“Doctor, the patient in Room 7 refuses to eat again.”
The nurse came out of the ward with the untouched nutritional meal, with a helpless expression: “Do you want to give him nutritional injections?”
Shen Qing’an had just arrived at the nursing home, and hadn’t had time to put on his white coat yet. After hearing the words, he paused, and then said, “Put it on my desk first, and I’ll take a look later.”
The little nurse put down the plate and breathed a sigh of relief.
Mr. Shu in Room 7 is a very gentle-looking person. He speaks softly and cooperates with any inspections that need to be done, and will not embarrass them. However, such a person is also stubborn to the bones. For example, today’s breakfast, no matter how much they persuaded him, he refused to take a bite.
After reheating breakfast in the microwave, Shen Qing’an knocked on the door of Room 7. There was a moderate voice from inside: “Please come in.”
Seeing that it was a doctor, Shu Wen was a little dazed. Even if it is a single VIP room, it is common for doctors and nurses to come to visit. Most of them just push the door to come in. No one will knock on the door to ask for his opinion.
Looking at the plate in the person’s hand, Shu Wen sighed, “I’m not hungry.”
This is his ninth day here. After completing a series of examinations, he was told that his physical condition is not suitable for immediate mark cleaning surgery. His foundation is weak and he needs to recuperate for a period of time first.
Shi Yi told him not to worry, but Shu Wen is very clear about his situation. He has been affected by this mark for too long, not a year or two, but twenty-odd years. Even after leaving Shi’s house, he could feel Shi Jinpeng’s furious emotions, and his whole spirit also weakened.
“Is the food not to your taste?” Shen Qing’an sat down beside his bed.
“The meals are balanced and well-prepared, but I don’t have an appetite.” Shu Wen politely refused.
Shen Qing’an understood the little nurse’s headache. Shu Wen seems amiable, but in fact his attitude has always been cold and alienated. He refuses to communicate, but he also doesn’t want to cause trouble, and his cautious attitude makes people unable to bear to force him.
“My cats have had no appetite recently. Would you like to take a look?” Shen Qing’an took out his phone, and on the screen were two cat owners[mfn]referring to cats being the owner or boss of the house[/mfn] who were well-fed.
He turned on the surveillance camera at home and whispered, “Pudding, Wangzai.”
Soon, two cats ran into the field of view and looked at the camera calmly, obviously used to their owner talking to them in this way.
Shu Wen had never had a pet before, so he was a little curious and leaned over to watch.
“You can try calling them.” Shen Qing’an said with a smile.
“Which one is Pudding?” Shu Wen asked.
“This,” Shen Qing’an pointed to the ragdoll. “Pudding’s stomach is already weak, but recently it has become a picky eater and has lost some weight.”
“This is Wangzai, a British short-hair.” Shen Qing’an was a little helpless. “He is too fat and needs to lose weight, but he doesn’t like to exercise.”
“Pudding, Wangzai.” Shu Wen tried to call out, and the two cats raised their heads vigilantly. Meow meow.
“Did I scare them?” Shu Wen was a little uncertain.
“They just don’t know you well yet,” Shen Qing’an turned on the camera. “You can say hello to them.”
This feeling is very strange. His face must’ve appeared on a small screen in Dr. Shen’s house, so he unconsciously raised the corners of his lips, “How are you?”
When Wangzai saw him, he probably felt that there was no threat. The vigilant expression disappeared, and he turned to lie flatteringly in front of the camera, snoring contently.
“Little licking cat.” Shen Qing’an smiled, and adjusted the angle of the camera slightly to capture Pudding who was standing not far away, but was not interested in the sudden appearance of the strange human.
“Hello, Pudding.” Shu Wen clumsily interacted with the cat, completely attracted. He waved his hand, and then realized that his behavior was a bit silly, so he dimpled in embarrassment.
But the ragdoll was summoned by him. With its small head held high, it condescended to press a paw on the camera.
Pudding’s paw is fleshy, pink, and looks very soft. Shu Wen said in surprise, “He’s saying hello to me!”
“Pudding is not as friendly as Wangzai, and rarely interacts with strangers.” Shen Qing’an said. “It seems that it likes you very much.”
“Is it because I don’t like to eat?” Shu Wen asked.
“Yes,” Shen Qing’an pretended to be annoyed, and turned on the automatic feeder remotely. Sure enough, Wangzai, who heard the movement, quickly turned his fat body and ran over, waiting eagerly for food to fall. On the other hand, Pudding was uninterested; it looked over and looked back towards the camera..
“What should I do? If it doesn’t eat, won’t it lose weight?” Shu Wen became anxious. “Pudding, hurry up and eat. Be good.”
“Yes,” Shen Qing’an glanced at the dinner plate, and hinted again: “If you don’t eat, you will lose weight.”
The hint was too explicit, how could Shu Wen not understand. The doctor drew such a large circle to persuade him, and he couldn’t refuse with a cold face, so he could only say helplessly, “I’ll try a bun.”
“The soy milk is still hot, let’s eat together.” Shen Qing’an helped him set up the bed table. “My place is nearby, and you can come and see the cats when you recover.”
“Yeah.” Shu Wen chewed slowly. He didn’t know if he could get better, but he still made such a promise..
