White armor

Chapter 779 They'll tear off the roof if they don't let people open the windows
Some things are destined to have no ending.

For example, medical insurance. Luo Hao simply didn't want to think about these things. The world is so interesting, why bother thinking about things that can't be solved at all?

A day passes quickly, a week passes quickly.

Summer in the provincial capital is like a pot of overcooked mung bean soup, thick and sultry with a spoiled taste.

The setting sun was bathing the glass curtain wall in a dazzling golden-red hue.

Across the street, the cicadas' chirping in the plane trees had become weak and listless—these noisy little creatures had also been exhausted by the continuous 40-degree heat. The asphalt road surface emitted distorted heat waves, turning the distant traffic into a shimmering mirage.

The little stall on the street corner that sold five yuan worth of ice jelly last year is gone, replaced by a vending machine that gleams with a cold light.

Several food delivery riders squatted under the shade of a tree waiting for orders. The insulated boxes on their electric bikes were covered with the logos of various delivery platforms, like a swarm of domesticated worker bees.

The air conditioner unit outside the convenience store hummed loudly, and the hot air it emitted carried the aroma of oden, making passersby quicken their pace.

The water level of the river that flows past the provincial capital has dropped again, revealing dark brown silt with several dented aluminum cans stuck to it.

Several shirtless elderly men were still swimming, their bronze backs floating on the water like moving rocks. A newly installed LED screen on the shore played water-saving advertisements on a loop, the glaring blue light reflected on the dirty water like a broken Milky Way.

The newly replaced plane trees by the municipality haven't fully grown yet; their thin trunks are wrapped with nutrient bags that look like IV drips. The old locust trees, which used to be lush and leafy, have all been cut down, leaving only stark stumps with their growth rings looking like wounds that have been forcibly ripped open.

Luo Hao stared at the billboard outside the hospital, where a female celebrity was smiling while holding up a new mobile phone, next to a red banner that read "Combate Insurance Fraud." Two elderly people in hospital gowns sat on a bench, lost in thought, a corner of a CT scan peeking out from a plastic bag at their feet.

As the evening rush hour traffic began to congest, amidst the cacophony of horns, a large screen at the entrance of a shopping mall suddenly lit up.

Popular idol groups are dancing to a summer theme song, and the energetic smiles of the young people are particularly dazzling in the twilight.

Night finally swallowed the last rays of the sunset.

The office building lights gradually came on, resembling countless square beehives. Meanwhile, the neon lights of the hospital emergency room remained glaringly bright, a red like blood that would never clot.

As Luo Hao walked out of the hospital, he carefully admired the scenery before him.

this is life.

"When are we going to see the bamboo?" Chen Yong asked Luo Hao.

"We'll see. Bamboo is doing quite well in the Qinling Mountains."

"You've wasted your time raising these spirit pets," Chen Yong said disdainfully.

Chen Yong pulled down his mask, took a deep breath, revealing a handsome face with sharp features, and his lips curled into an undisguised look of disgust.

His thick, dark eyebrows were raised high, almost reaching his temples. His peach blossom eyes were now narrowed into two dangerous arcs, with the corners of his eyes still showing a faint redness from being covered by the mask.

"Tsk." He made a short, nasal sound, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down with the movement, and a fine layer of sweat covered his neck.

The mask hung loosely on one ear, revealing half of the straight bridge of the nose—a little bead of sweat still clung to the tip of the nose, glistening in the sunlight.

He raised his hand and fanned himself, his long, slender fingers waving impatiently in front of his face, as if trying to dispel some unpleasant odor. This gesture made the veins on his wrists more prominent, giving him a somewhat rugged look.

"Wearing a mask in this sweltering heat is truly unbearable," he muttered, his voice muffled by the mask, yet unable to conceal his disdain.

As he spoke, his full lower lip pursed slightly, with faint marks left by the edge of his mask. Coupled with his wide-open eyes, he looked just like a beautiful, bristling leopard cat.

"Chen Yong!"

Liu Yiyi's voice came from behind.

"here I am."

All of Chen Yong's unhappiness vanished, replaced by a joy that emanated from within and from his heart.

Luo Hao smiled and said, "It has to be said that one thing can subdue another, and Old Liu is very formidable."

