Day: September 29, 2023

Chapter 40: After I Leave

Li Zhao placed the bought lunch on the bedside table and turned to Tan’s mother, saying, “Auntie, you and Uncle can go home and rest. I’ll take care of Xilu.”

Tan’s mother felt a bit embarrassed and politely replied, “Li, isn’t this too much trouble for you?”

“It’s no trouble. Besides, the store is closed for the New Year, so I have nothing else to do,” Li Zhao said with a smile.

“Well, thank you then,” Tan’s mother said. “Don’t leave later. I’ll come in the afternoon with some stew for you to eat.”

“I’ll be looking forward to Auntie’s cooking,” Li Zhao rubbed his hands together and said.

“You’re such a sweet talker,” Tan’s mother said with a smile. She patted Tan’s father on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go.”

“Okay, okay,” Tan’s father mumbled. “What’s the rush?”

Tan’s mother gave him a playful look and said, “No foresight at all.”

After leaving the ward, Tan’s mother sighed and said to Tan’s father, “I can see that Li Zhao really cares about Xilu. I’d be happy if these two could be together. But Xilu’s condition is worrying, and there’s also that child…”

Tan’s father looked back at the still pale Xilu in the ward. “Xilu has really suffered.”

Tan’s mother shook her head helplessly, patted her husband’s shoulder, and was about to enter the elevator. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw a figure not far away. She hesitated and looked in that direction, but there was nothing there. She thought she might have been mistaken and then entered the elevator with her husband.

In the hospital room, Li Zhao helped Xilu set up the table on the bed and placed the bought lunch on it one by one.

He had put thought into it, asking Tan’s mother in advance about Xilu’s preferences, and he chose things Xilu liked to ensure that he would eat. However, it could also be because Xilu had no appetite due to being ill; he showed no reaction when he saw the food.

Li Zhao lifted the lid of the millet porridge, and the food container had good heat preservation; it was still steaming. He placed a spoon inside and said, “Try to eat a bit more.”

Xilu moved slightly, his eyes somewhat vacant. He stared at the lunch for a moment before finally looking up at Li Zhao. “I’m not hungry.”

“You should eat even if you’re not hungry,” Li Zhao said. “You haven’t had a proper meal in a long time.”

Li Zhao spoke somewhat bluntly and harshly, “Look at yourself. Have you even looked in the mirror? You’ve become so thin and ugly.”

Upon hearing this, Xilu’s eyes showed a momentary confusion. Then, he sat up straight, took the disposable chopsticks, and started eating.

The doctor said there were psychological factors at play, which was why Xilu kept getting feverish for no apparent reason. With the New Year approaching, Xilu had been in the hospital for a week, and a minor fever just wouldn’t go away. He couldn’t even be left alone at night.

“Take your time,” Li Zhao said. “No one’s going to take it from you.”

As if he remembered something, Li Zhao sat on Xilu’s bedside and smiled. “You’re not afraid that Xu Huaiming will come and see you looking ugly, are you?”

Xilu paused for a moment, didn’t look at Li Zhao, and took another bite of shredded potatoes. He said with his head down, “No.”

Xilu seemed to say those two words in a calm tone, as if he genuinely didn’t care anymore. But from the slight trembling in his hand as he picked up the food, it was evident that he wasn’t as strong as he had imagined. It made Li Zhao feel a pang of sympathy.

Over the past few days, as he watched Xilu suffer, Li Zhao couldn’t help but wonder if he had made a mistake by calling Xilu and telling him about Xu Huaiming. He admitted he was a selfish person. Perhaps it was for the sake of his damned competitive spirit, or maybe he really had some interest in Xilu. When he found out that Xu Huaiming was an AI, he was mostly relieved, thinking that at least Xu Huaiming was an AI and he still had a chance to compete. But now, he realized that as long as Xilu didn’t love him, he could never catch Xilu’s eye.

He had underestimated Xilu’s feelings for Xu Huaiming. 

“Never mind then,” Li Zhao moved the bowl of corn soup towards Xilu. “Auntie said you really like this soup. Taste it and see how it is.”

Xilu looked at the bowl of soup and suddenly felt a bit dizzy. Then, he felt nauseous and realized something was wrong. He quickly covered his mouth and rushed to the bathroom, opening the toilet and vomiting.

