DSMIS CH67

Chapter 67: My Mom Accepted It Instantly, Can You Believe It?

Shen Xing returned to his department on Monday to a boisterous, enthusiastic welcome from his colleagues. Zhou Beibei, the resident he used to supervise, bounded over like a little town crier:

“Shen-ge, did you hear? The family behind that medical extortion case is supposedly getting sentenced, and the whole crew backing them is going down with them…”

“The police actually came to our department the other day! Real criminal detectives, apparently. The fallout is massive—they even went straight to the hospital president’s office, saying they’re launching a targeted crackdown on profit-driven hospital extortion rings.”

“Right! I heard pediatrics had a close call last week too. A family wanted to hire one of those gray-market syndicates to cause a scene, and guess what? Nobody dared take the job! Hahaha!”

“Serves them right. They were getting way too arrogant. It had practically turned into a full-blown commercial supply chain—a 70-30 cut, taking thirty percent straight from whatever settlement they bullied out of the hospital.”

Holding his thermal mug, Shen Xing listened to his colleagues chiming in one after another, his thoughts drifting elsewhere. Criminal detectives? A specialized crackdown on for-profit medical disturbances? Needless to say, Captain Jiang’s handiwork was written all over this. What was that man up to right about now?

He didn’t have much time to indulge his curiosity, however; he had an afternoon outpatient clinic, and he had promised Jiang Lin that he would visit his mother’s place that evening.

After clocking off, he drove straight to his mother’s home. Mother Shen knew her son had returned on Saturday, but when Shen Xing mentioned having some errands to run first upon arriving in Tianjin, she hadn’t pressed to see him immediately. After all, with a doctor in the family, she was long accustomed to her son being summoned away by emergency phone calls at any given moment.

When Shen Xing arrived, his maternal grandparents were there as well, sitting in the living room watching television. Half a table’s worth of dishes was already laid out, while his mother and Aunt Song, the family helper who regularly cooked for them, were bustling away in the kitchen.

Mentally reviewing their health checkup reports from last year—confirming that their hearts and blood pressure were perfectly sound—he finally crossed the threshold.

The feast on the table was lavish enough to rival a New Year’s Eve dinner. As soon as they sat down, his grandfather cracked open a bottle of liquor, stealing furtive glances at both his wife and his daughter while pouring himself a glass and offering an excuse:

“Little Xingxing is back—just having a tiny sip.”

His grandmother shot the old man a glare but said nothing.

There was no rule in their household against talking at the dinner table; in fact, the family loved chatting over meals. Once the dishes were fully served, the floodgates opened.

No one knows a son better than his mother. Noticing that her usually talkative son hadn’t joined in the banter, eating quietly like someone from whom you couldn’t beat three words with a stick, Mother Shen sensed something was off:

“Son, is something on your mind? Did something happen at the hospital again?”

Shen Xing chewed a slice of beef, swallowed, and looked up:

“No, the hospital is fine. Those extortionists are about to be sentenced. But there is one other matter.”

Mother Shen asked curiously:

“What matter? Why are you being so mysterious?”

Shen Xing sat up straight, schooling his expression:

“Well… I found a partner while I was in Fulan County.”

Every head at the table snapped up at once, unbridled anticipation written across their faces. His grandfather’s face flushed red with excitement—though the alcohol might have contributed. Before anyone could get a word in, Shen Xing dropped the ultimate bomb:

“It’s a man.”

A beat of absolute silence fell over the dinner table.

After lunch, in the living room, Grandfather’s flushed face was still frozen in a daze. Grandmother looked over at Mother Shen. Lowering her head in thought for a long moment, Mother Shen finally seemed to process the news:

“A man, huh? That’s fine. That’s fine too.”

Shen Xing: “?”

“When your work gets hectic, you don’t even know which direction your front door faces. I was always terrified you’d date some young lady and neglect her. A man is fine too. If you end up… well, at least a man won’t suffer as much of a loss as a girl.”

Shen Xing: “…”

In my mother’s eyes, am I some kind of generational scumbag?!

