"Dr. Fu really doesn't have a girlfriend?"
"What's the point of lying to you? I heard Doctor Xie say that on weekdays for these past few years, Dr. Fu has been staying in the hospital dorm every day, eating all three meals in the cafeteria. Would someone with a girlfriend do that?"
"But..."
In the midst of their conversation, suddenly a gentle female voice spoke up, "Sorry to interrupt."
Both of them looked up to see a woman standing before them.
Dressed in a white fringed dress, she was very beautiful and carried herself with composure, speaking softly and a faint smile lingering on her face, "Hello, could you tell me how to get to Dr. Fu's office?"
Looking for Dr. Fu?
The young nurse immediately fixed her gaze on her.
"Straight ahead, the neurosurgery office is right there."
"Okay, thank you..."
Her cellphone suddenly rang, and Xia Zhixi answered, "Ah Yan?"
Hearing this intimate nickname, both of their faces changed slightly.
"I'm already on the eighteenth floor, okay, I'll come find you now, wait for me." After hanging up the phone, Xia Zhixi nodded with a smile, "Thank you both."
"You're welcome."
Once Xia Zhixi's slender figure had left, the young nurse immediately asked, "Who is she?"
"Could she be Dr. Fu's girlfriend?"
"I heard her calling him Ah Yan..."
**
Upon arriving at the neurosurgery office, Fu Yan was standing in front of the water dispenser, getting water.
Wearing a white lab coat over a light-colored shirt, with the top two buttons casually undone, and those scholarly glasses, he looked impeccably dressed from head to toe.
"Ah Yan."
Xia Zhixi walked in with a smile, "I hope I'm not being too presumptuous coming here. Am I disturbing your work?"
"It's fine," Fu Yan put down the disposable cup. "Give me the films."
Xia Zhixi opened the bag she was carrying, "My mom has been suffering from severe headaches lately. She's seen a doctor at another hospital, who said it was nothing and prescribed some painkillers, but I'm not reassured, so I wanted to ask you to take a closer look at her."
Fu Yan didn't say anything, taking the films and examining them intently.
The room was quiet.
Xia Zhixi took a sip of water, her gaze falling on his face.
She had been abroad for three years and felt he had changed quite a bit.
Although the man before her had only added a pair of glasses compared to three years ago, she always felt like there was a layer of mist, somewhat elusive...
"No tumors found; she should be fine," Fu Yan quickly finished reviewing the films. "Some headaches might be psychological. If you're really worried, you can have your aunt see a psychologist. Make sure she communicates more in daily life..."
Xia Zhixi nodded repeatedly.
Having dealt with the important matter, she extended an invitation, "Are you free tonight? Since I've been back, I've always been busy with concert preparations and would like to invite all my friends out for dinner..."
"I'm not free," Fu Yan flatly refused.
"I heard outside that you've been living in the hospital dorm on weekdays for the past few years. What's the deal? Could it be that you've secretly found a girlfriend behind your colleagues' backs?" Xia Zhixi half-joked, "So were yesterday's earrings for your girlfriend?"
Fu Yan chuckled lowly, "I don't have a girlfriend."
Xia Zhixi felt relieved, "Well, since that's the case..."
"But I'm married."
At these words, Xia Zhixi couldn't control the change in her expression, "What did you say?"
Fu Yan raised his hand.
That's when she noticed the man's left ring finger adorned with a ring, simple in style and unnoticeable—it would be missed if not looked for carefully.
"That pair of earrings was for my wife," Fu Yan said steadily as he packed away the films. "So tonight, I need to go home to be with my wife."
One 'my wife' after another caused Xia Zhixi's brows to tighten, "Who is she?"
Fu Yan raised an eyebrow, seemingly pondering for a moment before answering, "My wife would rather not have me reveal it yet."
"Is she a public figure?" Xia Zhixi couldn't help her curiosity.
Fu Yan nodded.
It was as if he agreed.
Watching the smile on his face, Xia Zhixi's heart kept sinking.
Two seconds later, she quickly stood up, "All right then, let's schedule another time. I have something to attend to and must leave now."
If she stayed any longer, she feared she might lose her composure.
Having prepared herself mentally and found the most dignified reason to visit him at the hospital, even extending an invitation in the subtlest way...
She didn't expect to find out he was married!
