Chapter 28: You’re Perfect in Every Way.

By the time Yu Ting came out of his room, his expression had returned to normal.

It was nearly six o’clock. The first bus routes were starting their runs. He didn’t trouble Lu Jue any further and took the bus back to the hospital alone.

He got off once midway, at a small shop, and bought a serving of brown sugar sweet porridge. This shop’s sweet porridge had lily bulbs, white fungus, and red dates added. Zhao Rufei was afraid of spending money and almost never ate breakfast outside. This sweet porridge was the sole exception; she would buy it two or three times a month.

He also bought a few pieces of steamed flatbread, which Zhao Rufei liked.

Arriving at the hospital entrance, it belatedly dawned on Yu Ting: Zhao Rufei had tests today and couldn’t eat anything yet.

Thinking of that pile of vomit, his fingers tightened. He squeezed the plastic bag hard. He had no appetite, but he still quickly swallowed down the sweet porridge and the pieces of steamed flatbread.

In the ward, it was still early. The other patients in their beds were still asleep. Zhao Rufei was already awake. She was leaning against the head of the bed with a pillow propped up, staring out the window, lost in thought.

Yet the moment Yu Ting entered, she noticed him immediately.

She whipped her head around. Meeting Yu Ting’s gaze, she was very flustered. A few traces of panic appeared on her face as she hurriedly tried to gesture.

In the next second, Yu Ting stepped forward, put down his bag, bent over, and hugged Zhao Rufei tightly. His head buried deep into Zhao Rufei’s shoulder. He rubbed his face firmly against the woman’s shoulder. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

Zhao Rufei’s nose stung. She immediately hugged Yu Ting back. Unable to speak, she shook her head.

She was the one who was wrong.

Mother and son held each other for a good while before Yu Ting finally let go.

His eye sockets and the tip of his nose were red. He had a rare, childish air about him. He raised the back of his hand to wipe the corner of his eye. Zhao Rufei’s eyes were also red as she gestured, “Little Lu told me everything.”

Yu Ting was startled. Lu Jue?

Zhao Rufei continued, “He said you were looking at many books about shipbuilding. When you read those books, your eyes would light up, and you would smile.”

Yu Ting: “…”

Did he really do that when he read?

“In the future, you must build the most impressive big ship ever. Your dad will definitely see it.”

Yu Ting’s pupils trembled. “Mom…”

Zhao Rufei gently interrupted him. “I hope my Lele will always be smiling, always shining brightly.”

…

The other patients gradually woke up, all curiously sizing up Yu Ting.

The young man’s presence was simply too striking. He was clearly a model child from someone else’s family.

The ward was an eight-person room. Beds were tight; all were occupied. An older auntie, eating her breakfast while eyeing Yu Ting, couldn’t help but speak up. “Hey, sis, is this your son? What a handsome boy.”

Zhao Rufei couldn’t speak and felt a bit awkward. Just as she was about to find her phone to type, Yu Ting politely greeted the auntie. “My mom can’t speak.”

So polite too! The auntie liked Yu Ting even more. She pulled Yu Ting into a conversation for quite a while, until it was time for the examinations.

Zhao Rufei was still worried about the cost and didn’t want to do the tests. She told Yu Ting to go back to school. “Go back to class. I’m fine. They’re just tests now, nothing else going on.”

Yu Ting knew perfectly well that if he left, Zhao Rufei simply wouldn’t go for the tests.

He opened his bag and pulled out a set of clean clothes. “I’ve taken leave.” After a pause, “This whole week is just going over the monthly exam papers. Not going won’t affect me.”

Hearing this, the auntie asked again, “Oh my, sounds like this young man’s grades are pretty good too!”

Someone praising Yu Ting made Zhao Rufei’s smile grow wider. She raised her hand to straighten Yu Ting’s slightly messy bangs. “Be modest.”

Yu Ting pulled the blue cloth privacy curtain around Zhao Rufei’s bed, put down the clothes, lifted a corner of the curtain, and stood outside.

Knowing she couldn’t trick Yu Ting into leaving, Zhao Rufei could only change her clothes and follow Yu Ting to do the tests.

The doctor had ordered these tests: a routine blood test, a full-body B-scan ultrasound, an ECG…

They had come early and didn’t wait in line much. Still, going through this round of tests, it was already noon by the time everything was done.

Several test results would only be available a few days later.

Yu Ting lowered his eyes. While waiting for Zhao Rufei’s tests, he had searched relevant keywords online. There were no definitive answers.

The worst-case scenario…

Cancer.

His breathing grew heavier. Afraid Zhao Rufei would notice, Yu Ting curved his eyes into a smile. “There’s a stir-fry restaurant at the entrance. Let’s go eat.”

Zhao Rufei hesitated. “Places near the hospital all have inflated prices…”

“Aunt Fei!” A voice suddenly called out.

Yu Ting and Zhao Rufei followed the sound and saw Lu Jue running over carrying a large food container.

He had run in a hurry; his forehead and the tip of his nose were sweaty. Zhao Rufei searched her bag but couldn’t find tissues. She asked Yu Ting if he had any, and also asked, “Little Lu, how come you’re here?”

Yu Ting also hadn’t brought tissues. In his pocket, he only had a handkerchief. He thought for a second but didn’t take it out. “No.”

Lu Jue was slightly breathless. “School’s out. I came to bring you lunch.”

Zhao Rufei waved her hands repeatedly. “No, no, I heard from Lele. You were the one who sent us to the hospital last night too. It’s far too much trouble for you.”

“Last time I had a fever, Lele also took care of me all night.” Lu Jue naturally walked to Zhao Rufei’s other side. “If you say it like that, I won’t dare ask Lele for help next time.”

