After The Honest Person Was Discovered For Simultaneously Pursuing Three People - Chapter 22

Chapter 22: First Meeting

Days later, Tao Ning was ready to leave, with a hemp sack in each hand.

One sack held his luggage, and the other held lemons and wild vegetables. Tao Yuan insisted he take them as a gift for the wealthy Song family, telling him to thank Mr. Song properly.

She was also worried about him carrying such a heavy backpack to town alone, so she adamantly refused to let him carry it. She carried it on her own back, feigning ease, and said, “Heh, your sister here used to carry fifty or sixty catties of clothes every day. This is a piece of cake. Let’s go. Don’t make Mr. Song and them wait.”

The secretary told them that the wealthy family had already driven to the town, but since Huangmeng Village was in the mountains, a car would have a difficult time on the mountain roads. So, he told them to go to town first. This time, the secretary was still driving the old electric tricycle to pick them up.

Only this time, he wasn’t picking Tao Ning up to send him to a guest but was picking him up to go to the city and start a new, unknown life.

Little Meng hugged Tao Ning’s calves, crying his heart out: “Uncle—don’t go—”

Tao Ning patted his head and coaxed him: “I’ll be back soon.” Little Meng, who was still clinging to his legs, looked at him with teary eyes. “Really?”

“Yes, really.”

But Little Meng still refused to let go of Tao Ning’s legs and kept crying and making a fuss. Finally, Li Xiangdong forcibly took him away, ending the reluctant farewell drama.

It took more than two hours to get from the mountains to the town. During the ride, Tao Yuan kept giving him instructions, especially emphasizing that he should never take off his glasses, except when he was showering or sleeping, and that he should not try to be a leader at school.

Tao Yuan repeated a few times: “If you ever encounter that kind of thing again, you have to call me, you hear? I’ll come as fast as I can, no matter what. Call more often, once a week, and don’t make your family worry…”

Tao Ning nodded obediently. Sitting on the tricycle, the breeze blew through his clothes, outlining his slender and upright figure.

The tricycle was bumpy. They wobbled all the way to the designated place in town. After getting off the tricycle, the first thing that came into view was a low-key black luxury car. In front of the car were two wide black squares, which Tao Ning did not recognize.

Then, a young man in a suit, about twenty-eight or twenty-nine years old, got out of the car. There wasn’t a single wrinkle on his clothes. His face was elegant and gentle. Seeing the three people carrying big and small bags, he also had a proper smile on his face and even bowed to greet them.

“Good afternoon, three of you. I am Gao Yu, Mr. Song’s assistant. To show Mr. Song’s respect for young master Tao Ning, he specifically sent me here to receive you.” He looked at Tao Ning, who was wearing glasses and said nothing, and smiled. “Hello, young master Tao Ning. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I have a gift for you in the car, which I think you’ll like…”

However, before he could finish, the dark-skinned woman in front of him wiped her sweat and smiled so widely she couldn’t close her mouth, revealing a row of bright teeth: “Oh, city people are just different. Ning Ning, he called you young master.”

As an assistant to the chairman of a listed company, Gao Yu didn’t show any displeasure despite being interrupted for no reason.

Tao Ning nodded and said politely, “Thank you. I also… brought a gift for you.”

“I am very honored and look forward to it.”

With much reluctance, the slender boy finally got into the black car, which was as far from them as heaven and earth. Gao Yu helped them put the two hemp sacks and the backpack into the trunk.

This was Tao Ning’s first time in a car. He sat a little nervously in the back seat. Next to him was an exquisitely wrapped black gift box with a delicate bow tied on it. Even the outer packaging was made of the best silk.

His somewhat thin hands clutched the car window tightly. Tao Yuan’s eyes were red. “Ning Ning, when you get to the city, remember to call us to tell us you’re safe, you hear? Remember to eat the apples and oranges in the bag, or they’ll go bad. And there’s your favorite fern…” As she spoke, the woman finally broke into tears.

The brother she had raised since he was a child was finally leaving the small village in the mountains to go to the wider city, like a young bird held in her palm that would one day spread its wings and fly to the free and infinite sky.

Tao Yuan wiped away her tears, watching the black car move farther and farther away until it disappeared completely from her sight.

My brother, goodbye.

Fly, you must fly higher and farther—

As the sun rose and set, Gao Yu took Tao Ning to the nearest small city, bypassing the city center and heading to a secluded private airport. The journey took seven or eight hours, driving from country roads to national roads, and finally back onto country roads.

After getting out of the car, Tao Ning’s face was pale, and his originally rosy lips were chapped. He bent over on the side of the road, clutching his stomach, and vomited quietly for a while, but all that came out was water.

