Chapter 70

Early in the morning, there was an early flight. Yang Yunran could only sleep for about four hours. Jiang Yi took him to shower and blow-dried his hair, and Yang Yunran had already fallen asleep in his arms, in a deeply dependent posture, resting his face against his chest.

Only then did Jiang Yi put him back on the bed, set an alarm that wouldn’t be missed, stretch to turn off the light, and pull the thin blanket up to Yang Yunran’s neck.

Yang Yunran seemed young in his eyes, undoubtedly troubled by family changes and setbacks, though he never spoke of them. He disliked talking about anything negative; most of what came from his mouth was cheerful and happy.

Jiang Yi had found out online himself.

Because Yang Yunran had cleared his social media accounts, he had been criticized by netizens for a long time. Yet he appeared outwardly accepting, casually saying, “I was just born into the wrong family, I’m not some second-generation rich kid, my family just runs a hair salon.” He never showed any vulnerability in front of him, until today—

Yang Yunran seemed very tired and uneasy, even in deep sleep, he clung tightly to Jiang Yi. Jiang Yi adjusted his position to make him more comfortable, his hand resting on Yang Yunran’s leg, then closed his eyes.

Before dawn, the alarm went off.

Jiang Yi woke first. Yang Yunran also heard it, snuggling against him in bed, asking groggily, “What time is it?”

“Five forty,” Jiang Yi sat up, untied his pajamas, and changed clothes at the bedside, “You can sleep ten more minutes, I’ll make you breakfast. There’s not much in the fridge since we just moved in. Want some noodles with fried eggs?”

“I’ll just grab a bun at the airport lounge, no need to cook,” Yang Yunran got up to change clothes since Jiang Yi had gotten out of bed. He wore Jiang Yi’s shirt to sleep, without pants, and got out of bed bare-legged to find his clothes.

Jiang Yi saw this scene with thoughts but now wasn’t the time to mention it.

“I washed and dried it last night,” Jiang Yi handed him the clothes and brought out two boxes of milk, “Where are your documents? Check your passport. Are you flying alone? Where did your assistant go?”

“Her visa took longer than mine. She’ll come in a few days. I have to go first; she’s going to have surgery soon. I can’t delay any longer.” Every time Yang Yunran thought of this, he felt regret and self-blame. How could he have let things go so slowly that he didn’t go because of the program, and now he knows!

“What illness does your mom have?” Jiang Yi looked at the time, grabbed the car keys, and took him out. Yang Yunran said, “Non-small cell lung cancer, early stage, wedge resection.”

“Early treatment is good, she’ll be fine,” Jiang Yi comforted him, patting his head. Yang Yunran was a little absent-minded, nodded, and Jiang Yi handed him a hot milk with a straw. Yang Yunran took it obediently, and Jiang Yi held his left hand.

As they got out of the elevator, they ran into an old professor who was returning from exercising. Seeing Jiang Yi, the old professor called out, “Professor Xiao Jiang, up so early? Heading out?”

Jiang Yi nodded, not letting go of Yang Yunran’s hand, “Good morning. Going to the airport.”

The old professor said, “Alright, alright,” glanced at Yang Yunran, glanced at the two holding hands, and then entered the elevator.

Yang Yunran lifted his head with the straw in his mouth and said, “You’ve only been here a few days, and you already know the professor in the building? Why did he call you Professor Xiao Jiang?”

Jiang Yi scratched his head, “My surname is Jiang, did your amnesia act up again?”

Yang Yunran rubbed his head, “Of course I know your surname is Jiang. Aren’t you a teaching assistant? How did you become a professor?”

“Who told you I’m a teaching assistant?” Jiang Yi led him out, opened the car door.

Yang Yunran was shocked, “…Your title is professor?”

Jiang Yi replied calmly, “Yes, surprised?”

Yang Yunran exclaimed, “Of course! What field are you in? How impressive! You’re only twenty-seven!”

Although he called Jiang Yi “Professor Jiang,” it was merely praise for his boyfriend. Jiang Yi only said he worked and taught, but hadn’t mentioned his title.

Jiang Yi answered, “Biomedical engineering,” then helped him fasten the seatbelt, set the navigation, and headed to the capital airport.

Because it was a farewell at the airport, Jiang Yi couldn’t stay. He could only help Yang Yunran with his luggage and couldn’t escort him inside.

