Vinegar essence mixed with alcohol

M City First Hospital

Xu An has two regular physical examinations every year, and this is the second one this year.

After completing the last check-up, Xu An was handed a cup of hot water and placed in his arms.

"Thank you," Xu An said with a light laugh.

"It's lunch break, want to come sit in my office?" Xu Xiangchen asked.

"it is good."

Inside the attending physician's office.

"Although the report hasn't come out yet, I've seen the results of the imaging examinations on the system, and everything is normal, so you don't need to be too nervous."

Xu An took a sip of water and said casually, "What's there to be nervous about? I'm used to it after all these years."

Xu Xiangchen leaned against the table in front of Xu An and said, "Xu An, how many years have we known each other? I know you too well. You seem quite nervous this time. What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu An shook his head. "No."

Xu Xiangchen carefully observed Xu An's expression for a while and asked, "Is there someone you care about?"

Xu An chuckled. "Why do you ask that?"

"You look almost exactly the same as you did three years ago when you left L City. Why don't you take a look in the mirror and see the conflicted look on your face?"

Xu An joked, "You're an oncologist, but you act like a fortune teller on the street."

Xu Xiangchen couldn't laugh. His sharp gaze swept over Xu An as he asked, "That kid didn't find you, did he?"

Xu An also stopped smiling and nodded. "It was just a chance encounter. He has changed a lot compared to three years ago."

Xu Xiangchen found it amusing. "A chance encounter? You actually believe that?"

"You'll know once you meet him. He's really not the innocent boy he used to be. He's taken over the family company and has plenty of people around him. I should be doing quite well if I hadn't met him."

"Did you two sleep together after you met?" Xu Xiangchen suddenly asked.

Xu An asked helplessly, "What's wrong with you—"

"What are you embarrassed to tell me? We slept together?"

"Yes," Xu An replied truthfully.

"Heh, Xu An, what are you pretending to be stupid for? The world is so big, how many chance encounters are there? A chance encounter is one thing, but a chance encounter in bed? That kid has been planning this for a long time, and you haven't let go of him at all." Xu Xiangchen mercilessly exposed Xu An's thoughts.

Xu An took a deep breath. "If I couldn't let him go, I wouldn't have left L City three years ago."

"You've left physically, but what about your heart? If you've truly let go, wouldn't you have had someone by your side for the past three years? There are so many people who want you, Xu An, that your shop wouldn't even have room to stand!

"I just—"

"Just what?" Xu Xiangchen pressed on. "Xu An, if you've truly let go, if you can really live a carefree life, then sleep with me. If you can be with him, why can't you be with me?"

Xu An was cornered against the wall by Xu Xiangchen. Xu An turned his head away and said, "Xiangchen, don't do this. You're the only friend I can trust."

Xu Xiangchen stopped at the right moment and retreated to a safe distance. "Xu An, as your former admirer, I just want to remind you. You've always been a hypocrite. Outsiders all think you're a womanizer, but in all these years I've known you, you've only ever had one person: Shen Jiamu."

"I don't know where you get such a strong moral compass. I've worked in the hospital for almost ten years, and the oncology department is probably the department that has seen the most of the coldness and warmth of human relationships. The old sayings 'No filial piety at the bedside of a long-term patient' and 'When disaster strikes, everyone flies away' are not unfounded."

"Besides, there's a chance you won't get sick, Xu An. You're overthinking it."

Xu An smiled bitterly.

He is a carrier of the VHL gene, a rare familial genetic disorder. It is an autosomal dominant inherited disease caused by a mutation in the VHL gene. After onset, it can cause multi-organ tumor syndrome.

This gene is located on the X chromosome, so it is inherited regardless of sex, with a 50% chance of being passed on. The average age of onset is no more than 50 years old. Most patients eventually develop renal cell carcinoma.

Xu An's mother was a VHL syndrome patient and passed away at the age of 55 from renal cell carcinoma.

When Xu An was 18, he learned about this disease and underwent genetic testing. Unfortunately, the result showed that he was among the 50% who carried VHL.

This is a cruel disease, like a time bomb buried in the body. Xu An dared not gamble on the possibility that it might not explode.

Since then, Xu An has had two physical examinations every year, constantly monitoring his physical condition, hoping that if he gets sick, he can detect it as early as possible and control the development of the disease.

As for the extremely low probability of not developing the disease, he dared not think about it.

Xu An sighed deeply. "The patients here are all unaware that they will get sick. Birth, aging, illness, and death are inherently unpredictable. But I know my own fate. How can I make promises to others about a future that may not even exist?"

Xu Xiangchen disagreed, "When people reach that point, they all look after themselves. I've seen plenty of men who find someone else before their wives have even left. Imagine if you left, Shen Jiamu would be tormented by memories for the rest of his life. How old is he? He might not even live to see that day before he falls for someone else. You two should just enjoy the present."

"I can't bring myself to deceive him, and I can't bear to watch him find someone else when that day comes and be powerless to stop it. So, it's better not to start at all."

Xu Xiangchen pouted. "You're just being stubborn. If you wanted to think this through, why did you even flirt with her in the first place?"

Xu An could not answer this question.

Why did I still manage to say the first words to him even though I knew I shouldn't get close?

Perhaps it was Shen Jiamu's intense gaze that caused him to rebel, or perhaps it was the rebellious feeling that had been suppressed for too long.

I couldn't resist teasing him and seeing him blush.

I couldn't resist getting closer to see him at a loss.

I can't help but want to possess him, to see him lose control because of me.

Once he was truly involved, he withdrew himself. In the end, Xu An wasn't a good person either.

Even if everything Shen Jiamu is doing now is revenge against him, he deserves it.

After leaving the hospital, Xu An went to the shop to prepare the ingredients. Having gone to the hospital early in the morning and only getting a few hours of sleep the night before, Xu An arranged everything at the shop and left early at ten o'clock.

As soon as he stepped out, he bumped into Shen Jiamu, who was in the store. Xu An began to doubt Xu Xiangchen's statement that all chance encounters were premeditated.

But meeting Shen Jiamu today was clearly a coincidence.

Shen Jiamu asked, "Where are you going, Boss Xu?"

"go home."

"So early? What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Xu An glanced at him and shook his head. "No, I didn't sleep well last night and I'm a little tired. I just want to go back and rest early."

"Then what am I going to do about eating?"

Xu An almost laughed in anger, "I have two cooks in my shop, Mr. Shen won't go hungry."

"I want to eat what you made," Shen Jiamu insisted.

Shen Jiamu's words were really unreasonable, but Xu An thought that he was the one who had provoked him, so he softened a bit.

Xu An asked, "Then how about I finish it for you before going home?"

Shen Jiamu's expression darkened, a wicked smile curling at the corner of his lips. He put his arm around Xu An's shoulder and said, "We'll do it when we get home."