Chapter 29

Can’t compete with someone who overtakes you on a curve

“I…”

“If you only liked me because of Qin Xiaoyi, then you wouldn’t be interested in me, right?”

Diao Zhiyu smiled: “Just like the actors in dramas, the craze for stars is temporary. You’ll all eventually return to your own lives.”

“No. I promise, no matter what role you play, I’ll go watch it. It’s me who lacks confidence…” Hu Xiu waved her hand. “I’ve arrived home. I’m going upstairs now.”

Suddenly, her hand was tugged from behind. Hu Xiu thought he would hug her in the next moment, but no—

Diao Zhiyu just said, “If I switch from Qin Xiaoyi to Feng Youjin, I might not have as many viewers. So... you must come.”

Hu Xiu didn’t turn around, just smiling as she replied, “Alright, it’s a deal.”

She went upstairs to take a shower, touching her hair that still smelled strongly of coconut oil (and indeed had coconut fibers in it). Thinking about Diao Zhiyu’s gentle hands, she became even more restless and couldn’t fall asleep.

Looking back at her Moments, the picture of her translating from earlier had indeed disappeared.

Maybe it had been deleted, and there was a new one of the nighttime scenery on her walk home. Most shops were closed by midnight, and shared bikes were parked alone on the roadside. He seemed to have something on his mind.

But her intuition told her it had little to do with her.

The next day, Hu Xiu found out at the hospital that the emergency backup was something Pei Zhen had asked for.

Her senior sister had taken leave early to go back to her hometown, and the video conference was temporarily organized because of Pei Zhen’s email exchanges with Boston University. He’d called her senior sister to help. Hu Xiu felt a little confused after hearing it: “Why not contact me directly?”

“He said it wasn’t convenient. I think he was a little nervous. He was stumbling when talking to me.”

“Really? But Dr. Pei is a surgeon.”

As soon as the words were out, Pei Zhen appeared at the door of the clinic. He knocked and waved at Hu Xiu, signaling for her to come out.

Her senior sister was behind her, muttering that today he wasn’t in surgery, so why come over in such a rush? She was clearly eavesdropping.

Pei Zhen glanced inside, smiled, and took Hu Xiu into the stairwell. Hu Xiu realized that Pei Zhen wasn’t short, and his presence felt steady and reliable.

He didn’t know what had happened these past few days. He seemed polite toward Hu Xiu, but his words were full of earnestness: “You really helped me out this weekend.”

“It was no big deal, I was just chatting at a friend’s café. It was rare that I had some free time on the weekend.”

“Are you free tonight? Let me treat you to a meal.”

Originally, Hu Xiu wanted to watch the last show of Qin Xiao Yi, but thinking about how Pei Zhen was leaving for overseas next month, she agreed: “Sure, but can we eat somewhere nearby? I have some plans later tonight.”

“Boyfriend?” he asked.

“No…”

“Then I’m relieved.”

“Relieved?”

At the end of the workday, Hu Xiu packed up but didn’t see Pei Zhen show up. After a while, she went upstairs and found out that an emergency patient from a fire had been brought in: critical burns with major injuries, and Pei Zhen had gone upstairs to consult with another attending doctor.

Hu Xiu chatted for a while with the night shift nurse outside the ward. It seemed she wouldn’t see Pei Zhen today, as he was in the operating room. The patient, severely burned, would be out of danger only after many days. The treatment would be long, and cleaning the wound before a skin graft would take a while. The risk of infection also had to be monitored.

“Every time I encounter patients like this, I’m really scared because their psychological breakdown is even more painful than changing dressings.”

Hu Xiu could understand the nurse’s feelings. Even in an administrative position, there are times when patients ask for directions or cause trouble. No one can avoid the frustration that builds up in such a busy environment.

Especially considering the nurse’s burnout. Since she hadn’t received any updates from Pei Zhen, Hu Xiu decided not to go back to the office or the “Snowpiercer.” She took the escalator slowly downstairs, intending to buy a boxed meal.

When she reached the fourth floor of the orthopedics department, she looked up and saw Li Ai, who was leaning on a crutch. His medical papers were scattered on the floor, which made Hu Xiu pause.

“What are you doing here?”

“Hu Xiu?” Li Ai was a bit surprised. “Are you sick?”

He was actually the first one to ask about her. Hu Xiu picked up the medical receipts and lab slips scattered on the floor. It looked like he had been at the hospital for a long time. He seemed a bit embarrassed: “I’m really just here for an IV, don’t worry.”

“Are you worried I’ll tell Zhao Xiao Rou?” Hu Xiu sighed. “She’s tough on the outside but soft on the inside. It’s really troublesome to come to the hospital alone. It’s inconvenient with the crutches and the queues. It’s fine, just call me if you need something.”

“It’s really nothing serious.”

