Chapter 58 "I'm driving my wife today."
Today was the day Lin Che returned to the hospital after a month. Snow had piled up on the road after a night of snowfall. Even though someone had cleared the road early in the morning, Lu Yu was worried about Lin Che driving alone, so he got up early in the morning and insisted on giving him a ride.
"Come on, put on your scarf."
Lu Yu picked up the soft smoky gray cashmere scarf. He leaned forward slightly and carefully wrapped the scarf around Lin Che's neck, making sure that every inch of skin that could be exposed to air was properly wrapped. His slender fingertips occasionally brushed against Lin Che's warm earlobes and jawline.
The unique soft touch of the scarf and the refreshing scent of Lu Yu mixed together, gently enveloping Lin Che. Lin Che looked up at Lu Yu's drooping eyelashes, which were filled with concentration.
After putting on the scarf, Lu Yu reached out to help Lin Che adjust the collar of her down jacket, zipping it up all the way to the top to protect it tightly.
Next was the hat, which he carefully pulled up, pressing the edge over the scarf to ensure that not a single gust of cold wind could get in.
After doing all this, Lu Yu took a step back and looked up and down at Lin Che, who was wrapped up like a small dumpling. He reached out and rubbed his hair, which was a little messy because of the hat, with satisfaction. His low voice was filled with unquestionable relief: "Okay, now you won't be cold when you go out."
Lin Che was amused by his smooth "packing" movements, but her heart was warm.
He looked up at Lu Yu, whose deep eyes were staring at him without blinking.
Seeing Lu Yu still standing in front of him, he seemed to be worried about something and was reluctant to turn around to get the car keys.
A sly glint flashed in Lin Che's eyes. He suddenly stood on tiptoe and pecked the corner of Lu Yu's mouth!
The soft touch disappeared in an instant.
Lu Yu was obviously stunned for a moment, and then the remaining worry and tension were instantly replaced by great satisfaction and smile.
The corners of his mouth couldn't help but rise up, like a large dog that had received an unexpected reward.
"Well, now it's complete." Lu Yu chuckled, his chest vibrating.
Finally satisfied, he stretched out his large hand and naturally and firmly grasped Lin Che's woolen-gloved hand. His palm was warm and strong, completely enveloping Lin Che's hand.
"Let's go," Lu Yu held his hand and walked steadily towards the garage. His tone was filled with the joy and indulgence of a person who had a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. He deliberately dragged out the tone, "I'll be the driver for my wife today."
The three words "wife" were held on the tip of his tongue, with a hint of teasing, and a bit of inexplicable intimacy and pride. They seemed particularly clear and seductive on the cold winter morning.
Lin Che was led by him, her ears turning red under the cover of her scarf, and the corners of her mouth curled up unconsciously.
————
The air in the pediatric clinic is filled with the familiar smell of disinfectant and the unique, milky scent of children.
Lin Che had just sent off his last patient of the morning—a three-year-old girl who had been crying uncontrollably because she refused an injection. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead as he rubbed his sore temples.
He took off his white coat and hung it up, then put on his own jacket, his stomach making a slight protest at the right time.
On the way to the staff cafeteria, my steps were still a little unsteady, which was the sequelae of not being used to standing and concentrating for long periods of time.
The cafeteria was filled with noise, mixed with the aroma of food.
Lin Che had just finished preparing a light meal and was scanning for an empty seat when she saw Li Qiuyi and Lin Yao sitting in the corner by the window.
The two men had just finished surgery, and the marks of their surgical caps were still clearly imprinted on their foreheads. Their faces showed fatigue after the high-intensity work, but their eyes were still sharp.
"Hey! Look who's that?" Li Qiuyi, with his sharp eyes, spotted Lin Che first and raised his hand to greet him with a mischievous smile on his face. "Dr. Lin, who's been on a month-long 'honeymoon vacation,' is finally willing to come back and work like a slave?"
Lin Yao also raised his head and pushed his glasses up on his nose. Behind the lenses, he had a knowing smile as he slowly replied, "How do you feel, Cheche? Falling from the land of comfort back to the real world so suddenly, what a difference, wow."
He picked up the spoon and tapped the edge of the plate, making a crisp sound, imitating some kind of "going to work" call.
Lin Che walked over with the meal tray and sat down opposite them, her ears uncontrollably heating up.
Everyone knew the real reason for the vacation, and being pointed out so bluntly, even if he was calm, he couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed.
He tried to maintain his composure, picking up his chopsticks and shoveling at the vegetables in his bowl. A hint of resigned laughter lingered in his voice, "What else can I do? I feel like I've been thrown from a fireplace into an ice cave. My body hasn't fully adapted yet, and it's a bit of a mess."
"Hahaha!" Li Qiuyi laughed out loud without hesitation. "I can see it! You feel like you're floating even when you walk. Mr. Lu 'charged' your battery for a month, but it ran out of power on the first day after you came back?"
She deliberately emphasized the word "充" (charge), her eyes flickering teasingly at Lin Che's face, as if trying to find more "evidence."
Lin Che's face heated up even more at the teasing. He feigned a glare at her, "Don't give me that. That little boy with a foreign body in his bronchus this morning, and that guy with a persistent high fever suspected of having Kawasaki disease, who among you would be able to handle this easily?"
"Yes, yes, Dr. Lin is the most dedicated." Lin Yao smiled to smooth things over, but then changed the subject, "But to be honest, you look much better. You were so busy lately that you were almost exhausted. It's right for you to rest up."
