Chapter 41 "It turns out that Dr. Chu's 'responsibility' doesn't include being responsible for me to the end..."

Chu Yi leaned against the door and took several deep breaths before he managed to suppress the anger that was both embarrassing and annoying.

He pointed at the clothes Zhou Ai had casually thrown aside, his voice tense and commanding: "I'll give you five seconds, put them on right now!"

Zhou Ai looked at Chu Yi's slightly red eyes and tightly pursed lips, knowing that he had really pissed him off this time. He still understood the principle of knowing when to quit.

He immediately suppressed the playful smile on his face, grabbed the white short-sleeved shirt with swift movements, and put the windbreaker jacket back on in a few seconds, even deftly zipping it up to his chest.

"Okay." Zhou Ai straightened his clothes, sat up straight again, and put on an obedient look as if to say "I'm cooperating", but his eyes were still staring at Chu Yi with sparkling eyes.

Chu Yi walked up to him with a dark face, picked up the stethoscope, and then placed it accurately on Zhou Ai's heart through the thin cloth.

When the cold ear of Chu Yi came close to him, even though he didn't feel the coolness through the fabric of his clothes, the unique smell of Chu Yi when he got close to him made Zhou Ai tremble slightly, almost imperceptibly.

The room was very quiet, with only the sound of two people breathing softly.

Chu Yi frowned slightly and listened attentively to the heartbeat coming from the headphones - the rhythm was strong, the frequency was slightly fast but still within the normal range, and there was no noise.

Zhou Ai looked at Chu Yi who was so close to him. The other person's long eyelashes drooped, casting a small shadow under his eyes. Although his face was still a little cold, his focused expression softened the sense of alienation.

He couldn't help but speak again, his voice low and carrying magnetic vibrations that were clearly transmitted to Chu Yi's eardrum through the stethoscope, making his ears numb.

"Don't be angry..."

Chu Yi was concentrating, but was disturbed by the sudden sound and the vibration in his chest. His brows immediately knitted together, and he raised his head and glared at him, saying in a stern tone: "Don't talk."

This time, he was really impatient.

Zhou Ai immediately understood and made a zipper-like gesture at his mouth, then closed his mouth obediently, but his eyes were still glued to Chu Yi's face.

Chu Yi lowered his head again and listened carefully for a while. After confirming that there was no abnormality in the heart auscultation, he took off the stethoscope.

"Have you been feeling any other discomfort recently? For example, cough, fever, dizziness, etc." He asked in a businesslike manner, avoiding Zhou Ai's direct gaze and falling on the medicine box next to him.

"No." Zhou Ai answered quickly.

"Based on the stethoscope, there are currently no obvious signs of organic heart problems." Chu Yi gave his professional assessment in a steady tone. "It may just be a temporary discomfort caused by recent fatigue or psychological factors. You can observe it for now, get enough rest, and relax. But if you experience persistent chest tightness or pain, or if the symptoms worsen, you must immediately go to the nearest county hospital for a systemic examination, such as an electrocardiogram and cardiac ultrasound. Don't delay."

He explained clearly and rigorously, completely immersing himself in the role of a doctor.

After hearing this, Zhou Ai suddenly tilted her head and looked at him with a hint of anticipation and playfulness in her eyes: "Then will you accompany me?"

Chu Yi was choked by this unreasonable request and subconsciously retorted, "Don't you have a team? Xu Yang and the others will definitely make arrangements."

"How can anyone on the team be as experienced as you, Doctor Chu?" Zhou Ai responded quickly. His reasoning sounded reasonable, but his eyes were surprisingly bright. "You are a professional emergency doctor, and your judgment is more accurate. What if the doctors at the county hospital are not good enough and make a misdiagnosis? I'm relieved if you come with me."

What he said was half true and half false.

Chu Yi looked at him with an expression that said "I am very reasonable", and felt that the anger that he had suppressed just now was rising again.

How could he not see Zhou Ai's little thoughts?

"Teacher Zhou," Chu Yi said, trying to keep his tone calm. "If your condition truly requires transfer to the county hospital, the program team and your agent will take it very seriously and will definitely arrange the most reliable plan. My responsibility is to stay here and ensure the health of the other members and villagers."

Chu Yi's refusal was reasonable and impeccable.

Zhou Ai looked at Chu Yi's official appearance, blinked, and suddenly sighed. His tone became a little depressed, even with a little imperceptible grievance.

"Oh, okay. So Dr. Chu's 'responsibility' doesn't include being responsible for me to the end..."

These words were full of ambiguity, and coupled with his slightly lost face, it seemed as if Chu Yi had done something unforgivable.

