After Marrying Bigshot Vegetable Boss - Chapter 43

Yu Lan didn’t have time to think much, but he really couldn’t bear to let go of Chu Wang’s hand. He pressed the full-house video intercom by the bedside with urgency, calling for help almost incoherently.

 

He sat by the bed, Chu Wang’s right hand had already been warmed by his grip.

 

The brief moment of movement seemed almost as if it hadn’t happened.

 

But Yu Lan was certain he hadn’t been mistaken.

 

In less than five minutes, the butler arrived with the doctor from the neighboring building. Xi Jun, who had just returned from a business trip and hadn’t changed clothes, entered, panting and with reddened eyes.

 

She didn’t immediately approach, as if afraid it might just be another disappointment. Instead, she stood at the door, staring into the room with a dazed expression.

 

Yu Lan spoke with some difficulty but with urgency, briefly explaining the situation to the doctor: “I—I was so tired last night that I fell asleep holding Mr. Chu’s hand, and when I woke up, I still hadn’t let go. I… I’m really sure I wasn’t mistaken. I’ve held his hand before, and there was no reaction, but he really moved just now! And—and…”

 

He couldn’t finish the sentence.

 

And I can’t find him now.

 

The doctor nodded calmly, put on a stethoscope, and said to Yu Lan, “Mr. Yu, could you step aside a bit?”

 

Yu Lan was somewhat dazed but didn’t let go, and just muttered an “oh,” moving a bit back in a confused manner.

 

The doctor, noticing the close physical contact between the two, hesitated for a moment.

 

Yu Lan seemed to realize what “step aside” meant only then.

 

His face turned red instantly, but his gaze remained fixed on Chu Wang’s face. He bit his lip and reluctantly said, “Sorry.”

 

“But you can talk to him. Comatose patients can still sense the external world,” the doctor suddenly remembered, something he had heard when he first arrived.

 

At that time, he didn’t need to consider this because he could see Chu Wang right in front of him.

 

But now, Chu Wang had suddenly disappeared without any sign.

 

Yu Lan blinked, looking at the man lying there. He couldn’t help but lean in and whisper into his ear, “Chu Wang.”

 

How could he say something like that yesterday, and then wake up to find him gone?

 

His voice was very soft, close enough that no one else could hear.

 

Yu Lan said, “… I didn’t actually want to reject you yesterday.”

 

It was as if he was testing himself, or perhaps testing whether Chu Wang could hear his words: “If you can hear what I’m saying now… then when you can speak again, I’ll tell you the answer.”

 

After speaking, Yu Lan slowly stood up, preparing to leave.

 

However, before he could fully rise, he suddenly felt a very slight resistance on his hand—

 

The butler and the doctor both gasped in surprise.

 

Chu Wang, still with his eyes closed, seemed to have been holding Yu Lan’s hand for too long. When Yu Lan tried to withdraw his hand, Chu Wang’s little finger, as if unwilling to let go of the warmth, slightly bent and hooked around Yu Lan’s finger.

 

Yu Lan instantly froze, afraid to move.

 

From a distance, Xi Jun watched this scene and couldn’t help but cover her slightly open mouth with her hand.

 

Actually, the strength of a comatose person is very minimal; it would be easy for Yu Lan to pull away if he wanted to.

 

But the doctor hadn’t expected to see such a scene. After a two-second pause, he said, “Well, Mr. Yu, you… you can stay like this. It’s fine, it’s fine.”

 

Yu Lan’s mind was blank for a few seconds before he clumsily nodded.

 

Yu Lan could roughly understand the instruments by the bed, but he was still in a daze, his entire attention focused on his fingers.

 

Being held by Chu Wang felt completely different from that previous touch through the cinnabar.

 

He wasn’t sure if Chu Wang had really heard what he had said, which might have caused this reaction, but he had spoken without thinking, almost in a trance.

 

Xi Jun stood at a distance, observing his distressed expression, and softly called out, “Xiao Yu.”

