Chapter 24: Forced Kiss
Thinking of the dozens of boxes of condoms in the shopping cart, Shi An wanted to ditch Zhong Yan and flee.
Was he stocking up? Even if he used one box a day, there was no need to buy so many, right? He was busy at work every day, did he really have that many dates?
Bizarre, unreasonable.
After the supermarket, the next stop was the market.
After buying vegetables and fruits, they arrived at the poultry section.
Aunt Yang’s eyesight was good. She spotted Shi An from afar and waved her cleaver, “Xiao Shi, you’re here! I saved the chickens for you, plump and lively.”
Shi An smiled and greeted her, picking out two good-looking ones.
Aunt Yang grabbed the chickens and swiftly slaughtered them. While draining the blood, she glanced at the person beside Shi An several times.
He didn’t look like Xiao Shi, seemed older, tall and handsome. This young man was carrying all the shopping bags, while Xiao Shi’s hands were empty.
Aunt Yang smiled knowingly, “Brought your boyfriend along?”
Before Shi An could speak, Zhong Yan said, “Boss, one more chicken.”
“Okay!” Aunt Yang grabbed another one and slit its throat, “Your boyfriend is so handsome, what does he do?”
The back of Shi An’s head tingled, “No, Aunt Yang, we’re…”
“Boss, one more duck.” Zhong Yan introduced himself, “I’m a doctor.”
“Oh, both doctors! How wonderful, a perfect match.”
Shi An: “…”
Were these two performing a comedy skit?
Forget it, since Zhong Yan didn’t mind, he didn’t bother to explain.
After the last two chickens were slaughtered and plucked, Zhong Yan had a new idea, “Boss, can we do the rest ourselves?”
“Oh, you’re both butchers?”
Shi An: “…”
“Sort of.” Zhong Yan turned to Shi An, “Desensitization stage four, want to try?”
Shi An: “…”
He could come up with anything.
The method was bizarre, but not impossible. Shi An rolled up his sleeves, “Of course.”
To avoid looking like a lone lunatic, Shi An sincerely invited Zhong Yan to join him in his lunacy.
Wearing medical gloves and masks, they stood side by side at the butcher’s block, their arms bent, hands higher than their elbows.
Shi An asked first, “Which one do you want?”
“Of course…”
Zhong Yan picked up the smaller one, “The young rooster.”
Shi An: “…”
Old pervert.
After the preparations were complete, each held a cleaver, a chicken lying on the cutting board in front of each of them.
The blade sliced from the chest cavity down to the abdomen. The pale pink muscles were separated, the fibers neatly severed, clean and efficient.
Zhong Yan appeared to be butchering a chicken, but he was actually observing Shi An’s actions. The Shi An who used to scream at videos, the Shi An who couldn’t hold a syringe steady in the resuscitation room, the Shi An who was scared stiff in the morgue, could now stand in the blood-soaked market, cut open a chicken breast, remove the internal organs, and say without changing his expression: “Tsk, this guy ate well, fatty liver.”
Zhong Yan chuckled, “Qualified for surgery now.”
Shi An rinsed the internal organs and put them in a bag, muttering to himself.
The emergency department wasn’t bad either.
After butchering the chickens, Zhong Yan walked ahead, carrying three chickens.
Shi An followed behind, carrying a duck, unable to understand, “Why buy so many?”
“One for roasting, one for stewing, one for pan-frying, and one for deep-frying,” Zhong Yan said, “Just right.”
Shi An: “It’s just the two of us, it’s a waste.”
Zhong Yan: “We’ll freeze them and cook them later.”
“Frozen isn’t as good as fresh.”
“Besides,” Zhong Yan walked towards the seafood section, “Let’s buy some sea cucumbers and soft-shelled turtles.”
“I don’t know how to cook those.”
Zhong Yan: “You can learn.”
Shi An: “Why would I learn?”
“Cook once a week, 200 yuan off the rent.”
“That’s blatant bribery!”
“Deal?”
“Deal!”
