#WarmHearted #SecondChances #Reunion #HEA #Modern #Romance #AudioStory
Gu Shunuan's leg was fractured.
The injury was quite serious. Her boss took one look at her and said, "It takes a hundred days for bones and tendons to heal," then immediately gave her medical leave, telling her to recover before returning to work.
As for how she got injured, Gu Shunuan was too embarrassed to say.
"She was attending a friend's wedding, and when she tried to catch the bridal bouquet, she stepped on a chair. She caught the bouquet, but fell off and fractured her leg."
Her colleague was quick to speak up before Gu Shunuan could stop her, revealing the cause of her injury.
Feeling humiliated, Gu Shunuan pulled the hospital bed's blanket over her head, pretending to be dead.
The attending physician, Wen Zhan, who had been standing by her bedside, snorted coldly when he heard this. "You really are desperate to get married."
Gu Shunuan was immediately annoyed by his tone. She threw off the blanket and glared at Wen Zhan. "What does it matter to you if I want to get married or not? Is that how a doctor should talk to a patient? I need peace and quiet, okay? Stop making sarcastic remarks at me all the time."
Unexpectedly, Wen Zhan wasn't angry. Instead, he laughed, looking as if he was deliberately trying to provoke her. "I'm not speaking to you as a doctor right now. I'm greeting you as your ex-boyfriend, after all these years."
Greet you, my foot!
Gu Shunuan almost swore, but with one leg out of commission, her anger seemed a bit muted.
Already feeling unlucky for ending up in the hospital after breaking her leg while catching the bouquet, she now had to deal with her ex-boyfriend being her attending physician. Gu Shunuan felt like she was cursed lately.
Seeing her in such a powerless state, Wen Zhan chuckled softly and returned to his gentle and warm demeanor as a doctor.
"Get some rest."
Gu Shunuan rolled her eyes. "I could rest just fine if you weren't here."
Wen Zhan didn't respond and simply walked out of the room.
After he left, her colleague eagerly leaned in, clearly excited. "Shunuan, I didn't know you had such a handsome ex-boyfriend! He's totally a white-coat god!"
Hearing her colleague's praise for Wen Zhan, Gu Shunuan scoffed. "Don't be fooled by his gentle and harmless appearance. There's a saying: 'All that glitters is not gold.' He's the perfect example of a scumbag in disguise!"
"So... did he cheat on you? Is that why you broke up?"
Gu Shunuan nodded firmly, her face full of righteous anger. "He was flirting with other girls while we were dating, using his looks to seduce innocent women. He's basically a real-life Chen Shimei—a male vixen!"
Her colleague, surprised by her indignation, asked, "If you hate him so much, why did you date him in the first place?"
At this, Gu Shunuan hesitated, feeling a bit embarrassed. After some awkward shifting, she finally said, "Well, back then I was young and foolish, and I was deceived by his seemingly innocent appearance."
The first time Gu Shunuan met Wen Zhan, the situation was quite similar to this one, though far more dangerous.
At the time, she was a freshman in college. Her classmates had organized a barbecue by the river, and after eating, she decided to take a walk along the riverbank by herself. She had walked a fair distance and was about to head back when she saw a little boy drowning. Without a second thought, Gu Shunuan's sense of justice kicked in, and she dove into the water.
It took all her strength to push the drowning boy to the shallow area, but in the process, she cramped up and couldn't move.
As a wave hit her, she was swept further away by the current.
What happened after that, Gu Shunuan didn't remember clearly.
All she recalled was waking up to find Wen Zhan leaning over her—performing CPR.
Groggy from having swallowed a stomachful of river water, Gu Shunuan thought someone was taking advantage of her, so she slapped him hard. The crisp sound of the slap startled the group of children watching.
Not caring about anything else, Gu Shunuan scrambled to her feet and began cursing Wen Zhan, "Pervert! Scoundrel! How shameless can you be?"
The slap was strong, and Wen Zhan's face stung with pain. Hearing her accusations, he was so angry he laughed. "Miss, I just saved your life."
The children around them chimed in, "Yeah, big sister, this big brother saved you."
