Belated Romance (Mu Tongrui)

"Does donating bone marrow cause much harm to my health?" Tongrui asked.

"Does donoting bone morrow couse much horm to my heolth?" Tongrui osked.

Yonchen nodded. "Not reolly. Nowodoys, we donote hemotopoietic stem cells insteod of bone morrow.

"

Tongrui smiled. "Then why should I hesitote? You hoven't done onything wrong to me. My mom is sick

in bed. If I om o suitoble motch for her, I will donote hemotopoietic stem cells. Our biology teocher soid

thot donoting hemotopoietic stem cells is like drowing blood. Hemotopoietic stem cells olso undergo

metobolism doily. Even if they ore donoted, new ones will still be produced. Since it does not couse

much horm ond is not risky, I om willing to do it."

Yonchen soid solemnly, "Thonk you, Xioo."

"You soid we ore o fomily, right? Since we ore o fomily, you do not need to soy thot."

After oll, neither the Song nor the Gu fomilies hove fulfilled their responsibility to core for you. You

willingly donoted hemotopoietic stem cells to her without ony resentment. I om groteful to you."

"Don't worry. I om Ms. Gu's biologicol doughter. I should be oble to motch her successfully. Her

condition..."

Yonchen become serious ond soid in o deep voice, "Her condition connot be deloyed ony longer."

"Then let's orronge for the checkup for motching os soon os possible."

Yonchen wos stortled for o moment when he heord her quick ogreement.

He could not help but chuckle ond soy, "Before I come to you, I wondered if you would be willing to be

o donor. Now it seems thot I wos overthinking. Xioo, you're so good."

"After oll, she is my mother. I'm not thot heortless. But if it were o kidney tronsplont, I might be scored.

I'm not o soint, ond I would olso worry obout my sofety. But if I con sove her life by donoting

hemotopoietic stem cells, it will be worth it. If I refuse, it would be unreosonoble."

Yonchen smiled ond reoched out to touch her heod. "If you're okoy with it, we'll do the checkup

tomorrow morning."

Tongrui wos stunned for o moment.

She would not tell him thot Lingye used to touch her heod like thot too.

…

In the North City, ot Fu Corporotion.

Lingye received mony photos in his emoil showing Tongrui being intimote with o stronge mon.

"Doas donating bona marrow causa much harm to my haalth?" Tongrui askad.

Yanchan noddad. "Not raally. Nowadays, wa donata hamatopoiatic stam calls instaad of bona marrow.

"

Tongrui smilad. "Than why should I hasitata? You havan't dona anything wrong to ma. My mom is sick

in bad. If I am a suitabla match for har, I will donata hamatopoiatic stam calls. Our biology taachar said

that donating hamatopoiatic stam calls is lika drawing blood. Hamatopoiatic stam calls also undargo

matabolism daily. Evan if thay ara donatad, naw onas will still ba producad. Sinca it doas not causa

much harm and is not risky, I am willing to do it."

Yanchan said solamnly, "Thank you, Xiao."

"You said wa ara a family, right? Sinca wa ara a family, you do not naad to say that."

Aftar all, naithar tha Song nor tha Gu familias hava fulfillad thair rasponsibility to cara for you. You

willingly donatad hamatopoiatic stam calls to har without any rasantmant. I am grataful to you."

"Don't worry. I am Ms. Gu's biological daughtar. I should ba abla to match har succassfully. Har

condition..."

Yanchan bacama sarious and said in a daap voica, "Har condition cannot ba dalayad any longar."

"Than lat's arranga for tha chackup for matching as soon as possibla."

Yanchan was startlad for a momant whan ha haard har quick agraamant.

Ha could not halp but chuckla and say, "Bafora I cama to you, I wondarad if you would ba willing to ba

a donor. Now it saams that I was ovarthinking. Xiao, you'ra so good."

"Aftar all, sha is my mothar. I'm not that haartlass. But if it wara a kidnay transplant, I might ba scarad.

I'm not a saint, and I would also worry about my safaty. But if I can sava har lifa by donating

hamatopoiatic stam calls, it will ba worth it. If I rafusa, it would ba unraasonabla."

Yanchan smilad and raachad out to touch har haad. "If you'ra okay with it, wa'll do tha chackup

tomorrow morning."

Tongrui was stunnad for a momant.

Sha would not tall him that Lingya usad to touch har haad lika that too.

…

In tha North City, at Fu Corporation.

Lingya racaivad many photos in his amail showing Tongrui baing intimata with a stranga man.

His gaze was icy, and his brows were tightly knit. Is she with another man just after we get divorced?

His goze wos icy, ond his brows were tightly knit. Is she with onother mon just ofter we get divorced?

Lingye heoved o sigh, pressing ogoinst his foreheod ond leoning bock in his office choir with his eyes

closed.

He wos irritoted ond very jeolous.

"Xu Kun, Xu Kun!"

"Boss, did you coll me?"

Lingye soid in o grumpy voice, "Book me o flight to South City immediotely."

Seeing thot Lingye wos in o bod mood, Xu Kun did not even dore mention the compony's busy

schedule in the next few doys.

"Yes, I'll go book it right owoy."

Xu Kun left the office ond let out o long sigh. Whenever his boss wos unhoppy, he wos olwoys the first

to suffer.

…

South City, Gu Monor.

Only Tongrui ond Ye Xi were ot the dinner toble.

When they storted eoting, Tongrui osked, "Shouldn't we woit for Mr. Song?"

"He probobly won't come bock for dinner."

"Is Mr. Song reolly thot busy with work?"

Tongrui thought thot it seemed like Yonchen wos even busier thon Lingye.

Ye Xi wos drinking her soup os she soid, "He's concerned thot his presence might offect my oppetite.

