"You were a hooligan when you were young, and you're a hooligan now that you're old. But I still like you."
Meng Xiangbei felt relieved.
The two chatted for a while longer. After a few seconds of silence, Lin Zhibai said calmly, "Brother Meng, my time is almost up."
Meng Xiangbei was stunned.
Lin Zhibai grasped his hand.
“Brother Meng, do you know what? Last night, I had a nightmare. I dreamt that you didn’t want me anymore, that you married the village chief’s daughter, that I didn’t take the college entrance exam, that I couldn’t get into Capital University, that I couldn’t become a teacher, and that I committed suicide in the river.
This dream felt so real, so real that I almost thought I had actually experienced it. Thankfully, thankfully you were there when I woke up. I achieved my dream, and you've been with me ever since.
I love this marriage certificate. It's proof that we're together, it's proof of your love for me. Brother Meng, I'm so happy to have met you in this life, and so happy that you've been with me all my life. I'm content."
Lin Zhibai's voice grew weaker and weaker until finally fell silent.
The old man closed his eyes and stopped breathing. He held one hand with Meng Xiangbei's fingers intertwined, and with the other hand he tightly clutched the two marriage certificates to his heart.
Meng Xiangbei leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead.
The entire world was filled with magnificent colors at this moment. The world slowly condensed and finally became a beautiful bubble-like thing.
This is a dream, and also Lin Zhibai's beautiful and fulfilling life.
[The first world is complete]
After Meng Xiangbei devoured Lin Zhibai's dream, he returned to the underworld and waited at the Meng Po soup place.
A short while later, another person appeared—to be precise, a teenager holding a child who was about a year old.
The boy seemed disoriented, muttering incoherently, "An ge'er is sick, save him, don't die, don't die..."
Meng Xiangbei accepted Qiao Qingjun's (the boy's) commission and began weaving a dream. The boy said he wanted to give his son a happy home.
-
In the capital city, in the dead of winter, the night was pitch black, and torrential rain drowned out all sounds. Occasionally, lanterns hung under the eaves of houses, but the light was dim.
As night approached, in such terrible, cold weather, everyone was staying at home, huddled in their blankets for warmth and a good night's sleep.
The biting wind felt like a dull knife cutting into your face; the utter cold froze your hands and feet, and your blood almost solidified.
The rain continued for a full day and night without stopping, leaving deep puddles on the roads.
Suddenly, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
A boy wearing a straw raincoat and a bamboo hat was running forward, carrying a lantern in one hand and seemingly protecting something in front of his chest with the other. His feet waded through the water.
The water was up to his slender ankles, and the rain splashed up as he ran, soaking his robe, but he paid no attention, seemingly oblivious to the discomfort and cold.
He carefully protected what was on his chest, with almost two-thirds of his raincoat draped over his chest, leaving most of his back soaked by the rain.
In the cold rain of the night, he shivered and tightened his grip on the child he had tied to his chest.
Indeed, the boy was carefully protecting a child, about one year old, but the child's condition did not seem to be very good; his eyes were closed and his face was flushed.
The boy could feel the scalding heat emanating from the child in front of him.
The child was probably uncomfortable, as he kept squirming.
"Good boy, Daddy's going to find a doctor. It doesn't hurt anymore, it doesn't hurt anymore," the boy said clumsily.
He was so anxious that he cried, and tears fell from his eyes.
Carrying the lantern, he quickened his pace, but unexpectedly tripped over a pebble on the road and fell forward.
He quickly shielded the child with his hands.
The child was protected and didn't get wet, but he was soaked to the bone after falling into the water, looking like a drowned rat. Even as he stood up, rain was still dripping from his clothes.
It got much darker around us.
The lantern rolled into the water beside it and had long since gone out.
The boy paused for a moment, then walked over and picked up the lantern. He shook it, and rainwater fell from the lantern, but it would never light up again.
"It's not working, it's not working, what should I do?"
The boy murmured in fear.
"My husband, my husband, where are you? An ge'er is sick, sick."
Tears streamed down his face. In the cold night, only the wind howled and the sound of heavy rain fell on the ground echoed his presence. There wasn't a single pedestrian on the road except for him.
The lantern fell to the ground, and the boy reached out to wipe away his tears: "Aqing, don't cry, don't cry. We need to find a doctor, find a doctor."
The choked-up boy once again protected the child in his arms and walked forward.