Gu Shunuan's face fell as conflicting emotions swirled inside her—gratitude for being saved mixed with the frustration of having lost her first kiss this way. She shot him a glance and muttered under her breath, "My first kiss... just gone like that..."
Even though she spoke softly, Wen Zhan heard her. He rubbed his nose, his ears turning slightly red.
"As if it wasn't my first kiss too."
At that, their eyes met, and a strange tension filled the air.
They both stood frozen, but Wen Zhan's face grew redder. Before Gu Shunuan could figure out why, he stood up, grabbed his backpack from the side, and pulled out a jacket, tossing it to her.
Gu Shunuan was stunned for a moment before realizing that her thin T-shirt had become see-through after getting wet, revealing her bra underneath.
Now it was Gu Shunuan's turn to blush.
In that instant, not only was her first kiss gone, but so was her dignity.
Gu Shunuan practically fled in embarrassment.
When she got back to where her classmates were barbecuing, her roommate noticed her drenched clothes and the fact that she was wearing a boy's jacket. Their gaze turned teasing.
"Well, well, Shunuan, did you sneak off to find a boyfriend behind our backs?"
Gu Shunuan waved her hand dismissively and pointed toward the river. "See that?"
Her roommate was puzzled. "See what?"
"That's the boyfriend I found. Go ahead, call him dad."
"..."
Compared to their first intense encounter, Gu Shunuan and Wen Zhan's second meeting was much more lighthearted.
That day, Gu Shunuan was attending a social event on the school's big lawn with her club seniors. Halfway through, one of the seniors received a phone call and left for a while. When he returned, he was accompanied by a group of people, introducing them as his classmates from the medical school.
At the time, Gu Shunuan was engrossed in reading a detective manga on her phone. She barely glanced up when the senior greeted everyone, not paying attention to who had arrived.
After a while, she felt someone sit down next to her. Then a hand reached over and pointed to a character on her manga screen, saying, "This person is the murderer."
Gu Shunuan was instantly annoyed, her mind racing with thoughts. She turned her head sharply, only to find Wen Zhan sitting beside her. Remembering their awkward first encounter, her face flushed red again, and the words she intended to say got stuck in her throat.
Perhaps he had just come from the lab, as there was a faint scent of disinfectant on him.
The evening breeze blew by, carrying the smell of osmanthus flowers, and strangely enough, it made Gu Shunuan feel a sense of comfort.
She also remembered the incident where she had fallen into the river. Since she had fled in embarrassment, she hadn't even thanked him properly.
Gathering her thoughts, Gu Shunuan looked at him and said, "Thanks for saving me last time. Oh, and I've already washed your clothes. They're in my dorm; I'll get them for you later."
Wen Zhan glanced around and suggested, "How about you get them now? I've been in the lab all day and I'm a bit tired. I'd like to head back early to rest."
Gu Shunuan, who had already been bored enough to read manga on her phone, saw this as a good excuse. While no one was paying attention, she and Wen Zhan quietly sneaked away.
She went to her dorm, fetched his clothes, and ran back down to give them to him. Wen Zhan took the clothes and turned to leave.
But after just a few steps, he stopped, turned back to her, and asked, "Hey, do you want to grab a late-night snack?"
The clean-cut, confident young man stood under the soft glow of the streetlamp, flashing her a broad, carefree smile.
At that moment, Gu Shunuan wasn't sure what came over her—perhaps she was dazzled by his looks—but she ended up going with him for that late-night snack.
Later, when they were officially dating, Gu Shunuan recalled that evening and asked Wen Zhan, "When we were at that lawn social, it was only the second time we'd met. Plus, it was dark there—how did you recognize me so quickly? Were you already scheming something?"
Wen Zhan put down the book he was reading, looked at her with affectionate eyes, and gently brushed a hand through her hair. "I admit I was interested in you, but I recognized you at the lawn because you hadn't washed your hair that day. It was so greasy it was practically glowing."
"…"
Now that she thought about it, Gu Shunuan couldn't figure out why she liked Wen Zhan so much. Sure, he was good-looking, but he had a sharp tongue and was the epitome of a typical straight man.
