092. Another Medical Check-up
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The next morning, Lin Nan and her mother set off for the Provincial City.
The Provincial City wasn’t far from their small county; after an hour on a bus, they arrived at the South Bus Station.
“I’ve already asked a friend to book an appointment for the medical check-up. It’s the weekend, so there might be a lot of people,” her mother said, her face a picture of worry that made Lin Nan’s heart ache.
Her mother had an average appearance, didn’t use skincare products, never wore makeup, and with her nights spent driving long hours, her skin was more wrinkled and spotted than a middle-aged person in their fifties.
Lin Nan noticed how tired she looked, her eyes still slightly red—who knows if she had cried all night.
Anyway, he hadn’t slept well last night.
Though he already knew what the check-up results would likely be, the trip to the provincial hospital still made him somewhat anxious, and he sat beside his mother, nervously staring at the ground.
His mother shot him a glance and comforted him, “It’s okay, it’s just a routine check-up.”
“Mm.”
Lin Nan pursed his lips but couldn’t help asking, “Do we really not have to visit Dad?”
“If he knew what you were going through, he’d definitely want you to leave. There’s no need to deal with his nonsense,” his mother said after a pause, ruffling his hair, “I’ll handle things over there.”
Lin Nan found comfort in the hair ruffle and nodded slightly, but his guilt toward his mother deepened.
He should never have sought the conveniences of magic. Aside from accidentally unlocking the first transformation spell that turned him into a girl, there was really no need for the other spells. To put it bluntly, he was just too greedy, hoping for quick and easy cash.
But there’s no such thing in this world, and if it exists, it comes with a price.
Now Lin Nan faced a hefty price that felt almost unbearable.
With his head hung low, he reflected on his past actions, feeling miserable, but now it was too late to say anything. He even had to use magic again to transform into a woman to avoid any costs related to pain.
“Here we are.”
His mother led him off the bus and stood in front of the provincial hospital, where a friendly-looking uncle was waiting.
Lin Nan didn’t expect a stranger and froze for a moment before promptly ducking behind his mother.
“So, this is your son? Quite… handsome.”
His wording suggested he wasn’t too familiar with their situation.
Lin Nan let out a sigh of relief and cautiously peered at the uncle.
His mother visibly brightened when speaking to the uncle, her worried expression replaced by a hint of a smile.
“Yes, my son. He’s a bit shy,” she said, glancing back at Lin Nan, chuckling, “Looks just like I did when I was young.”
Lin Nan had seen photos of his mother when she was younger and she could indeed be considered a little beauty.
This uncle clearly knew the ins and outs of the provincial hospital. While chatting with Lin Nan’s mother and making her laugh, he guided the pair for the check-up.
Thanks to the uncle’s connections, they first consulted a doctor before beginning the check-up.
The check-up process was quite similar to Lin Nan’s previous solo visit to the hospital; the main difference was that last time was a weekday, so there weren’t many people, but this time on a Saturday, he had to endure a long wait.
The check-up items were simpler this time, directly focusing on B-scan ultrasounds and six hormones, to see what was going on inside Lin Nan’s body and check his hormone levels.
Having been through this before, Lin Nan felt a bit more at ease, but his mother’s presence made him extra tense.
“Once the check-up is done, let’s grab some lunch. When we’re back, we’ll consult the doctor we just met,” the uncle said to the mother.
“Thank you.”
“I’ll head back then.”
As soon as the uncle left, Lin Nan relaxed a bit. Following last night’s events, he felt overly sensitive and wasn’t keen on meeting new people.
But he kept observing his mother’s conversation with the uncle. Though the topics of discussion were nothing out of the ordinary, it was clear that his mother was exceptionally happy around this uncle.
At a small restaurant outside the hospital, the moment Lin Nan sat down, he couldn’t wait to gossip, “Mom, what’s your relationship with that uncle?”
“Just friends,” she replied, but her lips couldn’t help but curve upwards at the mention.
Lin Nan pieced it together and didn’t say much, just nodded as he started on his lunch.
Ever since coming back home, Lin Nan had been tense emotionally, leaving him mentally exhausted, and as he ate, he began to feel drowsy.
But his mother didn’t notice. Persisting in her meal, she started nagging again, “When the check-up results come out, just answer the doctor’s questions—don’t be shy. That doctor has been practicing for over thirty years; he’s seen all sorts of ailments!”
Her worried expression deepened, “Though we don’t have money at home right now… Wait, are you asleep?”
Looking at Lin Nan, who still held his chopsticks but was leaning back, emitting nice, even breaths, she realized he had fallen asleep.
She understood that Lin Nan was under a lot of psychological pressure these past few days. After a moment of silence, she refrained from saying more, simply propping her chin with one hand, gazing at her son’s face that was too pretty to belong to a boy.
As a mother, she had never really examined Lin Nan’s looks so seriously. She realized she hardly knew her child at all; Lin Nan had been dealing with his health issues since childhood, but she had never noticed and had never bothered to give him a comprehensive check-up.
She felt like a failure as a mother.
In the past, she thought that working hard to earn money was being responsible for her child, but now, after finally buying a house and breathing a sigh of relief, she looked back and realized how much she had owed Lin Nan all these years.
With impending divorce and Lin Nan’s current condition, her heart ached with guilt for him.
She didn’t wake Lin Nan, sitting and waiting for an hour until he woke up naturally before saying, “Let’s go get the check-up report.”
“Mm.” Lin Nan rubbed his eyes, yawning but still trying to perk up.
He couldn’t help but wonder if that doctor would say something he couldn’t accept.
Lin Nan had hardly ever been sick in his life, and when he did, it was always at the community hospital. Now facing a doctor at a big hospital, he felt completely overwhelmed.
Would the doctor realize that the issues inside him were actually acquired?
Ah, as long as they don’t do a dissection, that should be fine, right?
——————
Congratulations to the esteemed Du Zhu for becoming the fourth Flame Emperor of this book! Despite making money, why does my heart ache so much?