 

Yu Lan snapped out of his daze and turned around, forcing a smile, “Aunt.”

 

“Don’t worry too much,” she said, oddly becoming the one to comfort him. “No matter how Chu Wang’s condition is… you’ve already helped us a lot.”

 

Yu Lan couldn’t muster any politeness, only nodding absently.

 

He hadn’t expected things to turn out like this.

 

He even wondered if Chu Wang’s sudden disappearance could have been avoided if he hadn’t whimsically played with the bead yesterday.

 

But that wasn’t right; he had already seen Chu Wang, which was cheating. According to his original plan, with the Chu family treating him so well, he should have achieved his goal by now.

 

But. But.

 

Yu Lan lowered his eyes and gently hooked Chu Wang’s finger.

 

Human nature is inherently greedy.

 

He had already achieved his initial wish.

 

Originally, Chu Wang had only been a symbol to him; he didn’t care whether he was a villain, just wanting to escape as soon as possible.

 

But now he felt fearful, and those initial thoughts had faded.

 

Yu Lan suddenly felt dizzy.

 

The instruments in front of him became blurry, and the beeping sound of the heart monitor seemed distant.

 

He felt as if he were very tired, so he slowly squatted down in front of Chu Wang.

 

His head gently rested on the joined fingers.

 

After an indeterminate amount of time, Yu Lan, with his eyes closed, heard the doctor say, “All done.”

 

He abruptly stood up, startling everyone with his sudden movement.

 

However, everyone present seemed to understand, and only gave him a knowing smile.

 

Perhaps seeing the doctor’s relaxed expression, Yu Lan’s heart stirred with a hint of hope. He looked up, carefully and anxiously asking, “Is… is there any change?”

 

The doctor seemed quite relieved, letting out a sigh of relief before telling them, “The condition… has indeed improved.”

 

“I’m not sure if it’s because Mr. Yu has been keeping him company,” the doctor said, remaining skeptical about the superstitious belief in ‘auspicious signs’. He believed it was more due to the family’s presence, “Looking at Mr. Chu’s previous signs, both his breathing and heart rate were quite low, but now they’ve noticeably increased. The earlier indication was due to a change in oxygen saturation, but you don’t need to worry about that; just keep up with the oxygen supply.”

 

The doctor went on with more technical terms, which Yu Lan barely understood: “So, does this mean he can… wake up?”

 

Was this bead a tool to make him wake up earlier, which is why Chu Wang’s soul seemed to suddenly disappear?

 

“It’s hard to say exactly when, but there is definitely more hope than before,” the doctor said. “If his condition continues to improve, he might wake up within the next few days.”

 

At these words, even Xi Jun was stunned.

 

Her eyes, which had been calm for so long, were suddenly filled with tears, and she couldn’t speak, only nodding repeatedly.

 

Once the doctor completed his examination and everyone unrelated had left the room, only Yu Lan and Xi Jun remained in the bedroom.

 

Xi Jun’s expression looked as though she had silently cried, but she maintained a composed and graceful demeanor.

 

Yu Lan, on the other hand, seemed still stunned by the immense shock.

 

Earlier, to cooperate with the doctor, he had briefly let go of Chu Wang’s hand, but he quickly returned to grasp it again, then stared around in a daze.

 

“Xiao Yu,” Xi Jun, looking calm but having repeated her words several times, said, “I don’t know how to thank you…”

 

“I didn’t do anything, Aunt,” Yu Lan lowered his head, “I also hope he can wake up.”

 

His tone was not his usual manner with Xi Jun; it sounded a bit sluggish and more subdued.

 

“The doctor said he might wake up soon.” Yu Lan touched Chu Wang’s fingers. “But I don’t know how long it will take.”

 

If this sign wasn’t caused by the bead, but he still had to wait a month…

 

Would he not see Chu Wang during that month?

 

Xi Jun didn’t know what Yu Lan was thinking, only that her expression seemed somewhat confused.

