A Round Trip to Love 1: LONG WAY HOME

Chapter Forty One

The winter days are getting colder.

When Yi Chen attends his classes, I stay at home wrapped up like a mummy in a blanket all day. Knocking away on the keyboard in front of the computer for hours on end made me see stars, so I resorted to a rigorous housekeeping routine, cleaning up the small apartment inside and out, until my four limbs are sore. As I took a breather on the sofa, my mind went into a blank. A sudden thought occurred to me – my location had been exposed, which meant my hide and seek days are over, so there is no harm for me to give Ding Ding and them a call.

Not unexpectedly, Ding Ding gave me an earful, even with the receiver placed far from my ear I could still hear the indignation in his voice loud and clear.

I finally got a word in, "Are you for real ? Slacking so openly during work hours, is the supervisor not around?"

Zhu Sha snatched the handset over, while Ding Ding's voice rang in the background: "Not just the supervisor, even the boss is not around."

" Where have they gone? Did they decide to take off for spring break early?"

"They are all in the hospital." Zhu Sha answered.

"............" A deep sense of unease overtook me, I need to find out more, but did not know how to make it sound casual.

There is a saying that goes 'a fool's life is dogged by misfortunes.'

"Mr Lu returned yesterday."

"Oh." I clutched the clothes over my chest for no apparent reason.

"Who knew that the moment he stepped into the office he went out like a light, everyone was in an up and down frenzy. He is still in the hospital right now, his condition apparently not good and so Miss Lu had to fly over this morning." Zhu Sha laughed sarcastically, "You can see where businessmen's priority lies when they gave out serious warnings to all employees that we are not to leak any information to the public, especially the media. Of course they were worried that news of Mr Lu's collapse would adversely affect stock prices, careful down to the last detail, it was a real eye-opener."

The hand clamping onto the handset started shivering uncontrollably: "...... How is he now?"

"Last I heard he is still unconscious. Everyone is already mentally prepared for bad news ...... Hello? Yi Chen? ...... Can you hear me? Yi Chen? ...... Is it a broken line, why is there no sound, Hello ......"

What else can it be but the housework I overexerted myself in earlier that is making me delirious now, my arms and legs not obeying me. A simple task of organizing my wallet to ensure I carry with me all my credentials required all of my mental faculty. Yi Chen pushed open the door just in time to see me frantically putting on my shoes in the hallway.

"What's wrong?"

"I ......" I straightened my back but could not find the words to adequately explain the situation, "I am going out ......"

Yi Chen was not an easy person to fool with his sensitive nature, he grabbed onto my shoulders: "Where are you going?"

"Lu Feng is in trouble, he is very sick ......"

Yi Chen frowned and adjusted himself to block the door.

"You said that you will not leave with him."

"But he could die!"

Yi Chen pinched his lips, reluctantly shifting himself slightly to the side.

I squeezed past him, glanced back at his downturned face, and whispered: "I will go and take a peek, if he is ok, I will not even enter his ward."

As I head down the stairs, I heard Yi Chen call out: "Brother, remember you promised to come back!"

When Ding Ding received a call from me from the airport he made a big fuss again: "Are you back in Shanghai? Come over let's play mahjong, it's just nice we are three missing one ......"

Sometimes I really cannot take his ridiculous antics.

"What? Which hospital is Lu Feng in?" Ding Ding was extremely taken aback by this question, probably because I addressed him by his full name.

"You even know that he had been admitted into a hospital, you're incredible!"

Crazy, or does he think that I should be included in the non-disclosure list?

"How is Boss doing now? ...... How would I know, since he went to the hospital the other day, he has not been back ...... Which hospital? Well if I am not wrong it is that private hospital ...... Why do you ask? Oh yes, classmates' concern isn't it ...... after visiting the hospital remember to come around for mahjong, and treat us to lunch later! ......"

I hung up the phone in resignation.

Perhaps as an unrelated bystander, a normal reaction should be exactly like how Ding Ding is right now, relaxed and nonchalant as it has nothing to do with him.

So why do I have to be such a nervous wreck.

The smell of disinfection in a hospital overwhelms one with an oppressing dread.

Those bodyguards stationed outside the ward looked solemn and unapproachable. I stood at a distance away formulating a legitimate reason for me to enter. However the truth remains, I am not in any position to be allowed even a step closer. How I do identify myself? A subordinate? A high school classmate?

What a joke.

"Doctor, how is his condition ?"

I startled and quickly spun around to the voice.

That is Lu Feng's elder sister with an anguished expression walking alongside a doctor towards the ward.

"We have done our best."

The words originally not meant for my ears made me shudder from head to toes, my body temperature plunging a few degrees lower.

"The patient will regain consciousness very soon, but ...... his condition is not good, you all should have some mental preparation, especially with an illness like this."

She covered her eyes nodding her head: "Even though we knew this for a few years, but ......"

"I can understand your feelings now. Without me saying, your previous doctor would have already informed you, that he have about six months left, at most ten months."

I stiffened.

Six months?

Lu Feng, but you said, I remember you said, we have a lifetime.