TL: Hua
Yu Qingtang woke up around four o’clock. He didn’t have dinner at his parents’ place and left with Xu Baizhang.
The car stopped at his doorstep. Yu Qingtang unbuckled his seatbelt and hurriedly pulled the door open. “I’m leaving first. We’ll talk another day.”
Xu Baizhang got out of the car. “I’ll see you up.”
Yu Qingtang: “No need; you go back first.”
“Qingtang, I’m your boyfriend.” Xu Baizhang’s face grew cold. “It’s one thing to hide it from Uncle and Auntie, but you’re going to hide it from me too?”
The tension Yu Qingtang was holding instantly released, and his body swayed slightly. “You found out?”
Xu Baizhang steadied his arm. “It was too obvious.”
He was in a hurry to go back, didn’t speak the whole way, and kept his arm pressed against his abdomen. If he hadn’t guessed wrong, his stomach started hurting right after he woke up, or perhaps it was because it hurt so much that he “slept” for so long.
Yu Qingtang leaned against him, taking a deep breath. “It’s just a stomachache, nothing serious.”
He didn’t have the guts to say the rest; it was really painful this time.
Xu Baizhang was like a serious doctor, or perhaps he truly was one. “Two choices: go to the hospital for a registration, or go upstairs, and I’ll take a look.”
Yu Qingtang didn’t hesitate. “Upstairs.”
Xu Baizhang helped him onto the bed, then lifted his wrist to take his pulse.
Yu Qingtang remembered their first meeting, when he politely said he’d look him up for a pulse diagnosis. He never imagined the location would be his own bed.
Xu Baizhang’s fingertips pressed on his pulse, sometimes lightly, sometimes firmly, with a dry, warm sensation. Yu Qingtang didn’t understand traditional Chinese medicine or pulse diagnosis, but the other party’s serious demeanor was captivating.
He couldn’t help but ask, “How is it?”
Xu Baizhang’s face changed, becoming as sour as a debt collector. “The Guan pulse on the right hand is slow and thin, with a soft and weak pulsation. All three sections—Cun, Guan, Chi—and all three positions—floating, middle, sunken—are weak, indicating insufficient fullness within the pulse vessel.[mfn]Author’s note 1: Refer to “Chinese Medicine Pulse Diagnosis”[/mfn]”
Yu Qingtang said, “Dr. Xu, you’re too professional. I don’t understand any of it.”
“Busy work, frequently staying up late, irregular diet, and excessive consumption of rich, greasy, and sweet foods.” Xu Baizhang then looked at his tongue coating, his expression even more grim. “Your spleen and stomach are weaker than I expected. You’ve had this stomach problem for many years; haven’t you been paying attention?”
Yu Qingtang didn’t know how to answer.
He skipped breakfast, and his other two meals were irregular, just grabbing a bite when he remembered. He also liked to drink coffee and iced mineral water on an empty stomach.
If he told any doctor about his habits, he would be severely criticized, not to mention that the doctor in front of him was his boyfriend.
“I shouldn’t have made you those spicy boiled meat slices.” Xu Baizhang was clearly angry. “And I shouldn’t have let you eat those strawberries from the fridge.”
“I know it was my fault.”
“I wasn’t talking about you; I’m blaming myself for not watching you closely,” Xu Baizhang’s tone softened. He laid him flat. “I’ll keep an eye on you from now on and won’t let you eat indiscriminately.”
He bent Yu Qingtang’s leg, finding the spot three cun below the outer knee and one horizontal finger’s width from the anterior border of the tibia. He used his thumb to press and stimulate in a circular motion. This position can regulate gastrointestinal motility and relieve spasms.[mfn]Author note 2: Refer to “Special Acupuncture Point Massage to Prevent Sickness”[/mfn]
After rubbing fifty or sixty times, Xu Baizhang then used his index and middle fingers to massage the Shimen acupoint, two cun below the navel, followed by the Neiguan and Zhongwan acupoints.
Yu Qingtang had never seen a traditional Chinese medicine doctor, not that he didn’t believe the theory, but the slow, nurturing process of TCM was too much for his patience.
He was very clear about his condition: chronic gastritis, occasional acid reflux, or intermittent spasms. Relying on his youth, he’d just take some antacids or rest for a while and get through it.
