The two men were stuck in a stalemate for a while before something clicked in YiHan's mind.
"Are you afraid I'll run away?" YiHan asked.
JingYuan's eyes went wide. They stared at him as though they were asking why was YiHan so smart all of a sudden.
"Don't look at me like that," YiHan continued. "You weren't this opposed to going to the hospital before. Today, you wouldn't go no matter what and then there are the two men by the door, guarding it. It's not hard to guess. Relax. I never planned on running away in the first place. You now have a high fever. Where would I go? Let go already. I'll go get a change of clothes for you. Since you don't want to move, I'll carry you to the car."
JingYuan blinked at YiHan but he didn't let go of YiHan's hand. Instead, his eyes slid close.
"Mu JingYuan!" YiHan furiously said. "Don't you pretend to be asleep! Let me go! You're nearly cooked through! Do you want to turn into an idiot?"
JingYuan's eyes twitched but his eyelids remained shut.
YiHan was so enraged that he could blow up the house. He forgot all about the lies and the worries. He dragged JingYuan up to carry him on his back.
"Whatever," YiHan barked out. "Let's not get changed then. I won't be the one embarrassed then. I'll carry you to the car now! You always like to say I have a child's temper. Look at you now! Your tantrum is so much worse than any of mine! You have a high fever and we don't know why at all. What if it's a lung infection? What if it's a disease or a virus? How can you still think about something so trivial? Do you even know your priorities?"
"I do," JingYuan finally whispered. "You." Either way, I can't let you leave this house.
YiHan was stunned. All strength left his body. He silently wiped at his eyes. Then, just as he was about to speak, Dr Chen came jogging into the room, panting as he stepped through the door. YiHan hurriedly shifted JingYuan back on the bed and moved aside for Dr Chen.
"Dr Chen, hurry," YiHan said. "Take a look at him. His fever died down this morning but in just a few hours, he's suddenly burning again! What's going on?"
Dr Chen didn't dare waste a single second. He immediately stepped forward for a thorough check of JingYuan and also took some blood to test later.
"Mr Mu," said Dr Chen, "I'd need to conduct a blood test for you and it'd be for the best if you had a chest scan done. Would it be better if we head to the hospital now?"
For a moment, JingYuan kept quiet. Then, he answered, "We can have the blood test and scans done here. My father's body was rather sickly before his death. He also didn't like going to the hospital. My mother bought all the equipment they needed and built a clinic here. After their deaths, I've sealed off the clinic. However, everything in there still works perfectly. They're regularly maintained. There'd be no problems with a few simple tests."
"Then," Dr Chen asked, "can I use it?"
"Since I mentioned the clinic, of course it can be used," JingYuan calmly said. He then looked up at Wei Wu who'd led Dr Chen up. "The key is with Pan Wen. Tell him to open the door. We'll be there in a few minutes."
Wei Wu grunted a confirmation and left the room.
YiHan stared at JingYuan, dazed. He knew the Mu family home had a clinic. He might've been a tiny child back then but he remembered everything about this clearly. JingYuan's father, Mu ChuanYu, was an especially kind and gentle man. While corny, it'd be apt to call him the perfect gentleman, courteous, polite, and respectful.
Mu ChuanYu had the brightest eyes ever. He had the most gentle of personalities. YiHan had always thought the man was the closest anyone could get to being perfect. Unfortunately, when God opens a door for you, He would never forget to close off the windows. Mu ChuanYu was born a sickly man. He had a very weak body and would frequently fall sick. He's the kind of man who'd always be stuffed full of medicine.
JingYuan's mother, ShiYing, was the classic "strong woman" type. Her gaze was fierce and piercing while her lips were thin and constantly pursed together. JingYuan's looks were largely inherited from his mother. Her wrists were as strong as steel. She's like a whirlwind of decisiveness and efficiency. She was the exact opposite of what people usually thought women should act like. Everyone who knew the couple thought their personalities must've been swapped at birth. However, this great and strong woman had given all the tenderness in her to ChuanYu. The man's health had never been the best so she couldn't bear to let him tire himself out with work. Back then, she managed the entire company alone and she was so successful at it that none of the other Mu family members could say a word of opposition.
The private hospital YiHan had been admitted to in the previous few times? That was specifically started up by ShiYing just for her husband. However, ChuanYu had an intense dislike for hospitals. When ShiYing knew of it, she pulled a few strings to purchase the equipment needed to build a clinic in their home. She then paid high salaries for a few medical experts to frequent the Mu family home. This way, as long as ChuanYu's health hadn't deteriorated into a critical state, the man could undergo all checks and treatments in the comfort of his own home.
Everyone knew the man could never live long, not with the state of his body. No one could've imagined that the cause of his death would be a sudden car crash. The crash claimed the lives of the couple in the prime of their lives. After their deaths, JingYuan dismissed the medical staff they'd hired and sealed off the clinic. That place was proof of his mother's love for his father. The mere sight of the place would remind JingYuan of them. Hence, he had never stepped a foot in there ever since their deaths. He merely arranged for technicians to periodically service the machines. Everyone in the Mu family knew the clinic existed but no one would dare to mention borrowing it. That clinic was built for Mu ChuanYu. Now that Mu ChuanYu was dead, no one would be fit to use it. Of course, no one except for Mu ChuanYu's only son, JingYuan.
