Chapter 5 Mad Dog Hotel
That evening, Lu Qi did not receive a call from the emergency room.
The rain intensified at night. For Lu Qi, who didn't own a car, not having to go to the emergency room on a rainy winter night was undoubtedly a good thing, but she couldn't be happy about it.
She hoped that last night really was Christmas Eve, and that Lü Shi'an had covered her shift again.
This hope was dashed when she entered the hospital.
Several assistants were huddled together in the lounge, heads close together, whispering:
"Oh my god, the little guy is so cute."
"They're too small to survive, aren't they?"
Lu Qi passed by and caught a glimpse of a small cardboard box among them.
"Good morning, Sister Lu." Huang Zhenyi spotted Lu Qi, looked up at her with a sheepish grin, and said, "Look, Brother Lü found her at the door yesterday."
Lu Qi paused, then sighed inwardly.
As expected, Lü Shi'an did come.
She had told her assistants many times not to worry about Lü Shi'an, and to call her when needed; that was her job.
No one listened to Lu Qi's words. Some were making good-natured jokes, hoping to bring together a handsome man and a beautiful woman; others felt that the dean's son's instructions had more priority than Lu Qi's.
Lu Qi has been at the hospital for a year and a half, and she can count the number of times she makes house calls at night on two hands. This special treatment makes her feel very uncomfortable.
She walked toward the front desk. There were three assistants, two men and one woman. She stood behind the girl and saw a cardboard box on the table with a towel inside. On the towel were three cats the size of mice.
The kitten's eyes had just opened, covered by a blue membrane, and it was meowing softly.
“It’s been less than half a month,” the female assistant said softly. “I don’t know who left it at the door, and they even chose a rainy night. Didn’t they think it was too much trouble to come over?”
"Didn't Miaoying see anyone?" Lu Qi asked.
Tian Miaoying worked the night shift at the front desk last night and was given a day off during the day; she has already gone home.
"She said she only went to the bathroom for a short while, and when she came back she found a box thrown at the door. The security footage didn't show anything; the person was riding an electric scooter and wearing a big raincoat."
Huang Zhenyi added, "Brother Lü fed them some goat milk. If they can survive for more than a month, they can be adopted."
Kittens that are too young, do not have breast milk, cannot be vaccinated, and usually do not survive in the complex environment of a hospital.
"There are still several highly infectious patients in the ward. It's so small, it's risky." The group sighed.
"I have too many cats and dogs at home, otherwise I would have brought them home." The girl frowned regretfully.
"Me too, my Zhizhi still has mycoplasma."
Lu Qi listened to their discussion about which family could take in the cubs, remaining silent.
In veterinary clinics, it's rare to find someone who doesn't have a pet at home.
Many people abandon their pets at the hospital entrance. Due to limited hospital space, pets that cannot be accommodated are sent to rescue stations.
The shelter also has limited space, so animals that have not been adopted for two consecutive years will be euthanized to make room for new life.
Even people who don't want to keep pets may end up taking in a few abandoned animals after spending some time at a pet hospital, perhaps out of pity.
Lu Qi is an exception.
She worked diligently for six months during her internship and a year at her job, and never added a pet to her household.
"Sister Lu..."
After the three young people finished listing their family situations, they turned around and looked at Lu Qi expectantly.
Lu Qi took a step back and said apologetically, "I have a dog at home that has had parvovirus."
"Sister Lu, you have a dog?" the youngest assistant asked in surprise.
"I remember now!" Huang Zhenyi exclaimed in sudden realization, "It's a golden retriever, right?"
He introduced the youngest newcomer, saying, "Sister Lu rescued a golden retriever, which was already there when I arrived. Because of that golden retriever, Sister Lu can't keep any other pets."
Upon hearing this, the others expressed their understanding: "There's nothing we can do about it. Parvovirus is contagious for up to three years after recovery, so you can't keep other cats or dogs."
Suddenly remembering something, the female assistant exclaimed and pulled Lu Qi away from the kitten, "Oh! Sister Lu, hurry up and disinfect!"
Lu Qi left the break room, changed her clothes, entered her consultation room, put on a mask, and began working.
Anxin Hospital has been established for twenty years and has a large number of patients, so doctors rarely have a moment of leisure.
During the day, after Lu Qi checked on several pets under her care in the ward, there was a commotion at the entrance.
The front desk assistant is calling for emergency medical assistance.
