I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: “Then, are you seeing anyone?”

In the end, Chi Hui won “custody” of the tiny snowman. However, seeing the look of regret on a certain someone’s face, Chi Hui gave Qi Xu a box of handmade caramel egg tarts as a return gift.

Holding the sunflower-shaped tarts, Qi Xu’s downcast eyes curved into smiles again. “I didn’t know you could make desserts too.”

Chi Hui glanced at him and wordlessly looked away. “It’s not that complicated. You learn just by looking.”

Recalling how he had managed to burn egg tarts even with a nanny teaching him step-by-step, Qi Xu pursed his lips and didn’t dare make a sound.

After a moment, he stared at the neatly arranged items in the box, feeling uncertain. “Are these all for me? Aren’t you eating any?”

Chi Hui scanned the box in Qi Xu’s hands, his brow furrowing slightly. “I don’t like sweets.”

Picking up on the subtext, Qi Xu asked happily, “So, were these made specifically for me?”

Chi Hui paused, turning his head away from him. “…The ingredients Xu Changshu sent over included tart shells. Using them is better than throwing them in the trash.”

Qi Xu, who was “better than a trash can,” blinked. He was still very happy.

Hehe, today’s Lickspittle Points were earned without any effort.

Chi Hui stole a glance and saw that a certain someone was still grinning heartlessly upon hearing those words. His eyes flickered; he didn’t quite understand.

It’s just a snack I made on a whim. Is he really that fond of it?

…

After two consecutive weeks of clocking in for work, Qi Xu was finally ordered by Chi Hui to take a holiday.

Although Qi Xu felt that being at Chi Hui’s house was essentially leisure anyway and didn’t want to waste opportunities to earn points, he did have some business to attend to this week.

It was a sunny day, and most of the snow on the ground had melted. Qi Xu stood outside the attending physician’s office, using his phone to report his situation to his family.

Aside from being currently forced to bind with a system and rely on Lickspittle Points to survive, the accident in his childhood was the first time Qi Xu had faced a death threat. It was said that a death notice had already been issued back then, but he was stubbornly dragged back from the gates of hell. Leaving only the issue of face-blindness was considered a great blessing.

The head injury hadn’t been fully cured to this day, but fortunately, his condition was stable; he just needed a check-up every three months.

Since the doctor would provide a detailed report of his results later, Qi Xu simply sent a brief message to the family group chat before private-messaging his sister.

Jiang Ying-shen’s relative was also receiving treatment here, though he wasn’t sure if they had been discharged yet. Qi Xu specifically asked his sister, ignoring her teasing, and learned that Jiang Ying-shen’s relative was still under observation.

Qi Xu quickly went to a fruit shop outside the hospital to pick up a fruit basket and then found his way to the inpatient department.

Standing at the stairwell, he sent a text: [Senior, are you at Renhui Hospital? I happen to be passing by. Can I come by to see you?]

This time, he didn’t wait long before Jiang Ying-shen sent his location.

When Qi Xu found the place, he saw a tall young man leaning against the door outside the ward. Having mistaken people too many times, Qi Xu didn’t rush over immediately. Instead, he stood a few meters away and scrutinized the man carefully.

Just as he was wondering if he should tentatively call out, the man looked up.

Seeing Qi Xu had arrived, Jiang Ying-shen put his phone in his pocket. Noticing the uncertainty in the boy’s eyes, he took the initiative to speak: “Qi Xu.”

Like a small robot receiving a command, Qi Xu immediately beamed and walked over happily. Recalling the “knowledge points” he had just learned from the Lickspittle Alliance last night, he couldn’t wait to put them into practice.

“Senior,” he said, his voice sweet as if coated in honey.

Jiang Ying-shen nodded and gave a faint response, then looked at the fruit basket in his hand. “Why are you here?”

Qi Xu leaned in close, brushing against Jiang Ying-shen’s arm, and said with a smile, “Because I missed you.”

Jiang Ying-shen froze instantly. It took a long moment before he looked at the person who had uttered those words without any burden. He saw a hint of playfulness in Qi Xu’s smiling eyes.

Jiang Ying-shen pursed his lips and used his fingertip to press against Qi Xu’s forehead, pushing him back. His tone was flat: “Don’t joke around.”

Qi Xu rubbed his forehead and pouted. “It’s not a joke. We haven’t seen each other in a long time.” Calculating the time, it had been nearly half a month since their chance encounter in the neighborhood.

Jiang Ying-shen simply ignored the topic and asked again, “What are you doing at the hospital?”

Disappointed that his “sweet talk offensive” had been so easily parried, Qi Xu still answered obediently: “I’m here for a follow-up check-up.”

Jiang Ying-shen knew he was likely referring to the old head injury. However, in the next second, he immediately remembered the “sexual addiction” issue Qi Xu had mentioned during their last meeting.

Jiang Ying-shen hesitated for two seconds and asked, “How were the results?”

“No problems, everything is normal.” Qi Xu handed over the fruit basket.

Jiang Ying-shen couldn’t help but glance at Qi Xu’s lower body. His lips parted and then closed; ultimately, he didn’t voice his question.

