Chapter 16 – Medicinal Soup

Qiu XiaoHai saw this middle aged woman and his first instinct was to hide behind Bai Lang. His small hard tightly grasped Bai Lang’s pants.

Bai Lang hesitated then smilled at the woman. “Hello, you are?”

The middle aged woman’s smile got bigger. “Oh, I’m Mr Qiu’s hired nanny. My name is Yang Li. Xiao Hai calls me Auntie Yang.” After speaking she smiled at Xiao Hai but Qiu XiaoHai only hid further. “Although Mr Qiu has mentioned to me that in these couple of days Xiao Hai will be staying at your place but seeing that Mr Bai is a busy man, I thought that you would definitely encounter troubles taking care of such a small child. That’s why I thought it’s better if I come to help.”

Seeing Bai Lang’s raised eyebrow and that he was about to open his mouth to reject her, Yang Li laughed and continued speaking. “I know Mr Bai that you’re good-hearted and willing to take care of Xiao Hai, however it took me over half a year to familiarize myself with Xiao Hai’s eating and dressing routine. Usually Mr Qiu isn’t home very often and isn’t aware of how picky Xiao Hai is when eating. He also has a stubborn personality. If the person who takes care of him changes, he definitely won’t be used to it. It might affect his studies.”

At this time Yang Li smiled in a benevolent way at Xiao Hai. “Right now Xiao Hai just wants to experience new things. I’m thinking it’s better if Xiao Hai comes home after school, it’s more comfortable. Then when he has holidays he can live at Mr Bai’s for a few days. That way everyone can be more comfortable right? And since I’m still receiving Mr Qiu’s salary, it won’t make me feel so guilty.”

Yang Li’s manner of speaking was very rational and logical. Combined with her elegant dress and friendly smile, she didn’t look like a nanny but more like a well-raised woman from a wealthy family. She was even wearing a large round pearl on her hand. She made Bai Lang feel very much as though everything she arranged was very good.

But at this time Qiu XiaoHai began to panic. He tugged Bai Lang’s pants and stammered, “I, I don’t want to go home. Daddy said I can live at your place! I can eat anything. I don’t want little rabbit steamed buns anymore. I, I want to live with you…”

Bai Lang smiled and patted Qiu XiaoHai’s head. He said to Yang Li, “Auntie Yang is very meticulous. I am also scared that I can’t take care of Xiao Hai as well however Mr Qiu already promised Xiao Hai, so I can’t let Mr Qiu break his promise. So if Xiao Hai wants to stay with me he can. If he really can’t get used to it and wants to go home then I’ll take him home immediately. There’s no problem.”

Qiu XiaoHai immediately hugged Bai Lang’s leg tightly. “I won’t, I’ll be good…”

Bai Lang only kept patting Qiu XiaoHai’s head, reassuring Xiao Hai’s restless mood.

Yang Li gave Qiu XiaoHai an adoring gaze that also carried some feelings of blame. “Oh, Mr Bai really knows how to make himself liked. Thinking about back then, it took me a lot of effort to get close with Xiao Hai.”

As for whether there was a hidden meaning behind these words, Bai Lang didn’t want to think too deeply. He only smiled, “Sorry to make Auntie Yang come all this way for nothing. When Mr Qiu comes back, I will definitely tell him about Auntie Yang’s kindness.”

Yang Li sighed. “I just feel bad for Xiao Hai since he doesn’t have a mother. Ai, what a pitiful child.”

Bai Lang didn’t say anything. However the smile on his face faded slightly. He could somewhat understand why Xiao Hai didn’t like Auntie Yang.

“Since it’s like this then Xiao Hai you can go with Mr Bai,” At this time Yang Li lifted up a cloth covered bag. Inside was a stainless steel soup box. “This is the healing medicinal soup that Doctor Chen has prescribed these days. It’s to help nurture Xiao Hai’s body. This child is often ill and Mr Qiu is often very worried. This type of medication needs to taken over the long term to have a good effect. If it’s stopped in the middle it won’t be good. I have prepared three days worth for Mr Bai to take home. After dinner, can I trouble Mr Bai to remember to give Xiao Hai a bowl.”