It was then that he realized he had motion sickness.

The feeling was very uncomfortable, so Tao Ning only ate a few bites of food on the way. After only a few hours, he felt as if his whole body was dehydrated, and his face was tired.

Gao Yu looked at the frail and quiet young man and couldn’t help but feel a complex mix of emotions: Could someone with such a weak body really be an Olympiad winner? If he hadn’t seen the certificate with his own eyes, he wouldn’t have given such an ordinary boy a second glance.

But his professional ethics kept Gao Yu from asking too many questions or showing disdain or contempt. He handed him a bottle of mineral water and gave a routine word of concern: “We’ll be there soon. Please hold on a little longer.”

“…Okay, thank you.”

Tao Ning took the water to rinse away the bitterness in his mouth and then drank a few sips. His face only got a little better, but it was still very pale.

It wasn’t until they arrived at the private plane that the boy was stunned by the huge object in front of him and the loud sound of the propeller turning.

He had never been on a plane before; he had only seen them in books… So this was what a real one looked like? Tao Ning silently observed the private plane, marveling at its structure and thinking about the chemical elements of the materials. He had just read a book about the external structure of airplanes a few days ago.

Gao Yu saw him staring blankly at the plane and thought that Tao Ning was in awe. That sense of superiority that belonged to upper-class people finally emerged. “This is a McDonnell Douglas 500E from the United States. It’s the most convenient way to travel from a remote area to the city. Mr. Tao, please—”

Tao Ning blinked, said “Thank you,” and boarded the behemoth. Once inside, he put on the noise-canceling headphones and fastened his seatbelt as required, sitting a little awkwardly in his seat.

To ease his nervousness, Gao Yu smiled and said to him, “This plane can fly at a speed of about two hundred and eighty kilometers per hour. Don’t worry, we’ll be in Haizhou very soon.”

“Thank you.” Tao Ning lowered his head and said in a very low voice. His face was pale, and he whispered softly, “…Two hours.”

“Mr. Tao? Two hours what?”

“From here to Haizhou City… it only takes about two hours.”

Gao Yu nodded with a smile. “Yes, you’re right. Mr. Tao is very sensitive to numbers.”

With the loud roar of the helicopter, the longer it went on, the more Tao Ning’s ears hurt, and he felt a little short of breath. He endured the dizziness and closed his eyes uncomfortably.

This unknown journey, at this moment, became very long every minute and every second.

The sound of the propeller became quieter. The two hours were finally over. However, before he could get off the plane, the boy’s legs went weak at the door, and he fainted directly, which scared Gao Yu out of his mind. “Quick! Call an ambulance!”

Mr. Song didn’t take this a big deal. After all, sponsoring a poor student from the mountains and taking him home to train him was all about building a philanthropist’s image and paving the way for his son, who was about to be promoted to the highest prosecutor in the province. That’s all.

But the necessary public image still had to be done well. For example, an ambulance was sent over, and the young man was admitted to the best public hospital in Haizhou. Reporters were already secretly taking pictures outside. It was estimated that tomorrow’s Haizhou Morning Post would be full of traditional Chinese characters that read—

“Song Group takes a rural student back home, and he’s in the hospital on the first day!”

“What is the Song Group’s intention in admitting the sponsored poor student to the hospital?”

Gao Yu didn’t have time to take care of Tao Ning because he was in charge of dealing with the reporters and public relations. He simply instructed the doctors and nurses to treat the patient in the VIP room well, and after taking a few calls, he left in a hurry.

Because on the other end of the phone, the Song family’s butler was scolding him in Cantonese: “Gao Yu, how did you pick up the person? Do you know how much this will affect the Song family if word gets out?”

…

When Tao Ning woke up again, the first thing he saw was a ceiling whiter than snow, but the lighting was soft and not harsh.

As soon as he opened his eyes, the nurse next to him said in surprise, “You’re awake? Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else?” Her voice was clear and pleasant, but she was speaking in standard Cantonese.

Tao Ning didn’t understand. His clear and beautiful eyes just stared at her. He pursed his thin lips, and a confused expression appeared on his beautiful and delicate face.

“…”

The nurse’s face turned red, and her heart pounded. She marveled at how handsome the young man was, so much so that he caused a stir throughout the entire hospital. People said that a male star had moved into the VIP room and that he was even more handsome than the male stars in the movies. He had long arms and legs and a slender build but was not lacking in youthful strength. When he was sleeping with his eyes closed, he looked like a person from a painting.

