If I Die, Will You Still Hate Me? - Chapter 3

This appearance—Ye Xun truly hated his guts.

Cheng Zhaolin’s eyes curved in a smile. He took a step forward and extended his hand, lightly clasping Jiang Xuzhou’s: “I’ve heard much about you, General Manager Jiang.”

Jiang Xuzhou lowered his gaze, clearly noticing a shimmer on his ring finger.

“Nice ring,” Jiang Xuzhou curled his lips, his eyes fixed on Ye Xun.

“Of course, Zhaolin and I picked it out together,” Ye Xun patted Cheng Zhaolin’s shoulder with his left hand. A ring also sat on his ring finger.

Jiang Xuzhou’s expression remained unchanged. He slightly tightened his grip on Cheng Zhaolin’s hand: “I didn’t expect General Manager Ye’s taste to change so much after all these years.”

The latter sentence was spoken seriously, carrying a strong hint of warning.

Ye Xun heard it, but so what? He crossed his arms over his chest, meeting Jiang Xuzhou’s gaze candidly, and nodded carelessly, tacitly acknowledging the change.

“Ouch!” Cheng Zhaolin cried out in pain, quickly withdrawing his hand and jumping behind Ye Xun.

Jiang Xuzhou acted as if nothing happened, withdrawing his hand and slipping it into his coat pocket. He gave Ye Xun a meaningful look, then turned and left.

“Hiss,” Cheng Zhaolin rubbed his painfully gripped hand. “Ye Xun, you never said your ex-boyfriend had such a strong grip. That hurt!”

“Hmm, his grandmother was a TCM doctor.” Ye Xun’s gaze was dark as he watched Jiang Xuzhou’s thin back, visualizing his appearance in his mind:

Early thirties, a rosy-complexioned face, chiseled features, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses.

At first glance, he was indeed a man of talent and elegance.

However, in this exact state, Ye Xun truly hated his guts.

Why could the person who had committed so many wrongs still stand at the pinnacle, looking down on all others, while he had to climb up step by step?

The fire of hatred burned so fiercely that Ye Xun overlooked one fact—

In all the years they were together, when had Jiang Xuzhou’s complexion ever been this ruddy?

The hospital was overcrowded, and the familiar smell of disinfectant filled Jiang Xuzhou’s nose.

He sat on the long bench in the outpatient waiting area, tilting his head to ask Wu Yi, who was watching the number board: “There are so many people, why don’t we just go back?”

“No way, it’s almost our turn. Only fifteen people ahead.” Wu Yi plopped down beside him, glanced around, and then whispered, “What do you think is the relationship between Ye Xun and Cheng Zhaolin?”

“The night before last, you didn’t run into them doing something, did you? Is that why you came back and said it was meaningless?”

“Cheng Zhaolin does look good, though. But he’s still not as good as you.”

Wu Yi chattered on, but Jiang Xuzhou didn’t respond to a single word.

The thought that Ye Xun had come to the hospital today with a strange man ignited a rush of irritable anger in his heart.

At this moment, he wished he could immediately turn back, grab Ye Xun’s hand, lock him up in his villa, forbid him from going out.

Even if he went out, it could only be with him, only to accompany him to the hospital. Even if he died, Ye Xun must remember him for a lifetime.

But Jiang Xuzhou knew he couldn’t. His body was not strong enough to hold out until Ye Xun fell in love with him again.

“Jiang Xuzhou, please proceed to Consultation Room No. 5.” A mechanical female voice interrupted Jiang Xuzhou’s conflicted thoughts.

Jiang Xuzhou had undergone the consultation and examination process countless times. He calmly retrieved the report and, without looking at it, handed it to the eagerly awaiting Wu Yi behind him.

Wu Yi immediately flipped to the end. The final diagnosis on the report was the same as yesterday: Infective Endocarditis.

“Damn it, this hospital must be careless with their checks,” Wu Yi said. “Let’s change hospitals!”

Jiang Xuzhou had to admit, Wu Yi’s concern was overwhelming, and he was a little overwhelmed.

