Chapter 45 Sorry for disturbing you

Xu Mo went to the hospital for a comprehensive checkup, and the results were mixed. The good news was that the accident itself hadn't caused any major problems, save for the superficial injuries. Just as she was breathing a sigh of relief, the doctor warned her that she was experiencing suboptimal health and that the nodule on her left breast had grown another millimeter.

During her physical at the beginning of last year, her doctor warned her about the nodule problem and offered some advice, including avoiding late nights, going to bed by 11 p.m., and finding a less stressful job. Last year was the first time she developed nodules, and she was very nervous. She took all the advice to heart, but a month after the physical, she realized it didn't seem to have any significant impact. With work getting busy, she seemed to forget the pain and continued to stay up late to meet her deadlines.

Her body had given her signals: increasingly delayed periods, more frequent colds, and stomach aches at night that were either mild or severe, but she deliberately ignored these signals and plunged headfirst into her so-called career.

Xu Mo left the clinic with the report in her hand with a heavy heart. She asked the doctor for his advice, and he said that it was not yet time for surgery, but she must pay attention to her conditioning and control the growth rate of the nodule.

Sitting on a stainless steel stool near the hospital's medication window, Xu Mo lowered her head, rubbed her eyes with her hands, and sighed.

Han Yan called her yesterday to share the report, saying that the results were very good, especially the part she was in charge of, which compared the differences between several nearby factories. President Ou praised her highly, saying that he could feel her dedication. Han Yan praised her again. At the end of the call, Han Yan asked about her health, asked her to take care of herself and have a good rest, and go to the hospital for a comprehensive check-up, and the expenses could be reported to the project.

Xu Mo felt a mixture of emotions after hearing these words. On the one hand, there was actually a gap in information between her and Han Yan. Although Han Yan praised her, only Manager Wu and Han Yan knew what Mr. Ou had actually said on the spot. On the other hand, even if her content was praised, Manager Wu would only attribute it to Han Yan. The boss's words were just for show. Han Yan's praise was probably just a pep talk to motivate her and encourage her to work harder in the future.

Xu Mo hung up the phone and looked at the long list of numbers on the electronic screen. There were six people in front of her. She sat on the chair and began to think about her future.

Perhaps she should change jobs, Xu Mo thought as she looked at the conclusion on the report.

Wu Siyue and Cheng Ming knew that she came to the hospital for a check-up today, so they sent her a message in the small group of three, asking her how she was doing. Xu Mo replied with an emoticon saying "don't worry", and when she looked up again, it was her turn.

After getting the medicine from the window, Xu Mo prepared to go home. Just as she was about to leave, she saw a familiar tall figure approaching. The figure was wearing a black coat from the north, and with his height and long legs, he was an unmissable presence no matter where he was.

"Zhao Tingyu?" She frowned as she watched him walk out of the psychiatric department from afar. She rubbed her eyes, thinking she had seen it wrongly. "What is he doing in the psychiatric department?"

Zhao Tingyu soon spotted Xu Mo in the crowd. She was tall and thin, with fair skin and black hair. She was wearing a light blue knitted skirt, and she stood out in the crowd.

Although he hadn't seen her for a long time, he wanted to see her, but not at this moment. Zhao Tingyu dodged his gaze and looked away, only to see Xu Mo approaching. She called out to him, "Why are you here?"

Zhao Tingyu had nowhere to hide and could only face her gaze. He found her holding a bag of medicine and felt a little strange. He blurted out: "Why are you prescribing so many medicines?"

Xu Mo didn't intend to hide it from him and said, "I was in a car accident and came here for a checkup."

"Car accident?!" The man said nervously, "What car accident?"

He circled around her and asked, "When did it happen? Are you hurt?"

Xu Mo said: "I accidentally crashed into a fence while on a business trip a few days ago. Fortunately, I braked in time and the car didn't catch fire. I only had some minor injuries."

Zhao Tingyu's heart was finally at ease when Xu Mo added, "Don't tell my parents."

Zhao Tingyu nodded: "I'll make an appointment for you at a private hospital for another checkup."

Xu Mo shook her head and refused: "No need, the doctors at the top three hospitals said it's fine."

