Though their lips had pressed together far more firmly during the emergency resuscitation, and more than once, at that.
But at the time, Yi Qingzhuo had already been unconscious—completely unaware. She probably still didn’t even know they had “kissed” under such dire circumstances.
As the realization hit her, Shen Chaoyi’s entire face flushed crimson. Somewhere deep inside, a chord had been struck. She opened her mouth, but no sound came from her throat.
Soft. It had been really, really soft.
Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes were fixed on Shen Chaoyi’s rosy lips—so bright, so vividly soft. The sensation made Yi Qingzhuo unconsciously press her own lips together.
As if savoring that unexpected moment.
The tips of Yi Qingzhuo’s ears burned slightly. A trace of awkwardness flickered across her face.
“Yi Qingzhuo.” Shen Chaoyi took a step back, breaking the silence.
“Mm.” Yi Qingzhuo’s thoughts were a tangled mess.
She remembered—it had been earlier, when her mind was hazy.
The same feeling. So familiar.
“Is there something else you need?” Shen Chaoyi deliberately avoided the awkwardness of a moment ago.
Yi Qingzhuo’s heart was in chaos. “No. Then you go ahead, I’ll… I’ll get going. Won’t bother you.”
“Why are you stammering all of a sudden?” Shen Chaoyi watched her retreating back—taking two steps at once—and murmured with a low laugh.
Yi Qingzhuo turned her head. Silence was her only reply.
She couldn’t very well say she was nervous. She couldn’t very well say she was thinking about what had happened during the rescue.
That would only make things even more awkward between them.
Shen Chaoyi smiled. “Walk slower. No need to rush. Your body hasn’t fully recovered yet…”
Before she could finish, Shen Chaoyi spotted an uninvited guest suddenly appearing in the doorway.
The smile faded from her lips. Shen Chaoyi quickly straightened up, lowered her head, and smoothed the front of her coat.
Han Yecheng hadn’t expected Yi Qingzhuo to be here either. The words he had carefully prepared all died in his throat the moment he saw Shen Chaoyi smiling while talking to Yi Qingzhuo.
He gritted his teeth, a flicker of resentment flashing in his eyes.
Why was this Yi Qingzhuo everywhere?
If it weren’t for her, Shen Chaoyi wouldn’t have gotten hurt. If it weren’t for her, Zhou Jinglong wouldn’t have called him into the office for a half-hour lecture.
And most importantly, because of Yi Qingzhuo, he had blurted out that Shen Chaoyi was his girlfriend.
Not only had the rumor spread, but now Shen Chaoyi herself knew about it.
Han Yecheng had been trying all day to find a chance to say a few words to her, but Shen Chaoyi kept dodging him with quick excuses, as if she didn’t want to talk to him at all.
He shot Yi Qingzhuo a glare as he brushed past her. Then, his expression changed entirely, a smile plastered on his face as he approached Shen Chaoyi.
“Chaoyi, it’s so late. You must be hungry, right? Here, have some grapes to tide you over.”
Han Yecheng opened a glass container. Inside were large, purple grapes, each one glistening.
Shen Chaoyi’s gaze swept over the grapes, then flicked toward Yi Qingzhuo. Yi Qingzhuo’s eyes lingered on Han Yecheng and the container in his hand for just a moment. Her brows knitted together, and a cold light gleamed in her gaze.
Without another word, she turned away. She couldn’t stand to look at him.
There was something filthy.
“Yi Qingzhuo, wait a moment. I have something to discuss with you.” Shen Chaoyi deliberately called her back.
She stepped around Han Yecheng and returned to her seat.
Her expression turned serious. “Doctor Han, during work hours, please address me as Doctor Shen. I hope this is the last time I have to remind you. Thank you.”
Han Yecheng had already been displeased that Shen Chaoyi had stopped Yi Qingzhuo. Now, hearing these words, his face grew even more strained.
His voice was bitter. “But we’re not just colleagues, are we?”
The moment the words left his mouth, Han Yecheng clearly felt a chill run down his back.
It was as if someone had suddenly cranked the air conditioning to full blast right behind him. The temperature plummeted, and his entire body began to stiffen.
He turned around. It was Yi Qingzhuo, her expression anything but pleasant.
Han Yecheng narrowed his eyes, shot her a displeased look, then turned back to Shen Chaoyi.
What a nuisance of a woman.
Did this Yi Qingzhuo have some kind of vendetta against him? She was everywhere.
