The Withered Tree Always Welcomes Spring chapter 63

Despite Shen Jixue repeatedly assuring that he could take care of himself, Chen Xian still found a caregiver before leaving.

Shen Jixue knew the cost of hiring a caregiver and didn’t want Chen Xian to spend that money. “I can really take care of myself. There’s no need for a caregiver.”

“Don’t be stubborn.” Chen Xian could accommodate Shen Jixue on other matters, but hiring a caregiver was something he had thought through thoroughly. “What will you do for meals if I’m not here? It’s not right to keep troubling others. Spending money for peace of mind is worth it.”

Chen Xian understood Shen Jixue too well; he was always worried about money. “You can take care of yourself otherwise. The caregiver will only handle your meals, and the cost isn’t high. Just don’t worry about it. Why do you, at such a young age, always worry about money?”

Since he had taken responsibility for Shen Jixue’s affairs, he would see it through to the end.

“Don’t worry about the remaining surgery fees either. I won’t abandon you.”

Shen Jixue pressed his lips together. With his current blindness, his abilities were limited. He wanted to repay Chen Xian, but he first needed to cure his eyes; otherwise, he had no say.

“Be good.” Chen Xian rubbed his head with his hand. “Alright, Wu Bie is still waiting downstairs. I should go.”

Shen Jixue instinctively grabbed Chen Xian’s hand. He had touched this hand countless times, knowing every bone and every inch of skin by heart. “Go and come back soon.”

At the door of the ward, Chen Xian didn’t let Shen Jixue walk him any further. “No need to see me off.”

Shen Jixue looked at him longingly, making Chen Xian feel uneasy. He remembered when he had just married Jiang Ying; she would also feel reluctant when he left for the ship. However, Shen Jixue was even clingier, looking heartbroken before he even left, making Chen Xian not want to leave either.

A girl on an IV drip walked past Chen Xian. He quickly stepped aside for her. She smiled and thanked him.

She seemed new; he hadn’t seen her before.

Chen Xian didn’t stay long, urging Shen Jixue back inside before heading to the stairs, turning back three times with each step. Only when Shen Jixue was out of sight did he quicken his pace.

Downstairs at the hospital, Wu Bie was already impatient. “It’s not like you’re not coming back. What’s there to say? You’re so slow.”

Chen Xian smiled, bought two drinks as an apology, and said, “Calm down, let’s go.”

It was tough, having to placate both Shen Jixue and Wu Bie.

Shen Jixue stood at the door for a long time. People came and went. He knew Chen Xian was gone. If not for a nurse coming in to change another patient’s medicine, he wouldn’t have moved.

“Shen Jixue, why are you standing at the door? Don’t block the way. It wouldn’t be good if someone bumped into you.”

Shen Jixue sighed, feeling his way back to the bed.

The nurse seemed to be changing the medicine at the adjacent bed. Shen Jixue remembered the person there had been discharged the previous day. Was there a new patient?

“Are you blind?” A sweet female voice came from the neighboring bed.

Realizing she was talking to him, Shen Jixue nodded out of politeness.

“Why don’t you ask about me?” The girl laughed.

Shen Jixue wasn’t interested in others’ affairs, but her straightforwardness left him no choice but to ask, “And you?”

The girl was very talkative. With just one question, she told Shen Jixue everything about how she got sick, came to the hospital, and was admitted.

“You have no idea how tight hospital beds are right now. It was only through my parents’ connections that I managed to get one.”

Shen Jixue couldn’t possibly be unaware. If it weren’t for Chen Xian, he might not have been able to get a hospital bed at all.

“The doctor told me that once my heart surgery is done, I can go back to school.”

Shen Jixue inexplicably felt a sense of empathy. If his eyes were cured, he could go back to school too.

“Oh right, I’m Lin Qiao. What’s your name?”

Shen Jixue was cautious and protective, not usually willing to chat with strangers. However, Lin Qiao was too friendly and talkative. He couldn’t help but respond, “Shen Jixue.”

“Shen Jixue? What a nice name, and you’re good-looking too.”

It was clear Lin Qiao’s parents loved her. Throughout the afternoon, they showered her with concern. Her outgoing personality must have come from them. Lin Qiao’s parents cut up fruit for her and all the patients in the ward. Seeing Shen Jixue was about the same age, they warmly asked him a few questions.

“You guys should take care of each other in the hospital.”

With Lin Qiao’s parents’ words, Lin Qiao became even more enthusiastic. This made Shen Jixue uncomfortable. He didn’t have the energy to deal with anything else.

