The Devil Doctor's Spicy Love
Chapter 105: From an assistant to a senior

Chapter 105: From an assistant to a senior

Rewinding to fifteen minutes ago, Huojin was in the mood for some late night beer after Jia left. There was no more beer in the fridge, so he headed out for the supermarket.

He stuffed his basket with beer cans and some other groceries and essentials. He walked towards the cash counter and stood in the queue behind a man. As he waited, he dropped a quick text to his sister.

’All’s well?’

Huyi’s reply came accompanied by a pout emoji.

’I am all grown up now. You don’t need to keep checking on me. I am fine.’

He clicked his tongue and whispered, "Brat."

"Sir?"

’Yeah, yeah you are all grown up now,’ he texted back.

"Um, Sir?"

His attention snapped ahead, sensing the slight distress from the attendant’s voice. He peered a little and realized that the man in the front wasn’t responsive. Instead, he was trembling.

Huojin placed his hand on his shoulder and said, "Sir, you are shivering."

The man in the front jolted and looked back with a blank daze. It then occurred to him where he was.

"A-Ah. I am so sorry. I am so very sorry," he profusely apologized, guilty for holding the queue.

"No problem. But are you okay? You don’t look well. Are you feeling sick?"

"No, I am f-fine. I am okay. It’s...It’s okay. It’s all okay," he said, nodding to himself.

The man quickly paid the bill and hurriedly left the supermarket.

A minute later, Huojin was outside too and he saw the man from the queue before at some distance walking with snail pace as if he was dragging his feet.

Huojin followed him and asked, "Excuse me?"

The man stopped and looked back, surprised. "You."

Then he fidgeted. "Are you still mad at me? I am so very sorry for-"

"I was never mad at you. What I do feel is concern. Are you doing okay? You really don’t look so well."

The bags under his eyes, the fatigue in his gaze, the panic in his expression and an invisible tension in his shoulders - all felt to Huojin like the man was going through some crisis.

He hasn’t had a decent sleep for weeks, Huojin thought.

The man stared at Huojin, his eyes reddening. "I just...don’t know what to do anymore...Nobody is there to help me. Nobody is there to listen to me. I try my very best but sometimes, I just can’t figure it out. I am tired...and lost. I just want to quit my job...Sometimes I feel like I don’t want to work anymore. But I cannot say that, right? Because I am a man. A husband. A man’s got to earn or he becomes a joke in the society. Even...even thinking of quitting feels like a crime..."

Just then, his phone rang again and he froze hard. He blankly stared at the name and closed his eyes. He didn’t receive it but a moment later opened his eyes.

"I am sorry. I need to leave," he spoke, exhaustion laced in his voice. "My wife is waiting for me. Also, I apologize for suddenly speaking about my troubles to you. You must think I am crazy."

He smiled sadly and turned around.

"Thinking of quitting or even actually quitting is not a crime," Huojin said.

The man stopped but didn’t turn.

"But equally, quitting work permanently isn’t a solution either. Not when you have a happy future to build with your wife. What you actually need is time to figure things out. Your likes and your boundaries. Once you get and set that right, you won’t be so worn out and you won’t be panicking over your manager’s call so late in the night."

He stiffened. "H-How did you know?"

Huojin smiled. "It wasn’t your wife’s call. You mentioned her just once but you mentioned her very tenderly. You love her a lot. Since you are tense about work, I figured it can only be your boss’s call."

"...Yes."

Huojin shrugged. "Don’t pick it up. Your work hours are over."

"He doesn’t believe in work hours."

"He would surely believe in wife hours."

The man choked hard.

"Well it’s a pleasant night and you have a lovely wife. It’s not rocket science to figure out why you wouldn’t pick his calls. The real crime is not quitting your work job but your wife job. Both start with a ’w’ but I sincerely believe that ignoring the latter one will be more life threatening."

Huojin gave him a reassuring pat. "You can find a new job anytime but you can never replace a loving wife - even if you try to find with a torch."

He was a little farther away but Huojin could see his shoulders trembling.

"Thank you...I mean it," he hoarsely said.

"No problem. I sincerely wish for your problems to get resolved. Have a good night."

—

The next day at Mingshen’s lab was filled with anxiety for a certain someone. Bojing could feel his heart in the throat because this was the first time he would be mentoring a junior. He himself was an assistant so he wasn’t exactly sure what he was supposed to do as a senior.

But there are more experienced people than me working here! S-So why would Boss choose me for this task?

He hugged himself and kneeled on the floor, all trembling and shaking.

"Senior Lu?"

He heard a knock and stiffened.

Shilin, who stood outside, glanced around the office where Bojing worked but he found nobody.

Hm? This is supposed to be where Senior Lu works, right?

He then noticed something white fabric poking its small presence on the floor. He blinked and and as he walked further, saw the senior he was looking for all sniffling and curled up into a ball.

"Senior Lu. Are you okay?"

Bojing jolted which caused his head to hit the table under which he was hiding. Shilin’s eyes widened. "Senior Lu, careful. It must sting, right?"

"N-N-Not much..."

"You should come out. It’s dangerous to be in that cramped place."

Though why is he there in the first place? He wondered.

Bojing felt his voice leaving him. "...I-I am fine here..."

Wait, this is not how a good senior is, right?

Tearfully, he continued tapping his fingers on his phone and searching on Baidu on how to act like a good and responsible senior. He found some useful tips but felt grave difficulty in implementing them.

"Oh. It’s a beautiful Azalea."

Bojing blinked and craned his neck from under the table to look at Shilin leaning over and gazing at a bunch of Azaleas with appreciation.

His teary face immediately shone like the sun. "Y-you know about Azalea?"

"Hm?" Shilin looked back. "Yes, I do. I like and am interested in flowers."

Bojing brightened further. "I-I like flowers too!"

He hopped out from under the table and stared at him expectantly.

"Have you grown these yourself?"

Bojing tremblingly nodded. "A-and many other flowers too. There is a whole g-garden outside."

Shilin beamed. "Cool. May I see it?"

"R-really?"

"Of course."

Bojing emanated the golden sunshine once again. It was rare to meet a man with an interest and hobby in flowers. "O-okay! Follow me. I will s-show you."

"Great," he smiled amiably.

Bojing happily took the lead and Shilin followed him as he got a text. His brow arched seeing Yong as the sender.

’Eyes where I need them. Don’t forget your job.’

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