She looked up at him: "What are you doing in the hospital?"

Zhao Tingyu turned his face away and exhaled: "Nothing."

"Nothing, why are you going to the psychiatric department?" Xu Mo frowned. "Are you crazy? When did it happen?"

"It's not that serious." Zhao Tingyu retorted subconsciously. After a pause, he sighed and said, "It's not convenient to talk here. It's almost noon. Let's have a meal together and talk."

Xu Mo glanced at the bulging medicine bag in his hand and nodded.

The two of them went to a German restaurant downstairs in the hospital, which they had been to before and both thought was quite good. At noon on a weekday, there were some white-collar workers from nearby office buildings here, wearing work cards and work clothes. The way she and Zhao Tingyu were dressed during their break made them look like the odd ones out.

Zhao Tingyu chose a seat by the window and sat down, pouring a cup of tea for Xu Mo. Xu Mo took a sip, and the soothing fragrance of cinnamon filled her lips and tongue.

"Recently," Zhao Tingyu exhaled and spoke a little unnaturally, "I do have some mental problems."

Xu Mo asked: "Are you suffering from depression?"

Zhao Tingyu shook his head: "It's more serious than this. The doctor said I might have schizophrenia."

Xu Mo tightened her grip on the cup as she looked at the man opposite her. His features had barely changed since high school, his angular, handsome face revealing a hint of coldness. However, at this moment, his expression revealed a rare blankness.

"When did it start?"

"After we broke up." Zhao Tingyu shook the ice drink in his glass, his eyelids drooping, his expression indifferent. "At first, I just felt that nothing was interesting and I didn't want to do anything, just like when my parents just passed away. Later..."

He had originally intended to say it was after she got married, but Zhao Tingyu looked up at her serious expression and took back the words on his lips: "Then it got worse and worse. Lately, I've been having strange dreams. Liao Haizhou said I've been showing some strange behavior."

When he mentioned the strange behavior, Xu Mo suddenly recalled the ambiguous actions he made towards her when he rushed into her room at her hometown. Thinking back on it now, she seemed to feel that he was not in a very sober state at the time, and he did not seem to remember the incident later. Now thinking about it, was that another personality?

"So some time ago you called me and asked if we could get back together." Xu Mo suddenly connected the dots of the past. "You already knew you were sick at that time. Was your illness related to our breakup?"

Zhao Tingyu didn't say anything.

Xu Mo was silent. Although she was holding a hot drink in her hand, she felt her palms were cold. In fact, she knew very early on that Zhao Tingyu might have severe depression. This was why she had been very patient with him for so many years. But she did not expect that her breakup with him would become the trigger for his more serious mental illness.

Xu Mo asked, "Is there any cure?"

Zhao Tingyu nodded and picked up the medicine bag on the table: "Take the medicine."

Xu Mo took a deep breath and looked out the window. The pork elbow was served. Zhao Tingyu cut the pork elbow and Xu Mo picked up the dishes in silence.

To be honest, she is in a complicated mood now. She feels sad about what happened to Zhao Tingyu, but she can't pay for all these things for him for the rest of her life.

But at this moment, she did feel very sad. This was true. Zhao Tingyu was someone she had truly loved. He had never wronged her in these years, at least in terms of material things. She couldn't just sit back and watch him.

Zhao Tingyu asked, "How have you been lately? Last time I called, it seemed like you were under a lot of work pressure."

Xu Mo shook her head and said, "Don't mention it. I don't want to talk about it."

Zhao Tingyu picked up a piece of meat for her: "Okay, eat the meat first."

Zhao Tingyu chatted with her in a haphazard manner, and she replied with a forced smile. To be honest, she felt that it was really urgent to pray to God, otherwise why would bad things happen one after another.

After the meal was almost over, Zhao Tingyu offered to take her home. Xu Mo said no, she could take a taxi, but when she took out her cell phone, she found that it was out of battery.

Xu Mo was just about to ask him to give her a ride, but when she looked up, she saw the familiar Arc'teryx logo, and then looking up, she saw a handsome man with a seemingly calm face.

She pursed her lips, but before she could speak, Lin Jingchuan spoke first. His expression was cold: "Should I say sorry for disturbing you?"