In Bai Fu Hospital, X City, in a large office.

     Xue Yuanjun sat at his desk, his hands fiddling with a thin silver object. The way the object moved between his fingers gave one an almost seductive feeling that put them in a trance. It's a shame no one was in the room to see it. The sunlight coming through the window reflected on the silver-rimmed glasses decorating his face. Xue Yuanjun's face was unreadable. It was unknown what he was thinking or for how long he had been doing so. His hair was neatly swept back, revealing a clear forehead.

     A knock arrived at the door.

     "Come in." Xue Yuanjun replied without the slightest change in expression. Xue Yuanjun stopped fiddling with the object and grasped it in his hand, gently placing it in a jet black case on his desk. The door was pushed open and a young man in his early twenties with chestnut hair walked in.

     "Hello, Professor Xue, or, well, should I call you Dr. Xue?" The chestnut boy stammered.

     "You can call me whatever you like. After all, you are my student." Xue Yuanjun replied.

     Xue Yuanjun smiled as he saw the chestnut boy giving him a foolish smile while scratching the back of his head. His nervousness seemingly washed away after he replied.

     Xue Yuanjun: "Student Fan, what brings you to my office this afternoon?"

     Xue Yuanjun narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly as he noticed student Fan lower his head and peer at the jet black case on his desk. "I see you still have that strange hobby... well, not strange. You know, that's not what I meant, it's actually kind of cool!... you're cool. Carrying those things around must be troublesome. It's probably a good conversation starter.... umm. I came here because I had a few questions about the lecture from Friday." Student Fan replied.

     "I see. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have. Take a seat." Xue Yuanjun interlocked his slender fingers and placed his hands on the desk, smiling at Student Fan, who still had the foolish smile plastered on his face but with fine sweat drops accumulating on his temples.

*  *  *  *

     "Thank you so much, Professor Xue! I'm sorry for keeping you so late. I knew you weren't going to be here tomorrow, so I thought I should ask you now while I had the chance."

     "It's no trouble. I look forward to seeing your finished research paper. I still have a few more things to get done here, so if you'll excuse me. " Xue Yuanjun replied, gesturing to Student Fan.

     Student Fan smiled and gave a deep bow, took his notes, and walked out, closing the door behind him. "Yes, of course! I'll be on my way. Thank you again! .... and umm.... sorry for your lose. Sorry, see you in class next week, Professor Xue." Student Fan replied.

     After Student Fan left, Xue Yuanjun's smile disappeared, replaced by a deep frown. Xue Yuanjun lightly brushed his hand over the jet black case, zipping it up before taking off his white coat and hanging it on the rack beside his desk. With the case in hand, Xue Yuanjun headed out.

     Xue Yuanjun made his way to the entrance of the hospital at a leisurely pace, along the way, he was greeted by his fellow doctors and nurses. Xue Yuanjun gave a short reply or a slight nod in response.

     When a nurse named Ah' Li saw Xue Yuanjun, she couldn't help but admire this young and handsome fellow. He was tall and muscular with glowing wheat skin. His swept-back hair and thick eyebrows gave him an elegant and aloof look. He was a top surgeon in the country and a professor at the top university in X City. 'If only Dr. Xue was looking for a companion.' Sigh. 'What a shame.'

     Ah' Li: "Hello, Dr. Xue. Have a good rest."

     Xue Yuanjun nodded in response.

     A little nurse beside Ah' Li asked: "Ah' Li, wasn't that Dr. Xue? Where is he going? I've never seen him leave work so suddenly." As far as she knew, Dr. Xue was a workaholic. There's no way she ever thought she would ever see him actually willingly leave work.

     "That's right, you haven't been here for long. Most people who haven't been here long find it strange. After all, he does have a reputation of being a workaholic. The thing is, he does this every year. Every year on the same day, he leaves work and takes the whole day off. They say he even specifically asked for it in his contract. That's why, even though our hospital isn't the best in X City, we have one of the top surgeons in the country. The director of Bai Fu hospital was the only one willing to agree to his conditions." Ah' Li replied.

     Little nurse: "What does he do on his day off?"

     Ah' Li looked left and right, making sure no one was around before whispering in the little nurse's ear: "No one knows for sure, but most people think it's for mourning."

     Little nurse: "Mourning?"

     "A long time ago, there was a doctor that used to work here who went to school with Dr. Xue. He said that during their school days, he would often see Dr. Xue with someone. He said he (XYJ) would talk and laugh with them a lot. He wasn't too close with Dr. Xue, so he didn't know who they were, but whoever they were, he said they must have been Dr. Xue's lover. He said those days were the most he had ever seen Dr. Xue smile, but one day he stopped seeing that person with Dr. Xue, he said that was the time Dr. Xue became a lot more distant with people and started carrying that black case with him." Ah'Li spoke quieter as she went on making sure no one would hear her. "Keep what I told you a secret. We wouldn't want to start gossip and make Dr. Xue upset. Only some of the old doctors and nurses here know about this."

     The little nurse gasped and almost blurted out: "Lover!?" She managed to hold it in and whispered to Ah' Li: "I promise to keep it a secret. After all, we are good sisters. But I have a question. What *is* in that black case Dr. Xue carries around?"

     Ah' Li hesitated for a while, but after looking into her good sister's pleading and curious eyes, she gave in: "Come closer and I'll tell you. In the black case is..."

     The little nurse's eyes grew big and round, before she could ask anything else, Ah' Li grabbed her arm and headed down the hall. They had spent so much time talking, they were late for their rounds. The little nurse soon realised as well and decided to save her questions for another time.