 

“Xiao Yu,” she sighed, “I don’t know how well you’ve been living with us these days…”

 

“I’ve been reflecting over the past few days,” she said sincerely, “I’m not sure if this life is what you want.”

 

“As a mother, I’m selfish too, so I’ve been avoiding discussing it, thinking that if I treated you better, you’d like being here.”

 

“Today, hearing that Chu Wang is indeed improving, my first reaction was, of course, joy. But thinking of you…”

 

“I want to keep you here, but I also feel I can’t just turn a blind eye.”

 

Yu Lan finally came to his senses and looked over.

 

He recalled a similar conversation with Xi Jun before, though she had ambiguously suggested that she hoped he could stay longer, like for a year, before making any plans.

 

“Xiao Yu, if you want to leave, Aunt won’t stop you. You can make any request, and as long as we can fulfill it, we will.”

 

Xi Jun continued, “In that moment, I realized that while Chu Wang is indeed my hope, the more you stay with us, the more I feel you are a good child.” Xi Jun’s voice was still a bit choked, “I can see you’re not entirely indifferent toward him. I…”

 

She almost lost control of her emotions, her mind involuntarily flashing back to when she came home and saw an unloved child gently holding her unfeeling child, as if giving each other strength.

 

“So, while I want you to be better, I also want to respect your wishes.” She concluded.

 

“From now on, you are an independent person. You can refuse anyone, including us,” she said.

 

Yu Lan was stunned for a long time.

 

So long that Xi Jun wondered if she had said something wrong and looked at him with concern.

 

“Xiao Yu?” she asked.

 

The room was very quiet, and no one answered.

 

As she pondered, she saw Yu Lan, sitting by the bed, suddenly tears began to fall.

 

Yu Lan himself didn’t know why he was crying. He hadn’t shed tears in a long time.

 

He had thought he had found the rules and methods to cope with the world, believing he could walk invulnerably, smart enough to avoid starving himself, and sharp enough to prevent others from hurting him.

 

After Aunt Liu, who cared for him the most, passed away, Yu Lan felt his self-centered approach was correct. He no longer suffered losses, went mad when he wanted, and was happy when he pleased.

 

So, coming here even made him happy, and he had accepted that his relationship with Xi Jun and the Chu family was transactional.

 

Yu Lan thought, while silently shedding tears.

 

He didn’t even feel that his tears were due to sadness; he just couldn’t stop them.

 

Xi Jun was startled, quickly grabbing a couple of tissues and gently wiping his tears, asking, “What’s wrong?”

 

“I—I’m fine…” Yu Lan mumbled, taking the tissues and wiping his eyes clumsily.

 

But as he wiped away some tears, more tears continued to flow.

 

Xi Jun looked at him with great concern, her own eyes red.

 

Yu Lan’s sobs were soft, but the tears were still flowing, falling onto the bed and onto their clasped hands.

 

“I’m not blaming you, and it’s not because you’re crying. I just— I just don’t know why…” Yu Lan explained through his tears.

 

Yes, why?

 

He was actually doing very well now.

 

Had he acquired so much more than before that he was surrounded by a sense of belated unreality?

 

He clearly… wanted so little.

 

He only wanted Chu Wang not to lock him away in a mental hospital, and he only wanted the Chu family to give him a chance, to let his future be a bit smoother.

 

Yu Lan cried even harder.

 

When he was a child and was bullied, Aunt Liu would come in at night to hug him, saying that “our little Yu Lan is loved by everyone; those people just can’t see your goodness.”

 

When he went to his new home, he tried to be obedient and perfect everywhere, but still, after the mistress became pregnant, he heard their hesitant conversation in the middle of the night.

 

“—This child is fine in every way, but even his personality is unremarkable. He doesn’t even know how to be willful.”

 

“—It’s okay. Now we finally have our own child.”