He felt for his phone under the pillow, pressed a few buttons, heard the beep confirming it was on, and carefully placed it on his chest. He was afraid of getting distracted and missing Chen Xian’s call.

Finally, in the evening, the caregiver brought him food. She was efficient, rocking his bed, adjusting the pillow, and placing the phone on the table. She poured the food from the thermos and set everything up, inviting him to eat.

“Xiao Shen, is there anything special you want to eat? I’ll make it for you tomorrow.”

The caregiver’s cooking skills surpassed Chen Xian’s by far, but Shen Jixue wasn’t picky. As long as he was full, he didn’t mind what he ate.

Seeing Shen Jixue shake his head, the caregiver proactively handed him the menu, “How about braised pork ribs? Mr. Chen said you need good nutrition, so just tell me what you want.”

“You decide.” Shen Jixue silently noted that Chen Xian had spent money on him again.

After dinner, the caregiver helped him freshen up before leaving. Shen Jixue lay in bed unable to sleep. It had been a whole day, and Chen Xian still hadn’t called. What was going on?

He instinctively reached for his phone under the pillow, but couldn’t find it. He sat up abruptly, checked under the pillow and around the bedside, but found nothing.

Where was his phone?

Shen Jixue panicked, frantically searching the floor, thinking it might have fallen. Suddenly, his arm was grabbed, and someone handed him something. He hurriedly felt it—it was his phone.

“Are you looking for this?” It was Lin Qiao. “Your caregiver just put it on the bedside table.”

Shen Jixue held his breath, closed his eyes tightly, and hugged the phone tightly until he was sure it was okay. Then he sighed with relief.

“Are you waiting for a call?”

Before he could respond to Lin Qiao’s question, the phone in his arms beeped. He didn’t have time to answer Lin Qiao’s question. His face lit up visibly with happiness, and he walked out of the ward leaning against the wall.

“Hello, Chen Xian?”

“You’re still awake?” Chen Xian’s voice was calm but slightly tired. “Busy all day, just arrived today, and had to accompany the boss here for dinner and drinks. Didn’t have time to call you.”

Chen Xian had a good tolerance for alcohol and didn’t sound drunk at all.

Shen Jixue wasn’t normally concerned about these things, but now that Chen Xian explained, he felt a bit aggrieved. “I thought you weren’t going to call me tonight.”

Chen Xian chuckled, then yawned, clearly sleepy. “I almost fell asleep then I remembered to call you.”

Shen Jixue didn’t ask for much, but knowing Chen Xian was thinking of him made him content.

He was about to speak when he heard Wu Bie’s ecstatic voice coming from the phone. “Chen Xian! Are you coming or not? This bathtub is bigger than our room.”

“Coming!” Chen Xian shouted back, then lowered his voice to remind Shen Jixue, “I have other social engagements these next few days. If you don’t hear from me at night, just go to sleep early, especially after surgery, you need to rest. Got it?”

Shen Jixue’s voice was muffled and inexplicably asked, “Are you two staying together?”

“Huh?” Chen Xian didn’t understand what Shen Jixue meant. He traveled with Wu Bie, obviously sharing a room to save money. Of course, they stayed together.

“I’m hanging up.”

Shen Jixue hung up quickly. Chen Xian didn’t react at all. He stared at the dark phone screen. Why… did it seem like he was angry? What was there to be angry about?

Shen Jixue wasn’t angry; he was envious, jealous… he just missed Chen Xian so much, couldn’t be separated for a moment.

Realizing he had gone too far, crossed a line, felt a bit of unnecessary anger.

Feeling dejected, he sat for a while, then got up and walked towards the ward. Just as he lay down, Lin Qiao in the next bed turned over, obviously not asleep.

“I wanted to ask you earlier, why are you alone?”

“Did you just go out to make a call? Who did you call?”

“Is it that guy from this morning?”

Shen Jixue seemed not to hear Lin Qiao’s questions and asked back, “What does he look like?”

“Huh?” This puzzled Lin Qiao. From Shen Jixue’s tone, it seems he had just called the guy she saw in the morning, and he seemed so happy about the call. “Just normal, two eyes, a mouth, nothing special, tall guy. You don’t know what he looks like? Who is he to you?”

“Thank you.”

Shen Jixue buried his face in the pillow, took a deep breath, his smile unable to contain his excitement. Just the thought of Chen Xian, so ordinary, was enough to make him yearn.

Thinking that he would soon undergo surgery and could soon see Chen Xian with his own eyes, his blood accelerated, his veins swelling, and he couldn’t help but tremble with anticipation.