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The person left, but the room was still filled with lingering tension.
Lu Hanxiao sat on a stool and tossed a cigarette to He Ran. “Do you feel better now that you’ve driven her away?”
He Ran smoked furiously and quickly, nearly half the cigarette burning down in one drag.
“Little Xi has always been gentle. It’s rare to see someone who can make her cry so angrily,” Lu Hanxiao said, giving He Ran a thumbs-up. “Even though she obviously likes you like crazy, you still talk like such a bastard. Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
He Ran’s brows never relaxed. After finishing the last puff, he crushed the cigarette butt on the table. “Help me pass a message to her.”
________________________________________
When Lu Hanxiao came out, Jian Xi was leaning against the stone pillar at the entrance, lost in thought.
Handing her an opened bottle of water, Lu Hanxiao smiled. “That bastard He Ran is truly despicable for being so rude to you. Let him rot in jail for a year or two; that would be satisfying.”
Jian Xi glanced at him. “Are you losing it too?”
Lu Hanxiao replied, “When I first met him, we were barely twenty. We didn’t like each other from the start. One night, after drinking too much, we even got into a fight.”
Jian Xi asked, “Who won?”
“Obviously, me,” Lu Hanxiao boasted. “I beat him until he begged for mercy on his knees.”
“You couldn’t have beaten him,” Jian Xi said calmly. “In terms of being bastards and thugs, you can’t compete with him.”
“Tsk, can’t you give me some face?” Lu Hanxiao loosened his brows and paused before continuing, “Leave He Ran’s situation to me. As for that Lu guy, you don’t need to go there.”
“I wasn’t planning to go.”
Lu Hanxiao chuckled without exposing the truth. “I’m familiar with this area. Don’t worry, he’ll get out.”
“Where am I worried?” Jian Xi’s tone rose slightly, making her deliberate distancing obvious.
“Alright, alright, not worried at all.” His phone rang, and Lu Hanxiao answered while speaking, “Director Li, are you here? Alright, I’ll wait for you there.”
After hanging up, Lu Hanxiao patted Jian Xi’s shoulder. “I’ll go handle things first. Drive slowly, and I’ll text you later.”
“Text if you want.” Just as Jian Xi was about to leave,
“Oh, right,” Lu Hanxiao stopped again. “He Ran asked me to pass a message to you.”
Jian Xi stood with her back to him, not turning around.
“He said, even if you don’t choose him, don’t choose that Lu guy either.” Lu Hanxiao relayed the message verbatim, then hurried back into the police station.
Jian Xi suddenly deflated. All the anger and frustration inside her drained away.
The place where Lu Pingnan was hospitalized was where she worked—Surgical Department of the First City Hospital. Before entering the ward, Jian Xi stopped by the doctor’s office.
Fortunately, the director was on duty, and he knew Jian Xi.
“This kind of case doesn’t require hospitalization; it’s the patient’s own insistence.” The director handed the medical records directly to Jian Xi.
When she entered the ward, Lu Pingnan was lazily leaning against the pillow, scrolling through his phone, laughing and typing fluently.
Jian Xi stood at the door for several seconds without him noticing.
“Cough.” Jian Xi lightly cleared her throat and walked in with a smile. “Feeling better?”
Lu Pingnan was clearly startled, immediately dropping his phone beside the pillow, his expression instantly reflecting pain. “Xi Xi, you’re here.”
“I came to check on you.” Jian Xi placed the bouquet on the side table. “How are you feeling? What did the doctor say?”
“Two ribs are broken, and my ankle is sprained.” Lu Pingnan grinned. “I’m really happy that you came to see me.”
Jian Xi’s expression remained unchanged, her eyes indifferent, lips slightly curved. “Broken bones? That’s pretty serious.” She asked, “Who hit you?”
“It was He Ran,” Lu Pingnan answered quickly. “That guy who keeps bothering you.”
Jian Xi pretended to recall, dragging out her response. “Oh, it’s him.”
“Yes, him,” Lu Pingnan fumed. “A piece of scum. Without people like him, society would be much more peaceful.”
Jian Xi listened to his complaints without uttering a word.
An awkward atmosphere hung in the air, and Lu Pingnan quickly shut up.