Today was a true accident; he’d forgotten his medicine and hadn’t said anything for fear of worrying his parents, but he hadn’t recovered all afternoon.
Xu Baizhang didn’t speak the entire time, focusing on pressing the acupoints until the pain completely disappeared.
Yu Qingtang was quite surprised. “Just pressing can make it better? I don’t even need to take medicine?”
Xu Baizhang’s face was still stern, rigid like a Buddha statue. “Pain relief is temporary. Relying solely on acupressure cannot cure it completely; you still need to take medicine.”
He emphasized, “And you need to keep taking it.”
Yu Qingtang probed, “Is it Chinese herbal medicine?”
Xu Baizhang: “What do you think?”
“Okay,” Yu Qingtang said with a smile. “I’ll listen to you.”
Seeing the other person not speaking, Yu Qingtang turned to look up at him from below. “I was wrong today. I’ll definitely pay attention from now on, take my medicine properly, and eat regularly. Don’t be angry, okay?”
Xu Baizhang pressed hard on Zusanli. “I’m not angry.”
“Why aren’t you smiling if you’re not angry?” Yu Qingtang teased him, “Are you naturally not fond of smiling?”
Xu Baizhang laughed, a genuine, heartfelt laugh.
Through his glasses, Yu Qingtang saw his eyes crinkle with mirth. “That’s more like it.”
Xu Baizhang lowered his legs and helped cover him with the blanket. “You rest for a bit; I’ll go get the medicine.”
Yu Qingtang, wrapped in the covers, still searched for him with his eyes. “There’s a spare key on the cabinet by the door. You can keep it from now on.”
Xu Baizhang’s fingertips trembled slightly. “Okay.”
Yu Qingtang appeared to have been lying down all afternoon, but in reality, he hadn’t slept a wink. Now that his stomach pain had eased and someone was looking after him, he felt at ease and fell asleep within two minutes.
Xu Baizhang retrieved the herbs and a clay pot, then bought the ingredients needed for dinner. He returned quietly, closed the bedroom door, and began brewing the medicine while preparing dinner.
Although he had anticipated it, he was still surprised when he opened the refrigerator door.
The fridge was packed, but it only contained four items: coffee, oranges, instant rice, and expiring sandwiches. The cupboard held an entire box of instant noodles.
Xu Baizhang emptied the fridge and filled it with the items he had bought: milk, warm fruits, and seasonal vegetables.
He then removed the instant noodles from the cupboard and replaced them with yam, poria, millet, red dates, coix seed, and white hyacinth beans.
—
Yu Qingtang was awakened by the mixed aroma of traditional Chinese medicine and food. His stomach no longer hurt, but his hunger pangs began to protest.
Xu Baizhang brought the meal into the room.
There was thoroughly cooked rice porridge and three light vegetable dishes. The colors were appealing, and it looked quite tasty, but it was far from as abundant as lunch had been.
Xu Baizhang guessed his thoughts. “You can only eat this now.”
“I know, this looks good too.” Yu Qingtang eagerly reached for the bowl.
“Slow down, it’s hot.” Xu Baizhang took the bowl, scooped out half a spoon, blew on it to cool it, and brought it to his mouth. “Eat this.”
A faint aroma of rice mixed with the smell of greens gave a feeling of home.
Yu Qingtang felt a bit flustered by the bowl of porridge. He took it. “I can do it myself. Let’s eat together.”
There were only two pairs of chopsticks and two bowls in this small bedroom of only a few square meters.
Yu Qingtang had lived here for over a year, and Xu Baizhang was the only person other than himself to have entered this bedroom.
Before meeting Xu Baizhang, Yu Qingtang had imagined the worst-case scenario: he would spend his entire life eating instant rice and noodles alone.
After dinner, Xu Baizhang went to wash the dishes.
His mother called. “Are you feeling better?”
Yu Qingtang: “I’m fine.”
“Still pretending? I’ve already called Xiao Xu.”
“Oh.” Yu Qingtang grumbled inwardly, wondering when he’d given out his number.
“Just so you know, Xiao Xu didn’t complain. I noticed something was off before you two left, and with Xiao Xu rushing back, I knew you must be unwell.”
