Chapter 6:
An Embarrassing Ride
The meeting with the game designers took longer than Lei Zhang had intended, but he tried to wrap it up as quickly as he could. By 2:00 p.m., he was already on his way to the hospital.
Sitting at the reception, he took out his phone and called Xu Jin to let him know he had arrived.
A minute later, Xu Jin came into the reception area and signaled to Lei Zhang.
Lei Zhang spotted him immediately and walked over.
"How's Xu Yun?" Lei Zhang asked.
Xu Jin exhaled.
"He woke up an hour ago. He had an episode again. His heart-rate watch was broken, so Xu Jun didn't know when it started, but everything's fine now."
Xu Jin said it calmly, although Lei Zhang could still hear the worry in his voice.
They both walked down the hospital corridor, taking slow steps as they talked.
"Where's Xu Jun?" Lei Zhang asked.
"I sent him home," Xu Jin replied.
Lei Zhang raised a brow.
"Why?"
"One of us has to stay here with Xu Yun throughout the night. If I let Xu Jun stay, Xu Yun wouldn't want to make him worry and might end up not telling us if he feels any symptoms until they get worse. So I have to stay instead," Xu Jin explained.
"Why hasn't he gotten heart surgery yet? This has been going on for almost a month now, and he's getting worse," Lei Zhang said.
"Dr. Rui delayed the surgery. He said Xu Yun's hemoglobin is low, and heart surgery requires a good oxygen supply during and after the operation. If his hemoglobin is too low, his heart has to pump harder to get oxygen around the body, which can put more stress on a weak heart. So they can't operate on him yet, or he could die."
Xu Jin's voice grew heavier with worry as he rubbed his temples.
"Since it's still moderate, Dr. Rui said he could still attend school, although he could have episodes sometimes. That's why I got him the heart-rate watch," Xu Jin added.
"How are you handling the process of raising his hemoglobin?" Lei Zhang asked.
"He's been on a changed diet and taking vitamin supplements for almost a month now, but we're still not seeing any improvement."
Xu Jin sighed.
Lei Zhang searched his mind for something comforting or encouraging to say, but nothing came to him.
He wasn't very good at comforting people.
"You can take the week off," Lei Zhang finally managed to say.
Xu Jin smiled.
They had been childhood friends for years, and Xu Jin knew Lei Zhang was terrible at expressing his care. He could only try to show it in whatever way he could.
Xu Jin could still remember years ago, when the twins were eight and he was sixteen, when they had lost their parents.
Neighbors had come to offer words of consolation and encouragement, but Lei Zhang hadn't said anything.
He could still vividly remember that day as if it had happened yesterday.
Early that morning, after their parents had failed to return home the previous night, the police arrived at their door with the terrible news that their parents had been involved in an accident.
Xu Jun and Xu Yun kept crying, but Xu Jin, knowing he was the oldest and that the twins looked up to him, held back his tears throughout the day as people came and went, offering their condolences.
Lei Zhang had remained silent all day, watching Xu Jin try to be strong and brave in front of everyone.
People even commented on how strong Xu Jin was for taking the news so well.
But by the end of the day, after everyone had left and Xu Jin had successfully put Xu Yun and Xu Jun to sleep, Lei Zhang walked up to him and finally spoke his first words of the entire day.
"You can stop pretending now."
That one sentence was all it took for Xu Jin to break down crying.
Lei Zhang stayed by his side all night.
Despite the brave front Xu Jin had been putting on, only Lei Zhang could tell that he was breaking down on the inside.
"Don't bother. I don't need a week off. Xu Yun will be back on his feet by tomorrow and might head back to school the day after. Dr. Rui said he can still attend classes, but he needs to be closely monitored. They're already in their senior year, so there's no need to keep him at home."
Xu Jin said, and Lei Zhang nodded.
Then his phone rang in his pocket.
Pulling it out, his mood immediately lightened when he saw the caller.
He picked up.
"Hello, Sir Zhang."
Her soft voice came through the phone.
"Yanran, is there a problem?" Lei Zhang asked.
"It's three o'clock. This was the fixed time for tutoring. Did you forget?"
Xiao Yanran asked.
Lei Zhang's eyes widened as he checked the time on his wristwatch.
"Oh, I-I-I... uhm, I didn't forget. I, uhm, just couldn't find a ride."
Lei Zhang stammered.
Xu Jin grinned.
He couldn't believe Lei Zhang could actually lie and stammer because of a girl.
Could what happened in movies actually be happening in real life?
"What do you mean? We were supposed to meet at your place. You said you'd text me the address, but you haven't," Xiao Yanran said.
Lei Zhang's eyes widened even more.