Seeing the man’s hesitant look, Qi Xu tilted his head in confusion. “?”

At that moment, an old but strong voice came from inside the ward: “Xiao Jiang, is that your friend?”

Jiang Ying-shen called back in response and then turned to look at Qi Xu. Qi Xu met his gaze and asked, “Can I go in and take a look?” He didn’t want to leave so soon and was curious about Jiang Ying-shen’s family.

Jiang Ying-shen saw through his thoughts and, without a word, led him inside.

However, after entering, the person before him was not what Qi Xu expected. The old man on the bed was very thin and short, with skin darkened by sun and wind. Only his eyes were bright and spirited. He looked like a very ordinary old man.

He looked nothing like Jiang Ying-shen.

Qi Xu couldn’t even determine the relationship between the two—he didn’t know whether to call him “Grandpa” or “Uncle.” He looked at the person beside him, feeling lost.

Jiang Ying-shen also turned to look at him and introduced: “This is my adoptive father.”

Qi Xu looked at the old man again and greeted him politely: “Hello, Uncle. I’m Senior Jiang’s junior at school. My name is Qi Xu.”

The old man smiled and nodded at him. “Hey, just call me Old Meng. Don’t listen to him.” He then turned to Jiang Ying-shen. “At my age, I could be your grandfather. You’re taking advantage of me by calling me ‘Father’.”

Jiang Ying-shen placed the fruit basket on the side cabinet without looking up. “The adoption papers say ‘Father.’ Why didn’t you think about that when you registered?”

The old man was immediately rendered speechless, his eyes wide with indignation. Qi Xu watched the interaction, blinking. He had assumed that someone who raised a person with Jiang Ying-shen’s personality would also be cold and aloof.

“Little friend, have a seat,” the old man said, gesturing to a nearby chair.

Qi Xu looked at Jiang Ying-shen, sat down, and asked, “Is your health okay, Uncle?”

“Just call me Old Meng.” Hearing a kid from his grandson’s generation call him “Uncle” made the old man feel uncomfortable all over; he didn’t even bother answering the question.

Qi Xu opened his mouth, looking at Jiang Ying-shen helplessly. He’s an elder; is it really okay to call him that?

Jiang Ying-shen poured a glass of water for him and nodded. “It’s fine. If you call him that, he actually feels more comfortable.”

The old man chimed in: “Right. Everyone I know calls me Old Meng.” He then poked at Jiang Ying-shen: “You say I’m your father, yet all these years I haven’t heard you call me anything affectionate.”

Jiang Ying-shen adjusted the backrest for the old man. “If you want to hear it, I’ll change how I address you right now.”

The old man wiped his face and eventually refused: “Never mind. Old Meng sounds better to the ear.”

Watching this, Qi Xu felt their mode of interaction was very interesting. After a while, Jiang Ying-shen walked over to his side and explained: “The surgery was successful. It’s just that he had a sudden lung infection two days before discharge, so he stayed for observation for a few more days.”

Qi Xu realized the man was answering his earlier question. He looked at the old man again, thinking it was no wonder he hadn’t been discharged yet.

Jiang Ying-shen sat on the other chair and began peeling an orange for the old man. Qi Xu followed suit, wanting to show some hospitality. Unfortunately, he grabbed a thick-skinned orange by mistake. He struggled to peel it for a long time, only succeeding in gouging the fruit until it was lumpy and uneven. He couldn’t put it back now.

While Qi Xu was battling the orange, Jiang Ying-shen naturally handed him a perfectly peeled one and took the mangled one from his hand.

Qi Xu stared at the clean, whole orange, dazed. It took a long moment for him to realize Jiang Ying-shen had peeled it for him. His lips pursed as a glimmer of joy lit up his eyes. He leaned closer to Jiang Ying-shen and whispered, “Thank you, Senior.”

The old man on the bed ate his orange in silence but kept observing the two of them.

“Little friend, how old are you?” the old man asked suddenly without warning.

“I’ll be twenty-one after the New Year.”

“Oh, still young. Where is your hometown? How many people are in your family? Any siblings?”

Qi Xu bit into an orange segment. “I’m a local. There are five people in my family—I have an older brother and an older sister.”

Jiang Ying-shen also sensed the strangeness of the old man’s questions and looked over in confusion. The old man shared a brief look with Jiang Ying-shen and then looked back at Qi Xu. “You said you’re Xiao Jiang’s junior, right? Are you both from the same school?”

Jiang Ying-shen frowned, preparing to interrupt this nonsensical interrogation. But the old man was faster and finished his sentence:

“Then, are you seeing anyone?”

Although Qi Xu found it odd, he shook his head and answered honestly, “No.”

The old man nodded thoughtfully and was about to ask more when Qi Xu’s phone rang. While Qi Xu stepped out to take the call, Jiang Ying-shen looked at the old man with a frown. “Why are you asking him all that?”

Asking all that during a first meeting feels like a background check.

The old man stared at the door for a moment, then withdrew his gaze and asked back with a knowing look:

“Don’t you have feelings for this kid?”