The Beta Wife Claimed by Competing Alphas - Chapter 28

Shang Qiyue looked at him, remaining silent for a long time.

Mu Yan had finally squeezed out that one flattering sentence, but receiving no response, he lowered his head in embarrassment. He didn’t know what else to say to make Shang Qiyue happy.

“Wait here,” Shang Qiyue finally spoke just as Mu Yan was agonizing over it. “I’ll take your mother to dialysis.”

As he spoke, he stood up, seemingly heading toward the front counter to buy breakfast for Mu Yan’s mother.

“You’re taking my mother to dialysis?” Mu Yan froze for a second, then quickly limped after him. “But dialysis takes a long time, and do you know how to—”

Although he tried his best to maintain his balance, Mu Yan’s walk was still a bit of a limp today, swaying unsteadily. Shang Qiyue had to take a few steps back to support him.

“Careful.”

Shang Qiyue was tall and strikingly handsome; his custom-tailored casual wear looked completely out of place in this environment. As he turned back, quite a few people shifted their gaze to look at him and Mu Yan.

Mu Yan was not used to being the center of attention. It made him feel very uncomfortable, so he lowered his head even further.

Shang Qiyue didn’t let go of the arm supporting him. “Does your mother want soup dumplings and tofu pudding? And does she want the pudding sweet or savory?”

“Sweet, thank you, sir.”

The tofu pudding was quickly scooped out, packed, and handed to them. Mu Yan, feeling uneasy, checked again to see if the lid was fastened tightly.

“I won’t spill your tofu pudding,” Shang Qiyue said flatly. “I don’t know the way to the dialysis unit, but doesn’t your mom know? I’ll just say I’m your friend and let her guide me.”

Mu Yan seemed to finally process this and gave a somewhat embarrassed smile.

“I wasn’t… worried about the pudding just now,” Mu Yan explained immediately after. “I was just afraid it would spill and ruin your car.”

Hearing this reason, Shang Qiyue was a bit surprised. “If it spills, it spills. It’s just a car wash. Why do you care so much about things like that?”

But… car washes are expensive, aren’t they? For such a nice car, it must cost several hundred yuan at least.

Despite what Shang Qiyue said, Mu Yan couldn’t help but worry.

The soup dumplings came out of the steamer at that moment. The owner deftly packed them into a box, tossed in packets of vinegar and chili oil, and tied the bag shut.

Shang Qiyue picked up the dumplings and the pudding, then turned to Mu Yan. “Are you waiting for me to pick you up here, or waiting in the car?”

“Actually, just wait here,” he added quickly. “The air in the garage isn’t good.”

However, Mu Yan had already reached out to take the breakfast from him, following closely behind like a little tail.

“I’ll go with you.”

If he waited for Shang Qiyue in the garage, the man wouldn’t have to make a U-turn to pick him up later. It was fine now, but by noon that road would be packed with cars, making a U-turn a huge hassle. Shang Qiyue’s car was likely very expensive; if it got scratched or bumped, it would be a major problem.

He wanted to avoid causing Shang Qiyue any trouble as much as possible.

The car entered the hospital’s underground garage. Once Shang Qiyue parked and reached out to Mu Yan for the breakfast intended for his mother, he suddenly noticed Mu Yan’s eyes were glistening, as if holding back tears.

Seeing Shang Qiyue staring at him, Mu Yan lowered his head in embarrassment. He likely blinked, causing a teardrop to fall and leave a clear trail down his face.

Perhaps he had suppressed his emotions for too long after the incident where his mother’s dialysis was almost stopped. Now that the 150,000 had been paid, Mu Yan felt an overwhelming urge to cry.

But he didn’t dare to truly break down; he just hurriedly lowered his head and wiped the tear away.

“Thank you, sir. Thank you for being so kind to me and helping me so much… Aside from my brother, no one has ever helped me like this. You’re even taking my mom to dialysis…”

Shang Qiyue was momentarily stunned. Mu Yan even seemed to be enduring his tears.

When one is tired, the eyelids droop; when one is hurt, the eyes weep—how could anyone possibly suppress such things?

Shang Qiyue leaned over, pulled a box of tissues from the compartment in front of Mu Yan’s seat, and handed one to him.

“Cry if you want to. Wipe your eyes, and don’t touch them with your hands.”

Mu Yan nodded and took a tissue.

“Didn’t he ever accompany you?” Shang Qiyue asked casually once Mu Yan had calmed down a bit.