A young Labrador Retriever accidentally ate chocolate and is now lying on a stretcher with blood at the corner of its mouth.
Lu Qi immediately pushed through the crowd, and Huang Zhenyi and another male assistant carried the dog into the emergency room.
"CPR!" she shouted, pulling up the incontinence pad. "What time is it? Get the heart stimulant ready!"
Huang Zhenyi knelt down and began pressing on the femoral artery.
Another assistant handed Lu Qi a needle. "9:24."
Lu Qidun knelt on the ground, frowning as he injected the fluid, and said, "IV drip, 700ml. Quickly."
"good!"
Ten minutes later, Labrador's heart rate rose.
After pressing for a full ten minutes, Huang Zhenyi collapsed to the ground, his head flushed and bloodshot, panting heavily. You really can't do CPR without some strength.
After the rescue was successful, Lu Qi changed out of her gloves, which were covered in vomit. She had just finished checking in with the dog owner when the front desk informed her that a cat that had fallen from the third floor needed surgery.
This week was exceptionally busy, but fortunately, except for the first day, there were no emergency cases for the next few nights, so Lu Shi'an didn't need to take a break and stayed at the hospital during the day, taking on a lot of work.
On Friday afternoon, Tian Miaoying pushed open the glass door of Lu Qi's clinic, carrying two servings of crispy chicken rice. "Sister Lu, lunch is ready."
Lu Qi responded and followed her to the lounge.
Upon entering, the two immediately spotted Lü Shi'an, who was also having dinner.
He was sitting next to Huang Zhenyi and another male assistant, and the three of them noticed them.
"Sister Lu, Miaoying, over here!" Huang Zhenyi waved enthusiastically.
Lu Qi's eyes flickered slightly, and he turned his toes outwards.
When Tian Miaoying saw this, she took Lu Qi's arm and sneered at the three men, "I'm not going with you guys."
She led Lu Qi to a corner where they sat alone, away from the three men. Lu Qi breathed a barely perceptible sigh of relief.
"Eat up, Sister Lu." Tian Miaoying took out her portion of food.
As Lu Qi was disassembling the chopsticks, he caught a glimpse of Lü Shi'an looking at him.
Their eyes met, and Lü Shi'an smiled generously at her. He then politely looked away and started chatting with the two young men.
Lu Qi lowered his gaze and ate while scrolling through his phone.
Across from her, Tian Miaoying was also scrolling through her phone. She was biting her chopsticks, looking slightly troubled, worried about the upcoming veterinary qualification exam, as she couldn't seem to absorb any knowledge.
Lu Qi thanked her for helping him avoid Lü Shi'an and the other two, and forwarded a document to her.
Upon receiving the message, Tian Miaoying looked up and gazed at Lu Qi with a puzzled expression.
Lu Qi said, "I made up this mnemonic when I was taking the exam four years ago. I don't know if it's been changed. Can you take a look?"
"Wow, thank you so much, Sister Lu! Love you!" Tian Miaoying was deeply moved. She immediately noticed the article title on Lu Qi's phone screen. "Huh, what are you looking at? 'Perceiving German Shepherds'? Is it about diseases in German Shepherds?"
Lu Qi shook his head. "It's about introducing the behavioral language of wolfhounds."
"Sister Lu, are you really planning to become a dog trainer?"
"Just take a look around, in case you come across a large dog that won't cooperate with treatment."
“You’re already pretty good at dealing with dogs,” Tian Miaoying shrugged. “If all else fails, try calming them down. Dangerous pets are regulated by the government and can’t be sent to our hospital anyway.”
Pets with a history of injuring people can only go to special hospitals established by the government;
If a pet injures someone more than twice, the government will force it to be euthanized.
The director of Anxin Hospital is a kind and tolerant person who allows doctors to refuse treatment for uncooperative pets based on the actual situation.
For veterinarians, honing their skills and broadening their medical perspectives are the most important things. After all, they are not animal behaviorists and don't rely heavily on behavioral language.
Lu Qi hummed in agreement, scrolled to the bottom of the article, and then casually closed the interface.
"Everyone's here."
The door to the lounge opened, and the dean walked in with a smile.
The director of Anxin Pet is a 50-year-old woman with short, capable hair. "I'd like to inform everyone that Xiaolin's internship has ended, and she won't be coming starting today."
"Left again?"
