Evergreen [✅] (ZhanYi)

PART SIX

James almost had a heart attack when he came back home to find it empty. He wandered from one room to another while calling for Bo. It was his mistake that he forgot to tie his son when he left home in a hurry this morning. Fear began to haunt him as a series of unpleasant scenes flashed before his eyes, like a car accident or other life-threatening events.

As he checked every room and confirmed that the house was utterly empty, James rushed outside while screaming for his son's name. However, with just a few shouts, he stopped short when headlights of an unfamiliar black Audi A7 pulled into his driveway.

The car came to a stop next to him, and James could make out two of the men inside the vehicle, yet he could not identify the faces since it was dark outside. The door to the driver's seat opened first, revealing a tall, handsome guy he had never seen. He was about to ask who he was when the passenger's door opened later, revealing Bo stepping out of the car.

"Bo?" the man hesitantly asked, unable to believe that it was his son who came out of the stranger's car. However, the hesitancy vanished when Bo stepped to the light and let it illuminated his face.

"My son!"

The older man ran towards Bo and pulled the younger into his embrace. "Where were you? I was so worried. Please don't do this to me again. You don't know how scared I was!"

James's voice and shoulders shook due to his crying, bringing along Bo's body to undergo the same thing as he was being wrapped in a tight embrace. Sean's words immediately occurred inside Bo's head when he saw his father's reaction.

If Sean didn't save me, dad would have taken a big emotional blow. He would be suffering, burying himself deep within layers of grief. How could I be this thoughtless? Bo innerly scolded himself.

The emotional distress made a throbbing pain attacking his head once again, and before he knew it, his body went weak inside his father's arms as consciousness was slipping away from him.

James was having tea with Sean in the kitchen after they tucked Bo into bed. The latter then introduced himself and started to tell the older man everything that had happened except the part where he had stolen a kiss from the older man's son.

"He tried to commit suicide?" asked James. The hand holding the mug was trembling so hard that the tea was spilling out on the table.

"Yes, I was driving on the bridge when I saw him climbing up the reeling. Of course, I couldn't stop the car right away in the middle of the road, so I hurried to cross it and pulled over. When I rushed back to the spot, he was nowhere to be found. I looked down at the stream and saw the splashing water, to which I assumed he jumped, so I followed him into the water and fished him out."

"Oh gosh," James was still trembling, inside and out. The scene of his son jumping off the bridge to kill himself kept haunting his old, vulnerable mind. "I-I...don't know what to say. I knew he'd react like this; that was why I didn't tell him. I'd never thought things would go this way. If I'd known, I'd have told him that all of this wouldn't have happened when he asked."

James finally put down the spilled mug of tea that had grown cold without sipping it and dropped his face into his palms.

"Please, Mr. James, you don't have to feel this way. No one can predict a person's mind. You have your reasons," said Sean reassuringly, "besides, if Bo sees you in this condition, he would be more heartbroken than he already is."

With a sigh, James nodded and lifted his head. Putting up a smile with effort, he turned to look at Sean and said, "thank you, Dr. Sean, for saving my Bo's life."

"Please, just call me Sean."

"But how could I? Didn't you tell me you're a doctor?"

"I'm a psychiatrist."