Chapter 3: Unhappy

Xiang Ge’s injured foot required at least a week of rest, meaning she had to stay home and recuperate quietly.

This enforced rest was an unexpected blessing amidst her otherwise stressful and negative life. It added a bright spot of comfort to her otherwise gloomy existence.

After staying at home for a few days, Xiang Ge even felt that her skin had improved.

When Xia Wei entered with bags of vegetables and fruits, she found the woman lying upside down on the couch, her knees hooked over the backrest, holding an iPad high above her head while it trembled slightly in her hand.

Xia Wei placed the groceries on the kitchen counter and rolled her eyes: “You don’t look like someone who’s having trouble moving. You’re pulling off some pretty advanced moves.”

At this, Xiang Ge put the iPad on her stomach and tilted her head backward to look at her friend: “I’m just following doctor’s orders.” She wiggled her leg, extending it upward: “Promoting blood circulation.”

“Your ‘little doctor’ didn’t tell you to perform acrobatics to promote blood flow.”

Xiang Ge was pleased with Xia Wei’s use of the term “your little doctor,” the corners of her lips curving up slightly in satisfaction. She didn’t respond verbally.

Xia Wei took out the milk from the bag, tore open the carton, grabbed two glasses from the nearby shelf, poured the milk, added a lump of brown sugar, and heated it.

Leaning against the microwave with one hand, Xia Wei tapped her fingers twice on the marble countertop as she watched the figure sprawled on the couch with legs raised high. Still puzzled, she asked: “Why did you suddenly take a liking to that young doctor?”

Lying flat on the couch, Xiang Ge bumped her heels together lightly and lazily replied: “He’s not that young.”

“How do you know?”

“I definitely know.”

The microwave beeped softly. Xia Wei removed the warm milk, stirred the melted brown sugar at the bottom of the cup, and brought it over to place on the coffee table: “I always thought you didn’t like this type.”

Xiang Ge carefully lowered her legs, shifted to one side, propped herself up on the couch, crossed one leg, and stretched out the other, which was still sprained: “I don’t like this type.”

Xia Wei settled into the soft chair beside her: “I remember when we were in France, you met someone similar—a young compatriot…” She paused meaningfully before continuing: “Back then, you said this type was all fake.”

Xiang Ge didn’t respond immediately. In silence, she leaned forward and picked up the glass of milk from the table.

The warmth seeped through the thin glass walls, gently heating her palm and traveling along her fingertips to her nerve endings, silently reaching her central nervous system.

Her long lashes fluttered slightly as she licked the corner of her lips and chuckled softly, her voice languid and scattered: “I still think this type is fake.”

From the first time she met Zhou Xingyan during her freshman year of high school, she had thought he was phony.

Standing there pretending to be the serious model student, as if his studious exterior could hide the arrogance deep within him.

His face carried an air of detached aloofness, but his eyes held icy pride and impatience.

Even back then, Xiang Ge had decided she couldn’t stand him.

He was just too damn hypocritical.

She wanted to provoke him, make him angry, expose his true colors, and challenge him.

And that’s exactly what fifteen-year-old Xiang Ge did for a long time after their initial encounter.

Xia Wei looked at her with a mysterious expression.

The woman sat cross-legged on the couch, holding the glass of milk and batting her eyelashes teasingly like butterfly wings.

Xia Wei: “Don’t flirt with me.”

“… I wasn’t flirting with you.”

Xia Wei raised an eyebrow, refraining from asking further questions, and shook her head with a disapproving click of her tongue: “But that young doctor’s face… The nurses in his department must be thrilled. They probably have so much motivation going to work every day.”

Xiang Ge held the cup, her lashes lifting slightly, her expression subtly changing.

Xia Wei pressed on: “It’s always easier to get to know someone close by. Why don’t you consider switching careers and becoming a nurse? Or else, to seduce him, you’ll have to keep spraining your ankle and visiting as a patient. Isn’t that too cruel to yourself?”

Annoyed, the patient grabbed a nearby cushion and threw it at her.

Xiang Ge’s sprain wasn’t severe, and after a few quiet days at home, it had mostly healed. The shallower bruises around the edges had faded significantly.

The next day, she went to the hospital for a follow-up appointment.

Though her foot was already fine.

During the workweek, Xia Wei was busy, so Xiang Ge didn’t call her. Instead, she hailed a taxi to the hospital entrance. Peering around cautiously, she limped leisurely toward the building.

Today, she wore a black satin baseball jacket embroidered with golden eagle wings on the back, paired with a baseball cap. Her entire appearance exuded a completely different style compared to her previous visits.

On her feet were a pair of flat-soled AJ5 Oreo sneakers.

Strictly following doctor’s orders.

Xiang Ge thought she had been exceptionally obedient and deserved a little red flower stamped on her forehead as a reward.

Arriving at noon, right during the clinic’s lunch break, there weren’t many people. Some patients hadn’t left and were simply waiting for the afternoon session to resume.

