Mar. 3rd, 2023 at 2:59 PM
7.
I woke up very early the next day and went to the studio to record my acoustic solo, this was the only song in the entire new album that belonged only to me, so it was very important to me.
I was too focused, so I only found out at lunchtime that Yan Qin didn’t come to the company and wasn’t answering calls, no one had been able to contact him yet.
Normally he wasn’t one to behave, but, as long as it wasn’t excessive, everyone turned a blind eye to small things like arriving late or early and let him be.
But today seemed unusual, even I thought something felt odd.
The Manager didn’t expect to get any answers from me, so she rushed directly to knock on his door.
Yan Jin crawled to open the door for her.
He had a 39°C fever, it was so high he was delirious.
I ate as I listened to the Manager’s live report from the hospital, she said Yan Jin had originally gotten chilled yesterday and caught a slight cold, but sloppily didn’t pay attention to it at all and had a cold drink after taking a hot shower. As the saying goes, if you play with fire, you’re going to get burnt. His illness worsened in the middle of the night and he noticed while he was asleep, his limbs felt weak and he slowly realised he had a fever, but there was no medicine at home and he couldn’t find anyone to go buy some. He mistakenly believed he could sleep it off, but it got worse the more he dragged it out, and in the end he couldn’t even answer the phone, until he was taken to the hospital by the Manager on the verge of losing consciousness.
I put my chopsticks down with a bang.
“I’m done eating.” I took out a napkin and wiped my mouth, the asked the producer, “What’s the plan for the afternoon?”
“Uh…” The producer smiled helplessly, the meaning in his words clear, “Let’s put his vocals aside for now and record your part… Sigh, with a cold and a fever he won’t be able to use his throat for a while.”
The original plan for today had been to try and record the new song, great, now everything’s delayed. Even if the adult man couldn’t take care of himself properly, wasn’t it a bit too much to drag the others into it and slow down the team’s progress?
Idiot. I was so angry I grinded my back molars. Couldn’t find anyone to help him buy medicine? I live right downstairs, I can even hear him stomping his feet, would it have killed him to give me a shout while he could still move?
I took a sip of water, saying, “Okay, I’ll record first.”
I finished up an hour later and went to the hospital.
When the Manager saw me, it was as if she’d seen a ghost.
“Mr Chi, what are you doing here?”
Obviously I came to curse him out.
I walked in to the room carrying a bag with the still-warm porridge I bought, and placed it on the table next to the hospital bed.
8.
Yan Jin had just received an injection to bring down his fever, he was sitting up against a pillow at the head of the bed, throwing winks and flirtatious glances over my shoulder towards the blushing nurses poking their heads in from the door.
I pulled my mask down and asked them to close the door in embarrassment, telling them to keep it a secret and not let too many people come disturb Yan Jin’s rest, and they kindly agreed.
Once the door was closed, I showed my true colours and bore my fangs, “Eat it while its hot, I put poison in it.”
Yan Jin’s smile was still brilliant even when he was sick, “You really love me so much, Shengsheng, such a good wife and wise mother.”
“Get lost.”
“Oh, right.”
He ate a mouthful and, with the spoon still in his mouth, weakly took out his phone from under the pillow and threw it at me, “Give my mom a call for me.”
“Huh?”
“She called just now, but I hung up.” He said, “She heard I was sick and is probably worried, get back to her and tell her I’m at work. She’ll believe it if you’re the one who says it. She’s never liked me since I was a kid, she only likes you.”
“……”
“Hey just call her, don’t be so petty.”
I glared at him for a bit, then dialled the number.
“Hello, auntie? It’s me, Chi Sheng.”
Yan Jin ate his porridge in small mouthfuls in front of me, his wide eyes swivelling around. He lowered his head when he met my eyes, like a little boy who did something bad.
“Yan Jin is recording so he can’t come out right now, he told me to call you back for him.”
I wanted to go roast him in an anonymous forum, he was really nauseating when he acted all spoiled.
“It’s fine, auntie, he’s okay, you don’t need to worry. He’ll videocall you in two days when he’s done with work.”
Don’t misunderstand, this is me looking at the big picture, the sooner he gets better, the sooner he can go back to work. He can waste his own time however he wishes, but my time is more valuable.
“Yeah, sure, the two of us will come back for New Year’s… Thanks, auntie, I’ll also take care of myself.”
Why would I be nice to him for no reason? I have to make him owe me a favour, the one day I’ll bring it out and use it to mock him, even better if it’s in one of those talk-shows where the guests expose each other.
“See you, auntie.”
Whatever. We’re just superficial brothers anyway.
END.
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