Yan Yu's surgical schedule was packed; even though Nie Jia had stopped taking appointments after Yan Su arrived, the workload she had left behind still kept Nie Jia busy for a while.
Yan Yu recovered quickly, having been healed directly through Nie Jia's extraordinary abilities. In just a few days, he was able to take leisurely walks with Huo Yun by the lake after meals. While he was completely healed, Huo Qing showed no inclination for Nie Jia to move back to the Jiang Residence. Even when Nie Jia hinted at returning, Huo Qing skillfully diverted the conversation.
He always found reasons to refuse Nie Jia, such as the proximity to the hospital from here, the quiet nights aiding his rest, or even because Yan Xiao Jue was reluctant to let go of this handsome uncle of his...
Realizing Huo Qing's strong reluctance, Nie Jia stopped mentioning returning to the Jiang family. After all, he wasn't the one occupying the guest room.
"Is Brother Qing pursuing Dr. Yan?" Yan Yu murmured in astonishment.
In the morning, as Nie Jia had surgery scheduled and no time for breakfast, Huo Qing didn't enter the dining hall. Instead, he brought a bowl of lean meat congee for Nie Jia to eat on the way while driving him to the hospital.
Watching the two leave together, Yan Yu finally noticed a clue... It seemed like Brother Qing had been personally driving Dr. Yan to the hospital these days. Sometimes, they wouldn't return home until late at night, and the scent of alcohol on them indicated they had dinner alone together.
While Huo Yun helped Yan Xiao Jue spread jam on toast, he hummed, "Have you ever seen Brother give Dr. Yan a flower or confess his feelings?"
"But I saw Brother Qing preferring Dr. Yan to stay and not leave, and oh, I noticed that because it's getting colder, Dr. Yan often goes to the balcony during work hours. Brother Qing specially sealed off his room's balcony because of the chilly weather, looking like it was for Dr. Yan's sake. It seems Brother is gradually encroaching on Dr. Yan's territory, playing subtle mind games; Dr. Yan just doesn't seem to realize it."
"What does playing mind games mean, Mom?" Yan Xiao Jue asked, confused.
Huo Yun and Yan Yu exchanged smiles and then explained to their son, "It means you might have two uncles soon."
Suddenly feeling uneasy, Yan Xiao Jue protested, "Why? I don't want two uncles. I like my current uncle, and if I have another uncle, my liking will be divided, and then I won't like my current uncle enough, and that uncle will be very sad."
"What if the second uncle is Dr. Yan?" Huo Yun asked.
Yan Xiao Jue blinked a couple of times, then smiled with narrowed eyes, "Then I'm willing to share my liking with the new uncle."
Seeing his son's wavering stance, Yan Yu teased him, "Aren't you worried about your elder uncle being upset?"
"Nope, Uncle also really likes Dr. Yan, so Uncle won't be upset," Yan Xiao Jue earnestly countered his father.
Yan Yu was surprised but touched by his son's words, smiling as he ruffled the child's hair, feeling deeply moved by his son's words.
It was Nie Jia's final surgery that day, a particularly complicated case. The surgery lasted for 11 hours. Nie Jia went into the operating room in the morning and emerged after a successful procedure, greeted by the night sky.
Huo Qing had been waiting outside the operating room, looking somewhat concerned as he asked Nie Jia, "Are you alright?"
Exhausted, Nie Jia shrugged weakly, "Both the patient and I are fine. I can rest now."
Originally, Huo Qing had a dinner reservation at a riverside restaurant, but seeing Nie Jia's tired state, he decided to take him straight home.
As they returned, Huo Yun was busy making dumplings with Yan Xiao Jue while Yan Yu struggled to roll out the dough. The cook couldn't bear it and whispered softly, "Mr. Ye... Maybe I should take over..."
"Absolutely not. This is Xiao Jue's family project. I'll take care of it myself," he said, rolling out a peculiar-shaped dough.
"Dad, your style resembles Picasso's cubism period," Xiao Jue's comment made his parents burst into laughter. Then, seeing Huo Qing and Nie Jia enter, Xiao Jue excitedly waved his little flour-covered hands at them. "Uncle! Yan Uncle!"
Xiao Jue hopped off the chair and ran towards the two.
The grubby child darted like a cannonball towards Nie Jia, and Huo Qing made a helpless gesture. Xiao Jue hastily braked in front of them, flashing a row of little white teeth, "The school assigned a family project today, and family members are supposed to do it together. Uncle and Yan Uncle are joining too."
"Yan Uncle is tired from work today. Uncle is taking him upstairs to rest. Can he accompany you later when he returns?" Huo Qing patiently explained.
