Chapter 3 The fingertips twitched slightly from the pressure...
Chapter 3
The person who truly decides whether Chu Xingli can participate in this divorce reality show is neither Luo Xiaoran, nor Chu Xingli herself.
“That’s right, you have to ask me before you can decide whether you can go or not~” Gu Zezhou leaned back in his chair, his hands in the pockets of his white coat, and looked up at the couple standing in front of him, smiling like a fox.
Before joining Kangchu Medical, he served as the deputy chief physician of neurosurgery at a public hospital with a century-long history and comprehensive strength ranking among the top ten in the country.
Chu Xingli was interrupted by a phone call from Gu Zezhou urging him to come to the hospital for a check-up before he finished writing the divorce agreement. It was a thorn in his side all the time.
Besides, he has always had very little patience for this gossipy friend: "...Stop talking nonsense, and don't make a big deal out of nothing."
Gu Zezhou stood up, smiled and shrugged: "Okay, okay, let's go get checked first."
Even though she was reluctant to undergo the examination, Chu Xingli, for the sake of the bigger picture, still followed Gu Zezhou to the door of the radiology examination room.
"Wait a minute." Luo Xiaoran called out to Chu Xingli.
Gu Zezhou also stopped and turned around.
Luo Xiaoran did not want anyone other than himself to know or hear about this.
He glanced at Gu Zezhou.
Gu Zezhou was a shrewd person. When he noticed Luo Xiaoran's gaze sweeping over him, he automatically turned his back and looked at the medical precautions hanging on the wall, which he already knew by heart.
Chu Xingli glanced at Gu Zezhou, who was acting suspiciously, then looked at Luo Xiaoran, who was staring at her, and couldn't help but lower her voice as well: "What's wrong?"
The dim lighting in the radiology corridor concealed the unnatural look in Luo Xiaoran's eyes and the reddening of his ears: "...tongue piercing."
Chu Xingli realized that he meant to be careful in the MRI room, and waved his hand with a smile: "It's okay, don't worry, the material of today's sample is fine."
In order to be in sync with Luo Xiaoran's way of speaking, Chu Xingli leaned close to his ear and answered him almost in a whisper.
His perfume today is Acqua di Parma's Capri Orange. At such close range, Luo Xiaoran's breath inevitably caught the astringent and warm scent of cardamom and bitter orange leaf combined.
Luo Xiaoran's ears turned even redder.
.
The slide rails started moving, and the door to the examination room slowly closed.
Gu Zezhou stood outside with Luo Xiaoran, waiting.
He already knew that Luo Xiaoran was going to bring Chu Xingli onto the show, so he casually asked, "Didn't Xingli not want to go public? Why did she agree this time?"
He only agreed because he could get a divorce... and also because he wanted to be a gossipmonger. Luo Xiaoran thought to himself.
"Are you confident you can catch up with him again?" Gu Zezhou had witnessed firsthand how Luo Xiaoran caught up with Chu Xingli back then, and although he was just an observer, he deeply understood the hardships involved.
“Yes,” Luo Xiaoran said calmly, his emotions not fluctuating much. “If I can’t catch up with him, I have no reason to keep bothering him. That’s his freedom.”
Gu Zezhou looked at him suspiciously: "But the way you look at him makes it seem like you're going to...lock him up."
Luo Xiaoran looked up at him, which made Gu Zezhou quickly change his tune: "How could that be? Ha, ha, ha."
“Actually, you don’t need to be too nervous,” Gu Zezhou, who was about the same height as Luo Xiaoran, patted Luo Xiaoran’s shoulder to comfort him, “Maybe…”
As longtime friends, Luo Xiaoran's trust in Gu Zezhou goes without saying. Hearing the other party's tone, which clearly indicated room for maneuver, she felt relieved, but she still couldn't let down her guard against Gu Zezhou's sharp tongue.
Sure enough, Gu Zezhou smiled and said, "If he forgets about someone else later, you won't be lonely anymore, right?"
Luo Xiaoran remained unfazed: "Have you considered contributing your efforts to the emergency department?"
Gu Zezhou waved his hands in a panic: "No, no, no, I'm not that great."
He knew exactly which "Chu" in Kangchu Medical was referring to; with the big boss standing right in front of him, he dared not act rashly.
Private hospitals are very efficient.
After Chu Xingli finished her examination, she and Luo Xiaoran sat side by side listening to Gu Zezhou explain his condition when the examination results came out.
“You can participate in the show, and you can exercise appropriately to increase blood and oxygen supply to the brain, but don’t do strenuous activities. Also, you two… you should also pay attention to the intervals between… you know, don’t do it every day…” Gu Zezhou changed the subject and said cheekily, “Ah, don’t worry about that for now.”
There's a high chance that Luo Xiaoran won't be able to get close.
Chu Xingli: "..."
