The next day in the hospital, Ye Zhen received a congratulatory text message from Ye Qing. Those few lines showcased the profoundness of Chinese writing, and it seemed as if Ye Qing’s happy sentiments would almost spill out from the screen. Ye Zhen really couldn’t picture Ye Qing being beside herself with joy when she composed that text message. This was probably the charm of language.

  Ye Zhen replied back with a short “thank you”, then tossed it to the side.

  ***

  “Zhenzhen, this is the chicken soup that Aunty Yue simmered for you. Make sure to drink more of it.”


  During the past few days while Ye Zhen had been in the hospital, Mother Lu had been coming here every day to take care of her. Each day, she would bring over a soup that had been simmered for a long time as well as careful prepared meals. Under Mother Lu’s attentive care, Ye Zhen finally experienced the warm feeling of family that she hadn’t felt before.

  ***

  The busy Lu Corporation needed Lu Beichuan, so he couldn’t stay by her hospital bed every day to keep her company. Instead, he would leave work early every day to visit her. But today, Lu Beichuan didn’t come here by himself. Someone that Ye Zhen was familiar with had come too.

  William.

  Ye Zhen put down her chicken soup and looked at William with a smile. “Doctor, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you. Sit down. I’ll have someone pour you a drink. What would you like to drink?”


  William politely answered, “Anything will do.”


  “Then, how about milk?”


  William’s smile stiffened for a moment. Feeling both guilty and embarrassed, he rubbed the tip of his nose. Speaking in fluent Mandarin, he answered, “No need. I’m not thirsty.”


  “Okay then, sit down.”


  What a good way of psyching him out.

  William looked at Lu Beichuan, who was staying out of it, and cursed him for throwing him under the bus after achieving his goal. What a disloyal friend.

  Acting as if he had nothing better to do, Lu Beichuan asked, “Where’s mom?”


  “She took the baby to get his vaccines.” After saying that, she turned her head to look at William. “Doctor, don’t just stand there. Go on, take a seat. I haven’t thanked you yet for working so hard to treat Beichuan’s condition last year.”


  Although these words came with a smile, William was alarmed when he heard them.

  Using the polite rote words he had learned in China, he very politely said, “You can just call me William. I only did my duty as a doctor.”


  He had gotten used to being able to speak freely while living abroad. Having to suddenly speak carefully and accompany his words with a smile, he felt extremely uncomfortable.

  “I’ve been with Beichuan for such a long time, and I haven’t seen him with any of his friends. For you to be able to appear here today, I presume you’re more than just Beichuan’s primary doctor?”


  William coughed a few times.

  Lu Beichuan picked up the bowl of chicken soup that Ye Zhen hadn’t finished drinking. He scooped up a spoonful and brought it to her lips. “We used to be classmates.”


  The chicken soup was right by her lips. Ye Zhen glanced at Lu Beichuan and raised her eyebrows before opening her mouth to drink the soup.

  Spoonful by spoonful, the large bowl of chicken soup was fed to Ye Zhen by Lu Beichuan while William sat on the side and watched this loving marital scene.

  He knew what kind of person Lu Beichuan was. He was someone that was hard to get close to and not only was it hard for others to get close to him, it was rare for him to want to get close to others. He always kept a cold face. He was a cunning person, and it was difficult to decipher his thoughts. He was a paradox. He had seen the ways that Lu Beichuan would handle things. There were times when Lu Beichuan was walking in the gray area and could easily pass over that border. He was truly worried that Lu Beichuan would go astray one day.

  But now, he could finally put down his worries. There was a very good old Chinese saying; everything has something that could best it. Perhaps, Ye Zhen was the person that Lu Beichuan would yield to.

  With Ye Zhen around, Lu Beichuan would probably think twice before crossing that border.