"Can you tell me about Dr.Liu?"

There was a little pause in the other's voice. Maybe she was thinking?

"What do you want to know about him?"

"W-what kind of a person he is?" Xiao Zhan wanted to straightforwardly ask if he had anything to do with Wang Yibo, but he couldn't bring himself to ask. It was still so painful.

"Oh let me tell you! Once I misplaced my stethoscope and turned the whole office upside down and he came after all the chaos with my stethoscope and only managed to say 'oh'.   Was he serious?! He should have told me he borrowed it! Still makes so mad!" The person said, fuming.

"Hahaha Ziyi Jie, I know it was you, who probably left it in his office." Xiao Zhan was more than aware of Meng Ziyi's forgetfulness. When she was with Xuan Lu, she would often forget about their dates but being kind as Xuan Lu was, she always forgave her.

"Are you accusing me?!"

"Nope. Definitely it was his fault!" Xiao zhan most certainly didn't want to get scolded.

"But why do you want to know about him, suddenly?" the other person was curious to what might have caused his suspicion. She knew that one way or the other, he would be asking this, but she never thought it would be this soon.

"I...no reason, I just wanted to know If I could trust him or not."

"Don't you think it's a little late for that?"

Meng Ziyi was right. Xiao Zhan had already promised his uncle to wait for him, he had already told the doctor, part of his misery. What harm would he get telling him more? And if he got better, maybe he could see Wang Yibo again? Maybe without fear and maybe without regret?

"He came to Beijing only last month. I didn't really interact with him but I am A-Xing's guardian so it was bound to happen. But Zhan if you want to know about him, you should ask him. It is not my place to say anything."

"I'll do that then, thank you Ziyi Jie." Xiao Zhan sighed. He really should be brave and face things on his own. He couldn't possibly run forever.

"No problem, love."

"You will give your girlfriend a heart attack, you know." Xiao Zhan retorted.

"Not my girlfriend, maybe your boyfriend." There was clear tease in the other's voice.

"What?" Xiao Zhan asked but the other person turned off the call.

Beep Beep-

Xiao Zhan sighed and shook his head. Meng Ziyi hadn't changed at all. Still so childish as ever. Xiao Zhan decided to look at the messages that his doctor had send him. And the guilt crawled in him.

Doc: Good Morning Mr.Zhan. Did you sleep well?

Doc: Have you eaten a healthy breakfast?

Doc: If your nephew forces you to eat fast food, reject him. You need nourishment.

Doc: Are you alright?

Doc: You must be busy.

Doc: Good Night!

Doc: Are you okay? You can tell me if something happened.

Doc: Did you sleep well? Are you eating well?

Doc: Did someone say anything to you? If you're busy just please send me a quick text so I would know that you are okay at least.

Doc: Can I call you I'm worried?

Doc : Zhan please reply to me.

Wasn't it a doctor's job to care? Why was Xiao Zhan feeling guilty for not replying?

Zhan: I'm alright. Sorry I didn't report anything to you, I was a bit busy.

Xiao Zhan just typed the message and almost dropped it when he suddenly received a call. The caller was none other than his Psychiatrist.

"H-Hello."

"Zhan!"

It was the first time hearing his voice this close to his ears, it gave Xiao Zhan weird sensation, Maybe he really didn't like it when he called him that.

"Are you alright?"

"I am."

He took a deep sigh relief and with his tone, Xiao Zhan could tell that he was worried.

"So, what were you up to these days?"

"Well my parents have arranged a 3 days trip for the whole family."

"That's great! Where to?"

"...Luoyang."

"..."

"It has a lot of cultural places. It could be a good place for a breather."

"...yes maybe."

"Have you managed to talk to your brother yet?"

"No."

"Why?

"Actually, he's been treating me like before. He's not angry anymore and I think I don't have the confidence to ruin this peace."

"Zhan, I know its hard but you are running away again, if you both pretend like nothing happened then the peace you acquire really isn't peace."

Xiao Zhan knew that but was it worth to risk it all? He didn't have the confidence in himself at all. And what if bringing back the past would only make his brother angry? worst, it might open his old wounds.

"The trip is 6 hours there, use that time to converse with him."

"I will." Xiao Zhan said but not certain of himself.

"Don't worry! Trust him, he's your brother after all."

"I will, thank you and if you don't mind, I need to pack my things for the trip." Xiao Zhan wondered when did he become a liar? It wasn't anything big, but Xiao Zhan had always been an honest person but he realized he had changed a lot. Maybe the world didn't like honest people?

"Oh of course, and Zhan can I ask you something?"

"Mn."

"C-can I call you like this, occasionally?" there was clear panic in others voice.

"..I...ah...Mn, sure."

"Thank you Zhan! Text you later."

After the call ended, Xiao Zhan kept staring at the phone as if in deep thoughts. The way doctor acted so familiar made him uncomfortable, but maybe that was how psychiatrist are suppose to operate. These two practically needed to bond to help Xiao Zhan heal and Xiao Zhan already made up his mind to get better. Ziyi is right, it's late to think about it now. Maybe he should give him a chance and really try to move on. Having a friend whom he could unload without feeling guilty of hurting his family wouldn't be that bad.

