Chapter 98 Undercurrents He had to admit that the person she liked...
The hospital emergency room at 9 p.m. is even busier than the vegetable market in the early morning.
The waiting hall was well-heated, and the cool white lights shining on the marble floor made it feel like daytime.
Disinfectant mixed with the body odor of different people gradually fermented in the air. The electronic queuing screen displayed a dense array of patient information that scrolled incessantly.
"Your temperature is fine. Let me take your blood pressure and check your blood oxygen levels. Could you please take off your coat?"
There were only two nurses at the triage desk. They had just finished taking her temperature and were already asking about the condition of another patient next to her.
Zhu Liushuang took off her coat and sat on the stool, silently cooperating with the nurse's procedures.
Less than half an hour after she took the allergy medication, the itching on her neck not only did not lessen, but also seemed to be spreading to her cheeks and limbs.
"Blood pressure 115/80, oxygen 98." The nurse quickly removed the pulse oximeter from her and checked a level 3 mark on the triage form. "Go find a seat and wait. There are a lot of seriously ill patients tonight, so it will probably take a while."
"Thank you." Zhu Liushuang pulled her arm out of the wall tube and busied herself making room for the patient behind her. As she stood up, she rolled up her sleeve to scratch an itch, not even bothering to grab her triage form.
"Zhu Liushuang—Zhu Liushuang—your form..." The nurse saw that she had walked several meters away on her own, so she raised her voice and called out.
Hearing the urgent call, she turned around in surprise.
At the same time, a tall, imposing figure walked to the triage desk before her and retrieved the triage slip for her.
"You've got rashes on your arms too?" The man's voice suddenly came down.
Zhu Liushuang tugged at her sleeve, trying to cover the two conspicuous tufts of wind on her wrist.
But how could her little actions escape He Ming's eyes? He lowered his head and stared at her quietly until she helplessly nodded in admission before he was satisfied.
"Roll up your sleeves, let me take a look," He Ming said, gesturing with his chin.
Zhu Liushuang rolled up his sleeves slowly, revealing scratch marks on his arms, one red and one white, which looked rather gruesome.
He Ming glanced at it only once before looking away and turning to look at the triage form in his hand.
"How long did the nurse say I'd have to wait?"
"About an hour or so! Compared to those who are bleeding from their heads and unconscious, I'm just an emergency patient," Zhu Liushuang said helplessly.
He Ming turned his gaze to the crowded waiting area—an elderly man with white hair coughing and clutching his chest, a boy with a flushed face leaning on his mother's shoulder, a pale and lifeless young man... Everyone waiting here must be hoping that they will be the next doctor to see him.
He withdrew his thoughtful gaze and continued, "Is your throat uncomfortable? Is your breathing normal?"
Zhu Liushuang shook her head: "No, I'm just itchy." After saying that, she looked around, trying to find an empty seat in the noisy waiting room. Unfortunately, all the chairs were occupied.
"The emergency department connects to the inpatient department, and there are empty seats in the corridor behind it." He Ming's eyes also searched the crowded waiting hall, but after finding nothing, he said calmly.
Wouldn't that mean we wouldn't hear the numbers being called? Zhu Liushuang hesitated, thinking it would be more convenient to stay in the emergency room.
Seeing her hesitate, He Ming advised, "You have number 127, and they've only called number 69 so far. You still have a long wait. Go and rest for a bit... There are quite a few people coughing here, so avoid cross-infection."
“Okay.” Zhu Liushuang took a step forward and followed He Ming toward the safety passage.
Thick windproof curtains kept the noise of the waiting hall outside the door.
In the dimly lit hospital corridor, she followed closely behind him, listening to his steady breathing, and felt inexplicably at ease.
"Let's sit here. It's sheltered from the wind and not so cold," He Ming said, stopping in front of a glass door and pointing to three chairs side by side.
"Okay." Zhu Liushuang chose the middle chair without hesitation and sat down. If she sat in the middle, He Ming could sit right next to her no matter which side he sat on.
Her little scheme was nothing more than an attempt to make up for her previous shortcomings.
When Xie Jingzhi was being treated in the ICU, every time she went to visit He Ming, there was always an empty seat between them. It was like the "38th parallel" in school, clearly separating them.
Now that she has such a rare opportunity to be alone, she is naturally going to make the most of it.
"Buzz buzz buzz—" The cell phone in the man's pocket vibrated at an inopportune moment.
"Liu Shuang, I need to take this call."
"Okay." Listening to the man's footsteps, she stared at her toes, feeling sullen.
I wonder which "third wheel" ruined her good time!
The "third wheel" she was silently complaining about was hiding in the break room, looking aggrieved, and complaining to He Ming: "Boss, Teacher Gu is yelling at people in the office... I finally managed to find a chance to come out..."
