After spending one night in the hospital ward, Hu Xiu hurriedly checked out the next day. After all, beds were in short supply, with many emergency patients needing hospitalization. Since she wasn't missing any limbs or broken any bones, she quickly vacated the spot to return to work.
But her troubles weren't over yet. Zhao Xiaorou sent her a text message, calmly stating: "I'm dating Gong Huaicong now. You might frequently see me becoming gossip fodder, so I'm giving you a heads-up."
Hu Xiu might not know everyone, but Gong Huaicong's name was known to all. He was among the first batch of internet entrepreneurship elites. In 2014, at just twenty-one years old, he secured investment with his gift-giving app idea. Since then, his career had soared—managing private equity funds with one hand while investing in innovative small companies with the other. Everything he touched turned to gold, avoiding pitfalls as if he were a prophet who'd already identified the wolves.
He often mingled with entertainment industry celebrities, his orientation remained mysterious, and he never minced words, earning him the nickname "Entertainment Industry Discipline Inspector." Yet any Internet celebrity who dated him became hot gossip among netizens—after all, he was the Gatsby of the tech innovation circle.
Years ago, Hu Xiu attended a copywriting meeting at a riverside development in the Bund area. The state-owned enterprise's large property project had hired a local advertising agency alongside their ATL integrated marketing whizzes. During the two-hour meeting, they brainstormed how to break through and make the luxury apartments China's top choice, but no proposal satisfied them. That very afternoon, Gong Huaicong brought a A-list male celebrity to view properties at the first-floor sales office. Immediately, the Gebauer Executive Apartments at No. 88 Yinpura Road saw a surge in interest, with the 180-square-meter one-bedroom suite becoming the preferred rental for the new elite. Its average price has now reached 180,000 RMB per square meter.
Arriving at Zhao Xiaorou's home early in the morning, Hu Xiu watched her organizing shooting outfits and rehearsing scripts with her assistant, quietly puzzled.
It wasn't that she thought Zhao Xiaorou wasn't good enough—she just couldn't figure out how this connection had been made.
The mystery was soon solved. The lip-ringed boy who'd been playing drinking games for gifts at Li Ai's place was actually a young master from this circle. His family owned numerous bars in Shanghai: the large electronic music venue LYX, the small local rock spot FF, and the newly opened small hip-hop venue ON$.
He'd ended up at Li Ai's place swapping gifts purely out of Christmas frustration with nowhere else to go. There he met Zhao Xiaorou, willingly acknowledged her as an older sister, and brought her to ON$'s birthday gathering. The event was filled with industry insiders—singers, Internet celebrities, idols profiting from variety show fans, and Gong Huaicong, who was just killing time.
Zhao Xiaorou's years of maintenance workouts and cosmetic treatments finally paid off. From head to toe, she appeared refined yet natural, wearing skinny jeans and a white U-neck knit sweater while drinking in the corner. She wore no accessories and almost no makeup (at least no bright lipstick), standing out like a lotus flower emerging from muddy water among the crowd of bizarre characters.
At Gong Huaicong's home, Zhao Xiaorou pretended to be on her period and sadly recounted her unhappy marriage with Wang Guangming. They drank and talked through the night, during which a shocking revelation emerged—
Gong Huaicong had also recently gone through a flash marriage and divorce, and had just gotten an obscure minor celebrity pregnant, paying 500,000 RMB in breakup fees along with an A5.
Zhao Xiaorou laughed while telling the story: "Gong Huaicong's sexual orientation is quite questionable. When letting his ex-girlfriend pick a car, he couldn't bear to part with his 718 and TT—are those even cars for men? Though he's letting me drive the 718 now."Diao Zhiyu and Li Ai were in the living room, while Hu Xiu pulled Zhao Xiaorou into the bedroom. "Aren’t you taking this a bit too far?"
"Taking what too far? This is a normal relationship."
"A playboy like Gong Huaicong…"
"What’s there to handle? Men can always be managed. Do you know why so many Internet celebrities get criticized but still live so well?
