Absolutely cannot let Diao Zhiyu come upstairs. The clothes draped over the back of the chair, the Lee Donghae poster on the wall, the stills and photographs of Qin Xiaoyi that she had secretly printed and stuck on the wall—it was practically the headquarters of a stalker fan. It would be a disaster if he saw it. After pacing around her room for a while, she suddenly stopped by the window. The moonlight reflected off the stills on the wall. Listening to Diao Zhiyu count to three, she spoke calmly, "What makes you so sure I'll open the door for you?"
"You..." Diao Zhiyu was at a loss for words.
"Wait for me downstairs."
A mischievous sense of victory suddenly came over her. She leisurely reapplied her lipstick, and when it smudged faintly, she dabbed it onto her cheeks. In the moonlight, she wasn't dazzlingly beautiful, but she radiated a vibrant spirit. She deliberately slowed her steps as she went downstairs, each footfall like the clack of a typewriter key—not loud, but enough to trigger the motion-sensor lights on each floor, one by one. In her romantic script, the cold Qin Xiaoyi who barely remembered her had now become Diao Zhiyu, who had earnestly come downstairs for her. She had managed to weave him into her life.
A greedy thought sparked in Hu Xiu's heart again, but it mostly fizzled out the moment she saw Diao Zhiyu. Still, she brazenly walked over. Her heart was pounding like a drum. Can't you have some backbone? Have you never seen a handsome man before? You've met him so many times, yet you get this nervous every single time. Just one look and you want to pour out all your overflowing affection. Is that any way to act?
Diao Zhiyu closed in on her. This schemer was completely different from the man she saw in the coffee shop earlier. With his styled black curly hair, he looked exactly like Qin Xiaoyi in the moonlight. This feeling of facing her unattainable object of admiration gave Hu Xiu a headache. The words on the tip of her tongue were watered down until all that was left was— I like you, I like you so, so much.
Her last shred of rationality kept hammering at her: Hold it in. If you say it now, it'll lead to nothing. He won't respond to a direct confession. If you break the silence now, you'll just be another obsessive player who doesn't understand him.
Hu Xiu closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. When she opened them, Diao Zhiyu was looking at her. He stood there with his hands in his pockets, as if he could read minds, not speaking first. Just a hint of a smile hung on his lips. He could surely recognize a girl who had surrendered to his face and charisma but was forcing her brain to stay online. He had been worried that this warlord's wife he cared about had become immune, but it turned out she was still the same as before.
Just thinking about it was infuriating.
Suppressing the frustration of being seen through, Hu Xiu spoke first. "I really did throw the Marriage Certificate away. You didn't come all this way just for that, did you?"
Diao Zhiyu hummed, a sound of denial. "I know you didn't throw it away. You wouldn't be so careless with it."
"It's just a Marriage Certificate. Surely you, Feng Youjin, don't check on every single one of your wives."
"Only you."
Hu Xiu averted her eyes, her lips tightening and relaxing. She felt that Diao Zhiyu didn't seem to be joking.
"It's normal not to know about the warlord era. I didn't know either before coming to Snowpiercer. Is my apology not enough? But you really are much more interesting than before. My first impression of you was that in the play, you were like... a brainless fangirl."
I have my intelligent moments too, Hu Xiu thought, but only when you're not around. Seeing that Hu Xiu didn't say anything, Diao Zhiyu pressed on, "Are you and Pei Zhen dating?"
"He's interested in me."
"Do you like him?"
"Did you... come here just to ask that?"
The temperature had dropped, and the wind made them both wrap their clothes tighter. The almanac probably read "Not suitable for strolling today." Hu Xiu wanted to spend more time with Diao Zhiyu, but going into the building meant going upstairs, and if they went upstairs... she wasn't the least bit mentally prepared for any of the possible scenarios she could imagine.
At this thought, Hu Xiu reluctantly said, "I'm going up first. I haven't finished my documents, and I have to do some translation this weekend."