Without the illumination of lanterns, relying on the occasional faint light from lanterns under the eaves of other houses, it was difficult to see clearly.
Fearing he would fall again, the boy dared not run anymore.
Is this the place?
"Still here?"
"No, no, there are small flowers engraved on them."
They finally arrived at their destination, but in front of a row of almost identical houses, Qiao Qingjun couldn't tell which one was the doctor's house.
His husband, Meng Xiangbei, once brought him here to see a doctor. Later, his husband became very busy and stopped accompanying him, so he came by himself, but he always made mistakes.
After that, he found a small knife and secretly carved a small flower in a corner of the doctor's house.
The light was too dim, and Qiao Qingjun couldn't see anything at all, so he could only feel his way around with his hands.
The baby in his arms squirmed uncomfortably. Qiao Qingjun wanted to pat the baby's back to comfort him, but then hesitated because his hands were wet.
"Don't cry, don't cry, my dear An ge'er, Daddy's here."
He comforted him while continuing to explore.
He couldn't find it no matter what he did, and his already reddened eyes reddened even more. He was extremely panicked: "Why can't I find it? What should I do? Little flower, where is the little flower?"
Fortunately, after his prayers, he finally managed to touch the rough little flower he had carved.
"Doctor, doctor, open the door! An ge'er is sick, he's sick!"
Please open the door, please.
Qiao Qingjun shouted loudly at the door, but whether it was because the rain was too heavy and drowned out his voice, or because he was sleeping too soundly, no one heard him. He shouted for a long time but no one came to open the door.
Qiao Qingjun pounded on the door with all his might, his palms turning red, but he continued pounding tirelessly.
There was no sound from inside the door.
"What to do, what to do?"
Qiao Qingjun looked down at the child. The child's face was even redder than before. The child was no longer wriggling. The little bundle looked listless and lifeless, as if it might stop breathing at any moment.
"Waaah, what should Aqing do? An ge'er is burning up, he's in so much pain."
"My husband, I'm looking for my husband."
Qiao Qingjun straightened his raincoat and straw hat, which were already mostly wet, and ran in one direction following his memory.
After a quarter of an hour, they finally arrived at the back gate of a large mansion, with four characters hanging on the gate: Marquis Zhongyuan's Residence.
He kept banging on the door, crying out, "Husband, husband, An ge'er is sick, there's no doctor, An ge'er is in so much pain."
"My lord, my lord."
On a cold, rainy day, the gatekeeper, having locked the bolt and wrapped himself in a blanket, was dozing off when he was startled awake by the howling and wailing outside.
The man's wailing continued unabated. Enraged, the servant put on his shoes, jumped out of bed, and violently pushed the man away, shouting, "Who is it? What are you doing, wailing like this in the middle of the night?"
Seeing the door open, Qiao Qingjun's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly said, "An ge'er is sick, there is no doctor, please find my husband, husband."
Qiao Qingjun has a mental disability, and his speech is often illogical. Now that he is nervous, his words are incoherent.
The servant glanced at him irritably.
He wore a wet raincoat and a bamboo hat. His face was quite handsome, but it was hard to tell whether the liquid on his face was tears or rain. He seemed to be holding something tightly in his arms, which was hidden from view.
The servant looked at him with disdain. He didn't recognize the man, and he seemed to be a fool.
"Get out, get out! What kind of doctor or husband is here? Don't cause trouble here. This is the Marquis of Zhongyuan's residence. If you mess with me, I'll make you regret it."
The servant closed the door behind him.
Qiao Qingjun rushed forward to block it, but his hand was pinched and he cried out in pain.
"What, you still want to come in? No way! What kind of idiot are you? Get out of here, or I'll beat you to death." The servant shoved Qiao Qingjun out and picked up a stick, pretending to hit him.
The door slammed shut.
Qiao Qingjun sat on the steps, holding the child in his arms, sobbing.
What should he do?
-
In a magnificent courtyard of the Marquis of Zhongyuan's residence, the man on the bed suddenly opened his eyes.
He paused for a few seconds, then seemed to realize something. He quickly got up, put on his outer robe, opened the door, put on an oilcloth, and strode into the pouring rain.
He arrived at the back gate of the Marquis's residence as quickly as possible.
"Young Marquis."
The servant, who had just closed the door and gone to the outhouse, was startled when he saw Meng Xiangbei.
It's so late at night, shouldn't the young lord be resting? Why is he here?