Jian Xi smiled faintly. “Rest well. If you need any help, just let me know. I’ll do what I can.”
Seeing her about to leave, Lu Pingnan hastily said, “Xi Xi, let’s have lunch together.”
“Thank you, no need.” Jian Xi stood up.
“I’ll treat you to dinner when I’m discharged.”
Jian Xi neither agreed nor refused, and Lu Pingnan didn’t know if she heard him.
Leaving the hospital, Jian Xi went straight back to her apartment. Too tired to shower, she collapsed onto the bed. Her body was exhausted, and her mind was a mess. Closing her eyes brought He Ran’s arrogant face to mind, and opening them made old memories flash by.
His assistance at the bar.
Their unpleasant conversation at the neighborhood gate.
His impromptu confession in the car.
And that night on Yati Road, when he held her tightly and said, “I love you.”
Jian Xi closed her eyes, unconsciously gripping the blanket tighter.
This man, he was truly annoying.
She was woken by a phone call. Jian Xi picked up her phone, rubbing her eyes to look at the screen—it was Lu Hanxiao.
“Mm?” She answered.
Noticing her grogginess, Lu Hanxiao asked, “Were you sleeping?”
“Mm.”
“Just letting you know, he’s out.” Lu Hanxiao was concise, and Jian Xi understood immediately. Half of her drowsiness cleared.
She didn’t speak for a long time, and Lu Hanxiao added, “It’s already eight o’clock. Don’t sleep anymore. Come out, let’s have dinner together.”
Jian Xi’s fingers tightened and then relaxed. Finally, she said, “No thanks, I have instant noodles at home.”
After hanging up, Lu Hanxiao shook his phone at He Ran. “She doesn’t want to see you.”
He Ran bit his cigarette, smoking furiously.
“I know Little Xi well. She’s genuinely angry,” Lu Hanxiao said. “I’m also puzzled. If you like her, why not pursue her properly instead of picking fights with your rival? Don’t blame her; after all, he was her dream lover for many years.”
He Ran snorted coldly.
“Don’t be不服气 (stubborn),” Lu Hanxiao lit a cigarette, sliding down the window to disperse the smoke. “You’ve ruined a good hand of cards.”
“If you love giving advice so much, why don’t you switch to teaching?” He Ran’s eyes still glowed with fire. “Let’s drive and eat.”
The meal was eaten in silence. Lu Hanxiao, normally chatty, performed an entire evening’s worth of chatter solo.
After eating, He Ran asked the waiter to pack another takeout order.
“What the heck, you’re still hungry?” Lu Hanxiao handed over his card to pay. “Saving it for midnight snacks? Don’t think of mooching off me. Do you think it’s easy for me to earn money worrying about the country and its people every day?”
“Idiot.” He Ran looked down on him.
A few minutes later, he picked up the takeout without letting Lu Hanxiao see him off, throwing a parting remark, “I’m leaving.”
After that call, Jian Xi didn’t get up immediately but took another nap. An hour later, she finally dragged herself to take a shower. After changing clothes and preparing to go downstairs to find something to eat, she stopped as soon as she opened the door.
On the floor was a plastic bag with three neatly stacked disposable bowls.
She crouched down and touched them—they were still warm.
A flood of emotions surged to her chest—feeling helpless, a little wronged, and even a hint of clear regret.
Jian Xi took out her phone and saw a new WeChat message—
[Don’t eat instant noodles.]
Those few words were like a key perfectly fitting the lock, smoothly unlocking the blocked heart.
Jian Xi’s fingers hovered over the chat box, typing and deleting repeatedly, feeling nothing seemed appropriate.
Just as she hesitated, the phone vibrated with a buzz, startling her almost out of her grip.
It was He Ran calling.
Jian Xi pursed her lips, determined to maintain composure, intending her voice to sound cold. She took a deep breath and answered, “Hello.”
There was no response on the other end, only the faint hum of static and their breathing echoing in her ears. In an instant, her earlier resolve crumbled inexplicably, and Jian Xi’s eyes welled up with tears.
At first, she could hold back, but after a few seconds, she started sobbing audibly.
He Ran’s deep voice came through, “Listen to me, don’t cry.”