She had barely taken a step when he grabbed her hand. Hu Xiu's heart pounded like a drum. Please, if you really like me, just say it. I'm not that hard to get. As long as you say the words, you can have me.
"I..."
The building's entrance door clicked open, and a couple came out carrying a child. They were in a hurry to get to the hospital. While the man went to get the car, the baby suddenly started crying in its mother's arms, completely cutting off their conversation. Diao Zhiyu went over to help pull the car door open, carefully tucking the mother's coat hem into the car. Only after the car sped away did he walk back, his expression serious. "Zhao Xiaorou also said today that for an NPC like me, perhaps everything I perform is an illusion, so I'm not sure what I'm bringing you. But I promise, I'm not Ning Zechen, and I hate playing games with people's feelings. I don't like to talk about 'forever,' and I will never break a promise. I hope... you can spend a little more time on me. You're very important to me."
The wind brushed against Hu Xiu's cheeks. She knew she was frozen stiff. She sniffled. "This counts as mutual interest, right?"
"What mutual interest?" Diao Zhiyu's focus was elsewhere. "Don't cry."
The incessant sniffling did sound like... crying. Without turning back, Hu Xiu pulled open the building door and, with her back to Diao Zhiyu, played along. "Don't go back on what you said tonight. I don't like people who break their promises."
Her steps were light as she went up the stairs, the sensor lights illuminating floor by floor. She knew Diao Zhiyu would wait until the light on the sixth floor went out before leaving. This unspoken understanding was both reassuring and wonderfully strange. She once thought that reaching the final destination of a relationship was the happiest stage, but now she realized the peak of infatuation was confirming each other's feelings, the slow exploration of mutual interest. There was no distrust from a relationship that started too abruptly, no disappointment from unrequited love, and none of the wear and tear from a long time together. After closing the door, her heart was still pounding. Trembling, she took out the Marriage Certificate and solemnly stuck it on the wall. The three characters for "Feng Youjin" were written in a bold, powerful script, like a solemn promise. Hu Xiu took a picture, planning to post it on Weibo. She had wanted to search for some artsy, sentimental words to commemorate the moment, but in the end, all that was left was— Damn, I'm dead!
On January 27th, Li Ai arrived at the hospital early in the morning to handle the admission procedures. The surgery was at three in the afternoon, and because of the general anesthesia, he hadn't eaten since the previous night. Hu Xiu stood outside the room, watching Li Ai's parents sign the forms and listening as Pei Zhen next to her translated the surgeon's procedure: because it was discovered early, he had avoided the risk of amputation due to infection, but he still needed a vascular graft, which required taking a blood vessel from his arm. At the same time, his knee osteoarthritis had to be treated—a problem that normally occurs with aging but had gradually appeared due to the car accident. The deformed part and damaged surface would be removed and a prosthesis installed. Pei Zhen's explanation was very clear. To avoid a leg length discrepancy, the prosthesis model and spacer thickness would be adjusted with X-rays during the surgery, and the patient under general anesthesia would only be allowed to leave the operating room after confirming that the foot on the operated side could dorsiflex. Hu Xiu broke into a cold sweat when she heard about occult blood loss and pulmonary embolism, but Pei Zhen calmly said that these were very mature procedures and there was no need to worry about such problems. Besides, interventional treatment for embolisms was also very advanced; it just required observation. The real pain would begin with post-operative rehabilitation, but it was much better than the suffering Li Ai had already endured. At least after the treatment, there was only hope and improvement to look forward to.
The hair on the backs of Li Ai's parents was somewhat white. They didn't look like an elderly couple in financial difficulty. Li Ai had paid for his final medical expenses himself by using the funds from terminating his contract with REGARD, without troubling anyone at all. This habit of shouldering everything himself was infuriating. While his parents were out, Hu Xiu and Zhao Xiaorou slipped into the hospital room. Li Ai was organizing a list of receipts. Leaning in for a look, Zhao Xiaorou frowned. "Even at a time like this, you're still checking the coffee shop's revenue?"
"I'm leaving this for you guys, in case I..."