Xilu had a stress reaction. Before Xu Huaiming came back, he couldn’t stand to see corn soup. At the beginning, when it was at its worst, he would feel nauseous at the sight of corn in the kitchen. Later, after Xu Huaiming came back, for some inexplicable reason, he got better. But now, it was happening again.

Xilu had barely eaten anything, and now he had vomited it all out. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he took a while to recover before slowly standing up and flushing the toilet.

“You…” Li Zhao’s face looked a bit unpleasant. “I didn’t know you couldn’t have that soup. I’m sorry.”

Xilu shook his head. His throat felt uncomfortable from vomiting. “It’s okay. I didn’t know I would react like this.”

“I’ll go find a nurse to get you some medication,” Li Zhao said.

“No need. I’m not that delicate,” Xilu shook his head and said. “It was just a little bit of vomiting.”

Li Zhao looked at him with some concern.

After vomiting, Xilu didn’t have the appetite to continue eating. He said he was feeling a bit tired and wanted to take a nap, so Li Zhao cleared away the food. After Xilu lay down, Li Zhao sat by his side and watched him fall asleep.

Xilu felt a bit embarrassed being watched as he slept. Finally, he said, “Can you go buy the cake we had together last time?”

Li Zhao knew he was referring to the restaurant they had been to before. However, the restaurant had been closed for renovation these past few days. Li Zhao thought for a moment and said, “I can, but it might take a while.”

“That’s okay,” Xilu said.

Li Zhao replied, “Then you rest. Maybe I’ll bring it back by the time you wake up.”

Xilu rarely smiled after falling ill, but this time, he smiled and said, “Okay, I’ll wait for you.”

Perhaps Xilu had never genuinely smiled at Li Zhao all this time, so Li Zhao didn’t realize that Xilu was trying to get him to leave. He tucked in the blanket for Xilu, watched him close his eyes, and then left the room, closing the door behind him.

After a while, the door to the ward opened again, and the person who entered walked softly, as if afraid of being noticed. Upon seeing that Xilu was asleep, he sat down on the chair next to the bed and reached out to touch Xilu’s hand, which was outside the blanket.

The room was a bit cold, and the person went to close the window. Just as he was about to close it, he heard Xilu’s voice from behind, “You’ve been coming to the hospital every day, and you’re afraid to see me directly. Aren’t you tired, Xu Huaiming?”

Xu Huaiming’s hand paused, and he turned around.

Xilu was already sitting up, wearing a patient’s gown, looking pale and much thinner.

Xu Huaiming felt a pang of sadness. He had finally managed to put some weight on Xilu, and now he had lost it again. “I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me.”

“Then why sneak in? Aren’t you afraid I’ll find you disgusting?” Xilu looked at him.

“I am,” Xu Huaiming admitted. He walked over but didn’t dare to touch Xilu’s hand like before. His voice was very soft. “But I’m more worried about you.”

“When I had a fever that night, did you come?” Xilu suddenly asked. “There was no record of your call. Was it my imagination?”

“I did go, but maybe my phone malfunctioned,” Xu Huaiming explained. “When I got there, I saw your parents had already taken you out.”

At that time, it was late at night, and Xu Huaiming had wasted a lot of time rushing over from the research institute. When he arrived at the entrance of the residential area, he saw Xilu’s parents taking him out. Xu Huaiming couldn’t hail a taxi on his phone, so he had to search for the nearest hospital and run there. When he got to the hospital, he also saw Li Zhao, who seemed to be very familiar with Xilu’s parents. Later, he saw them all enter the hospital together.

After Xu Huaiming finished speaking, he saw that Xilu’s complexion had improved, indicating that he wasn’t as angry anymore. Xu Huaiming breathed a sigh of relief but then heard Xilu say, “I know you care about me because of your program settings. It’s really not interesting. These few days lying in the hospital bed, I’ve thought a lot. It’s been almost ten years. Maybe I loved Xu Huaiming so much because I got used to it, but it’s not like I can’t live without him. Look, I lived just fine during those seven years without him. As for you, tell that professor to help you change your program. You don’t really love me. You keep coming to see me, and it’s annoying.”

