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Xiang Ge was good at drinking.
In college, when she went out with friends, it usually ended with everyone either wildly dancing like maniacs or crying their hearts out with their heads tilted, while she sat happily alone in the corner watching them.
Although sake had a strong aftereffect, it didn’t affect her much—at most, it gave her a bit of courage.
She thought Zhou Xingyan should remember her.
Regardless of whether he had feelings for her or not, Xiang Ge felt that at least in high school, they could be considered familiar with each other.
So why, when they met again, did he seem not to recognize her?
Did he find her troublesome? Was he afraid she would cling to him? Or did he really forget her completely?
Xiang Ge couldn’t understand. She hadn’t had the chance before, and she didn’t have the courage to ask. Now that she did, she might as well ask.
She wanted to make things clear even if it killed her—how could things be so vague and confused?
She had even prepared a fallback plan: if Zhou Xingyan really didn’t remember her, she would pretend to be drunk and babble nonsense, then claim amnesia afterward.
If he did remember, she would beat him up.
Though that was just a thought.
The woman stood at the entrance of the Japanese restaurant, staring straight at him, her mind full of mischievous plans, her gaze a little unfocused.
Zhou Xingyan thought she was drunk. He fixed his gaze on her for a long time and sighed.
Actually, at first, he hadn’t intended to pretend not to know her.
He put the car keys back in his pocket and walked over, “Why so honest?”
Xiang Ge tilted her head and seriously asked, “You don’t remember me?”
Zhou Xingyan lowered his eyebrows and eyes, paused for a moment.
She wasn’t impatient, quietly watching him wait.
“I remember,” Zhou Xingyan said.
Xiang Ge smiled with her brows drawn together.
See, I told you.
“Then why did you act like you didn’t know me before?” She paused, then kindly added, “If I knew you were afraid of trouble, I wouldn’t cling to you. Why pretend?”
Zhou Xingyan squinted.
They were close; she looked up at him, clearly seeing his shadow in her pupils.
Her lipstick had all been eaten during the meal, her lip color a bit pale, looking clean and soft.
The corners of her lips curved up slightly as she slowly and clearly said, “Not clinging doesn’t mean I won’t chase you.”
Zhou Xingyan squinted, silent.
Xiang Ge put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, moved close to him, tilted her head up, looking from his chin to his nose bridge, eyes, and eyebrows, then met his gaze with a lazy, seductive smile, repeating, “Senior, I’m chasing you again.”
Zhou Xingyan’s shoulders sank imperceptibly.
He closed his eyes, then opened them, his dark eyes deep, calling her name, “Xiang Ge.”
Xiang Ge smiled with her eyes curved.
“Why did you leave back then?”
Xiang Ge said nothing, her smile unchanged.
Zhou Xingyan looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled, “Alright, you’re impressive.”
His voice was low and indifferent; there was no emotion in his eyes or smile.
Early spring had large temperature differences between day and night; the night wind was cool. The woman wore a coat so thin it seemed to blow right through. The legs of her wide pants fluttered in the wind, outlining her slender calves and ankles, making that part look even more delicate.
Xiang Ge shivered slightly.
Zhou Xingyan stared at her, his cheek muscles moving slightly, his molars clenched and grinding.
He really wanted to rip the lantern off and smash it on this woman’s head.
He raised his hand to press his brow, sighing, “Go inside.”
“Huh?” Xiang Ge didn’t react immediately.
“Go inside and wait. I’ll drive the car over.”
The car was parked near the mall where they had bought the fountain pen before. Zhou Xingyan walked over to drive it back. When he returned, he sat in the car looking into the store but didn’t see Xiang Ge.
He got out again and went back inside, immediately seeing her sitting at the bar chatting warmly with the ramen chef.
She had a small pot of sake and a plate of sashimi in front of her, pouring sake into a cup while telling the chef, “I’ll finish quickly, or I might get scolded later.”
“...”
