"Mr. Yan asked me to find out where these episodes usually occur."
"And at what times?"
Kang Zhongtao listened, softly repeating the answers he heard. "In the morning... at noon... in the evening, too."
"In the office, the conference room, the cafeteria, on the road..."
Yan Feifan cut in, "Does it happen at night or when he’s at home?"
Kang Zhongtao quickly relayed the question, "Sir, have you ever experienced these palpitations and chest tightness at night or while you’re at home?"
"’I don’t think... so?’"
Kang Zhongtao perked up and pressed for confirmation. "Sir, please think carefully. Are you absolutely sure?"
After a moment, Kang Zhongtao looked at Yan Feifan and said with a hint of excitement, "Mr. Yan, he says he’s sure it hasn’t happened!"
Yan Feifan found it rather tiresome to communicate through a middleman.
But Kang Zhongtao didn’t put the call on speaker, nor did he hand the phone over to Yan Feifan. It seemed to be a deliberate choice on his part.
Yan Feifan didn’t feel it was his place to push the issue.
Yan Feifan spoke again. "Ask him when exactly these symptoms started."
"And before they began, were there any changes in his work environment?"
"For example, did he change offices, was there any renovation, did he get a new car or new furniture, any new houseplants, new flowers or trees planted outside, and so on."
Kang Zhongtao relayed Yan Feifan’s words into the phone, point by point.
"The symptoms started not long after he went back to work after the New Year!"
"His work environment? No changes at all?"
"Sir, are you sure?"
"He’s sure that absolutely nothing has changed..."
Suddenly, the volume of Kang Zhongtao’s voice on the phone rose. "What? You got a new purple clay teapot?"
He repeated to Yan Feifan, "Mr. Yan, he got a new purple clay teapot."
"And he uses it often in his office."
Yan Feifan nodded, then said, "Mr. Kang, it’s highly likely your friend’s palpitations are caused by an environmental factor."
"Here’s what I suggest: have someone test your friend’s work environment for toxic substances and allergens."
"If that doesn’t turn up anything, you can come see me again."
"How does that sound?"
Seeing that he now had an answer for his visit, and sensing the note of dismissal in Yan Feifan’s tone, Kang Zhongtao quickly stood up, thanked him, and took his leave...
The moment the elevator doors closed, Tian Yu, who had come along with Yan Feifan to see them out, spun around and dashed back to the room.
Yan Feifan couldn’t help but shake his head and chuckle.
When he returned to the living room, he saw his sister, Tian Yu, and Song Yi gathered around the large durian, discussing how to open it.
On the coffee table were two bottles of French red wine from an unknown region, which Mr. Kang had brought in a paper bag.
Durian and red wine. Mr. Kang’s gifts were certainly well-chosen to suit the recipient’s tastes—except they were all his sister’s favorites, not his.
"Xiaoyu, didn’t Mr. Kang ask you about what I like?"
"He probably did, but I don’t really remember!"
"It’s just..."
Tian Yu pouted. "Mr. Yan, you don’t really seem to have any strong preferences, do you?"
’Come to think of it... he really didn’t.’
Yan Feifan thought for a moment, then snorted. "Xiaoyu, that’s just because you don’t know me well enough."
Seeing his sister emerge from the kitchen with a knife, ready to attack the durian, Yan Feifan said with a look of disgust, "We’re in the middle of something. Why would you eat that stinky durian now?"
Yan Ziruo rolled her eyes at him and announced, "Let’s put it to a vote. Majority rules."
"All in favor of eating durian, raise your hands..."
Yan Ziruo was the first to shoot her hand high in the air.
Song Yi raised her hand, too.
Caught between the sharp gazes of Yan Ziruo and Yan Feifan, Tian Yu wavered for a moment before slowly raising her hand as well.
Just when Yan Feifan thought the vote would be a three-to-three tie, Yu Chuanbai raised his hand as well...