“Let’s go back to the company. The fact is what it is. Take a month to accept it,” Jiang Xuzhou pulled the examination report from Wu Yi’s hand, tore it into pieces, and tossed it into the nearby trash can.

“Wait, why are you throwing it away?” Wu Yi asked.

Jiang Xuzhou said indifferently: “One copy is enough for an identical report.”

The result would be the same anyway.

“Oh, young man, aging, illness, and death are all normal parts of life. When you’re sick, listen to the doctor and get good treatment. Don’t give up.” A passing intern doctor said earnestly to Wu Yi.

Then, he turned and extended a finger, pointing seriously at Jiang Xuzhou: “As the patient’s family member, you should accompany the patient for proper treatment, not act so rashly. Quickly go and get another copy of the report, and then talk to the doctor about the treatment plan.”

Wu Yi was utterly confused. He pointed at Jiang Xuzhou, then at himself, unable to say a word for a long time. As the elderly doctor passed him, he didn’t forget to advise again: “Don’t give up, believe in miracles.”

Wu Yi looked at Jiang Xuzhou. His brain, dull from an all-nighter, slowly realized that Jiang Xuzhou’s complexion today was suspiciously good, while his own, after staying up all night, was frighteningly poor.

No wonder he looked more like the patient compared to Jiang Xuzhou.

“Why is your complexion so good today?” Wu Yi asked.

Jiang Xuzhou strode forward, leaving a sentence behind: “Because I didn’t stay up late last night.”

Wu Yi: “…”

In the afternoon, an elderly man and woman arrived at the Baiwen Group headquarters. Each carried a large woven bag and stood helplessly in the gleaming lobby.

“Excuse me, who are you looking for?” the front desk asked.

Jiang Yongjun rubbed the yellow dirt off his hands, saying apologetically, “I’m looking for my son.”

Mei Yue put down her woven bag and added, “My son is called something-Zhou, and he’s the boss here.”

The front desk asked doubtfully: “Jiang Xuzhou?”

“Ay, yes, yes, yes. Jiang Xuzhou.” Jiang Yongjun slapped his head, his dry lips self-deprecating: “Forgot, forgot.”

“General Manager Jiang and Vice General Manager Wu are out,” the front desk led them to the waiting room and said, “You can wait here.”

Mei Yue and Jiang Yongjun, afraid of dirtying the sofa, chose to sit on the carpet.

Only when Jiang Xuzhou pushed open the waiting room door did the two elders stand up.

Jiang Xuzhou didn’t recognize them. To be precise, he didn’t know anything about them.

Since he could remember, Grandma was the only family he had. When he was little, he asked countless times where his parents were and if they would ever come back.

Every time Grandma heard him ask, she would become silent and busy herself with what she was doing. Gradually, this matter, these two people, became a forbidden topic between him and his grandmother.

The moment Mei Yue saw Jiang Xuzhou, she quickly and affectionately grabbed his hand, so happy she stammered: “Son, son, I’m your mother, do you remember me?”

Jiang Xuzhou was uncomfortable with the sudden warmth. He quickly pulled his hand away and took a step back: “Who are you?”

“I’m your dad, and she’s your mom,” Jiang Yongjun said. “You don’t remember?”

“When you were little, I often took you out to play. You always clung to me.”

“You were just a bean back then, and in the blink of an eye, you’ve become a big boss,” Jiang Yongjun said.

Mei Yue, on the side, wiped away tears and said, “It’s not that we didn’t want to find you, but we couldn’t find you.”

Jiang Xuzhou’s dark pupils held no emotion. He remained standing with his hands in his pockets, coldly watching them wipe their tears.

“Are you still blaming your parents?” Mei Yue grabbed Jiang Xuzhou’s sleeve. “Are you blaming us for not coming back sooner?”

“No,” Jiang Xuzhou glanced at the hand gripping his sleeve tightly.

It was a pair of hands stained black, full of scars and yellow dirt.

“I’m sorry, I really haven’t met you before,” Jiang Xuzhou said coldly. “If you don’t mind, we can do a paternity test together.”

“Pater-what? What is that thing?” Jiang Yongjun asked.

Jiang Xuzhou didn’t have the patience to explain so much: “It means you need to get a bl00d test to confirm the relationship between us.”