"Roll."
Just as the servant was about to step forward to greet him, he was immediately kicked to the ground by Meng Xiangbei while blocking the doorway.
Meng Xiangbei suddenly opened the door and saw a dark figure sitting on the steps.
Hearing the door open, the person looked back and immediately saw Meng Xiangbei.
"My husband, my husband..."
Qiao Qingjun thought he would never see Meng Xiangbei again, but unexpectedly he reappeared.
He stood up and walked towards Meng Xiangbei, crying like a child, tugging at Meng Xiangbei's sleeve, revealing the child in his arms.
“An ge'er, An ge'er is sick, and we can’t find a doctor.”
His once fair and delicate face was now completely flushed, his eyes were closed and he didn't move.
Meng Xiangbei reached out and touched his forehead.
Even though he was mentally prepared, the scalding temperature still startled him.
High fever! No wonder they all died from the fever in the end.
"Don't be afraid, your husband is here. I'll take you and An ge'er to find a doctor right now."
The child's condition couldn't be delayed. To save time, Meng Xiangbei led the horse, carried Qiao Qingjun and the baby An ge'er in his arms onto the horse, and draped the oil from his own body over Qiao Qingjun.
"Aqing, hold me tight, we're going to find a doctor right now."
The sound of horses' hooves pounded through the water, splashing up layer upon layer of water droplets.
About fifteen minutes later, they stopped in front of a house.
This is the residence of a retired imperial physician.
He didn't go to the doctor that Qiao Qingjun had originally found; it was a third-rate doctor who couldn't cure An ge'er's illness.
After carrying Qiao Qingjun and An ge'er down, Meng Xiangbei immediately went up and knocked on the door.
Upon learning that the visitors were the young master of the Zhongyuan Marquis's mansion, the steward welcomed the family of three inside.
The old imperial physician, who was about sixty years old, hurriedly got out of bed.
Meng Xiangbei sought him out for two reasons: firstly, he was an imperial physician, whose medical skills were certainly better than those of ordinary doctors; secondly, this old imperial physician had once been acquainted with the deceased Marquis, who was Meng Xiangbei's deceased grandfather.
"How did the child get such a high fever?"
The old imperial physician exclaimed upon seeing the child in Qiao Qingjun's arms, "This child is almost burned out! How could you, as the father, not take good care of him? Quickly, bring him in, bring him in!"
The old imperial physician couldn't stand seeing children get sick.
There are many dirty and sordid things in the palace. Many of the concubines' schemes are also used against the princes and princesses. Over the years, the old imperial physician has seen many children die young, either openly or secretly.
The old imperial physician was kind-hearted and couldn't bear to see living beings die like that. Many times, he secretly saved children's lives, which made him resented by some people.
If it weren't for the fact that he once saved the late emperor's life with his medical skills and received a pardon, he might have died long ago.
The old imperial physician took An ge'er's pulse, wrote a prescription with a solemn expression, and instructed the servant to brew the medicine.
They then had several pots of silver charcoal brought over to ward off some of the chill.
"Doctor, how is An ge'er?"
Qiao Qingjun's heart was in his throat as he watched the old imperial physician hold An ge'er in his arms, undress him, and gently wipe him down with a small cloth soaked in medicine suitable for children to reduce fever.
"Doctor, I'm here."
The old imperial physician glared at Qiao Qingjun and said irritably, "You'd better go change your clothes. The child is already sick. If you get sick too, who will take care of the child?"
Just as he finished speaking, Qiao Qingjun sneezed.
"Aqing, come on, let's go change our clothes."
Finally, reluctantly, Qiao Qingjun, whose gaze remained fixed on An ge'er, was taken away by Meng Xiangbei to change clothes.
The old imperial physician looked at the two water stains on the ground, then touched the child's dry clothes and sighed.
He would rather get wet himself than let his child get wet, and he came to visit in the middle of the night. He must have loved his child very much, but the child is so sick, it was clear that he was delayed.
The two hadn't brought any clothes, so they changed into the old imperial physician's grandson's clothes. Qiao Qingjun muttered "An ge'er, An ge'er" as he hurriedly put on the clothes, wanting to get back as soon as possible.
But he was clumsy to begin with, and now that he was in a hurry, he dressed in a mess.
"Husband, I can't put this on properly." Qiao Qingjun clutched his clothes, at a loss.