One doctor complained, "These students are really something. They just taught us and then left. Do they think this place is a free school?"
“I know you find it troublesome,” the dean interrupted his complaint, “so this time we hired a ‘long-term worker’.”
The veteran doctor joked, "When have you ever not been recruiting 'long-term workers'? Everyone who comes here promises to stay after graduation, but they all run away as soon as they get their internship certificates."
The dean glared at him: "This time, they've already graduated!"
She glanced around at the doctors present, and all of them, like students being quizzed in class, avoided the teacher's gaze.
"Old Qin, you..." The dean had just started to speak when Dr. Qin stood up and started packing his lunchbox. "The kennel I'm working with is going to have a competition, and the client is really nervous. He's been calling me in the middle of the night. Please let me off the hook."
The dean was helpless.
Everyone in the hospital has been there for more than five years, so she couldn't force them.
Lu Qi was somewhat tempted.
She is young and only has one assistant, Tian Miaoying, who is currently preparing for exams and is a bit overwhelmed.
The dean coaxed, "You guys are always complaining about being busy, but now that someone's here, why don't you want him? He's a handsome young man, really good-looking."
Upon hearing the last sentence, Lu Qi hesitated, then shut his mouth.
“Let me take care of it.” Lu Shi’an noticed his mother’s dilemma. “Zhenyi just needs to prepare for his veterinary qualification certificate.”
Someone chimed in, and the dean's expression softened a bit. "Alright, then you can have it. Come report for duty on Monday."
Lu Shi'an replied, "I understand," and left the lounge with the boys at the same table.
After the dean left, Tian Miaoying sidled up to Lu Qi, blinked her eyes, and pledged her loyalty: "Sister Lu, I'm sincere. I won't run away for the next two years."
Lu Qi nodded. "I know, you're preparing to take the veterinary qualification exam."
There is a high turnover rate among pet hospital assistants. Some are veterinary students trying to get an internship certificate, while others are young people who love pets.
After being sprayed with feces, urine, and vomit several times, the latter quickly ran away.
There aren't many outsiders like Tian Miaoying who stay and cultivate this field deeply.
Many years have passed since that incident, but Lu Qi still can't get too close to adult men.
She hoped that Tian Miaoying would not leave the company within two years, worried that after Tian Miaoying left, she would never find such an easy-going female assistant again.
Thinking of this, she said to Tian Miaoying, "If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. You must pass the exam."
"I know~" Tian Miaoying rested her head on her shoulder and smiled, "Don't worry, you order me around like this every day, I definitely won't be polite to you."
Lu Qi smiled.
Doctors at Anxin Hospital typically have one day off per week, and doctors on night shifts can get two days off.
Lu Qi didn't work in the emergency room, but she enjoyed a two-day weekend. Feeling uneasy, she went to the hospital an hour early on Monday morning.
The receptionist nurse hadn't arrived yet, so she helped sweep the floor and restock the pet supplies on the shelves. Noticing that the medical records under the reception desk were a bit messy, she squatted down to tidy them up.
jingle--
Squatting behind the counter, Lu Qi heard the doorbell ring as it opened.
Most of the staff entered through the back door. She stood up from the audience and greeted them casually, "Hello, may I ask..."
Her voice paused.
A young man entered.
In early winter, he wore a light trench coat.
The young man had very light blond hair. He was handsome, with broad shoulders and long legs, and it was clear that he came from a wealthy family.
What captivated Lu Qi was not his appearance, but a certain familiar quality about him.
It was as if she had seen him somewhere before.
The moment the young man saw Lu Qi, his eyes widened, and the corners of his lips curled up, revealing a hint of his teeth.
He strode towards her, placed his hands on the front desk, and leaned closer to her.
Lu Qi was startled and realized why he had been distracted:
He was clearly taller than Lü Shi'an, yet she showed none of the fear she usually felt when facing adult men.
Not only was there no fear—Lu Qi felt a lump in her throat, and for some reason, she felt an urge to cry.
It's hard to explain, hard to define.
“You…” she began, as the young man’s handsome face suddenly drew close.
He tilted his head, sniffing her breath urgently, his eyes burning with fascination.
That initial sense of familiarity vanished instantly, and Lu Qi abruptly stepped back, "Sir, please don't get so close!"
A note from the author:
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Why isn't the female lead afraid of the male lead?
Because he is not a man
Because he is not male.
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