Fortunately, Jiang Heguang wasn’t as heartless as his younger brother imagined.
Hearing Xin Hexue’s question, Jiang Heguang seemed to have finally grasped a topic to talk about. He stepped forward to Xin Hexue’s bedside, somewhat deliberately displacing Lu Yang from his spot. “Are you worried about the upcoming surgery?”
He reached out and clasped Xin Hexue’s hands. The touch was cool. Jiang Heguang frowned and tucked the hands under the blanket. “No need to worry. This isn’t a high-risk surgery, and it doesn’t require a heart transplant.”
The King of Hell withdrew one “Jiang Tongchen” from his ledger.
Jiang Heguang explained concisely, “It’s just about enlarging the adhered valve and widening the pulmonary artery. Whether a transannular patch will be needed depends on the situation after opening the chest.”
Xin Hexue lowered his head, his dark hair falling against his neck, accentuating his snow-white skin. He held the edges of the blanket, the faint blue veins extending from the back of his hands resembling flower stems, exuding a fragile, bewildered, helpless beauty.
Jiang Heguang opened his mouth. “The lead surgeon is currently abroad for an academic exchange. When Professor Zhao returns, he will explain everything to you before the surgery.”
It was clear that his attempt at comfort was truly lacking.
But Jiang Tongchen looked at his elder brother as if seeing a ghost.
Jiang Heguang straightened up and turned to the others.
He first looked at Jiang Tongchen. “I told you to go dye your hair back and return to school for class.”
Jiang Tongchen looked indignant, but he knew this wasn’t the time to oppose his brother, nor did he have the capital.
As for Lin Oufei and Lu Yang.
“Thank you both for your concern regarding Hexue’s condition. But family is here to take care of him. Moreover, the VIP ward has doctors and nurses on duty 24/7. There’s really no need for his friends to sacrifice their after-class time.” Jiang Heguang said politely. “Please, both of you, head back.”
Lu Yang raised an eyebrow. “Why should we leave just because you showed up? Logically, we’ve been taking care of Xin Hexue much longer than you. Do you even know how to take care of someone before you try to kick us out? Is that reasonable?”
He wasn’t good at arguing, so he nudged Lin Oufei along. “Right, Lin Oufei?”
Jiang Heguang looked at the two directly. When his gaze swept over Lu Yang, he frowned slightly. Upon seeing Lin Oufei, his expression changed in an extremely subtle way, becoming slightly better.
“Last year during my field inspection in your province, I met your father, Zhou Taining, at an investment promotion conference. I happen to have a cooperative project with them recently, so I contacted him. Just the day before yesterday, I even spoke with him about you. It seems you rarely contact home since starting university?”
As Jiang Heguang spoke, Lin Oufei’s expression grew increasingly unpleasant, a hidden anger and humiliation lurking beneath his cold, pale skin.
“I have nothing to say to him.” His hand hanging by his side clenched into a fist.
Jiang Heguang seemed oblivious to his changing expression and continued on the previous topic. “Nothing to say? That’s a pity. I noticed that Hexue gets along well with you, and our two families happen to have a collaboration. It’s somewhat fortunate, a bit of fate you could say…so I wanted to discuss with your father about strengthening the ties and interactions between the Jiang and Zhou families…”
He stopped at just the right moment, leaving room in his words.
Lin Oufei lowered his gaze, his brow loosening slightly.
“But now is not the time to talk about this.” Jiang Heguang said confidently, taking a handkerchief from his suit pocket and wiping his hands. “The most important thing right now is naturally for Hexue to recover well and prepare for the surgery in half a month. For him to have a good rest environment, the both of you should please head back.”
Lu Yang remained in place, wanting to argue further, but Lin Oufei spoke up to interrupt, “Let’s go. What are you waiting for? This is the Jiang family’s hospital. Since they are blood-related brothers, I believe Mr. Jiang will take good care of his own brother.”
Lin Oufei gave Xin Hexue a deep look.
Seeing he was about to be shown the door, Lu Yang became anxious. “Xin Hexue, I want to stay with you. Say something.”
But Xin Hexue simply leaned against the headboard and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.
Only after the hospital room door opened and closed again did he flutter his eyelashes and open his eyes, looking at Jiang Heguang. “Did you bring what I wanted?”
It was only then that Jiang Heguang opened the tote bag he had brought in earlier. The creature inside, which was almost suffocating, finally caught a familiar scent and began to whimper and cry.
Xin Hexue leaned over to look. The pitch-black four legged beast saw an opportunity and tried to scramble out with its front paws, only to have its head pushed back in by Jiang Heguang’s hand. “Woof! Woof! Woof woof!”
A handkerchief was firmly draped over its head, rubbed back and forth as if polishing a vessel to a shine, before being presented grandly before Xin Hexue.
The bond between mother and child is strong, and he could hear its thoughts clearly.
[Mother…! Mother!]
With Jiang Heguang holding it by the midsection, it paddled its four little legs in the air as if trying to rush toward Xin Hexue.
“Give me the dog.” Xin Hexue said succinctly.
He stretched out and took the little black dog from Jiang Heguang’s grasp, placed it on the blanket in front of him, lifted its neck to check, and then lifted its four paws.
It was the genuine, original product.
On the first day after leaving the Jiang family tutoring session, he had already confirmed it after hearing the dog bark. From then on, he had a vague but emerging guess regarding Jiang Heguang’s hidden identity.
Xin Hexue looked up. “Custody rights belong to me?”
Jiang Heguang: “…For now.”
Xin Hexue: “Oh.”
He wouldn’t be returning it anyway.
The little black dog buried its head, sniffing here and there, incessantly licking Xin Hexue’s hand until it was wet, and nudging the back of his hand with its damp black nose.
