Xie Zi Han didn’t respond.
"The downside is that you will have to tolerate my grandfather. You won’t have much freedom at ho. But Zi. The hospitals will be practically under your thumb. You can be the kind of doctor you want and you can make the kind of system you want it to be. Please Zi. I don’t have a ho back there," his voice trembled. "I cannot return to that place anymore."
He placed his hand on his shoulder, gripping it with his quivering fingers. "But you can. Because you care about dicine. You care about being a doctor more than I ever had. You deserve to be Dr. Yang Cheng that grandpa always wanted to be."
Xie Zi Han looked into his friend’s eyes and for the first ti felt a desperate plea in his gaze. He looked like he was all the hope he needed to live the kind of life he wanted to live. The years had forged their friendship like steel but for the first ti, that annoying but confident friend of his looked vulnerable and afraid.
"Your idea has a lot of holes in it. Our admission records in the university for starters."
"They will be taken care of. The photos on our applications will be switched and so will everything else."
"The teaching staff knows us."
"Trust . Nobody from my side is ever gonna co to London or go around asking. So nobody will cross paths with any staff here. But as a safety net, I will have the principal in my bag. He will be good. He owes my family, particularly ."
"Not Sir William Johnson."
"Yeah he’s an upright pain in the ass. Tough but fair. But he dotes on you because you were his star student. Even if he sees you posing as Yang Cheng in a one in a million chance, he will first want to talk to you. He is the type to listen first, then act."
"And what if he acts?"
"He won’t. Being a star student is like a golden ticket. In any case if he ever cos to China, I will know. He’s the least of our problems. The real problem could be is that the Yang family is influential. So as much as possible, you have to stay away from lilight. This goes for too. Just to be safe. But don’t worry. If anything goes sideways, Weizhe will be there. That’s why I will tell him the truth. Not just because we might need him to cover up for us, but he deserves to know. I like him and I respect him. He is the only person I won’t keep in the dark."
Silence.
Then he slowly said, "People might beco suspicious. Your performance as a resident doctor is far different than mine."
"You bastard, that’s so way to call an average doctor," his nostrils flared.
"You call yourself a average doctor," he blankly said.
"Fair point. But that’s all in London. You will be starting brand new in China. You will definitely have to build a new reputation anyway. Professionally in a doctor’s capacity, you cannot pretend to be . We are only exchanging identities, not skills. Grandpa will definitely be shocked, but I have planned it all out to handle him."
Xie Zi Han stared at him. "You have been planning this for quite so ti."
"Since last year actually. I knew it was all over when the residency would co to a close, and I had decided the mont I ca to London that I would never go back to that family," his expression hardened.
"It’s a big lie to live. Why did you think I would agree to it?"
Yang Cheng twiddled with his fingers and mumbled. "...Because I am your best friend and you care about ?"
"Till the part if and when I have to save your life. But an identity switch?"
"Hey, don’t accuse like that. You don’t look even a little bit fazed. I know your paralyzed face doesn’t like to make expressions, but I was damn sure that my proposal would get at least a little bit of a reaction and shock from you! Damn, you are so cool. Just like Weizhe. I have an eye to making so really good friends, huh."
Xie Zi Han scrutinized him.
"Alright, alright. Enough joking around. So I am asking seriously," he held his breath. "Do you agree?"
He stayed silent.
"You won’t have to worry about anything. It’s not like we will be parting ways for good. Obviously, we will always stay in touch. The mont you feel sothing is off, you tell imdiately and I will handle it. I have thought about it forwards and backwards and the plan is pretty solid. Nobody will notice it. Almost ten years have gone by. People change a lot from being a teen to a grown ass adult."
"You will be leaving the Yang na behind."
"That’s exactly what I want to do," he smiled. "Don’t worry. If you are worried that I will live a poor life, then I won’t. I am too smart and handso to be broke."
He then quietly asked, "What do you want to do?"
"Be an assassin. You give so pretty good ideas. I already have gang one in mind, but it’s a secret~"
"You won’t be making your own gang?" He blinked.
"I heard the Boss of this gang I just ntioned is pretty badass," his eyes sparkled. "I have had my eyes and ears on that person for a while."
"I see."
"...So do you agree?"
Xie Zi Han held his gaze and nodded. "It ans I won’t ever get married. Good."
"Ah? Why not?" He was confused.
"Because I will have to hide it from my wife. But this is our secret. I will take it to my grave, but I would never keep my partner in the dark about it. Which ans I can only vaguely tell her that she doesn’t know sothing about and I will never reveal it to her. Nobody will accept that kind of a secret in a relationship."
Yang Cheng’s eyes brimd with tears. "Zi you are such a good person...Can I kiss you?"
"Shut up."
He laughed. "Zi, you are so funny. Chill. No way you are ever gonna remain single. My gut tells that there is so crazy woman out there who will fall for you regardless~"
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