3

Li Xuan turned and left, brushing past Xie Liang.

Xie Liang stared after him as he left the ward, then pointed and clicked his tongue at Su Xingchuan. 'He's really good-looking, so pretty he could pass for either gender. It's a shame he's a guy. Put that face on a woman's body, and his suitors would line up from here to Central Street.'

'Back then, quite a few people chased after him too.'

Before the words fully landed, Xie Liang reacted with a jolt. 'What do you mean? You know each other?'

'Ex-boyfriend.'

Xie Liang stumbled back, his back hitting the door. 'No wonder... Now I finally get why you can't forget your first love.'

He gave Su Xingchuan a thumbs up. 'Good taste.'

Su Xingchuan laughed.

'But what did he mean by “if it doesn't, you'll bottom”?' The more he thought about it, the more terrifying it got. Xie Liang's eyes widened, and he scanned Su Xingchuan's body up and down. 'No way, man—'

'Fuck off.' Su Xingchuan spat out a single word.

Xie Liang burst out laughing, then remembered they were in a hospital and choked it back. He didn't forget to ask, 'How is it? Hurting bad?'

'A bit.'

Su Xingchuan did look unwell, and Xie Liang didn't want to tease him or rub salt in the wound right now.

'You really have been under a ton of work pressure lately,' Xie Liang sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. 'I told you not to go for that Zhongjin Group project, but you insisted. It's not something an ordinary person can pull off. That Xu Zhengdong from Zhongjin, I've always thought there's something wrong with him. Acts like a local emperor, always looking down his nose at people. You have to grovel and suck up with a smile, and he might not even give you the time of day.'

Su Xingchuan shook his head with a smile. 'So be it if I have to grovel. As long as I get the money.'

'If you land this project,' Xie Liang rubbed his fingers together, 'you'll break seven figures this year.'

'Maybe.'

Xie Liang gestured with his chin toward the door. 'Does he know you make this much now?'

Xie Liang knew he was talking about Li Xuan.

'He probably doesn't care,' Su Xingchuan shook his head. 'He comes from a good family. Father's in business, mother's in politics. He doesn't lack money.'

Xie Liang was slightly surprised. 'Oh, I see.'

'By the way, who's doing your surgery tomorrow?'

'Him.'

'Huh? Him?! That's way too coincidental.' Xie Liang shot to his feet, then leaned in with a mysterious look. 'You're okay with letting your ex-boyfriend operate on you? What if his scalpel slips and your manhood goes limp? What then?'

Although Su Xingchuan had asked Li Xuan the same question, it had been on purpose to tease him. Hearing someone else say it, Su Xingchuan instinctively defended Li Xuan.

'Have some respect for his medical skills, alright?'

Xie Liang chuckled and waved his hand. 'Just kidding. Let me wash an apple for you.'

Su Xingchuan was admitted at three in the afternoon. Xie Liang chatted with him a bit before heading back to the office. With nothing better to do, Su Xingchuan took out his laptop to review financial reports, and one phone call followed another until dark. Even Zou Ying said, 'Mr. Su, you sure are busy.'

'Can't be helped,' Su Xingchuan smiled helplessly. He glanced at the young nurse changing the IV drip for the neighboring patient and suddenly remembered something. He whispered, 'What's Dr. Li Xuan like as a person?'

Zou Ying didn't even need to confirm who Su Xingchuan meant by 'Dr. Li,' because so many people had asked. She answered fluently, 'Very professional and responsible, just doesn't talk much usually.'

'Then... is he seeing anyone?'

Zou Ying raised an eyebrow at him. 'A handsome guy like you is this nosy?'

Su Xingchuan said, 'You have a sweet mouth, beautiful.'

Zou Ying let out a giggle.

Su Xingchuan was tall with sharp, handsome features and usually gave off an intimidating vibe. At first, Zou Ying hadn't dared to strike up a conversation with him, but after overhearing his gentle, patient tone on the phone, she worked up the courage to chat.

Actually, Su Xingchuan's temper wasn't this good in the past.

It was just that Li Xuan had blunted the sharp edges on him, and later, life and work had smoothed him out completely.

Ten years ago, Su Xingchuan, who fought to win every day on the basketball team and called his teammates wimps and cowards, could never have imagined that one day he'd be saying into the phone, 'Yes, yes, yes, President Xu, your understanding of the current situation is truly profound. I really need to learn from you.'

