Chapter 74
“This could even be considered a sign of improvement,” the therapist added another blow, “As long as you don’t do anything foolish and tell him the truth now.”
Once interrupted, resuming the treatment would be nearly impossible.
If Xia Wansheng started doubting his own memories, any further therapy would be futile.
“There are several cuts on his fingertips.” Yu Congyan was still worried.
Xia Wansheng was hurting himself in secret, if this continued…
“You can ask him directly, he can’t escape now, can he?” The therapist said calmly.
Having lost his escape route, he had to face reality, regardless of his wishes, learning to handle others’ concern was also part of the process.
Yu Congyan was speechless.
After waiting for ten seconds, which cost him a hundred yuan, the therapist mercilessly hung up.
The dial tone buzzed.
The porridge in the pot on the stove bubbled merrily.
Yu Congyan, still worried, had checked Xia Wansheng’s temperature again before leaving the bedroom, relieved to find the fever had subsided.
He paused, thinking he couldn’t just stand by and watch as Xia Wansheng struggled with his emotions.
Perhaps, next time he touched his ring finger, it would be with a real ring.
When it came to relationships, he had no experience, always feeling unsure.
After all, his wealth, status, and family background didn’t help in matters of the heart.
Fu Ling’s words were a sharp reminder: “He doesn’t even care about your money, why would he love you?”
Although it seemed backwards, he hadn’t paid much attention to it at the time.
But now, alone, these words echoed in his mind.
Some things, if not addressed, wouldn’t just disappear, they would fester and resurface.
The colorful porridge in the pot continued to bubble, on the verge of burning.
Thankfully, Yu Congyan didn’t dwell on his thoughts for too long, turning off the stove just in time.
He should subtly inquire about Xia Wansheng’s views on marriage at his friend’s wedding.
Xia Wansheng was sound asleep.
He rarely had peaceful dreams, but the fever had consumed most of his mental capacity, he was back in a state of blissful ignorance, just needing to rest.
But perhaps because he hadn’t gotten an answer to his earlier question, his sleep was restless.
After tossing and turning, he finally sat up, his body weak.
He stared blankly, his hair a mess, his mind still foggy, instinctively wanting to use his usual method to clear his head.
He looked around but couldn’t find his diary, which he had placed by his bed before sleeping.
Had he misremembered?
He vaguely recalled putting it there, his memory hazy. He closed his eyes, intending to prick his finger to trigger the familiar pain.
Then he felt the rough texture of a band-aid.
He paused, pulling his left hand out from under the covers.
A Snoopy band-aid was wrapped around his ring finger, covering the faint scars.
The memory of his fever returned, he realized Yu Congyan had been here, then… he must have taken the diary.
He had even acted spoiled and asked if he was dying…
Xia Wansheng flopped back down, covering his face in embarrassment.
He had tried so hard to avoid this, but he couldn’t control his delirious ramblings when he was sick, a moment of social death.
The last time he had felt this mortified was during the company’s annual party, being forced to perform with his colleagues, he had even used the excuse of wanting to jump off a building, but the heartless HR department still hadn’t given him leave.
After his brief meltdown, Xia Wansheng extracted some useful information from this incident.
He hadn’t been clear-headed then, his question nonsensical, but Yu Congyan’s response had been strange, not denying his memory loss, but asking if he wanted to remember.
Had he really lost his memory? He didn’t feel any different.
Xia Wansheng turned to look at the epiphyllum branches reaching for the ceiling, trying to activate his still-recovering brain, then, after several failed attempts, gave up.
He was staring blankly at the ceiling when he heard the door open.
Yu Congyan walked over to his bedside, holding a bowl of steaming porridge.
But their eyes met, and seeing Xia Wansheng was awake, he turned and placed the porridge on the distant table.
“???”
Xia Wansheng: Seriously? Are you afraid I’ll discover you poisoned it?
Yu Congyan would never do such a thing.
He had assumed Xia Wansheng was still asleep, intending to secretly measure his ring size, so he could have a matching pair made, regardless of whether he had the chance to propose.
Just a small indulgence.
So, being caught, he felt exposed, quickly trying to change the subject, “The porridge is a bit hot.”
Then, seeing Xia Wansheng’s disbelieving look, he decided to pretend nothing had happened, “Why are you awake?”
Xia Wansheng had been sleeping soundly when he left, he shouldn’t have woken up so soon.
“I don’t know, maybe the medicine wore off.” Xia Wansheng replied, his gaze following the aroma of the porridge.
He hadn’t been hungry earlier, but now he realized he was starving.
Seeing him looking at the porridge, Yu Congyan brought it back, “Fresh vegetables and meat from the fridge, no seafood.”
Xia Wansheng nodded, not paying much attention to his words, picking up his spoon and starting to eat.
Yu Congyan, however, thought of something else. Hiding a ring in food was clichéd, but effective.
Since both their birthdays had just passed, perhaps he should find another excuse to buy a cake?
He couldn’t hide it in other food, Xia Wansheng might accidentally swallow it.
“It’s a bit bland,” Xia Wansheng commented after eating half the bowl.
Then he realized his words were a bit inappropriate, “Not that it’s not good, maybe my taste buds haven’t recovered yet…”
Yu Congyan, lost in thought, didn’t respond.
He considered various options, then decided it was better to give it to Xia Wansheng in person.
After all, it was a declaration, he should at least get his consent.
He snapped out of his thoughts to see Xia Wansheng staring blankly, as if he had frozen.
“What’s wrong?” He was about to take the bowl, “I’ll make something else if you don’t like it.”
He wondered if making a cake now was appropriate, but it was too late to order a custom ring.
But he couldn’t take the bowl, Xia Wansheng pulled it away.
He didn’t speak, seemingly trying to gauge Yu Congyan’s reaction.
He should have just pretended nothing happened, but he suddenly felt the urge to push his luck.
He was sick, a little bit of unreasonable behavior was acceptable.
“Were you just zoning out?” He leaned closer and asked.
“…Sorry,” Yu Congyan admitted quickly, “I was thinking about something, I haven’t figured it out yet.”
“What is it?” Xia Wansheng was curious, it was rare to see him at a loss.
“Whether you would accept my proposal.”
“？！”