Back when they were together, she once had severe menstrual cramps and called him from her dorm. He braved the cold to bring her brown sugar water.
But besides the brown sugar water, he also brought a packet of acupuncture needles, earnestly suggesting, "Next time you have cramps, just poke these into the acupoints."
At the time, Gu Shunuan was so deeply in love that she refrained from sticking those needles in his face.
But after they broke up, she actually did something like that.
She sneaked into his dorm and scattered a handful of embroidery needles under his bedsheet, fully intending to "stab" the shameless jerk to avenge her broken heart.
Although Gu Shunuan used to resent Wen Zhan to the point of gnashing her teeth, she didn't want to hold onto those grudges anymore—especially since he was now her primary doctor, and her life was in his hands. She couldn't afford to be reckless.
Gu Shunuan's parents lived in another city, but upon learning that she was injured, her mother, Mrs. Gu, rushed over to take care of her.
When Wen Zhan entered the hospital room, Mrs. Gu was peeling an apple for Gu Shunuan while scolding her, "I urged you to get married, not because I thought you couldn't find someone. Now look at you—broke your leg! Who's going to want you after this?"
Gu Shunuan was initially letting her mother ramble, but the moment Wen Zhan stepped into the room, she snapped to attention and quickly interrupted her mother.
"Mom, what are you talking about? I went to catch the bouquet because I already have a boyfriend. I caught the bouquet, so the wedding is happening soon."
Wen Zhan's eyes darkened at her words as he silently approached her bedside.
Back when Gu Shunuan and Wen Zhan were dating, Mrs. Gu hadn't known about it, so she didn't recognize Wen Zhan. However, she couldn't help but notice the handsome doctor who was treating her daughter.
Gu Shunuan glanced at Wen Zhan but ignored him, turning to her mother instead. "Mom, you don't believe me? I really do have a boyfriend…"
Before Mrs. Gu could respond, Wen Zhan let out a cold chuckle, his tone indifferent. "Miss Gu, you've been hospitalized for several days now, and the only man who visited you was that balding boss on the first day. Is your boyfriend your boss?"
"My boyfriend is just busy and doesn't have time to visit me," she retorted, somewhat childishly. But then she realized there was no point in arguing with him and huffed, turning away from him in a huff.
As soon as Wen Zhan left, Gu Shunuan called Qin Yu, the most attractive guy in her company, asking him to pretend to be her boyfriend. But Qin Yu refused.
"Director Gu, you may be my boss, but you can't abuse your power. You're eager to get married, but I'm still a young, fresh guy. If you do this, you'll ruin my innocence..."
Gu Shunuan gritted her teeth, "Cut the nonsense. If you come, I'll help you get together with the receptionist."
"Deal."
The next day, Qin Yu came by after work, and as luck would have it, he ran into Wen Zhan at the hospital room door. Quick-witted as he was, Qin Yu greeted Wen Zhan first, "You must be Nuan Nuan's attending doctor, right? Nice to meet you, I'm her boyfriend, Qin Yu."
Qin Yu extended his hand, but Wen Zhan merely glanced at it and said, "No need for a handshake. I just finished surgery and don't want to get blood on you."
At first, the comment seemed innocent enough, but on second thought, it gave Qin Yu pause.
Whose blood?
Did this former boyfriend of Gu Shunuan's have a ruthless streak?
Qin Yu began to regret taking on this role just to win over the receptionist.
Wen Zhan was there for a routine check-up, something that usually only took a few minutes. But today, he lingered, eventually pulling up a chair and sitting down as if he belonged there.
Since there was only one chair in the room, Wen Zhan took it, leaving Qin Yu without a place to sit. Gu Shunuan patted the edge of her bed, "Come on, Qin Yu, sit here."
Just as Qin Yu was about to sit down, Wen Zhan stood up, grabbed him by the arm, and despite his objections, pushed him into the chair, taking a seat beside Gu Shunuan on the bed instead, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
Both Gu Shunuan and Qin Yu couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their mouths.