Zhou Xingyan walked over, looking down at her from above.
Shadows fell on the dark wooden table. Xiang Ge held a sake bottle, looked up at him, glanced at the half-eaten sashimi, reluctant to leave, then stood up, “Let’s go.”
Zhou Xingyan hooked his long fingers on the table edge, pulled out the chair beside her, and sat down, “Finish eating.”
Xiang Ge was happy, sat down again, eating sashimi and sake happily.
Zhou Xingyan sat by the wall, head tilted, leaning against it watching her.
His brows and eyes were hidden in shadow, his emotions unreadable.
Xiang Ge said she wanted to chase him again, but after sending her off that night, there was no news the next day.
Lin Ran somehow heard that Xiang Ge had gone out to eat with them last night. The next noon, just as Zhou Xingyan finished lunch and returned to the clinic, she blocked him at the door under some pretext.
Zhou Xingyan was on duty. Lin Ran yawned, standing at the clinic door, looking tired but her makeup was still neat and delicate, “A patient was in pain all night, drove me crazy.”
Zhou Xingyan put on his white coat, buttoning it methodically without responding.
Pain and swelling are the most common signs in orthopedic trauma patients, and treatment is straightforward with many pain relief methods, not troublesome.
Lin Ran waited a moment without reply, rubbed her shoulder miserably, “The bed in the duty room is hard, I woke up aching all over.”
Zhou Xingyan went to the sink, squeezed some hand soap, and washed his hands, “It’s okay, I usually don’t sleep much.”
Lin Ran quickly said, “I only lay down for a bit. Last night was really busy.” She paused, then casually asked, “Did you have anything fun when you went out yesterday?”
Zhou Xingyan paused briefly, then nonchalantly turned on the faucet to wash off the foam on his hands, “Nothing.”
“Hey, Dr. Zhou,” Lin Ran said, “You’re so cold.”
This time, Zhou Xingyan finally looked up.
Before he spoke, his gaze shifted to behind Lin Ran.
Xiang Ge’s head peeked from behind the door, wearing a slanted light-gold baseball cap, chewing bubble gum. Her cheek moved slightly as she slowly blew a bubble, “Pop—” it burst.
Lin Ran also turned around, stunned.
Xiang Ge popped the burst bubble back into her mouth, raised her eyes and smiled, “Dr. Lin, aren’t you working?”
Lin Ran warned, “Miss Xiang, your company seems quite kind. Here to see the doctor again?”
“Yeah.” Xiang Ge was not surprised she knew her name, licking her teeth, “Caught a cold, came to see the doctor.”
Lin Ran stepped forward two steps, standing before her, head arrogantly raised, “Colds should go to respiratory medicine; this is orthopedics.”
Xiang Ge looked suddenly enlightened, “Is that so? Then I must have sprained my ankle.”
Just then, the first patient of the afternoon came in. Zhou Xingyan stood behind the patient, waiting for them to enter, holding the door handle and glanced at Xiang Ge. He raised a finger warningly in front of her eyes.
Xiang Ge raised her hand, index finger extended, gently touched his fingertip, and winked at him.
The soft, warm touch met the cold finger. Zhou Xingyan was stunned for a moment, curled his finger back, and pressed his thin lips.
Xiang Ge obediently stepped back two steps and stood by the window next to the clinic, watching him close the door.
Lin Ran stood beside, watching her shameless teasing, speechless. She had never seen such a shameless person.
She had been Zhou Xingyan’s junior in college and liked him from the first time she saw him. Over the years, from campus to workplace, she had always been by his side. Although many girls had pursued Zhou Xingyan, he seemed to have no interest in the opposite sex.
This somewhat comforted her—if she couldn’t have him, no one else could.
She had always been the class beauty with good grades. If they got together, her father could be a great help to his career.
She was the one who had stayed closest to him the longest. Opportunities would come; she was not in a hurry; everything could happen slowly.
