The butterfly's first flap of wings
The autumn rain, carrying a bone-chilling cold, had been falling incessantly for several days. The world outside the window was shrouded in a gray mist, even the occasional fleeting bird shadows appeared hurried and blurry. Lin Wanxing curled up on the bed in her apartment, wrapped tightly in a thick down comforter, yet still unable to dispel the chill that seeped from within her body.
Her consciousness oscillated between hazy and lucid states; her forehead was alarmingly hot, and her throat burned as if it had been rubbed with sandpaper. Hours earlier, she had barely managed to take her temperature, and the "39.2℃" displayed on the screen forced her to send a leave request to the college secretary. Her phone slipped from her limp hand, and she sank back into her pillow, feeling like a lone boat adrift in a storm, surrounded by endless, icy waters.
Just as she was about to be completely swallowed by the drowsiness, the doorbell rang. At first, she thought it was a hallucination, but the sound persistently pierced through the rain, knocking at her consciousness again and again. She struggled, almost rolling off the bed, and staggered to the door, leaning against the wall. Turning the doorknob exhausted her last bit of strength, and when the door opened, she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Outside the door stood Jiang Chen, his clothes soaked with sweat. The groceries he had bought from the convenience store were still dripping wet. The moment he saw Lin Wanxing's condition, his expression changed drastically.
"Teacher Lin?" He quickly put down what he was holding and reached out to support her swaying body. When the back of his hand touched her burning forehead, his brows furrowed tightly. "You have a fever, a very high one."
"N-nothing..." Her voice was so hoarse it was almost unrecognizable. "I'll be fine after a good night's sleep..."
"No." Jiang Chen's tone was firm and unwavering. "Such a high fever is dangerous; we must go to the hospital immediately."
Just as he was about to take out his phone to call for a car, a series of hurried high heels came from the end of the corridor, accompanied by Su Xiao's clear but anxious voice: "Wanxing! I've called you more than a dozen times and you haven't answered. I'm worried about you..." Her words trailed off as her gaze fell on Lin Wanxing, who was being supported by Jiang Chen, her face flushed and her eyes unfocused. She gasped in shock, "My God! How did she get so feverish?"
"Miss Su, you've come at the right time," Jiang Chen quickly explained. "Teacher Lin has a high fever and needs to go to the hospital immediately."
"I'll go get the car!" Su Xiao reacted quickly, immediately taking out her car keys from her bag. "You guys wait for me downstairs, I'll drive the car directly to the building entrance!" After she finished speaking, she turned around and rushed towards the elevator, her high heels clicking a series of urgent rhythms in the empty corridor.
Jiang Chen no longer hesitated. He squatted down and said softly to Lin Wanxing, "Teacher Lin, I apologize for the offense." Then he carefully and powerfully carried her on his back. His back was not particularly broad, but it was exceptionally stable. Lin Wanxing lay drowsily on his back and could feel the steadyness of his steps and the reassuring strength that came through his clothes.
Su Xiao's white sedan quickly pulled up in front of the building. Jiang Chen carefully settled Lin Wanxing in the back seat, meticulously adjusting her position to make her more comfortable. Su Xiao turned from the driver's seat, her face filled with worry: "How are you? Can you hold on?"
Lin Wanxing nodded weakly, closed her eyes, and felt as if the whole world was spinning.
The windshield wipers swung rhythmically across the windshield, leaving clear streaks of water that were quickly covered by fresh rain. The atmosphere inside the car was tense and quiet, broken only by Lin Wanxing's heavy breathing and the sound of the rain outside. Su Xiao focused intently on driving, occasionally glancing anxiously at the back seat in the rearview mirror; Jiang Chen, meanwhile, kept a close eye on Lin Wanxing, his fingers unconsciously clenching and unclenching.
Upon arriving at the hospital's emergency department, it was peak time for patients. The smell of disinfectant wafted through the air, mixed with various indistinct medicinal odors. The cacophony of voices, hurried footsteps, and children's cries created a chaotic and anxious symphony. Jiang Chen carried Lin Wanxing on his back, while Su Xiao ran around registering and paying fees, her makeup slightly smudged by sweat, but she didn't bother to fix it.
Finally, it was their turn to enter the examination room. A male doctor wearing a white coat and a blue medical mask was writing something on a computer. Hearing the noise, he looked up, revealing a pair of calm and focused eyes.
"Doctor, my friend has a high fever, over 39 degrees Celsius, and it's been going on for a while..." Su Xiao said urgently, speaking so fast she almost bit her tongue.
