DSMIS CH33

Chapter 33: Shen Xing: “There’s someone in your house?”

Shen Xing looked at Jiang Lin. For some reason, he felt that the way the man was looking at him right now was different from usual. It was a bit… special. Specifically, a look of profound, tender affection? Moreover, this look was very familiar. Oh, right—it was practically the exact same look he gave Heibao and Qianjin.

Jiang Lin awkwardly retracted his hand and somewhat flusteredly rearranged the food on the table. He took two bites of his half-eaten deep-fried dough stick, then looked up and asked:

“Do you want me to add another hash brown for you?”

Hearing this, Shen Xing immediately recalled the time the man had said, “Do you want me to open another small can for him?” Oh no, it sounded even more similar now. Had this guy really started treating him like a dog to be coaxed?

Shen Xing couldn’t help but think about his recent behavior in front of Jiang Lin. First, he had overthought Liu Xiaohu going to Beijing for treatment, leading Jiang Lin to notice and proactively take him out for milk tea to comfort him. Then, he had felt “emo” about the low volume of surgeries here, feeling like he’d been exiled, and Jiang Lin had shared his own past experiences to console him. Now, he was unhappy because of family issues… Oh no, did Jiang Lin see him as a sensitive, overthinking, emo little princess who constantly needed comforting? The thought terrified Shen Xing.

Seeing him stay silent, Jiang Lin couldn’t help but call out his name again:

“Doctor Shen?”

Shen Xing instantly looked up and ruffled his own hair twice, attempting to correct this impression:

“Hero, actually, I’m really not that unhappy. This stuff happened so many years ago.”

Jiang Lin nodded very obligingly:

“Mm, I know.”

Shen Xing: “…”

Your ‘I know’ sounds incredibly perfunctory.

Refusing to give up, Shen Xing continued:

“Yes, I admit I’m a little annoyed and unhappy, but really just a little bit. How old am I? I’m 28. If you count by nominal age, I’m 29, almost thirty. I have a job, I have a career. I’m long past the age of needing to rely on love from parents or elders. I truly just listened to it and let it go in one ear and out the other.”

Hearing this, Jiang Lin felt even worse. Perhaps now, that so-called familial affection and backstabbing weren’t that important to him anymore. But what about in the past, when they did matter?

Oh no. Meeting Jiang Lin’s gaze, Shen Xing felt his entire explanation had been in vain.

After leaving KFC, Shen Xing still insisted on driving. If his hands hadn’t been gripping the steering wheel, he definitely would have been scratching his head and ears in frustration. Why couldn’t he explain himself clearly? He wasn’t someone who could keep things bottled up. With a beautiful reverse park, he maneuvered the car neatly into a parking spot downstairs. Shen Xing unbuckled his seatbelt with a click, turned to face the person in the passenger seat, and spoke very formally:

“Hero, you don’t think I’m some emotionally sensitive, overly sentimental poor little thing who constantly gets emo over nothing and needs comforting, do you?”

Jiang Lin was taken aback for a moment before realizing Shen Xing had misunderstood. He smiled:

“Getting accepted into an eight-year joint bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral program at 14, starting to live alone at school, working day and night in a hospital, and being a genius on track to become an associate chief physician before 30… it would be pretty hard for someone like that to be a ‘poor little emo thing,’ wouldn’t it?”

Hearing this barrage of flattering titles made it hard for Shen Xing not to feel a bit smug inside. However, he kept a straight face and asked:

“Do you really think so?”

“The People’s Police do not lie.”

Only then did Shen Xing let him off the hook, and Jiang Lin breathed a sigh of relief.

After they went upstairs, Jiang Lin unlocked his door. Shen Xing didn’t go to his own apartment but followed Jiang Lin directly to his entryway:

“I’m coming in with you to check your leg.”

Shen Xing didn’t even take off his shoes upon entering. He pressed Jiang Lin into a chair in the dining room, crouched down, and rolled up his pant leg. As expected, his left leg was cold and swollen, much worse than during his first examination. If he pressed a finger into the calf, it practically left a pit. Jiang Lin felt a bit guilty and somewhat uncomfortable:

“The weather was a bit cold last night…”

Shen Xing was so exasperated he laughed:

“Blaming the cold weather again, huh? Let’s see what you say when it’s summer. Remember to find a new excuse next time. Soak your feet with the herbal packet I prescribed last time. Here are the medicated plasters I just got for you; stick them on the joints. When you sleep, elevate your leg with a pillow.”

Jiang Lin took the plasters Shen Xing pulled from his pocket and nodded obediently. Only after giving his instructions did Shen Xing finally go home.

Having stayed up all night, he was originally exhausted. But after taking a shower and lying in bed, his sleepiness vanished. He picked up his phone, found his chat with Shen Rukun, and opened it. There were several messages. The first few asked how his support work in Yunnan was going, but the latter ones began subtly inquiring about the postgraduate admission situation at the medical university where he now had teaching duties. Hah, Patrick Star, that gossip prince, had guessed it right on the money. To help Shen Hao, he was truly willing to throw away his pride.

