Remember that day

Yixing was walking around the apartment with a smile plastered on his face. And he was still playing with the box he was carrying around. The entire day. 

"Can you be less happy? I thought you need to go home," Chao smacked the shit out of Yixing when he was passing by him. He almost took away his breath from the impact on his back. 

But Yixing was just too happy with his present to care. Or strike back. He just grinned at Chao and ignored his horrified and disgusted face.

"I'm going home," he agreed. But not even that would make his day worse. Because in the box was something he was really proud of. 

"Is that my present?" Chao came back and tried to get the box for himself, but Yixing was slightly taller, so he only raised his hand and evaded Chao's attacks. 

They were just literally fighting for the box when Yitian came in from their room and looked at Chao with Yixing. They halted their moves, expecting some nagging. But he only shook his head and went to the kitchen counter, passing by them.

"Kids," he muttered when he was past them. Then he calmly took out the ingredients for lunch and started cooking. Meanwhile, Yixing and Chao were still holding each other hostage while holding the box.

"We are not kids," Chao said, pouting. And for now, Yixing completely agreed, nodding. They were just really good friends. At least for Yixing.

"Oh, is your father still digging dirt?" Cha asked and let Yixing go. They both adjusted their clothes and went to sit by the counter to watch Yitian cook. 

"Yup. I'm still sending monthly reports about you two. One report for ten thousand." A loud noise sounded, and they both looked at Yitian, who just dropped the bowl. Thankfully, it was a plastic one.

"You do what? You charge your father money?" he asked, still shocked. But he bent over for the bowl and continued cooking. 

Usually, the meal would be prepared by the chef and delivered to them. But this was the last time they were together for holidays, so Yitian wanted to make it special. Yixing thought the same and had one surprise for all of them, too. 

"My father is scum, Tian. He wanted me to befriend Chao so he could get dirt on him, and then threaten Mr. Jin with it to have more money. Don't feel sorry for him, that I'm taking something like money from him." As he was saying it, he was grinning like an idiot. At that moment Huobai came in and watched the scene that was in front of him. 

"He is right, Yitian. I met him. He didn't even know basic things about Yixing, such as his allergies." Huobai sat down next to Yixing and raised his eyebrows at the box.

Yixing grinned and put the box further away. This wasn't the time to give it to him. He would need to be in private. Because it was their secret. 

"So, you will come back in two weeks?" Chao asked Huobai, who had already packed his things and just waited to be picked up.

"Yes. We will spend time together. Solstice and all those things. My mom really loves it. She always rejects…" Huobai halted his speech when Chao raised his eyebrow and the opposite corner of his mouth. It could be only described as a bemused smirk.

"She always rejects her work and takes breaks. Just to be with my family. Even my father comes back home and the whole family will gather in our house." Huobai continued and observed Yixing's reaction. 

But Yixing was just too happy to care about anything else. Not that he didn't care about Huobai's family or background. But Huobai didn't want to tell him, so he should poke his nose where it didn't belong. 

The only thing he cared about was that he could hear his voice and see his beauty every day. That was all he needed.

"Okay. Don't forget that when you come back, we have the team-building trip." Huobai nodded when he heard it. 

Unfortunately, they weren't able to go when they first wanted. Shanshan had to do something really important and couldn't go. And Huobai was thrilled. 

It was actually the best day of his life. That day. It was just after the day he visited the grave of Yixing's mother when he got a call from the hospital.

A call that made him cry rivers.

"Is this Zhang Huobai?" he answered the call and got shivers down his spine because he was ready for worse. And it made him feel even worse when they told him to immediately go to the hospital.

And he went there, alone. He ran out of the flat with only his wallet. He even forgot his phone. When he arrived, the doctor took him in almost immediately. 

"Mr. Zhang, we finally got the results from your biopsy. And it is as we thought," the doctor started and Huobai was sweating so much how nervous he was.

"It's osteochondroma. You have probably injured your knee and part of your growth plate separated and kept growing in between the joints. It's a benign bone tumor." When Huobai heard it, he wanted to cry. He was suddenly so tired and relieved, he almost could hear what the doctor was saying next.

"Can I tell you what we will do next?" Huobai nodded, but he was out of it. He couldn't focus at all. And the doctor saw it.

"Do you have anyone here with you? Or did you come alone?" he asked once more. When Huobai didn't answer and was just staring in front of him, he nodded to the nurse.

"Alone," he mumbled as soon as the question arrived in his brain and looked at the doctor.

"I'm sorry. I just… I lived too long for fear of cancer," he said and smiled, but the doctor frowned.

"Cancer? They never told you the possibilities, it was nothing?" he asked, curious. No wonder the patient was out of it when he thought he had cancer.

"They probably had, but I don't remember. All I remember was: 'We have to take a biopsy and see if it isn't cancer.' That's all and I do not know what was said after that." The doctor shook his head. This was exactly the reason only a few were good doctors. 

"So, now, do you get what I will say?" Huobai nodded, and the sister came in with papers.

"I have everything here for you that you need to know. You can read it once more at home. But osteochondroma is common. But that doesn't mean we should forget about it, okay?" Huobai nodded and took the paper that was given to him. 

"We need you to come here every three months for observation. Your growth channels are still not closed, so the chondroma might still grow. We will remove it once it stops growing, okay?" 

And that was it. Huobai was so happy, but… He still couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe that he actually won't die. Maybe. There might be some complications, but still. 

That day he came to the apartment and, totally exhausted, he fell on his bed and cried from happiness.