"I..."
"If you only like me because of Qin Xiaoyi, then you're not really that interested in me as a person, are you."
Diao Zhiyu smiled: "Just like male actors in TV dramas, the heat of celebrity worship is temporary. You'll all eventually return to your own lives."
"No. I promise, no matter what you perform in, I'll go watch it. If anything, I'm the one lacking confidence..." Hu Xiu waved her hand: "We're home. I'll head upstairs first."
Suddenly, her hand was pulled from behind. Hu Xiu thought she would be embraced the next second, but no—
Diao Zhiyu only said: "If I change from Qin Xiaoyi to Feng Youjin, I might not have so many viewers anymore; so... you must come."
Without turning back, Hu Xiu replied with a smile: "Okay, it's a deal."
From going upstairs to taking a shower, Hu Xiu touched her hair full of coconut oil scent (indently picking out coconut shreds), thinking of Diao Zhiyu's gentle hands, she grew increasingly unable to sleep.
Turning to check her social media, the photo of her translation work from the afternoon was indeed gone.
Perhaps already deleted, replaced by a night scene of walking home. Most shops were closed at midnight, shared bikes parked lonely by the roadside—he had something on his mind.
But her intuition told her it wasn't much related to her.
Only when Hu Xiu arrived at the hospital the next day did she learn that the emergency substitution had been arranged by Pei Zhen.
Her senior colleague's vacation back home had been applied for early, while the video conference was temporarily organized by Pei Zhen through email correspondence with Boston University when reporting to leadership. Back and forth, Pei Zhen ended up calling the senior colleague. After hearing this, Hu Xiu felt somewhat confused: "Why not just contact me directly?"
"He said it wasn't convenient. I think he was a bit nervous—he even stammered when talking to me."
"That can't be. Doctor Pei is a surgeon."
As soon as she finished speaking, Pei Zhen appeared at the examination room door. He knocked, saw Hu Xiu, and waved, signaling her to come out.
The senior colleague behind her said, aren't you supposed to be in surgery today? Why specially come all this way? Getting impatient, aren't we?
Halfway through speaking, she stood by the bookshelf near the door looking for materials—definitely there to eavesdrop on their conversation.
Pei Zhen glanced inside, smiling as he guided Hu Xiu to the stairwell. Only then did Hu Xiu notice that Pei Zhen wasn't short either, his presence feeling steady and reliable.
Something must have happened these past few days—he appeared polite toward Hu Xiu but actually spoke with earnest enthusiasm: "You really helped me out tremendously this weekend."
"It's nothing. I happened to be chatting at a friend's cafe anyway, rare to have a free weekend."
"Are you free tonight? Let me treat you to dinner."
Originally planning to watch Qin Xiao's final performance, but thinking of Pei Zhen who would soon go abroad next month, Hu Xiu still agreed: "Sure, could we eat around here? I have plans later in the evening."
"Boyfriend?"
"No..."
"Then I'm relieved."
Relieved?
At quitting time, Hu Xiu packed her things but waited in vain for Pei Zhen to appear. Going upstairs to inquire, she learned that emergency had admitted patients rescued from a fire in the afternoon—critical condition, transferred through a green channel from another region with extensive burns. He and another attending physician had gone directly upstairs for consultation.Hu Xiu exchanged a few words with the night shift nurse outside the ward. It seemed unlikely she'd see Pei Zhen today—he'd been in the operating room all along. For severe burns, it would take many days just to stabilize the patient, followed by a lengthy treatment process. The debridement before skin grafting required considerable waiting time, with additional precautions against unexpected infections.
"Sigh, I always feel apprehensive with such patients. Their psychological breakdowns are more draining than changing their dressings."
"Of course we do our utmost, but being called up repeatedly during night shifts is exhausting. It's hard to maintain a pleasant demeanor."
Hu Xiu understood the nurse's sentiment perfectly. Even in administrative roles, one encountered lost patients asking for directions. No one could handle tedious workloads while dealing with unreasonable people without inwardly complaining.
Let alone nurses experiencing professional burnout. Having received no message from Pei Zhen, Hu Xiu didn't feel like returning to her office nor going to Snowpiercer. She rode the escalator downstairs at a leisurely pace, intending to buy a boxed meal.
Reaching the orthopedics department on the fourth floor, she looked up and spotted Li Ai leaning on crutches, medical documents scattered across the floor. Her heart tightened.
"What are you doing here?"
"Hu Xiu?" Li Ai seemed surprised. "Are you sick?"
Still concerned about others first. Hu Xiu gathered the fallen lab reports and receipts—a thick stack indicating he'd been seeking treatment for quite some time. He appeared uneasy: "Really just here for an IV drip. No need for anyone to worry."
"Are you afraid I'll tell Zhao Xiaorou?" Hu Xiu sighed. "She's all sharp words but a soft heart. Coming to the hospital alone is truly troublesome—navigating with limited mobility, waiting in lines, retrieving medical records back and forth. You could've asked me for help."
