Chapter 55: Gone to Call for Reinforcements?

Then she silently took out her phone and frantically typed into the search bar how to find conversation topics.

Whether at the internet cafe or at home, she had always been the type to just respond when others spoke.

But having dinner with Shen Chaoyi, she felt she couldn’t let the conversation die, nor could she always let Shen Chaoyi come up with topics.

Learning on the spot.

Yi Qingzhuo glanced at the screen under the table and suddenly asked, “What do you usually like to do after work?”

Shen Chaoyi hadn’t expected Yi Qingzhuo to suddenly ask that after a moment of silence. She gave her a puzzled look. “Sometimes I rest at home, sometimes I go out shopping or watch movies with friends. Occasionally I take hobby classes to cultivate my interests. Why?”

“Nothing much. Sounds like a pretty rich schedule.” Yi Qingzhuo’s peripheral vision stayed on her phone screen as she asked, “What kind of books do you like?”

“The kind I shared with you this morning. But actually, the ones I read most are medical books.” Shen Chaoyi put down her chopsticks.

Noticing her serious action of making cheat sheets, she glanced at the movement of her hands. She probably guessed what she was doing.

Resting her chin on both hands, Shen Chaoyi said directly, “Yi Qingzhuo, you’re making cheat sheets so openly? Not afraid of being disqualified from the exam?”

Caught red-handed, Yi Qingzhuo quickly put away her phone and cleared her throat awkwardly. “Finished eating?”

Yi Qingzhuo unscrewed the cup and handed it to Shen Chaoyi. “Drink some water.”

Shen Chaoyi took the cup, tilted her head back for a sip. “Went to call for reinforcements just now?”

She still wasn’t about to let Yi Qingzhuo brush it off. Such a slow and simple person—Shen Chaoyi found herself both amused and exasperated by her actions.

“Mm-hmm.” Yi Qingzhuo nodded guiltily.

“What did they teach you?” Shen Chaoyi gave a slight smile.

“Nothing much. Mostly ads, recommending books for me to buy.” Yi Qingzhuo tightened her grip on her phone.

Shen Chaoyi looked at her deeply, but in the end just smiled and tidied up the items in front of her. She stood up and placed her tray at the return station.

“Give it to me.” Yi Qingzhuo reached out.

“I’ll wash it in the office and give it back to you.” Shen Chaoyi only returned the half-finished lychee juice to Yi Qingzhuo.

Yi Qingzhuo took the takeout box from her hand. “No need. I’ll just take it back. You’re short on time, just rest more.”

Shen Chaoyi walked shoulder to shoulder with Yi Qingzhuo. Just as she was about to take it back, Yi Qingzhuo had already switched it to her other hand.

“Then thank you.” Shen Chaoyi pressed her lips together and didn’t insist. “By the way, I heard you say you’re going out with Little Xia. Your wound hasn’t fully healed yet. Don’t do strenuous exercise—it’s best to rest. Even if you go out, be careful with the wound. Also watch your diet, no heavy flavors. Take your medicine on time and come back for follow-ups on schedule.”

Based on how Yi Qingzhuo’s wound had been healing, Shen Chaoyi was worried that once she went back, she would throw caution to the wind. All their progress would be lost.

“Just strolling with her is fine. I won’t go wild with her.” Yi Qingzhuo said calmly.

“She is quite energetic. If you two stayed together, you’d both end up miserable, wouldn’t you?” One who loves to talk, and one who needs to search online for help with conversations.

Yi Qingzhuo shrugged. “I’ll throw her out of my room.”

“Looks like you bullied her quite a bit when you were kids. She’s pretty scared of you.” Shen Chaoyi pictured the image Yi Qingzhuo had described. What would Yi Qingzhuo look like when she’s driven crazy?

Hearing that, Yi Qingzhuo curled her lips with a hint of helplessness. “Do I look like someone who would use violence to suppress a kid?”

Shen Chaoyi tilted her head and asked very seriously, “What do you think?”

Yi Qingzhuo pressed her lips. “I wouldn’t.”

“Alright, I believe you.” Shen Chaoyi nodded.

They walked in silence, Yi Qingzhuo watching Shen Chaoyi quietly.

Just as Yi Qingzhuo thought that Shen Chaoyi hadn’t taken the unpleasant incident in the stairwell to heart, Shen Chaoyi turned to enter the office and said to her, “Yi Qingzhuo, be brave. There aren’t that many spectators in life.”

Yi Qingzhuo was rooted to the spot by those words, motionless for a long time.

Shen Chaoyi had seen through her. Her hesitations in matters of the heart, her timidity. But Shen Chaoyi unconditionally accepted all her emotions and patiently guided her.

Yi Qingzhuo no longer remembered how she got back to the hospital ward. She only realized it when she saw Yi Changhuan had already packed up all the belongings. Only then did she realize she had just missed a crucial opportunity. Shen Chaoyi had given her a chance, but she had pushed it away with her own hands.

