Chapter 166

Chapter 166

First, let's talk about Mike. Fate seems to be playing a cruel joke on him.

He has great physical attributes, is handsome, has a fit body, and being a Chinese American, this identity adds a certain aura to him. After arriving in Hong Kong, the superstar's agent also heard that he had a red background, and since the superstar also wanted to improve relations with the Communist Party, he arranged for Mike to perform at a bar.

Hong Kong, having been a British territory, has residents with a generally high level of English education. Mike's translations of popular songs like "Descendants of the Dragon," "The Great Wall Never Falls," and "Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies" were well-known and loved by the public. Performing these songs in English added a unique flavor.

That night, he received an enthusiastic response.

After several performances, the agent noticed his growing popularity and decided to arrange for him to release an album. He also assisted him in connecting with a group of superstars to perform together at the May concert at the Hong Kong Coliseum.

But ??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌?‌‌‌??‌‌?‌???‌‌???‌???‌‌?‌‌???‌‌??‌??‌‌???‌??‌‌??‌???‌‌???‌‌??‌‌?‌???‌‌??‌‌???‌‌??‌‌?‌‌??‌‌???‌‌??‌‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌‌????‌?‌‌???‌‌??‌‌?‌???‌‌????‌??‌‌???‌?‌‌??‌?‌??‌‌??‌‌?‌‌???‌‌??‌‌?‌??‍just at this critical moment, Mike fell ill with a fever, and it persisted for several days without showing any signs of subsiding.

Given the strict regulations in Mainland China regarding such matters, Mike immediately reported the situation to the agency company and wanted to isolate himself and observe for a while. However, the agent told him not to worry, that he too was feverish, and that they should just keep it quiet and tough it out.

Compared to making money and becoming famous, a minor infectious disease was nothing.

Mike was half-convinced, but for the sake of fame, he followed the agent's advice and kept the matter under wraps.

Over the next few days, he participated in several small concerts, and the response became increasingly enthusiastic with each performance. He completely forgot about the SARS outbreak.

If things had continued like this and he had safely passed through, it would have been fine. But suddenly one day, the agent fainted backstage and was taken to the hospital, where he died two days later. The hospital diagnosed the cause of death as SARS.

By this time, Mike had been feverish for four days, his voice was hoarse, and he was feeling cold and shivering. These symptoms, which Little Lang had mentioned to him many times before, he had always ignored. But now, from these symptoms, he could tell that he probably had SARS.

What was even more ironic was that Mike wanted to develop his career in Hong Kong but didn't trust the public healthcare and sanitary conditions there. After all, he had always been in the United States, and post-handover Hong Kong didn't fare well in the media reports from the West.

At this life-and-death moment, Mike even forgot how much he disliked Little Lang. Now, recalling Little Lang's meticulous habits—always disinfecting before opening the door, wearing a mask whenever he came into contact with the outside world—seemed like virtues.

When the agent was already dead, did fame still matter?

The fear of death drove him to immediately dial Yan Peiheng's number: "Grandpa, I have SARS. I want to go home, I want to go back to Beijing. Tell Yan Minglang to come and get me right away."

When it came to the response to viruses and protective measures, was there any place better than the capital?

While making the call, Mike, with a backpack, was already hailing a taxi and heading to the airport, preparing to come to the capital.

Yan Peiheng received the call during a small meeting with leaders. The old man's phone was always set to a very loud volume, and he was currently the top leader.

The capital was in such a severe situation with the virus, with hospitals, public security, the army, and various systems all overwhelmed and working at full capacity.

And now, Yan Peiheng's eldest grandson wanted to bring the virus to the capital?

Everyone present fell silent, looking at Yan Peiheng.

"Yan Lu, you are not allowed to come to the capital. Immediately go to the nearest public hospital!" Yan Peiheng said sternly. "Since you are carrying the virus, you are an infection source. You cannot run around and spread the virus anymore."

"But Grandpa, I heard that Hong Kong has been doing very poorly since the handover. My agent is already dead, and if I stay in Hong Kong, I will die too!" Mike was almost in tears. "Grandpa, I beg you, hurry up and send Yan Minglang to pick me up."

After all, his career had just started to take off. If he hadn't stood on stage or received the applause of the audience, death wouldn't have mattered. But once you've stood on stage, experienced the applause, felt the joy of using music to move and infect the audience, you can't bear to die.

