Chapter 6:
(An embarrassing ride)
The meeting with the game designers took longer than Lei Zhang intended but he tried to round it up as quick as he could and by 02:00, he was already on his way to the hospital.
Sitting at the reception, he took out his phone and put a call over to Xu Jin to tell him he was there. A minute later, Xu Jin came into the reception and signaled to Lei Zhang. Lei Zhang, spotting him immediately walked up to him.
"How's Xu Yun",
Lei Zhang asked and Xu Jin exhaled.
"He woke up an hour ago, he hard an episode again. His heart rate watch was broken so Xu Jun didn't know on time when it started but everything's fine now",
Xu Jin said although Lei Zhang could still hear the worry in his tone. They both walked down the hospital's passageway taking slow steps as they talked.
"Where's Xu Jun?", Lei Zhang asked.
"I sent him home",
Xu Jin replied and Lei Zhang raised a brow.
"Why?", Lei Zhang asked.
"One of us has to stay here with Xu Yun all through the night and if I let Xu Jun stay, Xu Yun wouldn't want to let Xu Jun worry and might end up not opening up if he feels any symptom triggering until it gets worse, so I have to stay instead" Xu Jin said.
"Why hasn't he gotten a 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 a heart surgery needs good oxygen supply during and after the operation, if his hemoglobin is low, his heart has to pump harder to get oxygen around which can stress a weak heart so they can't operate on him or he'll die",
Xu Jin said, the worry getting heavier in his tone 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 said.
"How are you handling the process of raising his hemoglobin?", Lei Zhang asked.
"He's been on diet changes and vitamin supplements for almost a month now but we're still not having any improvements",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang exhaled ransacking through his mind for any word of comfort or encouragement but there was nothing. He was not really good at comforting people.
"You can take the week off ",
Lei Zhang could only manage to say and Xu Jin smiled.
They had been childhood friends and Xu Jin knew Lei Zhang was terrible at expressing care and could only try to show it anyway he could. He could still remember years ago when the twins were eight and he was just sixteen, they had lost their parents.
Neighbors came visiting with words of consolations and encouragements, only Lei Zhang never said anything. He could still vividly remember that day like it was just yesterday.
That early morning after their parents didn't return home last night, the police had arrived at their door bringing the bad news of their parent's accident. Xu Jun and Xu Yun kept crying but Xu Jin knowing he was the oldest and the twins looked up to him held back his tears all through the day as people kept coming and going with words of condolence.
Lei Zhang had been silent all through the day as he watched Xu Jin try to be tough and brave in front of everyone. People even commented on how strong he was in taking the news but by the end of the day, when everyone had left and Xu Jin had successfully put Xu Yun and Xu Jun to sleep that night, Lei Zhang had walked up to him and finally said his first word all through the day.
"You can stop pretending now",
Lei Zhang had said and that one sentence was all it took for Xu Jin to break down crying and Lei Zhang was by his side all night. Despite the brave front Xu Jin had been putting on, only Lei Zhang could tell that Xu Jin 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 could still attend classes but needs a close eye watching him, they're already in their senior year so there's no need keeping him at home",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang nodded then his phone rang in his pocket. Pulling out his phone, his mood lightened seeing the caller and he immediately 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 said and Lei Zhang's eyes widened checking the time on his wrist watch.
"Oh, i i i, uhm i didn't forget, i uhm, i just couldn't find a ride",
Lei Zhang said and 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 and Lei Zhang's eyes widened even more as he turned to Xu Jin using a sign to ask if he had rented the apartment. Xu Jin nodded and Lei Zhang breathed in relief.
"Where are you?", Lei Zhang asked.
"I'm at the restaurant where we met, that's where I work", she said.
"I'm on my way there, I'm not at home, i actually went somewhere but I'll come pick you up",
Lei Zhang said ending the call before she could say anything more.
"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 said.
"I'm not that familiar with the roads of Fengxian",
Lei Zhang said and Xu Jin rolled his eyes.
"Fine, let's go ", Xu Jin said.
They both hurried out of the hospital and it took them almost two hours to arrive at Fengxian but suddenly the car had a flat tyre due to accidentally driving on a sharp rock.
"Darn!",
Lei Zhang exclaimed after stepping out of the car and seeing the flat tyre.
"So, what now?",
Xu Jin asked and at that moment, Lei Zhang's phone rang, it was Xiao Yanran again.
"Yanran, my ride just had a flat tyre, it might take some time before the tyre is changed",
Lei Zhang said immediately after picking the call.
"Where are you now?",
she asked and Lei Zhang looked around, his eyes landing on a clinic with a signboard written '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 and Lei Zhang creased his brows.
"You've got a ride?", he asked.
"Yes",
she said before ending the call then he turned to Xu Jin who was grinning at him.
"What?",
Lei Zhang asked and Xu Jin shrugged.
"Nothing, just nice to see you being a damsel in distress"
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang glared at him.
"How?", Lei Zhang asked.
"Well in the movies, the girl's car is the one to breakdown and the guy hurries up with a car to pick her up but now it's the other way round",
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang rolled his eyes trying not to let Xu Jin get him pissed.
"Where did you say the apartment you rented was", Lei Zhang said.
"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 said throwing a key at him and he caught it.
"Apartment 1044"
Xu Jin said and Lei Zhang nodded putting the key in his pocket. His phone rang again, the caller still Xiao Yanran.
"I'm arriving at the Yin's clinic, where exactly are you?", she asked.
"Opposite",
Lei Zhang said and the call ended. In few seconds, Xiao Yanran arrived riding her bicycle. Xu Jin's jaw dropped seeing her on a bicycle and even Lei Zhang appeared confused.
Xu Jin chuckled trying his best to hold back the laughter boiling inside as he tugged on Lei Zhang's suit.
"Hey, your ride is here", Xu Jin said chuckling again.
Lei Zhang couldn't even glare at him, he just kept looking in confusion at Xiao Yanran who came down from her bicycle taking of her pink helmet and walking up to them.
"Good evening sir Zhang"
she greeted bowing respectfully. Lei Zhang was just eight years older than her, all the bowing and greeting wasn't quite necessary but to Xiao Yanran, a teacher is a teacher no matter the age and needed to be respected. Lei Zhang cleared his throat nodding at her greeting.
"Where's the ride?",
he asked and Xiao Yanran raised a brow wondering if he didn't see her arrive on a bicycle.
"That's the ride ",
she said pointing at the bicycle and Xu Jin couldn't hold it in and began laughing but not loudly, it was more like a quiet laugh that made his body shake.
Xiao Yanran felt Xu Jin was the driver so she didn't give much attention to him and immediately took Lei Zhang's hand.
"Let's go, there's no much time ",
she said pulling him to the the bicycle. Xu Jin almost choked on his 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 legs on the pedal then Lei Zhang looked down at the remaining space on the bicycle 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 get into a taxi but it was too late now.
Right now there was no taxi in sight to stop and she seemed in a hurry.
He finally sat on the bicycle behind her and she began pedaling away.
"Enjoy your ride!",
Xu Jin yelled finally bursting out in a loud laughter that even his eyes got wet. T.B.C