Chapter 34: I Want to Have a Word with You Alone

Shen Chaoyi’s head was throbbing. The corners of her eyes and brows hid an unconcealable look of dismay. “I’m not his girlfriend. I never have been. Don’t spread that around.”

Word by word, Shen Chaoyi enunciated each syllable heavily, as if that would make the denial more resolute.

Between her and Han Yecheng, the relationship had always been nothing more than colleagues.

“Of course, they don’t know, but I do! You only see Doctor Han as a coworker—not a hint of romantic interest whatsoever. But Doctor Shen, please don’t say I told you.” Chen Ya’s face flushed bright red. She didn’t want to offend Han Yecheng either.

Tattling on him behind his back.

Even though Shen Chaoyi would find out sooner or later, Chen Ya couldn’t let Han Yecheng learn that the information had come from her.

Between Shen Chaoyi and Han Yecheng—both young key physicians personally trained by Director Zhou—Chen Ya couldn’t afford to cross either one.

“I know.” Shen Chaoyi understood Chen Ya’s predicament. “Still, thank you for telling me.”

“You’re welcome. It was the right thing to do.” Chen Ya forced a smile, but unease still churned in her chest.

Shen Chaoyi put on her mask to hide the bandage on her face—no need for unwanted attention.

She glanced at her watch. “Alright, go ahead and get back to work. I have something to take care of. I’ll be off.”

Closing the door behind her, Shen Chaoyi let out a deep sigh.

Noticing the gaze from Wang Shiye at the nurse’s station across the way, Shen Chaoyi swept a cold, fleeting look in that direction, a hint of chill brewing in her eyes.

After steadying herself a bit, she decided to head to Yi Qingzhuo’s ward to retrieve the phone she’d left behind in her haste.

Apparently sensing Shen Chaoyi was about to leave, Wang Shiye spoke up. “Doctor Shen, Director Zhou wants you to drop whatever you’re doing and go to his office.”

Hearing this, Shen Chaoyi halted mid-step.

Was everyone queuing up to have a word with her today?

Even someone with the best temper would grow irritable in a situation like this.

But she merely raised a hand and rubbed her temples. She wouldn’t take it out on Wang Shiye, who was just delivering the message.

Finally, she nodded to show she understood.

Turning on her heel, Shen Chaoyi walked in the opposite direction from Yi Qingzhuo’s ward.

……

Inside the ward, Yi Qingzhuo slowly opened her eyes.

In a daze, she stared at the pure white ceiling, the steady drip-drip sound reaching her ears. For a moment, she thought she was back in the operating room.

She blinked her heavy eyelids as consciousness gradually returned.

Only then did she hear the low sobbing beside her.

Turning her head, she realized she wasn’t in an operating room.

The dripping sound was just the ECG monitor.

But she was certain this wasn’t the same ward as before.

“Child, you’re awake? You’re finally awake.” Yi Changhuan could no longer contain her emotions, and her crying spilled out. “I only went home for a bit—how did it come to this? It’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have left.”

When Yi Changhuan rushed over and saw Chen Yao standing outside Yi Qingzhuo’s door alongside several police officers, her heart sank. She knew instinctively that something had happened to Yi Qingzhuo.

As she drew closer, she saw Shen Chaoyi standing beside the bed, her expression focused, injecting something into Yi Qingzhuo’s IV line.

And Yi Qingzhuo—lying on the bed, utterly lifeless.

In an instant, Yi Changhuan felt as if she had been transported back half a month ago.

That day when her child had nearly died.

Shen Chaoyi, equally absorbed. Yi Qingzhuo, just as lifeless.

Later, she learned from Chen Yao what had happened.

Zhou You and his mother had come to cause trouble, trying to force Yi Qingzhuo to sign a letter of forgiveness to get her aunt and uncle—still in detention—off the hook.

After a heated argument, Yi Qingzhuo was so agitated that she fainted.

“Mom.” Yi Qingzhuo opened her mouth, her throat parched and raw.

The sound that came out was hoarse and weak.

Yi Changhuan reached out and gently stroked the top of Yi Qingzhuo’s head. “Mom won’t leave your side again. This is all my fault. I didn’t watch over you properly, and you got hurt again.”

When she saw her child lying pale and powerless in bed, something suddenly let go inside her.

So what if she didn’t like men? So what if she was gay?

All that mattered was that her child was safe.

That was the only thing Yi Changhuan asked for—nothing more.

