ASPWWD Chapter 36

Although Lin Fengqi reacted quickly, the half-uttered sound from Wen Xia had already alerted the people inside the examination room.

Liao Xingshen hurriedly pushed the man away, his face turning slightly red, whether from the kiss or the embarrassment of being caught in the act. Seeing Lin Fengqi and Wen Xia, he froze for a moment before getting up to greet them. “What brings you here?”

The man who had been pushed away, on the other hand, showed no signs of panic or embarrassment. He calmly adjusted his clothes, lazily raising his eyes to look over.

Caught in such a situation, Wen Xia naturally felt a bit awkward. He remained silent, glancing over at Lin Fengqi.

Lin Fengqi, however, seemed much calmer than him, perfectly embodying the saying, “If I’m not embarrassed, then it’s others who will be.” He responded without a change in expression, “I brought Amou for a follow-up checkup.”

Liao Xingshen looked at him, then at the well-behaved dog sitting beside him, and after a brief, strange silence, said, “You really know how to pick your timing.”

Lin Fengqi replied, “Not bad.”

Liao Xingshen: “…”

Wen Xia glanced at Lin Fengqi, feeling that for some reason, his mood seemed to have suddenly improved.

Liao Xingshen took the leash from Lin Fengqi and led Amou into the examination room. The man inside, who was a stranger to Wen Xia, very considerately and naturally made way for them. As he walked past, he said to Liao Xingshen, “I’ll go out for a smoke.”

Liao Xingshen replied, “Hurry up and get lost.”

Wen Xia couldn’t help but take a second look at the man. In the few times he had interacted with Liao Xingshen, he had never seen him so impatient or irritated with anyone. Liao Xingshen usually gave off a very gentle impression.

Noticing Wen Xia’s gaze, the man smiled at him and raised a hand in greeting.

Wen Xia nodded in response.

By now, Lin Fengqi had already lifted Amou onto the examination table, and Liao Xingshen was beginning the checkup.

“How has his eating, drinking, and bowel movements been?” Liao Xingshen asked.

“All normal. Drinking a bit less water and a slight bit of soft stools,” Lin Fengqi replied.

“No vomiting anymore?”

“No.”

Everyone was very tactful in not mentioning what had just happened.

Liao Xingshen asked, “Still have some probiotics and medicine left from the last time?”

Lin Fengqi nodded, “Yes, we do.”

Liao Xingshen patted Amou’s solid little rear. “Then finish up the medicine and see how he does. For now, everything looks good. Just try to get him to drink more water. Yesterday, I just had a dog come in with kidney problems from not drinking enough. This has always been a problem with Amou too, so you’ll need to find ways to encourage him to drink more.”

Lin Fengqi responded with a hum, then lifted Amou off the examination table.

Technically, the follow-up exam should have ended there.

But then Lin Fengqi suddenly turned around and handed Amou’s leash to Wen Xia, saying, “Wait for me outside.”

Wen Xia was puzzled, and Liao Xingshen asked, “What’s wrong? Anything else?”

“Yeah,” Lin Fengqi replied.

Wen Xia took the leash without asking further questions and led Amou outside. The examination room door closed behind him.

He wondered what Lin Fengqi had to discuss with Liao Xingshen.

If he hadn’t discovered Lin Fengqi’s diary and confirmed things over the past few days, Wen Xia might have felt a bit down at being sent out. But now, he felt no such concern.

His mindset had grown as steady as a seasoned poker player.

Wen Xia sat down in the waiting area outside with Amou. The man who had gone out for a smoke returned at that moment. Seeing the examination room door closed with the dog outside, he asked Wen Xia, “They’re having a discussion?”

Wen Xia nodded.

The man raised an eyebrow, then turned and walked out again, returning half a minute later with a cup of water, which he handed to Wen Xia. “Here.”

Wen Xia accepted it and thanked him.

The man sat down beside him, lazily stretching out his long legs. He glanced at the big black dog lying at Wen Xia’s feet and asked, “Can I pet him?”

“Sure,” Wen Xia replied, although it wasn’t really his dog.

The man bent down and gave Amou a couple of affectionate pats, then asked, “What’s his name?”

Wen Xia answered, “Amou.”

“The moo from a cow?”

“Yeah.”

The man nodded, then leaned back in his chair. “So, you’re Lin Fengqi?”

“No,” Wen Xia replied.

“Oh, then it must be the guy inside,” the man paused before casually striking up a conversation with Wen Xia. “And you are?”

Just as Wen Xia was about to respond, the man interrupted himself, “Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. Ming Chuan.”