“Be ready to report at any time. Mom, no matter what happens, remember to call me. When you board the plane, remember to tell me, and when you land, too. Will someone be there to pick you up in Canada? If not, I’ll arrange the pickup for you.”

“Okay, got it. Dad will pick me up. Don’t worry about me.”

Amidst the hustle and bustle of cars, Yang Yunran set his suitcase aside and talked to Jiang Yi before getting into the car.

Jiang Yi glanced at him, closed the car door after getting in, and Yang Yunran quickly got out from the passenger seat, kneeling on the seat to kiss his face: “Can’t stop the car now, I have to hurry to change my boarding pass. Find somewhere to have breakfast quickly, I’m leaving, bye.”

Yang Yunran’s second flight segment was also in economy class, and he hadn’t changed his clothes. Although he wore a mask today, he was still recognized during security checks, prompting people to start taking photos of him.

He was eating noodles in the lounge when Zhou Kai called him: “Professor Yang, what are you doing? Why are you flying economy when there’s nothing urgent?”

Yang Yunran replied with his head buried in his food: “I’m going abroad for something. I bought the wrong ticket and couldn’t upgrade. You’re bothering me over such a small matter. Isn’t your wife about to give birth?”

“She’s in labor. The marketing department noticed unfavorable public opinion about you, possibly from people you’ve offended before. They’re saying you’re pretending to be a wealthy second-generation or something like that. It’s been quite a topic of discussion early this morning, causing a headache. I don’t think it’s worth spending money to delete these baseless rumors. But I don’t understand why you’re flying economy. You actually buy the wrong ticket? Diddou Dou buy it? She’s so foolish, she should be fined.”

“No problem, just three hours. I’m hanging up to board now.” Yang Yunran wasn’t a star anymore, especially with his mask on, which made him look like one. He didn’t care much about public opinion. But he hoped netizens wouldn’t scrutinize him too much. Constant exposure would make more people recognize him, and it would be difficult to continue his relationship with Jiang Yi discreetly.

At the boarding gate, someone recognized him in the same clothes as yesterday, with his luggage.

After comparing on their phones for a while, the crowd said, “It’s true. This fake second-generation rich guy is flying economy. My ticket only cost 700 yuan.”

“Maybe he’s just being low-key…”

“The internet has been tearing him apart, saying he’s fake. He got embarrassed by a real rich second generation and deleted his Weibo. Isn’t that enough of a smackdown?”

“The real rich second-generation didn’t smack him down… Maybe he just sold his private jet. I heard the maintenance costs are high, and rich people don’t like spending.”

“Nonsense! If he’s really rich, why would he fly economy? It’s crowded and cramped. I think he’s just pretending.”

Some busybodies had already posted real-time live updates online:

【I ran into Yang Yunran at the airport today. We’re on the same flight, and he’s in economy class.】

“Same here! I saw him at security check, but he’s quite handsome!”

In the photos, Yang Yunran was removing his hat for the security check, his hair slightly disheveled, fair-skinned but with a tired complexion, and slightly bowing his head with arms spread.

“Damn, even though he’s a fake rich second-generation, this dude is actually quite handsome. What happened to being even more handsome than when he was a star?”

Yang Yunran kept his hat low and queued to board.

Someone asked him, “Are you a celebrity? Are you Yang Yunran? Didn’t you star in that…”

“I am Yang Yunran,” he admitted openly, “but I’m not a star anymore.”

A girl who saw his face up close was almost faint with excitement: “Can I have your autograph? You’re so handsome! You look like a real-life BJD.”

Yang Yunran didn’t know what a BJD was and didn’t ask. He nodded and smiled kindly, “Sure, where should I sign? But I didn’t bring a pen.”

After landing and transferring, it was an afternoon in Vancouver. Yang Yunran sent Jiang Yi a photo: “Safely landed.”

Jiang Yi hadn’t slept and was waiting for his message, feeling relieved when she saw it. “Have you rested? Is someone picking you up? Go see your mom.”

“Just landed, still taxiing. Someone’s picking me up. Why aren’t you sleeping? It’s early morning!”

“I can’t rest assured when you’re flying alone. Send me a photo when you’re in the car and the license plate number.”

“…My dad is picking me up, not a trafficker. I’ve grown up, I’m not a child anymore.”

“In my eyes, you’re still a child. Be obedient.”

