DASFAM_99

"……"

Paternity test? Him and the Zhang family?

Bai Xu felt like his serious injuries hadn't healed and he'd gone dizzy in the head, thinking he was hearing things.

Zhang Changxu's hand, hidden in the pocket of his white coat, tightened. He could only be honest, "Bai Xu, I don't know if Yanxiao ever told you, but more than twenty years ago the Zhang family lost a child."

"...It was my biological younger brother."

"……"

Bai Xu didn't dare to respond.

He had long since pieced together what happened back then from what Zhang Changning and Shang Yanxiao had each told him separately, only it wasn't convenient to say so outright for the sake of confidentiality.

Zhang Changxu, assuming he didn't know, continued to hit the key points, "Back then it was an acquaintance who committed the crime, and the trafficker resold him through two or three hands in a short period, which was why we were never able to trace my brother's whereabouts."

"All these years, my parents have never given up searching."

But there was still Zhang Changning at home, who didn't know the truth, so every time there was any sign of a lead, the Zhang couple would go searching in secret, privately.

Unfortunately, all the search notices they'd put out over the years had sunk without a trace—no leads ever came of them. Instead, an endless stream of false leads kept surfacing, costing them great effort and worry for nothing in return.

"It's been more than twenty years. Plenty of people have urged my parents to give up, but my mother has always insisted that her younger son is still alive somewhere in this world. She says a mother and son share a bond, that she can sense my brother is still alive."

"……"

Bai Xu started to speak, then hesitated, "Then... why did you think of me?"

Zhang Changxu told him the truth, "Ever since my mother came back from Old Master Shang's funeral, she's had this feeling. She said she'd had the same dream several nights in a row, she dreamed of you."

In the dream, her younger son, all grown up, looked exactly like Bai Xu did now.

So Madam Zhang had told her husband and her second son about it. She was hoping that, through Zhang Changxu's years of friendship with Shang Yanxiao, the latter could be the one to persuade Bai Xu.

But before they'd had the chance to bring it up, Bai Xu had the accident. During the time he was hospitalized, badly injured and unconscious, the Zhang couple had specially come to visit him once, equally worried sick.

Honestly, the Zhang family could easily have had the paternity test done in secret while Bai Xu was in the hospital.

But Zhang Changxu, mindful of his identity as a 'doctor,' didn't want to violate Bai Xu's privacy without his consent, and the Zhang couple understood the same boundaries.

"Bai Xu, I know this is abrupt and presumptuous of me to say, but my mother has never asked me for anything. I really can't bring myself to refuse her."

"If you're willing, please, do us this favor."

Even if the paternity test results, in the end, turned out to be a wasted effort, at least it would give their family an answer.

Bai Xu met Zhang Changxu's eyes, rare in their pleading. Before he could agree, the latter's phone buzzed.

Zhang Changxu answered right in front of Bai Xu, "Hello, Yanxiao."

"Mm, the checkup's done. I'll send him back right away, you don't need to come."

Zhang Changxu hung up the phone, but he didn't pressure Bai Xu to make a decision right away, "I'll take you back first. You don't need to rush to answer my request from before, but whatever you decide, I'll respect it."

Bai Xu gave a low murmur of acknowledgment, lowering his eyes to sort through his thoughts.

Honestly, this whole matter was completely beyond what he'd expected.

After all, the original text had been written around the open and hidden power struggles within the Shang family. Although the two Zhang brothers had appeared as supporting characters quite a few times, the book had never gone deep into the Zhang family's private affairs.

As for the original host, who had only ever been there to serve as 'cannon fodder', he'd been wrapped up in just a few brief lines.

Was the little son the Zhang family had lost actually the original host? If this wasn't just some delusion born of Madam Zhang's lovesickness, wasn't this whole thing a little too coincidental? Could it really be possible?

How could he actually be getting a hidden side-quest unlocked for him?

But on second thought, Bai Xu stopped himself from overthinking it.

His current life was already essentially a 'wealthy family novel'. No matter how outlandish or coincidental something seemed, it would end up making perfect sense within that logic.

Zhang Changxu wheeled him back to the entrance of the inpatient department, and the moment they arrived, he spotted Shang Yanxiao just stepping out of the elevator.

