Chapter 31
Chapter 31
The advertisement shoot took two days, and when Xiao Chao was bored, he would go to the studio and watch the filming.
Shen Qingyuan spends most of her time in the lounge reading papers. Over the past six months, she has accumulated a large number of papers that she hasn't read yet, and once she starts, she wants to finish them as soon as possible.
She also browsed the official website of Jicheng University People's Hospital to look for information related to her specialty.
I haven't opened that website in a long time.
It's still the same familiar interface, made by a science student, and it lacks any aesthetic appeal.
Scrolling to the department news, the top news item is: Professor Elisabeth Minot, Director of the ROC Joint Center at HSS Hospital, visited our hospital.
HSS stands for Hospital for Special Surgery, New York, the oldest orthopedic hospital in the United States. This hospital is not only the world's largest joint replacement center and the birthplace of total knee replacement surgery, but also a cradle of medical masters.
Undoubtedly, it holds a very high status in the eyes of orthopedic surgeons.
Professor Minot has shifted her focus to teaching and research in recent years. Shen Qingyuan has read Professor Minot's papers, listened to her online courses on eAcademy, and has always admired her.
The news was dated a week ago.
A surge of fervent excitement, followed by a profound sense of frustration, struck her in turn.
The world's clamor was irrelevant to her; her former companions rushed to board the carriage called "Future," leaving her far behind along its predetermined path.
Shen Qingyuan opened WeChat and found Sun Zhi's chat window.
"Sun Zhi, sorry to bother you. If it's convenient, could you please send me the materials from Professor Minot's visit to the hospital?"
The message was sent. Thankfully, I wasn't blocked.
After so many years of professional training, if it has helped my mental resilience, it's probably that it has shortened the time I'm depressed. Or at least I try my best to shorten it.
The situation remains the same; my mood or not won't affect how things unfold. Something still needs to be done.
-
Ye Chuyang's doe-like eyes were focused and innocent as she looked at the camera, her lips slightly parted: "Love Chocolate, the taste of first love."
The advertisement had a romantic atmosphere, and combined with Ye Chuyang's performance, the effect was quite good. The director and the person in charge sent by the advertiser were very satisfied. Of course, these were secondary; as long as Ye Chuyang appeared, his many fans, especially female fans, would buy the product.
"Brother Liao, you've worked hard!"
After the work was finished, everyone in the studio sincerely applauded Ye Chuyang.
As usual, the staff presented flowers after the advertisement was completed.
Several staff members came up to ask Ye Chuyang for photos and autographs, and Ye Chuyang obliged them all.
He had been standing for so long that he couldn't help but support his back a few times while taking photos. His attitude, of course, remained consistently excellent; he smiled, shook hands, and said thank you and "you've worked hard."
Such a big star, it must be really tough for him to endure. His work is already tough enough, and he has to bear this extra hardship. Shen Qingyuan saw this and felt a little strange.
Strangely enough, she wasn't the kind of doctor who was empathetic and could truly feel the pain of her patients.
She went about her business, powerless to alleviate the inevitable suffering. Most of the time, she was extremely stingy with words of comfort, because it was a waste of time and wouldn't objectively alleviate the patient's pain.
"Excuse me, everyone—" She stepped forward, "Brother Liao's back injury has not fully recovered, so he cannot stand for long periods of time."
This is a way of telling them to leave.
Although she spoke with a smile, Shen Qingyuan exuded a professional's aura of sternness—a bit cold, a bit arrogant. The staff waiting to take photos froze upon hearing this, and no one dared to step forward. The previously cheerful atmosphere became somewhat awkward.
Ye Chuyang gave her a grateful look.
He still felt a little soft-hearted; they were all hardworking, unassuming people. It took immense courage to step forward and bask in their glory. He had been like that before, so he naturally felt a certain empathy.
"It's okay, I can manage. Everyone, come quick!"
After he said that, the remaining seven or eight people who hadn't taken a group photo started to liven up a bit again. But this time they all restrained themselves. The group huddled together and took a large group photo with Ye Chuyang.
Everyone thanked each other and the party ended.
After filming the advertisement, Ye Chuyang also has a follow-up vlog to shoot to support the promotion.
The copywriter listed several questions and asked him to go back and prepare before recording. The planner jokingly said that this was homework for Liao Ge.