After buying the fresh produce, Shi An had a live, squirming soft-shelled turtle in his hand. It wasn’t shy, occasionally poking its head out of the plastic bag.
“Dr. Zhong, I really can’t handle this.” Thinking of the turtle’s fate, Shi An felt uneasy, “Let’s return it.”
With the rent reduction gone, he couldn’t bring himself to do it.
“Take it home, keep it as a pet,” Zhong Yan said, as if teasing a child, “Feed it fresh chicken liver and duck legs.”
Shi An: “…”
After finishing their shopping, Shi An carried two bags of vegetables and a live soft-shelled turtle, the rest was with Zhong Yan.
Leaving the market, Shi An walked in the opposite direction.
He was pulled back by Zhong Yan before he could take two steps, “Where are your eyes?”
Shi An pointed at the bakery not far away, “We haven’t bought the cake yet.”
“I’m too old for that kind of thing.” Zhong Yan steered him in the opposite direction, “Let’s go home.”
They arrived home at 6 PM sharp. Shi An busied himself in the kitchen, not letting the birthday boy help at all. He had bought a lot of ingredients, but to avoid waste, he didn’t cook too much, two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and a soup.
When the food was all on the table, Shi An sat right next to Zhong Yan.
He only realized after he sat down that he wasn’t at his own house, he wasn’t with his grandma and mom. Shi An pulled his chair away slightly.
His shoulder was held down. Zhong Yan said, “Sit here.”
Suddenly being so close, Shi An felt a little awkward.
Zhong Yan handed him chopsticks and took the first bite himself.
Although Shi An was confident in his cooking skills, Zhong Yan was too strict. He really wanted to be praised, both at work and in life.
Zhong Yan didn’t say anything throughout the meal, but his non-stop eating spoke volumes.
He seemed happy. A happy teacher meant a comfortable student, and an easier residency life.
Halfway through the meal, Zhong Yan asked him, “Want some wine?”
“I’m fine with anything.”
Zhong Yan opened a bottle of red wine and poured them each half a glass.
“That’s it?” Shi An swirled his glass.
Zhong Yan: “How much can you drink?”
“More than this, anyway.” Shi An pushed the glass forward, “Pour some more, it’s a waste if we don’t finish it.”
That was true. Zhong Yan poured him some more, “Over 30,000 yuan a bottle, it would be a waste to throw it away.”
“How much?!” Shi An exclaimed.
Zhong Yan held the bottle, his tone casual, “32,000.”
Shi An finished it in one gulp, the bottom of the wine glass clinking against the table, “One more glass!”
Drinking more made him feel rich.
Shi An took a bite of food and three sips of wine. Within half an hour, his eyes were a little hazy, “Dr. Zhong, why don’t you celebrate your birthday?”
“My family is busy, we don’t have time to celebrate birthdays.”
“That’s a weak excuse.” Shi An tilted his head back and drank half a glass, “If your family doesn’t have time, you can celebrate with colleagues, classmates, or friends. It’s not like you’re broke, stop making excuses and blaming your parents.”
It was the first time Zhong Yan had been refuted on this matter. He felt a lump in his throat, “Well, I just don’t like celebrating.”
“Birthdays are great.”
“What’s so great about them?”
Shi An thought about it seriously. Birthdays meant cake, candles, presents, amusement parks, but those were all childhood joys. For adults, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
“It’s still a special occasion,” Shi An insisted, “It’s just good.”
“Fine, it’s good.”
Half of the red wine was left. Zhong Yan didn’t drink much, most of it was consumed by Shi An, who was clearly a little drunk.
Dinner continued until 10 PM. Most of the food was gone, and Shi An was still gulping down wine.
Zhong Yan asked him, “Are you full?”
Shi An rubbed his stomach, “Stuffed.”
“Stop drinking.” Zhong Yan took away his wine glass and stood up with his bowl.
Shi An snatched the bowl back, “What are you doing?”
Zhong Yan: “Washing the dishes.”
“Put it down!” Shi An ordered like a boss, pushing him towards the bedroom, “As the birthday boy, you should rest today, understand?”
