Chapter 36: How About I Apologize?

Yi Qingzhuo was caught off guard by her sudden accusation, struggling to prop herself up. “Ah…”

She didn’t know how to explain either.

Because she had genuinely been misled by Han Yecheng, and then believed it.

Cursing herself for being stupid, Yi Qingzhuo cautiously glanced at Shen Chaoyi and asked very seriously, “How about… I apologize to you?”

“…”

Shen Chaoyi opened her mouth, held by Yi Qingzhuo’s earnest gaze.

She immediately realized how she had just lost her composure.

So she reined in her expression a little, raising a hand to smooth down her hair to mask her awkwardness. “No, no need. Sorry. I overreacted.”

“I was the one who misunderstood.” Yi Qingzhuo stared at Shen Chaoyi for a moment, looking a bit uncertain.

Yi Qingzhuo’s apology stirred a faint, barely noticeable joy in Shen Chaoyi’s heart.

Shen Chaoyi reached out and turned down the drip rate on the IV. “Don’t listen to other people. Listen to me.”

I don’t care much about others misunderstanding me, but I care a lot about you.

For some reason, that line surfaced in Shen Chaoyi’s mind.

“Okay.” Yi Qingzhuo nodded.

“Then… are you still going to switch doctors?” Seeing that Yi Qingzhuo’s attitude had softened, Shen Chaoyi tested the waters, speaking gently. “If you have free time, sometimes taking a walk outside might not just let you hear gossip about me—you might hear even more things that shock your worldview.”

So Shen Chaoyi wasn’t bothered by the gossip, and she hoped Yi Qingzhuo wouldn’t feel burdened enough to choose to switch doctors.

Shen Chaoyi wore a mask, but her beautiful eyes were fixed on Yi Qingzhuo.

Yi Qingzhuo shrank her neck a little, then after a moment of silence said, “Then I’ll have to keep troubling you, Doctor Shen.”

“Happy to be at your service.” Shen Chaoyi let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, shrugged, and her tone rose cheerfully.

Yi Qingzhuo gave a symbolic curl of her lips. Under Shen Chaoyi’s gaze, she looked away, avoiding eye contact.

The words had slipped out before she could think.

She coughed awkwardly and said in a stiff tone, “Are you sure your face is fine? Do you need to get it checked?”

After all, Zhou You was a brute with a lot of strength.

Shen Chaoyi was delicate—taking a full punch to the face, who knew if she had fractured anything?

“I’m a doctor myself. I know if something’s wrong. Don’t worry, it’s fine. It hurt a bit at first, but now I don’t feel a thing.” Shen Chaoyi shook her head, refusing.

Worried more about Yi Qingzhuo’s injuries than her own.

She was supposed to be discharged in the next couple of days to recover at home, but now she had to stay for more observation and treatment.

Even the best constitution couldn’t handle being tossed around like this.

Yi Qingzhuo pondered for a moment, then finally squeezed out four words: “Hiding illness from the doctor.”

“…”

Shen Chaoyi bit her lip, momentarily speechless.

Yi Qingzhuo really had a knack for hitting the exact nerve that pissed people off with the fewest words.

“I’m not hiding anything.” Shen Chaoyi tilted her head slightly, letting out a helpless laugh. “If you say that and make me go get checked, aren’t you afraid they’ll find something and I’ll make you take responsibility?”

“I won’t shirk responsibility.” Yi Qingzhuo knew it was a joke, but she answered very seriously. “Go get checked.”

Hearing that, Shen Chaoyi was stunned.

A moment of silence passed. “Mm, very responsible. But I’m fine, so no need to waste medical resources.”

She gave Yi Qingzhuo a token compliment, then looked at her with an unreadable expression. “Alright, let’s not dwell on this issue. I have to see patients soon, so I won’t disturb your rest.”

“This new ward is quieter. Just focus on recovering.”

Yi Qingzhuo nodded, not insisting further on the checkup. “Mm, thank you for your trouble.”

“You’re welcome.” Having said what she needed to, Shen Chaoyi prepared to leave.