-
Although it was an advertisement shoot, the workload was far less than filming a movie, but Ye Chuyang still felt quite physically strained. On the way back, her back injury started aching again.
He couldn't help feeling a little frustrated, since filming was scheduled to start in just one week, and he was worried that his health wouldn't be fully recovered by then, which would slow down the entire production.
Ye Chuyang is, after all, a human being, not a god. He experiences the same anxieties, fears, and depression that ordinary people have.
When you're just a nobody, you worry about your future. But when you're truly in the lead role, single-handedly carrying the weight of a project with tens or hundreds of millions in investment, the anxiety and pressure increase exponentially.
Everyone only sees the glamorous side of fame, but as for the price to pay, they know it in their hearts. It might sound a bit sentimental to say it out loud. After all, how many people, despite putting in tremendous effort, reap no reward?
Three people, two of them burdened with worries. The atmosphere in the carriage fell into a tense and oppressive silence.
"Let's grab something to eat before we go back." Sitting in the back seat, Ye Chuyang glanced out the car window. There were quite a few restaurants on the ground floor of this area. There was a Korean BBQ restaurant that looked pretty decent.
Shen Qingyuan and Ye Chuyang got out of the car first, while Xiao Chao looked for a parking space nearby.
Before getting out of the car, Ye Chuyang habitually put on a mask. The two entered the barbecue restaurant, found a four-person table at the back, and sat down.
Ye Chuyang found the most secluded spot deep inside. Shen Qingyuan also moved inside, making room for Xiao Chao on the outside.
Shen Qingyuan glanced at WeChat. She had sent a message to Sun Zhi, but he hadn't replied yet.
Is this a complete severing of ties? It can't be that bad. After all, they were together for three or four years. Can't they even be friends if they can't be romantically involved?
She was depressed for a while after deciding to break up, but she's recovered by now. Sun Zhi called her cold-blooded on the phone, and she didn't argue.
Never mind, it doesn't matter anymore.
While Shen Qingyuan was still lost in thought, Ye Chuyang handed her a stainless steel teacup filled with barley tea.
She casually took it, and without realizing it, her fingers were gripping his hand.
The feel is definitely different. Long, slender fingers, soft and warm, with distinct knuckles.
She quickly let go, but thankfully Ye Chuyang held it steady and the water didn't spill.
Shen Qingyuan smiled apologetically and said nothing. She had a strange feeling in her heart, and as soon as she realized it, she felt a little pretentious.
They're not teenagers, so what's the big deal about these unintentional, accidental physical contacts between the opposite sexes?
Especially since she's a doctor, and has inserted urinary catheters into male patients before.
Ye Chuyang didn't seem to care. He simply placed the cup on the table in front of Shen Qingyuan and pursed his lips.
The atmosphere seemed to become a little awkward.
"Thanks."
The small team usually consists of three people. Ye Chuyang sometimes finds Xiao Chao annoying, but at times he feels he needs him.
The hand that Shen Qingyuan had held was placed under the table, and the person pretended to be busy rolling up their trouser leg.
Fortunately, the waiter brought over two menus so they could order.
We ordered some beef, lamb, and pork; some were marinated, and some were raw, so we had to grill them ourselves and dip them in sauce.
Only after the waiter left did Ye Chuyang take off his mask. He habitually wears a hat in public, pulling the brim down so it doesn't attract much attention.
When the meat arrived, Xiao Chao also came. He went over and moved the chair opposite Ye Chuyang.
Ye Chuyang patted the empty seat next to him: "Sit here."
Xiao Chao went to sit down.
Shen Qingyuan glanced at the person opposite him. He had originally thought that it would be more comfortable for him to sit in a two-seater by himself, but his friend was willing to squeeze in.
Go to the condiment station to get things; getting kimchi and pumpkin soup is Xiao Chao's job.
Shen Qingyuan really liked the pumpkin soup at Korean restaurants, and she would order two bowls every time she ate Korean food. Most Korean restaurants in Jicheng were actually just average, with only one or two chain stores being decent.
In a small place like Hengdian, most shops cater to tourists, making it a one-off business. She didn't have high expectations for the taste.
-
"Dr. Sun, are you still on duty?"
"Yes, I just had surgery."
His colleagues greeted him in the hallway.