But this Xiang Ge, whom she had only met twice, made her feel uneasy, like a hammer pounding her heart.
This woman had appeared just a month ago, met Zhou Xingyan two or three times, yet already brought her great crisis and made her anxious.
Although she kept telling herself that Zhou Xingyan couldn’t possibly like this type—he was so cold and indifferent, how could he like such a flashy and arrogant type?
Moreover, she had the advantage of time—she had waited for him six years.
Six years—she had given him the best six years of her life as a woman.
Thinking this, she felt more confident.
This woman was tall; she was a bit shorter but at 1.68 meters, not short. Lin Ran raised her chin and slowly smiled gently, “Miss Xiang, do you like Ah Yan too?”
Xiang Ge found the smile familiar.
She saw that smile almost every day on Xu Yiqi’s face at the company.
Xiang Ge casually said, “Yeah.”
Lin Ran wore a white coat, her back straight, smooth black hair falling to her collarbone, tucked behind one ear. Her features were gentle, and her voice much softer than before, “Actually, it’s normal. Ah Yan is really outstanding. Whether in school or at work, I’ve lost count of how many girls like him.”
“Ah Yan is indifferent and never serious about relationships, but over the years, the only person who could keep up with him and stay by his side is me. In every way, I’m the most suitable for him.” Lin Ran smiled, “Miss Xiang, I’ve waited for Ah Yan for six years.”
Xiang Ge lowered her head slightly, “Six years, huh.”
Her voice was low, almost a whisper, “That’s really a long time. You’re amazing.”
Lin Ran didn’t respond, crossing her arms waiting for her to continue.
She didn’t believe this woman could be dismissed with just a few words.
Xiang Ge didn’t lift her head, only slightly raised her eyelids.
Her originally sharp eyes had been deliberately softened but still carried a sharp pressure.
“Dr. Lin, I’ve waited eight years,” she said casually with a smile, “Every day in these eight years, I’ve wanted to become someone more worthy of him.”
Chapter 21, titled “Unhappy”:
Xiang Ge was good at drinking.
In college, when she went out with friends, it usually ended with everyone either wildly dancing like maniacs or crying their hearts out with their heads tilted, while she sat happily alone in the corner watching them.
Although sake had a strong aftereffect, it didn’t affect her much—at most, it gave her a bit of courage.
She thought Zhou Xingyan should remember her.
Regardless of whether he had feelings for her or not, Xiang Ge felt that at least in high school, they could be considered familiar with each other.
So why, when they met again, did he seem not to recognize her?
Did he find her troublesome? Was he afraid she would cling to him? Or did he really forget her completely?
Xiang Ge couldn’t understand. She hadn’t had the chance before, and she didn’t have the courage to ask. Now that she did, she might as well ask.
She wanted to make things clear even if it killed her—how could things be so vague and confused?
She had even prepared a fallback plan: if Zhou Xingyan really didn’t remember her, she would pretend to be drunk and babble nonsense, then claim amnesia afterward.
If he did remember, she would beat him up.
Though that was just a thought.
The woman stood at the entrance of the Japanese restaurant, staring straight at him, her mind full of mischievous plans, her gaze a little unfocused.
Zhou Xingyan thought she was drunk. He fixed his gaze on her for a long time and sighed.
Actually, at first, he hadn’t intended to pretend not to know her.
He put the car keys back in his pocket and walked over, “Why so honest?”
Xiang Ge tilted her head and seriously asked, “You don’t remember me?”
Zhou Xingyan lowered his eyebrows and eyes, paused for a moment.
She wasn’t impatient, quietly watching him wait.
“I remember,” Zhou Xingyan said.
Xiang Ge smiled with her brows drawn together.
See, I told you.
“Then why did you act like you didn’t know me before?” She paused, then kindly added, “If I knew you were afraid of trouble, I wouldn’t cling to you. Why pretend?”
Zhou Xingyan squinted.
They were close; she looked up at him, clearly seeing his shadow in her pupils.
