“Dad, why did you run off again just now?”
Qian Qian hurried back into the ward, her cheeks flushed. However, her eyes remained fierce as she planted her hands on her hips and demanded, “Did you hit someone?”
The man slumped in a wheelchair with his head bowed, his messy hair falling over his face. But if you looked closely, you could see that as soon as the girl finished speaking, the gloom on his face lifted instantly, and he seemed more normal.
“Ah, it’s Qian Qian…”
As he raised his head, his scars came into view. They stretched from the corner of his eye down to his mouth, forming a chilling sight.
Yet, the girl seemed utterly unfazed, having seen this countless times before. She approached him with a tone of grievance. “Dad, you promised not to hit people randomly.”
“…Hit randomly?” The man’s hands froze mid-motion. After a few seconds of processing, he shook his head hurriedly. “No, no… I didn’t hit anyone randomly. How could I?”
“But I heard from the nurse that you hit a granny so hard she ended up in the operating room.”
The girl stepped back from his reaching hand with genuine anger.
In truth, she hadn’t heard this from the nurse directly. On her way back, she had overheard a conversation between the nurses. They always thought she was too young to be told anything important.
Qian Qian pouted in dissatisfaction. She felt she was old enough to take care of her father now.
“Granny…?”
The man stared blankly for a few seconds, his gaze shifting from his daughter to his hands.
He stared at his hands resting on the wheelchair for a long while. It was as if he had realized something, and he suddenly lifted his head.
He had hit someone.
…Even though he’d promised Qian Qian not to do it again.
The man clenched his fists, the memory of why he’d done it slipping away, leaving only the certainty that it was wrong.
He lowered his head and admitted obediently, “I… I hit someone.”
“That’s right. So, when the granny comes out of surgery, you have to apologize to her!”
“…”
The man furrowed his brows, instinctively resisting the idea.
“You promised me!” Qian Qian glared at him, her eyes fierce once more.
“…” The man stared at her for a few seconds, his lips moving soundlessly. The girl didn’t quite catch what he was muttering, but she saw him finally nod and say, “Alright.”
Only then did she smile, satisfied.
In fact, the man was in low spirits most of the time, but around Qian Qian, he seemed to transform. Even in his darkest moments, he would respond patiently to her, as if she were truly his daughter.
But Qian Qian was adopted.
To be precise, Nan Ming had found her after a failed suicide attempt, abandoned on the side of the road.
Back then, Qian Qian was only three or four years old, a frail little figure curled up in the pouring rain.
In that downpour, it was hard to imagine how such a child could survive. So much so that even Nan Ming, who had no will to live, stopped in his tracks.
Now he was in a much better mental state than back then and could clearly understand what he was doing. But that day he was muddled.
In his confusion, he picked up the child.
And so, he raised her for five or six years.
–
When Doctor Ji emerged from the emergency room, it was still early. He walked with his head slightly bowed, adjusting his sleeves as he moved, his posture straight and composed.
Someone spoke to him from behind, but he only turned his head slightly, signaling that he was listening.
Nurse Xiao Meng, who had been sitting with her head down, immediately perked up when she heard the door open. Her eyes lit up, and she quickly stood, walking up to Doctor Ji.
She asked, “Doctor Ji, how is Grandma?”
The incident had been sudden, and the man had attacked with such force that Grandma had fainted before Xiao Meng could reach her. She hadn’t been sure how serious the injury was, but given the grandmother’s age, the risk was significantly higher.
Xiao Meng was incredibly anxious, but observing Doctor Ji’s expression didn’t reveal much.
Doctor Ji finished adjusting his sleeve and looked at her for a moment before answering, “It’s not too serious. Given her age, the shock affected her, so she’ll need to stay in the hospital for a while.”
Xiao Meng breathed a sigh of relief. She trusted Doctor Ji’s skill, and hearing it wasn’t serious was reassuring.
Bowing in gratitude, she said, “Thank you for all your hard work, Doctor Ji.”
Doctor Ji glanced briefly at his hand before shifting his gaze away. His voice was calm as usual. “There’s no need to thank me. It’s my job.”
Then he asked, “Where’s Xiao Xing?”
Xiao Xing.
The use of this name surprised Nurse Xiao Meng. She looked at Doctor Ji with a hint of surprise. She opened her mouth to speak but closed it again, deciding not to say anything. Instead, she replied as usual, “He just stepped out to get some air. He said it was too stuffy inside.”
Doctor Ji didn’t reply this time. He simply slipped his hand into his white coat pocket and nodded politely before striding toward the stairwell.
Though Bo Xinghang had said he was going outside for air, Doctor Ji spotted him on his way down the stairs.
To be precise, he saw the boy crouched beside a fire hydrant, smoking a cigarette.
Since the elevator had been crowded, Doctor Ji had taken the stairs, and after descending two flights, he found Bo Xinghang huddled up in a corner, his eyelashes lowered, fluttering gently in the smoke.
Doctor Ji paused, his mind wandering to the first time he had met the boy. It had been much the same. Surrounded by chaos, Bo Xinghang sat motionless in a corner, smoking.
He moved closer. The boy lifted his head, revealing amber eyes clouded with darkness, the ink-like color obscuring their depths, making them appear deep and hollow.
It tugged at something fragile in his heart.
“Xiao Xing.”
Ji Wenzhen walked forward, bending one leg slightly as he knelt on one knee in front of the boy. Then, to the boy’s surprise, he extended his arms and pulled him into a firm embrace.
Though Doctor Ji was usually cool, the hand resting on Bo Xinghang’s nape was hot and strong.
