11. Is there any harm in not making the bed?

18.

One advantage of being in a relationship with Dr. Wei was that he had a very healthy lifestyle.

In the past, I used to sleep until the fifth alarm went off, then rush to get ready and grab breakfast at work. Now, Dr. Wei’s morning call woke me up at 6:30 every morning. I would spend fifteen minutes having breakfast and then leisurely head to work.

After lunch, he would remind me to take a short rest, avoid late-night snacks, not stay up too late, and not use my phone while on the toilet.

Dr. Wei suggested I eat more chicken and beef, and cut down on fried foods. He advised against ordering takeout unless absolutely necessary. It got to the point where my colleagues suspected I might have contracted some incurable disease.

One afternoon, a courier delivered a package to me with Dr. Wei listed as the sender.

Coincidentally, it was right around my birthday, so I immediately guessed it was a birthday surprise from Wei Nanlin.

The entire design department wheeled their chairs over to me, curious, and gossiped, “Is it from that Dr. Wei?”

My colleagues were almost all fans of boys’ love, and even the straight guys were influenced by their gay enthusiasm. So, my relationship with Dr. Wei wasn’t kept a secret from them.

“The doctor is so considerate; my husband didn’t even remember my birthday,” said colleague A.

“Even after getting married, it’s the same. My husband used to cook for me, but now he just plays games in bed all day,” colleague B chimed in.

Little Wang smirked, “Could it be something romantic?”

Everyone smirked in unison.

“Ugh, you guys don’t understand. Dr. Wei is a very decent person; he wouldn’t give me anything inappropriate.”

With joy, I opened the package, finding two boxes of Liuwei Dihuang Pills inside.

There was also a greeting card on top.

The handwriting is elegant, vigorous, and powerful, flowing like clouds and water.

Truly worthy of our family’s Dr. Wei!

— Your dizziness, ringing in the ears, and weakness in the lower back and knees are mainly caused by kidney deficiency. You might as well try this remedy, take 8 pills after each of the three meals every day. Make sure to take them consistently after meals! It’s very helpful for kidney deficiency.

Furthermore, you must absolutely avoid staying up late again. Wishing Xiao Chu everlasting health and happiness!

Seven or eight pairs of eyes stared intently at that note, emitting laughter that sounded almost foolish.

Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah—

Where’s my knife?

19.

During the National Day holiday, our company is not on duty. Dr. Wei has a rotating five-day break. My mom seized the opportunity to have me invite him to our house for dinner.

From the first meeting until now, it’s been just over two months. Dr. Wei is a reserved and gentle person. I was afraid he might feel shy or unwilling, so I casually mentioned it to him on WeChat. Unexpectedly, he seemed quite excited, which caught me off guard.

We agreed to have dinner together in the evening. As soon as I told my mom, she immediately spread the news in our family group chat. Grandpa, grandma, maternal grandparents, uncles, aunts, and several of my aunts all said they wanted to come.

Trembling, I asked Dr. Wei for his opinion, and he remained very composed.

Counting the number of people, we had to arrange for a large round table. My mom went to the restaurant and ordered dozens of dishes to take away, while also warning me and dad not to reveal anything and to create the impression that she had been busy all day to welcome this future son-in-law.

In the evening, after finishing her household chores, she turned her attention to me.

“Chu Qi, quickly tidy up your pigsty. What would people think if they saw it like this!”

I hadn’t finished my game, so I wasn’t too keen on moving.

“Being genuine as a person is important. I should be as I am, and if he likes me, he will naturally accept my minor flaws.”

“You’re lazy and you still have the nerve to argue.” Mom grabbed my ear and said, “Hurry up! Take advantage while no one else is here!”

Just as the doorbell rang, I rushed over quickly and exclaimed, “Someone’s here!”

“Oh, Dr. Wei is here,” Mom immediately put on a servant-like smile and greeted him warmly, “It’s great that you’re here. What kind of gift did you bring?”

“Hello, Auntie. Just a small token of appreciation,” Wei Nanlin turned to my dad and slightly bowed, “Hello, Uncle.”

“Hello, hello,” my dad warmly shook his hand, “Is your workplace far from here, Dr. Wei?”

“Not too far, about a twenty-minute drive. You can just call me Nanlin, Uncle.”

“Oh! Nanlin is a good name. Which ‘Nan’ and which ‘Lin’ is it?”

“Come on, Dad,” I was completely exasperated, “You don’t even know how to write people’s names, yet you’re making a big deal out of it. It’s ‘Nan’ as in ‘south’ and ‘Lin’ as in ‘reigning over the world.'”