Before Shen Xing walked out the door, Mother Shen awkwardly added one last piece of advice:

“Make sure you use protection when you do that kind of thing, alright? Buy the good-quality ones. It’s chaotic out there nowadays.”

Leaving the apartment with a head full of exclamation points, Shen Xing whipped out his phone:

“Hero, I’m out of the house. I want barbecue.”

He desperately needed a barbecue feast and a pint of draft beer to calm his rattled nerves.

He sent Jiang Lin the address of his favorite barbecue spot. Jiang Lin had vaguely guessed what Shen Xing was planning to tell his family today and had been on pins and needles at home. The moment the message popped up, he grabbed his car keys and hurried out the door.

When he arrived, Shen Xing was already seated in the private booth. His expression was… well, hard to describe. Jiang Lin instantly concluded that Shen Xing had laid his cards on the table, and that it hadn’t gone well.

It made sense. Director Shen had been an exceptional prodigy since childhood; his family would naturally struggle to accept him suddenly falling for a man.

Sitting down opposite him, Jiang Lin asked gently:

“What happened?”

Shen Xing looked up, catching the palpable apprehension in Captain Jiang’s eyes. His mind turned, and he spoke in a solemn tone:

“I confessed to my family.”

Hearing those words coupled with Shen Xing’s grim cadence, Jiang Lin’s heart plummeted:

“You’ve been brilliant all your life. It’s completely normal for your family to struggle to accept it right away. Whatever you do, please don’t burn bridges with them over this.”

Shen Xing slumped across the table, looking thoroughly despondent:

“Then what do we do? Are we relegated to an underground affair? I’m wronging you.”

Terrified that Shen Xing would work himself into an anxious frenzy, Jiang Lin comforted him earnestly:

“How is that wronging me? If it’s an underground affair, so be it. Don’t force your family to accept it right away—these things take time. As long as you don’t abandon me, I don’t feel wronged in the slightest.”

Shen Xing nearly broke character. Forcing himself to swallow a laugh, he heaved a heavy sigh:

“Let’s order the skewers first. I need a pint of draft beer.”

Shen Xing had craved this shop’s barbecue while down in Yunnan. He picked up his phone, selected a mountain of skewers, and handed the phone across to Jiang Lin:

“See what else you want.”

Watching Director Shen preparing to drown his sorrows in alcohol, Jiang Lin had zero appetite. He picked out a couple of skewers at random and, after a thought, added a pint of draft beer for himself as well.

Before long, however, Jiang Lin realized something was off. Director Shen’s ferocious appetite didn’t look remotely like that of an anguished man. The gloom had vanished completely, replaced by an unadulterated lust for food—a look that instantly reminded Jiang Lin of Qianjin digging into a fresh can of wet food. Jiang Lin narrowed his eyes slightly:

“Are you hiding something from me?”

Shen Xing was currently waging war against an insanely spicy “BT” chicken wing, hissing and panting from the heat. Suddenly, he grinned:

“Not bad! As expected of Captain Jiang.”

Jiang Lin laughed in sheer exasperation:

“You’d lie about something like this? What did your family actually say?!”

Shen Xing blinked, taking a hefty swig of draft beer:

“Well, I’m not going to abandon you anyway, so why do you care what my family said?”

“Director Shen, have some mercy. If you don’t tell me, I won’t be able to swallow a single bite of this meal.”

Shen Xing handed him a skewer of grilled beef tendon:

“My mom accepted it in a single second. Can you believe it?”

Jiang Lin’s eyes widened:

“Really?”

No way.

“Really. And do you know her reasoning? She thinks I’m too busy with work and was worried I’d neglect some poor girl if I dated a woman. She figured if I found a man, even if I turned into a scumbag, a guy wouldn’t suffer as much of a loss.”

Jiang Lin was momentarily struck dumb. That… that was an angle he truly hadn’t contemplated in his wildest dreams. After a long beat, he managed:

“A-Auntie’s concerns… are actually quite reasonable.”

