As the voice fell, the hospital room was silent for a few seconds.
Xu Chuning and Shen Yubai exchanged glances, and then looked at the young man on the hospital bed, saying in unison, "What did you call us?"
At the same time, Shen Sinian's vision finally became clear.
He looked at Shen Yubai, who bore some resemblance to him and appeared about the same age, his pupils slightly contracting, "Who are you?"
Shen Yubai looked at him coldly, turned to Xu Chuning and said, "I'll get a psychiatrist to come and see him."
"..."
Shen Yubai turned and left, leaving Xu Chuning alone with the person on the bed.
Their gazes met, and Xu Chuning pondered before speaking, "Hello."
Shen Sinian: "...Mom."
Xu Chuning was stunned once again by his address, her lips twitching, "Classmate, I should be about your age, I can't be your mom just yet."
Shen Sinian remained silent, without rebuttal.
He just quietly watched Xu Chuning, frantically thinking, what is the situation now? He was sure he hadn't misheard. The person in front of him was named Xu Chuning, looking exactly like his mom when she was young, and the person who had just left was Shen Yubai, his unquestionably biological father.
On the desk in Shen Yubai's study, there was a photo of the two during their high school days, and the two people in the photo looked exactly like they do now.
"Classmate?" Seeing that the person on the bed was not speaking, Xu Chuning patiently called him again.
Shen Sinian came back to his senses, looked up at her with sincere eyes, "You really are my mom, my mom's name is Xu Chuning."
Xu Chuning was caught off guard and reminded him, "Is there a possibility that we just share the same name?"
She was just under seventeen years old; how could she have such a grown son?
Seeing her skeptical face, Shen Sinian rubbed his hair in slight frustration, then recalled something, "I know your ID number."
Xu Chuning blinked, "Then tell me."
Shen Sinian recited a series of numbers.
After listening, Xu Chuning was slightly astonished; this person really knew her ID number.
"You..." Xu Chuning measured him up, appearing pensive.
Shen Sinian: "I'm your son, don't you think I look a bit like you?"
When people complimented him before, they often said that Shen Sinian inherited his parents' good looks, his eyebrows and eyes resembled Shen Yubai, and his mouth and nose resembled Xu Chuning, especially when he smiled.
With this in mind, Shen Sinian smiled at Xu Chuning, showing his teeth, "See?"
Xu Chuning: "..."
She looked at the young man in front of her, starting to believe what Shen Yubai had said.
They might have really encountered someone with mental issues.
Just as she thought this, the door to the hospital room was pushed open, and Shen Yubai returned with a doctor.
The doctor examined Shen Sinian from head to toe, telling the two, "He doesn't have any problems, everything is normal."
Xu Chuning frowned, "But it seems like his mind is not very sharp."
The doctor smiled, "Maybe he's just not fully awake yet, I just asked him a few questions, and he answered all of them very well."
The doctor had other patients to see and hurriedly left behind a few words, "He really is fine, you guys go ahead with the discharge procedures, leave the hospital room for other patients who need it."
Watching the doctor leave, Xu Chuning turned to look at the cold and indifferent Shen Yubai, her lips slightly moving, "...What do we do now?"
Shen Yubai looked down at her condescendingly, took a stack of cash and a phone number from his wallet, and placed them on the cabinet beside the hospital bed, his attitude icy, "I have other things to handle, call me if there's a problem."
He left the money and contact information on the cabinet, and walked away without looking back at Xu Chuning once more.
"Damn..." Shen Sinian watched the money on the cabinet, then glanced at Shen Yubai's retreating figure, and couldn't help but curse, "What does he mean by this?"
Xu Chuning, however, was not surprised; if it hadn't been for her insistence, Shen Yubai wouldn't have come to the hospital at all.
Xu Chuning and Shen Yubai were classmates at the same school, but their paths in life and academically never crossed. Shen Yubai was famously unbridled and rebellious in the international class; he was the prominent eldest young master of the Shen Family, powerful and from a prestigious family. His school's science and art buildings were both donated by the Shen Family.
While Xu Chuning was in a regular class, relying on scholarships and financial aid from the school to afford her high school tuition, the difference between them was like the difference between the clouds and mud.
They only knew each other because the Shen Mansion was too far from the school, and Shen Yubai didn't want to live at home, so the Shen Family purchased a large flat near the school for him. Also, since the aunt who took care of him didn't cook well, he often ordered takeout from Xu Chuning's home. Occasionally, after class, Xu Chuning would help her mother deliver meals to him, which allowed them to become somewhat acquainted.
"Mom!" Shen Sinian was upset, "You're not even going to do anything about him."
Xu Chuning: "...Classmate."
She turned her head to stare at Shen Sinian, somewhat headache-inducing, "I'm really not your mom."
Shen Sinian pursed his lips tightly, looked straight at Xu Chuning for a while, and then compromised, "Alright, what should I call you?"
If he hadn't guessed wrong, he was probably back in the time when his parents were in high school. At this time, they indeed wouldn't have a son as old as him.
Though Shen Sinian didn't know why he had ended up here, he had seen and heard many extraordinary tales since he was young. Although he was shocked by what was happening to him now, he was still relatively calm.
"My name is Xu Chuning, just call me by my name." Xu Chuning asked him, "Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?"
Shen Sinian shook his head.
Xu Chuning breathed a sigh of relief, "Then... shall we proceed with the discharge?"
Shen Sinian hummed in agreement.
On the way to handle the discharge, Shen Sinian finally learned why the three of them were at the hospital.
Xu Chuning's mother ran a breakfast shop, which was small but quite busy. Every Saturday and Sunday, Xu Chuning would wake up early to help her mother or deliver meals to people who ordered over the phone in the neighborhood.
Their family's little shop didn't offer delivery service temporarily, so Xu Chuning's mother, unable to cope alone, only accepted phone orders from regular customers.
That morning, when Xu Chuning's mother received a meal order call from Shen Yubai, Xu Chuning had just packed the breakfast and was delivering it by bicycle.
But before she reached the neighborhood gate, she saw a crowd gathered nearby, and Shen Yubai's voice reached her ears.
Xu Chuning locked her bicycle and went closer to see that Shen Yubai was straddling a cross-country motorcycle, with a young man in a suit lying in front of the motorcycle's wheel.
The onlookers were clamoring to call the police and ambulance, Shen Yubai, looking impatient, said he didn't hit anyone, and refused to explain further.
Witnessing this scene, Xu Chuning immediately dialed 120, mustered the courage to persuade Shen Yubai to come to the hospital together to check if the unconscious young man was alright. If he was fine, it would also ease Shen Yubai's burden.
Probably bothered by the persistence, Shen Yubai reluctantly came along.
He was sure he hadn't touched Shen Sinian; it was mysterious how he had appeared in front of his motorcycle. But it was hard to defend himself.
"He really is henpecked," Shen Sinian muttered after hearing Xu Chuning's explanation.
Xu Chuning: "What?"
She didn't hear clearly.
Shen Sinian looked at her, slowly shook his head, "I'll tell you later."
He knew his dad was henpecked, but he didn't expect this trait had appeared back in his high school days.
Xu Chuning: "..."
They probably won't have a future encounter again, right?