Did My Wife Break Up With Me Today? - "Stop crying."

Chapter 17: “Stop crying.”

Chen Kongqing never got through to Ling Xiao. Eventually, he simply stopped trying. By the time he returned to the apartment, the sky was pitch black.

The two pots of Trumpet Vines in the living room had dropped a few more withered leaves, which lay scattered on the floor. Chen Kongqing crouched down and reached out to pick up the paper-thin foliage. He was incredibly gentle, yet the moment his fingers brushed them, the leaves shattered into fragments without hesitation.

Even though he had been so careful.

The youth felt as if all strength had left his body, so he simply sat down on the cold floor in front of the bare vines. The floor was hard and icy, as if it could freeze him in place. His mind was a mess, filled with a cacophony of voices: Zhang Cheng’s words, and the image of Gu Chengjing and Ling Xiao sitting close together at the party.

As he thought, a voice in his heart whispered: You should trust your partner. Ling Xiao had just told him a few days ago that he wanted to try making things work.

Chen Kongqing exhaled several deep breaths. It was no use. His body had been relatively obedient lately without any severe episodes, but now—he felt numb all over.

It was happening again.

His neck began to burn first, the heat quickly spreading to his limbs and bones. When he tried to get up, he looked down and realized with a start that his pants were… being pushed out.

Chen Kongqing panicked completely. Although his previous episodes were painful, this had never happened before. Was… was the condition worsening? Or had it progressed into some other disease?

He didn’t dare think further. Tugging at the collar of his sweater, he focused on taking his medicine. After swallowing the pills and taking three showers, the unbearable restlessness that threatened to swallow him finally receded slightly.

But he still felt miserable. The youth was nervous; he had been tied to this illness for a long time, but this was the first time such a symptom had occurred.

He clutched his carrot plushie, huddling under the covers. At some point, his plushie became wet. He didn’t notice at first until the damp fabric stuck to his face. It turned out his own tears had soaked the carrot.

He couldn’t remember where the carrot came from; it felt as if it had always grown on his bed. He must have had it since before he was twelve. That was the year his grandmother passed away from a severe illness; he had followed with a high fever, and after waking up, many memories from before that time were blurred.

Outside the covers, his phone vibrated several times. The youth only buried his face deeper into the carrot. After a few minutes, the ringtone pierced the silence.

Chen Kongqing reached out from under the blanket with a slight delay to fish for his phone. He thought it was likely Ling Xiao calling back. But he didn’t really want to answer. Even if he did, what could he say? Ask Ling Xiao who he was with?

He curved his lips weakly. His eyes were sore, and a mist rose in them again. In the pitch-black space under the covers, the phone screen was blindingly bright. Chen Kongqing squinted, taking a few seconds to adjust.

It was an unknown number—likely a delivery. He answered, his voice raspy: “Hello, just leave the delivery at the station…”

“Chen Kongqing.”

A deep, magnetic voice flowed through the phone, carrying a natural gravity that made one want to lean closer. The surroundings were too quiet, making the voice in the receiver exceptionally clear.

Chen Kongqing’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t think he was mistaken, but he still asked uncertainly, “Xu… Dr. Xu?”

The male voice paused. “It’s me. Are you resting?”

“I’m… I’m not.” For some reason, the mist in his eyes thickened and rolled down as two hot droplets, causing his voice to sound strange.

Xu Jingmo could obviously tell. “Chen Kongqing, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he muffled.

Xu Jingmo exposed him ruthlessly: “You promised me you wouldn’t lie.”

Chen Kongqing bit his lip. “It’s just… the episode happened again.”

“Have you taken your medicine?”

“Yes.” He answered, haphazardly wiping his face. He didn’t know how to tell Dr. Xu about the specifics of this episode. It felt… impossible to say out loud.

Xu Jingmo: “How do you feel now?”

“Better than before, but still a bit uncomfortable.” He felt a tightness in his throat, as if something were blocked.

“Where’s Ling Xiao?”

“He… he went to training…” Chen Kongqing’s voice grew smaller and smaller. Dr. Xu had been advising him to break up; he knew it was out of Dr. Xu’s selfless concern as a physician. But he had failed to follow the doctor’s orders. At the thought of this, he let out a small, involuntary sob.

“Stop crying.”

Those three words through the receiver almost made him lose his composure again. It wasn’t an impatient command, but a gentle, soothing tone, like one might use to coax a child.