Xiao Zhan was deep in his thoughts when Lu Jian Min knocked at the door, getting his attention.

"Uncle Jian!"

"May I come in?"

"Of course."

Xiao Zhan led him in and he sat next to Xiao Zhan on the sofa.

"A-Zhan, do you want to change the location of our trip?"

"W-what do you mean?"

"A-Cheng came to me and said, he didn't want to go to Luoyang and I wanted to know if you share the same opinion."

Zhuocheng of course, he was there when that storm came and took everything from Xiao Zhan in the blink of an eye. But the part of the reason was, that zhuocheng knew that it was Wang Yibo's home town and chances of meeting him there were more than in any other place. If not him then his family because they still live there.

"I don't have much preference, if A-Cheng wants to change the locations then let him decide."

"He asked me to let you decide. But I have already bought the tickets. I should have informed you guys rather than giving you a surprise." Liu Jian Min said sulking like a child.

"Then we will just go to Luoyang."

"I don't want to force you-"

"Uncle, it's alright. Besides my holidays will end soon and we should not waste more time. We won't be able to gather like this again anytime soon."

"Alright! Pack everything and meet us at 11."

"I will."

He patted his head and left.

Xiao Zhan took a deep breath and begun packing his already packed luggage.

They all gathered at the front garden of their villa. And Xiao Zhan saw new faces and he assumed they were Pei Xin's friends. The moment Qi Pei Xin spotted Xiao Zhan, he waved his hand to get his attention and immediately ran to grab him so he could introduce him to his friends.

"Uncle these are my friends, Guo Cheng and Cao Jun Xiang."

"Hello, I'm A-Xin's uncle Xiao Zhan."

The boys greeted him with bow, his friends were polite and Xiao Zhan approved them to be his nephew's friends. Back in Lanzhou, Qi Pei Xin didn't have many friends. A part of the reason was his rivalry with his cousin, Liu Yin Jun. But here in Jiujiang, Qi Pei Xin made surprisingly good friends. Xiao Zhan was happy to say the least.

"I asked Grandpa, If I could bring my friends and he said yes."

"I hope you take good care of my nephew and if he doesn't behave, we shall join and take our revenge." He teased Pei Xin and the other two laughed.

After all the travel and waiting, they finally sat in the air plane and launched to the sky. Zhuocheng and Xiao Zhan were seat mates and Xiao Zhan took the window seat out of habit. Zhuocheng was constantly texting someone on his phone before the plane departed. And Xiao Zhan was restless with many thoughts in his mind.

"So gege, how was your life in Beijing?

"It was okay I guess."

"Do you plan on being an office worker?"

"That's the plan for now."

"Will you not join your uncle?"

He would have loved to join but that so-called property had hurt him more than he could count and the world of billionaires is too much for his heart. When his grandma met a terrible end, he wanted his uncle to stop everything as well. But honestly, he had no one. Xiao Zhan got adopted family but Song Jiyang was left alone once again.

"I don't think so."

"How about joining father then? He wouldn't retire otherwise." ZhuoCheng joked. The workaholic he was, he would indeed work to his death.

"I'm okay where I work." He wasn't working because he needed but rather to keep himself occupied. The less he works, the more his thoughts haunt him.

"Then why don't you even accept the promotions?"

"You seemed to be well aware."

"What? You think my Gege is that useless that he can't even get a promotion? Yubin told me you turned down one recently."

"He seemed to be well aware."

Xiao Zhan teased and Zhuocheng rolled his eyes. Then Xiao Zhan decided it was the best time to talk about it.

"Cheng... about the... I wanted to apologize to you." Sincerely Xiao Zhan called. There was little silence because Zhuocheng needed to process what was happening.

"Gege, why are you bringing that up now?"

"So that we could move forward and start a new without regrets." And burdens that shackled his neck.

"Gege I was... hurt- but surely you know I don't blame you for what happened back then?"

There was glint of pain in his eyes mixed in his orbs as if recalling that incident was enough to salt his wounds. And this time, it didn't escape Xiao Zhan, because he learnt to look into the eyes.

The eyes are the gate to the Heart His Psychiatrist told.

"When I learnt that it was you who donated your kidney to me, I was mad, really mad. I didn't sacrifice myself for you to make a sacrifice." Zhocheng finally said.

"I'm sorry but just as you protected me, I wanted to protect you too. It can't be helped we're brothers after all." Xiao Zhan reasoned.

Zhuocheng was so genuinely happy. Xiao Zhan had stopped calling him that and it added a layer of tears in his eyes.

"We good now?" Xiao Zhan confirmed.

"Of course!"

"A-Cheng, there's one thing I want to ask."

"Yeah?"

"You're friend...Liu Hai Kuan. How did you meet him? Where did you meet him? And where does he live?"

Its better to get rid of roots before it grows into a plant.

"Why are you suddenly asking that? Are you perhaps interested in him?" Zhuocheng teased with raising his one brow.

"Shut up A-Cheng."

"We met in Japan, in a gay bar."

Shock was plastered all over his face. Did he forget happened between Xuan Lu and Meng Ziyi??

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Sorry for errors and thank you for reading.