Contractual Marriage: We’re Meant to Be Together

210. I Have Nothing

Translator: Bryan

Yan Chuyang was at a loss for words for a moment, and then he said, “Uh, the school organized an event. I’ll be fully occupied this weekend.”

“Oh.” Li Xinqiang nodded. After pondering for a while, he clicked his tongue. “Well, this is tricky. I don’t think you know this, but your mother’s sick. She’s been having a fever for days. She keeps telling me she misses you and wants you to visit her.”

Yan Chuyang was amazed. “She’s sick? How did she get sick?”

“Well, it was all because of the rain two days ago,” Li Xinqiang sighed. “I told her there’s no need to deliver an umbrella to you and that you didn’t need an umbrella at school, but she wouldn’t listen. I couldn’t stop her from going to school to deliver an umbrella to you so I let her go. She came back soaking wet, and she caught a cold after taking a shower. She’s been having a fever since then.”

Yan Chuyang’s face darkened as he asked anxiously, “Then she should see a doctor? You didn’t take her to the hospital?”

“She refused to go there,” Li Xinqiang said resignedly. “She said it’d be a waste of money to see a doctor, and she insisted on taking medicine at home. You should go and talk some sense into her. She’s been having a fever all the time. There’s nothing I can do.”

“I’ll visit her in the afternoon,” Yan Chuyang interrupted him. “I think I’ll be able to get there by 2 p.m.”

Li Xinqiang was overjoyed. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell your mother right now. She’ll be so happy.”

Yan Chuyang inclined his head and said hurriedly, “Tell her to take the medicine to bring down her fever first.”

Li Xinqiang bobbed his head. “Don’t worry. I just gave her some pills. I also took her temperature. It was 36.7 degrees centigrade. The fever’s down for the moment. I don’t know if she’ll heat up in the afternoon.”

Yan Chuyang let out a sigh of relief. “I’m glad to hear that. Let her rest first. I’ll go in the afternoon.”

Yan Chuyang was just about to hang up when Li Xinqiang quickly said, “Chuyang, you should bring your friend with you.”

Yan Chuyang was stunned. “My friend?”

“Yeah, the one surnamed Wei who went to the hospital with you to see your brother the other day.”

Yan Chuyang gave an non-committal “Oh”. Having realized that Li Xinqiang was referring to Wei Qing, he asked surprisedly, “Why do you want me to bring him with me?”

“Your mother said your friend has been taking care of you for a long time. She’s very grateful so she wants to invite him for dinner.”

Yan Chuyang said vaguely with a head bob, “I’ll ask him his opinions, but I’m not sure if he will come.”

“Oh, it’s okay,” Li Xinqiang said nonchalantly. “Just tell him. He may come if he wants to.”

“Okay,” Yan Chuyang replied, “goodbye.” Then he hung up.

Listening to the beep from the other end of the phone, Li Xinqiang frowned concernedly, then turned to look at Fang Jingshu who was standing beside him and asked, “Would that do?”

Fang Jingshu was chopping vegetables. She responded without even raising her head, “Yeah. All that matters is Chuyang’s fallen for it.”

“That’s not enough,” Li Xinqiang remarked. “What if he doesn’t come this afternoon?”

“He will come.” Fang Jingshu shook her head and said confidently, “I know my son well. He is soft-hearted. There’s no way he’d ignore me knowing I’m sick.”

“But him coming here won’t do us any good,” Li Xinqiang said anxiously. “He’s just a college student who hasn’t entered society yet. What can he possibly do to help me? Unless that friend of his comes here with him, all our efforts would be in vain. My boss wouldn’t even agree to give me a salary bump, let alone another job.”

“Why are you being so impatient?” Fang Jingshu raised her head, gave him a dirty look and snorted, “You’re an incompetent man in need of help from him, and yet you’re unwilling to show patience. Beggars can’t be choosers, understand?”

Li Xinqiang’s guileless face became a little embarrassed as he snorted, “I’m just worried that Wei Qing guy might not agree to come. He’s the big boss. At the end of the day, he’s the one we can rely on.”

Fang Jingshu sighed and said with uncertainty, “We can only take our chance. It all depends on how much he cares about my son…”

Yan Chuyang got home from school at 12 o’clock.

Wei Qing was cooking in the kitchen, and the sound of him stir-frying food was melodious.

Yan Chuyang changed his shoes in the hallway and walked to the kitchen, intending to secretly watch Wei Qing cooking; but after looking at Wei Qing’s elegantly handsome face for a few moments, he couldn’t help but walk over, hold him from behind and lower his head to rub his face against Wei Qing’s back. “Thank you for cooking me meals. I’ve missed you so much,” he said.

Wei Qing’s abdomen tightened slightly as he felt the soft touch of Yan Chuyang’s body on his back. He snorted, “Let go of me. You’re not helping.”

Yan Chuyang reluctantly released his hold of Wei Qing and stepped side. Leaning against the cubboard, he watched unblinkingly as Wei Qing expertly stir-fried the food with a spatula.

He thought, “It’s true what they say; a man working attentively is the most handsome.”

After watching for a while, Yan Chuyang suddenly said, “Wei Qing, there’s something I want to tell you.”

“Go ahead.”

“Fang Jingshu is sick. I’m paying her a visit at 2 o’clock this afternoon.”

Wei Qing paused briefly, but his face soon returned to normal. He picked up the wok and, scooping the food into a plate, said, “What’s the point of telling me when you’ve already made a decision? I can’t make you change your mind.”

Yan Chuyang sighed, “Originally I didn’t want to go, but her husband said she’s been having a fever for days. On top of that, she’s ill because she went to deliver an umbrella to me a few days ago. I’ll keep feeling guilty about it unless I pay her a visit.”

“Then go!” Wei Qing turned and, gazing fixedly at Yan Chuyang, said, “Go if you are not afraid of being tricked or used by her.”

Yan Chuyang frowned. “Don’t you think you’re being rather melodramatic? Apart from anything else, she is my mother.”

“Ha,” Wei Qing sneered. “I can’t believe you’re actually calling her mother. She’s only been trying to please you for a few days. We’re married for half a year. Have I not been nice to you? I’ve been good to you for half a year and yet I never heard you call me ‘husband’!”

The boy’s temple twitched. “You’re not comparing like with like. She and you are not the same.”

“That’s right!” Wei Qing turned off the gas with a snort. He looked up at Yan Chuyang and continued, “How can we be the same? She’s close to you. There are blood ties between you two. Who am I? I’ve just been married to you for half a year and we don’t even have a child. You’re her blood. What do I have? I have nothing!”