When Sheng Yiyang brought Momo to the hospital, Momo had already passed out from the pain.
Upon seeing the crisscrossing scars on his body, the doctor shot a wary look at Sheng Yiyang. After a thorough examination, the doctor stared at Sheng Yiyang with a dark expression and asked, "What relation are you to him?"
One look from the doctor told Sheng Yiyang that unless he explained clearly, the doctor wouldn't let him know Momo's condition. He spoke directly, "Fiance. I just went to his place to pick him up."
Clearly jumping to conclusions involving dramatic and tragic stories, the doctor explained Momo's condition and instructed, "He has suffered severe physical and psychological trauma and needs to be nursed back to health with great care. As for his diet, start with light, clear liquid foods. After about a month, once his stomach has adapted, you can gradually introduce meat. As for his psychological state, you should find a professional psychologist for him!"
Sheng Yiyang thanked the doctor. When he returned to the ward, he saw Momo defensively curled up on the hospital bed, with Ji Rong and a young nurse standing by, looking at a loss for what to do.
Sheng Yiyang crossed the room in two strides and came to the bedside. He wanted to reach out and touch him, but pulled his hand back, simply looking gently into those unfocused eyes and saying softly, "Momo, do you still remember me? I'm taking you home, back to our home."
Those pitch-black eyes, as still as stagnant water, flickered. He looked at Sheng Yiyang.
Sheng Yiyang tentatively reached out a hand to him. "Momo, come with me, okay? I'm taking you home."
Momo lowered his gaze to look at that hand, blinking slowly. Just when Sheng Yiyang thought he had been too hasty, a cool sensation touched his palm. A slender hand, pale and marked with red scars, placed itself upon his own prominent, knuckle-defined hand.
Overjoyed, Sheng Yiyang grasped the hand, not daring to use any force, just smiling like an absolute fool.
Momo looked at him, seemingly a bit puzzled, then lowered his gaze again to look at their intertwined hands, feeling the warmth radiating from the palm.
At that moment, the nurse spoke up, announcing that it was time to change the IV drip.
With Sheng Yiyang there, the nurse finished quickly. As she left, she cast a sympathetic glance at Momo, then looked at Sheng Yiyang, feeling she must have seen him somewhere before!
Catching the nurse's appraising look at Sheng Yiyang, Ji Rong felt a prickle of unease. He gave a low cough, and once the nurse had gone out, he asked seriously about Momo's condition. "What is the meaning of this? You're going to marry him?"
Sheng Yiyang looked at Momo and let out an "Mn."
"No! You..." Ji Rong wanted to ask how he even knew Momo, but seeing the intense focus and tenderness in Sheng Yiyang's eyes stopped the question in his throat. In the end, he could only ask awkwardly, "Are you planning to make this public?"
Sheng Yiyang didn't answer, but that gaze, combined with the tentative gesture of gathering Momo into his arms, made his attitude abundantly clear!
Ji Rong felt his head throbbing. "Going public is fine, but you need to handle your relationship with Ling Chen properly. Everyone across the entire internet knows how hard you chased Ling Chen before. Don't forget what you said when you won the Best Actor award!"
At the mention of Ling Chen's name, a sharp glint flashed across Sheng Yiyang's eyes. Remembering his own idiotic speech from the award ceremony, he shot a glare of pure self-loathing at the empty air. "Can those idiotic, adolescent speeches from the past actually be taken seriously? It must have taken eight lifetimes of bad luck for me to ever meet him!"
Ji Rong: "......" Who was the one who said that meeting Ling Chen was a once-in-eight-lifetimes stroke of good fortune?
What an absolute fool, indeed!
Ji Rong: "Fine, whatever. Oh right, I had someone keep an eye on that guy for you!"
"That guy" referred to Shen Ping.
Sheng Yiyang nodded at him and instructed, "Find a way to get his DNA. He gambles—find an opportunity to get him locked up!"
