Chapter 100 - The Bouquet

About a week after their conversation, Zeng thought of something and today, he decided to go with the plan he had made.

After his shift, he went to a shopping mall. About an hour later, he was walking out of an expensive store with a neatly wrapped gift placed inside a bag.

He may have been living some rather subtle hints like telling Yul how his neck would look better with something on it. He was not sure Yul had caught the drift because his answer was something to the likes of 'By chance are you into choking me during sex?'

Zeng had almost choked on air and from that, he had decided that he would never be 'subtly' hinting about anything ever again. Yul was pretty straightforward and would be needing similar substances as answers.

But this was a surprise.

He took a look at the gift and smiled to himself. He knew Yul would like it. Unlike him, who was rather hard to please, Yul was pretty simple-minded. While Zeng would check the productivity and usefulness of the gifts he received, Yul would see the sentiment behind it because he rarely received gifts without a purpose.

Zeng was in a good mood on his way home. He thought of buying flowers. But Yul did not particularly have any special affinity for flowers. Zeng himself was the person who loved receiving or giving flowers among the two of them since he believed it was the standard etiquette for pleasing someone.

Still, he decided on getting a bouquet of flowers. He headed to the flower shop hand wash momentarily baffled by the variety over there.

Flowers of all colours, emitting sweet fragrances that mixed with the smell of earth. It felt like Paradise.

He scanned a few shelves and that confused him more. Some were really pretty but had no meaning to them while the others did not suit Yul.

"Do you need help, young man?" The owner of the flower shop, an old lady, asked him after seeing the struggle. "You seemed to be putting quite a thought into it."

"Oh, yes please," Zeng sighed thankfully, "I am searching for something that would go along with a gift."

"Please follow me." The lady guided him to another section, "Here are the ones that suit the purpose." She directed her hand at the entire shelf.

"For specifics, may I ask if it is for parents or colleagues or a lover?"

"Lover," he said shyly, "My boyfriend."

The old lady smiled. "Then this would be perfect for you," she touched a potted plant that bore purple flowers.

They looked nice and the meaning behind them was perfect too hence he ended up buying them. It got pretty late when he came back. He got home to find that the porch light was on. Yul had already come.

"I am home," Zeng said after entering.

Yul was in the bedroom and came out to greet him.

"Welcome home," he greeted smiling and his expression changed once he saw the things Zeng had brought along with him.

"Oh, what do we have here?" He asked with a raised eyebrow, "As far as I know today is not anything special." He opened his phone and checked the calendar. No, he did not find anything like a reminder for such. Then a thought crossed his mind.

"Or did you receive them from somebody else?" He guessed and his guard was on as soon as the words left his mouth.

Zeng was quite popular among the ladies and a few males and had previously received flowers and chocolates from them. Even though he had refused multiple times, some still would leave it for him. Even some patients swooned over him which terrified Zeng to no extent. The doctor-patient relationship that he wanted to keep strictly professional was sometimes misunderstood. But who could blame them? Zeng's angelic smile compared to no other. His intentions were never that of flirting but some assumed they were.

"Was it another patient?" Yul asked again. If yes, then he would kindly dump the bouquet into the dustbin.

"It's for you, silly," Zeng said, holding the bouquet with both his hands and giving it to his boyfriend.

Yul was taken by surprise. He hardly ever received flowers, especially from Zeng. Not that he hoped anyone would give him flowers when they could give him chocolates instead. He accepted the bouquet and saw a hopeful look on Zeng's face.

Was he supposed to say something in return?

"Thank you, I guess," he said, looking at the bouquet in confusion. No smelling them or praising Zeng's choice or even asking the meaning of the flowers as Zeng was expecting him to do.

The doctor pouted, "You are terrible at this, Yul."

The officer shrugged, "I am not good at receiving things from others. You know that."

"Then I have something else for you." Zeng waved the crisp bag in front of him.

"A gift?" Yul arched an eyebrow, "Are you being romantic, Dr Xiao?"

Zeng raised an equally royal brow, "Can't I, Officer Wang?"

"Of course, you can." It was a rare occasion and Yul enjoyed it.

"Here you go." Zeng took the box out of the shopping bag and placed it in Yul's palm.

"For me?"

Zeng nodded.

"What is it?"

"Open it."

Yul didn't do it right away. He checked the weight of the box and moved it side to side. Something metallic clicked from inside and judging from the weight, it was much lighter and compact. He took a guess.

"A gold biscuit?" Yul asked just to see Zeng's reaction.

"Just open it, Yul." Zeng asserted.

"Or a pack of vitamin shells."

"Can you please just open it?" Zeng was beginning to get irritated, which was a success as per Yul's plan.

"You didn't actually bring wedding rings, did you, Zeng ge?"

Zeng gave him a deadpan stare, which said he was done with him. "Give it back." He snatched the wrapped box away.

"Sorry, sorry. I won't tease anymore. Please give it back," Yul pleaded, leaning on Zeng who tried leaving the room.

"Yul is sorry, Zeng ge," Yul jutted his lip out and made pitiful eyes.. Zeng glared at him but gave in the next second.