But this time, Lao Liu didn't pounce directly on Chen Yong's back and forcefully inhale Chen Yong's yang energy.

"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Chen Yong asked, somewhat surprised.

"A friend of mine has a boyfriend who is honest and reliable."

"Oh? Honest and dutiful? Really? Men won't be honest and dutiful until the long-distance relationship begins," Chen Yong said.

"Are you talking about yourself?" Liu Yiyi asked.

Luo Hao felt a little embarrassed. If he were Chen Yong, he definitely wouldn't have been so talkative.

Chen Yong pulled Liu Yiyi close by the waist, leaned close to her ear, and whispered with a roguish smile, "How can I be the same? My heart is already tied to you. Long distance or not, I'm yours no matter what."

He gently tapped Liu Yiyi's nose with his long, slender fingers: "Besides..."

He drew out the last syllable, then suddenly pulled a velvet box from his pocket. "To you, I am destiny. Can anything be greater than fate's arrangement?"

Before Liu Yiyi could retort, Chen Yong had already unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt with one hand. "Why don't you bite off another stamp here?"

"Why are you being so inappropriate?" Liu Yiyi was interrupted by Chen Yong and had already forgotten what she was going to say.

After a moment of hesitation, Liu Yiyi said, "Chen Yong, Professor Luo, can you help me think of a solution? My friend wants to bring her boyfriend home, but her family definitely won't agree."

"It seems like you don't need a household registration booklet to register for marriage anymore," Luo Hao suggested.

"She's a good girl, but her family still needs to agree."

"This is nothing, Luo Hao, shut up and watch me." Chen Yong curled his lip and adjusted his mask.

Luo Hao had no doubt about Chen Yong's abilities in this area, and he wasn't in a hurry to go home. He wanted to see how Chen Yong could persuade the elders to agree to the marriage.

"Where's your friend? Tell her to bring her boyfriend to the hospital," Chen Yong said, then told Luo Hao, "Let's order some food, we can't go back today."

Luo Hao made a reservation for dinner, and then called Da Nizi, asking her to come and join the fun.

"What are you planning to do?" Liu Yiyi asked.

"It depends on what kind of person your friend is. How can I do anything if I haven't seen him? Some things require improvisation. But don't worry, I have plenty of methods and strength to deal with the elderly!"

"Hey." Luo Hao chuckled.

The young couple stood awkwardly in the corridor outside the interventional radiology department, like two green plants transplanted into an unfamiliar flowerbed.

The boy wore dark-rimmed glasses, his eyes behind the lenses were downcast, and his fingers kept pushing up the frames, as if that was the only thing he could do.

The girl had short, ear-length hair, with the ends neatly tucked behind her ears. Her hands were clasped together in front of her lower abdomen, and her breathing was so light it was almost inaudible.

The two were wearing plaid shirts of the same color scheme—it looked like they had put together a carefully chosen outfit, but it was still incredibly tacky.

The boy's sneakers were polished to a faded white, and the girl's canvas bag still bore her university badge. They stood just wide enough to fit a medical record book between them—neither too distant nor too inappropriate.

When Liu Yiyi called their names, the two of them trembled at the same time.

The boy opened his mouth but didn't say anything. In the end, the girl responded in a voice barely above a whisper, "Here."

When they walk, their shadows are neatly separated on the ground, and even when they turn, they are at perfect right angles.

"They're so honest!" Luo Hao observed them with great interest.

Luo Hao thought of all sorts of friends Old Liu had, and a smile crept onto his face as he found it amusing.

"This is my boyfriend, Chen Yong. Chen Yong, this is Cao Guohua."

Is this a girl's name? It sounds so androgynous. Luo Hao continued looking.

The short-haired girl seemed a little awkward, but she reached out and shook hands with Chen Yong.

"You guys are like people from the last century." Chen Yong frowned, clearly finding it a headache to deal with the fact that these two were so unyielding.

"Tell me quickly, what should we do?" Liu Yiyi urged.

Luo Hao felt he was about to see Chen Yong make a fool of himself, but Chen Yong didn't even think about it and said directly, "If you won't let us open the windows, then we'll tear down the roof."

"???"

"???"

"Was it Lu Xun who said that?" Luo Hao asked.