Seeing Zhong Yan ignore him, Shi An put on a stern face and said louder, “I’m asking you, are you deaf?”
Zhong Yan was amused, “Yes, I heard you.”
“See,” Shi An hiccuped, “Birthdays are good, you don’t have to work.”
Zhong Yan: “Yes, you’re right.”
“Go take a shower and sleep, don’t do anything.”
“Drink a glass of water after your shower, so you can live a long and healthy life.”
The bedroom door closed. Before leaving, Shi An thoughtfully turned on the bedroom light. The empty, bright room contrasted sharply with the lively atmosphere of the dining room.
Zhong Yan turned off the light in the bedroom, a sense of loneliness he didn’t want to be noticed.
He sat by the window, rubbing his temples. The wine wasn’t strong, but it had a lingering effect, making him feel drunker as time passed.
Just as he was about to take a shower, his phone rang.
A consultation call from Germany, lasting over an hour. By the time Zhong Yan finished showering, it was already midnight. In ten minutes, his birthday would be over.
His hair was still wet. Wearing a bathrobe, he stood by the window. The wind blew the raindrops against the windowpane.
From here, he could see the balcony next door. The curtains were drawn, no light seeping through.
That kid always slept well. In his early twenties, he didn’t stay up late or party, falling asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.
Zhong Yan looked at his watch, 11:52. Eight more minutes, and he wouldn’t be the birthday boy anymore.
Saying he didn’t like celebrating birthdays, it was just that during the age when he needed it most, there was no one to celebrate with him, so he used “dislike” to deceive himself.
The hands on the watch ticked, 11:53.
Zhong Yan thought, he should have bought a cake, maybe he could have gotten a few more minutes of company, blown out the candles, and made a childish wish.
11:54, Zhong Yan wasn’t sleepy. He opened the door and went to get some water.
The dining room was filled with the sweet scent of red wine. In the darkness, the dining table was a mess, and there was a figure by the window.
Zhong Yan was still stunned when the figure spoke.
Complaining, unhappy, throwing a familiar tantrum, “What took you so long! Taking a shower for so long.”
Zhong Yan had the habit of drinking water after showering. It was entirely possible that his tenant of several months had noticed.
Then, the dim room was lit up.
Shi An glowed in Zhong Yan’s world, brighter than midsummer.
Like a belated gift, tearing through the night, appearing before his eyes.
Shi An held a lit candle, illuminating the cake, his eyes smiling as he sang, “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you…”
Zhong Yan couldn’t remember the last time someone sang him a birthday song, or if it had ever happened at all.
He sat back at the table, looking at the little figure in a white coat on the cake, “You bought this?”
“A birthday without a cake is incomplete.” Shi An continued to smile at him, brighter than fireworks, “Dr. Zhong, happy birthday!”
“May all your dreams come true, may you be happy every day.”
Zhong Yan: “When did you buy this?”
“I’m not telling you.” Shi An swayed slightly, pointing at the candles, “Make a wish quickly, it’s almost midnight, your wish won’t come true otherwise.”
11:58, Zhong Yan closed his eyes and made the only birthday wish in his life.
The candles were blown out, the lights not yet turned on.
Cream was smeared on his nose and lips.
Zhong Yan noticed the empty wine bottle and the flushed Shi An, “You drank all of this?”
Shi An hiccuped, still trying to smear cream on his face, “32,000 yuan, can’t waste it.”
“Wait.” Shi An tapped his head, “You eat first, I haven’t washed the dishes yet.”
“What’s the rush?” Zhong Yan stopped him, “Keep me company.”
Shi An held the bowl, swaying slightly, “Oh.”
“Shi An, are you drunk?”
Shi An looked up, meeting his gaze.
“My birthday wish, hasn’t come true yet.”
“What wish…”
11:59:56.
Shi An leaned forward, his neck held firmly.
12:00 sharp, the sound of a porcelain bowl shattering echoed in the dining room.
Cream-flavored lips met wine-flavored tongue.
A birthday wish fulfilled with a kiss.