"Yeah," Lin Che nodded, picking up a piece of steamed fish and putting it in his mouth. The familiar taste of the work meal made him feel at ease, returning to his daily routine, even though his daily life was indeed as tiring as working like an ox or a horse. "It's just that I suddenly changed the channel, and my body protested a little."
"Just get used to it, just get used to it."
Li Qiuyi took a big mouthful of rice and said vaguely, "There are still a lot of medical records waiting for me this afternoon. Oh, by the way, our department admitted a three-year-old patient today. I may need to ask you to come for a consultation this afternoon. He had a low-grade fever this morning. Flu season is coming again, and it's a headache."
At this moment, the phone in Lin Che's pocket vibrated.
[LY]: Have you eaten yet? Is the cafeteria crowded?
It was followed by an emoticon of a puppy peeking out.
Lin Che looked at the puppy emoticon sent by Lu Yu, and his eyes instantly became warm, and the corners of his mouth curled up unconsciously.
He picked up his phone, took a picture of his light meal, and quickly sent it.
【Cat Lover】: Just sat down. Not too crowded.
“Tsk tsk tsk…”
Li Qiuyi's exaggerated smacking of lips could be heard from the other side. She held her chin in her hand and stared mischievously at the soft smile on Lin Che's face that hadn't yet faded. "You can't bear to be apart for so long? Mr. Lu is checking up on us so closely, worried that the food in our cafeteria won't be good for his baby."
Lin Che's ears, which had just cooled down due to her teasing, suddenly became hot again.
He put down his phone helplessly and put his hands together towards Li Qiuyi, with a look of embarrassment on his face, begging for mercy: "Senior Sister, please let me go. Please, I'm eating."
Lin Yao chuckled at the side, obviously enjoying seeing Lin Che blushing.
Only then did Li Qiuyi, contentedly, "show mercy": "Okay, okay, eat, eat. Look at you, you poor little thing."
Lin Che had just picked up the chopsticks when her phone vibrated again.
[LY]: It looks okay. Eat more.
[LY]: [pat head.jpg]
【LY】: Be careful not to catch a cold.
When Lin Che saw the words "Be careful not to catch a cold", the focused look on Lu Yu's face as he meticulously wrapped his scarf and put on his hat that morning immediately appeared in front of his eyes.
The embarrassment caused by being teased was instantly covered by a stronger sweetness.
His fingertips quickly replied on the screen.
【Fish that loves to eat cats】: It’s put on and wrapped tightly, don’t worry.
【Fish that loves cats】: You should also remember to eat on time.
After replying, he put his phone aside and picked up his chopsticks again. He felt that the steamed fish in the bowl seemed to be a little more fresh and sweet.
"Oh, right, Cheche," Li Qiuyi swallowed the food in his mouth, as if remembering something important. He lowered his voice, with a hint of excitement about sharing inside information, "Have you heard? There seems to be a rumor in the hospital that the pediatric and general surgery departments are jointly establishing a special pediatric acute abdominal surgery collaborative team."
Lin Che paused as he picked up his food and looked up, his face filled with genuine surprise and confusion. "Pediatric Surgery Collaborative Group? Before... when Professor Li Ming changed jobs, didn't he take the core members of his team and the people he'd trained with him? Where would they even have the manpower and resources to do this now?"
He remembered very clearly that the loss of talent was an almost devastating blow to the hospital's pediatric surgery department.
"That's why I say it's just a rumor. It's still in the brewing stage." Li Qiuyi tapped the edge of his plate with his spoon. "But I think it's reliable. Can you guess who's behind this?"
Lin Che looked at her determined eyes, and a name popped into his mind almost instantly, causing his grip on the chopsticks to tighten slightly.
He hesitated and said, "... Director Zhang?"
"Who else could it be but him?" Li Qiuyi said with a look of "you finally got it." "Director Zhang looks serious and acts decisively, but he definitely takes his promises to heart, especially those involving professional development and patient needs. I'm guessing he's already started working on what he promised you, right?"
Lin Che's heart seemed to be gently bumped by something, and a warm current mixed with indescribable emotion surged up.
He recalled that when he was discussing with Director Zhang why he stayed in pediatrics, he had proposed to Director Zhang the idea of rebuilding a fast track for children's acute abdomen and strengthening collaboration between pediatrics and general surgery.
Although Lin Che held onto hope, she also knew that the hospital's resources were limited and there was a serious talent gap. This matter was fraught with difficulties and would probably be difficult to achieve in the short term.
He never expected that Director Zhang would start pushing this matter forward in just one month.
This heavy trust and execution ability filled his chest with strength.
“Director Zhang…” Lin Che’s voice was a little hoarse. For a moment, he didn’t know what to say. In the end, he just nodded solemnly, “He really is very dedicated.”
"Yes," Lin Yao chimed in, his tone tinged with admiration for his senior. "Director Zhang is a man of action. So, Cheche, your 'honeymoon' is over, your energy is full, and you're back just in time. If this group is truly established, you, as a young leader in our department and the original proposer, will definitely be the one to lead it. Don't complain about being tired when the time comes."
Lin Che looked at the dinner plate. The fatigue he had felt just now seemed to be diluted by this news. Instead, he was filled with a long-lost excitement that belonged to his professional ideals.
He took a deep breath, raised his head, and his eyes rekindled the focus and determination that belonged to Dr. Lin: "If that's the case, then the tiredness is worth it."
The snow outside the window seemed to be getting heavier. Lin Che picked up the spoon, scooped up a big mouthful of rice, and ate it with great relish.
The mobile phone lies quietly in my pocket, containing advice from my lover, and ahead is the career journey that has become clear again.
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