"Damn it, Pei Zhen just explained everything to me. It's a minor surgery. No need for last words."
"I just... have a habit of not trusting surgery anymore." Li Ai didn't continue on that topic. "Zhao Xiaorou, don't you have a shoot today?"
Zhao Xiaorou slung her bag behind her. "Are you kidding? You're having surgery and I'm supposed to go to a shoot? Can't you tell what the priority is?"
His phone vibrated. Li Ai gently silenced it, paying it no mind, and only said to Hu Xiu, "Thank Dr. Pei for me. If it weren't for him, the surgery wouldn't have been arranged so properly. This is your credit, too."
"It's your charming personality. Don't get the wrong idea, there's nothing between him and me. It's just friends helping each other out."
"I'll support you no matter who you're with. It's just that you've now met two pretty decent men. I think it's time for you to choose one to date and rely on."
"You really sound like a father. If my dad were half as good as you, the first half of my life wouldn't have been so repressive." Hu Xiu stopped Zhao Xiaorou from speaking. "I'm going out to call Diao Zhiyu. He's playing Li Rong today. He'll come out for a five-minute break at 12:45 on the dot before the second show starts. He's anxious for news from you."
"Things are already moving that fast?"
Ignoring Zhao Xiaorou's gossip, Hu Xiu went out, avoiding a woman speaking in a dialect, and walked to the end of the corridor. It was exactly 12:45. Over the phone, Hu Xiu relayed Li Ai's surgical plan to Diao Zhiyu verbatim, reassuring him repeatedly that there would be no serious complications before hanging up. Diao Zhiyu rarely chatted with Hu Xiu during work hours, not even much on WeChat. In fact, he hadn't been overly affectionate even after that night. After hanging up, she passed the utility room and found Zhao Xiaorou standing inside with a long face, waiting for a thermos to fill with hot water, oblivious even when it overflowed. Standing there in high heels with her arms crossed, she looked like she was sulking. Hu Xiu walked over, turned off the faucet, and asked what was wrong. Zhao Xiaorou replied irritably that when she was helping Li Ai get water just now, she saw the text message on his screen. It was from someone named Xu Meng, who said she would drop by the courthouse to see him after his surgery, once he had reported that he was safe.
"Who's Xu Meng?"
"That woman from the coffee shop."
"Oh, I know her. She's a woman with a child. She met Li Ai when they were in court for a lawsuit. It's nothing, don't worry."
"She has a child?"
"Yes, she's been fighting for justice recently because of a school district housing issue. Something about Pudong's 'Five Categories and Twelve Types' being rezoned to another school district."
"That explains it." Zhao Xiaorou laughed. "It's not as simple as you think. A while ago, I reposted a Weibo post that was speaking up for the parents of the 'Five Categories and Twelve Types.' To avoid spreading rumors, I even read the report carefully. It said that what was supposed to be a happy solution to the children's schooling problem ended up failing to protect the rights of the middle class due to forced rezoning, and several marriages broke down. This Xu Meng is one of them. She went home, argued about it, and came out to hide and fell for Li Ai. The nerve of her."
"Don't overthink it. There are so many people with the same name. It can't be such a coincidence that it's all connected."
"Of course I wouldn't misidentify her. The banner from the parents' joint petition for equal rights is online. I was just looking it up, and that name is right there. How can this world be so small, and things so coincidental?" She blew her bangs out of her face. "What on earth is Li Ai thinking? Why does he have to find a married woman with a child to be his emotional support?"
"Misery loves company, I guess. The bond between comrades-in-arms can easily lead to a suspension bridge effect."
"Forget it." Zhao Xiaorou's anger was rising. "My career is taking off right now. I don't need to consider an insignificant person like Li Ai. He likes me? Is he even worthy?"