“I’m outside… I happen to have something to do.” He Ming’s eyes flickered, and as he turned his head, his gaze intentionally fell on Zhu Liushuang not far away. The woman’s small, oval face was mostly hidden by the collar of her down jacket, revealing only a pair of round, full eyes. From his angle, she looked rather pitiful.
Staring at the small figure on the chair, He Ming tightened his grip on his phone and whispered to Lin Hui, "Tell Gu Xufeng to leave work early tonight. I'll go to the office to work overtime tomorrow morning, and I'll help him solve the remaining problems."
"Yay—Teacher He, you are our savior! Just hearing your words is enough..." Lin Hui was so excited he almost jumped up.
He Ming moved the receiver further away so that Lin Hui's excited shouts wouldn't hurt his eardrums. After the person on the other end of the phone quieted down, he said calmly, "That's all for now, I'm hanging up."
From beginning to end, his gaze never left Zhu Liushuang. She, however, seemed to be deliberately avoiding him, never once glancing in his direction.
Patients occasionally walked through the corridor, all of them in a hurry.
Zhu Liushuang counted the scattered footsteps, absentmindedly scrolling through her phone. Tian Xingyu shared a WeChat article with her, asking if she wanted to go to the movies together on New Year's Day.
[Ayu: The lead actor is a young actor I admire; his acting is amazing!]
Before she could even click on the link, the next message popped up impatiently.
【Sure.】 Zhu Liushuang quickly typed a few words.
[Ayu: See you on New Year's Day! How have things been going with your senior lately? Every time I ask you, you just stammer...]
Her friend's resentment was practically overflowing from the screen, so Zhu Liushuang puffed out her cheeks and decided to tell her the truth.
I'm in the hospital with him right now.
"Did the allergy medication work?"
Under the shadows, Zhu Liu's hands trembled, and he sent out the message he hadn't finished typing.
She raised her chin, met his slightly concerned eyes, and stammered, "It seems to be helping a little... it's not as itchy as before."
His taut jawline relaxed, and He Ming put one hand in his pocket as he sat down beside her. The hem of his coat brushed against the cuff of her down jacket with a "rip," and a faint glimmer of light shot through the air.
Her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and Zhu Liushuang subconsciously pulled her elbows inward: "It's so dry, it's all static electricity..."
"Liu Shuang, turn around." He Ming stroked his watch and turned to look at her.
"Huh?" Zhu Liushuang turned around blankly, unconsciously biting her lower lip.
They were so close that their knees unexpectedly touched. Even though there was thick fabric between them, she could still clearly feel the outline of his hard bones.
His presence was undeniable, just like the person he was. Zhu Liushuang bit her lip even deeper.
The man seemed to sense the subtle shift in the atmosphere and subtly moved his knees away. He pointed to her upturned coat collar and said, "Pull the zipper down a bit, let me see if the 'wind ball' gets bigger."
His tone was calm, and there was no hint of lust in his eyes, but Zhu Liushuang still couldn't help but blush.
She slowly unzipped her jacket to her chest, and asked with a restrained smile, "The lighting here is bad, would you like me to turn on a flashlight for you?"
“No need.” The man narrowed his eyes, glancing at her neck a few times, his gaze focused and restrained. “You seem to have it under control. Zip it up, so you don’t catch a cold…”
She immediately zipped up her jacket, turned up her collar, and buried half of her face, which was flushed red, in it.
Her phone, which she had forgotten about for a long time, started vibrating restlessly on the empty seat next to her.
"Ayu is calling—"
Zhu Liushuang hurriedly picked up her phone and pressed the answer button. She could roughly guess that Tian Xingyu was calling to "interrogate" her. After all—she had neglected her friend for half a day because of a man.
"Shuangshuang! Why are you leaving me hanging like that? What are you doing at the hospital in the middle of the night... Did Senior He do something to you?"
Zhu Liushuang's face stiffened, and she quickly covered the receiver. She glanced awkwardly at the person next to her, wishing she could disappear into the ground.
Her friend was speaking quite loudly, and he was sitting right next to her, so what she just said... must have all gone into his ears?
"Senior..." Zhu Liushuang said apologetically, but Tian Xingyu's "bold speculation" on the other end of the phone continued, and even if she covered the receiver tightly, it had little effect.
"Ahem—" He Ming's face showed no abnormality. He stood up while fiddling with his phone, and his voice revealed a hint of unnaturalness. "I'll go to the front and see what number they've called."
"good--"
Only when He Ming's footsteps faded into the distance did Zhu Liushuang finally release her grip on the receiver.
"Hello—Hello—Zhu Liushuang, are you listening?" Tian Xingyu was getting impatient and called her by her full name.
Zhu Liushuang sighed and whispered to her friend, "He was right next to me just now."
"Him? Who? Senior He!" Tian Xingyu raised her voice. "Oh no! Did he hear everything I said?"
"What do you think?" Zhu Liushuang deliberately lowered her voice and asked in a serious tone.
