Chapter 20: Aren’t You Cold?

“Did you know? The police came again for Bed 7.”

“Yeah, but rumor has it that Bed 7 is going to sue her own aunt. Legal procedures have already started, so the police have been coming more frequently.”

“Really? Isn’t that her own aunt? She’s suing her own aunt?”

“Surprising? I don’t think it’s strange at all. After all, if she could do something like that at eighteen, suing her aunt now is perfectly normal, isn’t it?”

“But didn’t her aunt first send people to corner her and beat her up like that? That’s why she’s suing, right?”

“Are you stupid? If she hadn’t done something shameful, would her aunt treat her like that? In my opinion, Doctor Shen shouldn’t have even saved her. Then everything would be settled, and Ningchuan would be at peace.”

“Speaking of Doctor Shen, I don’t know what she’s thinking. Earlier she even confronted the police in public just to defend Bed 7. She said something about considering her physical condition, that she’s not fit for questioning. After that, the police didn’t come for a couple of days, right?”

“Who knows what she’s thinking? To offend the police for someone like that. And you know, Doctor Han—the Doctor Han who was such a perfect match for her—they used to have such a good relationship. Just because Doctor Han was worried that getting too close to Bed 7 would cause trouble for her, she got angry in front of everyone in the office and refused to let him off the hook.”

“Exactly. Doctor Han is so outstanding—talented and handsome. He only said that because he cared about her. And she just showed him no respect like that. See how much she defends that Bed 7?”

“Actually, Doctor Shen is this attentive to other patients too…”

“Hey? Little Liu, what’s wrong with you? Whose side are you on?”

The voices from the nurse break room weren’t too loud or too soft. Probably because none of the people involved were present, the nurses didn’t bother to lower their voices as they gathered and talked.

The door was left ajar from people coming in and out, and the snippets of conversation drifted unhindered into the ears of Yi Qingzhuo, who was sitting on a chair outside.

Even though she was wearing earphones, her hearing was exceptionally sharp, and she caught every single word without missing a beat.

Yi Qingzhuo’s expression was placid. She sat motionless, as if in a trance. Although she had heard the entire conversation, not a single flicker of emotion crossed her face. She stared out the window; people came and went around her, yet her world remained silent and desolate.

Today, the sun had rarely made an appearance. An autumn sun’s warmth was a rare thing.

Yi Qingzhuo had been cooped up in that hospital room for too long. So, enduring the pain that came with movement, she insisted on sitting out here for a while.

Clutching an MP3 player in her hand, Yi Qingzhuo quietly stared at the white wall before her.

Sunlight streamed through the window, enveloping Yi Qingzhuo’s body and face in warm rays.

Yi Qingzhuo wasn’t wearing much, so even with the sun shining on her, she didn’t feel particularly warm.

Her long legs were tucked neatly in front of her as she savored this moment of tranquility.

“Doctor Shen, just finished surgery?” Chen Ya stepped out of the hospital ward and immediately spotted Shen Chaoyi, whom she hadn’t seen all morning.

Shen Chaoyi raised a hand to rub her stiff neck. “Mm, been done for a bit. Just had a meeting.”

Maintaining the same posture for a long time had made Shen Chaoyi’s joints stiff.

Chen Ya organized the items in the mobile treatment cart while sighing. “Being valued isn’t always a good thing. They want to give you everything, under the guise of sharpening your professional skills. But who wants to be run off their feet all day, almost never eating on time?”

Shen Chaoyi smiled, used to these complaints. “That’s just the nature of this line of work. You’ll get used to it.”

Standing at the nurse station, Shen Chaoyi glanced at the condition of a newly admitted patient in her hand.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a familiar figure.

With just a quick glance, Shen Chaoyi initially thought she was seeing things from eye strain and dizziness.

Why would Yi Qingzhuo, who should be resting in bed, be out here?

But when she looked closer, it was indeed Yi Qingzhuo.

She was bathed in sunlight, sitting alone with earphones in her ears.

The silver earphones reflected a blinding light, making it hard to see their original color.

Yi Qingzhuo’s hospital gown hung loosely on her frame. Her pale complexion formed a stark contrast with her jet-black hair.

Her cheeks were gaunt, and her collarbones protruded sharply.

She was naturally tall, standing out among other women like a crane among chickens, but she was also very thin, giving off a frail impression.

Now she sat still and silent, a layer of light casting on her high nose bridge, exuding a desolate beauty.

A frown creased her delicate brows. Shen Chaoyi’s fingers curled tighter around the pen.

“She’s been sitting there all afternoon, alone and motionless, like she’s in a trance.” Noticing that Shen Chaoyi’s gaze was fixed on Yi Qingzhuo, Chen Ya answered without being asked.