Meng Xiangbei quickly changed his clothes and helped Qiao Qingjun get dressed.
Once dressed, Qiao Qingjun pulled him back.
Back in the house, the two drank the ginger soup that the old imperial physician had prepared.
"I, I've changed my clothes, I'll do it." Qiao Qingjun reached out eagerly, wanting to take An ge'er over and personally apply the medicated wine to him. "Aqing will be very gentle."
The old imperial physician gave Qiao Qingjun a deep look, and now he could see that something was wrong with the young man. He glanced at Meng Xiangbei beside him and confirmed his answer.
Meng Xiangbei also wanted to take care of the child.
"Come on, come on, you've just been caught in the rain and you're still damp. Don't let the cold get to the child. Just sit there quietly."
The old imperial physician's attitude improved somewhat, but his tone was still not very good.
Qiao Qingjun didn't pay attention; his attention was always on An Ge'er. He listened to the old imperial physician and sat on a chair to the side with his back straight and his hands on his knees, like a well-behaved primary school student.
He remembered that his husband had said that he should listen to the doctor's advice in order to get better.
Now, if he listens to the doctor, An ge'er will get better.
Before long, An ge'er's medicine was ready. It took a lot of effort for the three of them to feed him the medicine.
"Doctor, An ge'er, he..."
Meng Xiangbei was called to a corner by the old imperial physician, who clearly had something to say to him alone. Fortunately, Qiao Qingjun's gaze was fixed on An ge'er, and he didn't pay attention to them.
"Young man, is that child yours?"
Meng Xiangbei glanced at him and nodded without hesitation.
The old imperial physician glanced at Qiao Qingjun, whose mind was focused on the child.
The child is probably the child of Meng Xiangbei and this guy.
The old imperial physician paid little attention to the affairs of the younger generation, and only said with a serious expression: "Since he is your child, you must take good care of him. It is also a little life."
“I know, I will take good care of them from now on. Physician Liu, what about An ge’er…” Meng Xiangbei said, glancing at Qiao Qingjun as if afraid he would come over.
The old imperial physician lowered his voice, his face grave: "This child was born prematurely and is very weak. The fever has lasted too long and the temperature is too high. Now that we've applied the medicinal wine and given the medicine, I'm not confident that the fever will go down.
Even if the fever subsides, I don't know if it will damage the brain. I'll leave it to fate. If the fever still hasn't gone down by tomorrow, I'm afraid…"
Meng Xiangbei clenched his fists, his body swaying slightly, and said, "Okay, I understand. Please trouble Physician Liu."
Meng Xiangbei and Qiao Qingjun stayed to accompany An ge'er. The old imperial physician, worried about the child, also did not leave, checking on the child's condition at any time.
Outside, the heavy rain was still falling. The door was closed, keeping out the biting cold wind. Inside, the silver charcoal was burning, and his originally icy hands and feet gradually warmed up.
The atmosphere quieted down for a moment, and only then did Meng Xiangbei have time to detach himself from the dream plot involving Qiao Qingjun.
This is an ancient world. In this world, there are three kinds of people: men, women, and ge'er. Women and ge'er can both give birth, but ge'er have a low status and are regarded as lowly slaves in people's eyes.
Legend has it that there were no "ge'er" on the continent before, until the emperor of a certain country married a demon, and "ge'er" was born to that demon.
After that, people regarded the boy as a lowly and filthy demon.
Ge'er are disliked by many, and some women even sell them to brothels after giving birth to them. However, all ge'er are beautiful.
"Ge'er" became commodities that could be bought and sold at will, and many wealthy men would secretly keep ge'er for their own amusement.
As for his identity, Meng Xiangbei was the only legitimate son of the Marquis of Zhongyuan's family, and his mother was the wife of the Marquis of Zhongyuan's family. He also had a half-brother, Meng Xiangyuan, who was three months younger than him.
The one who gave birth to Meng Xiangyuan was a ge'er, who was extremely beautiful. He captivated the heart of the philandering Marquis, who then brought him into the Marquis's mansion and made him a concubine.
Everyone in the capital knows that this Marquis Zhongyuan loves his concubine more than his wife, and even despises his wife. If it weren't for having a legitimate son, he probably would have given up his wife's position long ago.
Lady Zhongyuan, who is also Meng Xiangbei's mother, deeply loved Marquis Zhongyuan; otherwise, she wouldn't have used her family background to force Marquis Zhongyuan to marry her.