Luo Xiaoran: "..."
“My brother’s mine in South Africa is short of a worker.” “You’ll be reporting to the emergency room tomorrow.”
Chu Xingli and Luo Xiaoran said in unison.
Gu Zezhou made a hasty escape with a grin.
*
The time to return was just as sunset was setting. Chu Xingli sat in the passenger seat, turning her head to look at the receding shadows of the trees outside the window, her feelings a mix of emotions.
"Don't stare at it, it'll make you dizzy," Luo Xiaoran reminded her.
"Luo Xiao..." Chu Xingli subconsciously wanted to call him by his full name, but then felt something was off, so she quickly changed her address to "Mr. Luo".
He wanted to confirm again whether Luo Xiaoran really agreed to the divorce.
The traffic light at the intersection turned red.
Luo Xiaoran paused on the steering wheel, stepped on the brake, and looked at Chu Xingli.
Chu Xingli pursed her lips, lost in thought, pondering the right words.
"Don't bite with your teeth," Luo Xiaoran suddenly said.
Chu Xingli was lost in thought when Luo Xiaoran's words brought her back to reality, and she let out a confused "Ah".
Realizing she was lightly biting her tongue piercing with her canines, she smiled sheepishly and said, "Oh, oh."
She completely forgot that she had just planned to go to the Civil Affairs Bureau to get a divorce tomorrow.
The Chu family's old house is far from the city center, away from the hustle and bustle, allowing the elderly in the family to rest and recuperate properly.
Luo Xiaoran turned onto the left fork in the road with practiced ease, and Chu Xingli, who was about to give him directions, awkwardly withdrew his hand.
The sky was getting dark.
A bird suddenly flew low, as if it had lost its way, and rushed towards the windshield like a headless fly.
With the distance still far, Luo Xiaoran braked suddenly to slow down, then smoothly changed lanes and continued driving, when a soft hiss came from the passenger seat.
"What's wrong?" Luo Xiaoran eased off the accelerator a little.
"It's alright, it's alright." Chu Xingli gestured for him to continue driving, but Luo Xiaoran had already noticed.
Neither of them expected to encounter that bird.
Just as Chu Xingli unscrewed the thermos, Luo Xiaoran dodged, causing some water to spill out, dripping down Chu Xingli's wrist and onto his thigh and knee, scalding him.
"Did you get burned?"
Luo Xiaoran quickly parked the car on the side of the road, his muscle memory causing him to reach directly into Chu Xingli's belt.
As soon as he touched the metal clasp, he suddenly remembered that he was now a stranger to Chu Xingli, and withdrew his hand.
Chu Xingli was also startled by his subconscious action and lost her composure. When she came to her senses, she waved her hand awkwardly: "It's okay, it's okay. The fabric cushioned a lot of the heat before it burned me."
Luo Xiaoran reached for the tissues, but accidentally touched Chu Xingli's hand, who was also subconsciously looking for the tissue box.
He remembered where he kept the tissues in his car.
"I'm sorry..." Chu Xingli closed her eyes in annoyance. In her embarrassment, she simply picked up the entire tissue box, only to see the medicine box under the tissue box.
Just as he was about to pick it up for a closer look, Luo Xiaoran snatched it up first and put it in his pocket.
Thinking that she and the other person would eventually become strangers, Chu Xingli didn't ask any more questions. She took out two tissues and lowered her head to wipe the water stains on her pants.
*
"arrive."
The black Brabus was parked diagonally in front of the Chu family's old mansion, with no intention of letting the camera scan its license plate and open the gate.
Luo Xiaoran had tried his best to keep the car speed very slow, but there was always a moment when they would arrive.
Upon hearing Luo Xiaoran's voice, Chu Xingli, who had been feigning sleep, immediately opened her eyes, unbuckled her seatbelt, and got out of the car.
Perhaps realizing she had been too obvious in her avoidance, Chu Xingli cleared her throat, trying to make amends for her earlier rudeness: "Have you eaten?"
Chu Xingli's memory was fragmented, but once the question was uttered, he not only doubted his memory but also began to worry about his intelligence.
Luo Xiaoran had spent the whole afternoon with him, so of course he knew whether he had eaten or not.
"Not yet." Luo Xiaoran didn't think this was nonsense and maintained ample patience.
Chu Xingli looked at the distant mountain mist: "Then go back, have dinner, and get some rest."
...I'm going to get a divorce tomorrow.
Luo Xiaoran nodded: "Okay, you should get some rest too."
He didn't pester, didn't say a word, and didn't make any clingy responses.
This left Chu Xingli with no options and no way to harbor any resentment towards him.
Luo Xiaoran drove away.
Out of politeness, Chu Xingli watched the car disappear from sight before turning and entering the courtyard.
It was dinnertime, and the villa was brightly lit and warmly decorated.