The three of them came face to face. Zhang Changxu said, helpless, "Didn't I say I'd bring him back to you myself? You couldn't even wait two or three minutes?"

Shang Yanxiao caught the teasing in his words but didn't mind, "With those two or three minutes to spare, I figured I might as well come pick him up myself."

Bai Xu, sitting in the wheelchair, smiled along with him, "Why didn't you sleep in a little longer?"

Shang Yanxiao crouched down to be eye-level with his lover, "I slept too deeply, why didn't you wake me up? Are you feeling any better?"

Bai Xu noticed the redness in Shang Yanxiao's eyes gradually fading and nodded slightly, "Much better."

Shang Yanxiao took Bai Xu's hand, naturally pressing against the back of it, "Mm, good."

Zhang Changxu couldn't bear to watch this sappy display of affection and coughed lightly, "Alright, you can take Bai Xu back then. I'll notify the nurse later to change the dressing on the wound on his head."

Shang Yanxiao stood up and took over the position behind the wheelchair, "Got it, thanks for the trouble. Go ahead and take care of your work, I'll reach out if anything comes up."

"Sure."

Zhang Changxu answered and was just about to turn and leave.

Bai Xu simply called out to stop him, "Dr. Zhang, do you have a moment right now?"

"……"

Zhang Changxu's steps froze. He turned around, somewhat surprised, "Now?"

Shang Yanxiao frowned, puzzled, "What is it?"

Bai Xu glanced at Shang Yanxiao, not hiding anything at all, "Dr. Zhang said he wants me to do a paternity test with the Zhang family."

Shang Yanxiao immediately understood something, looking at his friend in disbelief, "You two aren't mistaken about this?"

Zhang Changxu's emotions were complicated, "Still not certain."

Bai Xu's gaze returned to him, "I'm not someone who likes to drag things out. True or false, the sooner we test, the sooner we'll know. It's just, would it be inconvenient to go ask Mr. Zhang and his wife right now?"

Zhang Changxu suppressed the stirring in his heart, "No need. My parents have blood samples stored at the hospital. And... and I can do it with you too."

Testing wasn't limited to between parent and child, it could just as well be done between biological brothers.

Bai Xu nodded, "That works. Let's not make it public for now, we'll talk once the results are out."

Zhang Changxu's throat bobbed slightly, "Alright, I'll go contact the department now. Wait for me for a moment."

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao exchanged a glance, "Okay."

...

Half an hour later.

Bai Xu and Zhang Changxu's blood samples were sent off to another department together.

Zhang Changxu quickly signed his name on the consent form and handed it to the staff member at the window, "Thank you, sorry for the trouble."

The medical staff at the window naturally recognized Zhang Changxu—that handsome face was famous throughout the entirety of the Capital Central Hospital.

Though her curiosity was burning inside, she maintained basic professional conduct, "Of course, Dr. Zhang. The moment the results are out, we'll send a text to notify the person concerned to come pick them up."

"Thank you."

Zhang Changxu walked back to the small rest room next door.

Bai Xu and Shang Yanxiao were still sitting inside, the latter thoughtfully pressing a cotton swab against the former's left hand where the blood had been drawn.

Only after closing the door did Zhang Changxu speak, "I arranged for it to be expedited, the results should be out soon."

Bai Xu nodded, and a faint glimmer suddenly flickered in the depths of his eyes, "Dr. Zhang, what do you hope the result will be?"

Zhang Changxu hadn't expected Bai Xu to ask this. He was stunned for a moment, then asked back, "What about you? What do you hope the result will be?"

Bai Xu thought it over seriously, "If this were before last year, I probably would have longed to return to the embrace of my birth family. I would've wanted to know why my parents 'lost' me."

"Was it an accident? Or was it deliberate? All these years, did they ever look for me?"

"Because I grew up dependent on others, living under someone else's roof, no one craved the existence of family more than 'I' did. But now, I have someone I love, and his family is my family."

Bai Xu spoke from the original host's perspective, but it was also genuinely his own thoughts.

Sitting beside him, Shang Yanxiao knew Bai Xu's true origins, and naturally understood the deeper meaning behind these words.

