Chapter 74 Vanished Without a Trace Did he really not care about her at all? ...

“Zhu...Liu Shuang?” Yue Lin’s eyes flickered as he looked at the computer screen, seemingly confirming the patient’s name.

"Mmm." Zhu Liushuang nodded. A sudden, uncontrollable itch welled up in her throat, and she cleared her throat uncomfortably, trying to relieve the discomfort. But the more she cleared her throat, the stronger the foreign feeling deep inside became, and she finally couldn't hold back and coughed violently.

After she finished coughing and straightened up with a flushed face, Yue Lin asked unhurriedly, "Do you still have a fever?"

"No," Zhu Liushuang said in a hoarse voice. "It's just that my throat is uncomfortable, and I keep coughing. My chest feels tight, and sometimes I can't breathe."

Yue Lin quickly recorded the patient's condition on the computer, the keyboard clattering loudly.

Zhu Liushuang sat on the stool looking uneasy. She fidgeted with her fingers and said, "Dr. Yue, could I have pneumonia?"

The knocking stopped abruptly, and Yue Lin picked up the stethoscope hanging around his neck: "Here, listen to it."

The cold stethoscope pressed against her chest, and she tried to calm her breathing. But it felt as if a bug had taken up residence in her throat, crawling around and scratching her unbearably.

"It sounds alright. Just to be on the safe side, let's get a lung CT scan and a complete blood count to check the indicators." Yue Lin put away his stethoscope and turned to disinfect his hands.

Zhu Liushuang watched as he took out a disposable tongue depressor, slowly tore off the packaging, and then said to her, "Take a look at your throat."

She obediently took off her mask.

"Mouth opens wide, ah—"

As soon as she opened her mouth, the discomfort that she had forcefully suppressed surged up again.

"Cough cough cough—" A burst of coughing sounds came out, and she quickly pulled up the mask strap, buried her head in her arms, and continued to cough.

"Excuse me, Dr. Yue. It's okay now..." Zhu Liushuang coughed, her ribs aching slightly. She looked up awkwardly, only to see Yue Lin had walked to the window at some point.

He had his back to her, his dazzling white coat blending seamlessly with the white walls of the consultation room. He raised his long arm and slowly pushed open the glass window. The night breeze that had brushed against her neck was shut out.

“Catching a cold makes you more prone to coughing.” Yue Lin turned and walked back to his desk, smiling faintly at Zhu Liushuang. “When you go out later, be careful to keep your neck warm. The radiology department is in Building 1 across the street, separated by a walkway, and the draft can be quite strong at night.”

Zhu Liushuang was taken aback for a moment, then gave Yue Lin a grateful look: "Thank you."

When the night clinic was first launched, she saw some complaints and grievances from industry insiders online. It seemed that while such a "people-benefiting policy" made things easier for patients, it also inadvertently increased the workload of doctors.

Seeing Yue Lin's thoughtful consideration for patients tonight, I couldn't help but feel moved and have even greater respect for medical staff.

"You can go pay now. Come back for your follow-up appointment after the report comes out. The blood test will take half an hour. You don't need to pick up the chest X-ray report; I can see it directly on my computer."

"Thank you, I understand. Dr. Yue, you can continue with your work." Zhu Liushuang slowly stood up and walked out of the consultation room.

The hospital lobby was much quieter at night than during the day, but there was still a long line outside the respiratory medicine ward. Passing by the waiting area, she glanced back; patients wearing masks slumped listlessly in their chairs, some even working on their laptops while waiting for their appointments…

Zhu Liushuang suddenly felt that she wasn't so pitiful after all; at least she didn't have to drag her sick body to work overtime in the hospital.

More than half an hour later, she picked up the report and knocked on the door of consultation room number 2.

"Please come in," Yue Lin said, stretching. Upon seeing the visitor, he silently buttoned up his white coat. He then pulled up Zhu Liushuang's lung CT scan and examined it carefully.

"How is it?" Zhu Liushuang could understand some of the blood test results, but she couldn't see the CT report, so she was a little anxious.

