Embedded Files
Psst! We're moving!
Zhou Xingyan usually spoke in a crisp and straightforward manner. This was the first time Xiang Ge had heard him use such a tone since she’d met him.
His voice was subdued, the cadence slow and deliberate, the vibrations of his words tugging at her heartstrings.
It felt like a slow, torturous unraveling.
The man leisurely returned the appointment record to the shelf, walked over, and sat back down in front of her.
Xiang Ge began to suspect he was doing this on purpose.
Zhou Xingyan’s expression remained largely unchanged, his gaze calm and detached: “Extend your hand.”
Xiang Ge narrowed her eyes at him. For some reason, seeing his composed demeanor sparked a childish rebellious streak within her.
She didn’t move, leaning back in her chair: “A girl’s hand can only be touched by her boyfriend.”
Zhou Xingyan raised his eyelashes slightly.
About a month ago, when this woman had examined her foot, she had said the exact same line.
But the tone and expression now were entirely different. She arched her brows at him, her earlobes red, as if she were both annoyed and embarrassed.
Zhou Xingyan’s lips curved slightly: “I’m a doctor. Your future boyfriend will understand.”
That calm, simple sentence of his unexpectedly ignited a small flame of irritation in Xiang Ge’s heart.
Her tongue pressed against her cheek as she rolled her eyes: “I won’t look for a boyfriend in the future. Can men even be eaten as food?”
Zhou Xingyan raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised.
Xiang Ge exhaled sharply, then pouted, slumping her shoulders. She muttered a soft apology and obediently extended her arm.
Zhou Xingyan raised his hand, placing her wrist on the pulse pillow in front of him. His fingers slightly curved, three digits resting on her delicate, pale wrist. His long fingers, with their gracefully bent knuckles, created a beautiful arc against her pulse.
Xiang Ge blinked. The earlier embarrassment and despair suddenly seemed less intense.
She lowered her gaze to his fingertips resting on her wrist, then looked up at his slightly bowed face. Tilting her head, she suddenly spoke: “Dr. Zhou, can you tell how many months pregnant I am?”
Zhou Xingyan didn’t even blink: “It’s a bit early to ask that question now.”
Xiang Ge was astonished. So, he really could diagnose through pulse-taking?
What kind of doctor are you?
Before she could voice her question, Zhou Xingyan slowly spoke: “Irregular cycles?”
“…”
Are you seriously asking these questions just to confirm what you already know?
Xiang Ge didn’t want to answer. She stayed silent, tacitly agreeing.
Zhou Xingyan raised his lashes, looking at her: “Severe pain a few days before?”
“…”
Xiang Ge stared at him blankly for a while, then nodded.
Zhou Xingyan remained calm: “Duration and flow irregularities too?”
“…”
Damn it, are you ever going to stop?!
Xiang Ge’s ears reddened, spreading to her cheeks. She glared at him and abruptly pulled her hand away from under his fingers.
The veneer of composure she had maintained throughout the visit finally cracked. Her dark eyes glistened with a mix of shyness and thinly veiled anger, wide open as she glared at him.
Unexpectedly cute.
Zhou Xingyan’s lips twitched, unable to suppress a low chuckle.
Xiang Ge: “….”
She wanted to kill him.
As soon as Zhou Xingyan laughed, his expression shifted. He lightly cleared his throat, feigning seriousness: “You don’t need to feel embarrassed. I’m a doctor.”
Xiang Ge ignored him, her gaze drifting toward the pulse pillow on the table. She contemplated throwing it at his head and wondered how much medical expenses she’d have to pay.
At worst, if she knocked him out, she’d take responsibility for him and keep him at home for the rest of his life.
She imagined Zhou Xingyan sitting in a wheelchair, wearing white cotton pajamas, his handsome face vacant as he waited at the door. Seeing her return, he would smile like a fool—this thought made her feel vindicated.
Suddenly, she wanted to laugh.
Lost in her thoughts, the man spoke again: “Open your mouth.”
“…”
Xiang Ge looked utterly confused.
“Open.”
She glared at him for a moment, then hesitantly tilted her head back and opened her mouth.
“Stick out your tongue.”
“…”
With a resigned expression, Xiang Ge closed her eyes and slowly extended her tongue.
After waiting for a while without hearing any response, she opened her eyes just in time to see Zhou Xingyan’s lashes lower slightly and his Adam’s apple roll subtly.
He lowered his gaze, his voice slightly hoarse: “You have a lot of cold energy inside your body—cold uterus, weak kidney yang. You must not stay up late anymore. Go to bed by midnight. Avoid cold foods. No raw seafood, beer, milk tea, ice cream, junk food—all of that is off-limits. Take yogurt, milk, and fruits out of the fridge to reach room temperature before eating.”
Xiang Ge listened, nodding superficially. She looked up at him: “Is Dr. Zhou a TCM practitioner?”
