Chapter 18: The Embarrassing Consultation

The outpatient lobby of N City’s First Hospital perpetually reeked of disinfectant. It was a place teeming with hurried crowds and the chilly, impersonal chime of electronic call numbers.

Su Mian stood awkwardly before the information desk, like a small animal lost in an alien world.

He watched the busy nurses within, opening his mouth several times, yet each attempt felt as though something had choked his throat, preventing any coherent sound from escaping.

A kind-looking nurse, noticing the young man who had been dithering in place for nearly five minutes, lifted her head. She offered a professional yet reassuring smile. “Hello, do you need assistance? Where do you feel unwell?”

“I… I…” Su Mian’s voice was whisper-thin, and his cheeks began to heat uncontrollably. “My chest area…”

“Your chest?” The nurse maintained her professional patience, leaning slightly forward to hear him better. “Is it around your heart, or another part of your chest cavity? What does it feel like?” She needed more precise information for triage.

Su Mian’s face flushed even deeper, almost as if blood would drip from it.

‘Oh, this is unbearable, truly unbearable!’

‘For a guy to come in for an examination of that area, it truly felt too embarrassing to mention.’

He lowered his head, not daring to meet the nurse’s gaze. He mumbled in a voice barely audible even to himself, “Not my heart… just… my skin… it hurts…”

“Have you experienced any recent external impact or sprain?” The nurse continued to guide him with utmost professionalism.

Su Mian shook his head vigorously, his voice trembling slightly with embarrassment. “N-no.”

Observing the tall boy who looked so embarrassed he wished he could disappear into the ground, the nurse realized with a start.

Her smile softened further, and her voice became gentler.

“Student, there’s no need to be shy. The issue you’re describing isn’t exclusive to women; men can also experience discomfort in the mammary gland area for various reasons.”

“I suggest you register directly with the mammary gland department so a doctor can perform a detailed examination.”

Her words were calm and natural, devoid of any hint of strangeness or mockery, as if she were discussing the most ordinary matter.

This professional candor, like a gentle breeze, somewhat dispersed the thick fog of shame and nervousness swirling within Su Mian’s heart.

‘Wuwuwu, an angel in white, truly an angel!’

He was overwhelmed with gratitude internally.

However, this newly established courage collapsed instantly when he walked into the mammary gland department’s waiting area, clutching his registration slip.

Looking around, the chairs in the waiting area were uniformly filled with women—some young, some elderly. They either conversed in low tones or quietly scrolled on their phones.

He was the only male. He now wished he could bury his face in his collar.

He found a seat in the furthest corner, hunching his shoulders and trying to minimize his presence. Every minute, every second, felt like torment.

“Number A50, Su Mian, please proceed to consultation room 3.”

The electronic call number finally announced his name.

Su Mian, like a pardoned prisoner yet with the tragic grandeur of marching to the execution ground, hurried into the consultation room, head bowed, his movements stiff and uncoordinated.

A young female doctor sat in the consultation room, wearing a mask that revealed only a pair of calm, gentle eyes.

When she saw Su Mian, there was no hint of surprise or judgment in her eyes. Instead, she asked calmly, just as she would any other patient, “Hello, please take a seat. What seems to be the problem?”

Su Mian sat on the stool, nervously twisting the hem of his shirt. Red-faced, he haltingly and incoherently described the unusual symptoms he had been experiencing recently.

After listening, the female doctor nodded, her tone remaining steady. “Alright, I understand the preliminary situation. We’ll need to examine it; please lift your shirt.”

Su Mian’s body stiffened for a moment, engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Ultimately, however, the fear of the unknown outweighed everything else.

He gritted his teeth, and with trembling hands, slowly lifted the hem of his T-shirt. This revealed a stomach and chest that were perhaps too fair-skinned.

When the female doctor’s gaze fell upon his skin, she paused almost imperceptibly.

The boy’s waist was exceptionally slender, and his skin was so fine that pores were almost invisible. On his otherwise flat chest, however, unusual areas were indeed visible, contrasting sharply with the surrounding fair skin.

Suppressing a trace of oddness within her, she donned a pair of disposable gloves and reached out to palpate.

When the slightly cool fingertips touched the area being examined, Su Mian’s entire body jolted violently. An indescribable pain, mixed with a strange sensation, surged directly to his head.

He almost cried out like a little girl from the pain, barely managing to hold back.

He bit down hard on his lower lip, almost drawing blood, barely suppressing the cry that was about to escape.

How to describe it? The sensation was truly strange. It was clearly very painful, yet it was also like scratching a mosquito bite: the more he wanted to alleviate it, the more intensely the discomfort seemed to throb.

Fortunately, the examination did not last too long.

The female doctor withdrew her hand, looking at the boy before her whose eyes were brimming with tears and who appeared utterly mortified.

She confirmed in as tactful a tone as possible, “Just a routine question: your biological s*x is male, correct?”

Su Mian was momentarily stunned by the question, but nodded instinctively. “Mhm, I’m a boy.”

“Don’t misunderstand,” she quickly added, “it’s just uncommon to see a male with such… ah, fine skin and… pronounced mammary gland tissue.”

The female doctor carefully chose her words.

“Based on your description and the palpation findings, my preliminary diagnosis is that this is likely gynecomastia, caused by a hormonal imbalance. It’s what we commonly refer to as… secondary hormonal development.”

BOOM—!

The words struck Su Mian’s head like a thunderbolt from the heavens, leaving him dizzy and with persistent ringing in his ears.

“I… how could I possibly… develop in that area?!” His voice trembled, filled with incredulous panic.

The doctor patiently explained to the helpless boy before her,

“This condition isn’t uncommon nowadays. Diet, environment, stress, and even certain medications can all lead to endocrine disorders and changes in hormone levels.”

As she spoke, she skillfully wrote out examination forms. “To more accurately determine the cause and extent, I’ll first prescribe a breast ultrasound and a s*x hormone panel. Once the results are in…”

Before she could finish, Su Mian’s phone suddenly rang in his pocket, the ringtone sounding particularly jarring in the quiet consultation room.

He frantically pulled out his phone as if clutching a life raft, seeing the word “Mom” flashing on the screen.

Immediately, as if granted a special pardon, he hastily said to the doctor, “Thank you, Doctor, I need to take this call first,” and then, clutching the examination forms, almost fled the consultation room.

He ran all the way to the fire escape, which was empty and deserted, with only the safety exit sign emitting a faint green light.

He pressed the answer button, and his mother’s usual gentle and pleasant voice came through the phone.

“Mianmian, what are you up to? Have you bought your Mid-Autumn Festival tickets yet? When are you coming home?”

…..