Because they provide emotional value to men. Remember Wang Guangming’s girlfriend?
She was torn apart for cheating, but how many men still used that photo of her in a backless dress to get off?
All I’m giving Gong Huaicong is gentleness. He’s been around bars long enough—when he meets someone like me, who’s not so common, of course he’ll take a second look."
Hu Xiu was a bit overwhelmed by this targeted approach.
"Lowbrow dreams are the root of all evil, but everyone fantasizes about someone out of reach.
The moment I saw Gong Huaicong at the bar, I knew—there’s nothing he can’t have, but I’ll make sure he can’t have me, at least not that night.
And he took the bait—shows how easily he usually gets his way. Disgusting."
"Do you actually like him…"
"I don’t dislike him, and he’s rich. What he gives me is real attention, letting my value rise even after divorce.
Since emotions are useless to me, why not trade them for something tangible?"
"What about your heart? Don’t you care how you feel inside?"
"The problem is, sincerity isn’t worth much." Zhao Xiaorou busily packed, too occupied to pay Hu Xiu much mind. "Or do you think I’m not good enough?"
"I didn’t…"
"Haven’t Diao Zhiyu and Pei Zhen taught you this already? Perfect people exist in this world, and so do partners who fit your fantasies perfectly—it just depends on whether you’re lucky enough to meet them and capable enough to deserve them. Most people miss their chance even when it comes. I’m different—I can act."
Thinking of the show Zhao Xiaorou and Wang Guangming had put on, Hu Xiu felt a chill down her spine.
Someone knocked on the door. Zhao Xiaorou dragged her suitcase. "I’m off. I have to shoot three vlogs today—so busy. And tonight, I’m going out to dinner and the bar with Gong Huaicong."
"Wait…" Hu Xiu felt a bit irritated. "What about Li Ai?"
Zhao Xiaorou laughed. "Hu Xiu, sometimes, don’t mistake what you see and what you think for reality. Maybe in your eyes, I’m head over heels for Li Ai, determined to marry no one else.
But honestly, a lot of the time, it’s just playing along when the mood strikes. I don’t take it that seriously. Don’t ship us like it’s some deep, real connection, okay?"
Now Hu Xiu was confused. Zhao Xiaorou lifted her suitcase and dragged it a few steps before realizing she’d forgotten to unlock the wheels. Annoyed, she said, "See? Just because the wheels are locked, it won’t move. But all it takes is unlocking them."
Outside, Li Ai and Diao Zhiyu were scouting locations. Zhao Xiaorou wanted to open her own Escape Room, with Diao Zhiyu handling site selection and operations, and Li Ai in charge of design.
The two were torn between the Yangpu Creative Park and the Global Harbor business district. Zhao Xiaorou left after just a quick goodbye.
Seeing the webpages crammed on the computer like piano keys, it seemed opening the Escape Room was really happening. Li Ai brewed a latte and handed it to Hu Xiu. "Is Luoshui okay?"
"She still has a bit of a fever," Diao Zhiyu replied.
"These beans are great—they have a wine-like aroma."Hu Xiu snatched the cup in frustration: "All you care about is tasting coffee!"
After speaking, she went into the guest bedroom and lay down on the bed, her head throbbing. Diao Zhiyu knocked and entered, holding fever-reducing medicine in his palm: "Take this..."
After swallowing the pill, Hu Xiu curled up under the covers. Diao Zhiyu sat by the bed, leaning close to her: "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
"Did you see about Zhao Xiaorou's relationship?"
"Yeah, people on Weibo are asking who she is, and they're mocking Gong Huaicong for not being picky, saying he'd even take a divorced woman. Are you angry because of that?"
"No. I just don't understand—feelings can't be faked. How can someone pretend to have feelings for someone they don't like at all?"
"That's not within the scope of our relationship. Besides, you can't easily claim they have no feelings for each other."
"Can you teach me how to tell the difference between real and fake?"
Diao Zhiyu was amused: "Sorry, that's beyond my knowledge too. Otherwise, I wouldn't be sitting by your bed right now."