“You mean… who?” The vague pronoun left Mu Yan confused. He wasn’t sure if Shang Qiyue was referring to Lu Chong, and he didn’t dare to make assumptions.

Aside from Lu Chong, Mu Yan couldn’t think of anyone else “he” could refer to. But why would President Shang bring up Lu Chong now? He was probably overthinking it.

“Never mind,” Shang Qiyue quickly dismissed the topic as if nothing had happened. He raised the breakfast in his hand. “I just happen to be free today; don’t mention it. I’m going now, or the food will get cold.”

Each dialysis session took at least three hours. Normally, Mu Yan would chat with his mother during that time, but Shang Qiyue and his mother had nothing to talk about. He was actually a bit afraid Shang Qiyue wouldn’t be able to wait that long.

“It will take a while. Will you be bored?” Mu Yan messaged him. “I’ve really troubled you this time. Next time, I’ll go by myself.”

Nearly an hour passed before Shang Qiyue replied: “It’s fine. I was just chatting with your auntie and didn’t see the message. She’s asleep now.”

Shang Qiyue and his mother seemed like people from completely different worlds; Mu Yan was surprised by this. He wanted to ask what they talked about but felt it might be inappropriate.

The screen showed “typing…” for a long time. Shang Qiyue, imagining Mu Yan painstakingly typing a line and then deleting it, couldn’t help but smile. “Curious about what I talked about with your mom?”

“Yes.”

“Just casual talk. I asked her if you usually don’t like to eat, since you’re so thin. She said when you were little, you loved eating. For a while, your face was so chubby you looked like a glutinous rice ball.”

“So why did you get so thin later?” Shang Qiyue swallowed the question, ‘Is it because your ex-boyfriend treated you poorly?’ “Was it from studying computer science?”

There was no need to mention the ex-boyfriend every three sentences; it would make it seem like he cared too much about that brat.

Shang Qiyue was clearly joking. Mu Yan looked at the screen and smiled, replying seriously: “It’s all computer science’s fault.”

“We’re almost done here. I’ll take you to lunch in a bit. What do you want to eat? Is French food okay?”

“Sir, I’ve never had French food,” Mu Yan replied. “Will I embarrass you?”

Back in university, it wasn’t that Lu Chong hadn’t taken him to fancy restaurants, but Mu Yan was busy maintaining his scholarship and working for professors. He rarely had time to travel far for a meal, and there happened to be no French restaurants near A University.

Mu Yan was excessively frank about such things. He hadn’t had French food, just as Shang Qiyue likely hadn’t attended a “running water banquet” in the countryside—the kind that looked dirty but tasted amazing. Being “unrefined” wasn’t his fault, and he didn’t feel inferior because of it, but he knew the nature of his current relationship with Shang Qiyue. He was afraid of making Shang Qiyue unhappy.

Rather than showing his lack of worldliness later and making the man feel embarrassed to be seen with him, it was better to be honest early on.

“You won’t. I’m the one paying, so what’s there to be embarrassed about?”

Only then did Mu Yan’s heart settle back into his chest.

By the time dialysis ended, it was indeed noon. Shang Qiyue drove him to a restaurant with practiced ease. Since Mu Yan said he hadn’t eaten it before, Shang Qiyue asked if he had any dietary restrictions and then ordered the dishes himself.

“Do you want some wine? If you do, I can call my assistant to drive us back later,” Shang Qiyue asked casually while they waited for the food.

“I’m not very good at drinking. Thank you, sir.”

With every dish that arrived, Shang Qiyue quite seriously explained the origin and the proper way to eat it. He was knowledgeable and witty; as a date, it would be hard not to develop feelings for him.

“When I was chatting with your mom,” Shang Qiyue said, placing a piece of braised beef onto Mu Yan’s plate, “I felt her condition wasn’t great. I’ve arranged it with her—we’ll schedule a full physical check-up this weekend. We’ll do it at the First Hospital to save the trouble of moving around. Your leg should be better by then, or your brother can go with her.”

Mu Yan’s eating motion paused.

A full physical check-up… a full check-up at the First Hospital was not easy to book. Mu Yan and his brother had tried several times without success.

“Thank you, President Shang. I’ve been wanting to take her for one, but I could never get an appointment…”

Director Zhang had said that’s just how the First Hospital is—if one has the means, they should go to a private hospital for a check-up. But his mother’s health was poor and couldn’t handle much travel, and the cost of a check-up there was not a small sum for Mu Yan and his brother.

His mother talked to fellow patients at the hospital every day; she knew exactly how much private hospital check-ups cost. Accustomed to being frugal, she would never agree to spend that much.

