The surgery ended, and the night was truly deep. This southern city was completely immersed in slumber, peaceful and quiet.
A large group of medical staff walked together towards the locker room, their steps uniform, yet each one revealing exhaustion. Surgeries in the wee hours were often the most draining on a medical worker’s stamina.
Fang Ru walked side by side with Huo Chuxue. She instructed in a low voice, “Xiaoxue, Zhang Shulan will be under your care. Keep a close eye on all her postpartum indicators. After all, she’s an advanced maternal age patient, not comparable to younger women. We can’t afford any carelessness.”
Huo Chuxue rubbed the space between her brows, her tone steady. “Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll strictly monitor everything.”
Fang Ru patted her chest, feeling momentarily drained. “It’s been years since I’ve felt this kind of immense pressure.”
This surgery had placed too much on her shoulders, an unbearable weight. Not just the chief surgeon, but every medical staff member present had felt the pressure.
After Fang Ru finished speaking, the anesthesiologist, Jiang Shu, who was walking with them, also said, “I was nervous the whole time too. I was really afraid I might accidentally give her the wrong dosage.”
Their eldest daughter had died in the Wangchuan earthquake ten years ago. Losing their only child in middle age was a devastating blow. The couple had spent many years crawling out of that shadow. Afterward, they began seeking medical help everywhere. In their sixties, they were willing to spend all their savings just to have another child, to hear someone call them “Mom and Dad” again. Not everyone possessed that kind of courage.
Correspondingly, this child was the couple’s entire hope, their reason to keep living. Not a single mistake could be allowed. It was supposed to be a routine cesarean section, yet all the medical staff felt tremendous pressure. It was precisely because they understood what this child meant to the couple.
Even Fang Ru, who had delivered countless babies and commanded the operating room, couldn’t help but feel anxious. Late at night, she had sought out Huo Chuxue to be her first assistant. She was afraid that if she made a mistake somewhere, Huo Chuxue could remedy it in time.
Huo Chuxue’s mindset, however, was quite good. “No matter what, the child was born safely. We won this battle!”
As doctors, especially obstetricians, every surgery was a battle. The mother hovered at death’s door, and they were responsible for bringing her back to the world of the living.
Zhang Shulan’s postoperative care was fully entrusted to Huo Chuxue. She also found it strange. More than half a month had passed since returning from Cenling. Just when she thought she wouldn’t see He Qingshi again, this man had unexpectedly appeared before her in this manner. It really was quite something!
That night, Zhang Shulan was sleeping soundly in the ward, with Gui Shu by her side, not leaving for a moment. The baby had already been sent to the neonatology department. All the newborn’s indicators were normal.
Zhang Shulan had circled the gates of hell and returned, safe and sound. Only then did the boulder weighing on everyone’s chests ease slightly.
In the early morning hours, the entire inpatient building fell into quietude. The smell of disinfectant lingered in the air, refusing to dissipate.
In the silent corridor, the light beams were faint and serene. Soft light gently fell upon a man, dyeing his dark suit a warm, yellowish hue, low-key and elegant.
Aloof and noble, clear and bright like the moon after rain, standing apart from the world.
He stood leaning against the wall, his posture straight and tall, like a green pine or cypress.
Huo Chuxue had already changed out of her surgical scrubs. The white lab coat was oversized, making her figure appear especially petite and delicate.
She wore thin-soled old Beijing cloth shoes on her feet. The soles were light and soft, making almost no sound when they touched the floor.
In fact, her footsteps were also very light, trying her best not to disturb others’ rest.
As she passed the nurse station, a few little nurses on duty were fighting to keep their eyelids open, drowsy and on the verge of sleep, completely failing to notice her passing by.
Only when she drew near did He Qingshi’s peripheral vision suddenly catch a flash of white. Immediately afterward, a soft female voice came from beside his ear. “Mr. He, aren’t you going back yet?”
He Qingshi turned his head slightly. Their gazes met.
In his line of sight, Huo Chuxue’s long hair was tied up in a simple ponytail, revealing a clean, makeup-free face and a slender neck.
Huo Chuxue in a white lab coat appeared much more capable than he had seen before—precise, cool, with a trace of that unapproachable, cold sternness.
He also spoke softly. “I’m a bit worried.”
Huo Chuxue stood to his left, her gaze falling on the ward door. “You can rest assured. Everything is normal. The baby is five pounds and three ounces, very healthy.”