Drowsiness began to envelop her, and she struggled to open her eyes one last time to ask, "Then what about you now? Are you acting, or are your feelings genuine?"
"Guess..." Diao Zhiyu tucked the blanket around her, resting his chin on his folded hands as he watched her: "I'll wait until you're asleep before I leave."
Hu Xiu's eyelids grew heavy, and the camel in front of her seemed to blink along with her. He must have been a boy with mature features since he was ten.
Even with a youthful aura, his sharp adult angles gave him premature adolescent sentiments, and that jawline only worsened the emotional life he tried to avoid.
Perhaps he had long been immune to confessions from the opposite sex, learning how to reject others even before becoming a Live Action Role Playing Game actor, so he kept his distance, politely acting like he had face blindness.
And who was the first to confess? Besides Lin Qiumei, who made his heart flutter? And who turned him into such a charming young man?
She greedily wanted to know it all. A belly full of questions reached her lips but only turned into one sentence: "You know, I have a habit—I need to hold onto something to fall asleep.
The corner of the blanket, a pillow, pajamas, my phone... If my hands are empty, I feel insecure."
"Which planet did you come from, with such a strange habit?"
"Planet Handhold..."
He stifled a laugh: "Are you saying you want to borrow my arm to hold?"
"If you're willing, there's no reason not to."
Diao Zhiyu couldn't resist teasing her: "So you just want to trick me into staying here with you."
Why would I need to trick you? Hu Xiu pouted. Diao Zhiyu probably spent every day doing mental gymnastics, with the question always being: Is Hu Xiu acting in this situation?
Suddenly, the phone rang—it was her senior colleague. A frantic call on the weekend was usually work-related: "Xiao Hu, I need your help urgently. My daughter has acute pancreatitis, and my husband is still on a business trip. I have to take her to the hospital. Can you cover for me as a translator?"
Hu Xiu, still groggy, sobered up halfway: "Where are you now?"
"I'm at Zhongshan Hospital. The lecture is here too, starting at 10. Can you make it?"
Hu Xiu checked the time and got up: "I'll take a taxi over now."
As comfortable as it was in her cozy bed, Hu Xiu withdrew her hand: "I have to go to the hospital. You heard the call..."
"But you still have a fever."
"I'm responsible for international medical history exchange and cooperation." Hu Xiu shook her head vigorously: "If I can still chat with you, my mind is clear enough."Receiving the materials from her senior colleague in the taxi gave Hu Xiu a headache—52 pages of oncology documents with only forty minutes to prepare. She might as well have offered to accompany her colleague’s daughter, who had pancreatitis, to the hospital instead.
When handing over the materials, her senior colleague looked exhausted and apologetic. "Sorry, Xiao Hu. My daughter’s sudden pancreatitis has me at a loss, but work can’t just be abandoned."
Entering the venue, Hu Xiu checked her belongings: electronic dictionary, keyword list, and sticky notes—all there.
Settling into the simultaneous interpretation booth, she quickly pulled out a marker to highlight key terms. She skimmed through the sections her colleague had emphasized, stuck the conference’s key agenda in front of her as a reminder not to mistranslate critical timelines, and resigned herself to improvising the rest.
Under normal circumstances, she was 90% confident in her translations, but for this one, it was more like 60-70%. When the first speaker, a pediatric professor from Johns Hopkins University, stepped in, Hu Xiu broke into a cold sweat.
It wasn’t that she knew nothing, but the information asymmetry was stark—a week’s preparation had shrunk to forty minutes. Forcing herself to interpret under such pressure was something she’d never accept under normal conditions; it risked tarnishing her reputation.
The first fifteen minutes were a frantic scramble. Fortunately, her rigorous training from student days paid off—though panicked inside, her tone remained calm and steady. Even running a fever didn’t hinder her language output.
During the break, she hurriedly reviewed the remaining materials, feeling that her on-the-spot performance had been decent. Maybe her acting skills were… passable after all?
The composure and stage control this profession demanded weren’t qualities just anyone could easily cultivate.
