then considerately asked him,
"Then shall we take you to the office first?"
Huo Yuzhou's deep gaze settled on his face, leaving Nan Qing baffled.
Wasn't Huo Yuzhou a workaholic? Aside from giving Bai Ruanruan resources and getting jealous, all he did every day was work.
Why was he looking at him like that? It was as if he were forcing him to go to work.
Their gazes crossed in the air. Huo Yuzhou withdrew his gaze and said mildly,
"That works."
With that, he turned his face away to look out the window.
The car started smoothly and drove away from the hospital. Nan Qing deftly took a chilled drink from the car refrigerator. Glancing at the silent Huo Yuzhou, he held out the bottle.
"Want some water?"
Huo Yuzhou turned his brooding gaze toward him.
Nan Qing hurriedly added, "Hubby."
Huo Yuzhou said nothing, but did not refuse either.
His jade-carved fingers reached over and closed around the bottle, beaded with cold condensation.
The instant their fingertips touched, Nan Qing heard that familiar voice again, sounding a little dejected.
[What do I do? My wife really hates me.]