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Xue Yang did not know why he’s here right now. Everything came in a flash after A-Qing came to bring the news which forced him to had an early phone call with his mother this morning.
“Mom, I can take care of myself.” He said with annoyed tone to the phone.
“No, A-Qing knows what to do, and you’ve only been here for a few weeks anyway…” came his mom indifferent voice seemingly not affected by her son behavior at all.
“If I can find an apartment for myself, I can surely find a dentist...” He tried to convinced his mother.
“Cheng Mei, darling… You just take one of the family’s apartment, I can do that in 5 minutes…”
“Don’t call me Cheng Mei, I told you to call me Xue Yang from now on.”
Xue Yang does not like his birth name because he thinks that his parents gave him a girly name in hope for a daughter to be born afterwards. It worked of course, but it took his parents years of trying to finally gave birth to A-Qing.
“You just want me to babysit A-Qing, don’t you?” Xue Yang did not want to gave up.
“Hey, I don’t need to be babysit anymore, I’m already in middle school.” A-Qing that currently standing in front of him glared at her older brother which rolled his eyes in respond.
“I’ve made the appointment, so you only need to come there to get your teeth checked. And bring A-Qing with you, she knows the way.”
“But mom… it’s just a simple cavity and I have to prepare for my first day of work tomorrow…” He tried to reason with her.
“You work at one of your father company, there’s no need to prepare anything!” Now, her tone going up slightly which showed that she starts to get irritated at her delinquent son.
“But I still don’t want to come there unprepared…”
She didn’t answer and just hung up.
“Mom? … MOM!!!”
And that is how he end up in the dentist with his baby sister standing beside him. This dentist seems to be specialized in children as Most if not all of their patient are children, except Xue Yang.
“What, mom got me appointment to kid’s dentist?” Xue Yang complained eyeing the surrounding.
“Mom, said there’s no kid’s dentist, dentist is just dentist, that’s it” A-Qing said. “And I always go to this dentist, they are the best!”
“That’s because you’re a kid, adult shouldn’t go here.” Xue Yang gave his retort.
“I’m not a kid. Let me show you.” A-Qing puffed her chest. “I’ll go tell the nurse we’re here, you just sit there.” Then she went to the counter to confirm the appointment trying to act like a big girl.
“Whatever!” Xue Yang sat nervously, he always hates going to the dentist. Although he now knows that they wouldn’t hurt him, but he still remembered the trauma that he had in his childhood.
The way the dentist extracted his baby tooth with that deafening equipment and how they smile while holding the extracted tooth looked really scary for 7 years old Xue Yang. And so, he made sure to take care of his teeth carefully even though he always eats candies every day.
But the stress in the past couple of weeks really took a toll on his body. And what’s better than having a cavity for someone with sweet tooth like him. He only forgot to brush his teeth at night a couple of times after having his night snack. Alright, maybe more since the stress made him snacking more than usual.
And now, he had to face his biggest nightmare in a dentist filled with young children that looked as scared as him when he was their age. The way the children screaming and crying really does not help him to calm down. And the clean smell of the hospital made his stomach feel sick.
“Alright, let’s go!” A-Qing woke him up from his daydreaming.
“Huh, that soon? We don’t need to wait?”
“Mom gets you a VIP service so we don’t need to wait, let’s go.” She walked away from the receptionist area to one of the rooms in the corridor.
With heavy steps Xue Yang followed her. He knocked on the door and a friendly voice told them to come inside.
When Xue Yang came into the room he is stunned. Not because of his traumatic memory. Instead because of the most beautiful looking person that he ever sees in his entire life that is currently sitting behind the desk in the room.
The way that person smile sweetly sweeter than any candy that Xue Yang ever tasted. The big puppy eyes. The rosy red lips. The soft dimple that adorn the milky while cheeks. Xue Yang could go on and on admiring this beauty. He never believed in something cheesy like a love at first sight, but now he began to doubt himself.
“What are you doing?” A-Qing nudge him.
Somehow, Xue Yang had lost himself and stood awkwardly in the middle of the room. Nervously, he cleared his dried throat and proceed to sat on one of the chairs in front of the desk. Trying his best to not ate the sweet treat raw with eyes.
“Miss, Cheng Mei?” the men in white coat smile while looking at A-Qing.
“That would be me…!” Xue Yang answer him while awkwardly raised his hand up like a middle scholar trying to get attention from their crush.
“Oh, I’m sorry…” The dentist said awkwardly his eyes showed his concern. “You must be new, there isn’t much on the record, I’ll make sure to put some notes on it.” Xue Yang could see how the person voice getting weaker along the line.
“Its OK, don’t worry about it” he can’t help to think how cute this person is. “But, call me Xue Yang…”
“Oh, sure… Xue Yang” finally relaxed, the young dentist showed his sweet smile once again.
“That’s how my friends call me… so what’s yours?” Somehow, every time the dentist smile makes his stomach feels weird. And he used a lot of self-control not to smile back since it will made him looked like a fool in love.
“Xiao XingChen… So, what can I help you with today?”
‘Really?! He really had to have a name as beautiful as his appearance, huh?’ Xue Yang thinks.
“He got cavity” A-Qing answered instead since Xue Yang is too busy with his wandering thought.
“Let’s check it then.” Xiao XingChen got up and directed Xue Yang to the dentist chair.
Sitting in the chair made Xue Yang worries came back, he grasped his hands tightly in his lap.
It seems that the kind dentist noticed this, “it’s going to be ok …” he said with his dimply smile. Somehow, the way Xiao XingChen smile and his warm eyes really made Xue Yang relaxed.
