Reluctantly Willing

When it was almost daybreak, the surgery room's light finally turned green. When Liu Cheng saw the light change, his tense nerves relaxed immediately. Thank god you're alive. Yan Zi, I can see you again.

He looked through the door's crack from afar. The person in the bed still hadn't woken up. "How is he?" Liu Cheng asked the doctor worriedly.

"He isn't in danger anymore. He has gastric perforation. If he drinks alcohol again, he might die."

"Okay, thank you." Liu Cheng grasped the doctor's hand. He wasn't the director anymore. He was just the patient's friend and he couldn't describe his feelings now that An Xiaoyan was alright. "Truly, thank you."

The doctor was experienced, but he didn't know what he'd done for the director to thank him like this.

Since the patient was stabilized, the doctor went to do other work. Liu Cheng walked into the room. Looking at the person still sleeping in bed, he sat on the side and grasped his hand.

"Yan Zi, this isn't what I'd wanted. Half of your suffering should be mine too, but I'm so selfish. I don't dare to admit my mistake. I can only reduce my guilt through these methods." With that, Liu Cheng pressed An Xiaoyan's bony hand to his face, feeling the little warmth coming from An Xiaoyan.

If God could give him another chance, he definitely wouldn't let An Xiaoyan bear this alone. He was responsible for half of everything.

When An Xiaoyan woke up, it was dusk. The room faced the west and the red sun entered his vision first. Am I alive again?

Liu Cheng had gone downstairs to buy some porridge. When he came back, he didn't even open the door before seeing An Xiaoyan staring out the window. What was he thinking about?

"You're awake. Are you hungry? I bought porridge. Want to eat now?" Liu Cheng opened the porridge and brought a spoon to An Xiaoyan's mouth. He nodded, face filled with anticipation.

An Xiaoyan hesitated but opened his mouth and obediently drank the soup. One fed while one ate. The two quietly finished half the bowl of porridge like this.

Liu Cheng didn't stop until An Xiaoyan shook his head, signaling that he couldn't eat anymore. Liu Cheng pulled out a tissue to wipe An Xiaoyan's mouth. He wasn't worried as long as Yan Zi was willing to eat.

"Promise me that you'll live well. Rest up now. Ask me whatever you want after you've recovered. I'll tell you now."

An Xiaoyan shook his head. Liu Cheng understood what he meant. Yan Zi was saying that he wouldn't die.

Lying on the bed, An Xiaoyan kept looking at the setting sun. There was only half an hour left of the sunset and the sky had already darkened. He couldn't remember when it started, but whenever something happened to him, he would wake up and see Liu Cheng. Liu Cheng was always the one helping him.

Wasn't he like the sunset? There was still light, but he would always be swallowed by darkness in the end. He couldn't die now. He hadn't gone back to see his parents. Maybe Gu Jun would let him go someday. Then he'd be able to live the life he wanted.

A few days passed and An Xiaoyan could manage to speak. Finally, Liu Cheng felt that it was safe to give him some vegetables. An Xiaoyan's stomach wasn't well, so Liu Cheng didn't dare to give him anything greasy. He only ordered dishes like green bean tofu soup or a baked potato.

"When can I get discharged?"

"Probably not so soon. You've just gotten surgery. You have to rest."

Hearing this, An Xiaoyan's eyes darkened. It would be the 11th in two days. He'd promised his parents that he'd go home. "I'm going home on the 11th."

Liu Cheng froze. "Then I'll take you home. With your health, you need someone taking care of you."

"Cheng, I'm fine. I know my body. I'd just drunk too much. I'll be fine if I rest and take medicine."

His calmness made it seem that everything that had happened was unrelated to him. What are you bearing it for? Liu Cheng thought. "Don't go to those places anymore. Come live with me. I can't give you all the wealth in the world, but I can still take care of you."

"I'm a man. I don't need you to take care of me."

Liu Cheng suddenly regretted his words. Why didn't he think before speaking? A man like An Xiaoyan wouldn't want to be taken care of. He'd been full of self-respect back in school.

"I'm going back to get my salary. It should be enough to get me home." He hadn't gone to Night Charm these days and they'd probably fired him.

An Xiaoyan was about to lift the covers, but Liu Cheng placed his hand on the bed. "Don't move. I'll have someone help you do it. You rest first."

An Xiaoyan didn't return to bed, so Liu Cheng said nonchalantly, "Don't you remember what Professor Yang said? No matter what, a doctor must take care of his own body before saving others."

This worked. An Xiaoyan went back into bed, though he said, "That was before. I'm not a doctor anymore."

An Xiaoyan giving up on himself was what Liu Cheng feared the most. Seeing his indifferent expression scared him. What if Yan Zi left him one day?

"Just stay here for now. I'm here for you."

An Xiaoyan mumbled something about how he didn't expect five years of being classmates would give him a lifesaver before falling asleep. He was too weak right now. He'd had to rely on glucose shots before this.

Liu Cheng took An Xiaoyan's card. It contained the money he'd earned from working as a male hostess at the Night Charm. It totaled to 20,000 dollars. The accountant had said that no one had earned this much in such a short time. He really risked his life.

When An Xiaoyan woke up again, he had much more energy and strength. He could sit up and chat with Liu Cheng.

"How did I get here?"

"I saw that you were drunk so I brought you to the hospital," Liu Cheng said.

"Do I have stomach problems?"

Liu Cheng knew he couldn't hide it from An Xiaoyan. After all, An Xiaoyan had been the best med student at A University. "The doctor says you'll be fine if you recuperate well. It's just that you drank too much. It damaged your body. Also, did Gu Jun force you to work at Night Charm?"

"No, I did it voluntarily. I said that already."

"Yan Zi, listen to me this one time," Liu Cheng pleaded. "Leave him and come with me. You'll die if you keep living like this. Think about how your parents are waiting for you. You can't give up on yourself!"

He knew Yan Zi well. His parents were the last shred of hope that kept Yan Zi alive.