He even craned his head to look at Yu Ting. “Right, Lele?”

Yu Ting: “…”

The somewhat heavy atmosphere relaxed considerably with Lu Jue’s arrival. Back in the ward, the auntie who had taken such a liking to Yu Ting that morning was talking with a young woman.

As soon as they entered, the auntie spotted Yu Ting and immediately called out, “Xiao Yu, come here, come here.”

“This is my granddaughter. Just got into university. A few months ago, she was still a high schooler like you. She’s wonderfully filial. Knew I was sick and came all the way back specially to look after me.” The auntie happily introduced the girl.

The girl stole a few glances at Yu Ting. Her skin instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head, quickly peeled an apple, and offered it to Yu Ting. “For your auntie.”

Zhao Rufei also glanced at the girl a few times but didn’t intervene.

Yu Ting didn’t accept it. “Thank you, but my mom just finished her tests and hasn’t eaten yet. She needs to eat first.”

Having been rejected, the girl enthusiastically offered again, “I got some hot water. Does the auntie want a cup?”

Yu Ting: “Thank you, we have hot water.”

Only then did the girl fall silent. The auntie, unwilling to give up, was about to play matchmaker again when she suddenly spotted Lu Jue. The auntie was pleasantly surprised. “Oh my, sister, you have another son! I also have an older granddaughter—”

Zhao Rufei hurriedly moved to explain. Lu Jue politely nodded to the auntie, supported Zhao Rufei to sit on the hospital bed, pulled over the dining table and set out the food containers, and then raised his hand to pull the blue cloth curtain on the left side closed.

With a “shua,” the auntie and the girl were cut off from view.

Auntie: “…”

Girl: “…”

The food container had two tiers. The selection wasn’t plentiful, all light, refreshing, and nutritious common dishes. Zhao Rufei ate without feeling burdened. She had a good appetite and ate two big bowls of rice.

Seeing Zhao Rufei able to eat, the tension in Yu Ting’s spine finally eased a little. Once Zhao Rufei fell asleep, Yu Ting tucked in every corner of her blanket. The other side of the curtain was also pulled shut. Quietly, he and Lu Jue left the ward.

Sitting on the long bench in the corridor, Yu Ting hadn’t slept all night, had been running tests around the hospital, and had been busy back and forth all morning. The moment his head touched the wall, he nearly fell asleep. But he immediately snapped awake again, lifting his eyelids to ask Lu Jue, “Sorry, what did you just say?”

“Aunt Fei’s test results will be out this afternoon.” Lu Jue put away his phone.

Yu Ting was stunned. “Wasn’t it three days—”

He paused, thinking of Lu Jue’s background.

He suppressed the corner of his mouth. The only thing he could say was, “Thank you.”

“Switch to a private room.” Lu Jue said. “Multi-person rooms are crowded and noisy, not conducive to recovery.”

Yu Ting didn’t reply.

Lu Jue turned his head. The young man beside him had his eyes closed, quiet and still. Below his eyelids were two faint dark circles. In just one night, his chin had grown even sharper. A big guy over 1.8 meters tall, yet even Little Minmin’s palm might be bigger than his face now.

Seconds and minutes ticked by. After an uneasy, brief nap, Yu Ting lifted his eyelids. It was nearly two o’clock in the afternoon.

He said quietly, “You should go ba—”

“The reports are out.” Lu Jue suddenly stood up. “Let’s go hear what the doctor says.”

“He needs to do another biopsy tomorrow.”

The doctor flipped through the B-scan ultrasound results. “There’s a mass image in the left breast, at the three o’clock position, approximately 22 by 18 millimeters. The shape is irregular, the borders are indistinct, and the surface is uneven. There’s also a mass with indistinct borders in the right breast. Currently, it looks like a tumor. We need a biopsy to determine if it’s breast cancer.”

Yu Ting was mentally prepared. He wasn’t too surprised. Lowering his eyelashes, he asked the doctor if he could arrange a single-patient room.

The doctor had received a call from the hospital director and knew this family had money. But he still said, “Wait until after the biopsy to see the results. Switching rooms now would just be a waste of money. If it really is breast cancer, I recommend you immediately send the patient to a major hospital in the provincial capital. Ideally, you should go to a hospital in Jing City for treatment.”

Leaving the doctor’s office, Yu Ting didn’t speak the entire way. Walking to a deserted spot, he suddenly stopped and spoke. “Lu Jue.”

Lu Jue stopped walking. He tilted his head, looking at the lifeless young man. “I’m here.”

“Just go. Don’t help me anymore.” Yu Ting’s face showed little expression as he said, “I won’t fall for you.”

“I’ve never thought about anything other than building ships and taking care of my mom. I’ll pay you back the money I owe as soon as possible. From now on, don’t meddle in my affairs anymore.”

He enunciated every word clearly. “I can’t repay you. And I don’t want to owe you even more.”

Even the young man’s silhouette was molded with stubbornness. Lu Jue watched for a moment. “But I just want to help you.”

He very much wanted to touch the young man’s face, but he stopped himself mid-reach. Suddenly, he looked downcast, dejected. “Lele, can we talk after the biopsy result comes out tomorrow? Let me stay for now. I promise I won’t say a single word, won’t do a single thing. Unless you agree to it.”

“…”

Yu Ting pressed his lips together. “What exactly is good about me?”

He had a somewhat agreeable face, and his grades were good. But young men like him were surely not rare in Lu Jue’s social circles.

Why fall for him?

They hadn’t even known each other for two months.

Too many things had crammed into Yu Ting’s mind overnight. His thoughts were a jumbled mess when he suddenly heard—

“You’re perfect in every way.”