Chapter 18 : Sudden Decisions (1)

Even though it was past the evening rush hour, the subway was still crowded.

Liu Sisi, with her sharp eyes, spotted two adjacent seats through the glass.
The moment the doors opened… she grabbed Tang Zhen and dashed to the seats.

“You said before that Liu Renzong was cursing Chi Yuqin. Was it just because of that patient’s case?”

“Not just for that.”

Liu Sisi looked at Tang Zhen’s innocent, worldly-unaware face, which seemed destined to be taken advantage of—

“Sigh… it’s no big deal telling you. Liu Renzong… he likes to form cliques, loves to stir up gender antagonism, and particularly dislikes his female subordinates. But… he’s also a lecher.”

“A lecher?”
Tang Zhen was shocked.

“You haven’t been here long enough, so it’s normal that you don’t know. On the outside, Liu Renzong looks respectable and prestigious, but in reality, he’s rotten to the core. Every year when new people join the department, especially the good-looking ones, he has to invite them to this dinner. He calls it rewarding his subordinates, but in reality, he just tells a bunch of dirty jokes.”

“Then why did you still go?!”

“What choice did I have? In a while, it’ll be my turn to rotate to the internal medicine department. I can’t avoid him anyway, so I might as well get a few free meals out of him.”

“Why don’t you report this situation to the higher-ups?”

“I said you were naive, and you really are. Let me ask you… what did he do? Telling a few jokes at the dinner table, are you going to take him to court for that?”

“What a petty man!”

“You’re right about that. He is a petty man.”

Although Liu Sisi had gone for the Huaiyang cuisine, she didn’t mind switching to the all-you-can-eat hot pot.
It wasn’t her money anyway.
What really made her unable to stay was what Liu Renzong said.

At the dinner table, after a few cheap drinks, Liu Renzong was on a high.
Not only did he put on the airs of a leader, but his brain got hot and he started spouting nonsense.

“I really don’t understand why you little girls study medicine. It’s all dirty and tiring work. You study for so many years, miss the right age for marriage and childbirth, and in the end, you’re just a junior attending physician? They say the birth rate is low these days. Why is it low? It’s because you little girls have studied your brains out, and not a single one of you is willing to get married and have children!”

“Since we’re on the topic, I might as well say a few more words. A certain person in our department is overly ambitious and boastful. Just because she’s been gilded abroad and has a little skill, she thinks she can look down on everyone. She dares to take on any patient, dares to perform any surgery, and does things entirely based on her own preferences… doing whatever she wants? If you ask me, it’s all about connections. Without someone backing her, would she dare to be so arrogant? Go ahead, be arrogant. All young people are arrogant these days. But I’ll say this upfront, people like that will fall one day! And it will be a fatal fall for her!”

Liu Sisi had been drinking water.
When she heard this, her face changed color.
Every sentence, though not mentioning Chi Yuqin by name, was about Chi Yuqin.

“The moment I heard him spouting that nonsense, I immediately sent you a message. You have no idea, the moment that guy heard me say ‘Director Chi,’ that foul mouth of his shut right up. He didn’t say another word until I left. In the end, he only dares to gossip behind people’s backs. And to say a woman who hasn’t had children isn’t complete… well then, a man who hasn’t earned ten million yuan might as well become a eunuch!”

The subway reached the station.
A wave of people got off, and another wave got on.

Liu Sisi crossed her arms and nudged Tang Zhen with her shoulder. “Right, didn’t you say you were working overtime? How did you end up in Chi Yuqin’s car?”

“You’re asking me? It was all because of your loud voice.”

Tang Zhen recounted how she had been scolded and how Chi Yuqin had made her act as a standardized patient, though she omitted certain details.

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

“That can’t be it. Did she really keep you behind just for that?”
Liu Sisi found it strange, her eyes suddenly widening.
“She didn’t do it on purpose, did she? Find an excuse to keep you from going to Liu Renzong’s dinner?”

“I can’t believe you’d think of that. How is that possible?”

“That’s true. Chi Yuqin isn’t the type to meddle in other people’s business.”

“She probably just thinks I’m too stupid and can’t stand fools.”

“Get out of here. If you’re a fool, then there are no smart people left.”

Tang Zhen lowered her gaze, a thoughtful expression on her face.

Her long eyelashes were distinct, her almond-shaped eyes shimmered, and a few strands of loose hair fell gently against her cheeks.
Her skin was tender and fair.

Liu Sisi stared at her, then suddenly poked her arm—

“Hey—”

“Hmm?”

“You’ve really never been in a relationship?”

Here we go again…

“No! No! No! Alright?!”

Dusk fell, and the city lights began to glow.

A black SUV was parked under the shade of a tree.
The driver’s side window was open.
Chi Yuqin leaned back in her seat, one hand reaching behind her head to undo the hair she had kept tied up all day.
Her fingers ran through her hair, massaging her scalp casually.
Then, she leaned over and took a cigarette case from her bag, pulling one out and placing it between her lips.
She cupped her hand around the flame, and with a click, thin smoke curled up from her fingertips.

