Upon hearing those words, Yi Qingzhuo’s hand, which had been resting in her pocket, tightened imperceptibly beneath her expressionless face.
She shot Shen Chaoyi an inscrutable glance, before finally settling on a simple “Mm, I won’t disturb you then.”
Her words barely left her mouth when Yi Qingzhuo, as if afraid of being seen, looked around, turned, and made a hasty exit.
Before Shen Chaoyi could even react, Yi Qingzhuo had already reached the doorway.
It was hard to believe this was the same patient who had needed help walking just yesterday.
“Yi Qingzhuo, wait a moment.” Shen Chaoyi called out hastily, rising from her seat. “I’m about to get off work.”
Yi Qingzhuo stopped and turned back, silent, waiting for Shen Chaoyi to continue.
Shen Chaoyi began unbuttoning her white coat as she spoke. “You’ve been stuck in the hospital this whole time—you must be bored out of your mind. I’ll take you somewhere. It’s still in the hospital, but it’s a really relaxing spot. Want to go? A change of scenery, a change of mood.”
Yi Qingzhuo watched her movements, ready to refuse.
But before she could get the words out, Shen Chaoyi added, “Think of it as a thank you for Auntie’s chicken soup.”
“I’m not really in a position to walk around, so I’ll pass,” Yi Qingzhuo said after a moment’s pause, her gaze falling on the bag of clothes on the table.
As if she could see through the bag to what was inside.
A pang of sadness hit her, and she refused without a second thought.
Shen Chaoyi nodded with feigned regret. “Alright then. Maybe Auntie is the one who’s truly stuck in place.”
At those words, the anxiety that had been gripping Yi Qingzhuo’s heart started to ease.
But then in the very next second, Shen Chaoyi directly called out to her, “Yi Qingzhuo, come take a walk with me.”
Her tone was gentle, starting with Yi Qingzhuo’s name—a small request.
No one could refuse a Shen Chaoyi like this.
The surface that had been as placid as a lake in Yi Qingzhuo’s heart now stirred with ripples.
Her heart was suspended once more. Yi Qingzhuo lowered her eyes, her thick lashes fluttering uncontrollably.
A voice in her head kept screaming, “Say yes. Can you really say no to her?”
It seemed she couldn’t.
The wall that had been as solid as iron and bronze seemed to have cracked open.
Shen Chaoyi tilted her head, a faint smile on her face. She didn’t rush Yi Qingzhuo, waiting patiently.
Yi Qingzhuo’s life was given to her by Shen Chaoyi. She couldn’t refuse. She just… couldn’t.
Ducking her head, Yi Qingzhuo quickly thought it over and gave herself a reason—a reason she had to go.
“Alright.” Yi Qingzhuo nodded.
Upon hearing that answer, Shen Chaoyi’s smile deepened.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she said, “Wait for me a moment. I’ll change my clothes.”
Yi Qingzhuo nodded silently and walked out of the room on her own.
She stood by the elevator, waiting quietly for Shen Chaoyi.
Within ten minutes, Shen Chaoyi had shed her white coat and walked out, carrying the insulated cup.
Her knee-length beige dress swayed slightly with each step, and a brown shoulder bag slung over her shoulder complemented her hair color perfectly.
She no longer had the raw, youthful innocence of a new graduate. Instead, she exuded the charm of a mature woman.
Like an older sister—gentle as water, yet composed and knowledgeable.
She moved step by step, like a Korean drama female lead, as if she had her own spotlight the moment she appeared.
The second their eyes met, Yi Qingzhuo subconsciously lowered her head, her black hair hiding her expression.
“Am I that scary?” Shen Chaoyi asked with a helpless laugh when she was still two or three meters away.
Just one glance from Yi Qingzhuo earlier, and it was as if she had seen a flood of beasts and fled without a trace.
Yi Qingzhuo absentmindedly nodded.
“Eh? Really?” Shen Chaoyi’s eyes widened.
It was the first time anyone had called her scary—she had never heard such a thing before.
She considered herself neither aggressive in appearance nor personality. So why did Yi Qingzhuo find her frightening?
It had started as a joke, but she hadn’t expected Yi Qingzhuo to actually nod.
After a two-second pause, Yi Qingzhuo finally caught on. “No, I just wasn’t paying attention to what you said and nodded randomly.”
She turned around and pressed the elevator button.
It was the time of day when family members were coming and going to deliver meals, so the two elevators stopped at almost every floor, moving slowly and packed with people.
“I’m not scary, right?” Shen Chaoyi tilted her head to look at her.
Feeling her gaze, Yi Qingzhuo stiffly turned her chin away to avoid eye contact.
A muffled “Mm” escaped from her nose.
Of course Shen Chaoyi wasn’t scary. In fact, with her completely non-aggressive aura, she would probably thrive in pediatrics.
But here she was, working in the emergency department, a place where chaos reigned.
Shen Chaoyi smiled contentedly, pulled her gaze back, and decided not to press the issue. Instead, she changed direction. “Come on, the elevator here takes forever. And even if it comes down, this floor is already packed. You’re still injured—no way you’re squeezing in.”