Even after entering the Zhongyuan Marquis's mansion, she still couldn't hold onto this man's heart.
Not long after she entered the household, Marquis Zhongyuan brought in that young ge'er as a noble concubine. She had wanted to get rid of that lowly thing countless times, but she was powerless to do so, and he even gave birth to a son born out of wedlock.
In order to win her husband's attention, Lady Zhongyuan carefully taught her son Meng Xiangbei, hoping that he would be successful and make her proud.
Meng Xiangbei knew his mother's hardships and worked hard, gradually becoming outstanding.
Unexpectedly, an accident caused Meng Xiangbei to drift to Jiangnan and lose his memory. He was saved by Qiao Qingjun, who happened to be passing by, when he was on the verge of death.
After Meng Xiangbei lost his memory, he was keep in the Qiao family by the kind-hearted Qiao Qingjun. Qiao's father made him his son's bodyguard to protect Qiao Qingjun's safety.
Qiao's father and mother only had one child, Qiao Qingjun. Although he was a ge'er, they both loved him very much. Even though Qiao Qingjun grew up to be mentally challenged and was called a "fool" by outsiders.
Meng Xiangbei moved into the Qiao family home with gratitude. During his time with Qiao Qingjun, he became attracted to the Qiao family's wealth and the beautiful Qiao Qingjun. So he took the initiative to ask Qiao's father and mother for Qiao Qingjun's hand in marriage.
Qiao Qingjun, who was originally simple-minded, fell in love with Meng Xiangbei under his deliberate gentleness and affection. When his parents asked him if he was willing to marry Meng Xiangbei, he agreed.
Soon, the two got married, and not long after, Qiao Qingjun became pregnant.
Unexpectedly, Qiao's father and mother were caught in a mudslide on their way back from offering incense at a temple in the mountains and died unexpectedly.
Qiao Qingjun was heartbroken, but he persevered because of the child and Meng Xiangbei's companionship.
Ambitious Meng Xiangbei was unwilling to stay in a small place. He sold his family property and, with all his money and the pregnant Qiao Qingjun, traveled all the way to the capital city under the emperor's nose to seek a better future.
Not long after arriving in the capital, Meng Xiangbei regained his memory and remembered his noble identity as the young master of the Zhongyuan Marquis's mansion, and his cousin with whom he was betrothed since childhood.
Such a status is far beyond what a dim-witted young man like Qiao Qingjun could ever attain.
If it were rumored that a dignified young marquis would marry such ge'er, he probably wouldn't be able to keep his position as the little marquis.
Meng Xiangbei couldn't bear to part with Qiao Qingjun's beauty, so he thought of keeping him outside as a mistress. After all, Qiao Qingjun was just a fool and wouldn't think that much, but the child couldn't be born.
The eldest son of the young marquis can only come from the wife's household.
At that time, Qiao Qingjun was seven months pregnant. Meng Xiangbei ignored him and tricked him into drinking abortion pills. That night, Qiao Qingjun suffered from severe abdominal pain.
Fortunately, Qiao Qingjun and his child survived. Although they survived, Qiao Qingjun's health deteriorated afterward. The baby was born prematurely at seven months and was very thin, like a kitten that might die at any moment.
Because of premature birth, An ge'er was constantly plagued by minor illnesses from the moment he was born.
The child that was supposed to be aborted was actually born, and Meng Xiangbei couldn't bring himself to kill his own newborn child. He didn't pay much attention to it either, considering the poor, lowly ge'er unfit to be the eldest son of the young marquis. He didn't even want to name the child.
The name Meng Qi'an was given to his grandson by his maternal grandfather, Qiao's father.
Meng Xiangbei settled the father and son in a secluded courtyard and left two servants to attend to them.
The servant immediately noticed Meng Xiangbei's indifference towards Qiao Qingjun and his son, not only failing to take good care of them but also bullying them when he was in a bad mood.
Meng Xiangbei took away all of the Qiao family's property, leaving Qiao Qingjun with only some personal savings.
Meng Xiangbei only comes to the courtyard when he needs something.
When the child was sick, Meng Xiangbei was not there; when Qiao Qingjun was bullied, Meng Xiangbei was not there; when the father and son were hungry and cold and all alone, Meng Xiangbei was not there either.
Qiao Qingjun was living alone with his little An ge'er in the capital, a city he knew no one, trapped in this small courtyard.
