The next morning, Tang Feiwan was still dreaming when Jiang Junli knocked and woke her.
“Time to get up. We’ve already been to the market.”
“Mmph, what time is it?” Because of her injuries, Tang Feiwan, who usually slept on her back, had to sleep on her side. She opened her eyes and mumbled.
Jiang Junli’s voice projected through the door: “8:30. Isn’t that enough catch-up sleep?”
“Yes, Director Jiang.” Tang Feiwan sometimes addressed her parents by their professional titles, like calling Tang Anhua “Teacher Tang” and Jiang Junli “Director Jiang.”
“After you wash up, I’ll help you with the cold compress.” Last night, she hadn’t escaped Jiang Junli’s sharp eyes and was made to ice her back.
At nearly 9 a.m., after the ice pack, Tang Feiwan sat at the dining table, eating noodles slowly. Jiang Junli chatted with her. “How does the hospital plan to handle the dispute?”
“Waiting for the autopsy report. The family insists the hospital is fully responsible.”
Jiang Junli asked, “What do you suspect caused the sudden death?”
Tang Feiwan drank the soup and answered unhurriedly, “I suspect acute pulmonary embolism caused sudden cardiac death. His ex said he had a minor fracture two months ago. No surgery, but he lay around all day like a lump. He probably already had emboli.”
“What about his father? Caught?”
Tang Feiwan looked up. “A little past 2 a.m., the police found him in a hotel suite. He was drunk.”
“We shouldn’t settle. Let him spend a couple of days in detention.” Last night, Tang Feiwan’s injuries were classified as minor. If mediation failed, administrative detention was possible.
“Okay, unless he agrees to stop harassing the hospital and harming my colleagues.” Tang Feiwan added, “His daughter called to mediate, saying she’d lie to him that further trouble would affect her future job prospects.”
Jiang Junli shook her head. “We absolutely can’t let him off that easily. If the hospital did nothing wrong, they might give some money out of humanitarian consideration. But that’s a separate matter—he should still be legally detained for hurting someone.”
“Fine.” Tang Feiwan had originally been thinking of Lin Ye, afraid that if Dong Guo’s father was detained, he’d come out and make even more unreasonable trouble once released. After all, with someone violent, you never knew what they’d do next.
Jiang Junli urged, “Hurry up and eat. After you finish, go rest in your room. We need to set the table.”
“Who’s coming?” Today was Tang Anhua’s 55th birthday, not a milestone.
Jiang Junli didn’t look up, her voice a little weak. “Your dad’s friends.”
Tang Feiwan didn’t think much of it. “Oh, okay. The cake I ordered will arrive at 4 p.m.” After eating, she took her bowl to the kitchen. Jiang Junli, knowing her daughter rarely came home, indulged her, telling her to leave it in the sink.
Besides, her daughter was still hurt.
Tang Feiwan did so and hid in her room with a book. At nearly 11:30, she was pulled from a surgical video by sudden pleasantries.
“Sit, sit. I’ll go call Tangtang. She loves reading and studying surgeries.” Tang Anhua’s voice approached, and he knocked. “Tangtang.”
Tang Feiwan frowned. How long has it been since Teacher Tang called me by my nickname? How strange. She left her desk and opened the door. Outside, Tang Anhua was all smiles, instructing her, “Hurry, go change. Don’t wear shorts and a T-shirt. Too casual.”
“Why? My knee is injured, so I can’t wear long pants.” Tang Feiwan didn’t understand, but considering Tang Anhua’s birthday, she gave in. “Fine.” She closed the door and went to her closet. Due to personal preference and riding motorcycles, Tang Feiwan rarely bought dresses. She found three skirts. She chose a light-colored denim skirt about knee-length—not too short, and not touching her wounds—paired with an apricot blouse. She pinned up her hair, loose strands framing her glasses. She looked more polished than at work.
After a quick touch-up, she opened the door and walked out, only to hear their conversation.
“Tangtang is highly educated. Our Zhang Bo can’t compare.”
Tang Anhua smiled. “Not at all. Zhang Bo also got his PhD from a top university.”
Tang Feiwan instantly understood.
She had used work as an excuse to avoid blind dates time and again. Now they’d brought the person home. How desperate are they to marry me off? The more she thought about it, the angrier she got, and Tang Feiwan’s face darkened instantly. She wanted to rush straight back to her room, claiming she felt too unwell to see anyone. But she didn’t want to embarrass Tang Anhua in front of guests. She decided to at least see them off before talking to him later.
With that, she forced herself forward, every step heavy.
Tang Anhua saw her and pointed to the empty seat to Zhang Bo’s right. “Tangtang, sit there. Chat with Zhang Bo. He studied bio-medicine and works for the government. You two should have plenty to talk about.”
