May arrived quietly. Outside, the plants were lush and verdant, brimming with life.
The Obstetrics Department was busy, filled with either surgeries or outpatient clinics, which packed Huo Chuxue’s schedule to the brim. It wasn’t until she saw the blooming trumpet creepers on her way to work that she remembered May had come.
On her commute, she passed by an abandoned residential building. The government had talked about demolishing it long ago, and the building had been emptied, but there was still no sign of any action. The old building was covered in countless plants, with ivy and trumpet creepers being the most prominent. Countless vines climbed everywhere, dyeing the white walls a mottled, lush green. The flowers on the branches bloomed vibrantly, delicate and dazzling.
May was the flowering season for trumpet creepers. They could be seen blooming everywhere in the city, having become almost overabundant.
Huo Chuxue couldn’t help but think of He Qingshi’s old villa on Cenling. With the trumpet creepers in bloom, it must be incredibly beautiful by now.
The peperomia plant she had taken from He Qingshi was thriving under her care. Its leaves had grown plump and robust, almost to the point of being chubby.
Often, after sitting in front of the computer for a long time, she would look up and see it, her eyes lighting up as her fatigue instantly vanished.
Huo Chuxue felt she still loved these living, vibrant things. Seeing them made her feel her own mood improve.
A hospital was essentially a miniature society, recording life and death, witnessing all facets of human experience. There were countless moving moments, but they were accompanied by plenty of negative energy as well.
Yet, she still maintained a bright, upward-looking heart, much like these plants. No matter what environment they were in, they would stretch their branches vigorously, striving to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
However, He Qingshi was not having a good May. It started with a cold, which then turned into a severe cough. It came and went, recurring repeatedly. He took piles of medicine, but it just wouldn’t get better for long.
In truth, he had an ingrained aversion to doctors. If medication could solve the problem, he absolutely refused to go to the hospital. After all, the scene of Su Miao’s final moments had been too tragic. The stark white light of the hospital, the unique aura of sickness that permeated places of life and death, Su Miao covered by a white sheet, lying there cold and still.
That scene was like a nightmare suspended in the depths of his heart, something he wished he never had to touch again for the rest of his life.
The cold came and went intermittently, leaving and returning, recurring over and over, stubbornly refusing to clear up.
On Saturday, he found some time to visit Lan Yi’s house.
Afraid of infecting the child, since Xiao Qingtian was still so small and his immunity couldn’t compare to an adult’s, he specifically waited until his cold was better before going.
Lately, school matters had kept him busy, and it had been a while since his last visit to Lan Yi’s house.
When he went in the afternoon, his spirits were still fine, and he didn’t feel unwell, chatting easily with Lan Yi and Gui Shu. But after dinner, his energy clearly plummeted. He felt dizzy, nauseous, and his head was so heavy he could barely lift it.
Lan Yi reached out and touched his forehead, exclaiming, ‘So hot! You must have a fever!’
Without another word, she told Gui Shu to take him to the hospital.
He Qingshi said, ‘Aunt Lan, there’s no need for the hospital. I know what I’m doing. I’ll be fine after sleeping it off at home.’
Lan Yi wouldn’t hear of it. ‘You’re burning up like this and still refuse to go to the hospital? You just don’t know how to take care of yourself. Go to the hospital, now! You must!’
Lan Yi left no room for refusal. She directly had Gui Shu take him to the hospital.
Seeing He Qingshi was truly suffering, Gui Shu didn’t dare delay. He stepped on the gas and drove straight to the Emergency Hall of First Hospital.
Gui Shu parked the car and helped him out.
In the night, the bright red sign of First Hospital’s Emergency Building was conspicuous, glowing steadily.
He Qingshi looked up and glanced at it from a distance, gesturing, ‘First Hospital?’
Gui Shu nodded. ‘It’s the closest to home.’
It was the optimal choice!
Gui Shu tentatively asked, ‘Should we let Doctor Huo know?’
He figured they were acquaintances after all. These days, connections were needed everywhere, especially at hospitals. If Doctor Huo was on duty tonight, things would be much easier.
Upon hearing this, He Qingshi quickly waved his hand. ‘Don’t bother Doctor Huo with such a small matter. She’s very busy with work.’
In his heart, he was thinking, ‘Please don’t let me run into Huo Chuxue tonight. I really don’t want to owe her another favor.’ From returning from Cenling until now, he had accumulated a pile of favors owed to her, barely managing to repay some. If he owed more, he truly would never be able to clear the debt.
At eight in the evening, the Emergency Hall of First Hospital was still bustling with people coming and going, noisy, clamorous, and chaotic.
As soon as they arrived at the hospital, Gui Shu registered him for emergency care.
