Ye Qiu arrived at the hospital in the morning. After checking in at the care workers' station, he headed to the cafeteria to buy breakfast for Lin Jingzhi.
A care worker was basically a live-in servant — he had to do everything.
He bought the breakfast and walked out of the cafeteria, only to run into Zhang Lili at the door.
Ye Qiu ignored her and tried to walk past.
"Stop right there!"
Zhang Lili shouted.
Ye Qiu pretended not to hear and kept going.
"Ye Qiu, I said stop!" she yelled again.
Ye Qiu finally halted, turned to look at her, and asked:
"Are you talking to me?"
Zhang Lili was fuming. "Who else would I be talking to if not you?"
"Spit it out." Ye Qiu was in no mood to be polite.
Zhang Lili's face turned livid. She said in a low, sharp voice:
"Ye Qiu, I'm warning you — go apologize to Shaocong right now. Or you'll regret it for the rest of your life."
"Are you worried about me?" Ye Qiu's tone softened a little, thinking she was afraid Guo Shaocong would take revenge on him.
But her next words quickly corrected his misunderstanding.
"Worried about you? Hmph. Why would I care about some bastard? I just want Shaocong to get better fast. He hates your guts right now. If you get on your knees and beg for forgiveness, maybe he'll calm down and heal faster."
"That's it?"
"What else would I want? If it weren't for Shaocong, I wouldn't even glance at you."
"Zhang Lili, I have something to say to you too. Don't think too highly of yourself, and don't treat others like dirt. When you were my girlfriend, I put up with your temper and spoiled you like a treasure. From now on… you're nothing to me. Not even worth a fart."
With that, Ye Qiu swaggered off.
Zhang Lili stamped her feet in rage and shouted at his back:
"I must've been blind to fall for a loser like you!"
...
VIP ward.
Ye Qiu said: "Sister Lin, I didn't know what you liked, so I bought some crystal buns."
"Crystal buns! They're my favorite!" Lin Jingzhi's face lit up. "Thank you, Ye Qiu."
"Don't mention it. It's my job."
"Ye Qiu, I have one more tiny favor to ask. Will you say yes?"
"Go on."
"Feed me, okay?" Lin Jingzhi pouted and looked at him with big, pitiful eyes, looking utterly adorable.
Ye Qiu felt a headache coming on. "Sister Lin, can I say no?"
"Nope." Lin Jingzhi narrowed her eyes, a charming smile on her pretty face.
Ye Qiu had no choice. He sat by the bed, picked up a bun with chopsticks, and held it to her lips.
Lin Jingzhi ate slowly, taking tiny bites. Every now and then she shot him a coquettish glance, acting just like the lead actress in some movie.
What a little demon.
Ye Qiu didn't even dare look at her.
After half a bun, Lin Jingzhi said again:
"Ye Qiu, can you do me another favor? Eat the other half for me, please?"
Ye Qiu looked down. There was still lipstick on the bun.
If he ate it…
It would be like an indirect kiss.
He hesitated.
"Hurry up." Lin Jingzhi urged.
"Sister Lin, I already ate breakfast. I'm not hungry."
He felt it was inappropriate. They were only patient and care worker, not a couple. If someone saw them, it would look terrible.
"Ye Qiu… do you think it's gross because I took a bite? Is that why you won't eat it?"
"That's not it at all, I —"
"You just think I'm disgusting!" Lin Jingzhi's eyes welled up with tears, like she was about to cry.
Ye Qiu panicked. "Sister Lin, I really don't —"
"Then eat it." Lin Jingzhi said. "If you eat this half, I'll believe you."
Ye Qiu still hesitated.
"Let me feed you." Lin Jingzhi took the chopsticks and held the half-eaten bun to his mouth.
Ye Qiu was stuck.
Eat or not? That was the question.
"Open up." Her voice was soft, like a loving wife feeding her husband.
Ye Qiu had no choice but to open his mouth.
After he swallowed, Lin Jingzhi gently wiped his mouth with a tissue. "Was it good?"
"Mm-hm."
"Do you want more? I'll eat half of each bun, you eat the other half. How's that?"
"Sister Lin —"
Cough! Cough!
A loud, heavy cough came from the doorway.
Ye Qiu turned around. Bai Bing stood at the ward entrance, her tall figure wrapped in a professional suit, hair tied back neatly, her pretty face icy cold.
"Director Bai." Ye Qiu quickly stood up. "When did you get here?"
Bai Bing shot him a cold glance, then turned to Lin Jingzhi:
"How's your injury?"
"Not dead yet." Lin Jingzhi smiled, but her tone was equally cold.
Ye Qiu looked back and forth between them. "You two know each other?"
"None of your business!"
The two women said in unison.
Ye Qiu felt snubbed and decided to keep quiet.
"Bai Bing, did you come just to see me?" Lin Jingzhi asked with a smile.
"Don't call me that. We're not that close. I'm here for Ye Qiu." Bai Bing said sharply. "Ye Qiu, come outside with me."
"Okay." Ye Qiu nodded and followed her toward the door.
"Wait a minute!" Lin Jingzhi spoke up. "Director Bai, Ye Qiu is my care worker right now. If you're taking him away, shouldn't you ask me first?"
"I am the director of the surgery department. Ye Qiu is a probationary doctor in my department. I don't need to ask anyone to call him." Bai Bing's tone was firm.
"But he's no longer a probationary doctor. He's my care worker."
"So what? I can assign any care worker in this hospital." Bai Bing continued. "Lin Jingzhi, I should warn you — Ye Qiu is unreliable and careless at work. You'd better ask for a different care worker."
Ye Qiu stared at Bai Bing in shock.
What was her problem?
Didn't she know if he lost this job, he'd be kicked out of the hospital?
He felt a little annoyed with her.
Lin Jingzhi smiled. "Thanks for the tip, Director Bai. But I like Ye Qiu. He's handsome and takes such good care of me."
Bai Bing said: "What you're seeing might just be an act. Don't be fooled by his fake kindness."
Ye Qiu glanced at Bai Bing again.
What was wrong with her today? Why was she badmouthing him over and over?
Luckily, Lin Jingzhi didn't buy it. She said:
"I trust my eyes. Good men like Ye Qiu are hard to find these days. I wish he was my boyfriend. Ye Qiu… do you want to be my boyfriend?"
Ye Qiu froze. Even though he knew she was joking, his heart still fluttered.
If only she meant it.
Seeing Ye Qiu spacing out, Bai Bing flew into a rage and snapped:
"Ye Qiu, get out here NOW!"