For this pediatric oncology research session, she had to thank American TV dramas and Grey’s Anatomy—out of curiosity, she’d looked up every rare condition Alex encountered, which now kept her from stumbling over terms like pediatric tumors and lesions despite the incomplete prep.
And… compared to her copywriting days at the ad agency, this felt far more natural.
Exiting the booth, Hu Xiu wore her colleague’s name tag and ran into the vice dean.
Since they shared an office, the vice dean greeted her warmly. "Xiao Hu, why are you here? Weren’t you the one who fell into the water?"
"My colleague’s daughter is in the ER. I’m filling in last minute."
The vice dean introduced her to a professor beside him. "This young lady from my office is 27, a graduate of Nanjing University’s Advanced Translation Institute—exceptionally talented.
She handles admin and foreign affairs on weekdays, interprets on weekends. Diligent and reliable—such talent is hard to come by!"
By now, Hu Xiu’s high fever had fully set in, and without medication, she saw four versions of the vice dean’s head.
Her phone buzzed—a message from Pei Zhen: "My farewell party at 7 pm. Are you coming?"
It was only four subway stops away. She decided to make an appearance.
Arriving at the restaurant outside the hospital, she found the group already tipsy. Doctor Jin and his girlfriend were there, and her senior colleague approached with a greeting. "Teacher Hu, running late? Oh right, you fell into the water while rescuing someone."
It felt like countless eyes were on her—since the incident, she’d become the talk of the town. Doctor Jin stepped forward, somewhat provocatively. "Teacher Hu, drink this toast, and I’ll consider you a friend."
"Aren’t we friends already?"
"With Pei Zhen around before, it was different. Now he’s off to the U.S. and specifically asked me to look after his juniors—clearly implying I should take care of you."After speaking, he leaned close to Hu Xiu's ear, his breath reeking of alcohol making her frown: "Teacher Hu, if you don't like Pei Zhen, just say it earlier. Taking advantage of your position to enjoy Pei Zhen's preferential treatment while being pursued by a young boy—such a girl's reputation would be very bad."
Given her usual temper, Hu Xiu should have indignantly refused, but there was no need to argue with someone who had been drinking. Besides, she truly had no grounds to get angry.
Thinking this, she smiled politely: "Doctor Jin, you might not be aware, but both of them are pursuing me. Doctor Pei specifically said he wanted fair competition, which is why I haven't refused.
There might be some misunderstanding, but I absolutely have no intention of taking advantage of him. It's not easy to get a permanent position at the hospital, and I've worked very hard to prepare."
Doctor Jin took two steps back, squinting at her; Hu Xiu didn't avoid his gaze. At this moment, her eyes must be clear and sincere—what she just said was indeed true. Pei Zhen had spent time on her morning lessons, and she had studied so hard her hair turned white. Even if the outcome didn't lead to love, this process shouldn't be seen as mere exploitation.
Saying this felt somewhat sad, but she was different from Zhao Xiaorou.
Doctor Jin smiled. He was also a doctor with a unique temperament, with a mole at the corner of his eye and always a hint of wariness in his gaze. Up close, she could tell—these were eyes that had been hurt, instinctively avoiding direct contact.
At this age, no man is without his stories. Hu Xiu filled a glass with beer: "Doctor Jin, let's drink this big glass together, wash away our wariness, and I look forward to your guidance from now on."
After saying this, she downed it in one go.
After a few drinks, Hu Xiu felt as if her feet were floating on water. Someone pulled her aside—it was Pei Zhen, who gently caught her troubled thoughts: "What's wrong?"
Hu Xiu hiccupped: "I can't bear to part with you..."
This was indeed true. Even as colleagues who had fought side by side in the hospital, they were adult comrades who could share their thoughts.
After leaving the hospital, Hu Xiu truly had no friends she could confide in.
Pei Zhen's eyes looked very sad. Hu Xiu coughed a few times and took a mask from her bag to put on: "Sorry, I still haven't recovered from this cold. I don't want to spread it to everyone."
