"Why do I feel that Gu Shan guy hates you for some reason?"Xiao Hui asked voicing out his gut feeling.
"That's how rich kids are. Maybe he just looks down on me. I'm used to that ,"Li Yunxi replied indifferently.
"But I'm not rich and he doesn't treat me that way."
"Compared to me you're quite rich."
"Maybe I am,"Xiao Hui uttered with uncertainty.
He always had a feeling that Li Yunxi and Gu Shan had met before and Li Yunxi was definitely hiding it.He pushed back the thought hoping to find out the truth soon.
"Where are you going?"Xiao Hui asked looking at his friend who had already dressed up.
"The doctor called me yesterday saying my mom requests to see me so I'm going to visit her."
"If you had told me earlier I would have accompanied you but for now say hi to her."
"I will,"Li Yunxi said walking out of the apartment.
*****
"Little brat where are your manners? That's my seat,"a middle aged man dressed in a white lab coat scolded Gu Shan playfully. Gu Shan was seated on a swivel chair with his stretched out legs resting lazily on the mahogany desk while he munch on cookies and sipped his coffee leisurely.
"Uncle let me rest for a while,"Gu Shan pleaded throwing his head back to rest on the chair's soft material.
His uncle Ai Jia,shook his head in disbelief looking at his nephew's bratty behavior. He settled on a leather armchair in front of the mahogany desk that was designed for his guests. His office was quite cozy surrounded by large shelves leaning against the wall. On the shelves there were several medical files and books arranged neatly.
"I will be going for rounds in the next ten minutes will you accompany me?"
"If you beg me then yes,"Gu Shan sassed.
"You rascal!..."
Ai Jia was his mother's elder brother and his favourite uncle. He was loving and caring suitable for a father's role in Gu Shan's life.
After Gu Shan's snack break the uncle and nephew duo marched their way out of the office to check up on the patients. Ai Jia worked in the hospice that was affiliated to the hospital. There ,he took care of terminally ill patients guiding them on how to live a healthy life,boosted their will to live even if they were destined to kick the bucket soon. His friendliness was what nurtured and motivated their lives.
*****
"Son I feel like I can't keep going,"Han Lian choked out with difficulty tears streaming down her face,her once smooth voice now hoarse and barely audible. Han Lian had been diagnosed with stage four cervical cancer and was now under care in the hospice after her second family kicked her out.
Han Lian was about to lose her will to live. She had lost her visuals the thing she valued most in her life. Her once long black silk hair was now short , scattered,spiky and dishevelled in an unhealthy way. Her once rosy cheeks were now sucked in with sagging skin. Her once plump pink lips were now chapped and discoloured and she was barely recognizable. The regret of abandoning her son and ex-husband was also killing her inside day by day. Out of greed,she had divorced Li Yunxi's father and left her very young son. Li Yunxi was now the only family she had left and despite their not so close mother and son relationship,Li Yunxi still cared for her and visited her regularly.
"You can keep going. I believe in you,"Li Yunxi encouraged her and pulled her into a warm embrace before parting after they heard the knock at the door. The door creaked open revealing the elegant Doctor Ai Jia in his usual icy white lab coat and a medical file in his hands. Ai Jia was happy to see the boy. After Li Yunxi's frequent visits to the place they had become close. Ai Jia was always impressed by the young man's filial piety even when he was aware of the story behind the mother and son relationship.
Li Yunxi's attention however shifted to the familiar raven haired boy behind Ai Jia. His eyes widened in surprise when the boy's figure finally came into full display.
Ai Jia seeing Li Yunxi's confused look,smiled a bit and introduced them to each other. Li Yunxi parted his lips to say something - to say he was already acquainted with the boy but held back figuring out the boy wouldn't want to get associated with him especially because of the way he behaved towards him in the morning.
"I know him,"Gu Shan suddenly spoke up and everyone looked at him with surprise. Li Yunxi felt a sudden surge of excitement when the boy acknowledged him but the feeling faded fearing the boy would reveal about their messy relationship to his uncle. It's not that he wanted to maintain the good boy facade but he couldn't bear someone like Ai Jia seeing him in a different light.
"You've met at the university?" Ai Jia asked still surprised.
"We're friends,"Gu Shan muttered feeling strange and guilty mentioning the word friends especially after what he did to the other in the morning.
Friends? Hypocritical indeed! Li Yunxi smirked at the thought.
"And you my dear A -Lian how are you feeling?"Ai Jia asked in a gentle voice flashing a sweet smile at his patient.
"I'm doing great doctor,"Han Lian responded with a weak smile.
"Then let me do some check ups on you,"Ai Jia said opening his file.
"Uncle I will just be waiting for you in your office."
"Yeah we can grab lunch after that."
Han Lian was the last patient he was checking up on before he could head out to have some sumptuous meal with his nephew.
Gu Shan walked out of the room and Li Yunxi followed him right after to give the necessary privacy for the doctor and patient duo.
*****
Instead of heading directly to the office,Gu Shan sat outside on one of the benches and Li Yunxi joined him but sat on the far end. The atmosphere surrounding them became tense filled with awkwardness each of them afraid to speak out their thoughts.
"I'm sorry for acting that way towards you in the morning,"Gu Shan spoke in a low voice feeling awkward and embarrassed.
"Yeah you've been treating me like trash. For a second I thought you were disgusted by me after what happened at your apartment. But you don't have to be nice to me because you found out about my mom's state. You don't have to pity me I hate being pitied."
"I'm not pitying you. And you don't disgust me. It's just I'm still embarrassed about what happened between us so I don't want to get close to you."
"You don't have to be embarrassed about it. You did great that day. You were really great,"Li Yunxi complimented him, without breaking his serious facade.
"How can you say such a thing here?"Gu Shan whisper yelled mortified by Li Yunxi's compliment on his skills in bed .
"I'm sorry I always say what I feel."
"I'm going to the office. See you later,"Gu Shan lost the morale to continue the conversation and walked away.
Li Yunxi remained uncertain of the stand of their relationship but he still hoped that after their encounter at the hospice their relationship would take a better turn.