Listening to Zhao Ruobing's resolute voice behind him, Ye Xiu felt a headache coming on as he walked out of the corridor.
If he had known Zhao Ruobing was this troublesome...
But even if he had known, he still couldn't have left someone to die.
Ye Xiu thought about it and felt helpless. He just wanted to be a quiet internal medicine doctor. Why couldn't Zhao Ruobing understand that? He didn't know what kind of trouble Zhao Ruobing would bring him in the future. Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
"Dr. Ye!"
However, before Ye Xiu could figure out his future troubles, a sinister voice called out from in front of him.
Seeing two colleagues standing there, obviously waiting for him and looking at him with murderous eyes, Ye Xiu, already feeling the headache, felt his scalp go numb.
"Colleagues, you haven't gone back to work yet? What are you doing here?"
Ye Xiu raised his head and forced a smile.
"What do you think we are doing here?"
Their eyes were even more menacing.
"Uh... surely not waiting for me?"
Ye Xiu felt a growing sense of unease.
"We are waiting for you! Dr. Ye, come with us!"
The two colleagues said sinisterly, not giving Ye Xiu any chance to react as they grabbed him from both sides.
"Hey, colleagues, what are you doing? Where are we going? I need to get back to the clinic. It's almost time for my shift..."
With his strength, Ye Xiu could easily shake off his two colleagues. But of course, he couldn't really fight them. He could only struggle slightly while trying to reason with them, hoping they'd let him go.
Unfortunately, his colleagues ignored him completely, dragging him straight towards the office.
"Hmph, it's only 2:15 now. There are still 15 minutes before your shift starts. Don't worry, there's plenty of time!"
One colleague dismissed Ye Xiu's excuse bluntly.
In no time, they had dragged Ye Xiu into the office, pushed him in, and shut the door behind them. They stood on either side of the door, looking like guards ready for action.
Inside the office, the other colleagues all looked up at Ye Xiu, their eyes full of menacing intent.
"Hey... colleagues, what's going on here?"
Ye Xiu felt a chill under their intense stares.
"Dr. Ye, are you going to confess, or do we have to use force?"
Dr. Che's eyes were cold.
"Confess... confess what?"
Ye Xiu wore a bewildered expression.
"Looks like Dr. Ye is choosing force! Colleagues..."
Dr. Che said, signaling the two colleagues who immediately rolled up their sleeves, ready to get physical.
"Wait, colleagues, if you want me to confess, at least let me know what I'm confessing to."
Ye Xiu smiled bitterly.
"Oh, still playing dumb, huh? Let me ask you, you clearly know the Iceberg Goddess, so why pretend not to?"
Dr. Che sneered.
"I never pretended not to know her! Colleagues, be fair, when did I ever say I didn't know her?"
Ye Xiu looked more wronged than Dou E.
"Uh..."
Hearing Ye Xiu's words, everyone paused. They realized Ye Xiu was telling the truth. He really had never said he didn't know Zhao Ruobing.
But letting him off just like that still felt unsatisfying. "Then why didn't you tell us you knew the Iceberg Goddess?"
"You never asked if I knew her. I couldn't just go around saying I knew Zhao Ruobing, right? If I did, you might not believe me anyway, and it would seem like I was showing off."
Ye Xiu wore an aggrieved look.
"Uh..."
Once again, everyone was speechless. They had to admit Ye Xiu made sense.
"Fine, we'll let this one slide. Next question: How did you meet the Iceberg Goddess? You've only been at the hospital for less than a month and already hooked up with her. Spill it, how did you do it?"
Dr. Li asked the next question, rekindling the group's curiosity.
Ye Xiu immediately felt their gazes turn menacing again.
"It's actually very simple. Mr. Feng was transferred to neurosurgery later, and I went to check on him. I happened to run into Dr. Zhao, we chatted briefly, and that's how we met."
Ye Xiu explained quickly.
The truth about that surgery was sensitive, involving both his and Zhao Ruobing's reputations. He couldn't disclose it, but thankfully, Mr. Feng's transfer provided a convenient cover.
"Just like that?"
Everyone looked skeptical.
"Just like that. You can ask Mr. Feng if you don't believe me."
Ye Xiu responded earnestly.
"Hmph, you did it on purpose, didn't you? You went to see Mr. Feng just to get close to the Iceberg Goddess."
One colleague accused.
"Yeah, who would have thought of that trick? You sure have a lot of nerve, using a patient visit as an excuse to approach her."
The others began to see Ye Xiu in a new light, admiring his cunning. They couldn't believe he'd visit a patient who wasn't his responsibility just out of kindness.
"Colleagues, it's not like that. I really just went to check on Mr. Feng..."
Ye Xiu tried to defend himself but soon realized it was futile. They weren't buying it.
"Damn, why didn't I think of that!"
"..."
The realization made them regret not coming up with the same idea. Especially Dr. Che, who had been Mr. Feng's primary doctor, felt particularly bitter. He had missed a legitimate chance to interact with Zhao Ruobing.
"Anyway, what's your real relationship with the Iceberg Goddess? Why did she come looking for you just now? Confess!"
One doctor demanded, their suspicions rekindled.
"True! Almost got fooled again!"
"You sneaky devil!"
Everyone's attention snapped back to Ye Xiu.
"Colleagues, it's really simple. Dr. Zhao was just asking about Mr. Feng's medication. Mr. Feng was originally our patient in respiratory medicine, right?"
Ye Xiu had anticipated this question and had prepared an answer. After explaining, he mentally apologized to Mr. Feng for using him as a shield.
"Really?"
Their expressions softened a bit but still looked doubtful.
"Think about it. What other reason would she have to look for me? She's way above my level. Even if I know her, there's no way we could have any special relationship."
Ye Xiu played his trump card.
They had said earlier that Zhao Ruobing and he were worlds apart, so he used their own words to convince them.
"That does make sense."
"Damn, why didn't I think of checking on Mr. Feng!"
"..."
Reflecting on Ye Xiu's words, they reluctantly accepted his explanation. The idea of Zhao Ruobing and Ye Xiu having any significant relationship seemed absurd given their vastly different statuses. Zhao Ruobing was a rising star in neurosurgery, driving a sports car to work, while Ye Xiu was a struggling doctor barely making ends meet.
Though they felt somewhat reassured, the missed opportunity to talk to Zhao Ruobing still stung, especially for Dr. Che. It had been his rightful chance!
"Okay, colleagues, I need to get back to work now."
Seeing that he had finally appeased them, Ye Xiu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. To avoid further complications, he quickly excused himself. But his worry was unnecessary; their minds were elsewhere, consumed by regret and frustration.