Li Wang's efficiency was legendary.
By morning, Guo Chengyu had a file on Jiang Xiaoshuai– a quiet, dedicated doctor running a small, independent clinic on the quieter side of town. The boyfriend, Meng Tao, was a non-issue. Li Wang had already ensured his current financial discomfort would keep him too distracted to crawl back anytime soon.
Chengyu tapped a finger against the thin manila folder, a slow smile creeping across his lips.
"A doctor, huh? How quaint."
Li Wang stood nearby, arms folded. "His clinic is small, Boss. Mostly minor ailments, general check-ups. Nothing that would normally draw your... attention."
There was something careful in his tone, curiosity trying not to sound like judgment. He'd seen Chengyu flirt before. Obsess, even. But this was different. Slower. Intentional.
Chengyu leaned back in his chair, gaze sharp.
"Perhaps I'm feeling a minor ailment, Li Wang. Something only a very particular doctor can cure."
...
The clinic was exactly as described, clean, unassuming, almost boring. The faint smell of antiseptic clung to the walls like memory, and the fluorescent lights gave everything a pale, sterile glow.
Jiang Xiaoshuai was behind the reception desk, scribbling notes onto a patient chart, his brows furrowed in concentration. There was a stillness to him – quiet, but not fragile. He looked even more delicate under the harsh lighting than he had at the bar... but there was steel in the set of his jaw now.
Chengyu stepped in, all sharp lines and tailored expense. The leather of his shoes barely made a sound on the old tiled floor, but somehow, he filled the room like thunder.
"Good afternoon," he said, his voice a low rumble that cut clean through the hum of quiet conversation in the waiting area.
Xiaoshuai looked up, eyes widening just a touch as he took in the man standing in the doorway, tall, immaculate, and entirely out of place.
"Do you have an appointment?" he asked, polite but cautious.
Chengyu stepped closer, letting his eyes wander, taking in the faint shadows under the doctor's eyes – the kind heartbreak didn't let you sleep off in a single night.
"No," he said simply, "but I believe you're the doctor I need to see."
His hand came to rest casually on the doorframe, body angled like he was settling in, making himself comfortable in someone else's space.
"You're Jiang Xiaoshuai, correct?"
Xiaoshuai stiffened. "I am. And you are?"
Chengyu smiled, slow and deliberate – the kind of smile that made people lean in before realizing it was dangerous.
"I've been feeling... a peculiar ache. Right here." He gestured vaguely toward his chest, eyes never leaving Xiaoshuai's.
"And after seeing you the other night, I had a hunch. You're quite captivating up close, Doctor Jiang."
A flicker of something crossed Xiaoshuai's face – recognition, discomfort, and heat all tangled together. His cheeks flushed faintly, but his voice stayed steady.
"This isn't the kind of clinic that entertains delusions, Mr...?"
Chengyu's smile widened, impressed.
"Guo. Guo Chengyu."
Xiaoshuai's gaze sharpened. "You're not here for medical treatment, are you?"
"Perhaps not the traditional kind." Chengyu tilted his head slightly, studying him with unhurried intensity. "I simply admire beauty. Especially of the male variety."
He let his gaze drop, just briefly to Xiaoshuai's lips before returning to his eyes.
"You like boys, don't you, Doctor Jiang?"
The directness landed like a slap in the small, quiet room.
Xiaoshuai inhaled sharply, his flush deepening into something closer to anger.
"That's hardly a professional question."
Chengyu chuckled, a deep sound that curled in the air between them like smoke.
"And I'm not a very professional patient."
There was silence for a beat too long.
Then Chengyu stepped back, straightened his coat, and turned smoothly toward the door.
"Don't worry, Doctor Jiang. I always make follow-up appointments."
And then he was gone, just like that – leaving the clinic colder, quieter... and Xiaoshuai's heart uncomfortably loud in his chest.