Wen Xia caught the key point. “Ming…?”

“Yeah, that Ming,” Ming Chuan replied with a lazy smile. “I’m the one who forced him to use that name.”

Wen Xia had originally thought “Liao Ming” in “Liao Ming Pet Clinic” was a person’s name.

Turns out, it was actually two people.

Returning to the conversation, Wen Xia said, “I’m Wen Xia.”

As soon as Wen Xia finished speaking, Ming Chuan’s expression took on an interesting hue. Raising an eyebrow, he remarked, “So, you’re Wen Xia?”

Wen Xia nodded. “That’s me.”

Ming Chuan squinted, his lips curling into a playful smile as he leaned in, scrutinizing Wen Xia with great interest. “You do look quite nice. Just his type.”

Wen Xia wasn’t dense. From Ming Chuan’s tone, it was obvious he knew about the blind date incident. So, he asked, “And you’re not?”

“Me? Definitely not,” Ming Chuan replied with a relaxed stretch, his smile carrying a hint of roguishness. “But now… well, he doesn’t have a choice.”

A few words, combined with the kiss they had just witnessed, made the nature of their relationship clear.

Wen Xia, showing good sense, refrained from asking any more questions.

The examination room had good soundproofing, so they couldn’t hear what was being said inside. Wen Xia and Ming Chuan sat on the chairs, making small talk. Suddenly, they were startled by Liao Xingshen’s burst of unrestrained laughter coming from behind the closed door.

The two outside exchanged a bewildered glance, both turning their heads toward the door.

The door remained shut, but Liao Xingshen’s voice, barely controlled, slipped through: “Damn, Lin Fengqi, you’re something else…”

He spoke between fits of laughter, his voice growing quieter and more muffled as he continued.

Wen Xia looked at Ming Chuan in confusion, who merely shrugged, equally clueless about what was happening.

A few moments later, the door to the examination room opened, and Lin Fengqi emerged. His expression was less relaxed than usual, even more stoic, his mouth pressed into a tight line. When his gaze met Wen Xia’s concerned look, he stiffened slightly before quickly averting his eyes.

He looked a bit guilty.

Wen Xia: “?”

Trailing behind Lin Fengqi, Liao Xingshen walked out with a broad grin, as if he had just heard the funniest joke of his life. He was still holding onto the doorframe, trying to stifle his laughter. His eyes were slightly wet, and he wiped away the tears as he caught his breath, saying, “Old Lin, seriously, I never realized you could be so amusing. Thanks for the laugh tonight. I’ll never forget this.”

Wen Xia watched as Lin Fengqi’s expression darkened even further.

Taking the leash back from Wen Xia, Lin Fengqi didn’t bother saying goodbye to Liao Xingshen, nor did he look at Wen Xia. He simply walked straight out.

Wen Xia frowned, about to follow when Liao Xingshen called out to him, pulling out his phone. “Wait, let’s add each other on WeChat.”

Upon hearing this, Lin Fengqi paused, turning back to give Liao Xingshen a long, dark look.

“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything,” Liao Xingshen assured him, scanning Wen Xia’s QR code. “Done.”

Wen Xia, still puzzled by the whole situation, gave a brief nod and followed after Lin Fengqi.

Lin Fengqi, usually composed, was walking faster than Wen Xia had ever seen him, as if something wild was chasing him, desperate to get away.

As they left, Wen Xia took one last look back, just in time to see Ming Chuan pulling Liao Xingshen back into the examination room by the waist, half-dragging him as he shut the door behind them.

On the way back, Lin Fengqi remained tense, his demeanor stiff and awkward. He didn’t seem angry, yet it was clear his mood was far from good.

Several times, Wen Xia tried to start a conversation, but each time he managed only a couple of words before Lin Fengqi’s hands would tremble slightly. Fearing that this might lead to a traffic accident, Wen Xia decided to keep quiet and not provoke him further.

Finally, they reached home. Lin Fengqi unhooked Amou’s leash, and the big black dog cheerfully chased after Wen Da Gege around the house before returning with a little toy duck in its mouth, eagerly waiting for Lin Fengqi to play with it.

But clearly, Lin Fengqi wasn’t in the mood. He took a couple of steps inside, then suddenly turned to look at Wen Xia, his expression complicated. Then, from his neck to his face, he rapidly flushed red.

Wen Xia was taken aback, just about to ask what was wrong when the man let out a deep breath, and then with a hasty retreat, shut himself in his room, leaving his poor dog son outside.

Amou quickly realized what had happened, dropping the toy and scratching at the door with his paw.

There was no response.