But tears, once they start, become hard to control. Jian Xi no longer restrained herself, crying like a child who had suffered countless grievances.
“Jian Xi.”
“Why were you so harsh on me this afternoon? I worked an entire night shift without sleep. I delivered three babies in one night, and as soon as my shift ended, I rushed over to see if I could help you. How is your attitude any different from Lu Pingnan’s?”
Jian Xi poured out her grievances, crying so hard she started hiccupping.
He Ran knew that a woman who had fallen for a man for ten years—even if she appeared calm now—couldn’t hide the vulnerability beneath.
His harsh demeanor frightened her.
He Ran swallowed hard, his voice hoarse. “Jian Xi,” he said, word by word, “I won’t be another Lu Pingnan.”
Jian Xi cried until her stomach hurt, and hearing those words made her feel worse. She quickly hung up the phone and carried the takeout inside, sobbing intermittently.
Ten minutes later, Jian Xi managed to steady her emotions. She washed her face, sat at the dining table, and opened the takeout. Crystal shrimp dumplings and a bowl of porridge, still warm.
Her phone beeped, and He Ran sent an apologetic pig emoticon along with a message:
[I bought a new motorcycle. I’ll come pick you up after work tomorrow.]
Jian Xi read it twice and finally broke into a smile despite the tears.
________________________________________
The next day, returning to the outpatient department for her shift, Jian Xi was cheerful all day.
The intern nurse seized a moment to ask curiously, “Dr. Jian, I noticed you’re in an especially good mood today.”
“Is that so?” Jian Xi laughed while writing medical records. “You noticed.” She put down her pen and beckoned the young nurse closer with a crook of her finger. “Want to know why? Come here.”
The young nurse took it seriously, leaning her head close.
Jian Xi whispered softly in her ear, “I won the lottery yesterday.”
“A big prize?” the young nurse exclaimed in surprise.
“Shh,” Jian Xi placed a finger on her lips, whispering mysteriously, “Keep it down. Quite a lot of money.”
“How much?” the young nurse guessed. “Five million?”
Jian Xi shook her head.
“Five hundred thousand?”
Still incorrect. The young nurse hesitated. “Fifty thousand?”
Jian Xi grinned brightly, like a radiant sunflower. “Sixth prize.”
How much is the sixth prize?
“Five yuan.”
“...”
Her mood soared like a propeller all day, even when several patients came just before closing time. Jian Xi didn’t find it unbearable because half an hour before the end of her shift, He Ran sent a WeChat message saying he had arrived and was waiting downstairs, no matter how late.
The feeling of being waited for was unexpectedly comforting.
At six-thirty, after seeing off the last postpartum patient, Jian Xi changed her clothes and got ready to leave work.
Most of the other doctors in the outpatient department had already left, leaving only the cleaning aunt bustling in and out of the corridors.
Jian Xi changed into a light blue wool coat, pulling her hair out of the collar, the scent of her hair lingering, her mood excellent. Just as she was about to turn to grab her bag, someone suddenly hugged her from behind.
Jian Xi screamed in alarm, “Ah!”
“Xi Xi, it’s me.” It was Lu Pingnan.
He held her tightly. “Do you like this surprise? I booked a spot at Guobin. Let’s go have dinner together.”
Jian Xi hurriedly pushed him away, but her hands had barely reached Lu Pingnan’s shoulders when she saw the person standing at the door.
Those pitch-black eyes stared at their close bodies. After a brief moment of shock, resignation settled in.
Jian Xi instinctively wanted to explain, but before she could speak, she heard He Ran laugh leisurely—
“You two carry on.”
As he turned to leave, Jian Xi came to her senses and blurted out, “He Ran.”
With a loud bang, He Ran punched the doorframe, his tone icy. “Dr. Jian, I apologize for troubling you during this time. I won’t bother you again in the future.”
With that, he walked away without looking back.
The room was filled with a chilling silence.
Jian Xi stared blankly at the door, forgetting to tell him:
Knowing you were coming to pick me up, I deliberately didn’t drive. Even in the freezing December weather, I wasn’t afraid. I wanted to ride your new motorcycle for a spin.
By the way, He Ran, let’s be together.
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