Her lipstick had all been eaten during the meal, her lip color a bit pale, looking clean and soft.
The corners of her lips curved up slightly as she slowly and clearly said, “Not clinging doesn’t mean I won’t chase you.”
Zhou Xingyan squinted, silent.
Xiang Ge put her hands behind her back, leaned forward slightly, moved close to him, tilted her head up, looking from his chin to his nose bridge, eyes, and eyebrows, then met his gaze with a lazy, seductive smile, repeating, “Senior, I’m chasing you again.”
Zhou Xingyan’s shoulders sank imperceptibly.
He closed his eyes, then opened them, his dark eyes deep, calling her name, “Xiang Ge.”
Xiang Ge smiled with her eyes curved.
“Why did you leave back then?”
Xiang Ge said nothing, her smile unchanged.
Zhou Xingyan looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled, “Alright, you’re impressive.”
His voice was low and indifferent; there was no emotion in his eyes or smile.
Early spring had large temperature differences between day and night; the night wind was cool. The woman wore a coat so thin it seemed to blow right through. The legs of her wide pants fluttered in the wind, outlining her slender calves and ankles, making that part look even more delicate.
Xiang Ge shivered slightly.
Zhou Xingyan stared at her, his cheek muscles moving slightly, his molars clenched and grinding.
He really wanted to rip the lantern off and smash it on this woman’s head.
He raised his hand to press his brow, sighing, “Go inside.”
“Huh?” Xiang Ge didn’t react immediately.
“Go inside and wait. I’ll drive the car over.”
The car was parked near the mall where they had bought the fountain pen before. Zhou Xingyan walked over to drive it back. When he returned, he sat in the car looking into the store but didn’t see Xiang Ge.
He got out again and went back inside, immediately seeing her sitting at the bar chatting warmly with the ramen chef.
She had a small pot of sake and a plate of sashimi in front of her, pouring sake into a cup while telling the chef, “I’ll finish quickly, or I might get scolded later.”
“...”
Zhou Xingyan walked over, looking down at her from above.
Shadows fell on the dark wooden table. Xiang Ge held a sake bottle, looked up at him, glanced at the half-eaten sashimi, reluctant to leave, then stood up, “Let’s go.”
Zhou Xingyan hooked his long fingers on the table edge, pulled out the chair beside her, and sat down, “Finish eating.”
Xiang Ge was happy, sat down again, eating sashimi and sake happily.
Zhou Xingyan sat by the wall, head tilted, leaning against it watching her.
His brows and eyes were hidden in shadow, his emotions unreadable.
Xiang Ge said she wanted to chase him again, but after sending her off that night, there was no news the next day.
Lin Ran somehow heard that Xiang Ge had gone out to eat with them last night. The next noon, just as Zhou Xingyan finished lunch and returned to the clinic, she blocked him at the door under some pretext.
Zhou Xingyan was on duty. Lin Ran yawned, standing at the clinic door, looking tired but her makeup was still neat and delicate, “A patient was in pain all night, drove me crazy.”
Zhou Xingyan put on his white coat, buttoning it methodically without responding.
Pain and swelling are the most common signs in orthopedic trauma patients, and treatment is straightforward with many pain relief methods, not troublesome.
Lin Ran waited a moment without reply, rubbed her shoulder miserably, “The bed in the duty room is hard, I woke up aching all over.”
Zhou Xingyan went to the sink, squeezed some hand soap, and washed his hands, “It’s okay, I usually don’t sleep much.”
Lin Ran quickly said, “I only lay down for a bit. Last night was really busy.” She paused, then casually asked, “Did you have anything fun when you went out yesterday?”
Zhou Xingyan paused briefly, then nonchalantly turned on the faucet to wash off the foam on his hands, “Nothing.”
“Hey, Dr. Zhou,” Lin Ran said, “You’re so cold.”
This time, Zhou Xingyan finally looked up.