"I don't know, what I mean is... Lao Meng, can you do me a favor?" Chen Yong called out to Lao Meng, but then noticed Zhuang Yan's wary gaze.

"Just helping out, Xiao Zhuang, don't be possessive of your food," Chen Yong said.

Zhuang Yan's actions were subconscious; her face flushed slightly as she turned to continue stacking Hatsune Miku items.

"Me? What can I do?" Old Meng asked.

“I have my own clever plan, why are you asking so many questions?” Chen Yong said. “Let’s eat first, and after we eat I’ll take you somewhere. Xiao Zhuang, take good care of the house, and make sure Xiao Meng looks after it too.”

Chen Yong left Zhuang Yan behind.

Zhuang Yan wanted to refute, and also wanted to watch the show, but she gave up the idea after Chen Yong insisted.

"Why didn't you bring Xiao Zhuang with you?" Luo Hao asked.

"We can't leave a bad impression on Xiao Zhuang," Chen Yong replied casually with a smile.

A bad impression?
Luo Hao frowned slightly, looking closely at Chen Yong, wondering what he was up to.

It wasn't that they were completely unaware; Chen Yong's statement—"If you won't let us open the windows, then we'll tear down the roof"—already revealed a little of the secret.

After a quick meal, Chen Yong led the group to a photo studio.

Luo Hao recognized the person who came out to greet him; he was a patient's family member.

He was very friendly when he saw Luo Hao and Chen Yong, and he readily agreed to whatever Chen Yong said.

Chen Yong took Lao Meng to get his makeup done, and then asked Luo Hao to buy two bottles of Moutai and two cartons of Zhonghua cigarettes.

Not long after, Meng Liangren was brought out, and Luo Hao was startled when he saw her.

With her head full of white hair, Meng Liangren looked more than ten years older after the makeup was done, even older than Shen Zizai, as if she was about to retire.

“Okay, I’ll bring Lao Meng to your house tonight,” Chen Yong said to Cao Guohua.

"what?!"

The girl was honest, and she was so surprised that she couldn't close her mouth.

"What 'ah'? Just say he's your boyfriend, you don't need to say anything else. Old Meng, you know what to say, right?"

Meng Liangren has been through the trials of society; she's not stupid.

He smiled憨憨厚地, and seeing that Luo Hao didn't speak, he nodded, "I know, Dr. Chen."

"Tell me briefly."

“If I call out ‘Dad,’ Xiao Cao’s father will have a heart attack.”

"!!!"

"!!!"

“Yes, then you can do it yourself,” Chen Yong said.

Luo Hao didn't think Chen Yong was being ridiculous; he just watched the scene with a smile.

They quickly escorted Meng Liangren and Cao Guohua upstairs, while the others waited downstairs. Liu Yiyi thought for a moment, then decided it wasn't a safe idea and followed them up.

“I’ll go with him.” “Old Liu, what are you getting involved in? You can trust Old Meng to handle things.”

"I'm not worried about anything!" Old Liu clenched his fist and followed Cao Guohua upstairs.

Looking at Lao Meng's back from behind, Liu Yiyi couldn't tell if it was makeup or if Lao Meng was putting on an act to fit his persona, but in any case, he looked twenty years older, and his back was even a little hunched.

"I really shouldn't have brought Xiao Zhuang along," Liu Yiyi thought to herself.

When the door opened, Cao Guohua's parents, who were under fifty, looked very young. Upon seeing Liu Yiyi, her mother warmly welcomed her in.

"Xiao Liu, why did you come along?"

"I got off work late, so I came over for a free meal," Liu Yiyi said dismissively.

Cao Guohua's parents didn't pay any attention, because their eyes were on Meng Liangren.

The moment they saw Meng Liangren, their smiles froze, as if a pause button had been pressed.

Cao's mother was still holding a fruit plate, and the apples almost rolled off the edge of the plate.

Her eyes widened, her gaze sweeping from Meng Liangren's graying temples to his slightly hunched back, finally settling on the deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes—wrinkles so deep they could trap a mosquito.

Mr. Cao hesitated for a moment. He subconsciously looked outside the door, thinking that there was a young man following behind, but he only saw an empty corridor.

He adjusted his reading glasses, rubbed his eyes, and finally, unwilling to give up, peeked behind Meng Liangren, as if playing a game of "spot the difference," trying to find the hidden "real boyfriend."

