Mad Dog

This was the first time Jiang Qi met Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran since graduating from elementary school, and it had been ten long years.
It was also their first time… eating together, creating an illusion of being “a family.”
However, the meal was far from pleasant; everyone was silent, each feeling as if there was a lump in their throats.
Mei Ran felt particularly uncomfortable—she was supposed to feed Zhi Qi, but after Jiang Qi entered the room and said, “You all eat,” he took a bowl of wontons and started feeding Zhi Qi bite by bite.
He did it so naturally that it completely usurped her role as a mother.
This made Mei Ran feel quite displeased, especially when she saw Zhi Qi saying nothing and obediently eating as Jiang Qi fed her.
Could this be what they called “a girl growing up”?
Mei Ran felt a chill in her heart, awkwardly picking up the shrimp dumplings that Jiang Qi had bought but unable to eat them.
It wasn’t until the awkward meal concluded that Zhi Minglin finally noticed Jiang Qi’s attentive feeding of Zhi Qi and asked thoughtfully, “Xiao Jiang, you stayed here all night yesterday. Aren’t you going to go back and rest?”
……
Zhi Yu cleared his throat awkwardly, shooting a frown at Jiang Qi. “Come with me outside for a moment.”
Jiang Qi set down the plastic bowl and followed him out.
“What’s wrong with you? Are you planning to cling to my sister?” As soon as they were out of the hospital room, Zhi Yu spoke bluntly. “You can’t just stay here. What do you expect our family to do?”
It was awkward enough to be cohabiting with the unacknowledged “boyfriend of Zhi Qi.” Zhi Yu could tell his parents were extremely uncomfortable—what kind of parents can only watch a man they disapprove of fuss around while their daughter is ill?
But given Jiang Qi’s frail appearance yesterday, Mei Ran and Zhi Minglin hadn’t felt comfortable saying anything too harsh.
Yet they couldn’t let this awkwardness continue indefinitely, could they? Zhi Yu thought that he was the only one who could act as the “bad guy” to awaken Jiang Qi.
However, Jiang Qi pursed his lips, and a hint of embarrassment crossed his otherwise clear gaze as he stubbornly replied, “I need to take care of her.”
Zhi Yu retorted, “Our family can take care of the girl. You’re just a guy; it’s not appropriate.”
Jiang Qi frowned and reiterated, “I need to take care of her.”
Zhi Yu was furious. “You…”
“I’ll go back for now,” Jiang Qi interrupted him calmly. “I’ll come back later.”
This should at least give Zhi Qi and her family some time alone.
Zhi Yu was left speechless, watching Jiang Qi’s slim figure walk away. He felt a mix of frustration and helplessness.
Jiang Qi was still wearing the same clothes as yesterday, with noticeable bloodstains on his knees. He hadn’t even bothered to clean himself up, likely because he was too lazy to deal with the photos circulating online from his frantic run to the hospital.
With that in mind, Zhi Yu decided there was no need to say anything further.
He shook his head and returned to the hospital room.
Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran were huddled around Zhi Qi, bombarding her with questions about Jiang Qi. Not wanting to answer, Zhi Qi pretended to be in pain, letting out soft groans when she heard the door open and turned to look.
Zhi Yu clearly saw the way the girl’s eyes lit up, only to visibly deflate when she realized it was just him.
……
Feeling inexplicably rejected, Zhi Yu felt a surge of anger.
He walked over and, suppressing his irritation, said, “I told him to go back and tidy himself up. He’ll come back to see you later.”
Zhi Qi paused, then obediently responded with an “Oh.”
Mei Ran, unable to hold back any longer, asked, “Zhi Qi, what’s going on with you and Jiang Qi?”
“Mom,” Zhi Qi replied cheekily, taking advantage of their concern for her health. “Didn’t I tell you? We’re in a relationship.”
She had already informed them about it long ago.
An awkward silence fell over the room.
After a moment, Mei Ran sighed, “But I remember we said we wouldn’t approve of this.”
Zhi Qi lowered her eyes and said nothing, adopting a defiant attitude as if she were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
She knew her parents disapproved, but… there was nothing she could do about it; she had to drag this out. With her pale face and small wounds, she looked like a fragile lily, innocent and pitiful.
Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran exchanged glances, their expressions complicated as they turned away.
Aside from feeling sorry for Zhi Qi, Jiang Qi’s behavior from yesterday to today had left a profound impression on them.
The boy was still the same as he had been in childhood—indifferent, as if he were full of thorns that made it difficult to approach him, cold and somewhat sinister.
Yet they could see the lost look in his eyes. Unless they were blind, they couldn’t ignore how Jiang Qi was “haunted” by Zhi Qi’s condition.
If Zhi Qi didn’t wake up, it seemed as if the entire world had vanished from that boy’s life.
They also knew that their daughter liked him a lot; she had always liked him since she was little.
With such a pair, could they really force them apart? And what meaning would it have to do so?
Zhi Minglin and Mei Ran stayed with Zhi Qi in the hospital until the afternoon. Remembering Zhi Yu’s mention that Jiang Qi would be coming by, they left with heavy hearts—at least at this moment, they couldn’t fully accept the situation.
Zhi Yu stayed until Jiang Qi arrived, unable to tolerate the sight of the lovesick boy hovering around his sister, so he opted to pretend he didn’t see.