After eating, he started to feel sleepy again. It’s been like this recently – always wanting to doze off during the day, but can’t sleep all night. He has to hold on to his energy reserve so that Shi Yi doesn’t worry when he visits, but he isn’t interested in doing anything when he’s alone.
The nursing home is very quiet, and the facilities in the room are very complete. He didn’t watch the TV or play on a phone, but slowly flipped through a design magazine. After a while, his eyes fluttered and he had to fight against drowsiness..
“How about I take you out for a stroll?” Shen Qing’an suggested.
“Is it possible?” Shu Wen’s eyes lit up. He proposed going out for a walk the last few days, but the nurses have always rejected him, out of fear he might catch a cold and his condition might worsen further.
Dr. Shen nodded, and pushed the wheelchair beside him. “Eat well first, and we’ll go out to digest after eating.”
The weather is cooler in autumn. Dr. Shen pushed Shu Wen to the edge of the lake. The sparkling waves seemed to sprinkle a handful of golden sand on the surface of the water. White long-legged waterfowl perched on the shore, showing its red claws.
Many people came out to enjoy the fresh air, and they greeted them, or rather Shen Qing’an, as they passed by.
“Dr. Shen, long time no see.”
“Accompanying a patient personally again?”
“It’s hard work for you to put so much effort into sending a pennant when my daughter recovers from her illness.”
Shen Qing’an responded one by one, squatting down to catch the little girl who rushed over to hug him. “Your daughter has grown taller again, she can go to school next semester.”
“Dr. Shen, I can’t bear to leave.” The little girl was a little shy. “I want to be a doctor like you in the future.”
Shu Wen watched from not far away. Shen Qing’an was gentle and patient, not aggressive at all, as if any embarrassing problems were easily solved in front of him.
He probably chats with his patients like this often. After thinking of this, Shu Wen secretly heaved a sigh of relief, he was not causing trouble to others.
After saying goodbye to the little girl, Shen Qing’an walked back. “Do you want to go over there?”
Supported by him, Shu Wen stood up from the wheelchair and walked slowly along the lake.
Shen Qing’an could call out the name of every kind of waterfowl, slowly sharing the story of this place. It was originally a wasteland, and hedgehogs and squirrels could still be seen in the first few years after it was built. He was unlike those who Shu Wen had interacted with before, who looked at him curious about his past; Dr. Shen just slowly talked about the nursing home and their surroundings, and then asked what he wanted for lunch.
“I can choose?” Shu Wen smiled lightly.
“Of course, your body has recovered a bit now, so you don’t have to follow a strict diet for every meal.” Shen Qing’an blinked. “Do you want to eat lamb chops? My lamb chops are very good.”
Each floor of the nursing home has its own small kitchen, but its rarely used. After returning, Shen Qing’an dug out two pieces of lamb chops from the refrigerator like performing a magic trick. Turning the bottom burning on, he melted butter first, and then placed the lamb on top, causing a slightly burnt aroma to overflow immediately.
Watching his movements quietly, Shu Wen fell into a daze. How long has it been since he’s waited for lunch with such peace of mind? There’s nothing to worry about, nothing to consider, and no fear of another person’s sudden outburst of anger.
“The lamb chops are ready,” Shen Qing’an’s voice interrupted his trance. When he looked up, the food was plated and placed on the table. The lamb was still sizzling, topped with rosemary, bread was cut and placed on the right hand side, and there were two small plates of butter.
Shu Wen hasn’t eaten Western food for a long time, and was a little clumsy with the knife and fork. He was already a little hungry after the walk earlier, and couldn’t wait to put the food in his mouth, but the tools in his hand seemed to be against him, and didn’t work well.
“I’ll do it.” Shen Qing’an had already finished cutting the portion in front of him, and switched the two plates. “You eat first.”
The cut surface of the lamb chops is crisp and full of flavor, as expected of a hand accustomed to holding a scalpel. Shu Wen picked up a piece and chewed slowly, letting the unique rich taste of mutton fill his mouth. Mixed with the faint milky aroma of butter, it tasted rich.
Shen Qing’an was right, the lamb chops made were really good.
“Your cooking skills are very good.” Shu Wen couldn’t help saying.
It can be imagined that Shen Qing’an is a person who knows how to live, and will be a good husband and a reliable father.
He asked, “Do you often cook for your family?”
Shen Qing’an chuckled when he heard the words. “I’ve only cooked chicken breast for Pudding and Wangzai. When it comes to cooking for other people, you are the first.”
Seeing that the other party looked a little confused, he added, “I live alone.”
It turned out that Shen Qing’an isn’t married. This made Shu Wen a little curious. A seemingly strong and reliable alpha has no partner. Is it celibacy? Or perhaps too high of a vision? He couldn’t help wondering.
But he also knew that they just have a doctor-patient relationship, and that he is Shen Qing’an’s job at best. Too much inquiring will only offend others, so he suppressed the doubts in his heart.
Unlike the spicy pace and characters for SW & LY, these 2 are subtle, slow and sweet; think aged wine versus shots.
Also, this chapter should’ve been divided into 4 releases, but I’m going to wrap things up in 3 so y’all can finish SABL this week!
Don’t forget to rate and leave a review on novelupdates. Want to support my projects? Buy me a ko-fi!
Yeey, finally! I was waiting for this pair!
Thank You for the new chapter ( ˘ ³˘)♥