Chapter 8: The Post-Check-up Hunger Pangs

“You had best come with me to the hospital for a check-up, or else you needn’t bother calling me ‘sister’ ever again.”

As expected, Liu Ruyan had no intention of letting Liu Xingluo off the hook so easily; she was determined to take him to the hospital for a comprehensive examination, no matter what.

“Oh, sister, you truly are something else. I’ve already told you there’s nothing amiss, yet you insist on a full physical. Very well, I’ll heed your wishes and undergo the examination.”

With no other recourse, Liu Xingluo could only accede to Liu Ruyan’s wishes, meekly following her to their usual hospital for a comprehensive examination.

However, considering the utterly preposterous events that had transpired with him today, Liu Xingluo harbored a strong suspicion that even a hospital examination would yield no discernible results, serving merely as a pointless expenditure of both time and money.

The comprehensive examination proved to be incredibly time-consuming, and by the time Liu Xingluo finally completed all the necessary tests, the clock had already ticked past 9:30 in the evening.

“Ah… I can’t go on, my stomach is rumbling fiercely (TL Note: An onomatopoeic phrase, ‘bōluó bōluó dā,’ indicating extreme hunger). If I don’t get something to eat and replenish my energy soon, I fear I’ll genuinely starve to death right here. Sister… what does the check-up report say? Is there anything unusual about my body?”

Even though he believed his body would likely show no issues, Liu Xingluo couldn’t shake a sliver of apprehension, wondering how he would cope if any genuine abnormalities were indeed discovered.

“Nothing at all. The report states your body is perfectly healthy, with no irregularities whatsoever. How utterly peculiar; if there was truly nothing amiss, then what exactly were you concealing from me back then?”

“I’ve told you repeatedly, sister, I had nothing to conceal from you; you’re simply overly suspicious. More to the point, can we please return home quickly? My stomach is absolutely ravenous.”

Patting his own stomach, Liu Xingluo voiced his protest.

Had Liu Ruyan not insisted on dragging him here for a comprehensive physical, they would undoubtedly have long since finished their dinner and been comfortably resting in their own beds.

Liu Ruyan, too, understood this implicitly, recognizing her own culpability.

Unable to offer a retort, she simply folded the report and tucked it into her bag.

“Alright, alright, I know you’re utterly famished. It’s entirely my fault; I brought you here for a check-up even though you were still so hungry. How about this: tonight, I’ll treat you to some barbecue out, what do you say?”

While returning home to finish the leftover beef stew with potatoes would have been perfectly acceptable, the thought of having squandered so much of Liu Xingluo’s time gnawed at Liu Ruyan.

Consequently, she decided it would be better to treat him to barbecue out tonight, knowing how much he typically enjoyed it.

“Barbecue, you say? That sounds absolutely wonderful, but sister, do you still have enough money? You paid for that comprehensive examination just now, didn’t you?”

The prospect of eating barbecue out filled Liu Xingluo with unbridled joy, yet he simultaneously felt a pang of concern regarding Liu Ruyan’s finances.

Had he not been so utterly devoid of funds himself at the moment, he would undoubtedly have insisted on treating his sister to this meal.

“You needn’t trouble yourself with such concerns, have you forgotten? Your sister, I am a renowned model, and I’ve amassed a considerable sum from my work. To say nothing of treating you to barbecue, I could even take you through another round of those same examinations we just completed, and still have money to spare.”

Indeed, those who enter the workforce earlier truly possess a different caliber of financial stability; their accumulated savings were utterly beyond the imagination of someone like Liu Xingluo, who had only just begun his foray into society.

“Since you’ve put it that way, sister, I shall gladly accept your offer.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? We are siblings, why would you ever be formal with me? Come on, sister will take you to a highly-rated barbecue restaurant nearby; tonight, I’m certain you’ll eat to your heart’s content.”

Having frequented this hospital for her own physical examinations, Liu Ruyan possessed an intimate knowledge of the surrounding establishments, and naturally knew precisely which barbecue restaurant boasted the finest reputation in the vicinity.

****

Alas, despite her meticulous planning, Liu Ruyan overlooked one crucial detail: it was now evening, and moreover, an evening perfectly suited for enjoying barbecue and skewers.

Thus, when the brother and sister finally arrived at the barbecue restaurant, they found to their dismay that not a single empty table remained for them to be seated.

“We are terribly sorry, but there are no available tables in the restaurant at the moment. If you two are willing to wait, you may do so at the entrance.”

“Let’s just forget it, sister; tonight simply isn’t meant to be. We should just head home.”

With merely a glance at the waiting area the server had indicated, Liu Xingluo instantly abandoned any notion of waiting.

The sheer multitude of people queued there was overwhelming.

If they were to wait until it was finally their turn to enter and enjoy barbecue, there was no telling how long it would take; by then, he might well have starved into a mere ‘paper cutout’ (TL Note: A humorous idiom describing someone extremely thin from hunger).

“Indeed, I was thinking along similar lines. I apologize, especially since I just promised you earlier that you’d eat to your heart’s content tonight.”

“It’s alright, this isn’t your fault, sister. Let’s go, we’ll head home for now; the beef stew with potatoes will still be perfectly edible once we reheat it. Hmm? Just wait for me a moment, sister.”

Just as Liu Xingluo and his sister were preparing to turn back for home, Liu Xingluo inadvertently caught sight of a ‘Zheng O Fried Chicken’ (TL Note: A popular fried chicken chain) establishment, which, fortuitously, had very few customers at that precise moment.

While barbecue was clearly off the table, allowing himself and his sister to return home with empty stomachs felt utterly unacceptable.

He reasoned it would be far better to first procure some snacks they could consume on the way, merely to tide them over until they could enjoy a proper meal upon reaching home.

No sooner had the thought occurred than Liu Xingluo sprang into action.

He swiftly darted to the shop and, in short order, returned with two steaming portions of fries, extending one to Liu Ruyan.

“Here you go, sister. Although you haven’t said anything, I imagine your stomach must be feeling quite empty as well. So, I grabbed some fries first. What do you think, aren’t I exceptionally thoughtful?”

“Hmm. Yes, that’s quite thoughtful of you. However, don’t you think buying two portions of fries might be a bit excessive? I believe one portion would suffice for the two of us. If we each consume a full order of fries, we might find ourselves too full for dinner later.”

“How could that possibly be? It’s merely a single portion of fries. How could a person’s stomach be so easily sated by just that, to the point of not being able to eat dinner? Come on, sister, let’s head home while we enjoy these fries.”

“Alright, alright, home we go, home we go.”

While the warm fries were undeniably delicious, the thought of them being fried food, combined with the lateness of the hour, filled Liu Ruyan with dread.

She could already scarcely imagine the extent to which her weight might have skyrocketed by the time she awoke tomorrow morning.

For someone in her profession as a model, after all, meticulous body management was paramount.