He Qingshi’s gaze shifted to Huo Chuxue’s white lab coat. “Is Doctor Huo on duty tonight?”
Huo Chuxue spread her hands and smiled slightly. “Just a poor soul working overtime.”
Huo Chuxue was actually just as worried as He Qingshi. After all, Zhang Shulan’s situation was special. She needed to stay at the hospital to closely monitor the patient’s postoperative condition.
The man’s eyes were calm, his voice consistently deep. “You’ve really worked hard tonight.”
Huo Chuxue brushed aside the stray hairs that had fallen onto her forehead, tucking them behind her ear. Her tone was light. “Director Fang was the chief surgeon. I was just the first assistant. Can’t really call it hard work.”
He Qingshi’s voice dropped even lower. “Doctor Huo, I never would have thought you were actually a doctor.”
“What, I don’t look like a doctor?” She raised her eyes slightly, smiled, and lifted a hand to rub her sore eyes. Under her heavy eyelids, fatigue was hard to conceal. “Then what line of work does Mr. He think I should be in?”
“I didn’t think you didn’t look like a doctor. I just found it a bit surprising.” He looked at her white coat, held his right cheek, his words slightly muffled. “Nowadays, many girls don’t want to study medicine, thinking it’s too hard.”
As he raised his hand, half a cuff of a white shirt was revealed, clean and crisp.
“It is very hard. Overtime is the norm. I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve been called to the hospital in the middle of the night for a patient like tonight.” She keenly noticed He Qingshi’s action of holding his cheek, her expression calm. “Tier-3 hospitals, especially the obstetrics department, have many complex cases. The workload is heavy, the pressure increases daily, and on top of that, you have to deal with all sorts of patients’ family members. If you don’t have a bit of a spirit to endure hardship, it’s absolutely impossible. But I’m already used to it.”
He listened quietly, nodding, expressing deep approval. “Doctors work so hard. Doctor Huo, choosing to study medicine back then was truly admirable courage!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Why did she have the illusion of a teacher praising a student?
The inpatient department in the deep night was incredibly quiet, the corridor even more empty. He Qingshi’s low, soothing voice lingered in Huo Chuxue’s ears. “My mother-in-law hemorrhaged when giving birth to my wife. They couldn’t save her. Lan Yi is my wife’s wet nurse. She raised my wife from childhood, no different from her own mother. She and Gui Shu came to our He family together. Gui Shu is the house steward. The couple has always been responsible for our family’s daily life, just like our own relatives. Lan Yi and Gui Shu had a daughter, two years younger than my wife. She unfortunately died in the Wangchuan earthquake ten years ago. An only child. Lan Yi and Gui Shu were deeply affected and couldn’t move on. These past few years, they sought medical help everywhere, planning to do a test-tube baby to have another child. The couple is older, and the family’s finances aren’t very ample. They didn’t have much success. Later, they finally managed to get pregnant. So this child is especially important to the two elders. I hope you can give them extra care.”
His words were heartfelt and particularly sincere, as if entrusting an old friend, leaving Huo Chuxue almost no room to refuse.
Huo Chuxue nodded. “Mr. He, rest assured. I will definitely do my utmost.”
Huo Chuxue went to the rest room to take a break.
Her ponytail swung back and forth, following her steady, forceful steps. The hem of her white coat rustled as it moved.
Only after watching her turn the corner did He Qingshi enter the ward.
The ward was silent. Zhang Shulan was sleeping soundly, her breathing even.
Seeing him enter, Gui Shu hurriedly stood up, lowering his voice. “Son-in-Law.”
He Qingshi waved his arm. “Please, sit.”
Gui Shu wiped his face, making a gesture. “It’s so late, and we’ve made you run around with us. I really feel bad.”
He Qingshi walked to Lan Yi’s side, gesturing a couple of times. “We’re all family. Don’t say such polite words. I just asked Doctor Huo. The baby is fine. Don’t worry. Take good care of Lan Yi. It’s very late. I have classes tomorrow morning, so I’ll head back first. I’ll come see Lan Yi again after class tomorrow.”
Gui Shu saw He Qingshi to the door. “Son-in-law, you hurry back and rest. Drive safely.”
He Qingshi: “I know.”
After He Qingshi left, Gui Shu tucked the blanket around his wife. As he pulled the blanket, an envelope fell out.