"Really, it's nothing serious."
"Does it have to require amputation to qualify as serious?" Hu Xiu's eyes welled up. "Why are you so determined to endure this alone?"
Accompanying Li Ai in the infusion area while holding her "Practical Chinese-English Medical Translation Dictionary," Hu Xiu received a text from Pei Zhen.
When Pei Zhen arrived at the infusion room, he greeted Li Ai and reviewed the reports before politely saying: "May I borrow Hu Xiu for a moment?"
Pei Zhen carried the distinct scent of disinfectant, having likely changed into a fresh white coat before coming down: "Was your friend in a car accident before?"
"Yes, he and his wife were hit by a drunk driver in a sports car while walking at night. His wife died instantly, and his left leg was shattered. The emergency treatment took very long back then. But my friends and I only met him afterward—we only knew he used crutches."
"He's still on anti-inflammatories, but one blood supply vessel has necrotized and requires immediate transplantation."
"After reviewing his medical records—he was initially treated at Sixth Hospital for traumatic separation injuries, quite severe. I've heard of the lead surgeon."
"I suspect they need to harvest vessels from his hand for blood supply transplantation, with additional nerve damage. I shouldn't speculate about specific treatment plans, but this can't be delayed—it could lead to amputation."
Hu Xiu's heart raced hearing this. Pei Zhen crossed his arms, visibly frustrated: "Not sure if it's about surgical costs or low success rates, but he doesn't appear financially strained. Why only opt for IV drips? Sorry, I always get impatient with delayed treatments."
"It's about the lawsuit. The hit-and-run driver hasn't faced legal consequences. He refused settlement for his wife's sake, and now he's struggling financially."
"Those who obsess over fairness always get punished by fate. Doctors understand this principle best."Pei Zhen checked the time and snapped back to reality: "It's so late and I couldn't have dinner with you. I still need to go upstairs soon. Sorry for canceling on you so suddenly today."
"It's fine, Doctor. I understand."
Pei Zhen smiled gently: "Then I'll head up first."
"Have you... eaten dinner?"
"Not yet. It's alright, it's pretty normal."
Hu Xiu pulled a sandwich from her convenience store bag—still warm. She had originally bought it for herself but lost her appetite while sitting in the infusion room. Pei Zhen was visibly delighted at the sight of the sandwich: "Is this for me?"
Before Hu Xiu could answer, he added as if encouraged: "May I ask... what's your relationship with the man receiving the infusion?"
"We're friends. Li Ai is the coffee shop owner. I see him as an older brother. I'll explain in detail when there's a chance."
Pei Zhen suddenly shrugged his shoulders forcefully and let out a relieved sigh, as if illuminated by a light, his entire demeanor brightening considerably. He smiled and bid her farewell: "Then I'll head upstairs first."
Of course, Li Ai's hospitalization for IV treatment couldn't be kept from Zhao Xiaorou. When Zhao Xiaorou stormed in like a whirlwind, Li Ai glanced wearily at Hu Xiu and sighed—
This was the first time Hu Xiu had seen such a negative expression on Li Ai's face, interwoven with sorrow and avoidance, as if he had already been utterly defeated.
Zhao Xiaorou wore full makeup, with a black coat thrown over her evening gown and high heels—
She must have grabbed whatever was nearest; she would never normally pair items like this. Entering the infusion room without making a scene, she snatched Li Ai's medical chart, glanced at it, and asked about the surgery costs.
Seeing Li Ai wave his hand dismissively without answering, she suppressed her anger: "If you don't tell me the cost today, I'll break your leg myself. If you end up amputated, we won't even be friends anymore.
What do you take us for? Money can always be earned again. What kind of modern-day 'bitter flesh scheme' is this silent suffering? If you really only had one leg left, would we keep pitying you? We'd just think you deserved it."
After a long silence, Li Ai finally spoke: "Leave..."
"Kicking me out?"
"I want some quiet time alone."
"I don't understand. Even when you're sick, you don't know how to ask for help. A heart of stone isn't supposed to be this hard. I get it—I was never in your heart to begin with. I brought this on myself."
Li Ai remained silent, merely pressing the call button on his seat to request the next IV bag. With three more bags left, he kept his head down with a grim expression, completely ignoring Zhao Xiaorou's intense stare.
Hu Xiu stood nearby, feeling as if an invisible barrier separated her from them, sensing an intangible force in the air pushing Zhao Xiaorou further away.
Zhao Xiaorou's eyes reddened. When the nurse left without Li Ai offering any response, she turned and strode out, her high heels clicking unusually loudly against the floor.
That entire evening, there was no chance to go to Snowpiercer.
After accompanying Li Ai through three days of IV treatments until the weekend, Pei Zhen called Hu Xiu and arranged to meet at the coffee shop, where he carefully explained the treatment plan to Li Ai.
