Chapter 66 Declaring Sovereignty
The training session for the forensic department unexpectedly ended early on the second day.
Looking out the window at the still early morning light, a thought suddenly popped into Lin Xili's mind.
She wanted to visit Huo Nanchen at the city's central hospital.
Not as a patient, but like he used to pick me up from get off work every day.
Without informing Huo Nanchen beforehand, and with a mixture of curiosity and an overwhelming desire to get closer to his world, she went to the Department of Endocrinology at the city's central hospital.
The benches outside the clinic area were filled with patients and their families waiting for their numbers to be called. Lin Xili found an inconspicuous corner to sit down.
My gaze was fixed on the door of consultation room number five, which bore the name "Huo Nanchen".
The door was pushed open and closed again and again by patients coming and going. Occasionally, through the gap, one could catch a glimpse of his profile, focused on inquiring about the patient's condition, looking both handsome and professional.
Just then, a slight noise came from the empty seat next to me.
Lin Xili subconsciously turned her head and was momentarily stunned.
She was the thin girl who sat opposite Huo Nanchen in the dessert shop a month ago. If it weren't for the faint sadness between her brows, she would have looked like a very bright and cheerful girl.
Ning Yu also noticed the woman beside her who had a cool temperament and outstanding appearance.
She smiled kindly and asked softly, "Are you here to see a doctor for hyperthyroidism too?"
Lin Xili snapped out of her daze, suppressed the turmoil in her heart, and shook her head: "No, but I also had hyperthyroidism before, and it was cured by Dr. Huo."
"Really?" Ning Yu's voice rose an octave, as if she had received tremendous encouragement. "So you chose iodine-131 treatment back then?"
"Mm." Lin Xili nodded.
"That's great!" Ning Yu's tone became cheerful.
“My iodine uptake test results are satisfactory. I’m here today to wait for Dr. Huo to take us, the patients who are eligible to drink iodine, to the radiation department.”
"There is a 98% chance of recovery after three months. I hope I won't be one of the 2% who get hypothyroidism."
Her words were full of trust in Huo Nanchen, yet also contained a hint of nervousness about the unknown treatment.
"Don't worry," Lin Xili said with absolute certainty, "He prepared the dosage very precisely, it won't make you develop hypothyroidism."
She trusted his medical skills, a confidence backed by countless patients over five years.
Ning Yu looked her over curiously: "So you're cured now, are you here today for a follow-up check-up?"
Meeting her probing gaze, Lin Xili's heart began to beat faster involuntarily.
She blurted out, "No, he's my husband, I'm here to pick him up from get off work."
Time seemed to stand still at that moment.
Lin Xili belatedly realized that the sentence actually carried a hint of asserting sovereignty.
She was telling the girl in front of her, asserting her ownership, that Huo Nanchen was her husband, that he belonged to her, and not someone else's.
Ning Yu's smile froze instantly, and she stared blankly at Lin Xili.
Then, she subconsciously looked at the closed consultation room door, her lips moved a few times, but she couldn't make a sound.
Then, a wave of realization, loss, and indescribable bitterness washed over me.
After a long while, she managed a weak smile, her voice slightly hoarse: "Is...is that so?"
"Some things, once you make the wrong choice and miss the opportunity, are truly missed."
She finally understood why Huo Nanchen had always maintained a clear and cold sense of boundaries with her.
Why is there no trace of the past in his eyes anymore?
It turns out that his life had already entered a new chapter, and he had found a stable home.
Lin Xili listened to these words, which were full of stories, but neither asked any further questions nor offered any comfort.
She simply sat quietly, the unease she felt because of Ning Yu's presence dissipating with that declaration of sovereignty.
Just then, the door to Huo Nanchen's consultation room opened from the inside.
He was wearing a white coat, and as he walked out, he was explaining his work to the two young interns beside him.
He looked up and, as he habitually scanned the waiting area, he immediately spotted Lin Xili sitting in the corner, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
He walked straight towards her, stopped in front of her, and asked gently, "Why are you here?"
Lin Xili stood up, tilted her head slightly to look at him, her cheeks still flushed from the assertion of her dominance: "I got off work early today, and since I had nothing to do, I came to see you."
Huo Nanchen nodded. "I'll take them to the nuclear medicine department to drink iodine first. After that, I need to discuss some things with the department head. You wait here for me?"
"Okay." Lin Xili nodded obediently. "I'll wait for you here, and we'll get off work together."
Huo Nanchen grunted in agreement and turned to the patients, saying, "Please follow me."
The corridor leading to the Department of Nuclear Medicine was not long, and two interns led the way.
Ning Yu deliberately slowed down, falling a little behind the crowd, and walked alongside Huo Nanchen, who was walking slightly behind.
She hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help but whisper, "I didn't expect... you got married."
Huo Nanchen didn't stop walking, his face expressionless, and he simply responded with a faint "Mm".
There was no explanation, no introduction, and not a trace of emotional fluctuation.
But this simple "hmm" brought Ning Yu a sudden sense of relief.
Time never stands still, and no one will wait for someone to turn back and correct a mistake.
Life is a series of choices; once you choose the wrong one, the answer is already set.
She should let go of her obsession with "what if I could do it all over again," drink the iodine water, be reborn, and move forward.
Ning Yu smiled with relief, "That's good. I can see that your wife cares about you a lot. I wish you both happiness forever."
After saying that, without waiting for Huo Nanchen's response, she quickly followed the footsteps of the other patients in front of her.
Huo Nanchen paused slightly, watching her relieved figure as the guilt that had been building up in his heart for many years seemed to dissipate as well.
In the nuclear medicine department, just as he had done in the small town clinic years ago, he patiently and meticulously emphasized to patients the precautions for drinking iodine and the contraindications after taking medication.
After he finished everything, he returned to the endocrinology waiting area, where Lin Xili was still waiting for him.
At that moment, Huo Nanchen suddenly understood that it brings such peace to one's heart when someone is willing to wait quietly behind them.
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