I’m Face-Blind, But I Devoted Myself To Three Guys - Chapter 40

Chapter 40: “Senior’s hand smells wonderful.”

The finger Jiang Ying-shen was using to peel the orange stiffened.

The old man cast a side-glance at him and snorted. “I was wondering why you haven’t looked for anyone all these years. What? Afraid I won’t approve? I’m not some old fossil, and we don’t exactly have a family fortune for you to inherit.”

Moreover, the two of them didn’t even share a surname, so “carrying on the family line” wasn’t even an issue. Male or female, it made no difference to Old Meng; he was very open-minded.

Jiang Ying-shen lowered his eyes and frowned. “It’s not what you think.”

Old Meng clearly didn’t believe him, his expression saying don’t try to fool me. “Don’t treat me like I’m senile. I’ve seen it all. The moment this kid arrived, that lifeless look of yours faded quite a bit. You keep stealing glances at him; I’ve never seen you so attentive and considerate toward anyone before.”

Jiang Ying-shen looked back at the old man and explained helplessly, “He is the younger brother of the person I mentioned who helped arrange the surgery. I promised them I would look after him.”

Old Meng paused his chewing. “The kid you said was… sick?”

Jiang Ying-shen nodded.

Old Meng was about to say more when Qi Xu returned after finishing his call. Catching a glimpse of the figure in his peripheral vision, the old man quickly poked Jiang Ying-shen’s arm and whispered a final instruction: “Then you’d better treat him well.”

Jiang Ying-shen: “…”

He got the distinct feeling that the old man hadn’t taken his explanation seriously at all.

Noticing the inexplicably strange atmosphere between the two, Qi Xu silently sat back down in his chair, observing them without speaking. Jiang Ying-shen let out a silent sigh and handed the peeled orange to Qi Xu.

This orange had been mangled by Qi Xu earlier, riddled with holes. Even though Jiang Ying-shen was careful, juice inevitably squeezed out. The fresh, sweet scent of citrus filled the warm air. As Qi Xu took it, their fingers brushed against each other.

Sticky, yet very soft and warm.

Jiang Ying-shen pursed his lips and withdrew his hand, subconsciously rubbing his fingertips together. Qi Xu was about to get a wet wipe for him, but the man had already stood up.

“I’m going to wash my hands.”

As Jiang Ying-shen headed to the restroom, Qi Xu and the old man were left staring at each other in the quiet ward. Qi Xu, with a segment of orange in his mouth, looked at the person on the bed somewhat shyly and gave a small smile.

Old Meng returned a kindly smile. After a moment of silence, the old man couldn’t resist asking, “What do you think of our Xiao Jiang?”

Before Qi Xu could voice his praise, Jiang Ying-shen emerged from the restroom. He had clearly heard the question; drying his hands, he interrupted directly: “You haven’t eaten yet, have you?”

He was speaking to Qi Xu. It was mealtime, and since Qi Xu had just finished his check-up, he likely hadn’t eaten. Sure enough, Qi Xu nodded.

“I’ll take you to eat,” Jiang Ying-shen said, picking up his jacket from the back of the chair. He then turned to the old man. “Do you need me to bring you anything?”

Old Meng saw through his attempt to stop the questioning. Leaning against the headboard, he waved them off in resignation. “Fine, fine, go eat. I’m not hungry yet, don’t worry about me.”

After they left, the old man looked at the door and chuckled affectionately. “That brat…”

However, just as he spoke, a head popped back into the doorway.

“Senior is very good. He’s amazing.”

This response, though not loud, caused both the “father” and “son” inside and outside the ward to freeze at the same time.

Qi Xu assumed the old man was like any other parent wanting to know how his child behaved away from home. He had circled back specifically to answer the question to set the old man’s mind at ease.

Old Meng was stunned for two seconds before looking at the helpless figure behind Qi Xu and laughing loudly. “Hahaha! Good, good!”

Qi Xu hadn’t expected such a happy reaction. Used to coaxing the elders in his own family, his habit of “going with the flow” kicked in. His eyes curved, and he was about to add a few more compliments when a hand suddenly reached out from behind him.

The hand smelled faintly of citrus, and since it had just been washed, it felt cool.

“Mm?” The muffled Qi Xu looked up blankly at the person behind him.

Jiang Ying-shen looked down at him helplessly. “Don’t disturb the patient’s rest.”

Qi Xu blinked, looked at the old man—who clearly didn’t look disturbed—and obediently nodded. Once he was quiet, Jiang Ying-shen slowly let go.

“And he’s very handsome and popular!” Qi Xu added quickly into the room, playing the rogue.

Old Meng laughed even harder.

Jiang Ying-shen: “…”

…

In the end, Qi Xu coaxed the old man into a wide grin before finally following Jiang Ying-shen to a small restaurant near the hospital.

Qi Xu rarely ate at such roadside shops. Upon entering, he was immediately caught in a coughing fit by the cigarette smoke from a nearby table. Jiang Ying-shen, walking behind him, noticed his discomfort and reached out to grab him. “Let’s change places.”

Qi Xu covered his nose and mouth, shaking his head. “It’s fine, it’ll be better if we move further inside.”