Shen Xing sighed:

“My dad was a total jerk, so she’s probably terrified I’ll turn out the same way. She never remarried after divorcing him—probably completely lost faith in the male population. Tell me, she doesn’t actually think I inherited my dad’s deadbeat genes, does she?”

Jiang Lin knew about Shen Xing’s father; the man truly had been scum of the highest order.

“Never. If Director Shen is considered a scumbag, there isn’t a decent man left on this earth.”

“Look at you, so smooth with your words.”

“Just the truth.”

Regardless of the rationale, having Shen Xing’s relationship officially acknowledged by his family lifted a massive weight off Jiang Lin’s chest. Consequently, he was exceptionally obedient in bed that night. Shen Xing felt as if he had hired a 50,000-yuan male model at some high-end club, freely roaming his hands over the man beside him to his heart’s content. And truth be told, the sensation was undeniably thrilling.

Looping his arms around Captain Jiang’s neck, he teased:

“Why is Captain Jiang being so ‘well-behaved’ tonight?”

Allowing Director Shen to hold him like an imperious lord, Jiang Lin leaned in and pecked his cheek:

“Because I like it.”

Shen Xing’s eyes sparkled. In an instant, he flipped over, pinning Captain Jiang beneath him. On the floor, the Samoyed felt the commotion on the bed, raised its head, tilted it curiously, and flicked its large pink ears.

Jiang Lin offered a half-smile, hands resting securely on Shen Xing’s waist:

“Want to try a different position tonight?”

Director Shen raised an eyebrow:

“I want to top you.”

Jiang Lin let out a low rumble of laughter, fingers lightly tickling his waist:

“Beat me in a fight and I’ll let you.”

Shen Xing took a sharp breath.

The scuffle on the bed was loud enough that even Heibao, lying by the door, lifted his head to watch. Not understanding what the two humans were doing, Qianjin ducked his head and scurried over to curl up against Heibao, who affectionately nudged the Samoyed’s neck.

Ten minutes later, the fierce struggle concluded with Shen Xing pinned flat against the mattress once more. Furious, Shen Xing slammed his foot against the mattress:

“I’m moving my home gym over! I’m going to bulk up! One of these days, I will pin you down!”

Amused by his puffed-up indignation, Jiang Lin ran his fingers through his hair:

“Your courage is commendable, and your ambition is worthy of praise. Once I’m fully paralyzed, you might just get your chance.”

“Get lost!”

Thank goodness the bed in Captain Jiang’s apartment was built to last.

In December, Tianjin suffered an abrupt cold snap. In a rare phenomenon, snow fell continuously for two days. While most of the snow melted upon hitting the ground during the day, the moisture froze into treacherous black ice on the roads overnight. Despite prompt application of snow-melting agents, vehicular accidents multiplied several times over. The stream of ambulances outside the Yuetan Hospital emergency wing never ceased.

Orthopedics was ground zero for the trauma intake. Shen Xing had been on his feet running non-stop for over thirty hours since the previous morning, his perception of time and space blurring into a foggy haze.

The moment he stepped out of the operating room, he thought he was still in Fulan County, instinctively glancing toward the bench by the doors. Usually, whenever he emerged from a grueling surgery, Jiang Lin would be waiting right there, provisions in hand.

Yet this time, his eyes landed on the modern waiting benches outside the 15th-floor surgical wing—so starkly different from the battered chairs of the county hospital. Only then did it dawn on him: he was already back home. After briefing the patient’s family, he changed into his clothes and retrieved his phone, only to discover the battery had died long ago. Checking the wall clock, he realized it was already past 10:00 PM the following night.

Rubbing his sore, bloodshot eyes, he headed back toward the ward to hand over his cases, only to spot a familiar silhouette standing near the entrance of the orthopedic wing.

At past 10:00 PM, the lights in the outer corridor had already been dimmed. Visiting family members from the daytime had long departed. Shen Xing froze in his tracks, his gaze traversing the dim hall to land on the man standing in profile.

Captain Jiang had swapped his police uniform for the long down jacket he had frequently worn in Fulan County. He was holding a takeout bag in one hand, pressing his other hand firmly against his left thigh, head slightly bowed.

