The next day, Pan Lei went to work with Tian Yuan. Pan Lei considered himself to be quite sensible. He would be in the hospital while Tian Yuan worked. Once he made up his mind, he was willing to die to see it through.
Pan Lei sat in the office with a bunch of fruit snacks while Tian Yuan treated the patient. Tian Yuan had just sent a patient away, so he peeled and chopped an apple into small pieces before bringing it to Tian Yuan's mouth.
Tian Yuan didn't think it was odd either. Because this individual was exceptional, Tian Yuan allowed him to remain at the workplace without evicting him. Pan Lei always chopped the fruit and delivered it to his mouth at home. As a result, Tian Yuan opened his mouth and ate it. Pan Lei quickly took up another piece and placed it in his mouth. Tian Yuan had just taken a bite when the young nurse entered. When she saw Doctor Tian open his mouth and accept food from Pan Lei, her eyes widened.
"Doctor Tian, someone has come to see this patient."
Tian Yuan beckoned for them to enter. Perhaps the visitor was a teammate of Pan Lei's. Tian Yuan was unconcerned. When he opened the door, he realized they were Pan Lei’s friends who had drank with them.
Huang Kai was holding a bouquet of roses in his hand, Zhang Hui was carrying a large food box, and Lin Mu was carrying a bouquet of chrysanthemum flowers in his arms. White flowers and yellow chrysanthemums[1]? It certainly did not resemble a patient's bouquet. Was he in the wrong place? Lin Mu, in fact, should have gone to the cemetery, right?
"You kid[2], lying tired and crooked here, irritating those patients."
Zhang Hui set the food box aside, checked Pan Lei over, and understood there was nothing wrong with him.
"Hey, Lin Mu! Did you get chrysanthemums for a patient? I'm not yet dead."
Lin Mu smiled. "Who knew you’re still alive and kicking?! I thought you were a martyr, and these flowers were meant to be placed in front of your grave."
"Huang Kai is still good to me. You’re a good brother, but roses are not appropriate either."
Pan Lei extended his hand to pick up the bouquet of roses. They were red roses, ninety-nine red roses…
Huang Kai dodged him and handed the roses to Tian Yuan.
"I didn't get anything for you. They were intended for Doctor Tian."
Tian Yuan smiled as he remembered how boisterous these clowns were when they got together.
"You’re people who peep at my person, and dig at my corner[3]! I’m at odds with you!"
Pan Lei pounced on Huang Kai and beat him up. Several mature men were fooling around in the small office. Tian Yuan was crammed onto the table and observed their antics.
"Doctor Tian, I brought a lot of delicious food today. I assumed this kid had lost too much blood and needed to make it up, but he doesn't. You should sample our hotel's signature dish."
Zhang Hui handed them chopsticks, and they sampled the delicious food on the table.
The three persons who were intertwined detected the scent and pounced on the bird's nest. The little dish was delicately layered with three layers of meat and vegetables. It looked so good that folks couldn't stop moving their fingers to try a bite.
Huang Kai snagged a soup dumpling and smacked his lips.
"If only we had wine."
"These are tasty. What else do we have? Zhang Hui, this is from your own restaurant; you can eat it whenever you want. Why are you snatching it with us?" Lin Mu complained with a mouthful of food.
Pan Lei rose and removed the plates. He stuffed two steamed dumplings into Tian Yuan's mouth from the last few steamed dumplings, and Tian Yuan almost choked.
"Come again and bring hot pot next time. I’m craving spicy hot pot."
"Please get additional crab sticks and pork balls." Tian Yuan put in his request.
"Let's meet again in the evening and call Pan Zhan and Pan Ge. We’ll eat hot pot."
Making friends with this group of people was a breeze. They were all like family after sharing a meal. Pan Lei hoped Tian Yuan could become a part of his life, so he introduced him to his friends, hoping that this group of people could help him look after his family while he was on a mission. Everything appeared to be progressing as he had predicted. His friends admired Tian Yuan, and Tian Yuan liked them as well.
Unfortunately, the plan to have hot pot in the hospital did not come to fruition.
It wasn't because the dean demanded that hot pots be prohibited in the ward, but because Pan Lei had another mission.
Pan Lei was still thinking about napping with his arms around his family's wife just after lunch. Who knew the call would come?! He had to return to the army this time. His vacation had come to an end. Special training was required for the soldiers under his command. As captain and squadron leader, he had to keep an eye on that group of people while they trained.
He wasn't gravely hurt, so the army's superior summoned him and rushed him back to the troops. Pan Lei was extremely unwilling and sluggish in putting on clothes.
Tian Yuan was packing for him, knowing that his return to the army would not be a perilous assignment this time, and he was less concerned.
"I don't want to go back. I want to be with you. I want to spend every minute with you." Pan Lei was depressed, powerless, and complained non-stop.
"I used anti-inflammatory medications on you because the wound had become irritated in the previous few days. Don't make any violent motions or rip the wound. Avoid putting pressure on the wound while sleeping. For the first three days, change the bandages once a day, then every other day. On the seventh day, remove the sutures. There must be a military doctor in the barracks, right? Ask him to carefully remove the stitches. Don't imagine that simply removing the stitches will solve your problem. Only when the wound has healed and the scab has fallen off can it be allowed to get wet. By the way, I brought you some waterproof tape; use it when you shower."
Tian Yuan once went to the drugstore and returned with a large number of various items. He packed those things in a bag.
"Avoid certain foods, and don't eat spicy things. Don't consume any alcohol. Look, everything is in this bag. Don’t mess around during training. Take the anti-inflammatory drugs regularly."
"I don't want to return." Pan Lei stated a little loudly. Watching Tian Yuan work, he felt uneasy. Why was he so eager to send him away?
They kissed warmly and affectionately the last time they separated, so why was he conveying his reluctance today?
"Bring a thermometer, just in case. If you have a low-grade fever, you should also prepare some anti-fever medication. Take your temperature as soon as you feel dizzy and weak in your limbs, and if it is higher than 37℃, take anti-fever medication."
Tian Yuan needed to visit the drugstore. Pan Lei snatched his wrist and drew him into his lap. His head sank into Tian Yuan's shoulder as he wrapped his arms around him
"We've only just begun to get intimate, I've spent so little time with you, I haven't shown you how nice I can be to you, why should I return to the army? Tian'er, don’t run away, and don't desire any woman… come closer. If someone tries to hook you with you, tell them you have me. I'm jealous, but I'm also serious. If someone dares to beat you, I will imprison him. Any third party who tries to break us up will be imprisoned for three years."
"Don't make trouble! Hurry up and pack your things. The car will arrive shortly."
Tian Yuan was likewise a little reluctant, but while he was troubled, he was no longer sad. He shoved Pan Lei’s head away, thinking to himself, ‘Don’t pester me like a child pesters his mother. It’s so unsightly!’
"I won’t let go of you precisely because the car is arriving. Let me hold you properly for a while for comfort. I have begun to miss you before I even leave."
Pan Lei hugged him tightly and wouldn’t let go. He wanted to caress and rub that body. He needed to get a measurement of that waist. He’d know if Tian’er was fatter or thinner the next time they met. He repeatedly rubbed his head on Tian Yuan’s shoulders and smiled, but he didn't move. He didn't want to leave him, and neither did he want to leave this house. He just wanted to hug his darling and not go.
Footnotes:
[1] Because yellow chrysanthemums and white flowers of any kind are commonly used during funerals in China, receiving these flowers is synonymous with death. Lin Mu's gift is thus a social faux pas and a big no-no.