Ji Rong nodded. He glanced at Momo; Sheng Yiyang's subsequent work schedule had already been arranged. "I'll go talk to Director Lin. Your scenes should be pushed back to be filmed last, but you still need to be careful—you're currently in a period of rising popularity!"
Sheng Yiyang offered a sincere expression of gratitude that actually made Ji Rong somewhat uncomfortable. Ji Rong waved a dismissive hand and left.
Sheng Yiyang smiled faintly. In his past life, Ji Rong had been just like this—never stopping him from making any decision, yet quietly working hard behind the scenes to cover all the angles. It was just that back then, he himself had been far too stubborn and self-righteous.
The next day, the sun hung high in the sky. When Sheng Yiyang woke up, Momo was already awake, his round eyes fixed unblinkingly on him.
"Morning, Momo~" Sheng Yiyang gently ruffled Momo's hair.
Momo blinked with a look of comfort, and when Sheng Yiyang tried to pull his hand back, he gently nudged it with the top of his head.
"Be a good boy, Momo. I'm going to wash up first." Sheng Yiyang ruffled Momo's head again, got up from the hospital bed, and stretched. The moment his feet touched the floor, Momo reached out to grab his hand.
Sheng Yiyang paused, looked up at the remaining IV fluid, and holding the IV pole in one hand while holding Momo's hand with the other, walked over to the bathroom.
The toiletries had apparently been sent over by Ji Rong early in the morning. While Sheng Yiyang washed up, Momo stood right beside him, staring unblinkingly, and under Sheng Yiyang's guidance, completed his own wash as well.
"Our Momo did such a good job~" Sheng Yiyang looked at the clean-faced little figure in the mirror, smiling and patting his head.
Momo nuzzled into the touch comfortably, his eyes squinting slightly.
Enamored, Sheng Yiyang watched the little expressions Momo unconsciously let slip, then cheerfully led him back to the hospital bed. Perhaps because he hadn't slept a peaceful night in a long time, Momo rested his head against Sheng Yiyang's hand and drifted back to sleep before long.
When the IV finished and the nurse came to remove the needle, Momo only frowned slightly.
By the time Ji Rong arrived, Momo had his head resting on Sheng Yiyang's shoulder, lowering his gaze to watch Sheng Yiyang play on his phone.
Ji Rong's steps paused as he entered the ward, and he immediately reminded himself: *I'm here on official business!* Then he put on a much more serious expression. "We got the DNA. Pulling strings with your status as the young master of the Sheng Family, the test results came out."
Sheng Yiyang didn't take the report, simply staring at Ji Rong. Imitating Sheng Yiyang, Momo stared at Ji Rong too.
Ji Rong: "......"
Ji Rong: "There is no blood relation between Momo and him! But the household registration situation is a bit strange. We found out that Momo was thrown out by Shen Ping when he was seven years old! Which was the exact day Momo's mother ran away!"
Sheng Yiyang's eyes darkened instantly. In his past life, Momo's mother had never appeared. Now it seemed it wasn't even certain that Momo was her biological child!
Ji Rong continued, "Shen Ping has bolted! We didn't catch him. That guy is slippery as a monkey; he sensed something was wrong in advance and ran away without even returning home!"
"Then leave him alone for now. Sooner or later, he'll show up! Make sure you back up that evidence and send me a copy too." In his past life, Shen Ping's appearance had been the fuse that plunged him deep into public controversy. This time, he wanted to see if it could still be detonated!
Ji Rong nodded, looked at Momo, and imitating Sheng Yiyang, gave a little wave. "Hi Momo, I'm Ji Rong!"
Momo turned his head away, burying his face in the crook of Sheng Yiyang's shoulder, looking as if he found him rather distasteful.
Ji Rong: "......"
Sheng Yiyang burst into laughter, stroked Momo's head, and shot an amused look at Ji Rong.
Ji Rong curled his lip, and before leaving, said to Sheng Yiyang, "Oh right, Big Brother found out about this. Big Brother wants you to call him back!"