After registering, Xiang Ge found a seat in a corner near the consultation room door. Her baseball cap was pulled low, revealing only her sharp chin and luscious lips.

From this angle, she could see the fifth consultation room, its door slightly ajar. As she casually glanced, she caught a fleeting glimpse of a white coat disappearing behind the crack.

Xiang Ge blinked, staring at the gap, tilting her head slightly, and removing her earphones.

As soon as she took them off, the surrounding sounds became clearer. She could faintly hear voices inside the consultation room.

There was a woman.

And she was laughing.

Xiang Ge tilted her head back, extended her index finger, and pushed the brim of her cap upward slightly, revealing half-closed eyes.

Her tongue swept across her gums once, and she reinserted one earbud. Standing up, she slipped one hand into her jacket pocket and strolled leisurely to the last consultation room door.

Behind the slightly open door, Zhou Xingyan was speaking.

“Tomorrow should be fine.”

He said.

???

What did that mean?

Alarm bells rang loudly in Xiang Ge’s mind. Every cell in her body screamed that something was amiss.

Clearing her throat, she knocked symbolically twice on the door, paused for two seconds, and pushed it open slightly.

Instead of entering fully, she leaned her body sideways, peeking her head through the gap.

Zhou Xingyan was still seated behind the desk. A woman stood in front of him, her short hair reaching shoulder length, hands resting on the desk edge, leaning forward. Her white coat hung loosely, following her posture.

Xiang Ge stared emotionlessly at the two figures, whose white coats made them look like an overly conspicuous couple. The dangling wire of her single earphone swayed back and forth.

She had deliberately changed her style and applied a cunning makeup look to check on the situation during her follow-up visit. Yet, instead of encountering the enthusiastic “little nurse” everyone talked about, she stumbled upon a highly motivated female doctor.

The woman seemed displeased at being interrupted and turned to frown at Xiang Ge: “It’s the doctor’s lunch break now. No consultations are being done.”

Xiang Ge ignored her, her gaze bypassing the woman to lock eyes with Zhou Xingyan behind the desk.

The man looked at her coldly.

No words, no reaction, not even a blink.

Xiang Ge paused, lazily muttered an “Oh,” apologized, and slowly retreated, closing the door behind her.

Her hand lingered on the doorknob, leaving it slightly ajar before returning to her original seat.

Not long after, the sound of laughter drifted faintly through the door again.

Muffled by the barrier, the laughter grated on Xiang Ge’s ears, sounding both noisy and piercing.

That laugh, like the ringing of a gong.

Xiang Ge regretted not closing the door tightly earlier.

Rolling her eyes, she decisively plugged both earphones back in, turned up the music volume, closed her eyes, leaned her head back, and waited.

At 2 PM, the lunch break ended. Xiang Ge had arrived early and her number was near the front, so it wasn’t long before she was called. Coincidentally, it was Room 5 again.

She removed her earphones, tucked them into her jacket pocket, swung her long legs down from their crossed position, walked to the door, knocked, and entered.

Closing the door behind her and turning around, Zhou Xingyan happened to raise his head.

The woman wore a white T-shirt under her black jacket, with delicate gold embroidery winding from the back to the cuffs.

Her black baseball cap was flipped up slightly, her makeup minimal. Her plump, glossy lips, paired with deliberately downturned eyeliner, softened her usually sharp eye contours and facial lines, removing the harsh shadows from before.

A hint of pink blush—whether eyeshadow or something else—was swept along the outer corner of her lower eyelids, giving her an unexpectedly cute appearance.

Zhou Xingyan thought that makeup truly was a magical skill.

This person was completely different from the one in the black dress, stiletto heels, deep-set eyes, and heavy smoky makeup just days ago.

While he was thinking, Xiang Ge had already approached.

Whether it was because her foot was still somewhat inconvenient or not, she walked with a slight limp, dragging her steps slowly until she reached the desk and sat down, handing over her medical record.

Zhou Xingyan accepted it, his gaze falling on the clear nail polish coating her slender, fair fingertips. His lips curved imperceptibly.

Even her nails had changed color.

Quite the complete transformation.

He lowered his eyes, glanced at the sneakers on her feet, let out a soft chuckle, and slowly withdrew his gaze as he opened the medical record: “I didn’t think you’d be the type to listen to a doctor’s advice.”

Still remembering his cold demeanor when he was with the female doctor earlier, Xiang Ge raised an eyebrow and responded lazily: “And I didn’t think you’d forget your own patient after just a few days.”

As soon as her words fell, Zhou Xingyan froze mid-motion.

The man’s long lashes, previously lowered, shot up abruptly. His jaw tightened slightly, lips pressed together, and he stared at her blankly, emotionlessly.

Xiang Ge was momentarily stunned, meeting those clear, dark eyes.

After a few seconds, Zhou Xingyan, without warning, suddenly smiled.

Forget?

Even if reduced to ashes, he would never forget.