“I studied clinical medicine in university, but my grandfather is a TCM doctor, so I’ve also been exposed to it.” Zhou Xingyan stood up, then suddenly remembered something and lowered his head: “Oh, about your development issues—”
Before he finished, Xiang Ge stiffened and jumped up from her chair, her voice slightly louder as she interrupted: “There’s nothing wrong with my development.”
She blinked, her voice lowering: “No major issues…”
Zhou Xingyan looked at her, saying nothing.
His cool, detached gaze swept from top to bottom, pausing briefly at her neckline, circling around, and finally returning to her eyes. With a slight curve of his lips, he softly said, “Oh, then there’s none.”
“…”
“He’s mocking me, isn’t he?”
“Or maybe teasing?”
“I feel like I detected pity in his gaze and tone.”
“And a bit of sympathy.”
“You’re quite impressive, able to read so many emotions from him. From my little doctor’s gaze and tone, I can only interpret four words—” Xia Wei paused, turning to look at Xiang Ge.
The woman sat on the sofa, expressionless, staring back.
After fifteen seconds, Xia Wei deflated: “Why didn’t you ask me what those four words were?”
“Oh, what are they?”
“‘I’m very indifferent.’”
Xiang Ge raised an eyebrow: “Are you implying that even with someone as attractive as me making repeated advances, he remains unmoved?”
Xia Wei gave her a sympathetic look: “Do you really need to phrase such an obvious fact as a question?”
The woman didn’t respond further, using her eyes to convey her disagreement.
As if to prove something, she popped a grape into her mouth, grabbed a tissue to wipe her hands, then pulled out her phone from under her butt and unlocked the screen.
It was 10:30 PM. Xiang Ge sent Zhou Xingyan a text—
[Dr. Zhou, are you asleep?]
After tilting her head slightly in thought, she added a cute kaomoji and hit send.
Three minutes later, her phone buzzed with a notification.
Xia Wei perked up, leaning over to peek.
[Zhou Xingyan: Asleep.]
“…”
Brother, not even a shred of mercy?
Xiang Ge looked utterly disheartened.
Xia Wei: “HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA”
Zhou Xingyan received Xiang Ge’s text while watching a movie.
The room lights were off, illuminated only by the dim glow of the screen. The vibration light from the phone on the coffee table was glaringly bright. He picked it up, glanced at the message, and without hesitation, replied that he was asleep.
After sending it, the movie became unwatchable.
Zhou Xingyan watched the screen emotionlessly for five minutes, then abruptly stood up from the couch and headed to the kitchen. Halfway there, he turned back, bent down to grab the phone from the coffee table, and went to pour himself a glass of water.
Returning to the couch with the water, he watched the movie for another five minutes before standing up again.
Zhou Xingyan looked down at the full glass of water on the coffee table, feeling restless.
Fifteen minutes had passed.
Just as he was thinking, his phone rang.
He unlocked the screen to see an unsaved number with four words:
[Oh, goodnight then.]
Zhou Xingyan frowned slightly, displeased.
…
Xia Wei stayed at Xiang Ge’s place until 11 PM. It was a bit late, and she was too lazy to move, but since she didn’t have work tomorrow, she decided to sleep over.
Xiang Ge handed her a set of pajamas and told her to shower first. Meanwhile, she sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, scrolling through photos sent by SINGO on her laptop.
There were plenty of good shots. The meticulous editor seemed satisfied, and even treated Xiang Ge with warmth, asking her to pick a few favorites.
Xiang Ge downloaded and extracted the files, opening each photo one by one. After flipping through them, she felt every picture made her look like a celestial goddess descending to earth. Choosing the best one was nearly impossible.
Xiang Ge randomly selected a few, submitting them half-heartedly. Just as she sent them off, her phone lit up.
[Zhou Xingyan: Do you live in Yujing Garden?]
Xiang Ge blinked, recalling the time Liang Shengxi had dropped her off. He must have told him.
Checking the time, she tilted her head and replied.
Coincidentally, Xia Wei emerged from the bathroom, wearing pajamas and drying her hair.
Xiang Ge sat on the bed, tapping her phone, then suddenly raised her head, looking at Xia Wei with a ghostly gaze: “Xia Xia, do you love me?”
Xia Wei’s eyes filled with suspicion: “What are you planning?”
“I’ll book you a hotel nearby. Spend the night there—it’s a luxurious four-star hotel right downstairs. I might be busy tonight.”
Xia Wei: “??? What are you busy with?”
“My first love.”
“Your little doctor?”
Xiang Ge’s pretty lashes drooped, looking troubled and sorrowful: “He just asked if I live in Yujing Garden. Is he planning a night raid? I should’ve bought new lingerie.”
Xia Wei snorted: “You should buy a sporty tank-top set. Who knows, it might create a different effect.”
Xiang Ge casually grabbed a pillow behind her and threw it at her.
Xia Wei caught it, hugging it to her chest. Xiang Ge squinted at her, about to say something, when her phone buzzed again.
She glanced down.
[Zhou Xingyan: Your lunchbox is with me. I’ll be in the area after work the day after tomorrow to run some errands and will drop it off.]
“…”
Oh.
How boring.
Google Sites
Report abuse