The doctor on duty was a female doctor in her forties. She said a lot, but He Qingshi barely registered any of it. A buzzing, humming sound filled his ears. He only vaguely caught a few terms: ‘acute upper respiratory tract infection’ and ‘infusion.’
After leaving the consultation room, Gui Shu helped He Qingshi to the Infusion Room and gestured, ‘Son-in-law, you sit here first. I’ll go pay the fees for you.’
He Qingshi leaned back weakly against the chair and nodded. For a moment, he even forgot to hand his wallet to Gui Shu.
Huo Chuxue was on night duty tonight.
Every time she was on duty with Lin Yao, that girl was sure to order takeout. And she wouldn’t just order for herself; she always had to drag Huo Chuxue into it. Huo Chuxue was someone who couldn’t resist the temptation of good food. Besides, during the long night shift, having a late-night snack to fill the stomach provided the energy needed to get through the duty!
The two of them often huddled in the office eating takeout, all the while clamoring about dieting, but their mouths were very honest—they ate everything put in front of them. Thinking about it was rather sinful.
Sure enough, Lin Yao had ordered a bunch of delicious food on the app again.
But the delivery person was a newbie, having just started the job a few days ago. He ran around between several buildings, completely unable to find the Obstetrics Inpatient Department.
First Hospital was indeed huge, with ten buildings alone. The Obstetrics Department occupied two buildings by itself. It was understandable that the delivery guy couldn’t find the place.
Lin Yao was called away by the head nurse, so Huo Chuxue answered the phone for her. The delivery guy sounded quite young, his voice still carrying a hint of immaturity. He had searched around but couldn’t find it. Seeing that the delivery time was about to expire—and late deliveries meant fines—he was almost in tears.
After starting work, she deeply understood the hardships of every job; no line of work was easy. She asked for the guy’s specific location and said, ‘You stay right there. I’ll come find you.’
After hanging up, she ran straight to the Emergency Hall.
She successfully retrieved the takeout and was just about to head back.
Passing by the manual payment counter, where only one window was open, the line was incredibly long.
She casually glanced over the line.
That one glance allowed her to spot a familiar person.
‘Gui Shu’ Huo Chuxue quickly walked forward, her face showing surprise. Her first thought was the child. ‘What are you doing here? Is it the baby?’
Seeing it was Huo Chuxue, a smile immediately appeared on Gui Shu’s face. He waved his hand, took out his phone, and typed, ‘It’s Son-in-law.’
He Qingshi? What was wrong with him?
Her breath hitched, and her eyelashes fluttered slightly twice.
To communicate normally with Gui Shu, she also took out her phone to type. ‘What’s wrong with Mr. He?’
Gui Shu typed on his phone, ‘Fever.’
After typing that, he added another line. ‘Very serious.’
That He Qingshi! He was sick and didn’t even tell her, right under her nose. For a moment, her chest felt heavy and stifled, a lump of discomfort lodged there.
‘Has he seen a doctor?’
‘Yes. Needs an IV. I’m here to pay the fees for him.’
‘Leave it to me.’ Huo Chuxue took the medical card from Gui Shu’s hand.
The elderly man was deaf and mute, which inevitably made things inconvenient. She asked a colleague at the payment counter for a favor and got it processed ahead of the line.
The old man was honest. As soon as the payment was done, he took out his wallet to repay her.
She directly refused, letting out a light laugh, and said, ‘I’ll get the money from Mr. He.’
Gui Shu: ‘…’
Then, Huo Chuxue and Gui Shu went together to the Infusion Room.
He Qingshi was leaning back in a chair, eyes closed, resting. He looked utterly exhausted.
Illness had left the man’s face pale and lacking color, giving him a somewhat sickly appearance. But undoubtedly, that face was still as handsome and naturally refined as ever, attracting many curious glances from those around him.
The sight of him asleep made Huo Chuxue unconsciously recall the day of their first meeting.
Gui Shu walked over and quietly patted He Qingshi’s shoulder, waking him up.
Just awakened, the man’s eyes were hazy and slightly squinting, filled with confusion.
Gui Shu made a hand gesture to him, and only then did he notice Huo Chuxue’s presence.
‘Doctor Huo?’ He Qingshi was utterly astonished, his heart skipping two beats. His gaze landed accurately on the white coat she wore. A trace of barely perceptible panic actually appeared on his face.
The white coat was spotless, utterly pristine and cool. The overhead fluorescent light shone directly down, casting a warm glow on her, yet it failed to melt even a fraction of the cold, stern aura surrounding her.
Huo Chuxue held the takeout in one hand and her phone in the other. When she opened her mouth, her voice was cold. ‘Are you surprised to see me?’