The doctor stood up, his gaze first sweeping professionally and quickly over Lin Wanxing, who was being carefully supported by Jiang Chen, before shifting to Jiang Chen. When he saw Jiang Chen's face clearly, a hint of surprise flashed in his calm eyes, followed by undisguised joy. He immediately reached out and removed his mask, revealing a handsome and upright face, a sincere smile on his lips, completely different from his previous serious demeanor.
"Jiang Chen? It's you?" His voice was noticeably warm as he stepped forward and patted Jiang Chen's shoulder familiarly. "This is...your friend?"
Su Xiao, standing to the side, widened her eyes instantly when Lu Ziang removed his mask, revealing his full appearance. His features were clear and bright, his nose high and straight, his lips well-defined, combining to create a unique aura that blended scholarly refinement with calm composure. Especially the smile he had given Jiang Chen earlier, like the first melting of snow, instantly captivated Su Xiao's heart. She instinctively covered her mouth, her eyes filled with amazement. The anxiety she had felt running around earlier was instantly replaced by a strange excitement, her gaze practically glued to Lu Ziang.
"Zi'ang, is it your shift today?" Jiang Chen was also a little surprised, but quickly composed himself. "Yes, this is my teacher, Lin Wanxing. She has a high fever, thank you for your help."
"Don't worry, leave it to me." Lu Ziang's smile faded, and he regained his professional demeanor, but his attitude towards Jiang Chen was clearly much warmer than towards ordinary patients' family members. He quickly stepped forward and carefully examined Lin Wanxing, his movements skilled and gentle.
"A high fever caused by a severe cold, accompanied by mild dehydration," he quickly diagnosed, his voice steady and clear. "She needs immediate intravenous fluids to replenish fluids and electrolytes, along with antipyretics and antiviral medication." He quickly wrote out the prescription and personally led the nurse to arrange for Lin Wanxing to receive the IV infusion on a bed in the observation area. Throughout the process, he appeared exceptionally attentive and responsible, occasionally reassuring the confused Lin Wanxing and quietly explaining the condition and medication to Jiang Chen to ensure they fully understood.
After arranging everything and watching Lin Wanxing's IV drip start smoothly, Lu Ziang finally breathed a sigh of relief. He glanced at his watch and said to Jiang Chen with a slight apology, "I have an emergency patient to deal with over there, so I have to go first. The nurses here will be watching over her; if anything happens, just press the call button or call me directly." He then looked at Lin Wanxing and nodded to Jiang Chen, "Don't worry too much, her temperature will gradually come down after the medication."
"Thank you, Zi'ang," Jiang Chen said earnestly.
Lu Ziang smiled, said nothing more, hurriedly put on his mask, and turned to get back into the busy work of the emergency department, the hem of his white coat making a neat arc.
Su Xiao's gaze followed his retreating figure until he was out of sight, then she reluctantly looked away, her excitement still lingering. She lowered her voice and said to Jiang Chen, "My goodness... Jiang Chen, you actually know such a handsome doctor friend! Why is he so enthusiastic towards you? Are you two very close?"
At this moment, under the influence of the medication, Lin Wanxing felt some relief from the aches and pains throughout her body, and her consciousness became much clearer. Hearing Su Xiao's words, she turned her head slightly to look at Jiang Chen, her eyes filled with inquiry and curiosity.
Jiang Chen watched the IV drip slowly and calmly explain, "We've known each other for a while now. Occasionally on weekends when we're free, he'll invite me to play ball at the gym." He paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, "About six months ago, I saw an elderly man suddenly collapse in front of a convenience store. Dr. Lu happened to be passing by and immediately provided first aid, very professionally. However, the man's family members quickly arrived and, without asking any questions, assumed Dr. Lu had knocked him down. They became very agitated and tried to extort money from him, making a very unpleasant scene."
Su Xiao's eyes widened as she listened, while Lin Wanxing frowned slightly, imagining the scene.
"There were many onlookers at the time, but no one dared to speak up," Jiang Chen continued, his voice still calm. "I happened to be filming the street scene with my phone and unintentionally recorded the entire process of the elderly woman fainting and Dr. Lu rushing to her aid. I showed the video to the police and family members who arrived, proving Dr. Lu's innocence."
"Wow! A hero saves...a hero!" Su Xiao exclaimed, her gaze towards Jiang Chen filled with admiration. Then, she turned to the direction Lu Ziang had left, her eyes even more captivated. "He stood up for what was right! Dr. Lu is handsome and kind-hearted, yet he suffered such injustice; it's truly heartbreaking!"