"If the test result comes back false, it won't have any effect on my life. If the result comes back true, as long as the Zhang family sincerely and earnestly hopes for me to return, I'd certainly nod and be happy to, but only on one condition—"

Zhang Changxu pressed, "What condition?"

Bai Xu thought of Zhang Changning, and with complete sincerity, said, "I don't want Changning to be hurt in any way."

Perhaps it was hearing that name, a flicker of warmth suddenly broke through the coldness in Zhang Changxu's eyes, "With me here, I won't let him suffer even the slightest hurt. Neither will anyone else in the family."

He looked at Bai Xu, as if he'd made up his mind long ago, "No matter what the test result is, Changning will remain the Zhang family's rightful third young master."

Of course, if Bai Xu really was the child the Zhang family had lost all those years ago, the entire Zhang family would go to even greater lengths to make it up to him.

Bai Xu said, with deeper meaning, "Actually, I don't think so."

Zhang Changxu looked at him, "What?"

Bai Xu meant to give him a reminder, "If he's the Zhang family's rightful third young master, then he can only be your, Zhang Changxu's, brother in name. I'm afraid sooner or later he'll be hurt by certain things."

"……"

Zhang Changxu's body went rigid. He seemed to understand the hint Bai Xu was giving him, yet didn't dare to think it through any further.

Shang Yanxiao noticed his friend's unusual silence and took the initiative to pick up the cotton swab, changing the subject, "A' Xu, the bleeding's stopped. Shall we go? Grandmother and Little Aunt are still waiting in the hospital room."

Bai Xu only then remembered this matter and quickly let go of the topic, "Mm, okay."

Shang Yanxiao stood up and pushed the wheelchair forward. Passing by Zhang Changxu, he paused his steps briefly, "We'll head back first. Whatever else there is to discuss, let's wait until the results come out."

Zhang Changxu nodded silently, stepping aside to let them pass.

...

Until the elevator door closed did Shang Yanxiao, seizing the moment with no third person around, ask, "A' Xu, that last bit you said to Changxu just now, did it mean something else?"

Bai Xu remembered he still had to keep his friend's secret, so he played dumb, "I was just saying it off the top of my head."

Shang Yanxiao didn't press further, "Is that so?"

Bai Xu suddenly thought of something and turned the question around instead, "You two have known each other so long, has Dr. Zhang ever had someone he dated before?"

Shang Yanxiao's gaze flickered slightly as he answered, "No, he's like me, if he can't find the right person, then he'd rather have no one."

Bai Xu let out a soft laugh, "He's not the same as you, though."

Shang Yanxiao pushed him out of the elevator, "How is he different?"

"……"

Most likely, there was already someone fixed in his heart, which was why he avoided talking about matters of the heart.

Bai Xu had a guess forming in his mind, and asked Shang Yanxiao in a roundabout way, "Do you and Queyan casually hold and hug each other in your everyday life? When he's in a bad mood and goes abroad to stage a 'disappearance,' do you rush over the first chance you get?"

"Do you wrap him in your own coat on a snowy day when he's drunk? When you take him traveling, is an entire suitcase packed just with things he needs?"

Does he?

Not at all.

"……"

Shang Yanxiao understood what Bai Xu meant, and a few seconds later, admitted it helplessly, "You noticed too?"

Hearing his lover say this only made Bai Xu more certain, "Of course I did."

No wonder they'd grown up together as 'brothers'. These two close-mouthed types, each hiding it deeper than the other!

Shang Yanxiao lowered his voice to remind his lover, "This isn't something to talk about carelessly. Even without a blood relation, Changning's adoptive relationship with Uncle Zhang and Aunt Zhang is still there, plain as day."

"……"

Bai Xu sighed, "I know."

The debt of raising him mattered just as much.

Whether it was Zhang Changxu, who'd known the truth since childhood, or Zhang Changning, who likewise knew while keeping it hidden from everyone else, this line wasn't something easily crossed.

Bai Xu's mind filled with the image of his friend pouring his heart out drunk that one time, and the ache rose in him again, "Yanxiao."

"Mm?"

"I suddenly hope the paternity test result turns out to be real."

That way, it wouldn't just fulfill the original host's wish; he might also be able to quietly lend a hand under this legitimate pretext.

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