Many young nurses scrambled to see the young man named Tao Ning, but the privacy and security of the VIP room prevented them all from getting past the elevator. They couldn’t even get into the elevator door.

This nurse was the head nurse of the hospital and was specifically assigned to take care of Tao Ning. This nurse was sure that such a beautiful person was not a male star. He was said to be a young master of the Song family, but she didn’t know his specific identity.

Seeing the young man’s confused look, the nurse understood that this beautiful “doll” couldn’t understand Cantonese and might be a guest from another place. She repeated in Mandarin, “What I mean is, do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?”

The nurse frowned, a look of worry and pity on her face. “Do you know that you have aplastic anemia? Although the problem is minor, there is no guarantee that it won’t get worse in the future.”

Tao Ning was a little confused. His already snow-white complexion became even paler. “Hello, excuse me… what is aplastic anemia?”

The nurse felt even more sorry for him, but she still gave a simple explanation. She meant that Tao Ning’s bone marrow couldn’t produce blood normally, so once he bled, the bleeding would not stop. He would also occasionally feel weak, dizzy, and tired easily, and his immunity was also very low. A little wind would cause him to get sick with a cold or a fever.

“If the condition worsens in the future, you will need a bone marrow transplant.”

His slender fingers couldn’t help but pinch the corner of the bedsheet, and the boy’s face became even paler. The nurse saw that he was so scared and quickly soothed him, “Don’t panic. This disease can be cured, and your current condition is not serious. As long as you take your medication on time and get checked as instructed, and pay attention to resting and protecting yourself, the condition can be controlled.”

Tao Ning lowered his eyes and nodded. He didn’t say anything else. He didn’t even dare to ask how much a bone marrow transplant and the medication would cost. He couldn’t afford such a high fee, so he didn’t call Tao Yuan.

During his stay in the hospital, he received unprecedented top-notch treatment. The entire hospital almost treated him like a fragile porcelain doll, afraid that he would accidentally get hurt somewhere. The food, the items he used, and the clothes he wore were all the best. There were even many things Tao Ning had never eaten before, such as sea cucumber, abalone, and so on.

Looking at the beautifully arranged dishes, a hint of inferiority suddenly arose in Tao Ning’s heart, but it was quickly replaced by reading, because every afternoon, he would find a sunny spot to read a book.

The boy sat quietly in a chair next to a fountain. The light shone on him. He had bright lips and teeth, and his skin was almost transparently white, so much so that faint blue veins could be seen. He lowered his head slightly, revealing his soft, pale nape. His long fingers rested on the book. He looked as beautiful as a painting.

What he didn’t know was that many nurses were squeezed behind the door, staring at him, whispering and squealing: “He’s the most handsome person I’ve ever seen!”

“He’s too beautiful. How can someone in the world look like this??”

“…”

Some people even secretly took pictures of Tao Ning reading.

Time flew by in the blink of an eye. It wasn’t until the day he was discharged that Gao Yu showed up to pick Tao Ning up. He didn’t ask about his condition.

The boy was still wearing the same rustic black-rimmed glasses. His long bangs hung down his forehead, and he was still wearing the same washed-out old clothes he had on at the beginning, which seemed out of place with the glamorous surroundings.

With his head down, Tao Ning stood a little awkwardly at the hospital entrance.

Gao Yu was actually satisfied with his rustic appearance. He had deliberately not bought new clothes for Tao Ning.

Because he needed the young man to appear in this image. After returning home, he would take photos with Mr. Song and the eldest son of the Song family and post them on newspapers and the internet for public relations.

A low-key car was parked at the hospital entrance. This time, the car was white. There were several rows of window-like openings in the front, and the whole thing looked like a van. The car door opened automatically, but Gao Yu still bowed like a gentleman. “Please—”

The luggage had already been transported to the villa. Tao Ning thanked him in a low voice and got into the soft and comfortable vehicle.

Gao Yu drove in front. “This is the Alphard van that Mr. Song specifically arranged for you. In the future, a designated driver will pick you up and drop you off from school.”

“…Thank you.”

The boy’s voice was soft and gentle. As it drizzled outside the window, the car sped along, and the scenery slowly changed from a bustling city to a secluded path. But the road was still asphalt. Soon, the Alphard drove onto a mountain road until a seven or eight-meter-wide black wrought iron gate with roses came into view.

Before the car stopped, the front window was rolled down, and Tao Ning, sitting in the back, heard a magnetic but extremely impatient voice. “What is the old man thinking? Asking me to pick up that country bumpkin? Isn’t he paving the way for Song Heng? What’s the point of asking me to pick him up at the door…”

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