And so, Qiao Qingjun has raised An ge'er to his first birthday, albeit with many stumbles along the way.
Meng Xiangbei doesn't love Qiao Qingjun, but Qiao Qingjun loves him.
He remembered that Meng Xiangbei was his husband and also his son An ge'er's father.
Meng Xiangbei was impatient to come to him, impatient to stay by his side, but he missed Meng Xiangbei. He felt that An ge'er also missed his father.
So every time Meng Xiangbei came to the courtyard, after he left, he would secretly follow behind with the child in his arms, even if it was just to watch from afar.
Last night was the most crucial moment.
On a night of torrential rain, An ge'er suddenly developed a fever. Although Qiao Qingjun wasn't very bright, he knew that An ge'er was sick.
If you get sick, you should see a doctor.
He wanted to send two servants to find a doctor, but the two only wanted to sleep, refused to go out, and even locked the door.
Qiao Qingjun had no choice but to put on a raincoat and a bamboo hat, carry a lantern, and hold the child to find a doctor.
They finally arrived at the doctor's house, but no matter how much he called, the doctor didn't come out.
Later, Qiao Qingjun carried the child and groped his way to the Marquis's residence, but Meng Xiangbei, the father, was fast asleep in bed.
Qiao Qingjun, who was holding the child, was driven away by the servants at the back gate. Qiao Qingjun had nowhere to go. In the end, An ge'er died not long after because the fever was treated too late.
The death of his child, his husband's indifference and abandonment drove Qiao Qingjun insane.
He spends all day holding a rag doll, treating it like his An ge'er.
Meng Xiangbei lost interest in the insane Qiao Qingjun and never paid him any attention again, acting as if he didn't exist.
After marrying his fiancée cousin and having a son, Meng Xiangbei's life went smoothly.
That day, the erratic Qiao Qingjun was picking up food at the restaurant while holding a rag doll when he happened to see a happy family of three, Meng Xiangbei.
He looked tenderly at his wife beside him, teasing his son in his arms like a loving father.
Qiao Qingjun, who had been in a daze, suddenly woke up.
He looked at the rag doll in his arms, his heart filled with sorrow.
His poor An ge'er was weak from birth and suffered so much. He was only one year old when he died. He didn't even get a hug from his biological father.
Overwhelmed with grief, Qiao Qingjun froze to death on the street that very night, in the freezing cold, clutching a small piece of clothing tightly in hia arms.
-
Recalling the boy in the underworld who was holding a child and muttering "An ge'er" in a mad manner, Meng Xiangbei's gaze lingered on Qiao Qingjun's profile for a long time.
The young man was handsome, and Qiao Qingjun was no less so. His beauty was not delicate or alluring, but pure and clean. He had a fair, baby-faced appearance, red lips and white teeth, and long eyelashes like butterfly wings. In a word, he was an angel.
With an angelic appearance, he is intellectually disabled, and his heart is like that of a child. He has a pair of slightly round peach blossom eyes that are as clear as a spring.
Such a person deserves to be pampered and carefree, not mistreated like that.
The old imperial physician arranged a guest room for the two of them. An ge'er was small and lay on the bed with his face still red. He seemed to be still uncomfortable, and sometimes he would make whimpering sounds, but he did not open his eyes.
Qiao Qingjun held his little hand and stayed by his side the whole time, never leaving him for a moment.
Meng Xiangbei hugged Qiao Qingjun: "Aqing, don't worry, An ge'er will be fine."
Qiao Qingjun stared at him with red eyes, completely bewildered, seemingly not expecting Meng Xiangbei to comfort him.
"Really?" he asked.
"Really, his father loves him so much, he'll be alright." As for him, he's still that scumbag who wanted to abandon them, he has no right to say he loves An ge'er.
Qiao Qingjun seemed to remember something, his expression becoming somewhat uneasy. He stammered, "I only came to you, my husband, because I couldn't find a doctor. I won't do it again. Husband, go to sleep. I'll stay with An ge'er."
For Qiao Qingjun, the capital city was a place he knew no one. He was mentally challenged and had a child to care for, making him anxious and fearful. His only support was Meng Xiangbei. However, Meng Xiangbei didn't want to be bothered by him and even explicitly told him not to contact him unnecessarily.
The sensitive Qiao Qingjun gradually stopped contacting him, fearing that he would get angry.