He tossed the phone aside and pulled the blanket over himself, ready to sleep. But the frustration sat heavy on his chest like a rock, making it hard to breathe. Three minutes later, he picked up the phone again:

“The baseline: undergraduate GPA no lower than 3.6, CET-6 score over 560, and postgraduate preliminary exam score no lower than 385. This will grant an opportunity for an interview. For the re-examination, candidates from prestigious undergraduate universities or those who have published SCI papers will be prioritized.”

He and Shen Hao had barely met twice, so it wasn’t exactly deliberate targeting. These were simply the admission principles of their medical school from last year. Of course, these principles didn’t apply rigidly to everyone. Wherever there are people, there are social dynamics; there were always students who didn’t fully meet these conditions but were still admitted into a research group for “other reasons.” However, regarding these “other reasons,” Shen Rukun and his brood could forget about ever getting them from him.

Less than two minutes later, a reply came back:

“If we know a professor, could these conditions be relaxed?”

Shen Xing laughed at this blatantly obvious probing:

“Sure, if you were the president of the Academy of Medical Sciences, they could be relaxed. Since you’re not, put away your little schemes. Where did your usual aloof arrogance go? You’re old enough to know better, have some shame.”

After sending that, the pent-up frustration in his chest finally dissipated. No matter how much his phone pinged and vibrated afterward, he didn’t look at it again and fell straight asleep.

When he opened his eyes again, it was the middle of the night. He had slept for nearly ten hours. He rubbed his eyes, sat up, and picked up his phone, seeing several missed calls. They were from his grandfather. Normally, he would have called back immediately. But looking at these missed calls now, he felt a chill in his heart. He sat leaning against the headboard, holding his phone, without turning on the light.

To his grandfather, his dad was his biological son. Back then, his dad’s scandalous affair had made him furious enough to sever ties. But that didn’t mean he would never forgive his son for cheating for the rest of his life. This time, his maternal grandfather just happened to catch them. Who knew how many times his dad had brought that family over to his grandfather’s house to enjoy ‘family bliss’ when no one was watching? Perhaps because people tend to think in extremes at night, he even found himself wondering: His grandfather dots on him and spoils him to his face, but who’s to say he isn’t exactly the same with Shen Hao?

After all, even though Shen Hao was the child of his dad and the mistress, they were now legally married. From a bloodline perspective, his and Shen Hao’s kinship to their grandfather was exactly the same.

Unable to fall back asleep for the rest of the night, he simply got up to read medical literature and finish a total hip replacement surgery video he hadn’t completed last time. Compared to the scalpel in his hand, that little family melodrama truly wasn’t worth wasting his time and energy on.

The video ended at 6 AM. Shen Xing was hungry and craving his deluxe beef noodles. He rubbed the Samoyed that had cuddled up against him, checked the time, and sent Jiang Lin a message:

“Shen’s Deluxe Beef Noodles are available this morning. Reply ‘1’ to pre-order.”

Not even three minutes later:

“1”

Shen Xing smiled, hopped out of bed, boiled water, and then took out all his deluxe side ingredients one by one. Five minutes later, when the knock on the door sounded, he had just added the last seasoning packet. He walked briskly over to open the door:

“Perfect timing. It’ll be ready in a second.”

Jiang Lin looked at the person inside. Shen Xing hadn’t changed out of his pajamas yet, but he looked very energetic. His eyes were just like the time they went out for hot pot, seemingly filled entirely with anticipation for the upcoming deluxe supreme instant noodles. Without realizing it himself, Jiang Lin breathed a sigh of relief seeing his energetic state.

Once again at the coffee table, two bowls of Shen’s Deluxe Supreme Beef Noodles were served. Shen Xing seemed to have a particular fondness for eating instant noodles on this 5,500 yuan carpet.

Jiang Lin couldn’t help but ask:

“Why are you up making noodles so early?”

“It’s not early. I went to sleep right after coming back yesterday. Slept for nearly ten hours and woke up in the middle of the night. Watched a surgery video, and when it finished, it was exactly time for breakfast. How’s your leg? Has the swelling gone down?”

“It has. Those medicated plasters of yours work very well.”

Jiang Lin took a bite of Spam and laughed:

“This is bad. Now that I’m used to your deluxe instant noodles, I won’t be able to stomach the regular ones anymore.”

Shen Xing chuckled:

“I kept feeling like something was missing last time. This noodle soup is still missing its soul.”

“What soul?”

“Have you ever had the braised beef from the northwest corner of Tianjin City?”

“Are you talking about those time-honored brands where you always have to wait in line?”

“Yes! During my night shifts, I survived entirely on the braised beef from those old shops. If you pair this deluxe beef noodle soup with that braised beef, it’s so fragrant it could literally make your soul leave your body.”

Those shops always had long lines, so Jiang Lin rarely bought from them. But seeing the literal stars in Shen Xing’s eyes now, he knew just how much he loved it.