Noticing the hostility in Gu Shunuan's tone, Wen Zhan raised an eyebrow slightly and asked her, "Do you really dislike me that much? I'm just curious about the guy who replaced me as your boyfriend."
Gu Shunuan corrected him, "Ex-boyfriend."
Having already been briefed by Gu Shunuan on the phone, Qin Yu sensed the tension and chimed in, "So you're the infamous ex, huh? Nuan Nuan told me she got cheated on by an old, shameless guy. I imagined someone else… I didn't expect you to be so young."
Qin Yu was three years younger than Gu Shunuan, and Wen Zhan was a year older than her. So, Qin Yu calling Wen Zhan "old" wasn't entirely baseless.
However, Wen Zhan's face darkened upon hearing this.
Wen Zhan stayed in the hospital room for a while before a nurse called him away, saying another patient in a different room needed attention.
Qin Yu also stayed for about half an hour before leaving, but not without reminding her repeatedly, "Big sister, don't forget about my receptionist crush, okay?"
Gu Shunuan promised him that as soon as her leg healed and she was back at work, she would play matchmaker for them. Only then did Qin Yu leave with peace of mind.
Gu Shunuan, who was staying in a private room, thought she would finally get some peace once everyone left. But just as Qin Yu walked out the door, Wen Zhan walked back in.
The relief Gu Shunuan had felt moments ago quickly evaporated, and she snapped, "What are you doing back here?"
Wen Zhan, however, walked over to her with a serious expression and asked, "Who did you call an 'old man'?"
Gu Shunuan didn't respond, so he took a step closer, "And who did you say cheated?"
"Whoever cheats is who I'm talking about!" Gu Shunuan's tone was firm, though she instinctively leaned back a bit.
In general, she was more assertive around men, but with one leg out of commission, she would be at a severe disadvantage if Wen Zhan got angry and resorted to violence.
"So, Gu Shunuan, you broke up with me because you thought I cheated?"
Gu Shunuan let out a cold snort, her tone even more hostile. "At least you're self-aware."
Her words were meant to mock Wen Zhan, but instead, he smiled.
Gu Shunuan had never encountered such a shameless man before. He was being accused of cheating, yet here he was, grinning like it was no big deal.
Remembering the hurt and frustration from the past, Gu Shunuan's eyes reddened, and with her free hand, she slapped Wen Zhan across the face.
"Get out!"
And surprisingly, Wen Zhan actually left, covering his face, looking oddly pleased.
"…"
Gu Shunuan sighed and rubbed her forehead.
What a shameless man!
Maybe it was the stress of dealing with Wen Zhan before bed, but that night, Gu Shunuan dreamt about the moment she first caught Wen Zhan cheating.
Wen Zhan had been her senior in university. They started dating at the end of her freshman year and stayed together until her junior year, when Wen Zhan was preparing to graduate.
Everything had been going well, and their relationship seemed solid. Gu Shunuan had even considered marrying Wen Zhan after graduation.
But life had other plans—Wen Zhan cheated before she could even graduate.
The first sign came during the rainy season.
That day, Gu Shunuan was reading in the library. When she stepped outside, it was raining. Since Wen Zhan's dorm was nearby, she texted him, asking if he could come pick her up. He replied that he was busy and didn't have time.
Gu Shunuan wasn't the type to make a fuss, so she decided to wait for the rain to stop before heading back, standing at the library entrance.
Not long after, she saw Wen Zhan walking past the library with another girl, sharing an umbrella. They quickly disappeared into the rain, never noticing her standing on the library steps.
Gu Shunuan stood there, watching them leave, feeling a knot in her chest.
She ended up walking back to her dorm in the rain, surprising her roommates who exclaimed, "Why didn't you call us to pick you up? And where's your handsome Wen?"
Gu Shunuan didn't respond, dazed. She didn't drink the hot water they brought her, took a shower, and went to bed with her hair still wet.
The next day, she woke up with a cold. Wen Zhan called, but she was too upset to answer.
Then, Wen Zhan didn't call again—for half a month, he disappeared completely.