Before he spoke, his gaze shifted to behind Lin Ran.
Xiang Ge’s head peeked from behind the door, wearing a slanted light-gold baseball cap, chewing bubble gum. Her cheek moved slightly as she slowly blew a bubble, “Pop—” it burst.
Lin Ran also turned around, stunned.
Xiang Ge popped the burst bubble back into her mouth, raised her eyes and smiled, “Dr. Lin, aren’t you working?”
Lin Ran warned, “Miss Xiang, your company seems quite kind. Here to see the doctor again?”
“Yeah.” Xiang Ge was not surprised she knew her name, licking her teeth, “Caught a cold, came to see the doctor.”
Lin Ran stepped forward two steps, standing before her, head arrogantly raised, “Colds should go to respiratory medicine; this is orthopedics.”
Xiang Ge looked suddenly enlightened, “Is that so? Then I must have sprained my ankle.”
Just then, the first patient of the afternoon came in. Zhou Xingyan stood behind the patient, waiting for them to enter, holding the door handle and glanced at Xiang Ge. He raised a finger warningly in front of her eyes.
Xiang Ge raised her hand, index finger extended, gently touched his fingertip, and winked at him.
The soft, warm touch met the cold finger. Zhou Xingyan was stunned for a moment, curled his finger back, and pressed his thin lips.
Xiang Ge obediently stepped back two steps and stood by the window next to the clinic, watching him close the door.
Lin Ran stood beside, watching her shameless teasing, speechless. She had never seen such a shameless person.
She had been Zhou Xingyan’s junior in college and liked him from the first time she saw him. Over the years, from campus to workplace, she had always been by his side. Although many girls had pursued Zhou Xingyan, he seemed to have no interest in the opposite sex.
This somewhat comforted her—if she couldn’t have him, no one else could.
She had always been the class beauty with good grades. If they got together, her father could be a great help to his career.
She was the one who had stayed closest to him the longest. Opportunities would come; she was not in a hurry; everything could happen slowly.
But this Xiang Ge, whom she had only met twice, made her feel uneasy, like a hammer pounding her heart.
This woman had appeared just a month ago, met Zhou Xingyan two or three times, yet already brought her great crisis and made her anxious.
Although she kept telling herself that Zhou Xingyan couldn’t possibly like this type—he was so cold and indifferent, how could he like such a flashy and arrogant type?
Moreover, she had the advantage of time—she had waited for him six years.
Six years—she had given him the best six years of her life as a woman.
Thinking this, she felt more confident.
This woman was tall; she was a bit shorter but at 1.68 meters, not short. Lin Ran raised her chin and slowly smiled gently, “Miss Xiang, do you like Ah Yan too?”
Xiang Ge found the smile familiar.
She saw that smile almost every day on Xu Yiqi’s face at the company.
Xiang Ge casually said, “Yeah.”
Lin Ran wore a white coat, her back straight, smooth black hair falling to her collarbone, tucked behind one ear. Her features were gentle, and her voice much softer than before, “Actually, it’s normal. Ah Yan is really outstanding. Whether in school or at work, I’ve lost count of how many girls like him.”
“Ah Yan is indifferent and never serious about relationships, but over the years, the only person who could keep up with him and stay by his side is me. In every way, I’m the most suitable for him.” Lin Ran smiled, “Miss Xiang, I’ve waited for Ah Yan for six years.”
Xiang Ge lowered her head slightly, “Six years, huh.”
Her voice was low, almost a whisper, “That’s really a long time. You’re amazing.”
Lin Ran didn’t respond, crossing her arms waiting for her to continue.
She didn’t believe this woman could be dismissed with just a few words.
Xiang Ge didn’t lift her head, only slightly raised her eyelids.
Her originally sharp eyes had been deliberately softened but still carried a sharp pressure.
“Dr. Lin, I’ve waited eight years,” she said casually with a smile, “Every day in these eight years, I’ve wanted to become someone more worthy of him.”
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