When a person can't bear to die, all they think about is finding the safest place to save their own life.

In his mind, since Grandpa had shown so much concern for him at the Bayi Hotel, even sending his proudest special forces grandson to accompany him, it meant that Grandpa must care about him and would definitely agree to his request.

"Please, Grandpa, hurry up and send Yan Minglang to pick me up." He repeated insistently.

But Yan Peiheng sternly said, "The country is practicing 'one country, two systems,' and Hong Kong has its own elected governor, who is very capable and doing a great job. You must immediately go to the public hospital for treatment. Do not run around anymore. Otherwise, I will notify the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong and have you arrested on charges of spreading the virus. Do you understand?"

After saying that, he hung up the phone with a "beep."

"Grandpa? Grandpa!" Mike thought he had heard wrong and shouted into the phone.

He hurriedly dialed again, but the line was busy. When he called again, his phone was turned off.

"Grandpa!" In the crowded street, Mike let out a heart-wrenching, sharp cry.

Now, back in the capital, whether Grandpa was just putting on a formal tone in front of everyone or genuinely had confidence in Hong Kong's epidemic prevention measures,

After hanging up the phone, in front of everyone, he took out his phone book and called the leader of the PLA Garrison in Hong Kong, providing them with Mike's phone number and identity information.

He informed them that if Mike did not report to the hospital and still attempted to come to the capital, he should be arrested on the spot and taken to the hospital.

Absolutely no moving infection source should be allowed to travel all the way from Hong Kong to the capital.

After being coldly rejected by his grandfather and having the phone hung up,

Mike, with a mindset of "since even the grandfather who loved me the most doesn't value me because I haven't succeeded, why should I value myself," decided to go to the Hong Kong public hospital and report himself for treatment.

Now, let's talk about Chen Meilan.

Could Little Lang be in a relationship? Chen Meilan thought it was impossible. He had always been in the army and had no chance to meet girls. Moreover, he was only 20 years old, with a baby face, and which girl would look at him?

And just at this moment, Yuanyuan asked again, "Come on, tell me. Don't think I haven't noticed that every time you go shopping, you stand outside Grandpa Wang's window for a long time. Tell me, are you dating Wang Hongxia?"

In the courtyard, there was a retired division commander surnamed Wang, who was about the same age as Yan Peiheng. His granddaughter was named Wang Hongxia, 20 years old, a chubby, plump little girl.

Before hearing that Little Lang was in a relationship, Chen Meilan's requirement for him was that as long as he was dating a girl, she wouldn't care what she looked like.

Of course, if he wanted to date a boy, as long as he dared, she wouldn't object either.

But who should it be, not Wang Hongxia.

The girl was not bad, chubby and cute, working as a stock clerk in a supermarket, honest and decent. But the girl was particularly fond of taking diet pills, often consuming some random diet pills advertised on TV.

Although this wasn't a big deal, Chen Meilan was very concerned about the girl's health.

Because in her previous life, Yuanyuan had taken diet pills to the point of fainting and had even lost her menstruation for a period.

Her heart skipped a beat, thinking that Little Lang was still so young, and if he liked a girl in the same courtyard, given that they were all colleagues, it was likely that Commander Wang and Yan Peiheng would be willing to mediate.

But she had already been heartbroken enough watching Yuanyuan struggle with dieting in her previous life and didn't want to see another girl struggle with dieting under the same roof. What should she do?

Just as Chen Meilan's heart skipped a beat, she heard Little Lang divert the topic from his "girlfriend" and instead ask Yuanyuan about another matter: "Even if it is, there is indeed someone near Commander Wang's house that I'm interested in. But sister, last summer when I was on a business trip in Xiping City, why were you and our brother so busy that you only had time for a quick meal and then left?"

Chen Meilan carefully recalled and realized that last summer vacation, Little Wang and Yuanyuan had gone to Xiping City. At that time, Little Lang had a business trip to Xiping City as well, and the two of them said they were going to meet up with Little Lang and have a good time together for several days.

So, these two mischievous kids only had one meal with Little Lang in Xiping City before they ran off?

Chen Meilan decided she needed to hear more about this.

"We went to climb Mount Hua," Yuanyuan said.

Little Lang then said, "Why didn't you call me to go with you? I don't get to travel much, and I really wanted to spend more time with you guys."