“They’ve all gone,” Zhi Qi smiled at Jiang Qi. “Did you bring me something good to eat?”
Her taste had been spoiled by Jiang Qi’s excellent cooking; she didn’t enjoy food made by anyone else as much.
“The doctor said you can only have porridge and soup for now,” Jiang Qi replied. It seemed he had washed up and changed clothes since returning; his hair was fluffy and slightly damp at the tips. He sat on the chair beside the bed and opened the thermos to pour a bowl of congee for Zhi Qi.
The aroma of century egg and lean meat porridge filled the room, the century egg glistening, and the lean meat tender. Instantly, the fragrance enveloped the entire hospital room.
Jiang Qi scooped a spoonful and blew on it to cool it down before holding it to Zhi Qi’s lips. “Just eat this.”
Zhi Qi’s mouth watered in anticipation as she opened her mouth like a kitten to take the spoon, feeling content being fed.
However, she had a small appetite and felt full after eating just a little bowl. When Jiang Qi insisted on feeding her more, she lazily shook her head and said sweetly, “I’m full.”
Jiang Qi frowned. “You only ate a small bowl.”
“…I ate during the day,” Zhi Qi replied, curling up in the blanket, her face partially hidden. Only her large, dark eyes peeked out. “I’ve been lying in bed and not moving, so of course, I’m not hungry.”
Jiang Qi didn’t speak but still felt she wasn’t eating enough to recover.
He knew she usually had a small appetite, and forcing her to eat more would only make her stomach uncomfortable, so he hurriedly cleaned up the remaining congee.
“Zhi Qi.”
After the somewhat unremarkable “dinner,” Jiang Qi thought about Zhi Yu’s words from the afternoon and hesitated before asking, “Do you think it’s inconvenient for me to take care of you?”
According to Zhi Yu’s implication, they should maintain boundaries, but…
“No, it’s great having you with me at the hospital,” Zhi Qi replied, blinking innocently. “Besides, who’s better at holding me while bathing than you?”
During their time living together, they had experimented with various “couple baths.” Jiang Qi liked to hold her and enjoyed helping her bathe and dry her hair. He was far more skilled at this than any caregiver.
Even more so than Mei Ran.
Now that Zhi Qi had said that, the invisible knot in Jiang Qi’s heart unraveled in an instant.
The boy smiled slightly, his pale eyes deep as he looked at the bandage on her forehead and softly said, “Zhi Qi, just endure for a little over ten days, and we can be discharged.”
He knew the girl didn’t want to stay in the hospital and was restless at night.
Earlier, when the doctor had come to change the dressing on her forehead, Zhi Qi had caught a glimpse of the small wound from the glass that had been stitched, and she couldn’t help but sigh, feeling upset. “Will it leave a scar?”
Girls are always most concerned about their appearance.
Although Zhi Qi didn’t wear heavy makeup often, she frequently went to beauty shops and loved taking care of her looks.
Jiang Qi, not wanting to lie to her with false reassurances, replied, “It’s okay if it leaves a scar.”
Even if there was a small scar on her forehead, to him, she would always be
the most beautiful girl.
Zhi Qi was inherently optimistic, and after hearing Jiang Qi’s words, her brief gloom lifted.
Instead, she playfully traced the “old scar” on Jiang Qi’s forehead with her delicate fingertips, her eyes sparkling. “Jiang Qi, do you think this counts as a couple’s scar? They’re both in the same place.”
Jiang Qi was at a loss for words and couldn’t find a way to smile back.
They had no couple rings, couple necklaces, matching shoes, or even a single piece of couple clothing… yet they had already formed a pair of “couple scars.”
But that was alright; they would have all those things in the future.
Jiang Qi lowered his eyes, hidden behind his long lashes, which seemed to grow deeper. He absentmindedly toyed with Zhi Qi’s delicate fingers and casually said, “Zhi Qi, I’ll give you a gift when you’re discharged.”
“What is it?” In the quiet atmosphere of the room, the girl felt a bit drowsy. Leaning against Jiang Qi’s chest, she yawned and mumbled, “Can’t you give it to me now?”
It would be another ten days before she was discharged, and she was curious.
“No,” Jiang Qi chuckled lightly and kissed her cheek. “You can only get it when you’re discharged.”
He still needed to prepare for it, and he wasn’t sure if the time he had in the next ten days would be enough.
After coaxing the girl to sleep, Jiang Qi unconsciously rubbed his phone with his long fingers. After a while, he quietly left the ward.
Earlier, Shen Lei had called him, and they had exchanged a few words before Shen Lei hung up due to some matters. Now, Jiang Qi was calling him back in a “gift-giving” manner.
“Ah Qi.” Shen Lei had just gotten off work, and his voice carried obvious fatigue. “How are things on your end?”
“Zhi Qi is doing okay.” Jiang Qi paused for a moment before adding, “I’ve asked Qu Heng for a half-month leave.”
……
There was a long silence on the other end before Shen Lei sighed helplessly. “Qu Heng is really spoiling you.”
Jiang Qi didn’t reply; he knew he was being a bit willful.
What he wanted to say next was a proposal that would give him no more capital to be “willful” in the future; it could even be seen as a decision.
Jiang Qi subconsciously tightened his grip on the railing in the hospital corridor and quietly asked, “Brother Shen, do you still want to sign that movie script with me?”