“I’m also trying to move on. After all, you and Xu Huaiming have taken up too much of my time. I need to find someone who can truly be with me. You’ve seen it too. Li Zhao has been with me all this time, and he’s been good to me. Maybe his personality is a bit mixed, but he’s human, not like you robots who are so rigid in your actions. He can change, and besides, his desserts are delicious. I just sent him away to make a cake for me.”

“I don’t have to eat only the cakes you make.”

After Xilu finished speaking, there was a few seconds of silence in the air. Xilu looked at Xu Huaiming, whose face had clearly changed color, waiting for his response.

Perhaps Xilu’s gaze was too intense, forcing Xu Huaiming not to evade and to answer. Xu Huaiming looked hurt and said, “Alu, please don’t do this.”

“I’ve thought it over. This is the best way,” Xilu smiled. He curled his lips, but his eyes were filled with endless sadness. “I will slowly forget you and him. You need to forget me too.”

What was sad was that in this relationship, Xilu needed to forget two people at the same time. What had started as pure love had become a web of lies, like a farce that had shattered Xilu’s heart.

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!

Chapter 39: Missing You

“Xiao Lu, are you awake? Your mom has made chicken soup. Come out and have some,” Tan’s father knocked on Tan Xilu’s door.

“Okay, I’m coming.” Tan Xilu opened his heavy eyelids, pushed aside the blanket, got out of bed, and walked to the door.

The air was filled with the rich aroma of chicken soup, enticing and appetizing. Tan’s mother had always been a great cook, and the chicken was stewed to perfection, with a flavorful broth.

Tan’s father had already prepared a bowl and placed it in front of Tan Xilu.

Tan Xilu politely thanked his dad and then sat down to take a sip.

The taste was just right, very savory. He praised Tan’s mother in the kitchen, “Mom, the chicken soup is so delicious.”

Tan’s mother chuckled from the kitchen and said, “If you like it, have more. I’ve prepared several dishes, and they’ll be ready soon.”

“How’s your headache now?” Tan’s father ladled a bowl of hot porridge for Tan Xilu. “If it’s still bothering you, avoid the greasy food and stick to the porridge.”

“It’s much better.” Tan Xilu rubbed his temples. “Not as severe as before.”

Last night, the heating suddenly went out in his apartment, and Tan Xilu was awakened by the cold in the middle of the night. He had hoped to find a source of warmth next to him as he used to, where Xu Huaiming’s embrace was always warm and comforting. But after groping for a while, he realized that Xu Huaiming was gone. Only then did he remember that Xu Huaiming had already left, and he instinctively called for Beibei, only to remember that Beibei had been taken away as well.

Tan Xilu remained stunned for a while before closing his eyes again. However, the latter half of the night was extremely cold, and his health was not great to begin with. He was prone to catching colds, and the next day, he woke up with a cough and a runny nose.

When he inquired about the heating issue with the property management, they said there had been a malfunction last night and a repairman was working on it.

The apartment was too cold to stay in, so Tan Xilu had already planned to return to his parents’ place today. He packed his things early and came back.

Today happened to be the eve of the Lunar New Year, and the neighborhood was lively. In previous years, Tan Xilu would have been dragged by the children from the neighboring house to join in the festivities. But today, he was genuinely feeling unwell, so when a child called out to him, “Big Brother Tan, let’s play together,” he patted the child’s head and said, “Big Brother isn’t feeling well today. How about we play together tomorrow?”

The child looked a bit disappointed. “Okay.”

Blushing, Tan Xilu returned to his parents’ home. Initially, Tan’s mother had welcomed him with joy, but when she saw his sickly appearance, her expression changed immediately. “You, child, why didn’t you wear more clothes?”

She reached out and touched Tan Xilu’s forehead, then touched her own. “Looks like you have a bit of a fever.”

“I did wear warm clothes. I caught a chill because the heating was off last night,” Tan Xilu defended himself. He took off his coat and said to Tan’s mother, “It’s okay, the fever isn’t too bad. I’ll feel better after a nap.”

Tan Xilu had been sleeping poorly lately, and his eyes were dark and swollen. His mother felt sorry for him and said, “Alright, I’ll put my hot water bottle in your bed.”