"Uh, who is this?" Cao's mother finally found her voice, but her tone was weak and limp, as if she had stepped on an electric shock. Liu Yiyi really suspected that if they continued to make a fuss like this, they might have a heart attack.

Cao's father immediately entered philosophical thinking mode—he stared at Meng Liangren for three seconds, then suddenly looked down at his slippers, as if wondering if he was seeing things because of his old eyes.

When Meng Liangren politely extended his hand and said "okay," Cao's father reflexively shook it and blurted out, "Brother, how old are you this year?"

Liu Yiyi was trying so hard not to laugh that her face turned red. She just kept her head down, not daring to let the old couple see her expression.

"I am fifty-two years old, my surname is Meng, you two can just call me Xiao Meng." Meng Liangren's honest tone became incredibly cunning in this environment, as if he had transformed into a wild boar about to snatch someone's cabbage.

Cao Guohua's father clutched his chest, his face pale.

Meng Liangren, carrying Moutai and Zhonghua cigarettes, respectfully handed the gifts to Cao Guohua's father.

"Today was a bit sudden, I didn't prepare anything, just a small token of my appreciation."

“You…you…” Cao Guohua’s father stammered, unable to utter a complete sentence.

Meng Liangren still had a kind and honest expression on his face.

Liu Yiyi noticed that even though Lao Meng was made up to look twenty years older, it only made his honest and simple nature seem more solemn.

Will Lao Meng be like this twenty years from now?

Liu Yiyi was very interested in this.

Cao Guohua's parents remained motionless, rudely refusing to let Meng Liangren into the house. The group stood there in the entryway, no one speaking.

They stared intently at Meng Liangren, their expressions suggesting they were about to tear him to pieces at any moment.

Liu Yiyi carefully nudged Cao Guohua.

"Dad, this is my boyfriend," Cao Guohua introduced in a low voice.

"..."

Cao Guohua's father stood there, his facial muscles frozen, his lips twitching, but he couldn't manage to form a complete sentence.

His fingers unconsciously gripped the edge of the shoe rack, his knuckles turning white, as if he wanted to tear the shoe rack apart.

"Dad?" Cao Guohua mustered his courage and called out.

“Boyfriend…?” Cao Guohua’s father repeated the word slowly, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

His gaze swept back and forth between Meng Liangren's graying temples and his own daughter's youthful face, his pupils trembling as if an earthquake were occurring.

Liu Yiyi even saw Cao Guohua's father's pupils contract, becoming pinpoint-sized.

His Adam's apple bobbed up and down several times, as if he were trying to swallow back the question that was about to come out of his mouth.

A fine layer of sweat gradually appeared on his forehead, gleaming eerily under the light. His right hand unconsciously reached for his breast pocket—where he always kept his blood pressure medication.

Unbeknownst to Cao Guohua's father, even he himself was unaware of the countless changes in his micro-expressions.

His eyebrows first rose in surprise, then quickly furrowed, followed by an uncontrollable twitch at the left corner of his mouth, before finally settling on a complex expression somewhere between a heart attack and a stroke.

Cao Guohua's father's gaze gradually shifted from shock to confusion, and then from confusion to existential doubt, like a man struck by lightning who was still wondering why it had to be him who was unlucky.

"Ah...okay..." He finally managed to squeeze out a meaningless reply, his voice as dry as a gear that hadn't been oiled in three years.

After he finished speaking, his legs went weak, and his movements became stiff like a puppet being manipulated. His eyes stared blankly at Meng Liangren, as if the answer to life was hidden there.

"Dad, Mom, this is my first time visiting your home," Meng Liangren said honestly.

The words "Dad" and "Mom" struck Cao Guohua's parents like a bolt from the blue.

A thunderclap in the silence, and the two completely lost their temper.

"Get out!" Cao Guohua's father roared. "Get out of here!"

As he spoke, he grabbed Cao Guohua's arm and hid the girl behind his back, fearing that Meng Liangren would take away his beloved daughter.

Cao Guohua's mother, without saying a word, her face dark, pushed Meng Liangren out directly.

"Dad, Mom, I just look a little old," Meng Liangren tried to explain, attempting to slip Moutai and Zhonghua cigarettes into their hands.