If Han Yecheng hadn’t brought it up, Shen Chaoyi might not have remembered what Chen Ya had told her this morning.
She lifted her chin, cutting straight to the point. “Obviously, we are only colleagues. But you have been spreading a rumor that we are boyfriend and girlfriend. I expect you to clarify that immediately and apologize to me. This has caused me trouble, Doctor Han.”
Panic flickered in the depths of Han Yecheng’s eyes. He hurriedly said, “I’m sorry. That was my fault…”
He stopped mid-sentence, remembering Yi Qingzhuo standing behind him.
He paused, thinking for a moment. “But everyone in the department thinks we’re a perfect match. You’re outstanding, and I’m not bad either, am I?”
Shen Chaoyi raised a hand to cut him off. “What the department thinks has nothing to do with me. You may be outstanding, but I have no romantic interest in you whatsoever.”
Han Yecheng’s face turned red.
He hadn’t expected that the bold claims he had made to Yi Qingzhuo—just to save face—would be so mercilessly exposed by Shen Chaoyi right in front of them.
His voice turned hoarse. “Chao… Doctor Shen, we’re compatible in every way. Give me a chance to pursue you, please? The first time I saw you, as an intern walking in here, I knew you were my ideal type. Because of you, I worked hard to get assigned to Director Zhou’s team. I worked hard to be able to work alongside you. I just wanted to get closer to you. If I could see you every day, that was enough motivation for me to come to the hospital.”
Yi Qingzhuo folded her arms, listening to Han Yecheng’s “heartfelt confession.”
Her back pressed against the wall. The faint chill seeped through her clothes, spreading through her entire body.
“Heh.” An almost imperceptible cold snort escaped Yi Qingzhuo’s lips. A shadow of gloom passed through her eyes.
She shifted her posture, as if growing impatient. Anger flickered in her gaze.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t catch Yi Qingzhuo’s soft snort, but she turned her head slightly and noticed Yi Qingzhuo with her head bowed a little, obscuring the darkness in her eyes. She seemed to be listening quite intently.
A brief glance was all Shen Chaoyi could manage, and she didn’t make out Yi Qingzhuo’s expression.
Shen Chaoyi did not back down an inch. She held her ground. “When it comes to feelings, for me, it’s all about the connection. It’s not about whether we’re compatible, and it’s not about whether we’re a ‘perfect match’ in other people’s eyes. I only see you as a colleague. Please don’t misunderstand that, and please clarify the matter as soon as possible.”
Her attitude, in the face of being the subject of such a rumor, was remarkably composed. There was no sharpness in her words, no anger in her eyes. Even to Yi Qingzhuo, an outsider, it seemed cold and detached.
But her reasoning was clear. She spoke unhurriedly, yet she secured an apology from the rumormonger, firmly established her stance, articulated her demands, and clearly rejected her pursuer.
Her good breeding and gentleness were the backbone of her integrity.
“Doctor Shen, I know feelings can be cultivated. But wanting to pursue you is my business. You can reject me, but I won’t give up.”
Han Yecheng refused to let it end like this.
Every time he looked at Shen Chaoyi, his resolve only grew stronger.
This beautiful, outstanding woman—he had to have her.
Shen Chaoyi met every single standard of his fantasy partner. Just standing by her side made him feel like he could hold his head up a little higher, with more confidence.
She was the kind of partner who made you proud.
Shen Chaoyi narrowed her eyes. “I have made my rejection perfectly clear. If you insist on persisting, Doctor Han, then how am I supposed to control that? This time, I’m sparing you some face for the sake of us both working under Director Zhou, and I’m also showing him some respect. But in the future, do not spread any more rumors about a relationship between us. Otherwise, I will use the law to protect my reputation.”
She turned around, quickly withdrawing her gaze from Han Yecheng.
Standing up, she picked up the medical records prepared on the table. “Doctor Han, please continue with your work. I have things to do.”
“Doctor Shen…” Han Yecheng’s eyes were filled with a deep sense of defeat, along with a barely suppressed fury.
Without hesitation, he directed his anger at Yi Qingzhuo, who had witnessed his entire humiliation.
He never once realized that the rumor was entirely his own doing, and Shen Chaoyi’s rejection was only to be expected. What did Yi Qingzhuo have to do with any of it?
But the fire in his heart burned hotter and hotter.
He clenched the glass container in his hand. He couldn’t crush it, but his whole hand was trembling.
