Chapter 12: A Sense of Crisis  

Wen Li hesitated for a moment before handing the phone to him. Shen An took it and naturally said into the receiver, “Grandma, Wen Li and I will come back together for the Dragon Boat Festival.”  

“Ah, wonderful! I’ll have your aunt make zongzi for you,” the old lady replied cheerfully over the phone.  

Wen Li pricked up her ears, listening to their conversation in confusion. Logically, Shen An and her grandmother had never met before, so why did their exchange sound so familiar?  

Once they finalized their plans, Grandma hung up without speaking to Wen Li again.  

“You’re coming with us to Beicheng for the Dragon Boat Festival?” Wen Li asked for confirmation.  

“Who else is going?” Shen An frowned.  

“My cousin—my aunt’s daughter. She’s in college in Haicheng,” Wen Li answered.  

Shen An’s expression relaxed. “Oh, then bring her along. I’ll cover the airfare.”  

Wen Li was speechless. Shouldn’t it be her and her cousin taking him home instead?  

By the time they got home, it was already late. Wen Li grabbed her pajamas and said to Shen An, “I’ll shower first. I smell like alcohol.”  

Shen An nodded in agreement, engrossed in his phone as he lounged on the sofa.  

After her shower, Wen Li saw that Shen An had already retreated to his room. “Your turn,” she said.  

Shen An tossed his phone onto the bed and headed to the bathroom with fresh pajamas.  

When Wen Li pulled back the covers, his phone shifted, and the screen lit up—revealing a photo of the two of them, unmistakably intimate.  

She picked up his phone and examined the image. They stood so close, their poses so ambiguous. So this was the photo Cheng Yu had taken.  

Using this as his lock screen was practically announcing their relationship to the world.  

A vague unease settled over Wen Li. Given Shen An’s tendency for peacock displays, she doubted their secret would last much longer.  

That night, they slept as usual—each on their own side of the bed, an invisible boundary between them that neither seemed willing to cross.  

But the next morning, Wen Li opened her eyes to find Shen An curled against her, clinging like an octopus in deep slumber, impossible to push away.  

She muttered in bewilderment, “He was so well-behaved the first night. Why has he been sleeping so wildly these past two days?”  

Just as she got out of bed, there was a knock at the door. Opening it, she was surprised to see Ye Shen. “Senior, you’re here so early?”  

Ye Shen’s tall frame filled the doorway as he greeted her with a smile. “Morning, junior. Is Shen An up yet? I need to talk to him.”  

“Not yet. Have you had breakfast? I was just about to make some—want me to prepare a portion for you?” Wen Li offered.  

“Thanks, junior. Just make mine—no need for Shen An’s. I’ll wake him up. Which room is the master bedroom?” It was his first time visiting Shen An’s place, so he wasn’t familiar with the layout.  

“The one at the very end. Go ahead,” Wen Li replied without questioning further.  

She deeply admired her senior. By the time she and Cheng Yu enrolled, Ye Shen had already graduated, but his reputation as a medical prodigy remained legendary. Despite being young, he had earned numerous accolades.  

Back then, the medical school professors had urged him to stay for academic research, but Ye Shen had firmly chosen clinical practice. At the time, Wen Li hadn’t understood. Now, she realized—it must have been for Shen An’s condition that he had resolutely taken that path.

Ye Shen pushed open the door to the master bedroom, expecting to find Shen An still asleep so he could personally drag him out of bed for a scolding.  

To his surprise, Shen An was lying awake, legs swinging rhythmically, grinning like an idiot.  

“Smiling like that first thing in the morning?” Ye Shen walked over, amused. “That happy sleeping next to your wife?”  

Shen An figured Ye Shen was just making small talk—no way he knew about his little scheme.  

“What are you doing here so early?” Shen An sat up.  

“What am I doing here? If Cheng Yu hadn’t told me yesterday that you punched someone, were you planning to keep it from me?” Ye Shen glared.  

“I punched someone, not the other way around. Why would I tell you?” Shen An thought he was overreacting.  

Ye Shen gestured mockingly. “With your condition, punching someone is no different from getting punched. Enough talk—you’re coming with me for a checkup. Director Ye himself is here to drag you in.”  

Shen An regretted not telling Cheng Yu to keep quiet. He got up and headed to the bathroom. “I know my own body. No checkup needed. I’ve got important things to do today.”  

“Not going, huh? Fine. I’ll tell Little Junior Sister and let her convince you.” Ye Shen crossed his arms, leaning against the doorframe threateningly.  

Halfway through shaving, Shen An scowled. “Can’t you switch tactics?”  

He hated worrying Wen Li about his health, yet Ye Shen always used that against him.  

“Old tricks work best. I’ll wait outside.” Satisfied, Ye Shen turned and left.  

When Shen An finished and walked into the living room, he found Wen Li and Ye Shen each enjoying a bowl of wontons.  

“Little Junior Sister, where’d you buy these? They’re amazing,” Ye Shen said between bites.  

“I made them myself,” Wen Li replied, eating more slowly.  

“Wow! You’ve got skills!” Ye Shen praised enthusiastically.  

Shen An slouched in his chair, eyeing Ye Shen with disdain. “Can’t afford breakfast? Had to mooch off us?”  

“I’m eating Little Junior Sister’s food, not yours. Why do you care?” Ye Shen shot back.  

Wen Li didn’t ask why Shen An couldn’t eat. Ye Shen’s early visit was clearly about yesterday’s punch—Song Xingzhou must’ve complained, and now Shen An was being forced into a checkup.  

If Shen An didn’t want her knowing about his condition, she wouldn’t pry.  

After being dragged to the hospital for tests, Shen An was cleared.  

“Told you I was fine. You never listen.”  

“Better safe than sorry.” Ye Shen never took chances with Shen An’s health.  

That was why Shen An never got mad at his threats—his friends cared more about his well-being than he did.  

“Can you at least follow doctor’s orders? I agreed to let you come back early, and the first thing you do is throw punches?” Ye Shen regretted letting him return before fully recovering.  

Shen An smirked. “For the last time—it wasn’t a fight. I hit him, and when Song Xingzhou tried to swing back, my wife pushed him away.”  

Ye Shen laughed in exasperation. “Proud of being protected by a woman?”  

“Hell yeah! Shouldn’t I be?” Shen An wanted the whole world to know his wife had his back.

“Do as you please.” Ye Shen patted Shen An’s shoulder helplessly, then added, “Just don’t act impulsively in the future. Remember one thing – the longer you live, the longer you can stay by her side.”

“Did you hit Song Xingzhou because you felt threatened?” Ye Shen seemed to see right through him. After all, Song Xingzhou and Wen Li had shared a two-year relationship – something Shen An could never compete with.