“No, wonder he gets lots of children here, he really knows how to coax his patient.” But of course, those innocent children mind is different from what is on Xue Yang mind right now.
“Open your mouth.” Xiao XingChen said gently.
“Aaaa…“ Xue Yang stupidly made a sound when he opened his mouth which he almost regretted but the way Xiao XingChen lightly chuckled hearing it, send another weird feeling to his stomach.
“Hmm… its not that bad… I think we can treat it right away.” The dentist said after checking Xue Yang teeth thoroughly and began to do the treatment to fill his cavity.
It was the first time Xue Yang didn’t really pay attention to what a dentist does to his teeth. Instead the young man is mesmerized by the dentist himself. The scary sound of the equipment entirely blocked by the way this person moved elegantly in front of his eyes.
Looks like the dentist felt the burning gaze directed at him as he looked down to meet Xue Yang’s for a mere second and winked his eyes. Even though it happened in a flash, Xue Yang couldn’t help to catch the corner of their lips that rose a little before they turned their attention back to the task at hand.
“shit, did he just flirt with me?” Xue Yang could not help to think. “It can’t be right?” The thought made him clenched his fist nervously one again even though its for a whole different reason.
But the kind dentist seems to misunderstand his behavior.
“It’s OK, we’re almost done.” This time, Xiao XingChen did not hesitate and flashed the killer smile that makes Xue Yang heart skip a bit.
‘Yes, I’m done indeed!!!’ If Xue Yang could scream right now, he would but since the can’t all he could do is done it internally and pray that the dentist did not notice his rising heartbeat.
It is unknown when Xue Yang started to hold his breath, but by the time the dentist done with him, he sighs in relief as he tried to catch his breath again.
“It’s should be alright now, try not to eat anything for a few hours.” Xiao XingChen moved his own chair to give some space so Xue Yang could stand up.
But Xue Yang couldn’t leave just like that, he did not want to lose the chance to know this person.
Indeed, Xiao XingChen is truly a sight to behold, but right now all Xue Yang could do is to sat in the dentist chair, eyes darted around the room trying to find an excuse that he needed.
Xiao XingChen feels that the man behavior is a little weird, “Anything else that I can do for you?”
Then something seems to be catching Xue Yang attention, once again he confidently staring at Xiao XingChen eyes. He then points at something behind Xiao XingChen, “You haven’t given me my candies!”
“What?” Xiao XingChen seems to be dumbfounded by Xue Yang remark and turned his head around so he could look at a poster that he put up for the children that came to his office. It said, they would get a candy if they don’t cry and another one after the treatment is done.
“Well, if you don’t have any, you can give me your phone number instead.” Xue Yang said while flashing the canine teeth that makes him looked like a little mischievous boy in the dentist eyes.
“Ge… what are you doing?!” A-Qing whispered, trying her best not to make a scene but her disgusted face could not be ignored. It makes Xue Yang almost regrets his strategy and wanted to throw himself at the nearest hole that he could find.
Luckily the dentist didn’t find it offending, instead he just giggled while covering his lips with his hand. “So, you really love candy.” He said once he’s done laughing.
“Huh? How do you know that?” Xue Yang curiously asked looking up as the dentist stand.
“You smell like one.” Xiao XingChen answered while staring at Xue Yang which made the young man eyes widen in shocked.
“Wait, when did he checks out my scent?” Now it is Xue Yang turn to be dumbfounded by the seemingly innocent dentist.
While the dentist walked back to his desk and rummaged the drawer, Xue Yang pulled his arms one by one to try and see whether he really smelled like candy. Tilting his head, he remembered that today he forgot to put on his cologne as A-Qing rushed him out the apartment.
The dentist back with two candies wrapped in red and green foil. “One for not crying and one for surviving till the end.” Xiao XingChen smile while putting the candies in Xue Yang hand one by one. A-Qing could not help but rolled her eyes at the sight.
Xue Yang pouts as his plan to get the dentist phone number failed.
The man in white coat seems to notice this as he said “Brush your teeth after you eat the candy.” And while smiling he adds” Don’t forget to come back for a check up every six months.”
Xue Yang could only sigh at the ‘six months’ time that the dentist gave him.
But A-Qing that could not stand his embarrassing brother anymore quickly said thank you and drag Xue Yang out of the room, along the corridor and only let him go once they’re on the parking lot.
“Ge… how could you do that… you’re so embarrassing…!!!” A-Qing stomped her feet, feeling irritated at what her brother did.
“What do you know about adult stuff!” Xue Yang retort, still upset at his failed attempt and A-Qing whining didn’t help at all.
“I don’t want to know you anymore…” as it seems that his brother could not be helped, A-Qing just storm away to their car.
“Suit yourself…!” things that happened really makes Xue Yang frustrated and when that feeling comes, all he wanted is to eat some sweets.
So, he unwrapped one of the candies that the dentist gave him and almost pop it into his mouth when he remembered that he cannot eat anything for a few hours. Sighing he shoved the candy back into the wrapper.
That’s when he saw it, a few digits written with elegant curves on a white paper snuck inside the wrapper. Xue Yang mouth agape in surprise at the numbers, he couldn’t believe that the dentist really knows how to play even though he seems so naive at first.
Now, all of the frustration that he felt before is gone. Replaced by butterfly and sunshine that send warmth to his heart.
It seems that it won’t be long before Xue Yang will meet the beautiful star that made his eyes shining and his lips smiling as he walked back to his car.