A Good Addiction - Volume 1

Chapter 11 - Relief & Recuperation

The night wasn't going well. Several bouts of coughing fits from Weizhou woke them both up, Jingyu already on the edge of sleep as it was. When the last fit happened, Weizhou pleaded with Jingyu to go sleep on the couch, but he knew that wouldn't be obeyed. Jingyu ordered some medicine from a nearby pharmacy that were designed to help someone rest, and that seemed to do the trick, as Weizhou was out now, the coughing seemingly suppressed. Jingyu sat on the edge of the bed with a wash cloth wiping down Weizhou's brow and cheeks. He had placed a call to the doctor, after the pharmacy, knowing he'd get the answering service and asked for the doctor to call him back when he arrived in the morning.

He made a mental note to not harangue Zhou Zhou about this. Many factors contributed to his current state that were out of their hands: the combination of quitting smoking, the enormous stress of the past few days, and their heavy schedules left Weizhou with little time for self-care. He was glad that the foreseeable future had been changed to get his kitten back on track.

Jingyu had asked Zheng Ge to clear his schedule as well. He was going to take this time to assist Weizhou, as well as begin looking for a place for them to move in together. He just had to jet back to Baotou for a couple of days and get some scenes done. Meng and he had chatted earlier, and while Meng stressed that they still had the ability to shoot some scenes without Jingyu there, Jingyu insisted he could come back for a few days. He hadn't told Weizhou this yet, and he was on the first flight out in the morning. He sat down to write Zhou Zhou a note.

My Zhou,

I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to fill you in before we went to sleep. I've run back to Baotou for a couple of days to film a few scenes, but I will be back shortly. I'm ordering you to take this time to get better! I've contacted the doctor, and they will call in the morning. He knows of our situation and will be able to come see you in the hotel. I will call and check in as much as possible.

I wanted to tell you I'm proud of you, and I'm not angry. You're going through a great deal right now. Please know that I love you, and will see you soon. You'll have to trust me when I say I gave you a goodbye kiss.

Love,

Jing

Jingyu glanced at the clock - three hours until the 6am flight. He can decided to sleep on the plane, and got up to pack a bag. Zheng was going to follow him on a later flight. An hour later, Jingyu had summoned the driver, kissed Zhou Zhou, and was off to the airport.

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Weizhou awoke feeling like his head was stuffed full of cotton, and while he slept a good while, he still felt fatigued. Li Hao brought in some orange juice, and gave Weizhou a letter.

After reading Jingyu's note, Weizhou was only upset he didn't say goodbye. He texted Jingyu the kissing emoji and said to let him know when he made it.

Li Hao told Weizhou the doctor would arrive in an hour, so Weizhou slowly made the effort to get cleaned up. He opted for a bath, as standing made him feel like he'd black out. After easing into the tub, he slept for fifteen minutes before startling himself awake and finishing up. He just finished putting on his robe when the doctor arrived.

Weizhou discovered that the doctor was an old friend of Jingyu's family. Intrigued, since Weizhou's exposure to Jingyu's family had been very little, Weizhou wondered how much the gentleman knew of their relationship.

The doctor's demeanor was immediately calming. He had kind eyes, and a natural smile that looked like it would remain at rest - unlike Zhou's face, which at rest made him looked pissed off. He smiled at the thought. The doctor was also very methodical, make precise movements when checking Weizhou's breath with the stethoscope, testing reflexes, eye movements, and general neurological health. Weizhou found himself realizing he had a similar feeling around this doctor as he has when around Jingyu - comfort, relaxed, at ease.