Chen Kongqing couldn’t remember the last time he had heard such a “stop crying.” Perhaps it was when his grandmother was still alive.

“Come for a follow-up next week, don’t worry,” the man’s voice remained warm, comforting him in low tones. There wasn’t a hint of blame.

“Mm… okay.” Chen Kongqing nodded instinctively, forgetting that Dr. Xu couldn’t see him. He was anxious to show that he was a compliant patient—he didn’t want to be abandoned.

“Have you had dinner?” Xu Jingmo followed up. “Tell the truth.”

Chen Kongqing swallowed the “I have” that was on the tip of his tongue. “Not yet…”

Xu Jingmo: “I ordered a meal for you. It should arrive in about half an hour. Eat before you sleep.”

“No need, I… I can make something myself,” he hurried to refuse.

“Don’t be polite. I actually have something to ask you, so consider it a small reward.” The man paused slightly. “I remember you specialize in herbal medicine. I have a mineral drug here; can you help me check if it’s authentic?”

“Of course.” Chen Kongqing agreed immediately. It was rare for Dr. Xu to need his help; he had to do a good job.

“Shall I send you a video later?” Xu Jingmo could hear that the rabbit’s mood had improved significantly. “It might be clearer over video.”

Chen Kongqing poked his head out from the stuffy blanket. For some reason, he suddenly felt energized. “Yes, that works. Dr. Xu, you can send it now if you’d like.”

Xu Jingmo: “Wait until you’ve finished eating. I happen to have an online meeting to attend.”

“Then Dr. Xu, call me whenever you’re ready,” Chen Kongqing replied.

…

After hanging up, the silence returned, yet it didn’t feel as oppressive as before. He got out of bed and washed his face, vigorously wiping away the dried tear tracks.

The delivery arrived soon after. It was from a private kitchen restaurant he usually could never afford. There were salt and pepper ribs, braised prawns, sautéed green beans, and a mixed vegetable soup. The soup contained tender diced carrots.

How was it that every dish Dr. Xu ordered was something he loved? He resolved to finish every bite and then carefully distinguish the authenticity of the mineral for Dr. Xu. He couldn’t afford to be wrong. He was also curious about the stone; mineral-based medicines were rare and hard to find these days.

After eating, he tidied the table and checked his messages. It turned out those earlier vibrations weren’t from Ling Xiao, but from Dr. Xu.

Lnk: [Classes should be over by now.] Lnk: [I have a stone here that’s said to be a traditional medicine.] Lnk: [Can you help me take a look?]

He realized Dr. Xu had called because he hadn’t replied to the messages. He typed back: [Dr. Xu, I’ve finished eating.] Azurite: [You can call me anytime.]

About ten seconds later: Lnk: [Okay, one moment.]

Another ten minutes passed before the distinctive ringtone of a video call sounded. Chen Kongqing quickly pressed ‘Accept’.

Appearing in the video was not a stone, but Xu Jingmo.

The phone was held at an angle that captured his full face and shoulders. He was wearing a black turtleneck; his deep features were clean-shaven, and a pair of semi-rimless glasses rested on the bridge of his nose. It was a casual “at home” look, yet he didn’t look messy at all.

Chen Kongqing stared at the handsome man on the screen, wondering how someone could look so perfectly composed at home.

Xu Jingmo was also staring at the screen. Though the youth held his phone at a casual angle, the doctor could see him clearly. Chen Kongqing was wearing pajamas with a carrot pattern. Only the collar was visible, revealing a patch of pale, translucent skin.

Above that was a round head with slightly messy hair and a few stray tufts sticking up. Those unmistakable willow-leaf eyes were slightly swollen, the corners tinged with red, and the lashes were still damp. He must have been crying miserably just now.

Xu Jingmo just stared at that face without saying a word. Chen Kongqing blinked, waiting for Dr. Xu to show him the stone. He waited for a long time, but there was no movement from the other side. If he hadn’t seen Dr. Xu blink, he would have suspected the video had frozen.

Being stared at like that made his ears itch. He finally spoke softly: “Dr. Xu…”

It was a soft, pillowy voice. Xu Jingmo felt as if his heart had been lightly scratched by a rabbit’s paw. “What is it?”

What is it? Chen Kongqing was confused. Had Dr. Xu forgotten why they were video calling? “Didn’t you say we were looking at a stone?”