Lying in bed with her cold, Gu Shunuan kept thinking it might have been a misunderstanding. Maybe Wen Zhan really was busy when he texted her and only helped the other girl later.
But that thought quickly crumbled—if he wasn't busy, and even walked by the library, why couldn't he come to pick her up?
He didn't even care when she was sick!
The more Gu Shunuan thought about it, the angrier she became. When Wen Zhan finally came to see her, she greeted him with a cold expression. Wen Zhan coaxed her for a long time before she finally sighed and said, "That day at the library, I saw you using the umbrella I gave you to walk that girl home."
Gu Shunuan thought that if Wen Zhan offered even the slightest explanation, she might be willing to forgive and forget.
But instead, Wen Zhan looked surprised. "You saw that?!"
His expression confirmed everything, and whatever hope Gu Shunuan had left shattered completely.
She didn't cause a scene, but in the days that followed, Wen Zhan still didn't reach out to her. When they did occasionally cross paths, he was always with that same girl.
Gu Shunuan's heart grew colder. She had always been a proud girl, and Wen Zhan's behavior felt like emotional neglect, pushing her toward breaking up with him.
So, just before Wen Zhan's graduation, Gu Shunuan ended things. She didn't have the courage to do it face-to-face, so she sent him a text message and blocked him on all platforms before he could even reply.
Afraid of the awkwardness of running into him at school, Gu Shunuan took a leave of absence and stayed away for a long time, like a turtle hiding in its shell.
Only after Wen Zhan and his classmates graduated did she return to campus.
She refused to be the kind of foolish woman who would cry and beg after being abandoned.
Even though she loved him deeply, if he no longer cared for her, she wouldn't force it.
In her memories, she was so strong, but now, under the covers, Gu Shunuan bit her blanket and cried through the night.
Pretending she didn't care because she knew she couldn't have him.
The brave warrior by day, only daring to turn her blanket into armor and cry secretly at night.
When Gu Shunuan woke up the next day and saw her puffy eyes in the mirror, she hated Wen Zhan even more.
When Wen Zhan came to check on her, Gu Shunuan rolled her eyes so hard it hurt, and Wen Zhan, unable to bear it, reached out to cover her eyes.
"If you keep rolling them like that, you'll go blind."
Gu Shunuan slapped his hand away, snapping, "I wish I would go blind so I wouldn't have to see scum like you."
Hearing her call him "scum," Wen Zhan sighed helplessly. "Nuannuan, if I wasn't the scum you think I am, would you still have broken up with me?"
"Scum is scum, there are no ifs, and who said you could call me Nuannuan?!"
Seeing her about to explode, Wen Zhan wisely shut his mouth. Any further and there would be no way to salvage the situation.
After finishing his check-up, Wen Zhan left, but Gu Shunuan was still fuming. It had been years since they broke up, and yet here he was, acting all clingy. She waited until after Qin Yu finished work, then called him, asking him to come over and continue pretending to be her boyfriend.
Qin Yu had originally planned to have dinner with friends after work, but thinking about the receptionist he had a crush on, he turned his car around and headed to the hospital where Gu Shunuan was staying.
When Qin Yu arrived, Wen Zhan was already sitting by Gu Shunuan's bedside.
But Gu Shunuan ignored Wen Zhan. When Qin Yu walked in, holding the fruits she had asked him to buy, he cheerfully announced, "Nuannuan, I brought your favorite fruits…"
Before he could finish, Wen Zhan glanced at the bag in Qin Yu's hand, frowning.
"She can't eat mangoes."
Qin Yu was startled by Wen Zhan's stern tone. After a moment, he stammered, "Who said that? Nuannuan loves mangoes! She grabs them first at every company gathering."
"She likes them but can't eat them because she's allergic. Mangoes cause her to break out in hives, but she's a glutton who occasionally sneaks some despite the risk."
Wen Zhan, dressed in a white coat with a white shirt underneath, looked as pristine as freshly fallen snow, his gaze sharp and cold. "As her boyfriend, I thought you would know this."
Qin Yu was at a loss for words. He glanced at Gu Shunuan, who was also looking a bit exasperated.