Yi Qingzhuo glanced at the elevator floor display, then silently followed behind Shen Chaoyi.
Shen Chaoyi led her around a corner to the medical staff’s exclusive elevator.
She swiped her work ID and the elevator, which happened to be on that floor, opened its doors. Shen Chaoyi stepped inside.
Turning around, she held the door open. “No rush.”
Yi Qingzhuo stepped in with her long legs and crossed her arms inside her jacket pockets.
Out of habit, she went to the far back corner. Because the elevator was designed to accommodate a patient bed, it was longer than usual.
So when Shen Chaoyi turned around, intending to say something, she found Yi Qingzhuo standing two meters away, pressed into the corner, silently watching her.
“You…” Shen Chaoyi let out a helpless, almost laughing sigh. “Why are you standing so far from me?”
Yi Qingzhuo coughed, and just as the elevator dinged, she strode out. “We’re here.”
Watching that lean back, Shen Chaoyi lowered her eyes, her long lashes casting shadows.
She glanced at the insulated cup in her hand, but said nothing. She followed Yi Qingzhuo out, taking just a few steps.
“Chaoyi, off work?” A sudden male voice rang out, hitting Yi Qingzhuo’s ears like nails on a chalkboard.
Yi Qingzhuo turned around. It was Han Yecheng, also out of his white coat, now dressed in a suit and tie.
He must have come down via the safety staircase, because he hadn’t seen Yi Qingzhuo in front—he only noticed Shen Chaoyi stepping out of the elevator.
Yi Qingzhuo’s dark eyes dimmed. She leaned against the wall at a corner, watching them from a distance.
“Yeah. You’re not on duty today?” Shen Chaoyi thought back to the schedule. She was pretty sure Han Yecheng was supposed to be on shift today.
A flicker of unease crossed Han Yecheng’s face. “Not on duty. Fancy that you’re off early too. Want to grab a bite together?”
He wouldn’t tell Shen Chaoyi that he had deliberately checked the roster, knowing she wasn’t on duty today.
He had swapped shifts with someone else just to time this meeting perfectly.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t think too much of it. She glanced sideways and saw Yi Qingzhuo lazily leaning against the wall, arms crossed, waiting for her.
So she politely declined. “Sorry, I already have plans. You should head home and rest early.”
“Oh? What lousy timing.” Han Yecheng sighed with regret.
Because he had his back to Yi Qingzhuo, she couldn’t hear what they were saying, nor could she see his expression.
But deep down, she was already bracing herself to be stood up at the last minute.
After all, Han Yecheng’s words stuck in her throat like a fishbone, impossible to ignore. And Yi Qingzhuo had to face that reality.
They really did look like a perfect couple.
Yi Qingzhuo shifted her posture, a trace of irritability flickering across her face.
“Maybe next time, then. We can try that new Western restaurant on the next street over.” Han Yecheng’s face was already wearing a friendly smile.
Being the same age as Shen Chaoyi, he, at over thirty, also exuded a mature charm.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t make any empty promises. “We’ll talk about it another time. I need to go now.”
She gave a slight nod, stepped past Han Yecheng, and walked toward Yi Qingzhuo.
“Sorry to keep you waiting. Let’s go.”
Yi Qingzhuo shot a surprised glance at Han Yecheng, just as he was looking back at her.
Their eyes collided in the air. In that instant, Yi Qingzhuo saw Han Yecheng’s smile visibly replaced by a layer of jealousy.
He hadn’t expected Shen Chaoyi’s plans to involve Yi Qingzhuo. A nameless fury ignited in his chest.
Since when were they so close?
Hadn’t Chen Ya said Shen Chaoyi treated her just like any other patient?
Then what the hell was this?
She had turned down his invitation for that murderer.
Yi Qingzhuo raised an eyebrow. In the span of three seconds, Han Yecheng seemed to perform a perfect face-changing act right there.
His face went from green to white, surrounded by gloom.
Seeing him like that lightened Yi Qingzhuo’s mood considerably.
“What are you looking at?” Noticing that Yi Qingzhuo seemed to be smiling, Shen Chaoyi followed her gaze.
She spotted Han Yecheng. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” Yi Qingzhuo’s voice rose at the end as she pulled her gaze away.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t understand, but she could feel that the chill around Yi Qingzhuo had dissipated a little.
She couldn’t help but feel lighter herself.
Turning, she fell into step beside Yi Qingzhuo. “Let’s go.”
Her mind entirely on Yi Qingzhuo, Shen Chaoyi didn’t notice Han Yecheng standing behind them.
His fists were slowly clenching, and his hatred for Yi Qingzhuo was written all over his face, unabashed in his privacy.
It was like someone had taken away his favorite toy. The imbalance in his heart caused him to fill up like a balloon, gas accumulating endlessly until one day it would be too much and he would burst.
Of course, that would come later.
Han Yecheng snorted coldly, his eyes full of resentment. In the end, he had no choice but to turn and head to the parking lot.
