Chapter 96: The Person at the Hospital is Nanzhi
Nanyi moved the chair he had used to hang the roses back inside and took another moment to admire the flowers.
The bright red blossoms against the deep blue sky, gently swaying in the wind, made for a beautiful spring scene.
Nanyi reached for his phone, only to realize he had no pockets; his phone was downstairs in the living room.
"Madam, there's a call for you."
Just as he thought to head downstairs, the butler appeared, holding his constantly ringing phone.
"Who is it?" Heyu Shen asked casually.
"I'm not sure."
Nanyi immediately answered, "Hello?"
"Nanyi! Even if you don't particularly like my mother and me, how could you treat dad this way?"
The sharp reprimand echoed from the phone, unmistakably from the ever-aloof Nanxin.
Nanyi: ...................
"And there's that two-faced Nanzhi! Both of you are equally disgusting!"
"Xinxin! Speak respectfully to your brother! Stick to the matter at hand," came the voice of Nanzhai Min, reprimanding Nanxin.
With a frown of distaste, Nanyi distanced the phone from his ear, swiftly hanging up, blocking the number in one smooth motion.
"Has Heyu Shen not returned yet?"
Nanyi wasn't perturbed by the call and merely posed the question to the butler.
The butler shook his head in response.
Heyu Shen had left early in the morning with Xiaobao to visit Ling Ran. Nanyi had indulged himself by staying home. To his surprise, it was already noon, and Heyu Shen had yet to return.
However, considering both grandfathers hadn't seen Xiaobao in a week, they likely wouldn't return the child home too early.
Seeing no sign of their return anytime soon, Nanyi decided to retreat to his private room and began sketching.
Lately, he managed to maintain only one update per week. His comic series was nearing its conclusion, and Nanyi's online pseudonym had garnered many new fans.
His work was even gaining traction, and the sense of accomplishment made Nanyi feel a hint of pride.
As the afternoon approached, there was still no sign of Heyu Shen. Instead, Nanyi received an urgent call from the alpha.
"Honey, what happened to you?!"
Nanyi, upon answering: ?
"What do you mean, 'what happened?'"
"Hu Wen said he just saw you at the hospital. What's wrong? Why didn't you tell me? Stay put. I'm on my way and will be at the hospital soon."
Nanyi: !!!
"I'm not at the hospital?"
The comic he was working on was left unsaved. Startled, Nanyi abruptly stood up, knocking the chair backward with a loud crash.
"It's Nanzhi! Why is he at the hospital? Please, make sure he stays there."
Overwhelmed, Nanyi rushed out the door in his slippers.
He feared that if he missed seeing Nanzhi now, he wouldn't know how long it would be before their next encounter.
"Alright, take your time coming over. Let Xiao Wang pick you up."
Hearing that it wasn't his own omega on the other end, He Yu Shen's tone became much calmer.
............................
Hospital
From a distance, Hu Wen spotted someone who looked just like Nan Yi. He immediately made a teasing call to He Yushen, but didn't rush over to approach who he thought was Nan Yi.
As a doctor, Hu Wen had his own responsibilities.
First, he checked on several of his patients, noting down their symptoms. By lunchtime, once he was sure none of his patients had serious issues, he headed to pediatrics to meet his lunch companion, Xiao Liu.
As he passed a partially opened ward, he glanced inside casually, but his steps faltered.
Wasn't the person inside He Yushen's beloved wife?
Inside the ward, an omega was feeding porridge to a child on the bed. The child looked about one to two years old. He didn't resemble He Yushen, did he?
"Why are you here alone? Didn't Mr. He come with you?"
Hu Wen entered the room naturally and found a stool to sit on.
The omega feeding the child turned at his words, looking at him with confusion.
Those round eyes; something seemed off to Hu Wen.
"Is this your younger brother?"
Now, the omega looked at him as though he was clueless.
"Who are you? Did they change the doctor?"
"Excuse me?"
Hearing the omega's words, Hu Wen was even more baffled. Even though he hadn't met Nan Yi many times, surely he wouldn't have been completely forgotten.
Subconsciously, Hu Wen touched his own face. Was his appearance really that ordinary?
With such a handsome face that many nurses in the hospital admired, how could He Yushen's wife not remember him?
"You don't recognize me? I'm Hu Wen."
Hu Wen spoke sincerely, his wide eyes unwavering as they fixed on the omega, who turned back to feeding the child.
"Daddy, Da... Dad?"
The child on the bed had a look of distress, capturing Hu Wen's attention.
He was a young alpha. His striking features hinted at the handsome man he would become.
"Daddy's busy. Can Jianjian wait a few more days?"
"Daddy... I want Daddy."
The young alpha's voice quivered with pain, crying out stubbornly for his father. Tears streamed down his face on command.
The omega quickly enveloped the little alpha in a comforting embrace.
"Jianjian, don't cry. Brave boys don't shed tears so easily, or your daddy might not like it."
Even as the omega softly consoled the young alpha, his own face bore a look of sadness. Hu Wen observed him silently, sensing that something was amiss. This man didn't seem to be Nan Yi.
Moreover, the young alpha just called him 'daddy.'
But weren't He Yu Shen and Nan Yi parents to a little omega?
And yet, the two looked identical?
"Daddy, big... liar. Daddy... not... happy, not happy..."
The young alpha struggled to express himself, faltering over his words, but his statement appeared to deeply hurt the omega.
The man holding the young alpha showed the faintest trace of red at the corners of his eyes.
"Daddy loves Jianjian. He's just too busy right now," he responded, his voice trembling slightly.
The vulnerable appearance of the omega evoked pity from Hu Wen. Simultaneously, he was also impressed by the young alpha's linguistic skills, which seemed advanced for his age.
The man on the bed now seemed oblivious to his presence, and Hu Wen momentarily forgot about his lunch plans.
His phone then rang. It was He Yu Shen.
The omega's gaze shifted in his direction. Feeling a bit awkward, Hu Wen excused himself from the room.
He gently closed the door behind him and took a few steps before answering the call.
"Hello, He Yu Shen, I think I made a mistake. He..."
"Is the person you saw still at the hospital? Hold on for ten minutes, I'll be right there."
Hu Wen was confused, wondering if it was truly Nan Yi. He felt utterly bewildered.
"Is he Nan Yi? But why does he have a toddler alpha with him?"
The person on the other end of the call was clearly surprised, pausing for a moment or two.
In those brief seconds, Hu Wen mentally sifted through various clichéd scenarios of being caught in infidelity.
"He's Nan Yi's twin brother, named Nan Zhi. Just keep him there for now."
After explaining, He Yushen immediately hung up the phone.
Hu Wen felt his head spinning in just these few short minutes.
Although he'd dismissed those dramatic assumptions, out of a sense of duty, he returned to the hospital room he had just closed.
Hearing the noise, Nan Zhi turned aound and asked: "Doctor? Is there something you need? It doesn't seem like the regular round time."