Chapter 221 Sloppy to Death

Inside the bedroom, the grandfather and grandson spoke openly, while outside the room, Chu Zhiqing was not idle. He glanced at the private doctor standing outside the bedroom door, then walked to the corner of the hallway and quietly lit a cigarette. Before long, the private doctor followed him.

Chu Zhiqing handed the doctor a cigarette and, looking at the young man who was still under thirty but already a doctoral graduate with expertise in both Western and Chinese medicine, asked expressionlessly, "How is the old man today?"

The doctor took the cigarette, lit it, and took a puff before responding softly, "He's slightly better than yesterday. There's less phlegm, and he even ate a small bowl of noodles at noon."

Chu Zhiqing remained impassive and, after a moment of silence, asked, "How did the big house and second house's visit this morning go? What was his attitude?"

Despite Chu Zhiqing's friendly tone and unremarkable expression, the young doctor felt a bit overwhelmed and was careful with his response: "The old man had no particular attitude. He just said he was tired and didn't want to be disturbed. He dismissed everyone with just a few words… Just now, the young master and young lady from the second house brought him a bowl of bird's nest soup, but he refused to drink it and had it thrown away…"

Chu Zhiqing appeared thoughtful. After taking a few more puffs of his cigarette, he asked, "Has he been acting unusually recently?"

The doctor replied, "No… But his temper has become even more stubborn than before. I wanted to give him acupuncture, but he wouldn't let me help him take off his clothes, not even his socks. Only the old maid who has served him for many years is allowed to touch him."

"The older generation tends to be sensitive about such things. Not just you, but even I haven't been able to touch him all these years," Chu Zhiqing said with a faint smile, then added, "Lin Hao, you must do your best. If you can extend his life, please do so."

Lin Hao, the young doctor, quickly nodded and promised, "I will do my best!"

"Mm…" Chu Zhiqing patted his shoulder and said nothing more, strolling out of the corner. Only then did Lin Hao stand up straight, still feeling a bit tense.

Lin Hao had initially thought that Chu Zhiqing might want him to do something underhanded with the old man.

Soon after, Chu Yuxuan walked out of the bedroom, glanced at the private doctor standing by the door, and headed straight for Chu Zhiqing. Chu Zhiqing smiled at him but asked no questions.

Chu Yuxuan said with a smirk, "Old fox, I've been in there for so long, and you don't even ask what the old man told me?"

Chu Zhiqing joked, "I don't pry into matters of the outside world."

As they spoke, the old butler walked over.

Chu Zhiqing greeted the elderly servant, who had served his father for a lifetime, with respect, "Uncle Wang, are you here to see my father again?" The old butler nodded, casting a cold glance at Chu Yuxuan. Chu Yuxuan ignored him and swaggered past.

The old butler said in a low voice, "Young master, please behave yourself."

Chu Yuxuan paused but made no reply, walking alongside Chu Zhiqing.

The old butler took a deep breath and stared at Chu Yuxuan's back, his cold gaze flickering with a hint of resentment.

After visiting the old man, Chu Yuxuan had no interest in staying at the mountain to watch the family's pretense. Without even saying goodbye, he took Zhao Yanan and left the villa for her home.

After parking the car, the two went into the elevator. Zhao Yanan seemed a bit uneasy and looked up at Chu Yuxuan, asking, "Are you really going to live at my place?"

Chu Yuxuan raised an eyebrow, "What, having second thoughts?"

"I…" Zhao Yanan lowered her head and mumbled, "We already live so close; is it really necessary to live at my place? I'm used to living alone."

Chu Yuxuan said seriously, "It's precisely because of this habit that your condition hasn't improved. Nanan, we both need to make some changes, or this illness won't get better."

Zhao Yanan hesitated, thinking about living under the same roof as Chu Yuxuan. It made her feel somewhat uncomfortable, but since she had agreed to help him with his psychological issues, she couldn't bring herself to refuse.

Once home, Chu Yuxuan made himself quite at ease, choosing a bedroom for himself and moving his clothes and personal items back and forth. Zhao Yanan sat on the sofa, watching Chu Yuxuan work busily, her expression a mix of resignation and bewilderment.

After about half an hour, Chu Yuxuan finally settled into his new space. With a smug smile, he sat next to Zhao Yanan, holding her delicate hand and asking, "Aren't you going to tell me the door code?"

Zhao Yanan sighed and sent him the code via WeChat.

"You'd better not enter my bedroom without permission."

"I promise not to."

"Don't touch my things."

"I promise not to touch them."

"Don't smoke in the house."

"I promise not to… oh?"

Chu Yuxuan was momentarily stunned and then awkwardly smiled, "I'll smoke in my own room, is that okay?"

Zhao Yanan immediately refused, "No."

Chu Yuxuan made a苦面, saying, "Alright, I'll smoke in the hallway from now on."

Seeing his unwillingness, Zhao Yanan paused and asked, "How many cigarettes do you smoke a day?"

"Roots?" Chu Yuxuan hesitated, realizing it might not be good to tell the truth, and tentatively answered, "Half a pack, I suppose."

Zhao Yanan said seriously, "Cut down on smoking. Smoke only one pack every three days and try to quit gradually. It's really bad for your health… Every time I get close to you, there's this terrible smell of smoke."

Chu Yuxuan grinned and said, "Strict rules… Better strict than lenient, right?"

Just then, his fourth brother called. Chu Yuxuan didn't answer, playfully teasing Zhao Yanan before making an excuse to go out, saying he would be back in the evening. Zhao Yanan didn't ask further and, after Chu Yuxuan left, sat on the sofa, lost in thought. She then went to Chu Yuxuan's room.

The room was filled with the scent of books and ink, with two calligraphy pieces written by Chu Yuxuan hanging on the walls. Books were neatly arranged on the desk, and the traditional writing tools were all in place. In contrast, the bed linens were a bit disheveled.

"Sloppy to death…" Zhao Yanan muttered, rolling up her sleeves and re-making the bed neatly. She even brought her own small bedside lamp from her room and placed it on the nightstand.