He Juan’s thumb barely stroked his skin, yet Mu Yuze still recoiled as if the touch had scalded him. The boy shuffled on his feet and whispered-shouted, "I–I–It doesn’t hurt! Not at all!"

Liar, He Juan sighed. If it did not hurt, then why was he scowling so hard— ah. Realization abruptly dawned on him. He took his hand back, straightened up and cleared his throat sheepishly. "My bad, I..." he recalled when Mu Yuze had gotten angry at him back in the ramen shop and tried to choose his words more carefully this time. For Xiao Ze’s little fragile heart, he told himself. "I’m worried about you, Xiao Ze. How can I not whenever I see you being covered in bruises like this?"

When he saw that Mu Yuze was starting to shrink into himself as if wanting to hide the aforementioned bruises, He Juan dropped to one knee to catch his eyes, sending the other freezing in shock. He knew that he might sound naggy and long-winded but... he felt like he had to say something otherwise Mu Yuze would keep brewing various stray thoughts in his mind.

"Mu Yuze, listen to me." He Juan started in a gentle and firm tone that commanded attention. "There’s nothing wrong with your bruises. It’s not your fault, so you don’t need to be ashamed of it, okay? But of course, it doesn’t mean that you can just treat it casually and let it heal on its own. What if there’s a hidden complication and you only find out about it ten or twenty years later when it’s already too late? We don’t want it to happen, do we?"

Mu Yuze pondered on his words, small creases forming on his brows. Good, He Juan thought in satisfaction. It meant that the boy was taking him seriously this time. He Juan resisted the urge to smooth the wrinkle on Mu Yuze’s forehead and waited until the boy talked, albeit a bit hesitant.

"It’s only some bruises..." he mumbled in a small voice. "What kind of complications can arise from that?"

He Juan let out an amused huff. He thought that he was already stubborn enough, but it seemed like Mu Yuze was going to give him a run for his money.

"Hmm, let’s see..." He Juan mused out loud. "I know someone who has a bad lower back. When winter comes, he will feel severe soreness on his joint and hip area, and sometimes it will hurt so much that he can’t get up in the morning. When he goes to the hospital for a check-up, do you know what the result is?"

Mu Yuze blinked owlishly, "What?"

Cute, He Juan really wanted to pinch his cheeks. But he kept his itchy paws strictly to himself and continued to talk instead. "The doctor found a pinched tendon on his back. Apparently, he once fell from his bike when he was young. Back then, he didn’t feel like he needed to go to the hospital to get it checked. Isn’t it too sad, Xiao Ze? If only he had gone and received physical therapy, he wouldn’t have to suffer every winter now. Decades have passed since then, but it isn’t until he grows old that he learns to regret it..."

Mu Yuze gave him a skeptical look, but He Juan could see that he was starting to waver. "...How do I know that you’re not lying?"

"You..." He Juan sputtered, not knowing whether he should laugh or get offended for the boy’s lack of trust in him. In the end, he settled for both. He let out a disbelieving gasp and clutched his chest, all the while laughing. "Goodness, I really wonder what I have done for you to doubt me so. Can’t you tell that each and every word I said to you has come from the bottom of my heart?"

Mu Yuze frowned deeper. But just as he opened his mouth to reply, there came an impatient holler from upstairs, 𝑓𝑟ℯ𝘦𝓌𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝑐ℴ𝓂

"XIU, what the fuck are you doing there?! Drag your child’s ass here if you need to! I don’t have all the time in the world to wait for both of you to finish your fucking emotional talk!"

"Language, Doctor Jia..." He Juan closed his eyes and hissed under his breath. He did not have any qualms with Jia Molei’s foul mouth, but it became a totally different case altogether when Mu Yuze was here. He raked his uninjured hand through his hair and blew out a breath. "Don’t learn from him, okay Xiao Ze?" he told the boy with a grim smile.

Mu Yuze nodded with a dark look on his face. He had become sullen since Jia Molei dubbed him as He Juan’s child. "I don’t like him," he spat out in zeal.

"Good." He Juan laughed and gingerly reached out to ruffle the boy’s hair, relieved when he was no longer subjected to rejection. He had no idea whether his words would change something, but at least... he wanted to try. He no longer wanted to see Mu Yuze become self-conscious and insecure because of something he could not control.

He Juan stared at the boy’s fluffy hair and chewed his lips. No, he told himself severely. Don’t say it, He Juan. Don’t you fucking dare to ask something like—

He blurted out, unable to help himself. "If you don’t like him, then do you like Gege?" He even sent Mu Yuze a teasing wink in the end.

This was why the boy called you a pervert and shameless flirt! He Juan kicked himself mentally, but in the end, he still waited for Mu Yuze’s answer with bated breaths.

Mu Yuze gaped at him, seemingly not expecting He Juan to ask such a shameless question. He Juan watched as red rapidly suffused into his ears, cheeks and neck. In a flash, Mu Yuze became like a ripened tomato – a sweet and juicy one, of course.

Unfortunately, before He Juan could get his answer, Jia Molei hollered again, this time even louder as if he was reaching the end of his patience. "XIU, if you still don’t get your ass here in three, I’m going to break your other arm!!"

He Juan grounded his jaws, vexed. He swore he was going to have a long talk with Jia Molei on how crucial patience was to a doctor. "Coming!" he shouted toward the stairs. Then to Mu Yuze, he let out a huge sigh and smiled, "Shall we?"

Mu Yuze nodded stiffly, still red on the face.

In the end, He Juan failed to obtain the answer to his last question.