He took the cigarette from Bo Xinghang’s hand with slight force, tossing it to the ground.
“Doctor Ji…” Bo Xinghang looked at the doctor, who was now inches away, and asked him in a daze, “Why are you here?”
His voice, hoarse from smoking, tugged at Doctor Ji’s heart even more.
“Ge’s here to take care of you.”
When Doctor Ji spoke, his voice was inexplicably tinged with a bit of hoarseness. Lowering his gaze, he leaned in and kissed Bo Xinghang’s lips.
Doctor Ji’s actions were forceful and irresistible, yet after the kiss, he was incredibly gentle. It felt as if he were both comforting and protecting.
Perhaps the kiss was too long, or maybe the suddenness of his grandmother’s accident had overwhelmed him… Bo Xinghang couldn’t think clearly. He only felt his nose sting and that his eyes were too dry to stay open. So, he closed his eyes, sinking into the embrace, greedily soaking in its warmth.
The moonlight at midnight wasn’t as bright as the sun during the day, but it was extraordinarily warm as it fell upon them. Through the tall windows at the stairwell, the scattered moonlight cast shadows on the ground, showing two people in an embrace.
Bo Xinghang’s legs eventually grew numb from squatting, and he couldn’t help but move slightly.
“Numb?”
“Yeah.” Besides his legs, even his mouth felt numb, but Bo Xinghang was too shy to admit it. He only confessed, “Just my legs.”
“Oh?” Doctor Ji’s voice carried a hint of laughter, “Then let me carry you.”
“Oh…”
“Huh?!”
Bo Xinghang was stunned as he suddenly felt his body lift off the ground. Startled, he wrapped his arms around Doctor Ji’s neck, eyes wide as he looked at him.
Since there was an elevator, few people passed through the stairwell, but being suddenly carried made Bo Xinghang instinctively glance around.
This amused Doctor Ji even more, and his smile deepened. “We did something far bolder just now. Why didn’t you look around then?”
Bo Xinghang replied defensively, “How could I pay attention to anything else at that moment!”
Doctor Ji nodded. “Oh, you were that engrossed?”
“Of course! You suddenly kissed me. Who could—” Bo Xinghang stopped when he saw the amused look on Doctor Ji’s face. He realized, “You’re teasing me!”
“I’ll stop.” Doctor Ji couldn’t help but laugh softly, tightening his grip around Bo Xinghang’s waist. “Tired? Let’s head to my office to rest.”
As he spoke, he maintained his grip and walked toward the stairwell.
In the quiet surroundings, only the sound of footsteps echoed.
Doctor Ji had a tall and well-proportioned figure, with legs longer than most people’s. It only took a few steps for him to reach the door.
Bo Xinghang, who had buried his face in Doctor Ji’s neck after being teased, finally looked up after a moment. He found himself making eye contact with Nurse Zhang, who had been peeking from the side.
Bo Xinghang: “…”
Nurse Zhang: “…”
After two seconds of staring, Nurse Zhang suddenly exclaimed, “Sister-in-law?!!”
Bo Xinghang was so startled that he jerked backward and reflexively responded, “Who the hell?!”
This floor was part of the outpatient department, and the hallway was crowded with patients’ family members, chatting with one another. Amidst the noise, the voices of the two were drowned out.
However, the nearby passersby still cast curious glances in their direction.
“Don’t move.”
Doctor Ji lightly pinched the back of his neck.
The gesture was natural and casual for Doctor Ji, but Bo Xinghang’s body tensed up, and he didn’t dare to move.
It wasn’t until after he had shouted that he realized how many people were on this floor! Now, curled up in Doctor Ji’s embrace, he felt his entire body flush with heat and discomfort.
“Doctor Ji, sister… cough…” Nurse Zhang’s gaze flickered between the two of them, and she coughed twice. “Is this handsome young man feeling unwell? Do you need my help?”
“No need, his leg is just uncomfortable. I’m taking him back to my office to rest.”
Though the explanation was true, it was easily misunderstood. Nurse Zhang clearly misunderstood. “Oh, okay, I’ll call the elevator for you.”
With both hands occupied, it was indeed inconvenient. Doctor Ji glanced at the boy who kept his head down, noticing the redness at the tips of his ears for a moment before nodding.
“Alright, thank you for your trouble.”
“Not at all, not at all.” Nurse Zhang quickly crossed through the crowd and pressed the elevator button.
Nearby, a woman who knew Nurse Zhang was about to greet her but then noticed the pair following behind.
Bo Xinghang buried his head too deep, but Doctor Ji, holding him, was strikingly noticeable. The woman who originally wanted to say hello hesitated, stared for a couple of seconds, and gradually blushed.
Doctor Ji wore a clean white coat, making him stand out even more. His long eyelashes, though only slightly lowered, conveyed an inexplicable hint of austere coolness.
The woman quickly averted her gaze, only to realize what had happened after they left.
“Nurse Zhang, which doctor is he? I haven’t seen him before.”
“Oh.” Nurse Zhang waved dismissively, “Doctor Ji isn’t from the outpatient department, so you wouldn’t have seen him.”
Seeing the woman’s expression, Nurse Zhang seemed unfazed and casually added, “Doctor Ji is highly skilled and handsome, but my sister-in-law is also outstanding. I really envy them. They’re the perfect couple.”
“Oh, oh.” The woman met Nurse Zhang’s gaze and quickly looked away with a guilty conscience, mumbling softly, “So, he’s already married.”
Author’s note:
Here we are! Doctor Ji has finally shown up!
