Inside the ward, Ye Qiu used a Maoshan Talisman to erase the handprint on Lin Jingzhi's face.
"How does it feel?" he asked.
"Cool and soothing… like putting on a face mask," Lin Jingzhi replied.
"Does it still hurt?"
She shook her head. "Not anymore."
"Sister Lin, that woman is clearly trouble. She won't let this go easily. You should hire a couple of bodyguards for protection," Ye Qiu suggested.
Lin Jingzhi smiled. "Why would I need bodyguards when I have you protecting me?"
"I've been transferred out of the care worker position."
At his words, the smile vanished from Lin Jingzhi's face.
"Transferred where? Back to surgery?" she snapped. "Did Bai Bing do this? This is outrageous. I'm calling the hospital director right now."
She picked up her phone and started dialing.
Ye Qiu quickly explained, "Sister Lin, this has nothing to do with Director Bai. I asked to go back to surgery myself."
"Don't cover for her. She's the surgical director — you wouldn't have been reassigned without her order."
"You're right that she gave the order, but only because I went to her."
"Why would you leave?" Lin Jingzhi stared at him in confusion. Suddenly, tears welled up in her beautiful eyes, and she said in a hurt voice, "Is it because you hate me? That's why you want to leave?"
"Don't say that. How could I hate you? You're stunning — I don't think anyone could hate you."
"You really mean that?"
"I do."
"Then why transfer?" Lin Jingzhi pressed.
Ye Qiu said, "Sister Lin, I told you before — my dream is to become a great doctor. What makes a doctor great? Doing extraordinary things from an ordinary post.
I studied medicine to heal the sick and save the wounded, to free people from pain.
To make that dream real, my first step is to return to surgery. Only by working with all kinds of patients every day can my skills improve.
I hope you understand."
Lin Jingzhi looked at him. "If you leave, who's going to take care of me?"
"The hospital will assign a new care worker."
"I don't want anyone else. I only want you."
"Sister Lin, the hospital's care workers have years of experience. They're more careful than me and will take better care of you."
"I said I only want you." Lin Jingzhi suddenly gazed at him affectionately and said softly, "If I were your girlfriend, would you really leave me with someone else?"
"No," Ye Qiu answered. "If you were my girlfriend, I'd ask my mom to take care of you."
He had spoken casually, but Lin Jingzhi's eyes lit up.
"I think that's a wonderful idea. Let's have your mom look after me," she said with a grin. "That way, we can practice our mother-and-daughter-in-law relationship early."
Ye Qiu knew she was joking. He was just an unconfirmed probationary doctor — there was no way Lin Jingzhi would ever be interested in him.
"Sister Lin, stop joking," he said. "You'll be discharged in a few more days anyway."
"I don't want to leave the hospital."
"Why?"
Ye Qiu was completely confused. Every patient he had ever met wanted to go home as soon as possible. Lin Jingzhi refusing to be discharged was unthinkable.
"Because I don't want to leave you."
Lin Jingzhi rested her chin in her hands and stared at him with endless tenderness, her beautiful eyes almost dripping with charm.
Here we go again.
Ye Qiu felt a headache coming on. Lin Jingzhi loved teasing him at every turn.
"Sister Lin, take good care of yourself from now on."
He felt a little regret that he wouldn't be able to stay with her every day. After all, being around such a stunning beauty always lifted his mood.
"Can't you really stay and look after me?" Lin Jingzhi asked again.
Ye Qiu explained, "Once I'm back in surgery, I'll be swamped with work. I won't have time."
"Then can you promise me one thing?"
"What is it?"
"I want you to promise to come see me once every day."
"I…"
"You can't even do this one little thing? You say you don't hate me, but it's obvious you just can't stand me."
Drop.
A tear rolled down her cheek.
Ye Qiu panicked at once.
He hated it when women cried.
Back when he was with Zhang Lili, he would cave the second she started crying, agreeing to anything she asked.
Faced with this situation, he had no choice but to give in.
"Sister Lin, don't cry. I promise — I'll come see you every day."
"And you have to come whenever I call."
"Sister Lin, you know surgery is really busy. I can't guarantee I'll be there right away —"
"Waaah… you heartless jerk! You took advantage of me and now you don't want to take responsibility?!" Lin Jingzhi burst into loud sobs before he could finish.
"Alright, alright! I promise! I'll come whenever you call. Please stop crying, okay?!"
Ye Qiu was frantic, terrified someone would hear and misunderstand. He was completely inexperienced with women — he couldn't even handle Zhang Lili, let alone someone like Lin Jingzhi.
Pfft!
Lin Jingzhi suddenly stopped crying and laughed. "I was just messing with you to see if you cared about me."
"Sister Lin, don't joke like that again. And what do you mean I took advantage of you? When did I ever do that?"
"Didn't you? Search your conscience."
"I really didn't —"
Ye Qiu's words died halfway as his eyes fell on a stretch of snow-white, towering scenery.
"Still going to deny it?" Lin Jingzhi's eyes glinted mischievously.
Ye Qiu's face turned bright red, and he quickly looked away.
...
Meanwhile, in the office of the Executive Vice President of Jiangzhou Hospital.
Guo Danu's face was dark with rage.
Zhang Lili stood in front of his desk, head bowed, tears brimming in her eyes.
"Do you think you have any right to feel wronged?"
"I'll tell you — you don't.
I left Shaocong in your care, told you to look after him. How exactly did you do that?
And you hid his disappearance from me, a matter of this seriousness! If I hadn't gone to check on him and found his bed empty, would you have kept it from me forever? Do you even respect me as the executive vice president?!"
Bang!
Guo Danu slammed his hand on the desk, making Zhang Lili burst into tears. "Dean Guo, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry —"
"Shut up!" Guo Danu roared. "If anything happens to Shaocong, I will never forgive you."
In her panic, Zhang Lili blurted out, "Dean Guo, I think Ye Qiu is behind Shaocong's disappearance…"