Yuanyuan was washing clothes at the time. After rinsing them clean, she wrung them out and handed them to Little Lang, saying, "You're usually so tired from training. We wanted you to rest more at home. We were afraid you'd get too tired."

After hanging up the clothes, Little Lang squatted in front of Yuanyuan, his face serious. "Sis, I'm not tired at all. Really, I'm not. You and Brother don't need to worry about me. Next time you want to go somewhere, make sure to take me along."

This naive kid. The three siblings finally had a chance to get together, and yet he was tricked by the other two.

The two of them secretly went to climb Mount Hua, leaving him behind, all because his presence was like a big lightbulb. Yet he actually believed they were being considerate and worried about his fatigue.

Chen Meilan rolled her eyes a hundred times in her mind for Little Wang and Yuanyuan, these two little troublemakers.

Yuanyuan probably felt a bit guilty too. She gently flicked Little Lang's forehead and raised her hand, saying, "I promise you, next time we go somewhere with Brother, we'll definitely take you along."

This simple-minded kid believed her and nodded, "Okay."

Little Lang suddenly added, "Oh, by the way, Sis, that day when you left the house, I saw you and Brother holding hands..."

"Yan Minglang!" Yuanyuan shouted, jumping up to cover Little Lang's mouth but accidentally knocking over the washing basin, spilling water all over the floor. The girl was flustered: "Don't say anything."

"It's okay, Sis. When we go out, we often hold hands too," Little Lang said with a confident look. "I think you and Brother are getting along much better than when we were kids."

Yuanyuan was 22 this year and about to graduate from university.

She and Little Wang hadn't originally considered dating, but Little Wang had a way of dominating everything.

First, he secretly showed Yuanyuan a photo of Yan Xishan's father. Then, he frequently reported to her about his progress in finding Yan Xishan's father.

Next, he would talk to her about how great it would be if they got married, how he wouldn't need to marry someone else, she wouldn't have to marry out, and their parents would be happy.

The boy had a bold personality, and since Little Wang had been traveling since he was young, last summer vacation in Xiping City, when they decided to climb Mount Hua, he suddenly took Yuanyuan's hand. Although he didn't explicitly say it, the implication was clear to Yuanyuan.

At first, Yuanyuan resisted, but she couldn't break free, and eventually, she acquiesced.

But even if her biological father, Yan Xishan, had another father, and even if there was no blood relationship between them, and even though Chen Meilan had mentioned transferring her household registration to Yan Xishan's side,

After all, they had been brother and sister for so many years. Little Wang didn't even dare to mention this to his father.

Yuanyuan was even more timid and didn't want anyone to know about it.

And Little Lang, with his naive demeanor, if he were to blurt it out and their parents found out, how embarrassed would Yuanyuan be?

So, pointing at Little Lang's nose, she whispered, "Yan Minglang, you have to promise me one thing. You can't tell Dad or Mom about me and Brother holding hands, understand?"

Little Lang glanced toward the stairs.

This glance made Chen Meilan feel that this rascal had probably noticed her eavesdropping.

Little Lang turned back and then, seriously asked a question that left Yuanyuan speechless and even startled Chen Meilan, who almost fell off the stairs.

"Sis, you don't want to tell Mom and Dad because you think you and Brother are dating, right?" he asked.

Yuanyuan was stunned and didn't speak.

Little Lang fetched a mop from the bathroom to clean up the water on the floor and added, "But Sis, dating is also called courting. Normally, a guy should pursue a girl. Has Brother ever pursued you? Is he just thinking about marrying you, or does he want to date you?"

Chen Meilan, eavesdropping from the corner, almost exclaimed out loud.

She suddenly realized that even she wasn't as clear-sighted as Little Lang.

She hoped Yuanyuan and Little Wang would be together, as the two kids knew each other well and were both good kids.

Yuanyuan probably thought the same way. After all, although Little Wang hadn't shown much, he had always wanted to marry Yuanyuan since he was young. Yuanyuan was his sister, but also the first person who gave him a sense of security after being abandoned by his birth mother. For many years, she had taken care of him with unwavering devotion.

But this kind of reliance had nothing to do with love.

And Yuanyuan herself hadn't realized this.

Marriage wasn't about finding a mother or a nanny. In her previous life, Yuanyuan might have dated Little Wang, but in this life, if she hadn't even realized it and jumped straight into a family without dating, would she regret it later?

Chen Meilan's generation had arranged marriages and hadn't experienced dating.

