With a smile and a wave, she got off the car and went in to the building .

Covent Garden, London

Jia Li was miserable . It had been ten days now since her fever had been raging . It was simply refusing to abate . Despite the blood tests coming negative for any of the dreaded illnesses, the fever didn't leave her body . Miserable and weak, she woke up this morning and much to her relief, the thermometer read normal after days .

She walked towards the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror . Her sunken eyes and haggard face made her look more like a scarecrow than a human .

"Maybe my grief became too much for my heart and has spilled over to the rest of my body . Tang, where are you? I am so worried and my heart aches constantly . I hope all is well with you," she leaned her head against the cold mirror and closed her eyes in exhaustion .

The doorbell rang, making her look up in resignation . She knew who it was .

"Oh G.o.d! Look at you . No wonder Ying Hui had been reluctant to get me along with him to see you during all these days . You look terrible," Eric walked in with Hui trailing behind .

Hui came in and put his hand to Jia Li's forehead .

"It doesn't seem as hot . How are you feeling today?" he asked her gently .

"No fever since the time I have woken up," she replied with a weak smile .

"Thanks for ignoring me… both of you," Eric pouted .

Jia Li crossed the distance and patted his arm .

"Hui was being a good friend and didn't want to expose you to my infectious germs . He told me every day how concerned you were about me, though," she consoled him .

Hui ignored the banter and opened the foodbox which he had carried with him . He had been asking his parents to deliver home cooked nutritious food every morning to him and had been getting it here ever since she fell sick . He dropped into her house every morning before going to work . In fact he was the one who had carried her to the hospital the first day that she had contracted the fever . Looking for plates in the now familiar kitchenette, he brought out soup bowls and other cutlery for all of them .

"My G.o.d, I never thought I would live to see the domesticated sight of Ying Hui, the genius mathematician and physician . Must say the role suits you," Eric teased him .

"If you are done with your daily quota of speaking nonsense, would you like to join us for an authentic Chinese breakfast fare?" Hui asked him .

There was a delicious spread of the congee, steamed buns, both sweet and salty, noodles and Jia Li's favourite tofu pudding .

"I have been telling you for days now . Please stop getting so much food . I can't finish it even by dinner," Jia Li told Hui .

She had been feeling guilty about accepting Hui's overwhelming generosity during these days of illness . He had been kind, thoughtful and warm and that made her guilt increase by gigantic proportion!

"You need to eat . My parents are good cooks, I am simply the delivery man, so don't need to thank me . If your sense of obligation is killing you, maybe you could give me the fuel money, ok?" he replied with a smile .

"Gos.h.!.+ You multimillionaires are so stingy . I can't believe that you asked an employee to reimburse YOUR fuel expense . Jia Li, don't listen to him . He can well afford to feed you for years, should you choose it . In fact, he would be more than happy to do so, won't you, Hui?" Eric addressed the big elephant in the room .

Jia Li's pale face coloured at the implication while Hui gave a stormy look to his loud mouthed friend . Despite Eric being aware of Jia Li's rejection of Hui's proposal, he left no opportunity to bring up a reference to it .

"I am forever indebted to the big boss," she finally replied softly .

"You are back to calling me boss??? I thought that we had decided that after I have cleaned up your drool and put cold compression on your head, you are to address me by my name . You can only address me as your boss when we are at work," Hui scolded her .

Eric looked on as Jia Li ducked her head in apology .