YiHan thought the clinic would never see the light of day again. Who knew it'd be so easily unearthed?
The clinic was built in the basement of the mansion. It's a huge space with all the necessary machines. It could even act as a miniature hospital. The sight of the place would astound anyone who walked in. Its existence was the culmination of the Mu Group's riches and ShiYing's charm. It fully represented the passionate love ShiYing held for ChuanYu.
YiHan helped Jingyuan down the steps. Once more, the lights went bright and the machines whirred. Looking at it, YiHan grimaced.
"What is it?" JingYuan softly asked. "Not happy?"
YiHan turned to JingYuan and replied, "I thought you'd never open this place up ever again."
The other man sighed and said, "I thought so too."
YiHan was confused. "Then why…?" Looking at JingYuan's face turning away, YiHan continued, shocked, "Is it just because you don't want me to step a foot out of this house? This is just so…! This is Uncle Mu's private place. You would open it just for something like this?"
"When I locked this place up, I intended to not let anyone else touch anything in here," JingYuan murmured. "They exist for my father. My father's gone so they shouldn't serve anyone else."
"Then…"
"But the dead will never come back. I left this place be as a memorial to my father. But if it can help me make you stay, my father will definitely support my move."
YiHan's tongue twisted into a knot. "I told you. I won't leave! Anyway, I can run but my home can't! Where would I run off to? There was absolutely no need for you to unlock this place!"
JingYuan's eyes drifted down to the floor. "You don't trust me. Why should I trust you? I don't want to bear any risk of losing you. There is a need for this clinic to be reopened. YiHan, it doesn't matter if you believe it or not. I love you. I cannot tolerate any doubts about it. Even if you think I'm just bluffing to calm you down and you'd never believe me again, I will not let go. Since you think everything between us is just a lie, let the lie continue for the rest of our lives then!"
YiHan's mouth gaped open. "Then hurry up and get better. Don't be all sickly. I…"
Wei Wu was walking behind the couple. Watching a thin and tiny Bai YiHan precariously supporting Mu JingYuan as they walked forward was a terrifying sight for him. While JingYuan was much thinner than he was before, his bone structure was still gigantic in comparison. The two stumbled and swayed forward with Wei Wu constantly afraid that they'd both collapse any moment. Just as the thought popped into his head, YiHan's feet tripped and his entire being tilted towards JingYuan. Wei Wu still remembered his boss's orders. He didn't dare touch YiHan so he reached out to support JingYuan and pull both men back upright.
YiHan's heart skipped when his feet had slipped. He was going to use his body to shield JingYuan from the floor when someone pulled them to their feet. YiHan turned around to shoot the person a grateful look but…!
Wei Wu had a hand on JingYuan's shoulder and another on JingYuan's waist. Combined with Wei Wu's huge form, it looked like the man had pulled JingYuan into his embrace!
YiHan shot a stern glare at Wei Wu's hands. Despite his slightly round and babyish eyes, his glare was forceful enough to project the aura of a ferocious being!
Wei Wu hurriedly took his hands away from JingYuan and swiftly took a step back. His face was as solemn and stern as usual.
YiHan shot the man a few more glares and took a few deep breaths. Only then did he turn back to JingYuan and tugged JingYuan, who was really rather large compared to him, into his embrace. Then, the two stumbled along to their destination.
JingYuan sneakily looked back and gave Wei Wu a slight smile of approval.
Wei Wu who had yet to move: "…"
Pan Wen walked over and chuckled, "Fell flat on your face? You must've grown some balls to be bold enough to touch someone else's man."
"I was only afraid they'd fall," Wei Wu blankly replied with an innocent face.
Pan Wen reached out and poked Wei Wu on the cheek and said in a rather amorous manner, "Are you a fool? What kind of person do you think Mr Mu is? Even if he has a fever, there's no way he can't stand on his own two feet. Even if you didn't help them, they would never have fallen."
Wei Wu was visibly confused.
"Lil Wu," Pan Wen said, eyes squinting in a smile, "have all the brain cells in your mind been squished out of your brain by your muscles? An occasional show of weakness is a kind of romantic play between lovers. You never seem to get it at all."
Wei Wu frowned and pondered for a moment. Then, he nodded and said, "It doesn't matter if I don't get it. It's fine as long as you don't hate me for it."
Pan Wen froze and "gently" tapped his head against Wei Wu's chest. "Oh, you," he coyly said. "Of course I wouldn't hate you for it. If I do, no one would want you."
Wei Wu was forced a few steps back by that head bump. He paused for a second to compose himself before replying, "I'm fine as long as I have you. I don't need to get anything."
Pan Wen replied with a loud kiss on the cheek and said, "Thus, we're born to be together. Let's go do it tonight!"
Wei Wu's face flushed red as he excitedly mumbled an "mn".
***
JingYuan had a chest scan and a blood test done. The results showed that he had a slight lung infection. Dr Chen prescribed some medication for him, then JingYuan returned to his bedroom for a saline drip. YiHan returned to his room. He looked at the mess of a room and sighed. He silently packed his belongings and moved them into JingYuan's room. By the time YiHan entered the room, JingYuan was fast asleep, exhausted by the day's events.