Vascular transplantation wasn't Pei Zhen's specialty, but he seemed to have seriously consulted with hospital doctors and researched extensively, helping Li Ai secure a scheduled appointment.
Pei Zhen concluded with measured restraint: "My recommendation is to schedule the surgery as soon as possible. As for the costs, we'll find a way. If you miss the optimal treatment window, you'll only be causing yourself more suffering later.""Previously, I had a burn patient for whom I applied for hospital assistance—not much, just over twenty thousand yuan. The funds hadn't been approved before he passed away. For 90% body burns, it was a drop in the bucket. Death was a release for him.
But often we comfort ourselves by thinking 'it'd be better to die,' yet reality is, people don't die that easily. They have to endure the pain and suffering and keep living."
Sitting in REGARD, the humidifier emitted wispy trails of mist. Li Ai maintained his usual routine with guests, guiding Pei Zhen through tasting various aromatic coffee beans without mentioning his own leg.
The consecutive rainy days must have been quite uncomfortable. I'd heard from Zhao Xiaorou before that Li Ai would subtly furrow his brow during the rainy season—post-surgery joints are particularly sensitive to damp weather. He just smiled calmly, occasionally supporting his leg while taking deep breaths, gazing blankly at the rain outside the window.
When dinner time approached, Li Ai picked up his crutch: "It's rare to have Dr. Pei visit my shop today. I'll make some pasta. Hu Xiu particularly loves the pasta here—I always suspect she's just being polite, but today I finally have someone new to verify it."
"Hard to say. If Hu Xiu likes something, I might like it too."
Li Ai's glance touched Pei Zhen, then gently settled on Hu Xiu with mutual understanding, before he turned and disappeared into the kitchen.
Hu Xiu certainly understood what he meant. This was also her first time seeing Pei Zhen outside the hospital. He wore a black collarless shirt with beige trousers and leather shoes, his hair dyed chestnut brown—his taste had clearly evolved. Sunglasses hung from his collar, revealing minimal skin that was quite pale. His fingers lightly traced the rim of his cup, displaying the restraint characteristic of mature men. His speech and demeanor were as steady as his surgical hands, his experiences granting him keen perception of his surroundings, all senses acutely attuned.
Being alone with him didn't make Hu Xiu feel awkward at all. Even though he might be interested in her, he could adjust the atmosphere to where she felt completely at ease.
Completely different from boys like Diao Zhiyu who create waves with every stone they throw.
"Having a place like this to regularly come and relax is really nice. After spending so much time in the hospital, people become quite rigid."
"A friend brought me here initially. An old friend who's been chasing stars for ten years discovered this place. She said the owner was a handsome guy with a limp, and jokingly kept coming back. Now it feels like depending on family."
"Star chasing? Are they celebrities I'd know?" Pei Zhen's gaze didn't linger, slowly turning to Hu Xiu with interest but without pressure. Hu Xiu felt somewhat shy but maintained her composure: "Super Junior, K-pop stars. Dr. Pei probably wouldn't be interested."
"I know them—that 'Sorry Sorry'—" Pei Zhen rubbed his hands together and rhythmically shrugged his shoulders: "They were really popular around 2010."
"You actually know them!" Hu Xiu suddenly became excited.
Meanwhile, Pei Zhen remained calm, smiling as he replied: "I had a friend who liked them too, passively heard their songs many times."
Just these brief sentences carried intriguing implications.
After some casual chatter, they started talking about hospital work. Pei Zhen mentioned having many long-term patients recently, making it hard for him to leave with peace of mind. His plans to go abroad would probably have to wait until next year, and he'd remain at the hospital through December.
Outside work, the most headache-inducing thing was the head nurse's matchmaking attempts. Each introduction had a completely different style, but he had politely declined them all.Hu Xiu asked for the reason, and Pei Zhen pretended to be aggrieved: "So many girls say they like me, and I—it's hard to please everyone."
This made Hu Xiu giggle.
From the back kitchen came the clatter of plates, and the aroma of tomato meat sauce wafted out—the noodles seemed ready.
As Hu Xiu stood up to move the empty cups away, Pei Zhen suddenly spoke, seemingly casual: "I have a special ability—I can always sense changes in others right away."
"Oh?"
"For example, you always carry a fresh air about you, glowing all over. You've fallen for someone recently, haven't you?"
"I..."
Just as the words fell, the bell on the door jingled. Diao Zhiyu pushed the door open, camera slung over his shoulder, and locked eyes with Hu Xiu, who was bent over holding the cups.
Hu Xiu's face flushed instantly. Pei Zhen tilted his head to look at her, then turned following her gaze and chuckled softly.
Hu Xiu heard the breath of that laugh—the man saw everything clearly, as if he had predicted this moment long ago.
OpenNovel