Wen Zhan continued, "As her boyfriend, you should know what she likes to eat, what she doesn't, what she loves but can't have, and what she hates but must eat."
Gu Shunuan and Qin Yu exchanged awkward glances, the atmosphere becoming somewhat tense.
Having said his piece, Wen Zhan didn't linger. He gave Gu Shunuan a meaningful look before leaving.
Qin Yu stood at the door, watching Wen Zhan walk away before eagerly scurrying over to Gu Shunuan's bedside.
"Nuannuan, I don't think Wen Zhan is the scumbag you say he is. On the contrary, he seems to care about you quite a lot."
Gu Shunuan gritted her teeth in frustration. "Qin Yu, whose side are you on? Do you still want to make progress with that receptionist you like?"
Only then did Qin Yu obediently fall silent.
However, the next day, when Gu Shunuan called Qin Yu again, he didn't show up.
She tried to threaten him with the receptionist, but this time, he surprisingly stood his ground. "Nuannuan, I've realized that if I want happiness, I have to fight for it myself."
Gu Shunuan sighed and hung up the phone, feeling helpless.
Meanwhile, on the other end, after hanging up, Qin Yu looked up at Wen Zhan, who was sitting across from him, and smiled obsequiously.
"Bro, you weren't kidding, our company's receptionist really is your neighbor?"
Wen Zhan nodded. "So, as a favor in return, shouldn't you tell me about Gu Shunuan?"
Qin Yu nodded eagerly. "Of course!"
...
Poor Gu Shunuan had no idea that someone was digging into her past.
That night, she was drifting in and out of sleep on her hospital bed when she felt someone climb into bed beside her.
Startled, she was about to scream when the person wrapped their arms around her from behind and snuggled into her. A soft voice whispered, "It's me."
It was Wen Zhan. Gu Shunuan's tense nerves relaxed, but she still pushed him away.
"Wen Zhan, enough is enough. We ended things a long time ago."
But Wen Zhan only held her tighter. "That's just your wishful thinking. The breakup you mentioned was only your decision. I never agreed to it."
Despite her love for him, Gu Shunuan's heart softened at his words. But something was still blocking her from fully embracing her feelings for Wen Zhan.
Sensing that she was about to push him away again, Wen Zhan leaned in close, his lips brushing against her ear.
"Nuannuan, I don't want to break up with you. I didn't then, I don't now, and I won't in the future. That day, when you saw me walking that girl back to her dorm...
"I really didn't know you were waiting for me at the library. I was busy in the lab, and the message you sent me got deleted by that girl before I could see it.
"When I left the lab, it was raining, so I just walked her back. I never realized you were upset because of that."
Hearing the long-buried misunderstanding explained like this, Gu Shunuan was suddenly at a loss for how to react.
Should she break down in tears, or should she curl up in Wen Zhan's arms and sob, apologizing for misunderstanding him?
She sat there, dazed, before finally responding with a faint, "Oh."
Wen Zhan nuzzled into the crook of her neck, his short hair brushing against her skin, sending a tingling sensation through her that made her stiffen.
"That time was so hectic with graduation, and then you suddenly told me we were breaking up and disappeared."
"Graduation, work, and the breakup—it all weighed on me so heavily I could barely breathe. I even thought about giving up on you, but in the end, I chose to stay in the city where you are."
"Today, I asked that girl about what happened back then. When she told me the truth, I felt such relief. So, it turns out you didn't break up with me because you stopped loving me."
Gu Shunuan gave a small, bitter laugh. "So what? We're broken up anyway."
"It's not the same! If you didn't love me anymore, no matter how hard I tried, you wouldn't come back. But if it was just a misunderstanding, then we can clear it up and keep loving each other."
Gu Shunuan felt a lump in her throat, her eyes starting to well up.
She still loved him, loved him to death. Every time she woke in the middle of the night, it was him she thought of.
She was also relieved—so it was all just a misunderstanding, and he hadn't stopped loving her after all.
But her pride got the best of her. Though she was deeply moved, she still put on a front, acting nonchalant.
"Who said I'm going to get back together with you?"