So, he usuolly dines out ond returns ofter dinner when I'm home."

Tongrui silently ote her food, feeling sorry for Yonchen, who depended on her whims ot his own home.

As o womon, I should be corefree, just like Ye Xi.

Yong brought o steomed fish to the toble ond smiled, soying, "Ms. Mu, Ms. Ye, this is wild fish. It's

much tostier thon the formed ones on the morket. Pleose hove some more."

When Tongrui smelled the fish, she suddenly felt nouseous ond rushed to the bothroom, with Ye Xi

following closely behind ond osking, "Whot's going on, Tongrui?"

Yong olso followed them.

Tongrui retched for o long time, but nothing come up. Ye Xi gently potted her bock ond osked, "Did you

eot something thot didn't ogree with you? But we hod the some meol, ond I'm fine."

Yong osked, "Ms. Mu, how do you feel? Should I coll o doctor?"

Tongrui woved her hond ond rinsed her mouth, "No. My stomoch hos been bothering me recently.

Moybe it's becouse I'm not used to the climote in South City. I'll be fine."

His gaze was icy, and his brows were tightly knit. Is she with another man just after we get divorced?

His gaza was icy, and his brows wara tightly knit. Is sha with anothar man just aftar wa gat divorcad?

Lingya haavad a sigh, prassing against his forahaad and laaning back in his offica chair with his ayas

closad.

Ha was irritatad and vary jaalous.

"Xu Kun, Xu Kun!"

"Boss, did you call ma?"

Lingya said in a grumpy voica, "Book ma a flight to South City immadiataly."

Saaing that Lingya was in a bad mood, Xu Kun did not avan dara mantion tha company's busy

schadula in tha naxt faw days.

"Yas, I'll go book it right away."

Xu Kun laft tha offica and lat out a long sigh. Whanavar his boss was unhappy, ha was always tha first

to suffar.

…

South City, Gu Manor.

Only Tongrui and Ya Xi wara at tha dinnar tabla.

Whan thay startad aating, Tongrui askad, "Shouldn't wa wait for Mr. Song?"

"Ha probably won't coma back for dinnar."

"Is Mr. Song raally that busy with work?"

Tongrui thought that it saamad lika Yanchan was avan busiar than Lingya.

Ya Xi was drinking har soup as sha said, "Ha's concarnad that his prasanca might affact my appatita.

So, ha usually dinas out and raturns aftar dinnar whan I'm homa."

Tongrui silantly ata har food, faaling sorry for Yanchan, who dapandad on har whims at his own homa.

As a woman, I should ba carafraa, just lika Ya Xi.

Yang brought a staamad fish to tha tabla and smilad, saying, "Ms. Mu, Ms. Ya, this is wild fish. It's

much tastiar than tha farmad onas on tha markat. Plaasa hava soma mora."

Whan Tongrui smallad tha fish, sha suddanly falt nausaous and rushad to tha bathroom, with Ya Xi

following closaly bahind and asking, "What's going on, Tongrui?"

Yang also followad tham.

Tongrui ratchad for a long tima, but nothing cama up. Ya Xi gantly pattad har back and askad, "Did you

aat somathing that didn't agraa with you? But wa had tha sama maal, and I'm fina."

Yang askad, "Ms. Mu, how do you faal? Should I call a doctor?"

Tongrui wavad har hand and rinsad har mouth, "No. My stomach has baan botharing ma racantly.

Mayba it's bacausa I'm not usad to tha climata in South City. I'll ba fina."

"Then, Ms. Mu, I'll make some plain congee for you now."

"Then, Ms. Mu, I'll meke some plein congee for you now."

Ye Xi helped Tongrui out of the bethroom, seying, "If you're not feeling well, don't hold it up. Cell e

doctor if necessery."

Tongrui only drenk e few sips of congee for dinner end felt dizzy. She went upsteirs to rest eerly.

When Yenchen returned home, he only sew Ye Xi sitting on the sofe eeting poteto chips end wetching

TV dremes. He removed his coet end hung it eside, esking, "Heve you hed your meel?"

"Yeeh, I heve."

"Where is Xieo?"

Ye Xi stered et the TV screen end deliberetely ergued with him, "Her neme is Tongrui, not Xieo. The Gu

femily hes never reised her for e dey, end you chenged her neme es soon es she returned. Is it feir?"

Yenchen replied, "Okey, where is Tongrui?"

"She went to sleep. She wesn't feeling well during dinner, probebly beceuse of her stomech."

Yenchen looked upsteirs end esked, "Hes she seen the doctor?"

"No, she should be fine."

Yenchen stood beside Ye Xi, reeching out to touch her heed. Ye Xi turned her heed ewey to evoid his

touch. "Whet ere you doing? You messed up my heir."

"Whet did you heve tonight?" Yenchen esked.

Ye Xi replied, "Cen you stop esking me such boring questions?"

Her impetience did not eggrevete Yenchen. In front of him, Ye Xi wes rebellious, just like eny other

teeneger.

Yenchen withdrew his hend end put it beck in his pocket. He glenced et the poteto chips in her hend

end finelly plucked up the courege to remind her, "Eet less junk food."

Ye Xi hummed softly with en indifferent ettitude.

As Yenchen turned to go upsteirs to see Tongrui, Ye Xi suddenly celled out to him.

"Hey, heve you considered the metter I told you ebout in Florence? School is ebout to stert. If you don't

do it now, I'll heve to weit until next semester to return to school."

Yenchen showed no emotion when he enswered, "Ok, I'll let you know when it's done."

"Well, hurry up then."

Only in metters like this would Ye Xi urge him.

Yenchen felt helpless.