 

At that time, he packed up and returned to the orphanage alone. Aunt Liu was the first to stand at the door waiting for him, telling him, “It’s okay. They just made their own choice.”

 

“We, Yu Lan, work so hard. You’ll surely grow up well and be able to make many choices for yourself.”

 

But later he found out, despite trying to live in a way that allowed him to make choices, he still felt that he wasn’t the one who could be chosen.

 

Including coming here.

 

Including completing this absurd wedding.

 

Yu Lan’s head sank lower and lower until he could no longer hold back his voice, covering his face with one hand and crying out loud.

 

But now Chu Wang said he liked him, and Xi Jun said, “You can make your own choices.”

 

He finally realized why he was crying.

 

Yu Lan had always stood still, lived very hard, and tried not to be immature.

 

So he waited and waited, finally reaching the day when he could also be chosen.

 

Someone would stand before him, not retreating because of his pretense, choosing him, and respecting him.

 

He didn’t know when Xi Jun had left.

 

Maybe it was right after handing him the tissues, or maybe a while later.

 

But when Yu Lan cried until he was exhausted, lifting his eyes in a daze, he found that she was already gone.

 

She had even had the butler bring lunch, left at the door for him to collect at any time.

 

Yu Lan, with his disheveled hair, went to the door to get the food.

 

From the soup to the dessert, everything was complete, and the chef had even drawn a flower and a smiling face on the crab shell.

 

He didn’t know if it was arranged by Xi Jun.

 

After he finished crying, it felt like a weight had been lifted, and his chest had a strange lightness.

 

It was as if the hidden distress had finally been broken. He cried because of Xi Jun’s words but felt lighter after this bout of crying.

 

After finishing his meal, he went to the mirror and realized he was still wearing yesterday’s wrinkled shirt with tear stains from lying next to Chu Wang all night.

 

His eyes were red and swollen from crying, looking pitiful and disheveled.

 

As if coming to a realization, Yu Lan pursed his lips, picked out a set of pajamas from the wardrobe, and went to the bathroom to wash up.

 

After all, in this state, if Chu Wang were still in the room, he might wonder what had happened to him.

 

Yu Lan thought as he turned on the faucet.

 

However, after cleaning up and talking with Xi Jun downstairs for a while, when he came back in the evening, no matter how many times he touched Chu Wang’s hand, he couldn’t find that familiar presence.

 

“Why isn’t he waking up? And where did his soul go?”

 

Yu Lan finished his small group assignments in the room, then came to find Chu Wang, but there was still no sign of movement. He muttered softly.

 

“The doctor said you’d wake up soon. That’s… much sooner than I expected.”

 

“Seriously, where is your soul now? Will you really forget about me after you wake up?”

 

He toyed with Chu Wang’s fingers, speaking as if to himself, “Seriously, how can someone disappear after saying such things?”

 

Yu Lan looked down at the bead in his hand, recalling the vermillion he had previously thought might be useless, and couldn’t help but laugh self-deprecatingly, “Looks like I owe an apology to these two things. If it really helps him wake up, then it was worth it.”

 

So he rubbed the bead on his finger and said, “I hope what the doctor said today is true—”

 

Unexpectedly, as he rubbed the bead for the third time, he heard a voice out of nowhere.

 

“Yu Lan.”

 

He nearly jumped out of his chair.

 

“Mr. Chu?”

 

The voice was too familiar, yet seemed subtly different from before.

 

Yu Lan looked up and indeed saw the soul that had been missing all day.

 

Chu Wang’s expression seemed a bit helpless and confused as he looked at the bead in Yu Lan’s hand and asked, “What’s… going on?”

 

“I want to know what’s going on too!” Yu Lan hurriedly replied, “I’ve been trying to get you to come out all day, and now—”

 

His voice stopped abruptly as he looked at the bead in his hand.

 

He had only been wearing it, and just now, after unconsciously rubbing it three times, Chu Wang had…?

 

“What is this?” Yu Lan was shocked, “I haven’t… figured it out.”