“I have some fever-reducing medicine here. I’ll get you a cup of hot water. Xilu, take the medicine and then go to sleep,” Tan’s father said as he took out a few tablets of fever-reducing medicine from the medicine cabinet at home.

“Okay.” Tan Xilu sneezed and then walked over to Tan’s father, swallowing the pills.

The medicine made him drowsy, or perhaps it was the warmth from the air conditioning in the room, but as soon as he regained consciousness, Tan Xilu heard Tan’s father calling him to drink chicken soup.

Tan Xilu picked up some vegetables with his chopsticks. Since Xu Huaiming left, he had hardly eaten anything decent. Even this night’s sleep was stolen by the cold, allowing him to rest well.

During the Lunar New Year, Tan’s mother usually prepared a sumptuous feast with seven or eight dishes on the table. Lately, she had been emphasizing the importance of a balanced diet, and the dishes were well-prepared. It was a relief for Tan Xilu, as he couldn’t stand the taste of his own cooking.

Tan’s mother scooped a piece of boiled pork slices into his bowl and asked, “Why didn’t you invite that someone over?”

That someone referred to Xu Huaiming.

Tan Xilu’s hand hesitated as he reached for more vegetables. He couldn’t bear to think about Xu Huaiming anymore. Just the thought that Xu Huaiming was not even human made it impossible for him to accept.

How could he have a romantic relationship with an AI? Normal people didn’t date AIs.

Moreover, he had loved the Xu Huaiming from before.

“No matter what decision you make, your mother and I will support you,” Tan’s father said, patting Tan Xilu’s head. “If this doesn’t work out, then find someone else. Your mother knows many good young men.”

“Forget it.” Tan Xilu waved his hand. “Don’t tell my mom yet. She’s the type who will insist on setting me up with that Li Zhao. I really don’t have any feelings for him, and I don’t have the energy to find someone else right now.”

He just wanted to take a break and step away from this absurd relationship.

“Alright, Dad will do as you say.” Tan’s father smiled and said, “I won’t tell your mom.”

During the day, everything seemed fine. But in the middle of the night, Tan Xilu felt the fever returning. He felt hot all over, and the burning sensation in his stomach was unbearable. His pillow was damp with cold sweat, and he was getting weaker. When he was no longer fully conscious, he would start mumbling incoherently. Fortunately, at this moment, he was still lucid enough to call for his parents.

However, either they were sleeping too soundly or Tan Xilu’s voice was too weak, as he called out several times without anyone responding. In frustration, he decided to try calling on the phone.

Tan Xilu had a habit of adding an ‘A’ before the phone numbers of important people, making it easier to find their numbers quickly. However, he was feeling so disoriented that he couldn’t remember which number he had dialed. When the call connected, he weakly said, “I have a fever again, and I feel terrible, there is so much pain.”

The voice on the other end of the phone spoke up, and Xu Huaiming’s voice sounded hoarse. There was concern in his tone. “Ah Lu, where are you?”

Tan Xilu was already too feverish to think clearly. He was aware that he had called Xu Huaiming, but he couldn’t remember that they had broken up. He felt his eyelids getting heavier, and he couldn’t muster any strength. He told Xu Huaiming that he was at his parents’ place, that he had a fever, and that he felt awful.

Xu Huaiming asked for the address.

In his confused state, Tan Xilu rambled on with some nonsensical words, and he couldn’t even recall whether he had given the address or not. Just before closing his eyes, his last memory was saying something about a replica.

T/N: Wishing you all a good September and welcome to Bad End month! There is plenty more where that came from, so stay tuned! And stay healthy! Straighten your posture, so some stretches and drink some water before continuing hehe~

If you like my translations, feel free to donate to my ko-fi!

I really, really appreciate all the support from my readers <3 It goes a long way and motivates me lots!

https://ko-fi.com/hoenibean

Also, check out the other series we have on HoH!

If you like cats, check out Revenge of the Garfield

If you like dragons, check out I’m Pregnant with the Hope of the Entire Planet and The Dragon and the ‘Princess’

How about some mystery or showbiz? Check out Morbid Addiction & Perfection

What about the perfect, most non-toxic male lead ever? Laws of Love

How about MC nursing ML back to health? Forced into the Deep

Thank you for all your support <3 Leave a comment if you like 🙂 I love reading them!