“Why do we need confirmation? Why waste that money?” Jiang Yongjun gestured a few times on his face. “The top half of your face looks like me, and the bottom half looks like your mother. Anyone can tell our relationship.”

Jiang Xuzhou honestly couldn’t see any resemblance to himself on their faces.

Moreover, he trusted technology more than observation.

“I apologize, but I don’t see it,” Jiang Xuzhou said. “I’m free tomorrow morning. Please come to the People’s Hospital tomorrow morning. I will wait for both of you there.”

With that, he was about to leave.

“Son, wait a moment,” Mei Yue called out anxiously, stopping him.

Jiang Xuzhou paused.

“Well, we came in a hurry, and we don’t have any extra money on us…” Mei Yue gritted her teeth and said, “Can my dad and I just make do here for the night?”

Fearing Jiang Xuzhou would disagree, she quickly added: “We absolutely won’t touch anything here. We’ll just stay on the carpet and won’t go anywhere.”

Jiang Xuzhou pressed his fist to his mouth and coughed a few times: “No need. I’ve booked a room across the street. Go there and give my name, and someone will take you to your room.”

“Also, someone will pick you up tomorrow to go to the hospital. Just wait downstairs.”

“If you need anything, speak to the front desk. They will handle it.”

Jiang Xuzhou thought it over, found nothing else to mention, and quickly fled the meeting room, taking refuge in his office.

The moment he entered the office, he could no longer suppress his cough. He instinctively reached for the cup on the corner of the desk, but his hand found empty space.

He clenched his fist, belatedly remembering:

The cup Ye Xun gave him had already been put away. Along with everything else related to him.

It turned out that forgetting someone wasn’t just about erasing them from your mind, but also from your habits.

Since there was no cup within reach, Jiang Xuzhou simply gave up the idea of drinking water.

He collapsed onto the sofa, bending over, one hand pressing against his chest.

Every organ was screaming in discomfort, and every cell was protesting.

For a fleeting moment, he had the urge to give up.

Perhaps I should just cough myself to death right here.

Unfortunately, things didn’t go as he wished.

After a while, Jiang Xuzhou slowly recovered, slumping on the sofa like a fish out of water, exhausted but desperately gulping for fresh air.

Too much had happened and too many people had been encountered today. His mind was now a confused mess.

Were Ye Xun and Cheng Zhaolin truly just colleagues and friends? What was the deal with the rings?

Mei Yue and Jiang Yongjun. Were they real or fake? What were their intentions towards him? Why did Mei Yue say they couldn’t find him before?

Too many doubts.

Jiang Xuzhou weakly closed his eyes, his consciousness hazy. His mind skimmed over the questions one by one, stopping at the one buried deepest:

Should he really choose to let go?

Jiang Xuzhou didn’t know the answer to this question. His heart told him he couldn’t bear to, he wasn’t willing. But his reason told him that letting go was the true way to love someone.

His heart and reason fought against each other, and before a winner could be decided, he fell into a dream.

Jiang Xuzhou stood at the entrance of the university campus. All around him were food stalls. Various scents mingled together, and vendors eagerly shouted about their goods. Students streamed out one after another, and Ye Xun was among them.

In Jiang Xuzhou’s eyes, Ye Xun was the most special one, the one the sunset favored. The golden light softened the lines of his face.

Ye Xun ran over, scratching his newly cut short hair: “This short haircut seems to be the trend lately.”

Jiang Xuzhou smiled and replied: “It looks good.”

Ye Xun, affirmed, smiled even more brightly, saying without shyness: “Of course! What hairstyle can’t I pull off?”

“A shaved head,” Jiang Xuzhou said with a smile in his eyes.

Ye Xun lightly punched Jiang Xuzhou’s arm, pretending to threaten him: “I’ll give you one more chance. Answer again.”

Before Jiang Xuzhou could answer, the scene shifted:

Ye Xun and Cheng Zhaolin stood side by side in the morning sun. Identical rings sparkled.

Jiang Xuzhou couldn’t move his legs. He could only watch helplessly as they walked further and further away…