 

“Were you in the room all this time? Or somewhere else?” Yu Lan asked, not daring to say much else, fearing Chu Wang might disappear again.

 

Chu Wang slowly shook his head.

 

Yu Lan then realized that Chu Wang, now standing before him, seemed even more transparent than before. His voice was lighter, like a mist that could be blown away by the wind at any moment.

 

“The doctor said your body showed a response and that you might wake up soon…”

 

“That might be the reason,” Chu Wang said, his current state making even speaking seem tiring. “I feel like my soul has become weaker, and speaking is a bit laborious.”

 

“Do you remember what happened last night?”

 

Chu Wang nodded. “You were holding this… bead and fell asleep next to me. Later…”

 

“Later, it seems I was drawn into something. Thinking back, it might have been the fluctuations in my body at that time.”

 

Yu Lan reverently held up the bead again. “So, it was this that caused you to appear. Does that mean your soul might not be scattered around the room but instead gathered here?”

 

Chu Wang seemed to tentatively accept this explanation, nodding slowly.

 

“I lost consciousness for a while. It was even before dawn.”

 

“I couldn’t see you. It wasn’t until you rubbed the bead just now that I returned to the room.”

 

“Then…” Yu Lan thought for a moment, “Did you return to your body at that time?”

 

Chu Wang’s weakened soul made his movements minimal. Yu Lan wasn’t sure if Chu Wang had just nodded.

 

He suddenly recalled how he had been overly concerned about Chu Wang disappearing and had spoken to the comatose Chu Wang’s ear.

 

He blushed instantly and cautiously asked, “Did you… have any impression of what happened this morning? Did you hear us talking?”

 

Chu Wang’s soul appeared too rigid compared to before, and his reactions seemed slower. He looked puzzled, as if deep in thought.

 

Although Yu Lan’s words at that time were subconscious, it seemed Chu Wang didn’t remember them now. Yu Lan felt a bit relieved.

 

If Chu Wang asked him for an answer now, he wouldn’t know how to explain.

 

Yu Lan, avoiding the thought, didn’t continue.

 

“What did you say?” Chu Wang asked slowly. “Did you agree to what I said yesterday?”

 

Yu Lan hadn’t expected Chu Wang to be so direct after a night’s sleep. He quickly waved his hands. “No, no, no! It’s not that!”

 

“I didn’t say that!”

 

But thinking about what he had said close to Chu Wang, his face still felt warm.

 

—Although he had only said he could give an answer.

 

Moreover…

 

Later, when Xi Jun came over and Yu Lan lost control of his emotions and cried heavily, if Chu Wang had seen it, he wouldn’t know how to explain.

 

That bout of uncontrolled emotion, although primarily sadness, was also tinged with an unspeakable joy.

 

And the reason it was unspeakable was that he hadn’t fully grasped the reality in his hands. He still feared he was the child who carefully packed up his things alone in the middle of the night, trying not to trouble others.

 

He hadn’t cried in years, which felt quite embarrassing.

 

He was half anxious and half relieved, with a touch of unacknowledged regret, and asked, “So, Mr. Chu, did you really not hear anything?”

 

Chu Wang’s expression was slow but still curious. “So what exactly did you say?”

 

“I just… just…” Yu Lan looked at the floor. “I just hoped you would wake up soon.”

 

“Unexpectedly, you’re now awake,” he said, feeling the situation was almost absurd. “But this time, it really feels like a magic lamp.”

 

“It’s different,” Chu Wang said slowly but clearly.

 

Yu Lan looked up. “How is it different?”

 

“The lamp only grants three wishes,” he said.

 

Yu Lan stared at his mist-like eyes, his heart racing in that moment.

 

“You don’t need to be a lamp spirit. Three wishes are too few. But if it’s you, I’ll fulfill as many wishes as you want.”

 

Quickly, quickly! I’m working overtime! The lamp says everything will come true within three days!