There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone before Tian Xingyu weakly replied, "I was planning to come back for New Year's Day and treat Senior He to a big meal... but now it seems I'll be too embarrassed to eat it. Waaah... Shuangshuang, what happened to you in the hospital?"
Zhu Liushuang said quietly, "I have an allergic reaction to peach peels. I broke out in a rash all over my body, and it's so itchy. My senior dragged me to the hospital..."
"My poor little thing, is it serious?" Tian Xingyu asked excitedly.
"I took the allergy medication, and it's helping a bit. Now I'm waiting for my number to be called in the emergency room."
"It's good that you're alright, it's good that you're alright." Knowing that her best friend was unharmed, Tian Xingyu's attention belatedly shifted to He Ming. "You mean, you were brought to the hospital by Senior He?"
"Hmm." Zhu Liushuang muttered softly, "I was planning to take the medicine for a few days and it should be enough. But he insisted that if the allergy is severe, it could cause laryngeal edema, suffocation, and shock..."
"Stop, stop, stop—I feel like you're subtly showing off your relationship to me!" Tian Xingyu said half-jokingly.
"Ugh—Ah Yu, you're making fun of me!" Zhu Liushuang said shyly.
"Okay, okay, I know you're shy." Tian Xingyu paused and said, "Shuangshuang, Senior He is definitely concerned. I'm really happy for you!"
A warm breeze swept through her heart, carrying moisture that soothed Zhu Liushuang's parched soul. She smiled contentedly and said gratefully to the person on the other end of the receiver, "Thank you, Ayu."
Just as she hung up the phone, a tall figure stepped out of the inpatient elevator and walked towards the emergency department.
The man held a stack of medical records in his hand and habitually glanced around as he walked.
At night, patients are all gathered in the emergency waiting hall. He was just going to take a look to see if there were any patients who were alone and needed help, but he suddenly stopped when he saw Zhu Liushuang.
"Boss Zhu?"
The man's surprised voice made Zhu Liushuang turn around in surprise.
"Dr. Yue?" she greeted him, noticing his conspicuous white coat. "Still not off work?"
"Soon." Yue Lin strode forward and asked, "Have you caught a cold again?"
Zhu Liushuang held the triage slip in her hand: "No, it's an acute allergic reaction."
"Allergies can range from minor to serious. Have you developed a rash?" Yue Lin stepped forward again and leaned down to ask her.
A strong smell of disinfectant approached her nostrils. Zhu Liushuang turned her face away and said, "Hmm, I guess it's allergic urticaria."
The man switched the medical record to his other hand, frowning: "You came alone?"
"No... there's more..." Zhu Liushuang hadn't finished speaking when another series of footsteps echoed in the corridor. The soft sound of leather shoes on the floor grew louder as they approached, and she and Yue Lin turned their heads simultaneously.
"Number 88 has been called." He Ming walked towards her step by step, and only when he stood in front of her did he seem to have just noticed Yue Lin's presence, and asked her casually, "And this is?"
"Dr. Yue, an internal medicine doctor, is my friend."
Yue Lin only felt that the man beside Zhu Liushuang looked familiar, but couldn't recall where he had seen him before. He automatically took a step back, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two people in front of him. Just looking at the woman's docile and dependent demeanor, he could tell that the man before him was the one she loved.
A sour feeling welled up inside him, and he had to admit that the person she liked was good-looking.
Those slightly upturned phoenix eyes looked arrogant and annoying.
So that's why Boss Zhu likes this one! No wonder he didn't get a chance... Yue Lin silently mocked himself in his heart, and then awkwardly greeted He Ming: "Hello, Yue Lin from the Department of Respiratory Medicine."
He Ming reacted coldly, nodding expressionlessly as a return gesture.
Yue Lin smiled indifferently, then turned to Zhu Liushuang and asked, "What's your number?"
Zhu Liushuang held up the triage slip in her hand and said, "127."
"That will take a long time." Yue Lin stroked his chin. "I happen to have some free time now, how about I take you to the examination room for a check-up first?"
"Can I cut in line? Would that be inappropriate?" Zhu Liushuang hesitated.
Yue Lin chuckled: "My teacher is on duty in the emergency internal medicine department today, it's fine. Besides, me seeing you isn't cutting in line, it's just borrowing a consultation room..."
"Then thank you, Dr. Yue." He Ming interrupted Zhu Liushuang and answered for her. For some reason, looking into Yue Lin's smiling, almond-shaped eyes, he found it incredibly irritating.
Intuition told him he didn't like the man in front of him. His memory seemed to rewind to the day of his colleague's wedding; Gu Xufeng's teasing words still echoed in his ears. The image of Yue Lin chasing after Zhu Liushuang, chatting and laughing, was vivid in his mind.
-----------------------
Author's note: Senior, hurry up and realize your own feelings! [Milk Tea] There's nothing shameful about being jealous.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
