The Complete Guide to the Use and Care of a Personal Assistant
Translator: Jury
Editor: NomNom, Cien
First Published on Chaleuria
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Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-four
Hearing the words ‘Hu Yueyuan,’ Ling Miao inexplicably felt disgusted. He wanted to hang up but he also knew Hu Yueyuan was well aware of his dislike for her and wouldn’t call him for something unimportant. Ling Miao asked coldly, “What is it?”
“What is it?” Hu Yueyuan’s tone was mocking. “If you don’t come back, you won’t get to see your dad for the last time. I wasn’t going to call you since you don’t have a close relationship with him, but he wanted to see you, so I had to call.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Ling Miao’s face was calm and his tone impatient, his voice indicating his attitude. As Hu Yueyuan said, he didn’t have the greatest feelings for his father. But it was his father after all, and it would be cold-blooded of Ling Miao not to inquire after him now that something had happened.
Hu Yueyuan glanced at the man sleeping soundly on a bed and sneered, “What’s wrong with him? He’s ill!”
“He’s so healthy, how could he have gotten sick?” At that moment, Ling Miao suspected Hu Yueyuan was playing a trick on him and he felt the urge to hang up the phone.
Sensing Ling Miao’s thoughts, Hu Yueyuan finally got to the point: “A certain someone upset him, and now he’s lying in the hospital.”
“I’m in Guangzhou right now. I’ll be back in Chongqing tomorrow. Which hospital is he in?” Ling Miao’s heart clenched at Hu Yueyuan’s words and he could only think one thing: His father had found out about him and Su Yuyang. Hu Yueyuan gave him the name of the hospital and room number then hung up.
As the call ended, Ling Miao’s fingers gradually lost their strength. The phone fell from his hand to the ground with a thunk. Seeing Ling Miao’s worried expression, Su Yuyang didn’t ask. He silently picked up the phone and gently put his arms around the other man. Ling Miao was shivering. Su Yuyang caressed his back, hoping to reassure him, but Ling Miao trembled even more violently, as if someone were shaking his body.
“Whatever it is, we can take care of it tomorrow. Let’s sleep,” Su Yuyang said gently.
Ling Miao stared at Su Yuyang and replied haltingly, “My dad might know about our relationship. He’s currently in the hospital.” Even though Ling Miao wasn’t close to his father, he wasn’t cold-blooded. At the thought that his dad might have collapsed from stress because of him, guilt and self-reproach welled up in Ling Miao and he felt he couldn’t possibly face his father.
Su Yuyang froze for a moment. Then he consoled Ling Miao, saying, “What are you worried about? Even if the sky falls, I’ll pick it up. Even if your dad wants to hit you or scold you, I’ll take your place. Even if he kicks you out of his house, I’ll take you in. Honestly, my family register only has my name on it, it’s lonely.”
“I don’t want to be entered in your family register,” Ling Miao retorted. “You talk like I’m going to marry you!” His fist landed on Su Yuyang’s back and Su Yuyang mimed vomiting blood. The other man hadn’t held back his punch. Fortunately, Su Yuyang was strong, or else he might have really sustained internal injuries.
“Alright, alright! I won’t register you.” Su Yuyang smoothed Ling Miao’s hair and thought, You’re already living in my house. How long will it be before you’re registered as my family? Ling Miao was unaware of Su Yuyang’s thoughts. If he’d known, he would have probably threatened to move out of the man’s house. Hmph. You have your defenses but I have a ladder to climb walls. We’ll see who surrenders first. The matter of who would enter whose register was an issue that had only been brought up incidentally and the rest of the night passed uneventfully.
In the morning, Xie Ruoyan took the two to the airport. Before Xie Ruoyan left, Ling Miao stated that, if he had the chance, he would visit him and Lin Ming. But Su Yuyang found this strange: When did the two of them get so close? He even thought it funny. The first time Ling Miao and Xie Ruoyan had met at the airport, the atmosphere had been one of drawn swords and strung bows. In a few short days, the two had become good friends. Su Yuyang could only exclaim at the wonders of the world.
Because they had gotten up early and Ling Miao hadn’t slept his fill, he leaned against Su Yuyang’s shoulder the moment they boarded the plane to catch up on sleep. Su Yuyang tenderly watched Ling Miao, noting how exhausted he looked. Ling Miao had tossed and turned in bed the previous night. Su Yuyang had been awoken by him many times, but he didn’t wake his restless lover. While Ling Miao still slept, Su Yuyang had quietly switched to the other bed. Now that Ling Miao could finally sleep soundly, Su Yuyang naturally couldn’t bear to disturb him. However, his own mind was restless.
The more Su Yuyang thought, the more he felt some things were odd. There was someone who knew of his relationship with Ling Miao and who might have told his dad. Mulling it over and over, Su Yuyang could only think of Hu Yueyuan. On the way to the airport, Ling Miao had recounted in detail the phone call with Hu Yueyuan the previous night. But when Su Yuyang compared all the facts, he realized something disturbing.
From what he knew of Hu Yueyuan, if Ling Miao’s father had really found out about him and Ling Miao, Hu Yueyuan would be so pleased her tail would point to the sky. She would be pleased, not mocking. “Hu Yueyuan didn’t say who exactly angered Ling Miao’s dad. Ling Miao just assumed his father had fainted because of him. It was to make Ling Miao admit his own guilt, right? This woman! I thought she was simple and straightforward, but she’s quite calculating.” After analyzing the matter, Su Yuyang came to a conclusion: Before they were sure whether Ling Miao’s father knew of their relationship, they should proceed under the assumption that he didn’t know.
Su Yuyang looked at Ling Miao’s furrowed forehead and tenderly smoothed the wrinkles. “Xiao Miao, you always have me.” He glanced at the time; the plane was about to take off. Pulling out his phone, he sent a text to Feng Ji, then turned it off.
Feng Ji was currently entangled with An Yan, and the sound of a text message interrupted their good time. Already upset, Feng Ji almost broke his phone upon seeing the contents. He called Su Yuyang to object but Su Yuyang had already turned off his phone. Feng Ji called Ling Miao and got the same response. “Su Yuyang, I vehemently request an extension of my vacation!” Feng Ji kissed An Yan’s reddening cheeks and lamented, “Yuyang and Xiao Miao are back. I have to go to the airport to pick them up. You continue sleeping.” An Yan curled up in the blankets and nodded. His shy expression drove Feng Ji wild.
Feng Ji finally learned the meaning of ‘trouble comes in twos.’ Not only did Su Yuyang’s text interrupt his good time, but it also forced him to delay his vacation. The moment Su Yuyang climbed in the car, he told Feng Ji about Ling Miao’s father falling ill. With no other choice, Feng Ji helplessly accepted the truth of the matter. Su Yuyang suggested that Feng Ji hire two other people but Feng Ji said that he preferred to delay his vacation in order to cut costs. To this Su Yuyang replied, “Just wait.”
On the way to the hospital, Su Yuyang told Ling Miao his theory. Ling Miao listened then sank into thought. After a long time, he finally had an idea: “How about this? I’ll go in first and test the waters with my dad. If it’s nothing to do with us, we’ll just leave. If they know about us, then I’ll arrange for you to meet him.”
“No, I want to meet your dad. As your employer.” Su Yuyang’s eyes took on a mischievous glint.