Amou sat down dejectedly by the door, turning to Wen Xia with a pitiful whine.

Wen Xia was just as confused, so he bent down to pet the dog in a gesture of comfort.

At that moment, his phone buzzed in his pocket. As Wen Xia walked to his room, he pulled it out.

A message flashed on the screen: [Although I told Lin Fengqi I wouldn’t say anything, telling you doesn’t count as saying anything, right?]

Wen Xia stared at the screen for a few seconds, then remembered the unfamiliar nickname was Liao Xingshen. He quickly opened the contact and added a note, and just as he did so, another buzz followed.

Liao Xingshen: [So, what do you think of me?]

Wen Yi Xia: [What?]

Liao Xingshen: [I mean, what do you think of me as a person?]

Wen Yi Xia: [You’re pretty good.]

Liao Xingshen: [So, if I invited you out for dinner or a day out, would you say yes?]

Wen Yi Xia: [Sure.]

Making a new friend was never a bad thing. Besides, now that he was living here, he’d have to rely on Liao Xingshen if Wen Da Gege needed any care in the future.

Liao Xingshen: [But what if I asked you to stay out for a night?]

Liao Xingshen: [Like at a hotel, with a romantic bed, where things might… happen.]

Wen Yi Xia: [???]

Wen Yi Xia: [Are you joking?]

Liao Xingshen: [Yeah, just joking.]

Wen Yi Xia: [Even as a joke, it’s not happening.]

Liao Xingshen: [I figured as much.]

Just as Wen Xia was about to get lost in this strange conversation, Liao Xingshen’s next message clarified everything.

Liao Xingshen: [But there’s someone who wouldn’t think I was joking.]

Liao Xingshen: [And this person thinks you’d say yes, that we’d spend a night together in a romantic hotel room.]

Liao Xingshen: [I won’t say who it is, but you can guess.]

Wen Xia stared at the three messages, deep in thought.

The more he thought, the more speechless he became.

Because there was no one else Liao Xingshen could be talking about—who else but Lin Fengqi?

But why?

Did Lin Fengqi really think… that there was something between him and Liao Xingshen?

What???

Wen Xia’s mind was suddenly filled with question marks. He couldn’t wrap his head around it—what had he done to make Lin Fengqi come to such a ridiculous conclusion?

Why would this man think he’d fall for someone he’d only met twice?

Seriously, the only person who’d ever caught Wen Xia’s interest at first sight was Lin Fengqi, right?

Damn, where did it all go wrong?

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Wen Xia had a sudden urge to light a melancholic cigarette.

He really couldn’t figure it out.

Was it because Lin Fengqi had learned that he and Liao Xingshen had been forced into a blind date? But, come on, there are so many people who go on blind dates every day, how many of them actually end up together?

“Ugh.” Wen Xia sighed, opening his phone again to scroll through the conversation with Liao Xingshen.

No wonder Lin Fengqi had looked like that when he came out of the examination room.

This was what they call dying of embarrassment.

Wen Xia couldn’t help but imagine Lin Fengqi and Liao Xingshen having a serious heart-to-heart in the examination room about such a ridiculous misunderstanding…

Coincidentally, Lin Fengqi was also replaying that scene in his mind.

He had approached Liao Xingshen with a do-or-die attitude, determined to have a serious talk about Wen Xia. He wanted to know how Liao Xingshen felt about Wen Xia and how far things had progressed between them. But he also didn’t want to appear weak, so he didn’t get straight to the point initially.

After circling around the topic for a bit, Liao Xingshen asked, “Why do you keep bringing up Wen Xia? Are you two having problems? If you need advice, just ask—I’ll help however I can.”

That question made Lin Fengqi realize something was off because Liao Xingshen was positioning himself as an uninvolved bystander.

After a moment’s silence, Lin Fengqi decided to drop the pretense and laid everything out. He even admitted that he and Wen Xia were still legally married and that, no matter what, he wouldn’t let go.

After hearing this, Liao Xingshen stared at him for a long while, his expression twitching slightly. Then, in a strange tone, he asked, “So, let me get this straight—you think I’m into Wen Xia, and Wen Xia’s into me?”

Sensing that something was terribly wrong, Lin Fengqi hesitated for a couple of seconds but eventually nodded, bracing himself.

The next second, Liao Xingshen burst out laughing.

That was the laugh Wen Xia and Ming Chuan had heard from outside.

At that moment, in the midst of Liao Xingshen’s laughter, Lin Fengqi realized the full extent of his misunderstanding.

And for the first time, he felt the urge to move to a different planet.

The real clown was none other than himself.

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