Bai Lang remembered the soup that Qiu XiaoHai had mentioned the other night. So he took it and said, “Thank you Auntie Yang, you’ve worked hard.”

Qiu XiaoHai stared at the soup. He wanted to protest but then remembered the promise he’d just made. He straightened his back but in the end continued to bury his face against Bai Lang’s leg.

After Bai Lang took the soup, Yang Li added a few more instructions about how after drinking the soup, Xiao Hai might start to feel tired, then looked at Xiao Hai and said in a lingering tone, “Xiao Hai, you must obediently listen to everything Mr Bai tells you, okay? Don’t make trouble for Mr Bai.”

Qiu XiaoHai hugged Bai Lang’s thigh and agreed.

Bai Lang saw the situation then reached out and picked up Qiu XiaoHai. “Okay, we had better go. So goodbye to Auntie Yang.”

Qiu XiaoHai was evidently caught off guard by this motion. This was the first time Bai Lang had hugged him. However he used the opportunity to stick closer to Bai Lang. He said obediently, “Bye Auntie Yang.”

Bai Lang made a simple goodbye to Yang Li. He didn’t say much and took Qiu XiaoHai in the direction of the car.

***

After getting in the car, Bai Lang helped the Qiu XiaoHai sit properly and buckled on his seat belt.

Qiu XiaoHai’s quiet and obedience during this time made the driver Hong Hong turn around several times to look.

The usually boisterous and noisy child was being very quiet. Bai Lang knew that it was because he was still feeling insecure. So he said in a gentle voice, “Later on, let’s go buy some little rabbit steamed buns.”

Qiu XiaoHai shook his head. “I don’t need it.”

Bai Lang rubbed his downcast head. “Don’t worry. Whatever you want just let me know. If you’re bad then I’ll smack you. But I won’t send you back.”

Qiu XiaoHai opened his eyes wide. There was color on his face again. He said in a small voice, “…. really?”

“Yes. And if my smacks don’t hurt, then there’s still Hong Hong.”  Bai Lang decided to drag someone with him under the water.

Hong Hong silently looked in the rear view mirror.

Qiu XiaoHai brightened up. He nodded his head vigorously. “En!” Then he remembered something wasn’t right. “But I’m really very good. The little rabbit steamed buns is something daddy said, not me ah.”

Bai Lang laughed and said, “Yes. I know.”

***

That night, after eating dinner Qiu XiaoHai screwed up his face to drink the soup. Bai Lang had put aside a steamed bun with red bean filling which he intended to give to Xiao Hai to suppress the bitter taste. Because of this, Bai Lang had specifically gone on the internet to check which food could be eaten with medicine. He didn’t want to ruin the effect of the medication.

However what he didn’t expect that within a few minutes of Qiu XiaoHai drinking the soup down in one gulp, he was already closing his eyes and nodding away. The steamed bun he had prepared thus didn’t get eaten. The speed of the effect of the medicinal soup really shocked Bai Lang. He hurried to help Qiu XiaoHai change into his pajamas and put him into bed.

During the quiet of the evening, Bai Lang looked over the script again. He even picked a movie and used the method that Zhu Kuan had taught him to carefully study it. After some time Bai Lang thought about the fact that Qiu XiaoHai had gone to sleep at 6-7PM, he might wake up at 1-2AM in the morning from oversleep.

But when Bai Lang came in to check, Qiu XiaoHai was still sleeping deeply under the blanket. He didn’t even look as though he changed his position. Bai Lang glanced over him one last time, thinking about the fact that tomorrow he should help Xiao Hai take a bath before having dinner and they also had to hurry to brush his teeth afterwards.

However the next day there was a cruel reality waiting for Bai Lang.

Qiu XiaoHai had wet the bed.

***

Bai Lang cleaned up the wet bedsheets and blankets with a big head. He thought that Auntie Yang wasn’t wrong when he said taking care of Qiu XiaoHai would be troublesome. He had never raised a child so he could only slowly get accustomed to it.

Qiu XiaoHai was at this moment pouting and standing to one side, naked from the waist down. He looked downcast and said he had forgotten to wear his “white pants”. Previously Auntie Yang would help him wear it. Once he wore it then he wouldn’t pee on the bed. After speaking he ran over the bag that Hong Hong had brought over for him and took the “white pants” out. It was a nappy. He gave it to Bai Lang with a worried face.