Lin Wanxing looked at Jiang Chen's calm profile, her heart stirred slightly. She hadn't expected that this seemingly taciturn young man would be so enthusiastic and brave when others encountered trouble. He not only recorded the truth but also dared to stand up in such a chaotic situation. This integrity and thoughtfulness gave her a deeper understanding of him.
"It was just a coincidence that I recorded it." Jiang Chen's tone remained calm, as if he had done something insignificant.
About half an hour later, as Lin Wanxing's first IV drip was about to finish, Lu Ziang surprisingly returned. Fine beads of sweat glistened on his forehead, and the sleeves of his white coat were casually rolled up to his elbows, clearly indicating he had just dealt with an emergency.
"Things are stable over there for now," he said to Jiang Chen, his expression more relaxed than before. "I'm relieved to see you're settled here. How have you been lately? It feels like ages since I've seen you out and about."
"It's alright. It's been a while," Jiang Chen replied, his tone much more relaxed.
"Dr. Lu," Su Xiao immediately seized the opportunity, her smile bright as she interjected, leaning forward slightly, "how did you and Jiang Chen meet? I only heard the gist of it, but I think it's really been a difficult journey for you."
She skillfully steered the conversation back to Lu Ziang, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and admiration.
Lu Ziang looked at Su Xiao and nodded slightly, politely but distantly: "It was just a little incident, thanks to Jiang Chen." His response was concise, clearly indicating that he did not want to talk about his own affairs.
Undeterred, Su Xiao pressed on, her voice light and quick: "Dr. Lu, besides playing ball, what else do you enjoy? Working in the emergency department must be very busy, right?"
Su Xiao's questions came out in rapid succession, clearly with the intention of probing into her private life.
Lu Zi'ang's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly, his tone remaining calm and objective, yet carrying an invisible barrier: "The nature of my work is indeed quite busy. My free time is limited, and I prefer quiet." He gave a brief reply, then turned to Jiang Chen, naturally changing the subject, "By the way, I mentioned to you last time that our hospital is having a small internal basketball tournament, and we're short a reliable point guard. Are you interested? Or how about we schedule another game? Just to relax."
Jiang Chen shook his head, his tone slightly apologetic: "I'm afraid it's not possible right now. I'm preparing for a programming competition, and time is tight. I spend all my free time debugging code."
"A programming competition?" Lu Ziang raised an eyebrow, seemingly very interested. "Sounds good. When? Where? If you're on leave, I'll come cheer you on." His attitude was sincere, revealing his concern for his friend.
"Next Saturday, at the Municipal Science and Technology Innovation Center. Come if you're free," Jiang Chen said, a hint of barely perceptible anticipation in his voice.
"Okay, I've got it. I'll try my best to arrange it." Lu Ziang nodded, then glanced at the nearly empty IV drip bottle. "This one's almost finished, I'll have the nurse change it. You all get some rest." He gestured to Jiang Chen and Lin Wanxing, then gave Su Xiaoli a polite nod before turning back to his work.
Lu Ziang's professional, aloof, and overly enthusiastic attitude towards her didn't frustrate Su Xiao; instead, it fueled her interest even more. "Wow, even his rejections are so stylish..." she murmured, her eyes growing even more infatuated. "He's totally my type!"
Lin Wanxing smiled helplessly at her friend's undisguised expression. She felt her discomfort lessening, and the burning sensation in her throat was easing considerably, replaced by a calm after exhaustion. The sound of rain outside the window had gradually subsided, and a faint ray of sunlight tentatively pierced through the clouds, casting blurry patches of light on the hospital room floor.
She turned her head slightly and saw Jiang Chen sitting quietly in a chair beside her, his gaze fixed on the rare glimmer of light outside the window. His profile appeared calm and focused under the ward light. Su Xiao, on the other hand, was excitedly planning in a low voice the various possibilities of her next "chance encounter" with Dr. Lu.
At this moment, the smell of disinfectant in the hospital seemed less pungent, and the surrounding noise seemed to fade away. Lin Wanxing felt a strange tranquility. A sudden high fever, like a crack, shattered her stagnant life. Jiang Chen's persistence, Su Xiaofeng's swift and decisive assistance, and Dr. Lu, who appeared aloof but showed genuine warmth to his friends... these people and events, with their vibrant energy, rushed into her world without warning.
The butterfly's wings have already fluttered, like a ray of sunlight outside the window trying to break free from the shackles of the dark clouds—weak, yet carrying an undeniable power.
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