This time, An ge'er's condition frightened him, which is why he came to the Marquis's residence in the middle of the night.
Meng Xiangbei felt a tightness in his chest, so he pressed Qiao Qingjun's face against his chest, feeling the warmth and softness of the boy in his arms.
“Aqing, I am An ge’er’s father. An ge’er is sick now, so naturally I have to take care of him. If you have any problems in the future that you can’t solve, you must tell me. I am your husband, and it is my duty to protect you. No, we should live together from now on, so that even if you don’t tell me, I will know about your situation.”
Qiao Qingjun was dizzy from being held in his arms. He couldn't remember the last time his husband had held him. His husband's hug was so warm and comforting. He wanted to keep holding him forever. His husband's words were also so sweet. He said he would live with him and An ge'er. If it was true, that would be wonderful.
He thought that he must have done something wrong before, which was why his husband ran away from home. Now, his husband had forgiven him and returned.
Qiao Qingjun looked up at Meng Xiangbei: "Will my husband leave again in the future?"
Meng Xiangbei gently stroked his hair and assured him, "No, I won't."
Qiao Qingjun's eyes lit up, like stars twinkling with brilliant light: "Then, can my husband grant me a favor?"
"What's up?"
Qiao Qingjun, with a heart as innocent as a child, speaks not as tactfully as others, but directly and passionately, as if he could melt people's hearts.
"My husband's hug is so warm, so warm. When An ge'er wakes up and is all better, can my husband hug An ge'er too?"
Meng Xiangbei choked up, then smiled and said, "Okay, I'll agree to anything you say."
Upon receiving the promise, Qiao Qingjun was even happier than before, his eyebrows curving like crescent moon.
Qiao Qingjun gently touched An ge'er's cheek, feeling its warmth, and whispered, "An ge'er, get well soon." Perhaps it was a telepathic connection between father and son, An ge'er's hand, which was held in Qiao Qingjun's palm, moved slightly, gripping one of his fingers tightly. The pain and discomfort on his face lessened, and he slowly calmed down.
“Look, my husband, An ge’er promised me he will get better, he will get better.” Qiao Qingjun repeatedly emphasized with joy, showing Meng Xiangbei the two hands clasped together, one big and one small.
Meng Xiangbei paused for a moment, then slowly reached out and enveloped the hands of both father and son in his large palm.
Qiao Qingjun's hands remained motionless. He could feel the warmth emanating from his large palms. His husband was so gentle tonight; he loved this side of him.
Meng Xiangbei wanted Qiao Qingjun to get some sleep, but he refused, insisting on seeing An ge'er safe and sound.
Meng Xiangbei waited with him.
"Aqing, why don't you tell me about An ge'er?"
Mentioning An Ge'er, Qiao Qingjun's listless appearance perked up for a long time, and even his eyes lit up.
“An ge'er has started talking recently. He can call me ‘Daddy’, but I can’t teach him ‘Father’. I’m teaching him, and once he gets better, I’ll teach him again. He’ll definitely be able to call you ‘Father’.”
Meng Xiangbei lowered his eyes, his gaze complex, and a sense of guilt spread through his heart. He hadn't even known that An ge'er could speak.
“An ge’er also can walk, but he’s a bit clumsy and falls after taking a couple of steps.”
“I didn’t take good care of An ge’er; he’s lost weight and gotten sick.”
The one-year-old baby looks like he's only a few months old; his face is very thin.
Meng Xiangbei restrained the urge to hug An ge'er.
“Aqing, from now on we’ll take care of An ge’er together. He’ll get better, and the three of us will live a good life.”
Qiao Qingjun looked up at him, his eyes filled with longing and a little confusion: "Will my husband stay with us forever?"
"Of course. Even if Aqing tries to drives me out in the future, I won't leave."
Qiao Qingjun quickly waved his hand: "Don't drive, don't drive, I want to be with my husband forever."
The silver charcoal burned on the cold, rainy night, bringing warmth to the room.
-
The old imperial physician cared deeply for An ge'er, braving the cold to check on him several times. Fortunately, Heaven heard Qiao Qingjun and the others' prayers, and An ge'er's fever gradually subsided. Only then did the old imperial physician's calm and solemn expression ease somewhat.
By the time it was almost dawn, An ge'er's fever had completely subsided, and his face had returned to its normal color.