But the next second, the door was slammed shut.

Meng Liangren continued his act to the end, not turning around and leaving, but knocking on the door and begging until Cao Guohua's father came out with a kitchen knife, at which point he fled in panic.

After going downstairs, Meng Liangren sat down in Peugeot 307, panting heavily.

"Old Meng, why are you breathing so heavily?" Chen Yong asked curiously.

"Don't even mention it, the old man tried to kill me with a kitchen knife." Meng Liangren said, still shaken.

"Ha ha ha ha."

"Sigh, what a mess this is," Luo Hao commented. "Old Meng, you're taking it too seriously. Those old folks are already terrified. You should just hurry downstairs; there's no need for that."

"I was afraid of ruining Dr. Chen's good plans."

"You? You're not capable of ruining my plans," Chen Yong said disdainfully.

Luo Hao chuckled, "Don't go too far."

“It’s not excessive, how could they possibly agree to that?” Chen Yong said.

"what's next?"

"I will take the stage myself a week later."

Luo Hao was stunned when he heard this.

Could it be that this bastard Chen Yong is planning to embezzle from his post?

But probably not, he's not stupid. But what is Chen Yong thinking?

"Chen Yong? Are you out of your mind?"

"Hey, you wouldn't understand even if I told you. Let's talk about it again in a week." Chen Yong took off his mask and fanned himself with his hand. "Everyone says the temperature is rising, and it's definitely true now. It's so hot, don't you feel it, Luo Hao?"

"No, what are you going to do? If you just go to their house like this, their parents will probably agree to it right away," Luo Hao said helplessly.

It was meant as a reminder, but Luo Hao didn't believe Chen Yong was unaware of this.

In a daze, Luo Hao recalled the time when Chen Yong had discussed the condition of a pituitary tumor patient with him late at night.

In the blink of an eye, more than a year has passed. I and Da Nizi are getting married, and Chen Yong and Lao Liu are getting along well. Time really flies.

The only thing that hasn't changed seems to be the unreliable Chen Yong.

No, he's become much more reliable now. Take the thesis, for example; Chen Yong, this small business owner, has done an excellent job.

"You're overthinking it. Don't be curious; curiosity killed the cat," Chen Yong laughed heartily.

The group waited downstairs for a while before Liu Yiyi returned.

"Old Liu, how are you?"

"Don't even mention it. As soon as Lao Meng left, Guohua's parents burst into tears. I held them back, so at least I didn't hit Xiao Cao." Liu Yiyi sighed. "I'll take my boyfriend with me tomorrow, it should be fine. But this medicine is too strong. Luckily they're not that old, otherwise, they might really have a heart attack in ten years."

"No," Chen Yong said firmly, "There are still things to do."

"Huh?" Liu Yiyi was taken aback.

"A week later, Xiao Cao and I went to her house."

"???"

Liu Yiyi was stunned, but she didn't refute, question, or get jealous. She just looked at Chen Yong with suspicion, wondering what he was up to now.

"Luo Hao, look at my wife, Lao Liu. She still believes in my basic loyalty to her. And look at you, you're such a troublemaker."

Luo Hao was speechless.

He was very curious, but he didn't ask.

Even if you ask Chen Yong, he won't answer, so why ask so many questions?

"Can I go with you a week from now?" Luo Hao thought for a moment and asked cautiously.

"If you want to go up, then go ahead. Just say you're Lao Liu's friend."

"How about we grab a bite to eat outside?" Luo Hao suggested.

"Aren't we not allowed to eat or drink now?"

"Doctors aren't considered civil servants, and I wasn't thinking about food and drink. I'll just go to Ma Zhuang's Western restaurant; I'll make a reservation."

"That's fine."

……

A week later.

Luo Hao booked a room at the Western restaurant in advance, and Ma Zhuang's relatives made thorough preparations.

But Luo Hao didn't see Chen Yong.

What's this guy up to now? With Chen Yong's looks and his current status as a doctor at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, he could probably arrange this marriage on the spot.

Strange, Luo Hao couldn't figure it out.

He sat in the Western restaurant waiting. When the time came, the door opened, and Chen Yong eagerly invited Cao Guohua's parents in.

But... Chen Yong looks a bit strange today.

(End of this chapter)