NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 16
Ling Jianshu had made an appointment with a specialist in the fever clinic for Qiao Song.
They waited for about ten minutes on a bench in the hospital corridor before seeing the electronic screen prompt them to head for their consultation.
Ling Jianshu got up first, glanced at the appointment slip in his hand, and said to Qiao Song, “Let’s go, Room 51.”
As he spoke, he extended a hand towards him.
Qiao Song stared at his large hand, initially taken aback. Then, he composed himself and took Ling Jianshu’s hand, using his support to stand up.
A young female nurse passed by and saw the two boys holding hands. She couldn’t help but linger on them for a few extra seconds.
Qiao Song understood what that kind of look meant. He worried that Ling Jianshu might care, so he quickly withdrew his hand.
Ling Jianshu felt the emptiness in his hand and instinctively looked down, his expression darkening.
Qiao Song noticed his reaction and felt that he might have upset him. He was relieved he had acted quickly to avoid a bigger misunderstanding.
Ling Jianshu didn’t say much, and silently led him into the consultation room.
The doctor briefly inquired about his condition. Although he had a cold and fever, it wasn’t serious.
The doctor recorded the case on the computer, then followed routine by issuing a blood test order, as well as a bottle of aspirin for fever and a bottle of glucose for infusion.
Qiao Song and Ling Jianshu went to the infusion room.
Qiao Song sat in a chair waiting while Ling Jianshu stood beside him, both looking towards the door.
A female nurse entered with two IV bags, checking her information while saying, “Is Qiao Song here?”
“I’m here,” he replied.
The nurse lifted her head, saw him, and paused in her steps.
Qiao Song was also surprised.
It turned out the nurse responsible for his infusion was the same one who had witnessed him and Ling Jianshu holding hands in the corridor earlier.
The nurse’s gaze shifted between them, revealing a meaningful expression.
Qiao Song thought, “…What if this nurse says something inappropriate later? Should I explain?”
But if he explained too much, wouldn’t it make things worse?
This dilemma troubled him greatly.
Fortunately, the nurse was professional. Even if she was mentally shipping this pair, her exterior remained composed without a hint of excitement.
She approached Qiao Song, and in a businesslike manner, said, “The infusion stands are currently occupied, so it might be half an hour before one becomes available. Do you want to wait or start now with holding the IV yourself?”
Qiao Song didn’t feel strong enough to hold the IV, so he said, “I’ll wait.”
At the same time, Ling Jianshu spoke up, “Start now.”
The nurse glanced between Qiao Song and Ling Jianshu, deciding to give the family member a chance to perform: “Alright, starting now. The sooner the infusion, the sooner the fever will go down.”
Qiao Song looked up at Ling Jianshu.
Ling Jianshu met his gaze and reassured him, “I’ll hold the IV. You just close your eyes and rest.”
Qiao Song started to say, “I can—”
Ling Jianshu interrupted him firmly, “This isn’t the time to be stubborn.”
With that, he took the IV bag from the nurse.
The nurse, listening to their conversation while inserting the needle, couldn’t help but internally ship this pair.
She almost relived all her recent heartbreaks before managing to suppress an inappropriate smile. It wasn’t entirely her fault—Qiao Song was very good-looking, and Ling Jianshu was strikingly handsome. They looked so perfect together.
Who could resist shipping such an ideal couple?
After finishing the injection and adjusting the infusion rate, the nurse stood up and addressed Ling Jianshu:
“You’re the patient’s…?” She barely stopped herself from saying “boyfriend,” instead opting for “friend,”
Qiao Song: “…Seems like she misunderstood!”
Ling Jianshu, however, didn’t seem bothered and simply replied, “Yes.”
The nurse advised, “Keep the IV higher than the patient’s head by at least 50 centimeters to avoid backflow.”
Ling Jianshu nodded, “Got it.”
“Thank you for your hard work! I’ll bring an IV stand over as soon as one is available.”
The nurse hurried off to attend to other duties, but not before casting one last lingering look at them.
Qiao Song watched her figure disappear down the corridor and nervously turned to Ling Jianshu.
Ling Jianshu, holding the IV bag, looked down and made eye contact with him.
Qiao Song called out, “Ling Brother.”
Ling Jianshu asked, “What’s wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable?”
“No, not really. I just wanted to say…” Qiao Song hesitated, “…Don’t mind the nurse. She might have misunderstood our relationship.”
Ling Jianshu looked puzzled, “Misunderstood what?”
He tried to express delicately, “She misunderstood that… we’re close.”
Ling Jianshu seemed even more confused, replying quietly, “Is that a misunderstanding? So you think our relationship isn’t good?”
Qiao Song was bewildered, “…Huh? No, that’s not what I meant!”
What to do?
Ling Jianshu was a straight man and homophobic, so he didn’t want to say too much that might make him uncomfortable.
He couldn’t come up with a satisfactory explanation after thinking for a long time, so he gave up and said, “Forget it. Just pretend I didn’t say anything.”
Ling Jianshu looked at him in confusion but didn’t press further.
Unexpectedly, Ling Jianshu, being quite analytical, mulled over the conversation even after it seemed to be over. At the moment the nurse pushed in the IV stand, he clearly stated, “I understand now. You meant the nurse was also shipping us.”
The nurse, caught off guard by the revelation as she entered, froze momentarily. Her hand gripping the IV stand trembled slightly, her mind racing with a single thought:
“Mom, did you hear that? I’m making progress! The CP I ship is actually feeding me sugar!”