Since Jiang Ying-shen was clearly treating him to this meal, Qi Xu didn’t want to cause him too much of a burden. Jiang Ying-shen frowned, but Qi Xu had already pulled him by the hand toward the back of the room.

They found a corner to sit in, and Qi Xu ordered two light dishes. While waiting, Qi Xu couldn’t help but cough again. His eyes turned red from the irritation, and he stared straight at the man opposite him, looking quite pitiful.

Seeing him suffering, Jiang Ying-shen stood up to lead him away. Qi Xu looked up dazed, blinking at the man standing beside him. After a moment, realizing the intent, Qi Xu shook his head. Since they had already ordered and paid, he felt he could endure it.

“I’m just not used to the smell of smoke.”

Jiang Ying-shen knew he was being considerate, and his hand hanging at his side clenched subconsciously.

Qi Xu lowered his eyes, staring at Jiang Ying-shen’s hand, remembering the citrus scent on his palm back at the hospital. Then, on a sudden impulse, Qi Xu took Jiang Ying-shen’s hand and gently pressed it over his own nose and mouth.

Jiang Ying-shen’s hand had warmed up, and the citrus scent had become warm and fragrant, effectively blocking out most of the smoke. Qi Xu buried his face in the man’s palm and took a deep breath.

Smooth, delicate skin pressed against his hand, and warm breath brushed softly against his palm, triggering a jolt of electricity. Jiang Ying-shen couldn’t help but curl his fingers slightly. That tingling sensation climbed up his arm and settled at his spine, making his nerves go taut.

Jiang Ying-shen stared down at the overly beautiful face beneath his palm; it felt as if a cat was scratching at his heart, leaving a persistent itch.

Qi Xu buried his head there for a while before realizing he was being a bit forward. He peeked up apologetically. To his surprise, Jiang Ying-shen didn’t show any annoyance or rejection; he just seemed stunned.

Holding the man’s hand with both of his own, Qi Xu chose to push his luck rather than apologize. He scooted over. “Senior, sit.”

Jiang Ying-shen looked at the space Qi Xu had made for him and sat down after a brief hesitation. Qi Xu continued to use the hand as a filter. “Senior’s hand smells wonderful, like oranges.”

Every time Qi Xu spoke, the tiny vibrations made the tingling sensation even more pronounced. Jiang Ying-shen curled his hand, looked away, and gave a soft “Mm.”

It wasn’t until the smoking customers left that Qi Xu reluctantly let go. Jiang Ying-shen withdrew his hand with a sense of relief, his fingers subconsciously rubbing together under the table.

By then, their food had arrived. Jiang Ying-shen rinsed the utensils with tea for him, but Qi Xu didn’t eat much.

“Don’t like the taste?” Jiang Ying-shen noticed.

Qi Xu was busy picking green onions out of his bowl. “I had a late breakfast, I’m not very hungry.”

Jiang Ying-shen realized he was just being a picky eater. Given Qi Xu’s background, it was normal that he wasn’t used to roadside stir-fry. “Next time, I’ll take you somewhere else,” Jiang Ying-shen said softly.

Hearing “next time,” Qi Xu immediately perked up. “Next time?”

Jiang Ying-shen realized the slip; they wouldn’t normally be in this area. But Qi Xu already had another idea: “Can Senior cook?”

“I can do some simple things,” Jiang Ying-shen replied. He wasn’t an expert, just capable of a few home-cooked dishes.

“Then can Senior cook for me next time?” Qi Xu’s eyes lit up. He had no talent for cooking and didn’t want to torture himself or others with “dark cuisine.” Obtaining food from the protagonists seemed like a better way to earn points.

Jiang Ying-shen was silent for a moment, not very confident in his skills, but seeing Qi Xu’s expectant eyes, he eventually nodded.

…

After leaving the restaurant, Qi Xu wasn’t ready to go yet, so Jiang Ying-shen took him to a dessert shop nearby. Qi Xu stared at the delicate cakes in the display case and looked at Jiang Ying-shen. “Is Senior buying one for me?”

Seeing his joy, Jiang Ying-shen nodded. “Pick whichever you like.”

Qi Xu liked anything given to him, so he asked Jiang Ying-shen to choose. Jiang Ying-shen eventually picked a chocolate mousse.

“How did Senior know I’d like this?” Qi Xu chirped, holding the dessert.

Jiang Ying-shen looked at the small cake, his lips pursed. He didn’t actually know Qi Xu’s preferences; he just thought the little cream black cat decoration on top was cute. With its tail curled and its clever look, it reminded him exactly of the person standing beside him.

After buying the dessert and some porridge for the old man, they headed back to the hospital. But just as they arrived, Qi Xu’s phone rang.

“It really is you, Xiao Xu.” It was Xu Changshu on the other end.

Qi Xu blinked. “Huh?”

Then, the voice on the phone overlapped with a voice behind him: “Xiao Xu! Here, over here!”

Qi Xu turned around and saw a short, stout middle-aged man waving at him. Jiang Ying-shen looked over too, frowning at the waving man and the fully disguised man standing beside him. “Someone you know?”

Qi Xu’s mouth hung open. It took a long time to react. “Um, I think I know them.”

The call was still active. Xu Changshu said, “Can you come over for a second?”