Yang Yunran had been offline for so long during his flight, feeling heavy and suppressed. Chatting with Jiang Yi made him feel better. He replied, “Okay.”

Under a sunny sky with a gentle breeze, from the moment he disembarked, he received special treatment, using a special channel to exit the airport. A driver in white gloves helped him with his luggage and then into the car.

In the backseat was Xu Xing, his biological father, whom he had only met once. He came over to hug him and said, “Ranran, it’s been tough flying. How long was the flight?”

“Not too long.” Yang Yunran felt a bit uncomfortable being hugged by him, as Xu Xing was still relatively unfamiliar to him. But Xu Xing’s embrace was reassuring, unlike Jiang Yi’s deep and affectionate ones. Xu Xing embraced him like a father for a few seconds and then said, “I’ve talked to your mom and explained the mistaken identity. She’s unable to move around in the hospital, but you’ll see her soon. Did you sleep on the plane? Do you want to rest first and visit your mom later?”

“I slept for a bit. No need to rest, I’ll go straight to the hospital.” Yang Yunran had slight dark circles under his eyes. “Can I see my mom’s medical report?”

“Sure.” Xu Xing had his assistant retrieve it and said, “There have been recent changes in aviation control. Your secretary didn’t arrange properly for your arrival. I’ve already spoken to him. How long do you plan to stay? When are you coming back to China? I’ve arranged everything ahead of time this time.”

Yang Yunran looked down at the report. “After Mom’s surgery, I’ll come back. How many surgeries will she need in total?”

“After this surgery, she won’t need any more for now. We’ll opt for conservative radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or targeted therapy, depending on the doctor’s assessment after the surgery.” Xu Xing was surprised once again by Yang Wanru’s concern. This child seemed obedient and called him dad, but in reality, after getting to know him, he was quite indifferent.

On the day he received the phone call, everything seemed unexpected to him. Now seeing him in person, Yang Yunran found Yang Wanyu genuinely worried. She kept asking about his condition, displaying excessive concern and anxiety.

Forty minutes later, the sedan arrived at the entrance of a modern high-end medical center.

Xu Xing led him into the hospital’s inpatient building and asked, “Is there anything important in your luggage? I’ll have the driver take it home for you.”

Yang Yunran shook his head. “Home? Is Dad a Canadian citizen?”

“No, he placed several properties before,” Xu Xing said. “We’ve only known each other briefly; you still know little about Dad.”

The elevator ascended slowly. As the numbers increased, Yang Yunran’s heartbeat accelerated. The thought of the person who had been separated from him forever might appear before him again made his eyes uncontrollably sour.

Perhaps he had been too obvious. Xu Xing’s expression froze for a moment, thinking it was a consequence of eye surgery or something similar. “Yunran, are your eyes hurting? This is the best hospital; Dad will take you to see the doctor soon!”

Yang Yunran whispered softly, “No, it’s just that flying was exhausting. My eyes don’t hurt.” He guessed his father knew; he must have investigated him.

Xu Xing paused and said, “This was unexpected. Dad won’t let you suffer like this again, definitely not.” He reached out and embraced Yang Yunran’s shoulder. They were almost the same height, but Yang Yunran could still sense the maturity and tolerance emanating from him because he was his father.

Since childhood, he has never experienced paternal love because his father was paralyzed due to drunk driving. Yang Liming, having spent little time with him, had never made such a move. Yang Yunran felt stiff as he was embraced, but after a few steps, he gradually softened.

Xu Xing noticed and lightly patted his arm.

Exiting the elevator, Xu Xing opened the door to the room. Outside the floor-to-ceiling window was a green park, with people flying kites in the August skies. Yang Wanyu, lying on the hospital bed, had been watching the kites with a calm expression. Upon hearing the door, she turned her head and saw her husband and Yang Yunran.

There stood a young, handsome man who bore a striking resemblance to her in many facial features. His skin was fair, his eyes large, and he displayed an intense emotional upheaval she might never have imagined, tears welling up in his eyes as he gazed at her.

She was hooked up to an IV drip, sitting up with support. She immediately knew, “You’re Yunran?” There was a gleam in her eyes, instantly illuminated as if by a light.

“I am… I am…” Yang Yunran’s steps almost gave way as he knelt down, his voice trembling. He walked quickly to the bedside, kneeling to her height, eyes reddened as he cried out, “It’s me, I’m Yunran, Mom.”