“Does it take losing a limb for it to be serious?” Hu Xiu almost cried. “Why are you so stubborn about holding on?”

She sat with Li Ai in the IV room, hugging a “Practical Medical Translation Dictionary” when she received a message from Pei Zhen.

When Pei Zhen arrived at the IV room, he greeted Li Ai and looked at his report before politely saying to Li Ai, “Let me borrow Hu Xiu for a moment.”

Pei Zhen smelled of disinfectant, likely having changed into a fresh white coat before coming downstairs. “Your friend was in a car accident?”

“Yes. He and his wife were walking on the road late at night when they were hit by a drunk driver. His wife died instantly, and he broke his left leg. It was a long time before they could save him. But I only met him after the accident, I just know him as someone who uses crutches.”

“He’s still on anti-infection treatment, but one of the blood vessels supplying his leg has died and needs to be transplanted urgently.”

“I looked at his medical record. He was treated at the Sixth Hospital before, his injury is severe. I’ve heard about the surgeon. I think they need to harvest a blood vessel from his arm for transplant. There’s also nerve damage. I don’t know the full plan, but he definitely can’t delay any longer, or he’ll lose the leg.”

These words made Hu Xiu’s heart race. Pei Zhen crossed his arms and looked displeased. “I don’t know if it’s because of surgery costs or low success rates, but he doesn’t seem like someone who’s short on money. Why choose just an IV treatment? Sorry, I get anxious when people don’t treat urgent conditions right away.”

“Because of the lawsuit. The driver who caused the accident hasn’t faced legal consequences. He refused a settlement for his wife’s sake, but it’s not enough to cover his medical costs.”

“People who care too much about fairness get punished by fate. Doctors understand this the most.”

Pei Zhen looked at the time, then snapped back to reality. “It’s late, and we didn’t get to eat. I still need to go upstairs, sorry I had to cancel on you.”

“It’s okay, doctor, I understand.”

Pei Zhen smiled gently. “Then I’ll head upstairs.”

“You... have you eaten dinner?” Hu Xiu asked.

“Not yet. It’s fine, it’s normal.”

Hu Xiu pulled out a sandwich from her bag, still warm—she had bought it for herself, but didn’t have much of an appetite sitting in the IV room. Pei Zhen saw the sandwich and looked pleasantly surprised. “Did you buy this for me?”

Before Hu Xiu could answer, he added, as if encouraged: “Can I ask, you and this man getting IV treatment... are you two...?”

“Just friends. Li Ai owns a café, I see him like an older brother. I can tell you more when we have the time.”

Pei Zhen suddenly shrugged his shoulders and let out a deep breath, as if the light had hit him, making him look brighter. He smiled and said goodbye: “I’ll head upstairs now.”

Of course, Li Ai’s visit to the hospital couldn’t be kept from Zhao Xiao Rou. When she stormed in, Li Ai, exhausted, glanced at Hu Xiu, sighing.

It was the first time Hu Xiu had seen such a negative expression on Li Ai’s face—confusion, sadness, and avoidance, as if he had already given up.

Zhao Xiao Rou entered the IV room, her makeup and evening dress complete with high heels, and a black coat thrown over. She clearly didn’t care about matching her outfit.

Without causing a scene, she snatched Li Ai’s medical record, glanced at it, and asked about the surgery costs.

When Li Ai waved his hand and didn’t answer, she suppressed her anger. “If you don’t tell me the costs, I’ll break your leg myself. If you need an amputation, don’t expect us to be friends anymore.

Do you really think we’re fools? Money can be earned again, but enduring this as some new-age martyrdom—if you lose a leg, don’t expect us to pity you. We’ll just think you deserve it.”

After a long silence, Li Ai finally spoke: “Please leave...”

“Are you asking me to leave?”

“I just want to stay quiet for a while.”

“I don’t understand, even if you’re sick, you don’t know how to ask for help. You’re not the only one with a hardened heart. I understand, you never had me in your heart. I was the one who misread things.”

Li Ai didn’t respond, he just pressed the button to call for a new IV bag. There were still three more doses to be administered. He kept his face serious, not lifting his head, completely ignoring Zhao Xiaorou’s gaze on him.

Hu Xiu stood nearby, feeling as though there was an invisible barrier between herself and the situation, sensing an intangible force in the air pushing Zhao Xiaorou further away.

Zhao Xiaorou’s eyes reddened. She didn’t wait for Li Ai to respond before turning to leave, the sound of her high heels echoing loudly.

That night, Hu Xiu completely gave up on going to the Snowpiercer.

After accompanying Li Ai for three days of IV infusions, the weekend came. Pei Zhen called Hu Xiu and invited her to the coffee shop, where he seriously explained the treatment plan to Li Ai.