Xin Hexue looked at it with satisfaction. Not having seen it for so long, he found this little black dog much more cute and pleasing to the eye.
[Child’s father, come take a look.] he said to K.
K was silent for a moment, then coughed lightly.
He praised, [As bright as ice and snow, very clever and delightful.]
Jiang Heguang grabbed Xin Hexue’s hand and wiped the spots the dog had licked with the handkerchief, his expression serious. “It has germs.”
“Woof!”
The little black dog seemed to understand his words. It bared its teeth at him aggressively, then its dark, shiny eyes looked up at Xin Hexue again before whimpering and curling up, nestling in its mother’s arms.
“It’s very clean.” Xin Hexue withdrew his hand, gave the little black dog’s head a rub, and calmly sent the guest away. “As for you, you can leave now.”
Jiang Heguang pressed his thin lips into a straight line. The faint confusion in his eyes showed his lack of understanding about the current situation, not comprehending why he was so unwelcome.
Seeing that Xin Hexue had no intention of chatting with him, he had to bring up a topic himself.
“Between those two humans just now, which one do you like?” When Jiang Heguang said this, he stared intently at Xin Hexue, his pitch-black eyes swirling with a slight red, the non-human, eerie strangeness almost palpable.
Xin Hexue looked at him warily.
Jiang Heguang, however, appeared quite docile, determined to follow Xin Hexue’s wishes. “Which one do you like? I can arrange the wedding for you.”
He seemed to start thinking about the issue seriously, and even added for Xin Hexue, “If it’s not possible domestically, go abroad. It’s possible.”
Xin Hexue frowned, unable to grasp the Red Prince’s thoughts. “Why?”
Jiang Heguang, or rather, the Red Prince who always wore Jiang Heguang’s identity, looked at him. “Before, you said I wasn’t human, so you wouldn’t allow me to be with you.”
The Red Prince rubbed his chin, pondering something. “This time, I am human. I think I’ve comprehended this species. They also say I’m a ‘successful person.'”
The “they” in his words likely referred to those business partners.
“Whether as a son or elder brother of the Jiang family, I am widely praised.” He stated, his tone flat as if commenting on the good weather. “They all say I have a successful career and shallow familial bonds.”
The Red Prince asked with confusion, “As an outstanding human, why do you still say we cannot marry?”
Xin Hexue stroked the restless little black dog, pressing its head down. “You still haven’t understood what I told you yesterday.”
On this point, the Red Prince readily admitted. “I truly don’t understand. Before entering this world, I told them I wanted a role where, no matter what, you couldn’t get rid of me, a close, inseparable relationship. So we should be partners. Why won’t you marry me?”
Xin Hexue took a deep breath. “Not allowed. Because we are blood-related brothers, can you understand that?”
If they got married, it wouldn’t be broadcast.
The Red Prince pondered for a moment and seemed to finally understand. Convinced by Xin Hexue, he circled the topic back again. “Alright. Even so, I will still arrange the wedding for you.”
“That Lu Yang person won’t do. He has an ordinary family background, average education, is simple-minded, and his intelligence is basically on par with Xiao Hei’s (the black dog).” He began evaluating the two. “While Lin Oufei is superior in family conditions, intelligence, education, etc., it still isn’t as prominent as the Jiang family. Moreover, his father is an exceptionally foolish person.”
He found neither satisfactory and poured a glass of warm water for Xin Hexue.
“But actually, it doesn’t matter much. Whether it’s them, or me, it’s all the same.” The Red Prince muttered this without context, his words trailing off and leaving meaning unsaid.
Regardless, as long as he stopped obsessing over marrying him, Xin Hexue breathed a huge sigh of relief and sipped on the water to moisten his throat.
The Red Prince sat down on the nearby sofa. As he spoke to Xin Hexue, his body leaned forward subconsciously, his hands clasped on his knees and his expression very serious. “After the wedding is completed, I will cherish you and love you dearly as your brother and your de facto husband.”
“Ahem, ahem ahem ahem!” Xin Hexue was so shocked by his words that he choked on the water. He managed to put the cup on the table in time to avoid it from falling and breaking.
The Red Prince immediately stood up, covered the distance in two or three strides and carefully patted his back.
The pats on his back weren’t heavy, but the palms felt unusually hot. Xin Hexue shuddered and shrank aside, avoiding physical contact with the Red Prince.
Seeing that he had choked until tears welled in the corners of his eyes, and the rims were red, the Red Prince grew even more concerned. “What’s wrong?”
He reached out, wiping away Xin Hexue’s tear. Seeing the glistening teardrop quiver on his fingertip, a strange palpitation surged in his heart. Instinctively, he brought the finger to his mouth, the tear easing his thirst.
Then he pursed his lips and asked, “Is what I just said not allowed?”
Xin Hexue finally caught his breath and said weakly, “When I said I can’t marry you, I didn’t mean having an extramarital affair would be okay.”
Wouldn’t this become #Incest #Taboo #NTR #3P?
It might get locked by tomorrow.
The scene momentarily fell into a deadlock.
The Red Prince selectively interpreted Xin Hexue’s meaning. “Is it because you don’t like those two? Or do you prefer…”
Before the name could be spoken, a visitor pushed the door open.
“Him?” Jiang Heguang pointed at the doorway.
Zhuang Tongguang was carrying a thermal lunchbox and had just closed the door behind him with a backward push. “Xiao Xue, I made the soup you like today.”
His relaxed, intimate tone lasted until he turned and saw Jiang Heguang in the room. His gaze behind his glasses cooled instantly.
“So, is this my brother-in-law?” Jiang Heguang lowered his head to ask, seeking confirmation from Xin Hexue. He was still not very familiar with human terms of address for relatives
After careful consideration, Xin Hexue said, [K, should we just electrocute him to death?]