They say it's easy to change mountains and rivers but hard to change one's nature. Su Xingchuan thought, nature is pretty easy to change too.

Seeing that Zou Ying was reluctant to casually spill details about Li Xuan, Su Xingchuan added, 'Dr. Li is good-looking. I want to introduce my little sister to him, so I need to find out if he's single first.'

'Dr. Li's partner... I don't think he has one. He always keeps to himself. It's just that last month on his birthday, a pretty handsome guy brought a cake and helped him pass it out to the doctors and nurses in the department, but Dr. Li never said what their relationship was.'

Zou Ying was speaking in circles, but the implication was clear: the people in the department had pretty much figured out that Li Xuan might not be straight.

As for that pretty handsome guy.

Su Xingchuan fell into a daze.

Could he really have a boyfriend? Su Xingchuan's heart sank so hard he felt the pain down there intensify.

With Li Xuan's personality, what kind of partner would he find?

A partner who'd hand out cake to his colleagues on his birthday?

It looked pretty much like what Su Xingchuan had done back then.

Back then, Su Xingchuan had bought coffee for Li Xuan's Roommate more than once, hoping they'd overlook Li Xuan's little-princess personality and get along — he really was more of a parent than Li Xuan's own family.

If he'd known it would end up like this, he shouldn't have been so good to him back then. Su Xingchuan sighed in his heart.

'Handsome, no food or water after six o'clock dinner. Dr. Li will come by later,' Zou Ying instructed.

'Okay,' Su Xingchuan said.

*

Su Xingchuan waited a long time before Li Xuan showed up.

He once thought Li Xuan wasn't coming, since it was already past doctors' off-duty time.

It wasn't until 6:20 that Li Xuan arrived.

Li Xuan was still in his white coat, holding two surgery consent forms for Su Xingchuan to sign. 'Read them through and sign.'

Su Xingchuan looked them over, didn't ask any questions, and signed directly.

Neither of them spoke first.

A patient nearby said he wanted to go downstairs for a walk, so his wife helped him up, and the two of them slowly shuffled out of the ward.

The couple looked to be in their forties, their movements and conversation carrying the silent understanding of an old married couple.

Su Xingchuan watched them leave.

When he turned back, he found Li Xuan watching too.

'Dr. Li,' Su Xingchuan called him, a sloppy grin on his face. 'Let me ask you something.'

Li Xuan didn't respond, which was as good as consent.

'How come you work at the Men's Health Hospital?'

'Where should I work?'

Su Xingchuan hadn't expected a counter-question and smiled helplessly. 'Just thought it was pretty unbelievable. Urology doesn't seem like a department you'd choose. I thought you'd go into cardiovascular internal medicine or something.'

'It's all the same,' Li Xuan said.

He took a pen from his pocket and scribbled a line on the medical record.

'You've changed a lot,' Su Xingchuan said.

Li Xuan's hand paused mid-write.

'More mature, like a grown-up.'

Li Xuan lifted his eyes, and this time his gaze at Su Xingchuan wasn't as cold.

Just as Su Xingchuan was about to say something, Zou Ying suddenly walked in. 'Huh? Dr. Li, why haven't you left yet?'

The perfectly timed atmosphere shattered. Su Xingchuan rubbed his nose and heard Li Xuan's distant, polite voice: 'Just going over tomorrow's surgical details with him. I'll leave soon. Are you on duty tonight?'

'Yes I am,' Zou Ying said, tapping the door frame, then spoke to Su Xingchuan with a familiar tone: 'Handsome, remember, absolutely no water during the night.'

Su Xingchuan said, 'Got it, thanks.'

Li Xuan looked back at Su Xingchuan, his eyes cold again, his mouth a tight line. He quickly finished writing two lines and prepared to leave.

Su Xingchuan called out, stopping him. 'You're just going to leave like that?'

Li Xuan asked, puzzled, 'What else?'

'I—' Su Xingchuan was at a loss for words. Actually, it was nothing much; he just didn't want to spend the night alone.

Li Xuan actually spoke first. He stopped and asked, 'Why isn't your boyfriend here?'

Su Xingchuan froze for a moment, then after a thought, realized the 'boyfriend' Li Xuan meant was Xie Liang.

Li Xuan had indeed misunderstood his relationship with Xie Liang.