Chu Xingli was exhausted. While changing into slippers, she also took off her coat, wanting only to lie down and rest as soon as possible.
"Hugs are back!" Ye Huihui had been waiting for a long time, and finally her precious little one came into the house. "Were you tired from work today?"
Chu Xingli collapsed onto the sofa and nodded weakly to her mother.
"Where's Ranran? Is he parked in the underground garage?" Ye Huihui glanced towards the entrance. "You didn't kick him out, did you?"
She really had no confidence in her little rascal.
“He’s already gone,” Chu Xingli said wearily, sensing that his mother wanted Luo Xiaoran to stay for dinner, but he was feeling unwell, extremely dizzy, and said, “I don’t have his phone number.”
Ye Huihui understood his unspoken meaning and took out her phone: "Then Mom will call."
Chu Xingli had no hostility towards Luo Xiaoran. Hearing this, she nodded and closed her eyes wearily.
Luo Xiaoran returned shortly afterward.
It seems to be much faster than when we brought people back.
Chu Xingli knew how long the road was and how slowly Luo Xiaoran drove back.
While Luo Xiaoran was returning, Ye Huihui had already started making arrangements, working alongside the family's cooks and other staff to prepare food for the dining table.
Just as the eighth dish was served, Luo Xiaoran entered the room.
"Give it to me," Chu Lianqing said, watching the commotion with his arms crossed near the entrance. He turned his head and saw Luo Xiaoran opening the door. He reached out to help him take the things and called to his younger brother, "Chu Xingli, come here."
Chu Xingli was most afraid of this older brother. Upon hearing this, he reluctantly stood up from the sofa, yawning as he walked over.
She looked up and met Luo Xiaoran's gaze: "..."
So fast.
"Were you speeding?" Chu Xingli blurted out.
Luo Xiaoran: "..."
Chu Lianqing: "..."
His thought process is quite peculiar. Fortunately, I didn't expect him to ask any technically sophisticated questions.
"I wasn't speeding; I was driving on the ring road, keeping up with speeds of 118." Luo Xiaoran was extremely honest.
Chu Xingli: "..." This isn't slow at all.
Ye Huihui quickly called out to Luo Xiaoran, "Ranran, come in quickly."
"Hey," Luo Xiaoran responded with a smile, washed his hands and helped Ye Huihui serve the dishes, his words sweet, "Mom, the dishes are so plentiful today, everyone is in for a treat."
“Of course,” Chu Xingli said, not wanting Ms. Ye Huihui to feel uncomfortable seeing their way of getting along, so she picked up on Luo Xiaoran’s words, “They’re practically about to put my dad in the pot.”
"Don't talk nonsense again," Ye Huihui shut Chu Xingli up with a zero-frame attack, then patted Luo Xiaoran's arm with a smile, "I'll go help Grandma out."
"Should we put the ring on?" While Ye Huihui went upstairs, Luo Xiaoran took out a ring from somewhere and whispered to Chu Xingli, "Grandma really likes to see it."
Chu Xingli didn't want to touch on these things and shook her head: "I don't think it's necessary..."
It's unlikely; Grandma probably wouldn't remember to look at these small details.
My grandmother has Alzheimer's disease and often doesn't recognize the people around her. To take care of her emotions, the whole family tries to make her happy all the time.
Now, Chu Xingli's memory has also become problematic, just like hers, which has increased the pressure on her family. They are afraid that if the two of them meet, they might have some kind of disagreement.
"Baobao and Ranran are back? Oh my, in the blink of an eye, our Baobao is already married," Grandma was especially happy when she thought of this. "Come, let Grandma see your rings, and, and your marriage certificate, so that Baobao won't lie to Grandma again."
Chu Xingli gasped inwardly.
What Luo Xiaoran said was actually true.
"Haha, how could that be?" Chu Xingli laughed awkwardly, nervously reaching behind her back to grab at Luo Xiaoran, and whispered for help, "Quick, quick, put it on, put it on."
Grandma will be here soon.
Chu Xingli was extremely anxious, thinking that Luo Xiaoran hadn't seen it, and clenched her fingers again.
The fingertips turned slightly white from exertion, while the fingertips and knuckles remained pink and beautiful.
These two colors intertwine beautifully on certain occasions.
Luo Xiaoran smiled slightly.
"Luo Xiaoran." Chu Xingli opened his hands more anxiously, his subconsciously commanding tone causing a slight tremor in one's heart.
Like a kitten showing its sharp claws.
When trying to scare people, it will also defiantly unfold its soft, white mangosteen petals.
"good."
In a corner unseen by others, Luo Xiaoran grasped Chu Xingli's wrist and, as always, swiftly and skillfully removed the ring he had taken off countless times—
It was placed steadily and accurately on Chu Xingli's ring finger, which was waiting for him.
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