Guess he wasn't feeling well before and couldn't sleep well. Now that his fever has gone down, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
"This little life has been saved. You must take good care of the child from now on, understand?" The old imperial physician gave these instructions before going back to rest. He had been up in the middle of the night to see patients and had been busy all night. The elderly physician was also a little exhausted. Now that he saw that the child was alright, he was helped by the servants to rest.
"Aqing, you should go to sleep too. I'll stay here and watch over him until An ge'er wakes up, then we'll go back."
"No, no, no, you go to sleep."
"Then let's sleep together," Meng Xiangbei conceded.
"Okay."
Fortunately, the bed was quite large.
Qiao Qingjun climbed to the innermost part of the bed, Meng Xiangbei was on the outer side, and An Ge'er was in the middle.
"Go to sleep," Meng Xiangbei said.
Qiao Qingjun hummed in agreement and closed his eyes.
About a minute later, Qiao Qingjun, who had been keeping his eyes closed, trembled and secretly opened his eyes.
He looked at An Ge'er sleeping peacefully beside him, then at Meng Xiangbei with his eyes closed. He seemed to be thinking of something, and a smile crept onto his lips. He covered his mouth with his hand and secretly laughed until his eyes were curved.
Suddenly, a large hand came across and landed on his head, ruffling his hair.
"Go to sleep," Meng Xiangbei said, without opening his eyes.
Qiao Qingjun was stunned for a moment, not expecting to be discovered. He subconsciously rubbed his head against his palm, obediently closed his eyes, and soon his breathing gradually became even.
Outside, the rain continued to fall, and it wasn't fully light yet. The family of three, who rarely slept in the same bed, were sleeping soundly.
-
As dawn broke, Meng Xiangbei opened his eyes.
Sunlight streamed in through the intricately carved windows, scattering across the floor. The rain had stopped sometime earlier, and the sky had cleared.
Suddenly, Meng Xiangbei sensed something, turned his head to look to the side, and met a pair of large, clear black and white eyes.
The child, who had been blinking at him, seemed startled when he noticed him. He shrank back towards Qiao Qingjun, looking somewhat timid, with his head lowered, not daring to look at him. His little hands were clenched together. A few seconds later, he secretly looked up at him again, but when he saw that Meng Xiangbei was still looking at him, he lowered his head again. He repeated this several times.
Qiao Qingjun had a clean-cut appearance with red lips and white teeth. Meng Xiangbei was also handsome. An Ge'er, who combined the features of the two, was naturally good-looking, with pink lips, a delicate little nose, and especially a pair of bright, round, almond-shaped eyes that looked just like Qiao Qingjun.
The only drawback is that he's too thin, with little flesh on his cheeks.
"Do you remember me? I am your father." Afraid of waking Qiao Qingjun and frightening the little one, Meng Xiangbei spoke very softly.
An ge'er pursed his lips, just looked at him without saying a word.
Meng Xiangbei was silent for a moment, then tentatively reached out to take his little hand.
An ge'er's two little hands were clenched together until a large hand covered them, and he was clearly stunned for a moment.
The little hand struggled, as if trying to pull it out, but the large hand held it tightly, grasping the little hand that was moving around like an eel in its palm.
An ge'er frowned slightly.
Seemingly realizing he couldn't break free, his pink lips pouted, looking rather unhappy, his cheeks puffed up in a huff, which was quite adorable.
Meng Xiangbei pressed his fist against his mouth, inexplicably wanting to laugh.
He played with the child's soft little hands, watching An ge'er "daring not to speak out" and being bullied obediently, which even seemed amusing and aroused his wicked sense of humor.
Perhaps because this body and the child are blood relatives, Meng Xiangbei has a natural affinity for An ge'er.
As a Nightmare Beast, Meng Xiangbei has no one he loves, no partner, and no children.
So this is what it feels like to have a child. It's pretty good.
"Can you call me Father?"
“Learn from me, Father.”
Meng Xiangbei was like a big bad wolf smilingly coaxing a child with candy.
An ge'er looked at him with a pout, without any other reaction.
“You can call ‘Daddy’ now, so you should be able to call me ‘Father’ too. Come on, call me ‘Father’.” Meng Xiangbei refused to give up and continued to coax him.
An ge'er blinked, turned over, hugged his father who had just woken up, and buried his little face in Qiao Qingjun's chest.
"Is An ge'er awake?" Qiao Qingjun quickly regained his senses and noticed the soft little bundle in his arms.
T/N; An Ge'er is so cute!
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