Wen Zhan chuckled softly, gently nudging her injured leg with his own. "You better get back together with me, or I'll break your other leg too."
Gu Shunuan was speechless.
All the emotions she had just felt evaporated, and she mustered all her strength to push Wen Zhan off the bed.
"Get out!"
Gu Shunuan had been lying in the hospital for a while. Her leg injury wasn't too severe, so she decided to use crutches to go handle her discharge paperwork.
Word had spread throughout the hospital about Gu Shunuan's relationship with Wen Zhan. The young nurse who was attending to her looked troubled, worried that if she let Gu Shunuan go, Wen Zhan would be upset.
As Gu Shunuan was pleading with the nurse, Wen Zhan appeared. He stood behind her, making it very clear to everyone around by casually wrapping an arm around her waist, smiling warmly.
"Getting discharged?"
"Going home. I don't want to see you again."
Gu Shunuan expected Wen Zhan to be angry, but instead, he nodded. "Alright, let's go. Remember, a bone injury takes a hundred days to heal. Make sure you rest well at home."
She couldn't figure out what he was up to, but in front of him, she still went through with the discharge formalities. Her colleague was waiting for her at the door, and after grabbing her things, she bid farewell to the hospital and Wen Zhan.
As Gu Shunuan walked away, the young nurse couldn't help but ask Wen Zhan, "Dr. Wen, you're just letting her leave like that?"
"I know her home address, her colleague's address, her company, and the coffee shops she frequents. I even know which bus she takes to work when she doesn't drive. Letting her go doesn't really change anything, does it?"
Wen Zhan paused, then added with a smile, "Besides, the hospital isn't exactly the best place for romance."
Wen Zhan still looked pristine in his white lab coat, as spotless as snow.
But the young nurse couldn't shake the feeling that this Dr. Wen was more like a big bad wolf toying with a little white rabbit.
Gentle and refined to outsiders, but cunning and devious with his beloved.
Back at work, Gu Shunuan hobbled into the office on her crutches, only to discover that Qin Yu had gotten quite close with the receptionist.
Upon inquiry, she found out that the receptionist was actually Wen Zhan's neighbor. The receptionist had always harbored feelings for Qin Yu but found him too carefree and unreliable. But with Wen Zhan's intervention, the two had finally gotten together.
The receptionist had always been on good terms with Gu Shunuan, but now she seemed to have switched sides.
Watching them act all lovey-dovey, Gu Shunuan felt like the whole world had abandoned her.
Noticing Gu Shunuan's mood, the receptionist brought a small cake to her office during lunch.
"Nuannuan," the receptionist called sweetly.
"Traitor!" Gu Shunuan snorted, showing her disinterest.
The receptionist still walked over and placed the cake on Gu Shunuan's desk.
"Nuannuan, are you still mad at Wen Zhan? Didn't he explain everything to you? It was all a misunderstanding."
Gu Shunuan's attention was entirely on the cake, not hearing a word the receptionist said. Seeing no response, the receptionist grew nervous and quickly added, "Nuannuan, Wen Zhan really likes you. I live right next to him, and I've never seen any other women around him.
"One Valentine's Day, I saw him alone and jokingly asked why he didn't have a girlfriend. He said he did, but it seemed she didn't like him anymore."
Gu Shunuan kept eyeing the cake, planning to take a big bite once the receptionist left.
The receptionist continued, "Another time, I saw him come home drunk, carried back by a friend. Even then, he was mumbling your name, 'Nuannuan, Nuannuan,' like he was in so much pain. You should just get back together with him."
This was only half true. Wen Zhan had indeed been drunk, but he had been sitting at his doorstep, crying incoherently. He hadn't actually said Gu Shunuan's name, or else the receptionist would have known long ago that Gu Shunuan was his ex.
But such an embarrassing story was something Wen Zhan would never let her reveal.
Gu Shunuan's hand was already reaching for the cake when the receptionist, thinking she hadn't gotten through, was about to continue speaking. But Gu Shunuan finally responded.