She was too afraid of losing Yi Qingzhuo.

“Mom respects you. Whatever you like, Mom supports it. I’m sorry—it’s all my fault. I won’t rush you into dating anymore. I won’t force you to do things you don’t want. As long as you’re happy—as long as it’s what you want—then I’ll be happy too. Okay?” Yi Changhuan was drowning in self-blame.

She felt that if she hadn’t gotten angry at Yi Qingzhuo’s words and gone home, Yi Qingzhuo might not have ended up back in the hospital, weak and on the verge of death.

Listening to the sound of the ECG monitor, she silently begged every Buddha and deity she could think of.

She had never believed in gods or spirits before.

She had always thought that everything was in one’s own hands—that talk of “three feet above your head, there are gods” was just empty moral restraint.

But now, with her child lying so lifelessly in the hospital bed, she believed. She even thought:

She would kneel and climb five thousand stairs if it meant begging for Yi Qingzhuo’s safety.

Yi Qingzhuo forced a stiff smile. “Why do you always blame yourself? Mom, even if you’d been here, things would have turned out the same. Don’t say that—it has nothing to do with you. What’s meant to come will come sooner or later.”

“But I’m grateful that you understand me.” Yi Qingzhuo pressed her lips together, her voice hoarse and strained.

“Good child. You’ve been wronged. I understand—I really do understand you.” Yi Changhuan pulled her hand back and wiped away her tears.

The guilt she felt toward Yi Qingzhuo was immense.

So immense that even thinking of a single moment when Yi Qingzhuo gritted her teeth and held on was enough to make her eyes well up.

Yi Qingzhuo shook her head weakly, but her mind drifted to Shen Chaoyi.

She wanted to ask how Shen Chaoyi was doing.

Then she remembered that Han Yecheng had been there too, and she forcefully suppressed the thought.

She wondered how the wound on Shen Chaoyi’s face was doing.

Such a beautiful face, now injured.

Like a flawless piece of jade marred by a crack—it made Yi Qingzhuo feel guilty.

Shen Chaoyi could have chosen not to stand in front of her. Zhou Jinglong had called out to her twice.

Recalling the look on Shen Chaoyi’s face when she had defended her—every word—Yi Qingzhuo savored it over and over again.

In that moment, Shen Chaoyi had been her pillar.

She was like a ray of light piercing through the murk.

Because she appeared, Yi Qingzhuo’s sense of security finally took shape.

Her heart began to involuntarily care for her.

Shen Chaoyi… what am I supposed to do with you?

You shouldn’t have gotten close to me.

Yi Qingzhuo held back from saying anything, but Yi Changhuan brought up Shen Chaoyi first. “Thank goodness for Doctor Shen. She didn’t even tend to her own injuries before moving us to a new ward, got us away from that place, and told the hospital not to allow any strangers to visit. We owe her so much. And she’s injured too—I don’t even know what to say.”

Yi Changhuan didn’t know how to thank Shen Chaoyi, and Yi Qingzhuo was even more at a loss.

“How is she? Her… the corner of her mouth was hurt.” After a moment’s hesitation, Yi Qingzhuo finally asked.

The door to the ward was open because Yi Qingzhuo hadn’t woken up yet, so a nurse came to check on her every fifteen minutes.

Shen Chaoyi reached the doorway just in time to hear Yi Qingzhuo’s question.

Standing at the entrance, she curved her eyes in a smile and answered, “I’m fine. Nothing serious.”

She rapped her knuckles on the door and stepped inside.

Seeing Yi Qingzhuo’s dark eyes fixed directly on her, she said, “You’re awake. Do you feel any discomfort?”

“Doctor Shen, your injury…” Yi Changhuan immediately stood up.

She wanted to see how Shen Chaoyi’s wound was doing, but Shen Chaoyi was wearing a mask, so she couldn’t see a thing.

In her haste, Yi Changhuan nearly bumped into Shen Chaoyi.

Shen Chaoyi’s eyes pooled with autumn water as she stepped back and reached out to steady her. “It’s already been treated, Auntie. Don’t worry. It’s nothing—it’ll heal soon.”

Yi Changhuan steadied herself and said, a little embarrassed, “I… I don’t even know how to thank you. You’re such a good doctor.” Thousands of words of gratitude, and in the end, this was all that remained.

Shen Chaoyi raised a hand, about to say there’s no need to thank me,

when Yi Qingzhuo said, “Mom, I want to have a word with Doctor Shen alone.”