Just as she picked up the thermos and turned around, Hu Xiu and Zhao Xiaorou saw Li Ai standing at the doorway. Hu Xiu caught the flash of regret in Zhao Xiaorou's eyes. Li Ai's silence frightened her. They stood there for a few seconds, no one able to speak first. Zhao Xiaorou was used to being cold and hard, so she didn't offer an explanation, just stood there waiting for Li Ai to leave. Li Ai dragged his leg into the utility room, put the wooden stopper on the thermos, picked it up, and turned to leave, supporting himself against the wall without a word. Hu Xiu sighed sadly in her heart. Coincidence, the most prominent embellishment in life.
Back at her post, Hu Xiu was on edge. The entire surgery was said to take seven hours and wouldn't be over until late at night. After finishing her documents and scheduling the next few exchange meetings, Hu Xiu went upstairs and ran right into Pei Zhen. He must have just gotten out of surgery; his face was ashen, and he looked famished again. Li Ai was still under observation in the ICU. Hu Xiu glanced through the door but couldn't see or understand anything. She accompanied Pei Zhen into the convenience store. While she was buying a pack of gummy candies, Pei Zhen sat by the window, his hands trembling as he tore open his bento box.
"That hungry?" Hu Xiu offered a gummy candy to Pei Zhen's lips. He shook his head. "Eating this now will give me a stomachache."
"It's that serious..."
Without another word, Pei Zhen finished his meal in a few bites and drank every last drop of the egg drop soup he'd made with hot water. "Try standing and concentrating for a few hours. I guarantee you'll be so hungry your vision will blur."
"Didn't you have dinner?"
"I was teaching students. I have two doctors rotating with me recently. It's rare to meet dedicated students, so I taught them a bit more."
"Dr. Pei is so friendly, you must be a gentle teacher."
"No. I'm famously strict at the hospital. If you were in my department, you'd probably get a harsh scolding from me."
"Then I'd rather not go to your clinic. I heard you asked Director Cai for a transfer, hoping I'd come to Reconstructive Surgery to be a translator. If you're that strict, I'd rather stay in the administrative department."
"But you'd improve faster with me. How does it feel to move next door to the vice president's office?"
"There's a bit more time spent serving tea and trimming flowers. Miscellaneous tasks take up more time. It's not that it's bad, just that the proportion of translation work has been reduced a little." Hu Xiu knew Pei Zhen was the type to rely on his own abilities rather than tattling, so she spoke frankly.
"Some people like doing these things. If you're diligent with trivial matters, the president will like you, and your position in the hospital will be more stable. You don't seem like that kind of person. If you need it, I can help you."
"Not for now, thank you, Dr. Pei." Hu Xiu tactfully began, "I also want to earn recognition in the hospital through my own efforts. My senior moved me to that office, and maybe one day an emergency will happen and I'll be able to prove my worth. I have confidence in myself. Trimming flowers in my spare time is also a way to relax. Fresh bouquets are delivered every Monday, and it's quite fun to cut a stem and put it in a vase. Speaking of help, you really did me a huge favor by helping Li Ai this time."
"When it comes to hospital matters, it's nothing. Your business is my business."
Thinking of Diao Zhiyu, Hu Xiu didn't accept Pei Zhen's ambiguous remark. "I'll have to thank you properly when I get the chance. A favor must be returned."
"It's not that necessary. A relationship where no one owes anyone anything is boring. The day I went to REGARD, I saw your relationship with Li Ai and understood. He's really different with you guys. Li Ai's personality is also very likable. Zhao Xiaorou is a natural piece of jade inlaid in gold, and you... you're like the indispensable soul between them. This feeling of being family in a foreign land, I'm very envious of it."
"Li Ai is the real soul. He always has a way of bringing people together. Do you know what Zhao Xiaorou said when we first walked into REGARD and saw him? She dropped a golden line that day—a perfect person could never capture her attention, but something with a chipped corner, a missing piece, always makes you want to keep staring at it. Not out of pity, but because it's just too captivating."
Pei Zhen just rested his chin on his hand and looked at her.
PS: Xiao Zhang is really a night owl... The updates should maintain this length for the near future, and the story's pace will pick up. I hope everyone enjoys reading~ Welcome to add this to your bookshelf and vote. I'll be waiting to chat with everyone today too?
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