"The scan shows a bit of bronchitis, but the blood test is fine; it's the blood count typical of the later stages of influenza..." Yue Lin clicked the mouse a few times and said, "Have you been taking oseltamivir for five days now? I'll prescribe some cough suppressants and heat-clearing and detoxifying medicine for you. Keep warm, drink plenty of water, and avoid environments with irritating odors."

"Mmm." Zhu Liushuang nodded repeatedly. "Do I need some anti-inflammatory medication?"

“It’s not usually that easy for bacterial infections to develop.” Yue Lin tapped his fingers on the keyboard. “If there is yellow-green phlegm or a fever, then come back for a follow-up visit.”

"Okay, thank you, Dr. Yue." Zhu Liushuang thanked him and stood up slowly.

As she was about to open the door to leave, she heard a soft rustling sound behind her.

"Zhu Liushuang—"

She paused, turned to look at Yue Lin: "Dr. Yue, is there anything else?"

Yue Lin shut down his computer, ready to call it a day. He yawned and said lazily, "Oh, I forgot to mention. Your throat is a little congested, remember to avoid spicy food."

"Okay." A slight smile curved her lips beneath the mask as she watched Yue Lin walk toward the adjacent lounge, and she said softly, "Thank you for your hard work, Dr. Yue."

The door to the consultation room was ajar, and the hurried footsteps outside gradually faded into the distance.

The light inside dimmed, and a large hand reeking of disinfectant touched the doorframe. The man leaned quietly against the door, his gaze peering through the crack into the empty corridor, seemingly observing something.

————

Perhaps the medication prescribed by the hospital was working, as Zhu Liushuang's condition improved before the National Day holiday. Apart from her neck being sensitive to cold, the frequency of her cough gradually decreased.

In stark contrast to her illness was her connection with He Ming.

Zhu Liushuang did not get a reply to his WeChat messages that night, but she was not discouraged.

Following Tian Xingyu's suggestion, she sent He Ming a message every day, either words of comfort, interesting trivia about life, or beautiful scenery that she accidentally photographed on her way to and from get off work.

For several days in a row, He Ming did not reply to messages. His phone went unanswered, his WeChat Moments were only visible for three days, and his radio station... he had not logged into "Yueyin FM" for more than two months.

On the day before the National Day holiday, Gu Xufeng suddenly visited Ruixin.

Zhu Liushuang secretly waited outside the general manager's office during a break from work.

"Miss Zhu, what a coincidence!" Gu Xufeng grinned in surprise upon seeing her.

"What a coincidence, I was just about to go to the break room to make some water." Zhu Liushuang raised the cup in her hand with feigned composure. "What brings you here today?"

"We'll be handling your company's annual report audit from now on, so I've come to discuss the relevant matters with Mr. Guo..."

"Oh, is that so?" Zhu Liushuang glanced at Gu Xufeng casually. "The last time I contacted you, you were on a business trip out of town. Tingting told me that you'll be stationed out of town for a long time from now on."

"This girl, why is she telling you even this?" Gu Xufeng muttered, his expression shifting. "She was originally stationed out of town, but then Lao He called me back, and he went there himself. You know..."

Gu Xufeng's voice suddenly lowered: "Old He's maternal grandfather passed away a while ago, sigh... He probably wants to go on a business trip to change his mood."

He... is away on a business trip?

In the past, even when he was away on business, he would still politely respond to every word she said. But now, everything has changed.

"Tomorrow is National Day holiday, isn't Teacher He coming back?" Zhu Liushuang asked casually.

"I guess he's not coming back. Our railway project is quite important; someone needs to stay there to keep track of the audits..." Gu Xufeng asked, puzzled, "Didn't Lao He tell you he was going on a business trip, Miss Zhu? That shouldn't be the case..."

Gu Xufeng was still talking to himself, but Zhu Liushuang couldn't hear a word he said anymore.

He Ming is away on a business trip and may be stationed in another city for half a year.

It takes most of the day to drive from Gucheng to the "Yunhe" mentioned by Gu Xufeng.

He set off three days ago, but he didn't mention it at all.

"Miss Zhu, Miss Zhu?"

Zhu Liushuang was trapped in a low mood and could not pull herself out. She finally managed to spare a moment to reply to Gu Xufeng: "Teacher Gu, from now on we will be partners. You can just call me Liushuang."