“It’s a good name,” Mom said as she pulled out a pair of brand-new slippers from the shoe cabinet, “Let’s come inside and talk. Don’t stand outside chatting. Try these slippers on, see if they fit. These were originally bought for Little Seven’s dad, and he never got a chance to wear them.”

The slippers fit perfectly, as if symbolizing something auspicious. The elderly couple looked delighted.

With all the relatives gathered at home, Wei Nanlin joined in and got to know some of them.

He had an intellectual aura about him, and the degree of dislike my parents had for me seemed inversely proportional to their fondness for him. When he was around, I was pretty much unnecessary.

During the meal, they chatted away about various topics, from academics to work, and then from work to disease prevention and control…

“My goodness, he’s had this constipation problem for a while now. He used to eat bananas all the time, but now it seems like eating bananas doesn’t help anymore,” my mom said.

My dad looked embarrassed, “Yeah, I can’t seem to pass stool, even after sitting for a long time.”

I almost spat out my cola.

Why are you consulting a psychiatrist about this kind of issue? Shouldn’t you be asking him how to transition emotions during menopause and be a happy middle-aged person?

I thought Wei Nanlin might find it a bit awkward, but he remained composed and started discussing the matter seriously with my parents!

“Metabolism slows down in the elderly, making them more prone to various health issues. There’s no need to worry too much. I’ll write you a prescription later. Follow the dietary recommendations I provide, exercise more, and keep at it for a while. You should see improvements.”

My dad nodded repeatedly, and my mom smiled brightly.

Perhaps this is the power of knowledge and the charm of personality. Even the neighbor, Mrs. Lin, who came over to borrow garlic, sat down and chatted with Wei Nanlin.

“You know, my husband has bad breath. It’s not a big deal, but the smell is unbearable. I don’t want to hurt his self-esteem by bringing it up all the time.”

“The causes of bad breath are varied. For instance, gastrointestinal issues, oral problems, irregular diet, or excessive fatigue can lead to bad breath. First, you need to determine the underlying cause before addressing it.”

Mom got interested too, “How can we determine the cause?”

“Wow,” I couldn’t help but interrupt, “Can’t you at least let him finish his meal before discussing these things? He’s only had a bite of pickled cucumber since he arrived.”

Wei Nanlin smiled, “It’s okay. Auntie doesn’t often get to see me, and I’m honored to help Uncle and Auntie with their problems.”

When was this mouth’s light turned on?

As soon as my mom heard this, she pushed all kinds of dishes towards Wei Nanlin and the excitement in her heart had already spread from the corners of her eyes and brows.

“When you have time in the future, come over and play more. Our home welcomes you anytime.”

Dad: “Try this shrimp, your aunt bought it herself… ah, made it.”

Mom nudged my arm, “Quickly peel a shrimp for Xiaolin, always stuffing food into your own mouth.”

Didn’t you tell me to eat more?!

Am I not your real son anymore?!

It was Wei Nanlin who peeled a shrimp for himself while also peeling one for me. I reciprocated with one, and he did the same for me…

20.

After dinner, we chatted for a while. My parents took the relatives home and told me to keep Dr. Wei at home to chat and take a walk.

I first showed him around my bedroom.

Although my mom often calls it a pigsty, I personally think it’s not that bad. It’s just that the bed isn’t made, the trash hasn’t been taken out for three days, and things on the table aren’t neatly arranged. My colleagues’ homes are like this too, so I haven’t bothered to hide anything.

“Ta-da! This is where I sleep. It’s a bit messy, but don’t mind.”

Wei Nanlin’s gaze swept around the room, “If you know it’s messy, why not clean it up?”

“???”

Why isn’t this person following the usual script!

“Do you mind?” I unconsciously started picking at my fingernail.

Without a second word, Wei Nanlin bent down and started tidying up for me!

I couldn’t let him do that, so I had to help him tidy up: “Don’t bother, I can do it!”

“Do you usually not make your bed when you wake up?”

“Ah, why should I? I have to undo it at night to sleep, it’s troublesome… Is there any harm in not making the bed?”

“Well, there’s not much harm, it’s just not very aesthetic. If you find it troublesome in the future…” He stopped halfway through the sentence, as if his movements and voice were stuck, frozen.

I turned to look at him, “What in the future?”

He licked his lips, his voice weak like a mosquito’s: “I’ll make it…”

I couldn’t meet his eyes, blushing, I turned my face away. After a moment’s thought, I realized my reaction was inappropriate and added, “That’s great.”

After saying that, I felt like my whole face was burning up.