Chen Ya stepped into the nurse station and muttered quietly, “What year is it? Still using an MP3 to listen to music? And Bluetooth earphones are so common now, you rarely see anyone using wired earphones anymore.”

No wonder she spent ten years in prison—completely out of touch with the times, still stuck a decade ago.

Shen Chaoyi lowered her eyes, lost in thought.

After a moment, she closed the medical record. “What someone likes to use is their freedom. Just do your own job.”

With that, Shen Chaoyi turned and walked toward the elevator.

“Hey? Aren’t you going over there?” Chen Ya had thought Shen Chaoyi would go to Yi Qingzhuo, but instead she headed in the completely opposite direction.

Shen Chaoyi stepped into the elevator, leaving only the words, “I’m going to the ICU to check on the patient from this morning’s surgery.”

The moment the elevator doors closed, Shen Chaoyi looked at the distant figure, bit her lip, her gaze complicated.

Chen Ya, left behind, muttered, “Is she finally listening and starting to distance herself? But isn’t it a bit too late for that?”

Chen Ya couldn’t fathom Shen Chaoyi’s intentions, so she just shook her head and immersed herself in her work.

Time flew by, and before anyone noticed, the sky had turned dark.

Shen Chaoyi’s busy day didn’t come to an end just yet. She walked out of the office, planning to go to the break room and make a bowl of instant noodles to pass as dinner.

Her steps were hurried, yet she walked at a steady pace.

But before she reached the break room, she unconsciously stopped in her tracks.

At the end of the corridor, in the same spot, with the same posture—nothing had changed.

Yi Qingzhuo was leaning back slightly, her head tilted up against the chair back, appearing to be asleep.

Shen Chaoyi was surprised to find that Yi Qingzhuo was still here.

She raised her wrist to check the time, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.

Six hours in total, plus the entire afternoon that Chen Ya had mentioned she’d already been sitting here.

Was she asleep? Could she really sleep that long just sitting up?

Shen Chaoyi softened her footsteps and slowly approached Yi Qingzhuo.

Her eyelashes fluttered slightly. Sensing someone’s gaze on her, she lazily opened her eyes.

Seeing that it was Shen Chaoyi, Yi Qingzhuo paused, then raised a hand to loop and pull off both earphones. “Doctor Shen.”

“Why are you sleeping here? There’s a draft. If you sleep too long in the wind, you’ll catch a cold.” Compared to Yi Qingzhuo’s unapproachable distance, Shen Chaoyi’s tone was noticeably gentler. “Aren’t you cold?”

Yi Qingzhuo shifted her stiff body slightly. “Not cold.”

“Where’s your aunt? Why isn’t she with you today?” Shen Chaoyi glanced at the window that was left ajar, letting in gusts of cold wind, and sat down beside Yi Qingzhuo.

She had just come out of a heated office, still wearing a thin sweater over a casual shirt, with her white coat over it all.

Compared to Yi Qingzhuo’s thin hospital gown, Shen Chaoyi didn’t believe for a second that she wasn’t cold.

Yi Qingzhuo pulled her collar together, revealing layers of bandages beneath the loose neckline.

She turned her head slightly and answered succinctly, “She went to the police station to handle paperwork.”

Shen Chaoyi opened her mouth. “Oh, oh. So you have no one to help you walk back?”

That seemed reasonable.

But this girl—because no one was there to help her, she couldn’t go back, and she’d been sitting here for nearly ten hours?

How stubborn could she be?

“Half and half.” Yi Qingzhuo fiddled with the earphone cord in her hand, wrapping it around her fingers unconsciously.

Shen Chaoyi was sitting right beside her. With just a slight shift, Yi Qingzhuo’s shoulder could brush against Shen Chaoyi’s.

She remembered the words she had overheard that afternoon.

Shen Chaoyi had argued with Chen Yao for her sake, and had been the subject of gossip because of her.

Actually, it wasn’t just the bystanders—even Yi Qingzhuo couldn’t understand what Shen Chaoyi was really after.

If it was just out of a doctor’s compassion, saving her and being her attending physician was already enough.

That was already the greatest kindness Yi Qingzhuo had ever received.

But Shen Chaoyi had clearly taken on a lot of trouble because of her, and had even been scolded by her teacher for it. Yet she had never mentioned it to Yi Qingzhuo, nor shown any dissatisfaction.

Shen Chaoyi had no need to go this far.

Yi Qingzhuo couldn’t see through Shen Chaoyi’s intentions. Her instinct told her not to get entangled with someone who involved her emotions, but she also knew she owed Shen Chaoyi a debt of gratitude. This inner conflict had been tormenting her.

“What do you mean, ‘half and half’?” Shen Chaoyi leaned back slightly under her direct gaze.

Why was she suddenly being so serious?