Yi Qingzhuo stood by the windowsill with a complex expression, her lips dry. She unscrewed the cup in her hand and tilted her head back, downing the remaining lychee juice in one gulp. Turning her head, Yi Qingzhuo looked at the cup in her hand and only then realized—this was the one Shen Chaoyi had drunk from, and she had downed it without a second thought. A tingling sensation seemed to spread from her lips through her entire body, as if her blood had congealed. The mouthful of lychee flavor was sweet but not cloying.

Yi Qingzhuo stood frozen, then finally took out the book Shen Chaoyi had given her. Her gaze fixed on the line that Shen Chaoyi had specially handwritten. Shen Chaoyi… even the way she expressed her feelings was so gentle. She kneaded her heartfelt emotions into every word and phrase, so that no matter how many times the reader savored it, the fervor remained undiminished. Yi Qingzhuo was too dull to grasp Shen Chaoyi’s deeper meaning on the first read.

“Sis, the paperwork is done. Aunt just settled the hospital bill. We can leave now.” Xia Qinyu came in cheerfully, holding a stack of examination reports and some expense lists about two or three centimeters thick.

Yi Qingzhuo snapped back to reality. “You’ve already handled it?” She thought she’d at least have one more chance to see Shen Chaoyi when checking out.

“Yeah, a hundred thousand, sis. That’s a down payment on a car gone just like that. Aunt is still downstairs in line to pick up some medicine to take home. Looking at the prescription Dr. Shen wrote, it’s a huge list.” Xia Qinyu looked at the thick stack of A4 paper. She marveled that the hospital was the only place in the world where money flowed like water, yet without any discount, people still willingly swiped their cards.

Yi Qingzhuo had no mood to banter with her. “Did you see Dr. Shen?”

“Yes, we did. She was very busy. She only said a few words and left.” Xia Qinyu still felt regret. She had wanted Shen Chaoyi’s contact info to get closer. For someone who judged by looks, meeting someone so attractive was like discovering a treasure—completely irresistible.

Yi Qingzhuo quickly asked, “Did she say anything?”

“Nothing much. She just reminded me to tell you not to do strenuous exercise, rest well, and come back for a checkup every half month or so.” Xia Qinyu thought for a moment.

Yi Qingzhuo lowered her hand with slight disappointment. “Oh.”

Inside the meeting room

The monthly regular meeting was underway. Zhou Jinglong sat at the head, looking at the empty seat on his right. As he spoke, his face grew darker.

“Director Zhou, I saw Dr. Shen went to the cafeteria just now. She’s been busy all morning and hasn’t had time to eat.” Han Yecheng, reading the room, finished speaking and then kicked the person next to him under the table, giving him a look.

The slightly younger male doctor beside him immediately chimed in, “Right, Dr. Shen has been busy all morning. She even brought a patient while eating, discussing the case over her meal.”

At that remark, others might not have noticed, but Zhou Jinglong’s expression changed instantly. He had seen it—Shen Chaoyi and Yi Qingzhuo tussling in the corridor before finally going into the safety passage. After that, he had notified everyone about the meeting, but Shen Chaoyi hadn’t responded. And now she was openly late to this once-a-month department-wide meeting.

Everyone in the department knew that Zhou Jinglong valued Shen Chaoyi, having groomed her from an intern to someone who could stand on her own. Her behavior made things difficult for Zhou Jinglong.

Zhou Jinglong’s face darkened. Others saw Shen Chaoyi being late, but what he focused on was that she was getting too close to a patient. That was very detrimental to her clinical decision-making.

Zhou Jinglong flipped through the report in his hand, ignoring Han Yecheng’s coordinated remarks. Pretending not to hear, he spoke, “Last month’s individual comprehensive ability scores are out. In our department, Shen Chaoyi ranked first by a landslide with 96.7, second is Han Yecheng with 89.6, third is Wan Xin with 87.4. Let’s first congratulate these three, and hope they continue to work hard. I’m gratified to see you doctors surpassing your predecessors. I believe that as you mature, you will bring not only more professional clinical treatment capabilities but also higher cure rates and higher success rates in emergency treatment!”

With that, Zhou Jinglong led the applause, and a round of applause sounded in the meeting room.

Han Yecheng, who had been ignored, stiffened but still forced a smile and clapped along with Zhou Jinglong. The seat opposite him, where Shen Chaoyi usually sat, was empty. It made the envious and admiring glances directed at him feel prickly.

It was always like this. Not only was Shen Chaoyi first, but she was also far ahead of the next two. It made him, a grown man, feel utterly humiliated. Aside from liking Shen Chaoyi, what he felt more was a desire to conquer. The more outstanding Shen Chaoyi was, the more out of reach she seemed, and the more he wanted to have her. The sense of achievement at that time would be far greater than what he felt now.