BIKER WITH BENEFITS

:: 4 ::

GEGE AND HIS DIDI

Xiao Zhan P.O.V

This morning, the alarm clock woke me up at 5:30. Well I'm not really an early riser, but I gotta get used to this. Here in this house everyone gets up early. Like Madam Xiao and my dad gets up at 6. And ZhuoChang gets up at 6:30. And the only maid who works in this house wakes up at 5:30. So I got a schedule to wake up at 5:30, partly because I'm used to being the first one waking up in the house. Also I tried helping Guo Aunty, the maid in breakfast, and she didn't seem much opposed to the idea. Being from a house with a self-help rule in Canada, I got to be the one to make breakfast for both mom and me at our house. And years of practice helped me be good at it.

Well there's another reason I wake up early. And that is to avoid running into my dad and Madam Xiao as much as possible. ZhuoChang is someone who I won't avoid, but I try to avoid dad because I don't really know how to act around him anymore. I mean I still love him and he's still my father, but it got awkward real quick after I met him for the first time after coming back.

It's already been a week and a half, and today is the day I join the hospital. I got up and went out to have a jog and get my head around the fact that from today onwards I have to see dad more frequently than I like. So I probably have to find a way to act normal around him. I wouldn't want the whole hospital to know how strained our relationship is. I ran a few laps around the park near the bridge and it got my head clear. It's another habit I picked up when I was in college. University of Toronto, medical department has a beautiful locality ideal for a jog and I used to go jogging with Smitha and Andy a lot.

Now that I mentioned their name I realise I miss them a lot. Andy and me used to be in the neurology department and Smitha was in the cardiology department. Andy and Smitha started their relationship at the first year of college and I was always the third wheel. But even then they took me with them everywhere except for the dates. They both probably started their residency in Toronto as they planned. And here I am, running laps in a park in Beijing and going to start my residency in my dad's hospital. Not that I'm complaining, yet.

When I get back home, the clock has just struck 6:10 and Guo Aunty has finished making breakfast already. Dad was sitting at the table with the daily newspaper, and looking fresh in his shirt and pants. He already got ready for hospital. Normally he leaves early, at around 6:20 because he starts work at 6:30. Madam Xiao was also sitting at the dining table with a cup of tea and her laptop open in front of her. Probably working on her story or something. I greeted both of them with a little bow and a curt "good morning". I'm still not used to speaking Chinese first thing in the morning. So I mostly stick to English as both Mr. Xiao and Madam Xiao understand English. And try to avoid long talks in the morning in the fear of messing up all my Chinese and say something totally different and outrageous than I wanted to mean.

Madam Xiao didn't as much as acknowledge me. Looks like lady holds grudge! But whatever, I don't really care. But dad gave me a smile that I don't know how to react to it. So I just smile. I take my coffee mug that was already filled to the brims by Guo Aunty. This coffee mug came with me all the way from Canada. It's a mug with my favourite K-pop boyband EXO logo printed on it.

I take the coffee to my room wanting to avoid any awkward encounter whatsoever and get ready for the hospital. But looks like I've got no luck today.

I was just getting ready to get in the bathroom when suddenly my door opened to reveal a flustered ZhuoChang standing at the doorway. Seriously? Do you even know how to knock? But wait! I didn't realise he would be awake at this time as it's not yet half past 6. I have already got out of my sweaty t-shirt and right now I was shirtless. I hurriedly cover my upper body with the towel in my hand, but I was a second too late. He already saw it, the scar on my left chest. His expression has already changed from flustered to surprised, then to scared, then to pale and then to anger. All sorts of emotions were flashed in his eyes, making him look scary.

"Gege! What is that?"

"Aah! Ummm! From a play!" I tried not to sound awkward but failing miserably. Aish! This kid ah!

"Gege! That scar looks like you were deliberately hurt. Gege, why don't you take care of yourself? Why are you like this?"

"Ah! Wait ZhuoChang! Who's the older one here? I'm twenty-five and you're only nineteen. Why do you sound like a dad to me?"

"Well probably because you don't let pa be protective of you."

I was stunned on the sudden outburst of the teenager in front of me. He is normally a calm and obedient kid. I never thought he was watching everything all the while. Seeing my surprised facial expression he stopped with the current very dangerous topic and moved to another one.

"Ma said you're starting working in the hospital today. So she asked me to drive you there. Dad will be gone early so she told me to accompany you."

"Okay." I give him a brief reply and enter the bathroom and got ready after he left me alone in the room.

Even in the car there was an awkward silence between us and ZhuoChang kept giving me sideway glances from time to time. And I tried not to act awkward as much as possible. As we reached the modern looking hospital ZhuoChang stopped the car and hesitantly said his apologies.

"Gege, I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn't want to sound rude. It's just that I've never had a sibling and now that you're here I feel like I should have a bonding with you." I look at him as he has stopped and now was fiddling with his fingers. But looked like he had more things to say, so I stayed put. Seeing my reaction, he seemed to have relaxed a bit. "I just want to protect you gege. It's just that I don't know how to yet."

I give an unintentional chuckle. He's really a good kid. And a cute one at that. I pat his head and give him a smile, which turns his guilty expression into a happy one.

"Lets have a dinner tonight, yeah?"

"Ah?"

"Didn't you say you should have a bonding with me, didi?"

His eyes light up thousand watts and he nods his head frantically like if he didn't I wouldn't agree. I held his head trying to stop him. "Now stop that. Or else your head would fly away from your neck!" Hearing me say that in English he got surprised but smiled anyway.

I got out of the car to start my day in the hospital all the while thinking that having a didi is not that bad after all.

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Hey guys, here's a new chapter for you... Writing the next chapter right away while the ideas are still there... So I'll keep the author note short...

All the love
C

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