Chapter 43: The Unexpected Kiss.

Utilizing his three years medical knowledge, Li Yunxi was able to carry out the necessary medical steps to help the boy regain his consciousness. He gently lay him on his back and elevated his legs to improve blood flow to the brain. He checked Gu Shan's breathing which happened to be normal. He loosened the belt that was cinching the boy's waist and the silver necklace he was wearing. He also took off the tight crop top Gu Shan was wearing under his hoodie. He tried to gently wake him by calling his name while tapping his shoulder.

Li Yunxi stayed beside him the whole time watching him worriedly. He felt bad imagining what would have happened to Gu Shan if he hadn't been there. They had their differences but the last thing he would want was the boy to completely disappear from the world.

"Mm,"Gu Shan stirred awake an hour later. His eyes scanned around the room. He was still surprised by his current predicament where his legs were elevated. Li Yunxi helped him rise to seating position before giving him the medicine to take.

"What happened to me?"Gu Shan asked confusedly.

"You passed out."

Compared to what he was feeling an hour ago,his current state was much better only that he was still weak and the headache was still there but not as much as before.

"How are you feeling?"Li Yunxi asked taking the doctor role too seriously.

"Just a slight headache. The pain in my tummy is already gone somehow,"he chuckled awkwardly.

"I'll prepare some soup for you ,"Li Yunxi said getting up from the bed.

Half an hour later he returned with soup served in a small bowl and spoon dipped in it.

"Can you manage on your own?"

"Yes I think so."

Gu Shan slowly stretched out his hands to reach for the bowl but his fingers were trembling visibly and he couldn't control it. He hated how vulnerable he was at that moment.

"I'll feed you,"Li Yunxi said with solemnity. He scooped soup with the spoon,blew on it gently to cool it down and fed Gu Shan spoon by spoon till he finished the soup.

"Take a rest. I'll check up on you later,"Li Yunxi instructed taking the bowl away.

Gu Shan nodded and sunk into the mattress covering himself.

*****

Li Yunxi sat on one of the stools in the kitchen drinking his beer slowly and letting his thoughts wander to the raven haired boy that was currently occupying his bed. He had so many questions flooding his mind but he had no answers to any of them. Wasn't Gu Shan supposed to be in Shenzhen? Or maybe he lied or changed his mind or something happened at the last minute? And also what was he doing here?

When he finally left the kitchen,he checked up on the sleeping boy one last time before he went to sleep in Xiao Hui's room. He was woken up the following morning by the sound of his alarm accompanied by the chirping sound of the birds. First he checked up on the boy,like a doctor doing check ups on patients. Ensuring the boy was in a good condition,he started preparing breakfast. He ate some and kept the rest for Gu Shan. He took a shower and dressed up for work.

Before leaving,he passed by his room to inform the boy of his departure.

"I'm going to work. There's breakfast in the kitchen and some snacks too you can have any of them if you like. If your symptoms persist you can call me,"he instructed and Gu Shan only nodded in response.

*****

When Li Yunxi returned in the evening,Gu Shan was deep asleep in his bed. He examined him and to his surprise Gu Shan was still experiencing a fever but not as serious as the one he had the previous day. Li Yunxi freshened up first, prepared medicine and food for the patient and took them to his room. He shook the boy lightly and it took some time for the boy to open his eyes.

Immediately he woke up,Li Yunxi helped him sit up and fed him the soup and finally the meds. Gu Shan had regained most of his strength and he didn't look much weak. All he did was watch Li Yunxi's movements as he fed him. Li Yunxi mostly avoided looking him in the eye. His gaze mostly shifted between the bowl in his hands following the spoon up to Gu Shan's mouth and gazing back at the bowl.

"Why won't you look me in the eye?"Gu Shan suddenly asked.

"After you take your medicine you can go back to sleep,"Li Yunxi said completely ignoring Gu Shan's question.

Li Yunxi fed him the medicine, raising the glass containing water to Gu Shan's lips and made him sip the water. After taking his medication, Li Yunxi placed the glass gently on the nightstand, intending to leave.

"Do you need anything else?"He asked still avoid Gu Shan's eyes.

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Look into my eyes,"Gu Shan said making it sound like an order.

"If there's nothing else then I'm leaving."

Gu Shan took the initiative before Li Yunxi could escape. He wrapped his hand around Li Yunxi's neck and pulled him into a kiss. At first Li Yunxi was taken aback but with time he melted into the kiss and kissed back. His lips moved at the same pace as Gu Shan's. After a whole minute they released each other breathing heavily,their gazes locked on to each other's.

"I have to go,"Li Yunxi said out of nowhere and stood up to leave.

"Wait!"

"What?"

"Thank you for taking care of me even if I've been mean to you all this time. I'm sorry for being a jerk to you and I'm sorry for kissing you without your consent. I don't want to overstay here so tonight I will sleep at my apartment."

"But you haven't recovered fully,"Li Yunxi argued.

"Don't worry I'm not that fragile and if I feel bad I'll call you,"he promised.

Gu Shan got up from his bed and picked up his shoulder bag from where it was . He bowed politely and walked out of the room and Li Yunxi had to let him go reluctantly. As much as they weren't in good terms he couldn't help but feel worried. What if the boy's symptoms reoccurred overnight?

*****

While Li Yunxi was left thinking deeply about the unexpected kiss,Gu Shan busied himself by calling his uncle. He knew he was wrong but he can't deny he was a little disappointed by how Li Yunxi reacted after the kiss.So to distract himself,he opted to call his uncle.

"You brat you haven't called me since you left,"Ai Jia's lively voice came from the other end of the line.

"Aren't I calling you now?"

"You're now talking back,huh?"Ai Jia scolded him.

"Anyway uncle did you travel to Wuyuan?"

"Yes I arrived today at around three in the afternoon ."

"Have you met with your friends?"

"Yes. The mood is quite sombre but everything's fine."

Ai Jia had travelled to Wuyuan to attend one of his college classmate's funeral.

"Have you talked to my mom?"

"Yes she called last night."

"Don't tell her I went back to school."

"Why did you insist on going back to school? Are you having a secret lover there?"

"What secret lover? I just don't feel like going back to Shenzhen."

"I understand you. I also didn't like going home for the holidays. I came up with all sorts of excuses just to remain at uni to hang out with friends."

"Ai Jia?"a male voice called out in surprise distracting Ai Jia from his call. It was an old friend of his,they had never seen each other over the years.

"You brat,I have to go now,"Xiao Hui said and Gu Shan hummed in response disconnecting the line.

Gu Shan sighed as he placed his phone aside, recalling the events that had happened at Li Yunxi's apartment. He felt stupid for initiating the kiss. What exactly was he thinking? Was he just touched by Li Yunxi's kindness or was it just a wave of lust? All he knew he couldn't face Li Yunxi right now.

*****

After doing the dishes,Li Yunxi freshened up and got in bed. The bedsheets smelled like Gu Shan. They were masked by a sweet strawberry like scent. He sniffed in the scent allowing himself to get intoxicated by it. How nice would it actually be to cuddle with the original source of the scent? Not wanting to suffer the effects of sleeping late at work the following day,he closed his eyes and took deep breaths to engage in some sort of meditation and clear his mind. In twenty to thirty minutes he was already fast asleep - a peaceful slumber on strawberry scented bedsheets.