Around 8 p.m., Sun Zhi finished his surgery. He was a joint replacement patient with poor bone quality, and the surgery took half an hour longer than expected.
He took off his surgical gown, washed his hands, and retrieved his phone from the locker.
A new message popped up in WeChat.
Over the past six months, he has opened WeChat countless times, hoping that Shen Qingyuan will reply to his messages.
He finally replied. It had nothing to do with romance; I just wanted to ask him for medical information.
Exhaustion made him crouch down in the dim light, his mind momentarily blank. His pupils reflected the words on his phone.
He typed: Just finished surgery. Okay, I'll send it to you when I get back.
After thinking about it, I went back and deleted the words "undergoing surgery" and replaced them with "saw".
As soon as the message was sent, Sun Zhi regretted it; he should have said it over the phone. He stood up and made a call.
-
Perhaps she was hungry, or perhaps Xiao Chao's grilling skills were good, but Shen Qingyuan thought the grilled meat at this restaurant was pretty good.
Moreover, the long journey and mental exertion are very energy-consuming, so she had a good appetite tonight.
Ye Chuyang ignored the fatty parts of the meat and only dipped it in a dry dipping sauce without chili.
"You don't eat the fatty ones?" Shen Qingyuan asked curiously.
"It's too high in calories, Yang is afraid of gaining weight," Xiao Chao answered for him.
"You don't want kimchi?"
"Brother Yang is worried about swelling the next day."
"You won't even drink the pumpkin soup?"
"Yang-ge doesn't eat sweets."
Shen Qingyuan clicked her tongue in amazement, then muttered sarcastically, "What's the point of living then?"
“That’s right, making so much money and still not having enough to eat every day.” Xiao Chao agreed, “I feel sorry for Brother Yang.”
The two oxen and horses actually felt wronged on behalf of their boss. Ye Chuyang glanced at his burly subordinates and sighed.
Shen Qingyuan unceremoniously took the plate of beef brisket in front of Ye Chuyang and placed it in front of herself. She carefully spread the slices of meat on the grill.
The oil sizzled and rendered, releasing a wonderful aroma.
Her phone rang, and she glanced at the screen: Sun Zhi.
Sun Zhi's name lay plainly in her phone's contact list, never used as a nickname between lovers.
She was originally going to walk a little further away to answer the phone, but since the beef brisket had just been grilled, Shen Qingyuan was afraid it would burn, so she answered the phone while still seated.
"Qingyuan," the voice on the other end of the phone said, "I just saw your WeChat message. I'll send it to you when I get back."
Shen Qingyuan replied briefly and decisively: "Then, thank you for your trouble!"
Her voice lacked much emotion, though her speech was slightly slow, as if she was carefully choosing her words or hesitating.
Actually, she was holding her phone in one hand and flipping the meat slices on the grill with the other, so she was quite busy.
Neither of them knew what else to say, and they remained silent for a while.
Shen Qingyuan was still on the phone when she thought it was time to hang up, when she heard another voice from the other end ask, "How...have you been lately?"
"Hmm, not bad." Actually, it really is pretty good; I seem to have regained a lot of energy and don't find everything so boring anymore. "How about you? Did you just have surgery?"
There's something more to say.
“...Yes.” In the past, Sun Zhi would have said a few more words about the surgery. It was much more normal for two orthopedic surgeons to talk about surgery than about eating, drinking, and excretion.
But now it seems unnecessary, and the other party may not be willing to listen.
He and Shen Qingyuan are actually very similar people: rational, self-disciplined, goal-oriented, and they have received similar professional training.
Emotional outbursts and hysteria are considered minor aspects of life; these kinds of people are essentially averse to immersing themselves in emotions for extended periods.
If things can be salvaged, then keep trying; otherwise, let's give up. We have to move on.
Like a necrotic joint, no matter how reluctant you are to part with it, you still have to cut open the skin and flesh at the right time to remove and replace it.
People who have just undergone surgery are very hungry and tired, and Shen Qingyuan felt there was no need to waste the other person's time, so she said, "Then you go and eat first."
"good."
She hung up.
Shen Qingyuan placed the grilled beef brisket on her own plate and shared some with Xiao Chao. She picked up a piece with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth; it was cooked just right.
Having eaten her fill and with the information settled, Shen Qingyuan was in a good mood.
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