Chapter 25 – Dr. Yin

“The appointment time has been moved up,” He Rong didn’t want to mention Xiang Ning’s vocalization to avoid unnecessary anxiety, so he only pressed his own thoughts and secretly sent a message to Dr. Yin.

Receiving a positive response, He Rong relaxed, then noticed the bathroom was quiet. He went in and found Xiang Ning sitting on the toilet with the toothbrush in his mouth, his head nodding.

He Rong caught him before he fell, pinched a bit of his soft skin, and said helplessly, “Wake up, sleepyhead.”

Xiang Ning woke up again, blushing and quickly spat out the toothpaste foam, then took the wet towel from He Rong to wipe his face.

It was rush hour, and He Rong’s car was stuck on the elevated road. He tried to control his temper, checking the time and tapping the steering wheel impatiently.

He was thinking about the next month’s work plan, trying to focus on something other than the morning’s events.

Xiang Ning sat in the passenger seat, eating a piece of bread. His gaze swept over He Rong’s fingers, his face, and reached out to grab He Rong’s sleeve.

“Hmm?” He Rong came back to his senses, holding Xiang Ning’s hand, and asked, “What’s wrong?”

He glanced at the bread, which was mostly uneaten, and asked, “Is it not good? I was in a hurry this morning, so I just had Xiao Ye buy something. If you don’t like it, we can find a restaurant later. What do you want to eat?”

He spoke in a rush, his tone more anxious than he realized. Xiang Ning listened quietly, turned his hand, and gently interlaced his fingers with He Rong’s, squeezing slightly.

He tore off a small piece of bread and fed it to He Rong, mouthing, “It’s fine.”

He Rong swallowed the bread, the sweet, soft texture lingering on his tongue, strangely dispelling his frustration.

He smiled and leaned over to kiss Xiang Ning’s forehead, then followed the slowly moving traffic.

——

Dr. Yin didn’t look like an experienced veteran at all.

He Rong scrutinized him, and their gazes met briefly before breaking off.

Hmph. Dr. Yin rolled his eyes inwardly, placed the medical records on the table, and took off his glasses, wiping them on his white coat.

He lowered his eyes, looking between Xiang Ning and the records, his fingers tapping the table. Xiang Ning remained calm, but He Rong grew increasingly tense, maintaining a calm facade.

Dr. Yin flipped through the records, put his glasses back on, and finally wrote a few words with a pen, “The issue started at twelve, right?”

Xiang Ning hadn’t moved, but He Rong answered for him, “Yes. He’s twenty-two now, so it’s been ten years.”

“I can do simple math,” Dr. Yin said with a half-smile, adjusting his glasses and looking at He Rong before focusing on Xiang Ning, “Starting next week, come here for regular check-ins.” He pushed a business card over, “Is that okay?”

“No problem,” He Rong answered quickly, taking the card and carefully putting it in his pocket, holding Xiang Ning’s hand.

Xiang Ning was about to stand when He Rong asked, “Dr. Yin, Ning Ning made a sound this morning when he wasn’t fully awake. Is that—?”

He didn’t finish, but Xiang Ning looked over, touching his throat in confusion.

“Ah, that.” Dr. Yin wrote a few notes, not looking up, “That’s a normal sign, indicating a high possibility of recovery. As long as you cooperate with the treatment, you’ll be able to speak more often in the future.”

He Rong breathed a sigh of relief, and Xiang Ning’s face lit up with joy. Dr. Yin nodded at Xiang Ning and then said to He Rong, “The family can wait outside for a moment.”

He Rong soothingly rubbed Xiang Ning’s hair, saying softly, “I’ll be right outside.”

Xiang Ning nodded, watching him leave, and then smiled and nodded at Dr. Yin.

——

As He Rong stepped out, he met a nurse carrying a file. She nodded at him, glanced at the closed door, and whispered, “Mr. He, please follow me.”

She quietly opened the door of the adjacent room, gestured for He Rong to sit, and pushed a cup of water towards him, interlacing her fingers, “Dr. Yin asked me to discuss Mr. Xiang’s condition with the family.”

She waited for He Rong to nod before continuing, “Functional aphonia can have various causes. In many cases, it can be resolved through self-regulation. Mr. Xiang’s case is a bit more severe, but the chances of recovery are high. There’s no need to worry.

We’ll have a treatment plan ready by next week. The ten-year gap is significant, but immediate treatment would have been more effective. Now, it will just take longer, but overall, it’s not a problem.”

She paused, giving He Rong time to process, and continued, “During this period, the family’s role is to support us and build the patient’s confidence. Since there are no physiological issues, the patient must believe in the possibility of recovery, which is crucial.

Additionally, we will use injections and other therapies, using placebos. I wanted to inform you of this.”

She pushed a form towards He Rong, waited for his confirmation, and smiled, “Please pay attention to the patient’s mood.”

He Rong nodded, and only when he stood up did he realize his palms were sweaty, leaving a damp imprint on the metal armrest.

He sat outside for a while, and Xiang Ning and Dr. Yin came out shortly after.

“Done?” He Rong took Xiang Ning’s hand, his palm now warm and dry. Xiang Ning felt a bit embarrassed, tried to pull away, but didn’t succeed.

He nodded at Dr. Yin, said goodbye, and left the clinic.

It was close to noon, and the autumn sun was gentle, wrapping around them warmly, casting a golden glow on the fallen leaves. Xiang Ning walked along the edge, the unswept yellow leaves, dried by the sun, crunched underfoot, the sound pleasant to the ears.

His playful mood grew, and he pulled He Rong along, stepping on the leaves down the street, unexpectedly meeting two elementary school students jumping in a pile of leaves.

He Rong couldn’t help but laugh, tapping Xiang Ning’s forehead, “Had enough fun?”

Xiang Ning pouted and finally let the remaining leaves be.

He Rong nodded, “If you’re done, let’s go back. The car is still in the parking lot.” He led the way, and Xiang Ning, after a few steps, remembered: they had driven here!

He looked at He Rong, who was smiling, feeling both annoyed and resentful, thinking He Rong had known and let him make a fool of himself.

The street was quiet, and He Rong held his hand, gently but firmly, preventing Xiang Ning from pulling away, squeezing his fingers. Xiang Ning pouted but followed him step by step.