The old man frowned, opened it. Inside the envelope was a thick stack of banknotes.
He Qingshi drove back from First Hospital. The night was truly deep. Three in the morning, the entire city was immersed in dreams. The night was like a lazy giant beast crouching over the city, looking down on everything.
He gripped the steering wheel as the white car moved forward slowly. The wide main road was empty. The warm yellow beams of streetlights filtered through the leaves of the roadside trees, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
The main thoroughfare, bustling with traffic during the day, was now devoid of people, empty and desolate.
He raised his hand and held his right cheek. It hurt terribly.
His gaze fell outside the car window. The entire city slept, except for him, this sleepless person.
He felt a heavy blockage in his chest.
People still awake at this hour were probably the loneliest people in the world.
Early the next morning, Huo Chuxue followed Fang Ru on rounds. A large group of doctors filed into the room.
Zhang Shulan leaned against the headboard, her complexion having recovered somewhat.
Gui Shu had stayed with his wife all night, not closing his eyes once. His bronze-colored face was covered with weariness.
Seeing Huo Chuxue, Gui Shu gave her a simple, honest smile.
Fang Ru asked directly, “How are you feeling?”
Zhang Shulan answered weakly, “The incision hurts terribly.”
“Once the anesthesia wears off, the incision will naturally hurt. It’s a normal phenomenon. Bear with it!” Fang Ru pointed to Huo Chuxue beside her. “Doctor Huo is your attending physician. You’ll be under her care. If you feel any discomfort, tell her.”
Huo Chuxue put on a smile. “Hello, Auntie Zhang. I’m your attending physician.”
Zhang Shulan smiled lightly. “I heard from my old man. Doctor Huo is Son-in-law’s friend. Sorry to trouble you.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Huo Chuxue said with a smile, “It’s part of my job. It’s what I should do.”
After leaving the ward, Fang Ru lowered her voice and asked Huo Chuxue, “What’s going on?”
Huo Chuxue explained, “A relative of a friend.”
“Friend?” Fang Ru emphasized the word, seeming somewhat unconvinced. “An ordinary friend?”
“Yes, an ordinary friend.”
Huo Chuxue thought to herself that so far, she and He Qingshi probably didn’t even qualify as ordinary friends.
——
Because of the special circumstances, Huo Chuxue was clearly very attentive to Zhang Shulan, visiting the ward several times a day.
Seeing her enter and leave Zhang Shulan’s ward so frequently, Qiao Shengxi couldn’t help but ask, “Xiaoxue, be honest. What exactly is your relationship with that couple in Ward 312?”
Huo Chuxue leaned back in her chair, flipping through a thick stack of documents in her hands, not even lifting her head. “No relationship!”
Qiao Shengxi: “No relationship, yet you go there so often? Much more often than for ordinary patients!”
“Isn’t it because the patient’s situation is special?”
“Stop fooling me!” Qiao Shengxi obviously didn’t believe this explanation. She leaned in close to Huo Chuxue, raising her nose slightly. “A woman’s sixth sense tells me there must be something fishy going on here. You’d better confess honestly!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“Do you remember the man I mentioned I met in Cenling?”
“I remember!” Qiao Shengxi sat down opposite Huo Chuxue. “What about it?”
“That couple is that man’s relative.” Huo Chuxue didn’t hide it and admitted directly.
Qiao Shengxi: “…”
“Holy crap!” Qiao Shengxi was shocked. “Xiaoxue, you hit the jackpot! You can even run into him like this!”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
“Xixi, can we be a bit more civilized?”
Qiao Shengxi understood completely. “So your heart isn’t really in the wine, is it?
Huo Chuxue flatly denied it. “He looked out for me that day. I’m just returning the favor.”
Qiao Shengxi: “How many years have we known each other? I know exactly what you’re thinking. I saw that man last night. He really is quite good-looking, has much more character than those pretty-boy idols nowadays. It’s just a pity he’s a bit older and a second marriage. I’m worried Chef Huo will come after you with a kitchen knife.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Huo Chuxue held her forehead. “Nurse Qiao, aren’t you overthinking things a bit?”
Nurse Qiao got up and walked outside, her sharp voice carrying over. “I’m just planning ahead for you! Giving you a heads-up in advance.”
Huo Chuxue: “…”
Doctor Huo thought to herself that her best friend was really overthinking things!