“Xiao Tang, don’t mind Mom’s nagging. Your stomach needs nurturing; you can’t keep going like this. I understand your work is busy, but your health is more important than anything.”
Yu Qingtang: “Mom, I know. Baizhang is brewing medicine for me right now. I’ll definitely take good care of myself this time.”
“Sigh, it’s a good thing we have Xiao Xu. Not only does this child care about you, but he’s also wonderful to your dad and me. While you were sleeping, he gave me medicine and massaged my back, and he even massaged your dad’s shoulders. He didn’t complain about being tired; he just busied himself all afternoon.”
Yu Qingtang’s chest felt incredibly warm. Xu Baizhang’s goodness was always greater than he imagined.
Mother Yu continued, “I went for a walk downstairs just now and chatted with Xiao Wang and her friends. That’s when I found out how amazing Xiao Xu is.”
“Why were you chatting with Auntie Wang again?”
Auntie Wang lived upstairs from his parents’ house and retired in the same year as his mother. They had many topics in common and initially had a good relationship, often walking together.
Later, his mother disapproved of Auntie Wang’s behavior and gradually reduced their contact. It was said that Auntie Wang liked to spread rumors and gossip, couldn’t stand to see others do well, and even fabricated facts.
Mother Yu said indignantly, “Do you think I wanted to talk to her? I was just passing by on my walk and heard them talking about Xiao Xu, so I went over and listened for a few minutes.”
“Xiao Wang said she tried to get an appointment with Xiao Xu through a scalper, but she didn’t get the appointment and was scammed out of two hundred yuan. She was so angry that she started swearing; her voice was so loud you could hear it several buildings away.”
“I even kindly comforted her, and then I just casually said a few words. I said Dr. Xu is indeed very amazing. My back had been hurting for several days and wasn’t fully recovered, but he gave me a patch and massaged it for about twenty minutes, and it immediately got better.”
Yu Qingtang: “…”
Although he hadn’t finished listening, he had a feeling things were not developing correctly.
“Then guess what? They all said I was bragging, saying Dr. Xu is so busy that you can’t even get an appointment for a pulse diagnosis, let alone a back massage. He definitely won’t do that.”
The provincial hospital had a specialized acupuncture and massage department, and a director like Xu Baizhang wouldn’t be responsible for such tasks.
“How was I supposed to know Xiao Xu doesn’t give massages to other people!” Mother Yu became more and more aggrieved as she spoke. “But I didn’t lie; Xiao Xu really did massage me, and he massaged your dad too.”
Yu Qingtang was torn between laughter and tears. “Couldn’t you have just told them the truth?”
“How could I? I can’t cause trouble for you two.”
Although Yu Qingtang wasn’t an artist or celebrity, he frequently appeared on television and was quite well-known. Before they moved, old neighbors often visited Yu Qingtang, hoping to use his connections to get their children into the provincial TV station, which caused Yu Qingtang a lot of trouble.
After moving, his parents, by unspoken agreement, never mentioned that their son was Yu Qingtang.
Yu Qingtang: “Calm down. If you don’t like Auntie Wang, just interact with her less in the future.”
“It’s my fault today; I really couldn’t resist going over and praising him a bit. But I truly didn’t realize how difficult it was to get an appointment with Xiao Xu. I saw he was young and didn’t think about it that way.”
Not just his mother, even Yu Qingtang hadn’t realized.
“Xiao Tang, you’ve met someone so excellent and so caring towards you. You really must cherish him.”
Yu Qingtang: “Mm, I know.”
“If you know, then start thinking about marriage soon. He’s such a good person; what are you waiting for?”
Yu Qingtang: “We haven’t been together that long. I want to get to know him better.”
Marriage wasn’t entirely up to him, and they had only known each other for less than a week. He wasn’t sure if Xu Baizhang could accept such a sudden proposal.
“With how sticky you two are, what’s the difference from being married? What else do you need to get to know?”
Yu Qingtang: “…”
Acting too convincingly could also be a problem.
“Alright, I’m just conveying your dad’s and my thoughts. Marriage is your business; you decide for yourselves.”
“Mm, thanks, Mom.”
After hanging up the phone, Yu Qingtang opened his browser and searched for “Xu Baizhang.”