Was her daughter going to follow in her footsteps?

At this moment, Chen Meilan suddenly realized that Little Lang wasn't naive or stupid. This fair-skinned, hardworking, and gentle boy lived very clearly.

He was the most clear-sighted person in the entire family.

The interactions between the kids were quite amusing.

Yuanyuan had originally wanted to question her brother about his love life, but unexpectedly, without any preparation, her brother had completely revealed her inner world. Of course, she wasn't happy and kept pouting.

And since you've exposed my secret, it's only fair that I expose yours.

Just then, Little Lang picked up the basket and went out to buy vegetables.

Yuanyuan thought for a moment and suddenly ran upstairs, meeting Chen Meilan on the stairs. She said, "Mom, Little Lang is dating someone. I want to go and take a peek. Do you want to come?"

"Of course, wait for me!" Chen Meilan's gossip spirit was burning, her curiosity stirring. She quickly went downstairs and slipped on her shoes to follow.

It so happened that as they went out, they ran into Yan Zhao and Little Wang, who were returning home.

The mother and daughter were stopped by the father and son.

"Didn't I tell you not to wander around? Where are you going?" Yan Zhao asked.

Chen Meilan also asked, "Why are you two back at the same time?"

Little Wang had been a 'street model,' known for his capabilities and outstanding performance. Now he had a new title: 'Mobile Dispatch Special Forces!'

He was in charge of patrolling the streets, checking if anyone went out and returned without reporting. If he found such cases, he would quietly lead a team to catch them red-handed, with a gun to their head, and take their temperature.

As for Yan Zhao, during the viral outbreak, he usually returned home around 11 or 12 o'clock at night. Today, he was back early and even with Little Wang, which was quite unusual.

"Mike is in Hong Kong and suspected of being infected," Yan Zhao said.

Chen Meilan was first shocked and then looked at Little Wang, her eyes widening.

The Bayi Hotel was the first place in the capital to confirm the virus's origin, and Little Lang had nervously spent half a month there.

Hong Kong, on the other hand, was the next place where the virus erupted.

Now that Mike was infected, would Yan Zhao and Little Wang want to send Little Wang there again?

"Is Mike not an adult? He's already 28 and almost eligible for a pension. He left on his own. Now that he's sick, are you planning to send Little Wang to take care of him and bring him back? Yan Zhao, aren't you violating the policy?" Chen Meilan raised her voice involuntarily.

Yan Zhao quickly said, "No, that's not it."

Little Wang also knew that his mother was worried about him, afraid he might have to go to Hong Kong, so he quickly added, "Mom, it's not like that. Big Brother is already staying in a public hospital in Hong Kong, but he has no relatives or friends there. After hearing that he was infected, his agency also abandoned him. I have a classmate there, so I came back to find a phone and call to arrange for someone to send him some supplies."

Yan Zhao also said, "No, why should we pick him up? He kept complaining that he was abandoned in Hong Kong and had no choice but to wait for death. Let him see if the Hong Kong government of our motherland will really let him die."

When he was healthy, he was stubborn to the extreme, even throwing masks into the trash.

Now that he's sick, he's crying and begging to come back, even calling Little Wang to ask him to pick him up.

How could that be? Yan Zhao, being his own father, certainly wouldn't indulge such behavior.

Not to mention Mike.

Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan were most interested in Little Lang's dating situation.

Living in the same courtyard, the two families were not far apart, with General Wang's family just a short distance ahead.

First, Yuanyuan went over, hiding behind a pine tree, quietly observing. Soon, Chen Meilan also crept over, and the two hid behind the pine tree, waiting silently for Little Lang. They wanted to see how this young man, just 20 years old and still looking naive, would date.

Little Wang and Yan Zhao returned home, only to make a call to a contact in Hong Kong and prepare some masks and traditional Chinese medicine before leaving again.

As they came out, they happened to see Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan hiding behind the pine tree, acting suspiciously.

Yan Zhao asked, "What are you doing?"

"Shh!" Chen Meilan said.

"My brother is dating! He'll be here soon. Dad, do you want to see how my brother dates?" Yuanyuan said.

Little Wang was most surprised: "I've never dated, and Yan Minglang actually knows how to date?"

This remark earned him a unanimous glare from the whole family.

But soon, Little Lang returned with a basket of vegetables.

And he kept glancing sideways at General Wang's window. When he reached the window, he hesitated for a moment and actually stopped.