He turned to Xu Jin, silently asking if he had rented the apartment.
Xu Jin nodded.
Lei Zhang breathed a sigh of relief.
"Where are you?" Lei Zhang asked.
"I'm at the restaurant where we met. That's where I work," she replied.
"I'm on my way there. I'm not at home. I actually went somewhere, but I'll come pick you up."
Lei Zhang ended the call before she could say anything else.
"Xu Jin, I need you to drive me to Fengxian right now," Lei Zhang said.
"I need to stay at the hospital. Can't you drive yourself?" Xu Jin asked.
"I'm not that familiar with the roads in Fengxian."
Lei Zhang said.
Xu Jin rolled his eyes.
"Fine. Let's go."
They both hurried out of the hospital.
It took them almost two hours to arrive in Fengxian, but suddenly, the car got a flat tire after accidentally driving over a sharp rock.
"Darn!"
Lei Zhang exclaimed after stepping out of the car and seeing the flat tire.
"So, what now?" Xu Jin asked.
At that moment, Lei Zhang's phone rang.
It was Xiao Yanran again.
"Yanran, my ride just got a flat tire. It might take some time before the tire is changed," Lei Zhang said immediately after answering the call.
"Where are you now?" she asked.
Lei Zhang looked around.
His eyes landed on a clinic with a signboard that read:
THE YIN'S CLINIC
"I'm at The Yin's Clinic," Lei Zhang said.
"It's not that far. Hold on, I'll come pick you up."
She said.
Lei Zhang creased his brows.
"You've got a ride?" he asked.
"Yes."
She ended the call.
Lei Zhang turned to Xu Jin, who was grinning.
"What?" Lei Zhang asked.
Xu Jin shrugged.
"Nothing. It's just nice to see you being a damsel in distress."
Lei Zhang glared at him.
"How?"
"Well, in the movies, the girl's car is the one that breaks down, and the guy hurries over in a car to pick her up. But now it's the other way around."
Xu Jin said.
Lei Zhang rolled his eyes, trying not to let Xu Jin get him annoyed.
"Where did you say the apartment you rented was?" Lei Zhang asked.
"Oh, right. The name of the apartment building is Fortune Pavilion. It's quite popular here in Fengxian. When she arrives with the ride, just mention the apartment building, and the driver will know the place. Here."
Xu Jin threw a key at him, and he caught it.
"Apartment 1044."
Xu Jin said.
Lei Zhang nodded and put the key into his pocket.
His phone rang again.
The caller was still Xiao Yanran.
"I'm arriving at The Yin's Clinic. Where exactly are you?" she asked.
"Opposite."
Lei Zhang replied.
The call ended.
A few seconds later, Xiao Yanran arrived, riding her bicycle.
Xu Jin's jaw dropped.
Even Lei Zhang looked confused.
Xu Jin chuckled, trying his best to hold back the laughter bubbling inside him as he tugged on Lei Zhang's suit.
"Hey, your ride is here."
Xu Jin chuckled again.
Lei Zhang couldn't even glare at him. He just kept staring at Xiao Yanran in confusion as she got off her bicycle, took off her pink helmet, and walked toward them.
"Good evening, Sir Zhang."
She greeted him with a respectful bow.
Lei Zhang was only eight years older than her, so all the bowing and formal greetings weren't really necessary. But to Xiao Yanran, a teacher was a teacher, no matter their age, and deserved to be respected.
Lei Zhang cleared his throat and nodded at her greeting.
"Where's the ride?"
He asked.
Xiao Yanran raised a brow, wondering if he hadn't seen her arrive on a bicycle.
"That's the ride."
She pointed at the bicycle.
Xu Jin couldn't hold it in anymore and began laughing.
It wasn't a loud laugh. It was more of a quiet laugh that made his entire body shake.
Xiao Yanran assumed Xu Jin was the driver, so she didn't pay much attention to him.
Instead, she immediately took Lei Zhang's hand.
"Let's go. There's not much time."
She pulled him toward the bicycle.
Xu Jin almost choked on his own saliva when he saw her put the pink helmet on Lei Zhang's head.
He held his stomach as he laughed inwardly, his body shaking uncontrollably.
Xiao Yanran sat on the bicycle, her feet on the pedals.
Lei Zhang looked down at the small space behind her, hesitating to get on.
If he had known this was the ride she was talking about, he would have told her to stay back and take a taxi.
But it was too late now.
There was no taxi in sight, and she seemed to be in a hurry.
He finally sat on the bicycle behind her.
She began pedaling away.
"Enjoy your ride!"
Xu Jin yelled, finally bursting into loud laughter until his eyes became watery.
T.B.C.