Hearing approaching footsteps, Jiang Lin looked up. Seeing Shen Xing, his face broke into a smile as he hurried forward, holding out the bag. It was Korean bibimbap from a place Shen Xing loved—famous among Yuetan Hospital staff because they offered self-heating packaging for a small fee, keeping meals hot even through chaotic delays.

“Director Shen is finally out of surgery? I ran into one of your colleagues earlier who said you’d be wrapping up around now. It just arrived and it’s still piping hot. You must be starving—take it inside and eat.”

This wasn’t Fulan County Hospital; inpatient management was exceptionally strict. Aside from physicians, patients, and authorized caregivers, outside visitors were barred from entering the inner wards.

The outer waiting lobby lacked the strong heating of the inner wings. Even Shen Xing felt the chill in the air, and there was no telling how long Jiang Lin had been waiting out here. Looking at the steaming takeout thrust toward him, Shen Xing felt a sudden, burning prickle behind his eyes.

“How long have you been waiting?”

“Not long. Go on, eat up, and then we’ll head home.”

Jiang Lin had asked Shen Xing’s colleagues when the operation began; Shen Xing had been on his feet in surgery for over eight hours. His little glutton was probably dizzy with hunger. If he waited until handing over his shift, changing clothes, and driving out to a restaurant, it would easily take another hour. That was why Jiang Lin had brought the meal directly to him.

Instead of heading inside, Shen Xing sat down right beside him on the cold bench, tearing open the bag with two swift tugs. Jiang Lin pulled his arm:

“It’s freezing out here. Go inside to eat.”

Shen Xing didn’t even look up:

“I’m eating right here.”

Unsure where Director Shen’s sudden stubbornness had come from, Jiang Lin nonetheless pulled apart the disposable wooden chopsticks and handed them over.

Shen Xing took them:

“Have you eaten?”

“I did. Had noodles downstairs—that place you recommended.”

Shen Xing lowered his gaze, his eyes landing on Jiang Lin’s leg:

“Does your leg hurt?”

In weather like this, the old injury was guaranteed to flare up—not to mention standing in this drafty lobby for who knew how long.

“It’s fine. I wore long johns.”

Shen Xing finished the bibimbap in silence:

“Wait for me. I’ll clock out right away.”

“Alright.”

Shen Xing hurried inside, completed the handover in record time, changed into his street clothes, and emerged, only to see Jiang Lin stumble slightly as he rose to his feet. Shen Xing lunged forward immediately, bracing his arm. Jiang Lin quickly reassured him:

“I’m fine, my leg just fell asleep.”

Shen Xing glared at him, pointing toward the large illuminated sign reading “Orthopedic Inpatient Wing”:

“Do you want to look at where you are and who’s standing in front of you? ‘Fell asleep’? It went numb from pain, didn’t it?!”

Getting scolded didn’t bother Jiang Lin; he simply chuckled softly, tugging at Director Shen’s coat, his tone turning remarkably soft:

“Once you come home with me, it won’t hurt anymore.”

That night, Shen Xing refused to let Jiang Lin touch the steering wheel, taking the keys and driving them home himself.

The moment they stepped through the door, Shen Xing moved to inspect his leg. Seeing the bloodshot exhaustion in Shen Xing’s eyes, Jiang Lin couldn’t bear to let him fuss:

“A hot shower will fix it. Or want to shower together?”

In the end, they showered together—a rare occasion where two men in the bathroom didn’t lead to anything illicit. Returning to the bedroom, Shen Xing opened the nightstand drawer to grab the medicated oil to massage him, only for the bottle to be snatched away.

Tossing the oil back into the drawer, Jiang Lin wrapped an arm around Director Shen’s waist, using a deft maneuver to bring him down onto the mattress:

“Go to sleep. I’m fine.”

Shen Xing protested, trying to squirm free, only to find the arm locked around him clamped shut like an iron vise.

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Author’s Note:

With arm strength like this, even if Captain Jiang were fully paralyzed, Director Shen probably wouldn’t stand a chance.