"I don't actually mind getting back together with him. It's just that he threatened to break my leg if I didn't agree. That's clearly blackmail. If I agreed right then, wouldn't I lose all my dignity?"
"So, I'm just stalling for a bit. I'll say yes after I go for a follow-up at the hospital in a few days."
The receptionist, delighted, finally left.
After finishing the cake, Gu Shunuan found herself unable to calm down. Her mind kept replaying the image of Wen Zhan drunkenly calling her name. The more she thought about it, the more a smile crept onto her face, sweeter than the cake she had just eaten.
What should she do? She really wanted to see him.
Gu Shunuan spent the entire afternoon wrestling with her feelings, but in the end, she couldn't contain her excitement. She pulled out her phone and sent Wen Zhan a text message.
"Let's get back together."
After sending the message, she waited for over ten minutes with no reply. Growing impatient, she decided to call him, but no one answered.
He must be in surgery, she thought.
Even though she knew he would respond as soon as the surgery was over, she couldn't help herself and hobbled to the hospital on her crutches.
As soon as she reached the entrance to Wen Zhan's office, she saw a crowd gathered—doctors, nurses, and even patients were there watching something.
When Gu Shunuan got closer, she realized it was the boyfriend of the woman who had just undergone surgery. Having heard that his girlfriend might need an amputation, he was furious and had come to confront Wen Zhan.
Wen Zhan had just finished the surgery and looked visibly tired, which made Gu Shunuan's heart ache.
Despite the man's aggressive behavior, Wen Zhan remained silent, quietly enduring the confrontation.
Seeing that Wen Zhan wasn't fighting back, the man got even more enraged and seemed ready to throw a punch. Gu Shunuan couldn't take it anymore; she pushed through the crowd and swung her crutch at the man's leg when he wasn't looking.
Wen Zhan was startled to see Gu Shunuan suddenly appear. He froze for a moment, then watched as the man, infuriated by Gu Shunuan's strike, raised his fist at her. Without thinking, Wen Zhan pulled her into his arms, taking the punch on his back.
Just then, the hospital security arrived and pulled the man away.
The punch was heavy, and Wen Zhan winced in pain, which only made Gu Shunuan angrier. She poked her head out from Wen Zhan's embrace and shouted at the man.
"Enough! I understand you're worried about your girlfriend, and that's perfectly fine, but you shouldn't be taking it out on others—especially not on my boyfriend!"
"We've been apart for years, and we were just about to get back together. But because of your girlfriend's surgery, he didn't even have time to reply to my message."
"Why is it that the one person I can't bully has to suffer from your outburst..."
Before she could finish, Gu Shunuan started choking up. The man, now subdued by the security, also quieted down, while Gu Shunuan clung to Wen Zhan's white coat, sobbing in front of everyone.
Before her tears could escalate further, Wen Zhan half-carried her into his office.
The young nurse outside, sensing the situation, discreetly dispersed the crowd.
Inside the office, Gu Shunuan finally let out all her pent-up frustration, crying uncontrollably as she clung to Wen Zhan's coat, using it to wipe her tears.
Sitting on a chair, she saw Wen Zhan kneeling slightly in front of her, gazing at her gently. "I'm sorry," he said softly. "I'm wearing a white coat, so I can't fight for you, but I can take the punches for you."
Gu Shunuan continued crying, and after a while, she hiccuped through her tears, "I sent you a text. Did you see it?"
Wen Zhan made a sound of acknowledgment, then pulled out his phone. Sure enough, there was the message from Gu Shunuan, asking to get back together. He smiled, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.
When they finally broke apart, he leaned close to her ear, whispering in a low, mesmerizing voice, "Alright, we'll get back together. We'll never break up again."
Gu Shunuan sniffled, "Are you still going to break my leg?"
Wen Zhan shook his head, "No, I wouldn't dare. From now on, if I do anything wrong, you can break my leg instead. I promise I won't resist."
Finally, Gu Shunuan smiled through her tears.
They say that after a storm comes a rainbow. Fortunately, after all the storms they had weathered, they found each other again at the end of the rainbow.
From this day forward, the decades to come will be a journey they walk together.