Jiang Beiyuan had not been seeing seeing anyone for a long, long time; it could be as much as ten or so years.
But earlier tonight, the man had rushed to the hospital with this girl in his arms. When he received a call from the man to hurry down to the hospital to do the operation on her, he could clearly hear his fears and anxieties over the phone.
At first, he reckoned that this girl was his younger sister. But then again, he recalled that the man did not have a sister. He had, at most, a younger brother.
His old friend fell silent, walked to the water dispenser, and poured himself a glass of water.
As his long and slender fingers held the glass handle, he frowned involuntarily as an image of that delicate, ashen face surfaced in his mind again.
"My wife."
Pfft—
Zhang Fan spurted out a mouthful of water without warning.
"Rascal, when did you get married? Why wasn't I informed?!"
"Three months ago."
The man in question narrowed his eyes slightly. With one hand in his pants' pocket, he took two sips of water before his gaze rested on Zhang Fan with mild displeasure. "Precautions, please."
"Oh. Oh… In the next one month, avoid spicy and raw food. No seafood and fruits, and try to take more soft diet."
"Eh."
He put down the glass and turned to leave.
Moonlight, through the window, streamed into the room and settled on his back, giving off a silvery illumination that encapsulated him.
This man was a rare species indeed. Even his back profile was mesmerizing.
Putting aside his aloof attitude, he was outstanding in every way. So many girls in the hospital were infatuated with him. Now, he suddenly announced that he was married for no apparent reason. The girls would be heartbroken when they came to know that.
As his thoughts wandered, he could not help shaking his head and sighing. "What are you thinking about? Marriage is important and not to be done frivolously."
"Am I frivolous in getting married?"
Jiang Beiyuan glanced at his friend and snorted.
"Don't tell anyone about this for the time being. She's rather shy."
Zhang Fan was known to have a big mouth in the hospital.
This time, his friend nodded in agreement. Looking serious, he reassured him, "Don't you worry. I'll be d*mned if I tell this to anyone!"
...
The day after next, he had stepped into the hospital for work as usual when he noticed that everyone seemed to be giving him a strange look.
There were a few who could not suppress the curiosity inside them any longer. Mustering their courage, they asked him directly, "Dr. Jiang, are you really married?!"
Jiang Beiyuan: "…"
This Zhang Fan with his gossiping tongue.
He marched to his friend's office and kicked open the door.
The other party was grinning happily.
"Lao Jiang, you came at the right time! Fatty has returned from the US and calling the bunch of us for a gathering. You inform Xu Kuangjie to come and join, too."
The man's sharp and arched eyebrows were like two blades glinting luminously at his friend.
"Did you tell others about my marriage?"
The man's thin lips had pursed into a straight line. A sense of menace could be detected in his eyes. Zhang Fan almost went on his knees for mercy.
"I was wrong, I was wrong! I'll be d*mned, alright?"
The man pursed his lips. How could he believe his friend with his big mouth so easily in the first place?
Zhang Fan continued to cajole apologetically, "Tonight, we meet at 8 PM at Huangtian Grand Hotel. Fatty is giving us a treat. Remember to bring your wife along, everyone is curious about her."
Jiang Beiyuan: "Do you still have the cheek to ask me along?"
"Hey, don't be petty. I've only told a few people in our department. If you refused to turn up, I'll send out notice to everyone in the hospital."
The man narrowed his eyes when he heard that. "Are you threatening me?"
His friend was stunned.
This phrase sounded familiar.
He recalled that the last time he had "threatened" his friend, he was made to wash the toilets in the hospital for half a month.
This time 'round…
"Hey, bro, I already promised Fatty that you'll be going. As you know, he's into property line right now. I won't be able to buy a property in the future if I go back on my words."
Scoffing, the man listed down his condition. "One year of coffee money."
"Hah? That's low-ball. One month sounds more reasonable!"
"Two years."
"Half a year. Doctors don't earn a lot, you know!"
"Three years."
"Alright, alright, alright… One year, we'll stick to one year."
The man left only after hearing that.
His friend wiped away cold beads of perspiration from his forehead.
D*mn, after so many years, I'm still so fearful of him.