"It's not contagious. Catching a cold from falling in the water and worrying about spreading it—how silly."
Then he smiled: "I'm a doctor, but I wasn't by your side when it happened."
He was referring to the artificial respiration after she fell into the water. Hu Xiu only stared into his eyes, grateful that her cold allowed her to cover half her face with a mask, hiding her expression from Pei Zhen. If he couldn't see her response, it might not be a bad thing.
"So even if we were dating, married, or became family, what I could do for you would only be less. In that sense, Diao Zhiyu could give you more."
"Don't compare like that..."
"Men do care about what they can offer a woman." Pei Zhen felt around his bag for something: "Another thing I can't accept is that I lost to Diao Zhiyu."
"You didn't lose..." She wanted to hold Pei Zhen's hand but suddenly remembered Zhao Xiaorou's words—often when feelings arise, it's just acting for the occasion.
If she were to act now, perhaps she should hug him and say, don't be discouraged, you're not out of the game yet.
But she couldn't do it. Diao Zhiyu said she was an excellent actress—what a joke. She simply couldn't bring herself to do anything against her conscience."In Teacher Hu's mind, Dr. Pei is just a handsome but boring doctor, right? If you think I'm some orthodox physician, you'd be mistaken.
Six months before I met you, I was taken to the police station for getting into a fight. A week later, the officer brought a family member to the hospital for treatment and ran into me. The moment we recognized each other, it was awkward.
During the interrogation, he asked me why I couldn't control myself. What I was really thinking was: I was having a meal with a girl I knew, and we encountered an unreasonable neighboring table. I had to put on a show in front of her."
"Just kidding. I'm not that patient, and I have little tolerance for girls. You might truly be a special case in my life, breaking quite a few of my behavioral rules."
"Sounds like fighting for a girl is an even bigger exception."
Pei Zhen didn't respond, only smiled and opened a can of cola. The fizz passing through his throat sounded lonely. Amid the slightly noisy white noise in the private room, Hu Xiu heard Pei Zhen's voice: "Perhaps after returning from the U.S., you and Diao Zhiyu will be together. For me, that's not something I can easily brush off. Losing control of a situation is what a doctor finds most unbearable. Maybe adulthood is all about struggling with things we can't have."
A sense of melancholy also rose in Hu Xiu's heart. The regret of having missed out on a promising relationship wasn't absent—by all measures, Pei Zhen would be the top choice in any girl's heart.
Even setting aside his profession, qualifications, and all worldly frameworks, he remained a captivating luxury, a rare treasure.
The desire to keep such an invaluable prize for oneself, to selfishly monopolize it—any girl who met Pei Zhen would feel it, and she was no exception. But she understood that what she could offer Pei Zhen now was affection, not love.
Her love had already been wholly given to someone else.
Pei Zhen smiled and shook the can: "At this point, I won't hide it from you. Initially, I applied for the Boston University program because I heard my ex-girlfriend was also participating. I couldn't let go of her. Even after all these years, I still wanted to work on a project with her. Rekindling old flames would be ideal, and if necessary, I wasn't above disrupting her family.
But after my application was approved, I met you. I fell for you beyond measure, even regretting applying for this three-month exchange.
Does that sound shameless? Maybe there's just a lack of fate between us. Let's meet again in three months.
If you're still single, I'll still have a chance—just like when I ended up in the police station, I'm not a good person, and I don't have many principles."
After saying this, he reached out and hugged Hu Xiu. As the cola can brushed past her ear, she heard the sound of carbonated bubbles bursting, like dreams shattering noisily beside her. The trivial worries of adults surfaced and vanished at a similar pace.
Over time, the crisp, sharp carbonation would eventually mellow into a calm, sweet drink. No matter how turbulent it once was, it would fade away under the gentle embrace of the air.
In that moment, she truly understood Pei Zhen, even if it was just the shared sympathy between two adults. When Diao Zhiyu's call came through, Hu Xiu gently declined it.
After all, he had already seen Pei Zhen holding her at the door.
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