As soon as Zhou Ai said the words "take responsibility to the end" with obvious ambiguity and grievance, Chu Yi was choked by him and didn't know how to respond.

When he was wondering whether he should sternly correct his inappropriate choice of words or continue to ignore it and pretend not to hear it, there was a knock on the door at the right time, like a sound from nature, which saved Chu Yi from trouble.

"Teacher Chu? Teacher Zhou? Are you in there?" a staff member's voice came through the door. "The executive director is telling everyone to gather at the village square now to help harvest corn for the villagers! It looks like it's going to rain again, so we have to hurry!"

"Got it, I'll be right there!" Chu Yi immediately responded. He quickly put the stethoscope back into the medicine box, and without even looking at Zhou Ai, he turned and walked towards the door, leaving only a businesslike instruction: "Leaving. If you feel unwell in the future, tell me in advance."

The tone was as if the strange conversation about "responsibility" had never happened.

Zhou Ai looked at Chu Yi's almost hurried back, curled the corners of his mouth silently, stood up quickly and followed him.

————

When they followed the program crew to the threshing ground at the entrance of the village, it was already a busy scene.

The sky was even darker than before, with dark clouds hanging overhead. The air was so humid that you could squeeze water out of it. It was obvious that a heavy rain might pour down at any time.

Golden corn cobs are piled up like mountains on the threshing ground. The villagers are racing against time to use backpacks, baskets, or even just carry the corn in their hands to a temporary awning and the granary next to it not far away.

Men, women, young and old were all working hard, but faced with such a huge number of people, manual transportation seemed a bit beyond their capacity, and the progress was anxious and slow.

The executive director held a megaphone, his voice echoing over the noisy venue with a sense of urgency: "To all the staff and guest teachers of 'Heart to the Distant Mountains'! Everyone, get moving! Those who can, please help the villagers transport the corn to the warehouse awning! Quick! The rain is about to fall! Let's work together and grab as much as we can! We can't let the villagers' year-long hard work get moldy in the rain!"

The oppressive feeling of impending storm and the anxious expressions of the villagers infected everyone.

Xie Mo and Gu Jinyi had already carried sacks filled with corn and were walking quickly towards the warehouse. Qin Yaoyao and Zhou Jiashu were also carrying corn in baskets, their steps hurried.

Chu Yi didn't hesitate at all. He immediately went forward and found the oldest-looking woman who was struggling the most. He took the heavy basket from her and said, "Grandma, let me do this. You take a break."

He swiftly shouldered the backpack. Although the weight made him frown slightly, he still walked steadily and quickly towards the warehouse.

Zhou Ai followed Chu Yi, took off his jacket and hung it casually in a corner, then picked up the woven bag on the ground and filled it with corn.

Although everyone tried their best, they were still one step behind in the race against time.

When only one-third of the corn was left on the drying platform, the sky finally gave in and raindrops as big as beans fell down without warning. In an instant, the rain formed a dense curtain of rain, and the sky and the earth were covered in white.

"Hurry! Forget about the rest! Get out of the rain first! Wait until it subsides!" The village chief shouted anxiously in a thick accent, his voice a little muffled by the patter of rain. "Fellow villagers! Let the men stay and do it! Everyone else, hurry into the warehouse and take shelter!"

Before he could finish his words, a gray figure jumped down from the makeshift platform that provided some shelter from the rain without hesitation, and rushed back into the pouring rain.

It’s Zhou Ai.

The dense raindrops soaked him instantly. His silver-gray hair was wet by the rain and stuck to his forehead and cheeks. Water droplets rolled down his clear jawline.

Zhou Ai had taken off his jacket, leaving only a white short-sleeved shirt underneath. Walking in the heavy rain, it was now completely soaked, its color darkening as it clung to his body, outlining the smooth, firm lines of his shoulders and back.

But he seemed not to care about the downpour at all. He even raised his hand to casually wipe the rain off his face. His eyes quickly locked onto a pile of corn that had not yet been moved in the rain.

He bent down, without any hesitation, picked up another heavy bag of corn, turned around and ran on the muddy and slippery ground, his steps fast and steady, rushing towards the warehouse.

The rain blurred his vision and soaked his whole body, but it did not slow him down at all. Instead, it made him look like a cheetah sprinting in the rain, full of wildness and power.

One trip, two trips, three trips...

He and several other villagers and staff members who were also rushing to transport goods in the rain shuttled back and forth in the increasingly heavy rain.

Every time he returned to the rain from the warehouse, he was soaked even more, his trouser legs splashed with mud, but there was no complaint or impatience on his face, only a focused persistence as if he had to complete the task.