“Tingting often nags me at home, saying that you haven’t set up your stall in a long time and you don’t even take on errands.” Gu Xufeng scratched his head sheepishly. “Ask her when you’re going to open. That girl needs to eat some dessert before she can do her homework on the weekend.”

"I should be able to get a spot during the National Day holiday. I've booked a booth at the Strawberry Music Festival's outdoor area." Zhu Liushuang forced a smile.

"That's wonderful!" Gu Xufeng exclaimed excitedly. "I'll tell Tingting when I pick her up from evening self-study. Liu Shuang, where is this Strawberry Music Festival you mentioned? Are there any tickets left...?"

"About Shuixiyang Wetland Park..." Zhu Liushuang said uncertainly, "I don't know about the tickets, you can check on the ticketing platform."

"Alright!" Gu Xufeng quickened his pace, and as he walked out, he inadvertently glanced at the door of the "tea room." "Hey, Liu Shuang, isn't the tea room here? Why did you just run over to President Guo's office?"

The sudden question created an awkward atmosphere. Zhu Liushuang pinched her earlobe and hastily made up an excuse: "Oh, I had a document... that I wanted President Guo to review. Seeing that you... were talking inside, I decided to wait outside for a while."

After she said that, Gu Xufeng felt embarrassed: "Look at me, I've taken up your time. You go ahead and do your work, see you at the music festival..."

Zhu Liushuang waved her hand and walked back to the finance office with a heavy heart.

She slumped weakly into her chair and took out her phone to look at He Ming's WeChat. The chat window was full of messages, all framed in green. At that moment, those green bubbles felt incredibly glaring to her.

She racked her brains every day trying to find ways to comfort him, but He Ming... couldn't even be bothered to respond with an ellipsis.

"Ugh—" She reached out and tugged at her shoulder-length hair, feeling utterly defeated.

He really... doesn't care about her at all, does he?

Zhu Liushuang stared at the unresponsive chat interface with a pout, wishing she could run to Yunhe immediately, grab He Ming by the collar, and ask him what she meant to him now.

But she didn't dare. She was afraid he would coldly tell her that their relationship was nothing more than a "contract" that could be terminated at any time.

"Tomorrow's the holiday, why the long face?" Zhuang Xiaoqian came in from outside, glanced at her, and said, "Oh, finally got the four main men sorted out. Preparing for a wedding is so tiring..."

Zhuang Xiaoqian spent almost an hour on the phone, just about wedding preparations. Zhu Liushuang looked at her sympathetically: "It's painful but joyful. Sister Zhuang, you worry about everything, of course you'll get tired."

"I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about you! What's wrong? You seem so down." Zhuang Xiaoqian asked, leaning closer.

"No...it's nothing."

"You! You're too calculating..." Zhuang Xiaoqian, of course, didn't believe her. "You never tell anyone, be careful you don't suffer internal injuries from keeping it all bottled up. By the way, do you have any plans to go anywhere for National Day?"

"I don't have any money..." Zhu Liushuang suddenly changed her question, "Sister Zhuang, have you ever been to Yunhe?"

"Yunhe?" Zhuang Xiaoqian pondered for a moment and said, "Yunhe in Jinshi? There's nothing fun there... It's just an old town, I guess. The food is all spicy, you definitely won't like it..."

"Oh." Zhu Liushuang prepared to switch to the background to search for high-speed rail tickets from Gucheng to Yunhe.

As she swiped her finger, her sharp eyes caught a glimpse of the words "typing..." suddenly appearing in the WeChat chat window.

Her heart clenched, her breathing became rapid, and even her nose broke out in a sweat.

"Yunhe is a place with inconvenient transportation; there isn't even a high-speed rail station. You have to take the high-speed rail to the next county first, and then transfer to a bus to get there..."

The finance office was filled with Zhuang Xiaoqian's incessant complaints, but Zhu Liushuang's ears were as quiet as if all the sound had been silenced.

My heart started racing, and time seemed to slow down, as if every second of waiting was torture.

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Author's note: Alright, alright, we'll cross paths someday!