Awake

Chapters 23

Chaos ensued in the hospital. Nurses running up and down the corridors, searching for the missing patient.

Soon, Zhan burst into his office with a horrified look on his face.

"Did...did Mr Wang come back here?"

"No! What do you mean? He left with you. We entrusted him into your care, and now you lost him? My mom is going to kill me, like literally kill me. How did this even happen?"

"He asked to go to the bathroom, and I personally escorted him to the bathroom. I didn't go into the stall with him because that would be an invasion of privacy. I went to get his clothes from the testing room and when I came back he was gone!"

The bodyguard didn't wait for any further explanations. He took off running out the room to help search.

"What do you mean gone. Did he wander off somewhere?"

"Not sure right now, but the hospital is on lockdown, and no one can get in or out. Let's just search everywhere. I am certain he won't get too far. He is wearing a hospital gown and slippers. Let's just hope those things make him easy to spot or slow him down a bit."

"This is unbelievable. How the hell do I even explain this to my mom? I trusted you and defended you, and you go and lose a full-grown adult?"

Fanxing also walked out, fuming. He was clearly angry at Zhan. He didn't even bother to find out which direction he should head towards.

Yubin was just looking at Zhan with a smirk on his face. He thought Zhan's actions were suspicious.

"Wow, Dr. Xiao. You are such a brilliant actor. You could have fooled me. If Yibo hadn't told me how much you pride yourself with your job, I might have believed that you lost a patient. You didn't lose him, did you?"

"What if I really did lose him. What if he is in danger wherever he is?"

"If he was, you wouldn't be calmly talking to me right now. The panic act stopped as soon as those two left the room. So what really is going on? You can trust me."

"I don't even know you enough to trust you, yet you say it so easily."

"You trust Yibo, and he trusts me with his life and yours too. I am here with those two because Yibo wanted me to keep you safe. So what did you do with Mr Wang?"

"Nothing! Someone took him."

"You want me to believe that someone just walked into the hospital and took a patient being treated off the hospital records?"

"Yes, that's what I am saying. Also, Yibo told me you have a secret relationship with his brother. How do I know you won't tell him everything if I told you what happened?"

"It's not a secret relationship. It's just not mine to tell. So I can't answer on Fanxing's behalf,  but if it will help you trust me them I will tell you."

"No need to tell me. I can see the way you both look at each other. You love each other, and that is why you can vouch for Fanxing. You are the one who gave Yibo peace of mind regarding his brother's none involvement in his stepmother's schemes. You just have been pretending to be single because you don't want Yibo to find out about your relationship with his brother. Am I right?"

"Yes and no, I don't want to tell Yibo about my relationship with his brother because Fanxing is not ready to tell his family that he is gay. We have been together for a while now, but I can't tell someone else's story. So what did you do to Mr Wang? I know you are probably doing all this to help Yibo, but Fanxing's concerns about his mother are true. Her status only holds power when she is keeping tabs on Mr Wang. She will do anything to anyone who gets in the way of that. Fanxing's life could be in danger if we don't return with Mr Wang."

"Who are you most loyal to Yubin? Fanxing or Yibo?"

"That's an unfair question. How can I pick between a lover and a friend?"

"You need to pick what is right, not between the two. Mr Wang is being used as a pond in a dangerous game that Ziyi is playing. He is being fed endless drugs on a daily basis and slowly losing control over his own brain. The two choices are me handing him back to you so that the abuse can continue or you letting me keep him missing and you protect Fanxing. In any case, I can't hand you Mr Wang because, as I have been saying, I don't have him."

"Did you really lose him, for real?"

"I didn't lose him, but he is missing. Give me 3 days, and I will manage to detox him, flush the drugs out of his system, and you will have a function man who can help you get rid of Ziyi. The best way to win any game is to have the strongest pieces. If not, then use what you have wisely. We have limited moves, Yubin, and you know better than I do that once Mr Wang goes back into that house, he is as good as dead after the AGM. She won't need him anymore."

"Yes, but what about Fanxing's life? Do you care about him even a little bit?"

"Yes, and I know Ziyi cares about him too. She needs him to be the puppet running the Wang businesses. For the time being, she can't do anything to him unless she suspects that he has switched sides. So let him stay in the dark so that his panic and anger are real. Mr Wang is safe. It's your turn to trust me. You made me part of this whole drama, I hope you didn't think i would sit idle and just wait for instructions. I want all this to end. I want Yibo back and safe. Just like you, I will do everything in my power to give him the best outcome."

"I might have underestimated you a bit, my apologies. I will be sure to stay alert when I am around you because you are very unpredictable."

"Nope, not unpredictable, I just don't show my cards while playing."

"You do know that as soon as Ziyi sniffs you out, she will go after you with everything she has. Your career, reputation, and name will be in danger? She can't do anything to me because she knows I have nothing to lose,  but you are not the same."

"I have made my choice to stand and support Yibo through all this. I am not scared of what Ziyi might do to me. I have Yibo and you in my corner, right?"

"No, I mean she could expose your deepest darkest secrets only to ruin you. Can you handle that?"

"I will cross that bridge if I get to it. For now, she has to find me first, then find my deepest, darkest secret. By then, Yibo, you, and Mr Wang would have secured her destruction. I am a doctor, and I am good at my job. I am very, very good for that matter. In this hospital, I am indispensable and a valuable asset here. The director is practically my adopted dad. He might be disappointed in me for a couple of days, but my job is not going anywhere. I don't have any family that would turn their backs on me for being gay. My closest friend already knows that I am gay. So my deepest darkest secret is not going to be a power move for Ziyi."

"You have figured it all out, haven't you?"

"Not all of it, but the little that I did figure out has given me motivation to be brave so that I can fight for what is mine. I don't want to lose Yibo to anyone, so this is just me practicing what I preach."

"I have always thought that you are a rare find for Yibo. He needs to be with someone strong and not easily shaken. It's been a wild ride just being his friend, I can only imagine what it would look like for you as his lover. I can't say I am worried, though."

"Now that we are on the same page, let's keep the search going. Soon, it will be time to involve the police."

"Since you are running the shots now, what should I do?"

"Support Fanxing."

"What I about you?"

"Being in this building is more than enough protection for me. Yubin, welcome to my backyard. Here I call the shots. How about we rattle Ziyi's world a bit, shall we?"

"Lead the way!"

....

Earliet that evening....

"Hi, can you come to the hospital right now?"

"Why, what happened?"

"Well, your boyfriend is crazier than you expected him to be."

"What happened? What did you do?"

"Just get here, now! I have a package for you."

"Zhan...."

.....