Whether or not it was normal for a five year old child to pee the bed, Bai Lang wasn’t sure since he hadn’t researched it. However he still felt something was not quite right. Bai Lang took the nappy and said, “Do you wear these white pants to bed every night?” However the night that Qiu Qian had been here, Qiu XiaoHai hadn’t wet the bed.

Qiu XiaoHai nodded his head, then shook it again. “I didn’t need it before. It’s only recently.” He stamped his feet. “Auntie Yang said it’s because I drank too much soup and it’s not a big deal. You, you don’t tell daddy okay.”

The soup again? Bai Lang raised his eyebrow. At this time the phone rang.

Bai Lang picked up. It was Qiu Qian calling from overseas. Bai Lang answered a few of his questions about Qiu XiaoHai’s circumstances however didn’t tell him about the bed wetting incident. The reason was because Qiu XiaoHai stared up at Bai Lang with pitiful eyes, thus Bai Lang gave the phone over to Qiu XiaoHai and told him to talk to Qiu Qian himself.

Qiu XiaoHai was surprised and happy. He jumped up and down with a naked butt and told his daddy that he was being a good boy. Bai Lang laughed helplessly. He glanced at him and thought about the fact that they still needed to take a shower, change their clothes and that they would definitely be late for school. He snatched back the phone and firmly hung up on Qiu Qian, then began a busy morning rather like a warzone.

After successfully sending Qiu XiaoHai to school, Bai Lang returned home and found a cleaning company to help him get rid of the wet blankets and bedsheets. He also had someone treat the mattress. After he finished, Bai Lang sat at his computer and researched “five years old” and “bed wetting” and read the related articles. He read a bunch of child rearing articles and found out that Qiu XiaoHai’s circumstances can be said to be within the realm of normal. He felt reassured and closed the computer and wanted to lie down on the sofa for a nap. Since he had a break then he would have a rest.

It’s just that sleeping in the daytime made one prone to bad dreams.

Thus Bai Lang’s sleep was very restless. He kept dreaming about what had happened before he died.

Previously when Qiu Qian had been by his side, Bai Lang was so exhausted he slept soundly. Thus he hadn’t had this dream in some time.

This time when seeing those scenes again, his heart didn’t feel as despairing and regretful as previously. He had already thought through a lot of things. Since he had a chance at rebirth, Bai Lang felt he was lucky.

This time, Bai Lang saw again the things that happened after he fainted away.

The face of Qiu Qian who was trying desperately to help him had a kind of hard and unyielding quality. Compared with the Qiu Qian who Bai Lang knew now, there was still some differences. However this wasn’t surprising. These few years would be the years that Qiu Qian would get involved in the major businesses of his family enterprises, so he probably changed and grew a lot during this time.

As the scenes in front of him changed, Bai Lang saw Qiu Qian call an ambulance for him and send him to the hospital. He saw him pacing in front of the surgery. As he walked Qiu Qian’s footsteps turned and actually went to a different level. It was the first time Bai Lang had seen this scene in his dream. He thought it was probably a coincidence. Qiu Qian probably had some other friend who was staying in the hospital at this time. However, as Bai Lang followed Qiu Qian into a special VIP room, he saw Qiu Qian’s grave face as well as the small head that was half showing on the bed…

Bai Lang started. He was so shocked he actually woke up.

He half raised his body from the sofa and he was sweating. His heart was beating very fast.

… it was a young boy. Bai Lang was sure.

He looked like a young teenager. It was just the right age for Qiu XiaoHai in ten years.

In his past life, Qiu Qian had hidden Qiu XiaoHai very deep, he never let him appear in front of people.

This was different to the behaviour that Bai Lang had seen these days with Qiu Qian chasing behind Qiu XiaoHai.

The difference was because….

Was it because something had happened to Qiu XiaoHai, to make Qiu Qian hide him like that?

Bai Lang swallowed slowly. A possibility was arising in his heart.

After a few minutes, he placed some of the soup from the soup box into a takeaway cup before going out.

Three days later, Bai Lang made a long distance call to Qiu Qian.

After Qiu Qian heard what he had to say, he immediately arranged a flight back to China that night.