Vascular transplantation wasn’t Pei Zhen’s specialty, but he seemed to have consulted with doctors at the hospital and done quite a bit of research. He even managed to schedule an appointment for Li Ai.

At the end, Pei Zhen was very measured: “My suggestion is to get the surgery scheduled as soon as possible. As for the costs, find a way to handle it. If the treatment is delayed, the one who suffers in the end is yourself.”

“I once had a burn patient, and I helped him apply for internal assistance. It wasn’t much, just over 20,000 yuan, but before the funds were approved, he passed away. His burns covered 90% of his body, and the funds were useless. His death was, in a way, a release.”

“But more often than not, we comfort ourselves by thinking it’s better to die, but the reality is, death isn’t so easy to come by. They have to endure the pain and suffering of living on.”

Sitting at the REGARD café, with a humidifier sending out wisps of mist, Li Ai hosted Pei Zhen as usual, offering him different scented coffee beans, without mentioning his leg.

The continuous rainy days must have been uncomfortable. Zhao Xiaorou had once mentioned that Li Ai would quietly frown during the plum rain season.

After surgery, his joints became very sensitive to damp weather. He just calmly smiled, occasionally taking deep breaths while resting his hand on his leg, staring out at the rain.

At dinnertime, Li Ai picked up his cane. “It’s rare for Dr. Pei to visit my café. I’ll cook some pasta. Hu Xiu really loves the pasta here. I’ve always suspected she’s just supporting me, but now we have someone new to judge.”

“It’s hard to say. The things Hu Xiu likes, I might like as well.”

Li Ai’s gaze landed on Pei Zhen, then gently shifted to Hu Xiu. The unspoken understanding was clear, and he turned to enter the kitchen.

Hu Xiu understood exactly what this meant. This was the first time she had seen Pei Zhen outside the hospital—wearing a black shirt with no collar, beige pants, leather shoes, and with chestnut-colored hair. His sense of style was refined. His sunglasses hung on the collar of his shirt, exposing little skin, but the pale complexion and his fingers gently stroking the rim of his cup conveyed the restrained demeanor of a mature man. His speech was as steady as his surgical hands, and his awareness of his surroundings was sharpened by his experience.

When alone with Pei Zhen, Hu Xiu never felt awkward. Even if he liked her, he could make the atmosphere so comfortable that she didn’t feel tense.

He was completely different from someone like Diao Zhiyu, who would stir things up.

“It’s nice to have a place like this to come and relax. After spending so much time in the hospital, it feels like you’ve become stiff.”

“A friend brought me here before. An old friend who’s been a fan for ten years discovered this place. He joked that the owner was a handsome man with a limp, and now he comes here regularly like family.”

“A fan? Is it a celebrity I know?” Pei Zhen’s eyes were not fixed on Hu Xiu, but his gaze gradually shifted to her, interested but not overwhelming. Hu Xiu felt a bit shy, but she wasn’t thrown off balance. “Super Junior, a K-pop group. Dr. Pei probably wouldn’t be interested.”

“I know them. The ‘Sorry, Sorry’ song, right?” Pei Zhen rubbed his hands together rhythmically, shrugging his shoulders. “They were quite popular back in 2010.”

“You actually know them!” Hu Xiu suddenly became excited.

Pei Zhen, however, remained calm, only smiling as he responded, “A friend used to like them, so I passively heard their songs many times.”

The brief exchange left Hu Xiu thoughtful.

They chatted casually for a while, discussing work at the hospital. Pei Zhen mentioned that he had been dealing with a lot of old patients recently, which made it hard to leave. He might have to stay in the hospital until next year, as he had to postpone his trip abroad until December.

One of his biggest headaches at work was the head nurse’s matchmaking efforts. Every time she introduced someone with a different style, but he always politely refused.

When Hu Xiu asked why, Pei Zhen pretended to be aggrieved: “So many girls say they like me, but it’s hard to please everyone.”

This made Hu Xiu giggle.

In the kitchen, the sound of plates clattering was heard, and the smell of tomato meat sauce filled the air. It seemed like the pasta was ready.

As Hu Xiu stood up to move her empty cup, Pei Zhen suddenly spoke, as though casually: “I have a special ability—I can always sense when someone’s mood changes.”

“Oh?”

“For example, you always have this fresh air about you, like you’re glowing. Recently, you must have someone you like.”

“I...”

Before she could finish, the bell on the door rang, and Diao Zhiyu, carrying a camera, walked in. He locked eyes with Hu Xiu, who was bending down to pick up her cup.

In an instant, Hu Xiu’s face turned red. Pei Zhen tilted his head to look at her, then turned his gaze to Diao Zhiyu, smiling lightly.

Hu Xiu could hear the breath of Pei Zhen’s smile. He was a man who could read her every move, as if he had already predicted this moment.