Under the eaves of the warehouse, people who were temporarily sheltering from the rain looked at the figures coming and going in the rain, especially Zhou Ai who was particularly conspicuous among them, with admiration and gratitude in their eyes.

Chu Yi was also standing at the warehouse door. He had also gotten a little wet, with water dripping from the ends of his hair. He was about to rush in to help, but was stopped by Doctor Li. "That's enough people. Teacher Chu, take a break."

Chu Yi stood still, his gaze involuntarily following Zhou Ai in the rain. He watched him run through the muddy water, completely disregarding himself, and watched the rain soak him thoroughly...

The previous embarrassment and shame seemed to be washed away a little by the heavy rain, and a more complicated emotion spread in his heart.

Zhou Ai once again rushed into the warehouse carrying corn and put the sack down heavily, splashing some water.

He panted, his chest rising and falling slightly, the outline of his muscles faintly visible beneath the soaked white cloth. He raised his hand and pushed back his soaked bangs, revealing his smooth forehead and intact eyebrows. His peach blossom eyes, washed by the rain, appeared even darker and brighter.

Zhou Ai subconsciously raised his eyes and swept his gaze across the crowd, which happened to meet Chu Yi's gaze.

Their eyes met.

Zhou Ai seemed stunned for a moment, then a smile mixed with fatigue and a bit of ruffian appeared at the corner of his mouth. He even raised his chin in the direction of Chu Yi, as if to say, "Look, I'm fine."

Then, he turned around without stopping and rushed back into the white rain without hesitation to continue the transportation.

Chu Yi looked at Zhou Ai's back disappearing in the rain, and his fingers holding the towel tightened slightly.

The last batch of corn was finally rushed into the warehouse, and the heavy warehouse door was closed together, isolating the heavy rain from the damp and cold outside.

The warehouse was brightly lit, filled with the fragrance of corn and the wet vapor of people.

Chu Yi received a dry towel prepared spontaneously by the villagers from the village chief, and found Zhou Ai in the slightly crowded crowd.

Zhou Ai was soaked all over at this moment, her hair was still dripping, and water droplets slid down her neck into her collar.

Chu Yi frowned and handed him the towel. His eyes swept over the white short-sleeved shirt that was clinging to his body and had become almost transparent. He couldn't help but ask, "Where's your coat?"

Zhou Ai took the towel and wiped the rain off his face carelessly. He pointed to a sack of miscellaneous items piled up in the corner of the warehouse and said, "It was too hot to carry the bag just now, and it was in the way, so I took it off and threw it there."

Chu Yi glanced in the direction he pointed at the forgotten windbreaker and sighed helplessly. Wearing a soaked cotton short-sleeved shirt would make it easier to catch a cold. After thinking for a few seconds, he pursed his lips in resignation and turned to Zhou Ai, saying, "Come with me."

Zhou Ai was unusually obedient at this moment, and followed Chu Yi to a relatively less crowded corner of the warehouse.

Chu Yi stopped and pointed at the white short-sleeved shirt that was still dripping with water on Zhou Ai. "You can't keep wearing wet clothes. It's easy to catch a cold. Why don't you take off the short-sleeved shirt and put on your coat directly? Your coat should be waterproof. At least it's better than wearing wet cotton cloth."

Zhou Ai paused in his hair-wiping motion upon hearing this. He put down the towel, and beneath his damp hair, his peach-shaped eyes looked at Chu Yi with a playful expression, his tone drawn out, "Teacher Chu, just now in the room, you were the one who angrily told me to put my clothes on. Now, you're asking me to take them off again?"

He took a half step forward and lowered his voice, his tone full of mischief: "Your doctor's orders...are they changing a little too quickly?"

Chu Yi was almost choked by his words, his cheeks instantly became hot, and he could see that the embarrassment was about to emerge again.

Zhou Ai, knowing he was ahead, immediately took advantage of the situation. Before Chu Yi could react, he had already grasped the hem of his soaked short-sleeved shirt, lifted it up, and ripped it off with a smooth, natural movement.

In an instant, his well-defined abdominal muscles, broad chest and tight shoulders and arms were exposed to the air again.

The moist skin shone under the bright lights of the warehouse, and the outline of the muscles became clearer because of the exertion just now, full of vigorous power.

Even though he had watched it twice in a row today, Chu Yi still felt that the visual impact was too strong, and the blood rushed to his head again.

He almost immediately looked away, his ears burning, and stuffed the stealth gray jacket into Zhou Ai's arms, saying in a stern tone, "Put it on quickly!"

Zhou Ai looked at Chu Yi, who was obviously embarrassed but pretending to be calm, with a smile on his face. He slowly put on his coat and zipped it up.