Xiao Jue looked pitifully at the indifferent Nie Jia. "But the teacher said the whole family should participate. Mom said Yan Uncle is about to become my new uncle, so he's family too."
Nie Jia froze, stiffening in place. Huo Qing glanced, and Huo Yun and Ye Shuming quickly buried themselves in making dumplings, pretending they hadn't heard a thing.
"...I'll go upstairs first." Ignoring Xiao Jue's pleading eyes, Nie Jia hastily retreated, his footsteps sounding somewhat flustered.
Watching him leave, Huo Qing turned and smiled at Xiao Jue, "Your new uncle is exhausted today. He needs rest. Can he help you with homework next time?"
Reluctantly, Xiao Jue nodded and involved Huo Qing in the project. Huo Yun and Ye Shuming wisely stayed silent and completed Xiao Jue's task. Just as the cook finished preparing dinner, Huo Qing washed up and went upstairs to call Nie Jia.
Huo Yun sighed in relief. "I was really afraid Brother would scold me like he did when we were kids."
"Brother wouldn't bear to scold you. He'd almost scold me instead." Ye Shuming chuckled, kissing his wife's fingertip. He had endured quite a bit of Huo Qing's bullying when he pursued Huo Yun.
Upstairs, Huo Qing deliberately treaded lightly and entered the room without knocking. He knew Nie Jia, worn out from the day, might already be asleep. But the bed was empty, and the balcony's sliding door was open. Huo Qing wore a faintly helpless smile as he walked towards the balcony. "It's time for dinner, Su Su."
The person leaning on the railing turned around. The cool night breeze tousled his dark hair, and Nie Jia squinted at Huo Qing, emitting a lazy sound before ignoring him and taking a sip of the half-filled wine glass.
Huo Qing frowned, seeing that half the bottle of wine was already consumed by Nie Jia. He approached, taking the glass from Nie Jia and using his fingertip to gently stroke Nie Jia's slightly warm skin. "You haven't eaten anything since noon. Drinking on an empty stomach will upset it."
This time, Nie Jia showed no intention of evading. He even tilted his head slightly, rubbing his cheek against Huo Qing's hand, cheeks tinged red from the alcohol, resembling an extremely tired cat.
This gesture felt like an electric current surging into his heart. Huo Qing asked, "Are you drunk?"
"No." Nie Jia answered straightforwardly, although his demeanor clearly suggested otherwise. He smiled, "I've just come to some realizations. I'm in a good mood."
"Hmm?" Huo Qing raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to Nie Jia, their heads almost touching, appearing intimately engaged in conversation.
Nie Jia said, "Mr. Huo, you once said that if I could cure Ye Shuming, giving me shares of the Huo Group wouldn't be an issue. Is that promise still valid?"
"Of course, any request from you, I'll fulfill it." Huo Qing removed Nie Jia's glasses, gazing closely at his bright, starry eyes.
They were very close. Huo Qing could smell the faint wine aroma from Nie Jia's lips, making him yearn to taste it. But before he could act on his impulse, Nie Jia had grabbed his tie, forcefully planting a kiss on the edge of his lips. He whispered, "I don't want shares of the Huo Group. I want you to be my boyfriend."
Huo Qing's eyes darkened, unable to respond as Nie Jia's actions left him breathless. He couldn't resist and pulled Nie Jia into his embrace, deepening the wine-scented kiss passionately.
After a long time, Huo Qing reluctantly released Nie Jia, still holding him close, chuckling softly as he pressed his forehead against Nie Jia's. "I thought I'd have to pursue you for quite some time."
"No need. Actually, when I first saw you, I was captivated." Nie Jia's hands rested on the back of Huo Qing's neck, completely infatuated as he tiptoed to give Huo Qing another kiss. "I really, really like you now."
"Why were you avoiding me earlier then? I thought maybe you liked a different type." Huo Qing felt content.
Nie Jia fell silent for a moment, then smiled. "That's what I wanted to tell you." Pausing, his voice suddenly turned slightly hoarse, carrying a hint of subtle sorrow. "When you're sober and feel I've changed, no longer like me, please don't hesitate to let go. I won't bother you, nor do I want to see you again. You don't need to find me. Understand?"
Huo Qing frowned. He couldn't fully grasp Nie Jia's words, but an intense emotional answer was brewing within him.
"I won't let go of you, no matter what happens." Anxious, Huo Qing held Nie Jia in his arms, "Don't say such things again."
Nie Jia nestled against his shoulder, smiling. He had given up the struggle within himself. He had liked Shi Chan for so many years, but now, he just wanted to live in the present. If Shi Chan truly minded his changes in the future, he wouldn't regret it.