A month later, in the second obstetrics and gynecology doctor’s office.
Jiang Xu and Shen Fangyu almost simultaneously took off their white coats and stood up, one left through the front door, the other through the back, disappearing at opposite ends of the hallway toward the elevators.
Jiang Xu was holding a half-finished cup of instant porridge in his left hand, checking his email with his right, when he stepped into the underground parking lot. From a distance, he spotted Shen Fangyu, the same man who had just been walking in the opposite direction from him.
He hesitated for a moment and walked a few meters farther away, but Shen Fangyu simply got into his car, made a sharp turn, and stopped right in front of him. Lowering the window and leaning an elbow on the frame, Shen winked at him. “New car. Pretty, right?”
The two of them shared a hobby common to most men around the world, they liked cars.
Sure enough, the moment Shen spoke, Jiang Xu’s gaze drifted to the new car.
It was bright yellow, too flashy for his taste, but the model… was the newest release from a brand he had long had his eye on. Because of work, and later the unexpected child, he’d lost the mood for it and hadn’t even gone to the dealership for a test drive.
As if reading his mind, Shen got out of the car and opened the passenger door for him. “Want to try?”
Ever since their unpleasant falling-out, the two of them had barely spoken over the past month. Aside from formal work handovers, the only other message had been when Li Li gave birth, Shen had sent a brief, “Mother and child are safe.”
It was almost laughable, Jiang Xu’s own younger sister, and yet it was Shen Fangyu who had been the first to share the good news with him.
For the past two months, Shen had been following through on his “stay away from me” declaration. This was the first time he’d taken the initiative to approach Jiang Xu.
Jiang Xu glanced at him. “If I’m going to try, it should be from the driver’s seat.”
“I didn’t even take the key out. What if you just drive off with it?” Shen replied, sounding genuinely concerned. “Come on, I’ve even opened the door for you. Give me some face and sit down.”
Jiang Xu’s eyes held a trace of suspicion, he was sure Shen was up to no good.
“If you’re too scared to sit, forget it.” Shen shrugged and made as if to close the door.
Jiang Xu immediately raised his hand to block it, shooting him a cool sideways look. “Who’s scared?”
Completely forgetting that three months ago, he’d been baited into trouble by this exact tactic.
He stepped past Shen toward the passenger seat. But just as he was about to get in, Shen suddenly grabbed his wrist from behind. Jiang Xu, holding something in his hands, didn’t have time to react before there was a “click” and a cold metal cuff locked around his wrist. While he was still caught off guard, Shen scooped him up and deposited him neatly into the passenger seat, buckled his seatbelt, slid into the driver’s seat, and locked the doors.
With the seatbelt across his chest and his hands cuffed behind his back, Jiang Xu tested the restraints and then looked at Shen expressionlessly. “Where did you get the handcuffs?”
“Vending machine.”
Right, couldn’t buy condoms, but was perfectly at home buying sex toys.
As if reading his mind again, Shen said, “After you criticized me that day, Teacher Jiang, I went to study up a bit.”
“Are you tired of living?” Jiang Xu asked flatly.
Shen set the porridge between the seats, slipped Jiang Xu’s phone back into his shirt pocket, and smiled. “My apologies, but I’m acting on someone’s request.”
The bright yellow sports car sped down the road. Jiang Xu sat in silence, listening to the cheerful music in the cabin, seriously contemplating how best to dispose of Shen Fangyu’s body later.
The car rolled to a stop in the parking lot of Kangjia Private Hospital, where Tang Ke greeted them with a smile, remarking on Shen Fangyu’s efficiency.
When Jiang Xu had found out he was pregnant, Tang Ke had repeatedly reminded him to come for a prenatal checkup in the third month. But when the time came, no matter how many times Tang urged him, all Jiang Xu ever replied was “busy.”
Left with no choice, and with a sense of duty toward his patient, Dr. Tang had directly called Shen Fangyu, who immediately condemned Jiang Xu’s disregard for his health and promised to bring him in as soon as possible.
But when the passenger door opened, Tang Ke went silent.
“I heard this was your doing?” Jiang Xu bit down on his molars.
His face was expressionless, but it still sent a chill down Tang Ke’s spine. Trembling, Tang reached to unbuckle the seatbelt, only to see the handcuffs on Jiang Xu’s wrists. He drew in a sharp breath and nearly fainted.
Shen Fangyu really wasn’t afraid of dying…
The culprit himself strolled out from the driver’s seat at an easy pace, twirling the handcuff key in his hand. He glanced at Tang Ke. “Well? Didn’t I complete the mission beautifully?”
Beautifully? This was practically a suicide mission. Tang Ke didn’t dare say a word and retreated three meters away.
Sure enough, the moment the cuffs came off, Jiang Xu spun around, seized Shen Fangyu’s hand with one of his own, hooked his right arm around Shen’s neck, and slammed his face against the car window.
“Easy,” Shen protested at the pressure.
Just as Jiang Xu was about to speak, Shen took advantage of his distraction to twist around, wrenching Jiang Xu’s arm back and locking it against his spine. Jiang Xu reacted quickly, lifting a leg to kick at his lower body. Shen suddenly lost his balance and instinctively lunged forward, pressing Jiang Xu beneath him. But just before they both hit the ground, he twisted again, reversing their positions.
Dust flew up. With a heavy thud, Shen Fangyu hit the ground, and Jiang Xu landed straddling him. Instinctively, Jiang Xu swung a punch, driving it hard into Shen’s shoulder. Shen grunted but took the blow without dodging.
“Why didn’t you move?” Jiang Xu looked at him like he was insane.
“Cooled off yet?” Shen propped himself up on his elbows, half-sitting as he looked up at Jiang Xu straddling him. The chill autumn breeze ruffled his collar. He nodded toward his other shoulder. “If not, go ahead and hit this side too.”
The anger in Jiang Xu’s chest suddenly refused to rise.
Clicking his tongue, he stood up and said to Tang Ke, “Weren’t we here for a checkup?” He glanced at his watch. “Let’s go.”