"Li Wen, what's wrong?" My best friend, Qian Fei, eyed me suspiciously.
"I am fine," I said, smiling as I hurried over towards the man selling cotton candy. "Fei Fei Fei, my buddy, buddy," I winked at him playfully, "Buy me cotton candy."
"Caa-" He stopped himself. "Lin Wen! You are not supposed to eat sweets!"
But I had already grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and handed the man selling the candy a hundred RMB.
"How many do you want?" The cotton candy seller asked.
"How much can I get for a hundred?" I asked sheepishly.
"Li Wen!"
"Breeeeeeath! Liiiiiiiive!" I opened my hands wide dramatically.
Then, I jumped, locking my arms around his neck tightly. He choked instantly.
Quickly, he tapped out and took two cautious steps back, eyeing me cautiously. "I was told to take you back. No one said in what condition."
I bit my lips, smiling devilishly. "Buddy…you are implying that you can take me on." My eyes darkened despite my playfulness. "Are you sure you want to... take me on?"
Fei shrugged his shoulders. His jaw tightened. His left hand slowly reached for his back pocket.
I held up a small handcuff. "Are you looking for this?"
I was trying not to hold back my smile, but the look of anger on his face was too good.
"I don't need that," Fei held his fist to his lips and blew on it gently. Then he raised both fists, rolling his shoulders like he was… reloading them. With two quick steps, he closed the distance between us–
Just as his punch came flying toward my face.
BAM.
Four fluffy clouds of cotton candy flew between us.
His fist stopped inches from pink fluffy sweets.
"This is your cotton candy."
I took the pink clouds happily from the seller, bit into one, kept one under my arm, and pointed the other two at him like an offering of peace.
Fei's eyes narrowed. He was fuming.
"Come on. You know you want some," I teased, wiggling the sweets. "Yummy. Yummy, so good."
Fei yanked the two sticks from my hand. "I'm taking these."
Then, to my horror, he grabbed the one under my arm, too. "And this one."
"But-"
"What?" He holds up his phone like a weapon. "I can call, Machete."
I rolled my eyes. "Fine. When I finish this one, we can go back."
He bit into the candy. "Thank you. Finally."
He was nodding as he savored the sweet. He likes it. I notice and hide a smile.
"What a shame. They are handsome men, but they are gay." A cute voice whined.
"Don't you know most handsome men are gay?" Another voice called out.
Fei turned sharply toward the sound. Five college girls stood a few steps away, all staring at him with amused expressions.
He scoffed, pointing at himself. "Me? You think I'm gay?"
The girls exchanged awkward smiles.
The apparent ringleader, short, plump, and oddly cute, lifted her chin defiantly. "Why?" she shot back. "Are you still in the drawer?"
"It's not a drawer!" The tallest girl muttered. "It's a cupboard."
"Why are you talking about drawers and cupboards?" I turned, smiling as I bit into my cotton candy.
All five girls giggle.
I felt Fei's glare before I saw his face.
He was looking at me as if I had done something bad. But I was innocent this time.
"What did I do this time?" I eyed him warily.
He pointed first at the girls, then at me, then back at himself.
"They… think… you… me…" His fists clenched, frustration flashing in his eyes.
"He's shy," the plump girl said with a wink, "because we know he's in the drawer!"
"It is a cupboard," the tallest groaned, slapping a hand on her forehead lightly. "She means, YOU are in the cupboard!"
I blinked. "Cupboard? We are not in a cupboard. We're at the fair," I pointed at the giant Ferris wheel behind us.
"THAT'S NOT WHAT THEY MEAN!" Fei barked, red in the face.
"Then what do you mean?" I asked, genuinely confused. "But a cupboard is a cupboard,"
"WE'RE SAYING YOU'RE GAY!" the girls yelled in unison.
"THEY'RE SAYING WE'RE GAY!" Fei grabbed my shoulders, shaking me like a rag doll. "They think we're… in the closet, you fool!"
I froze for a second, then shrugged lazily.
"Even if I were," I said with a smirk, "You wouldn't stand a chance either way."
Fei's eyes flared red.
I forced a nervous smile — and realized how quiet it had suddenly become. Every head in the fair was turned our way, people pointing, whispering… and probably laughing at us. We were making a scene.
"Fei?... Fei?" I squeaked, still smiling through the tension.
"WHAT!" he snapped.
"What's the one thing he said we shouldn't do today?" I muttered under my breath.
"Is that the problem right now? Those girls think we are gay!"
I planted a hand on his face and gently turned him toward the crowd.
He froze..
"Shit," he muttered, eyes rolling back. "He said we shouldn't draw any attention to ourselves. Why do you always put me in trouble?" Fei ran a hand over his head, frustrated.
"We should run," I whispered.
Before I could even finish my sentence, Fei was already several blocks ahead, sprinting like a man possessed.
"Your boyfriend is running away!" The plump girl called, eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Shit!" I shouted as I bolted after him, weaving through the fair. "He is NOT my boyfriend. I have better TASTE!"
Ahead, Fei darted around a sharp corner, and I followed, just as I turned–
BANG! BONG! BANG!
A motorcycle roared out of the corner, brushing my side and sending me flying across the road.
Pain shot through me, sharp and familiar. Only, it was worse this time.
I tried to lift my head… but it fell back to the ground. My limbs went numb.
It was lights out in my head.
"Call 120!"
I heard the panic in Fei's voice shouting from a distance.
"He is bleeding too much…" another voice cried.
"Lin Wen! Wake up!... Lin Wen!"
…..
SANG ZHI POV
I was sound asleep when Dr. Chen Ming Xu burst into the lounge. Panting.
"What?!" I shot upright.
"Dr. Sang Zhi... He is back… Again!" Ming Xu gasped.
"Who?" My eyes narrowed instantly.
"The drunk," he said, voice shaky. "You're the only one who can handle him. Please… help me."
"Why?" I groaned, clawing at my hair in frustration. "I was finally getting some sleep!"
"I know you just finished surgery, but please…don't make me call the police on him!" Ming Xu pleaded, bowing his head.
My eyes darkened. My jaw tightened.
"I am going to kill him!"
I stormed out of the lounge.