Why would he misunderstand? Would someone who didn't care misunderstand?

Li Xuan had always been petty and extremely possessive. In the past, if Su Xingchuan talked a little more with a classmate, he'd get angry. He was also terribly jealous. Originally like a little mute who couldn't get a word out, when jealous he'd imitate people's speech in a sarcastic tone, leaving Su Xingchuan not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

Su Xingchuan clearly remembered that jealous tone.

Just like now, acting indifferent on the surface but actually grasping for something to say.

'Boyfriend? Oh—' He played along, dragging out the words. 'He hasn't gotten off work yet. He'll come by tonight.'

Li Xuan turned and left.

Su Xingchuan called out 'Hey' a couple of times, but couldn't call Li Xuan back.

Instinctively he thought: I've gone too far. He won't be easy to coax now.

The next second he thought: What the hell am I coaxing him for? He's an ex-boyfriend. Maybe he already has someone. What right do I have?

*

A night alone in a hospital bed waiting for surgery was nothing to a twenty-seven-year-old Su Xingchuan.

He just missed Li Xuan a little.

His mind was full of scenes from the past.

When he thought of Li Xuan lying beneath him, letting him do as he pleased, the spot with the stone twinged opportunely, reminding him that he was in a hospital bed and shouldn't think anything R-rated.

Just thinking about it hurt, wasn't that bad enough?

Was this really a punishment for seven years of disuse?

Even though Li Xuan had said the surgery wouldn't affect his abilities, Su Xingchuan still felt an inexplicable panic. He lifted the blanket and took a couple extra looks, silently praying: Bro, you have to hang in there, don't slip up. We've already managed a reunion after all this time. If... If one day we mend that broken mirror, don't you dare drop the ball at the crucial moment!

He slept with uneasy feelings until eight the next morning, when the voice of Zou Ying doing her rounds woke him.

He rubbed the corner of his eye and prepared to get up.

Zou Ying heard movement and reminded him from behind the curtain, 'Handsome, once you're awake just change into the hospital gown. No underwear.'

Su Xingchuan said, 'Okay. Thanks for your hard work on the night shift.'

'I'm off soon,' Zou Ying's voice bubbled with the joy of impending freedom.

Just as Su Xingchuan changed into the hospital gown, Xie Liang rushed in.

'What time's the surgery? I'm not too late, am I?'

'Ten thirty.' Su Xingchuan fastened the last button.

Xie Liang sat down. 'Perfect. I used accompanying you for surgery as an excuse to skip this month's regular meeting.'

Su Xingchuan smiled.

Time flew by. Around ten o'clock, another nurse came in to notify Su Xingchuan to get ready, confirmed his fasting status, and then guided him to the operating room.

He saw Li Xuan standing in the distance.

Dressed in surgical scrubs, he looked professional and reliable. He's really grown up, Su Xingchuan thought.

As he lay on the operating table with the anesthesiologist and nurses around him, Su Xingchuan only turned his head to look at Li Xuan.

Li Xuan felt his gaze and actually walked over.

Xiao Xuan, Su Xingchuan called him secretly in his heart.

Back when they were dating, Su Xingchuan always joked that if Xiao Xuan was too scared to get on the operating table, he'd be his first patient.

Now it was like a prophecy come true.

The anesthetic gradually took effect, his lower body completely numb, but his mind still clear. Su Xingchuan saw Li Xuan walk to the operating table; a nurse checked the surgical instruments with him.

The nurse, unaware of Su Xingchuan and Li Xuan's relationship, comforted him: 'Relax. For a minor surgery like this, our little Dr. Li has already done seven or eight this month.'

Su Xingchuan said, 'I'm not worried. Even if Dr. Li turned me into a cyborg, I wouldn't complain.'

That was the exact joke he had made back then.

After hearing it, Li Xuan's lashes trembled slightly, his expression shifting a little. Su Xingchuan was about to say something when the overhead surgical light blazed on, so bright he could barely open his eyes.

Damn, it's really happening.

Su Xingchuan had gotten too caught up in the moment and suddenly realized that an operating table was no place for sentimentality. 'Wait—'

Li Xuan glanced at him coldly.

He quickly pleaded, 'No, no, I was joking. Little Dr. Li, considering how I treated you before... pretty well, you have to give it a hundred percent!'