The information he found online was far more “exaggerated” than what he’d heard from his mother. Xu Baizhang wasn’t just amazing; he was at the very top of his field.
Through the doorframe, Yu Qingtang watched his profile.
The stove was off, and the room was filled with the scent of herbs. Xu Baizhang was pouring the medicine into a porcelain bowl, using the tip of a chopstick to meticulously remove the dregs from the rim of the bowl.
Xu Baizhang turned around, and Yu Qingtang turned off his phone, tucking it under the covers.
He took the bowl of medicine, said thank you, and then asked, “Is it bitter?”
Xu Baizhang: “It’s not bitter.”
Yu Qingtang: “That only works on kids.”
Xu Baizhang lifted his chin, signaling him to take a sip.
The medicinal broth slid down his tongue. The faint herbal taste soothed his throat. The medicine wasn’t sweet, but it truly wasn’t very bitter, breaking Yu Qingtang’s preconceived notions about traditional Chinese medicine.
Xu Baizhang had specifically used milder-tasting herbs and paired them with sweet-flavored flowers. Regulating the stomach was a long process, and he was afraid Yu Qingtang would give up if it was too difficult to drink from the start.
Xu Baizhang said, “Once in the morning and once in the evening. The morning dose for tomorrow is in the refrigerator. Heat it for one minute in the microwave before drinking.”
“Okay,” Yu Qingtang thought about the next few days. “Can I just boil this medicine in water? How much water? How long should I boil it for?”
“I’ll boil it myself and bring it over.”
“That’s too much trouble; I can do it myself.”
Xu Baizhang said solemnly, “Qingtang, you don’t need to be polite with me. It’s no trouble at all.”
Yu Qingtang felt as if a honey pot had been overturned, and his heart was sticky and messy. “Okay, but still, thank you.”
Xu Baizhang: “I’ve taken away the instant noodles in the cupboard and the instant rice in the fridge. Don’t eat them recently, and try to eat less in the future. You can’t drink coffee for now; I’ve replaced it with milk. Microwave it for forty seconds before drinking. Avoid raw and cold foods for the next half-month.”
“Also, oranges are considered cold in nature. Your qi and blood are very weak, and your stomach is too sensitive. Don’t eat them recently either.”
“Can I keep two?” Yu Qingtang clutched the edge of the blanket. “I’m used to eating them.”
“Switch to apples; they strengthen the spleen, harmonize the stomach, and aid digestion.”
“But…” Yu Qingtang’s expression was unnatural. “I… I really feel uncomfortable if I don’t eat oranges, truly.”
Xu Baizhang noticed his reaction but didn’t press for details, his heart softening. “Steam them and eat them, no more than one a day.”
Yu Qingtang sighed in relief and nodded.
Xu Baizhang continued to instruct, “I’ve put some dampness-expelling and spleen-strengthening grains in the storage cabinet. I’ve already portioned them out according to the ratio and packaged them daily in food bags. Boil them in the morning and evening to drink.”
Yu Qingtang’s heart couldn’t settle. “I don’t cook often, so why don’t you take them back? I’ll just eat at work from now on. The cafeteria has three meals a day, and it’s quite varied.”
“Outside food is high in oil and salt, and your stomach is very delicate right now.” Xu Baizhang paused for a few seconds. “If you don’t mind, I’ll cook for you every day and bring it over.”
“Baizhang, you really don’t have to be like this; don’t be so good to me.” So good that Yu Qingtang suspected this wasn’t reality but a fairy tale.
“Is there a problem with me being good to my boyfriend?”
Yu Qingtang couldn’t retort.
“It’s settled then.” Xu Baizhang took the empty bowl. “Get some rest. I’m leaving now.”
Yu Qingtang: “Wait a moment.”
Xu Baizhang turned around, waiting for him to speak.
Yu Qingtang clenched his fist, his thumb pressing lines onto his index finger’s knuckle. “I want to know your views on marriage.”
Xu Baizhang didn’t think for long, his voice deep and strong, “To spend a lifetime with one person.”
An impulse, like a hurricane, violently swept into his restless thoughts.
Yu Qingtang could hear his heart pumping and contracting. He unclenched his fist and met the gaze of the man not far away.
“Baizhang, will you marry me?”
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