She had just taken a step when she thought of something. “If Han Yecheng comes to cause you trouble, just call me directly.”

“I don’t have your number.” Yi Qingzhuo half-propped herself up, speaking to Shen Chaoyi’s back.

Her old phone was broken, and she had gotten a new one.

But all the messages and contacts were gone.

Shen Chaoyi frowned briefly, then quickly realized she and Yi Qingzhuo had never exchanged contact info.

She patted her pocket. “My phone… I left it in this ward earlier.”

Her thoughts had been so occupied by Yi Qingzhuo wanting to switch doctors that she had almost forgotten why she came here in the first place.

“I can’t find mine either. Let’s look.” Yi Qingzhuo pushed herself upright, supporting her lower back, feeling like her bones were grinding together—the pain was excruciating.

She felt under the pillow, then, gritting through the pain, tried to pull open the drawer.

Just then, Shen Chaoyi reached for it too, their fingertips brushing.

A jolt of electricity seemed to shoot through her entire body.

Yi Qingzhuo immediately withdrew her hand. “Sorry.”

Before Shen Chaoyi could react, she heard Yi Qingzhuo’s apology.

That momentary numbness became strikingly vivid.

It was just an accidental touch—Yi Qingzhuo didn’t have to react so strongly.

On Shen Chaoyi’s gentle, elegant face, a trace of puzzlement was hard to hide.

But with the mask on, Yi Qingzhuo could only feel her gaze.

A tingling numbness ran down her spine.

Just being looked at by her made Shen Chaoyi nervous.

Yi Qingzhuo involuntarily clenched her other hand, lowering her eyelids.

Shen Chaoyi didn’t respond, only suppressing a strange feeling.

She pulled open the drawer, and inside lay two phones clearly.

One was Shen Chaoyi’s snow-white phone; the other a silver-gray one that looked very new.

Shen Chaoyi took out both phones and handed Yi Qingzhuo’s to her. “I thought you hadn’t gotten a new one.”

Because ever since Yi Qingzhuo moved into the ward, she either listened to music on her MP3 or read books. In an era where people were glued to their phones, Shen Chaoyi had never seen her use one.

And she read all kinds of things—obscure original philosophy texts, fantasy novels, mystery novels, general knowledge books, books on history and culture.

She read fast. Almost every day, the book on Yi Qingzhuo’s bedside table was different from the day before.

Yi Qingzhuo took her phone and pressed the power button, and the screen lit up.

“I need to stay in touch with the internet cafe, and the police station calls often. And I do know how to use it—I just don’t feel like playing around.”

Yi Qingzhuo thought Shen Chaoyi meant she couldn’t handle modern tech.

“I wasn’t saying you’re outdated.” Shen Chaoyi smiled softly. “I just don’t see you using it much.”

Shen Chaoyi opened her messaging app. “I’ll scan you?”

“Oh.” Yi Qingzhuo handed her phone over. “I read more books.”

“What kind of books do you usually like?” After scanning, Shen Chaoyi didn’t linger, sent a friend request, and then held her phone in hand.

Looking at her, her eyes reflected Yi Qingzhuo’s features.

Her nose bridge was really striking—perfectly smooth, enhancing her whole face.

Especially when she was lying down, the bridge seemed to glow with a warm light.

Yi Qingzhuo thought for two seconds. “Random stuff.”

“Random stuff?” Shen Chaoyi raised an eyebrow in surprise.

She’d never heard anyone describe their reading tastes that way.

Yi Qingzhuo really was a breath of fresh air.

“Every time my mom comes home to cook, she randomly grabs a book from the bookshelf. Whatever she brings, I read.” Seeing Shen Chaoyi’s surprise, she actually explained.

It was like opening a blind box every day.

“Oh, I see.” Shen Chaoyi beamed.

She bit her lip, considering. “Then the types of books on your shelf… are pretty… random.”

Using Yi Qingzhuo’s own words.

“Probably.” Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes tilted upward as she looked at her.

“Alright, I’ll be going then.” Feeling burned by her gaze, Shen Chaoyi quickly said.

“Mm.”