Shen Xing spoke as he ate:

“No, no, I can’t think about it anymore. The more I think about it, the more I crave it.”

Jiang Lin recalled the phone call from Director Song yesterday:

“The Supreme People’s Court has approved Yang Chunlai’s death sentence. It will be carried out at the end of this month. In exchange for information about a drug dealer who fled overseas, he requested to see the person who caught him. Consider whether you want to see him. Don’t force yourself. Just give me an answer within two days.”

Jiang Lin looked up:

“Do you really want to eat it that much?”

Shen Xing nodded vigorously like a chicken pecking rice:

“I really, really do. If I could teleport back to Tianjin City right now, I’d definitely buy five jin of it.”

In Jiang Lin’s office at the county bureau, he returned a call to Director Song.

“Director Song, I can see him.”

“Alright, I’ll make the arrangements.”

An understated black sedan stopped at the entrance of the county bureau. A plainclothes armed police officer stepped out and opened the rear door for him:

“Captain Jiang.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Jiang Lin nodded to them and got into the car. The car glided away from the county bureau, heading straight for the Baoshan City airport. Checking the time, Jiang Lin called Shen Xing right around the midday break. The call was answered quickly:

“Hero.”

“Something came up at the unit, I need to make a trip back to Tianjin City. I have an afternoon flight and should be back by tomorrow night. I’ll have Du Binbin pass my house key to you. Could you help me look after Heibao?”

“Sure, no problem. How are you getting to the airport? Are you driving yourself?”

“The unit sent a car for me.”

“That’s good. Be safe on the road.”

“I will.”

Jiang Lin’s flight arrived at the Tianjin City airport at 6:30 PM. Upon disembarking, personnel from the Municipal Bureau were already waiting for him. They took a special VIP channel out of the airport and got into an ordinary-looking black sedan:

“Captain Jiang, it’s late today. Director Song said he’ll have someone pick you up tomorrow morning. Shall we take you home now?”

“Please take me to the northwest corner first. I need to buy something.”

The protection period for Jiang Lin following that mission hadn’t expired yet. The two men picking him up weren’t from his former anti-narcotics detachment; they were specially assigned by the Municipal Bureau to serve as his close protection detail.

“Understood.”

The two men followed Jiang Lin closely. They were actually quite curious about this anti-narcotics detachment captain, who had achieved such remarkable merits in his early thirties. They assumed he needed to buy something urgent, but to their surprise, he walked to the entrance of a time-honored Halal braised beef shop and naturally took his place at the end of the line. Zou Mingming even thought his eyes were playing tricks on him. He looked up at the shop sign twice, it was indeed a braised beef shop.

This legendary anti-narcotics detachment captain didn’t ask about the drug dealer’s situation upon landing, nor did he go home. Instead, he came to line up for braised beef? Why was this situation so surreal?

Over ten minutes later, it was finally Jiang Lin’s turn. He bought five jin of braised beef, three jin of beef tripe, and two jin of braised beef tendon. Knowing he was injured, Zou Mingming proactively stepped forward and carried the bags for him.

Shen Xing clocked out on time that day. As soon as he got home, he unlocked Jiang Lin’s door:

“Heibao?”

Hearing the door open, Heibao, whose ears were already pricked up, quickly ran over. Shen Xing crouched down and rubbed his head, finding the leash and holding it in his hand:

“Your dad is on a business trip. You’re coming home with uncle today.”

Perhaps because he was familiar with the scent of Shen Xing and Qianjin, Heibao didn’t display excessive vigilance when entering Shen Xing’s home. The moment the white furball inside saw him, he sprinted over on all fours like a wild thing. His two pink ears twitched rapidly as he whined and whimpered, running straight up to Heibao and rubbing his head against the shepherd’s neck. Heibao’s ears twitched, a low rumble emanating from his throat. After letting the Samoyed rub against him for a while, he lowered his head and rubbed back.

Shen Xing generously poured dog food for both furbabies and opened a small can for each. He poked his Samoyed’s head with a finger:

“You’re riding your big brother’s coattails today, you know that? Otherwise, you wouldn’t be getting a small can.”

The Samoyed’s response was to nudge Shen Xing’s hand with his rump. Without overthinking it, Shen Xing took out his phone and initiated a video call with Jiang Lin.

Jiang Lin had just stepped out of the shower and hadn’t dried his hair yet when he answered the video call:

“Hero, you’re home? Look, thanks to Heibao today, our silly dog got to eat canned food too, you…”

Before he could finish his sentence, he noticed someone behind Jiang Lin. It looked like a quite young man. Shen Xing instantly stopped mid-sentence, a flicker of discomfort, one he couldn’t quite explain himself, passing through his heart:

“There’s someone in your house.”

__

Author’s Note:

Shen Xing: Oh no, in his eyes, I’m actually a sensitive, emo, poor little thing. He’s coaxing me like I’m a dog [Pity]