"Could he really be dating? But Mom, I didn't see Wang Hongxia," Yuanyuan said, puzzled.

They were on the side, hidden by the pine tree, so they could only see Little Lang looking up at General Wang's yard.

But they couldn't see what was inside the yard.

Hearing this, Little Wang got anxious again: "Wang Hongxia, that plump girl?"

"Don't call her plump. Wang Hongxia is just a bit fuller-figured," Chen Meilan said sternly.

They mustn't let the boys develop a habit of mocking girls.

Little Wang thought this was no fun. What's the point of quietly watching from a distance? Look at Little Lang, his fair-skinned face with a smile curving at the corners of his lips. Obviously, the young man was enjoying himself in the dating process.

They should move closer, get a better view, and listen in to see how this young man actually dates and how Wang Hongxia interacts with him.

So Little Wang tiptoed to the other side, positioning himself right behind Little Lang.

Little Lang was a Chinese special forces soldier. Normally, Little Wang's heavy footsteps, which could even alert an elephant, would have been noticed by Little Lang. But he didn't. Little Lang was focused on looking at General Wang's window, smiling contentedly, clearly lost in the moment.

This made even Yan Zhao feel something was off.

It's true that love makes people blind, but could it really make a special forces soldier lose his vigilance?

Is the power of love that strong?

Thinking of this, Yan Zhao also moved over.

Chen Meilan and Yuanyuan were jumping around in the grass, practically scaring away snakes.

But they didn't even startle Little Lang. He was still focused on looking at General Wang's window.

"What... what is that?" Yan Zhao suddenly exclaimed.

The whole family saw that General Wang's grandson was sitting on the sofa watching TV, and the large color TV was facing the window. On the screen was a strange-looking, humanoid figure that seemed to be... shaking its hips?

It was just a simple line drawing, a cartoon. Little Lang was leaning against someone else's window, watching a cartoon?

Chen Meilan looked at it and felt a bit familiar, but she couldn't quite place it.

Yuanyuan blurted out, "Crayon Shin-chan! Dad, so my brother stands at General Wang's door every day just to watch Crayon Shin-chan!"

"What is that? What crayon? What Shin-chan?" Yan Zhao asked again.

Chen Meilan finally remembered. Crayon Shin-chan, wasn't that a Japanese cartoon?

So every day when Little Lang came back from buying vegetables, he would stand at General Wang's window for at least half an hour, not to date, but just to watch Crayon Shin-chan?

Looking at Little Lang again, he was smiling broadly, following the funny little kid on TV. His smile was so innocent and cute, his fair skin and red lips making him look even more adorable.

What a fuss! Chen Meilan almost thought he was really in love.

But it turns out that even though he could subdue an American soldier without batting an eye in terms of strength,

His mental age was still stuck in his childhood.

This was too funny.

Unable to suppress her smile, Chen Meilan sincerely hoped this boy would stay young a little longer.

Although falling in love and getting married are joyful events, for Yan Minglang, who left home at 15 to defend the border, Chen Meilan would rather his innocence and sincerity remain for a while longer.

From Doraemon to Chibi Maruko-chan to Crayon Shin-chan, this late-blooming child could find plenty of joy in life even without dating.

"What is he watching? Tell him to watch less of that," Yan Zhao commented and left.

Little Wang and Yuanyuan, who had made a big deal out of this, found out their brother was still a fool and felt it was no fun, so they left.

Only Chen Meilan went to the video rental store the next day and rented a set of Crayon Shin-chan DVDs, along with a complete set of manga, which she placed on Little Lang's desk. She also bought a Crayon Shin-chan pencil holder, with the character's pants off, exposing his little butt.

At the moment Chen Meilan placed it out, Little Lang was utterly satisfied.

Chen Meilan rarely watched cartoons, but she guessed that Little Lang, seeing Crayon Shin-chan available for rent outside, didn't rent it himself because he was afraid his dad would laugh at him.

Since she was idle these days, she decided to watch it herself first. That way, Little Lang would have a reason to watch it with her.

During this holiday, mother and son not only watched Crayon Shin-chan but also Chinese Little Chef, Ultraman, and Dragon Ball, among other cartoons.

Of course, facing her stern husband's cold stare, Chen Meilan stood her ground: "These are all shows I like to watch!"

And for Yan Minglang, this was the happiest holiday of his life, from the age of three onwards, no contest!