Tang Feiwan’s face darkened further, but she sat as told. Zhang Bo tried to chat, and she responded woodenly, not registering a word. Her passive behavior was too obvious. Tang Anhua noticed and, using the excuse of helping carry dishes into the kitchen, pulled the kitchen door shut and gave her a pointed reminder. “Even if you don’t like it, at least show some respect. Zhang Bo’s dad is my colleague.”
Tang Feiwan didn’t buy it. “Whose fault is it you didn’t tell me in advance?”
Tang Anhua was angry. “Would you have come home if I’d told you? You’d have said the hospital needed you.”
Suppressing the anger bottled up inside her, Tang Feiwan lowered her voice. “I thought you were a teacher. Shouldn’t you know basic respect?”
The atmosphere was tense. Neither would back down. Jiang Junli walked in, closed the door, and broke up the fight. “What are you arguing about? If you’re any louder, everyone outside will hear.” She demanded of the man beside her, “Tang Anhua, what did I say? Don’t you know your daughter’s temper? Why go behind her back?”
Jiang Junli had him in check. Tang Anhua shut up. Jiang Junli turned to Tang Feiwan’s fuming face, not taking sides, her voice low but firm. “And Tang Feiwan, today is your father’s birthday. His colleagues are outside. You should show basic respect. You’re 30, educated. Don’t you understand?”
Tang Feiwan took a deep breath, calmed herself, and agreed. “Mm.”
The three composed themselves and carried the dishes out. Jiang Junli smiled. “We counted. Only ten dishes. We’re worried it’s not enough.”
Zhang Bo’s father laughed. “Ten dishes for five people? We’ll be stuffed.”
Lunch was harmonious. At the rectangular table, Tang Feiwan sat on Jiang Junli’s right, Zhang Bo and his father on the left, and Tang Anhua at the head.
After the meal, Zhang Bo asked to add her on WeChat. Seeing Tang Anhua signaling, Tang Feiwan reluctantly opened her QR code and scanned.
At 2:30 p.m., the family saw the father and son off. The moment the door closed, Tang Feiwan’s face changed, and she headed to her room. Tang Anhua called after her, wanting to talk, but Jiang Junli stopped him. “Let her rest. She’s still injured.”
Tang Feiwan went to her room, locked the door, and sat at her desk. As if venting her frustration, she gripped her phone tightly. For a long time, the resentment kept building. A name flashed in her mind, a name that could save her with just a voice…
She stared at Lin Ye’s number in her contacts and, as if possessed, pressed call.
After ten-odd seconds of ringing, just when she thought no one would answer, the voice she dreamed of came through: “Hello.” Tang Feiwan froze again, unable to respond.
On the other end, Lin Ye faintly heard her heavy breathing and raised her voice. “Hello, Doctor Tang.”
“Mm.” At the sound of her name, Tang Feiwan’s tears finally burst. She couldn’t sob loudly, only shaking her shoulders as she held back.
Lin Ye clearly heard her sniffles. Not wanting to ask directly, she probed, “What’s wrong?”
“I… I…” I can’t tell the truth. I can’t dump my pain on Lin Ye. Tang Feiwan stammered for a long while, then finally blurted out nonsensically, “I could have been at the skills competition with you today, but now I’m stuck at home because of my injury.”
Lin Ye didn’t believe that, of course. She stayed silent.
Tang Feiwan knew the white lie was too transparent. She bit her lip and blurted, “D-Director Lin, my wounds really hurt.”
The other end was quiet. Tang Feiwan thought Lin Ye had nothing to say. She sighed inwardly. Calling hadn’t improved her mood at all—it had only made Lin Ye unhappy. But the next second, Lin Ye’s voice, clear as a mountain spring, sounded in her ear: “After my shift tonight, I’ll change your dressing. It will hurt.” She added, “Or would you rather take a couple of days off to rest?”
Tang Feiwan quickly refused. “No, I have to work.”
“Okay, rest up first.”
“Okay. See you tonight.” Tang Feiwan sensed the woman’s hesitation, but in the end, she got the answer she wanted.
“See you tonight.”
Though the tone was flat, she was satisfied.
After hanging up, Tang Feiwan’s heart pounded. The spark she’d kept hidden in her heart, at the ready since returning to the country, was spreading into an uncontrollable blaze. Better to act than to think a thousand times. This was her long-held principle. She opened Jiang Junli’s WeChat and typed: “Mom, I have something to tell you.”
Three minutes later, Jiang Junli knocked and entered. Seeing the reddened eyes behind her daughter’s glasses, she asked worriedly, “What’s wrong?”
Tang Feiwan looked directly into her mother’s eyes, without hesitation, her expression resolute. “Mom, I’ve always refused blind dates because I like women.”