“Eat up. I brought you here to eat, so why are you eating so little? A cat has a bigger appetite than you,” Shang Qiyue said dismissively, placing another piece of beef braised in red wine on Mu Yan’s plate. “Your mother said you loved eating as a kid. Why do you eat so little with me? Do I look so bad I make you lose your appetite?”

Mu Yan’s eyes widened. “No, no… President Shang is very handsome. You could even be a movie star.”

He said it almost reflexively, but on second thought, he realized Shang Qiyue must never lack such compliments, which was why he could joke about it so comfortably.

Shang Qiyue smiled at his reaction and brought the topic back to the meal. “The beef here is good; it’s flown in fresh every day. But the chef’s preparation is just average…”

As Mu Yan ate, he only felt the beef was perfectly tender with a hint of red wine fragrance, but he wasn’t quite used to the taste. He couldn’t contribute to the conversation at all, so he just listened quietly, nodding from time to time.

“When you cook, how do you usually like to prepare beef?” Shang Qiyue asked suddenly.

Mu Yan hadn’t expected the sudden question. He lowered his head and said softly, “I just cook it casually… how could it compare to the chefs here?”

“It’s just a matter of taste. Generally, Chinese food always suits our palates better.”

Mu Yan thought for a moment. “Szechuan poached beef, or stewed with tomatoes.”

“Poached beef is a Southwestern style; I don’t like spicy food much. Beef stewed with tomatoes sounds very good,” Shang Qiyue said, seemingly full. He ordered two soufflés and his own arrived first. “I’ll try your cooking next time.”

“It’s just an ordinary taste, it wouldn’t be worth your time…” Mu Yan began, but then realized that might sound like a rejection to Shang Qiyue, so he quickly stopped. “If you’d like to try it, then I’ll show you my humble skills.”

Seeing that Mu Yan was mostly finished, Shang Qiyue considerately signaled for another dessert and asked casually, “Is the place where you work Xinqi? I think I saw your employee ID.”

Mu Yan nodded.

“I have a friend who works there. I’ll help you take some leave so you can stay home and let your leg heal.”

Mu Yan shook his head to refuse. He had already taken leave twice this month; it wouldn’t be good to continue. An injured leg didn’t stop him from using his hands to write code.

“If I say I’ll help you take leave, it definitely won’t affect your work. Don’t worry.”

Mu Yan couldn’t say anything more, so he just nodded and whispered a thank you.

Whether it was Shang Qiyue or Lu Chong from university, the world they saw was likely different from his. Many things that seemed as difficult as reaching the heavens to him were probably just a matter of a single sentence to them.

A long time ago, he did feel a slight sense of unfairness, thinking that despite being the same kind of human and not necessarily worse than others, why was he the only one who had to struggle for a living and exhaust his heart and strength just to survive?

But by now, his heart was long past such turbulence. He had studied hard for ten years to get into the top-tier A University, yet among his classmates, there were many who had worked themselves sick and still didn’t make it to college.

Life is born unfair.

With Shang Qiyue helping him with the leave, he stayed home to recover. The next day his supervisor called, telling him that another department had transferred him over, so he should just focus on that and not worry about things on this side.

Mu Yan remembered Shang Qiyue saying it wouldn’t affect his work; he truly hadn’t lied.

Shang Qiyue didn’t come over for the next few days; he just sent someone to his door every day to prepare nutritious meals for him. Mu Yan rarely had such leisurely time in his life; for a while, he even felt a bit unadjusted.

Perhaps this was the legendary “life of toil.” Once he began to enjoy the peace, he felt restless all over.

He remembered the promise to cook for Shang Qiyue and, unable to stay idle, made tomato-stewed beef once. To him, it tasted very good, but compared to the Burgundy beef he had at the French restaurant, it was actually far off.

If Shang Qiyue wasn’t even satisfied with a dish like that, would he really like the beef Mu Yan made?

But on second thought, if Shang Qiyue wanted to eat something, he would naturally hire the best chef; he wouldn’t expect to eat some world-shaking delicacy here.

The food he made was likely just an incidental “bonus.” Shang Qiyue paid to sleep with him and happened to discover he could cook a couple of dishes. It was like someone who doesn’t usually buy lottery tickets, but if the company gave him one during an event and it happened to win twenty yuan, it would still be a pleasant surprise.

Mu Yan wanted to constantly remind himself of his relationship with that man.

He was just a stray cat that the man happened to toss a few treats to. Even though the treats he bought for a few cents could help Mu Yan survive a harsh winter.

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