The sunset cut an orange-red sliver of light from the sky.
A breezy, non-sultry summer evening, full of charm and ease.

Her phone rang.
Chi Yuqin glanced at it—Liu Yi.

With the same casual demeanor, her fingers, still holding the cigarette, lazily swiped across the screen.
The call connected—

– Mom.

– What are you doing?

– Smoking.

– Smoking again. I’ve told you so many times to quit, but you just won’t listen. You’re just like your father.

Chi Yuqin continued to exhale smoke, unfazed—

– Is something wrong?

– I told you to call Little Shu. Did you call her?

– Oh, I forgot.

– Forgot again? Can you not use the same excuse to brush me off every time? You say you forgot everything. Is your memory that bad? If your memory is bad, then eat more walnuts!

Chi Yuqin held the cigarette between her thumb and middle finger, tapping the ash off with her index finger.
– Well, you didn’t tell me you changed careers to become a matchmaker, did you?

– …I’m doing this for your own good!

– I’m doing perfectly fine.

The mother and daughter pair, one anxious, one slow.
Liu Yi was about to jump out of her skin, while Chi Yuqin remained as calm as if nothing was wrong.

Liu Yi had no choice but to be patient and said to her again, “That girl, Little Shu, is quite nice. I’m not forcing you to settle down right now, but at least get to know her. If it’s really not a good match, Mom won’t force you either.”

Suddenly, Liu Yi’s voice stopped.
She asked—

– What are you laughing at?

Chi Yuqin’s lips curved.
– Am I laughing?

– Your mother’s hearing is perfectly fine! I’m telling you, if you don’t go find her, I’ll have her go find you!
– Why aren’t you talking? Chi Yuqin??

– I’m sleepy.

– Sleepy, sleepy again! It’s always either you forgot or you’re sleepy. Whenever I bring this up, you’re always like this!

Liu Yi was so angry at Chi Yuqin’s dismissive attitude that she was speechless.
But she couldn’t be firm with her.
After all, she was a grown woman, and she couldn’t scold her like she did when she was a child.
In the end, she could only sigh—

– Smoke less, and eat less sugar too.

– Mm, hanging up.

She tossed the phone onto the dashboard.
Chi Yuqin caught a glimpse of her own face in the rearview mirror.

She had indeed been smiling.
What was she smiling about?

She was smiling at the person who would blush and lower her head in a panic the moment she saw her.

Tang Zhen was like a startled little rabbit, hopping into Chi Yuqin’s mind.

So much so that Chi Yuqin didn’t hear what her mother said afterward.
Instead, Tang Zhen’s face became clearer and clearer.

On the other side, Tang Zhen tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

Her mind was filled with Liu Sisi’s words—’Do you think Chi Yuqin likes girls?’

It flashed through her mind and ears like a revolving lantern.

‘It’s fine if she’s a woman.’
‘You think so, right?’

“Crazy…”

Tang Zhen muttered to herself, then laughed.
After laughing, she closed her eyes, and the cycle began again in her mind.

And so… she tossed and turned until one in the morning.

The person with her head buried in the quilt suddenly threw it off—

“Forget it… I’ll just go take another shower.”

Tang Zhen was unsettled by the strange thoughts that had suddenly invaded her mind last night.
She took a late-night shower and still only managed to fall asleep around three in the morning.

When she arrived at the hospital early in the morning, she first chewed two packets of instant coffee to wake herself up, then started working.

However, she was clearly not her usual self today.
Usually, at this time, she would be cautious for fear of running into Chi Yuqin.
Even though Chen Min had told her she needed to be proud, she could only manage to put on a brave face, while still being timid on the inside.

But today… she was actually looking forward to seeing Chi Yuqin.

Even if they didn’t speak, or even if she was rebuffed by her, it was fine…

But a whole morning passed, and she didn’t see Chi Yuqin, not even her shadow.

Tang Zhen wasn’t an impatient person, but at this moment, she couldn’t hold back anymore.
She slid her chair over to Liu Sisi’s side, tapped her arm lightly, first pretended to borrow a pen, and then asked—

“Why haven’t I seen Director Chi today?”
Her tone was casual, as if it was just a passing question.

Liu Sisi lifted her head from her computer and turned to look at her—

“You don’t know?”

“Know what?”

“That old man in bed six backed out of the surgery.”

“What?!”

Tang Zhen couldn’t control her voice.
With that one question, everyone in the office turned to look at her.

Liu Sisi quickly pulled her back. “What’s with your big reaction?!”

“When did this happen?”

“Late last night. The family suddenly backed out.”

“Why?”

“Probably because they were afraid he wouldn’t make it off the operating table. After all, at his age.”

“Does Director Chi know about this?”

“Of course she knows. If the family doesn’t want the surgery, she has to be the first one to be notified.”
Liu Sisi sighed. “If I had known it would turn out like this, it would have been better not to have admitted him in the first place. Now that it’s like this, isn’t this just handing Chi Yuqin over to Liu Renzong on a platter? There’s no escaping the harsh words now.”

Liu Sisi looked at Tang Zhen’s crestfallen expression and picked up the pen on the desk, asking her—

“You don’t need it anymore?”

“No.”