**
Not long after Xia Zhixi left, Fu Yan received a call from someone.
"Fu Er, are you fucking toxic or what?"
"Call you daddy for what?"
"Damn!" Lu Jiangnian cursed, "If you're not available just say you're not available, why lie to Zhixi that you got married? Even if we take a step back and say you don't like her now, you shouldn't use that kind of reason to reject her, right? Do you know that it's very hurtful?"
The computer screen displayed a Weibo search interface, and Fu Yan clicked on the video of the "Palace" startup ceremony from earlier in the afternoon.
In the video, Sheng Congzhi, dressed in a rose-pink gown, gracefully walked the red carpet, occasionally smiling subtly at the camera, every gesture filled with charm.
Fu Yan couldn't help but slightly curl his lips, "Who told you that I ever liked her?"
Lu Jiangnian was so angry he could barely restrain himself, "If you didn't like her, why were you always hanging around her back then? Even after she turned down the arranged marriage, you became so depressed that you moved out of the Fu Family home? Since Zhixi went abroad, have you had any other women by your side these past few years, huh?"
After a round of accusations, he sighed, "I get it, men are all about face, but come on, almost enough is enough. Don't play around until you miss your chance again, you're not young anymore..."
"Lu Jiangnian, I'll make an appointment for you," Fu Yan interrupted.
Lu Jiangnian was on guard, "For what?"
Fu Yan leaned back, lazily reclining in his chair and chuckled, "You're twenty-nine and still don't have a proper girlfriend, I should make you an appointment with the urology department to see if there's a problem that needs to be treated early so your father doesn't have to worry."
"I'm perfectly fine!"
Fu Yan changed the subject while smiling, "How was the startup ceremony today?"
"It was packed with crowds, absolutely sensational! Just look at Weibo, it's all over the hot search with 'Palace', today has really blown up. This show is going to be a hit..." On to the serious business, Lu Jiangnian spoke with pride, "Also, there's something I'll only tell you."
"What is it?"
"That Ye Jiaorui is really..." Lu Jiangnian was livid with frustration, "At such a big event, she chose an inappropriate dress and guess what happened? Halfway down the red carpet, she suddenly fell, and her dress burst open, flashing everyone! Lucky there was no live broadcast today, otherwise she'd have definitely been all over the hot search..."
"Wouldn't making the hot search be even better?" Fu Yan teased.
Someone came into the office, and he stopped smiling, "Got to hang up."
He was still a bit too slow.
Doctor Xie had one hand on his shoulder, peeking over at the screen, "Holy shit, Yunjing's high and mighty flower is secretly watching my wife's video?"
"Your wife?" Fu Yan squinted.
"Didn't I tell you?" Xie Cheng clicked his tongue, "Sheng Congzhi, my new wife! I've contributed my vote to her winning the certain goddess contest this year!"
Fu Yan chuckled, "She's actually my wife."
"You're a fan of her husband too?" Xie Cheng extended his hand, "I never thought you'd like this type, doesn't look like it, handshake, handshake..."
Fu Yan couldn't be bothered with him and closed the Weibo page.
"But then again," Xie Cheng laughed, "my wife is indeed beautiful, great figure too—today's dress totally enthralled me, it's exploded all over the forums..."
Fu Yan didn't continue the conversation.
After Xie Cheng left, he opened WeChat, clicked on the top-marked "Wife," and started typing:
"Do you like this bow dress?"
Then quickly deleted it.
He revised with a new message: "Dinner together tonight? Also a chance to meet my friend."
Probably because she was still busy, Sheng Congzhi didn't reply.
Fu Yan wasn't in a hurry. He put down his phone and started to fill out a surgery report.
When the phone rang, he immediately picked it up.
But what he saw was...
Wife: [I have plans tonight, you eat on your own.]
Fu Yan: ...
**
After the interview ended, Sheng Congzhi had just returned to the dressing room when she received a phone call.
"Finally willing to take my call?"
The voice on the phone was loud and authoritative, with a tinge of blame.
"Where would I dare not take your call," Sheng Congzhi said with a smile, "Master."
A gentle calling of Master, yet Elder Luo was still not appeased, "I called you as soon as I got off the plane today, and it's been how long now..."
"Today's the startup ceremony, I've only just finished," Sheng Congzhi explained. "Don't worry, I've already agreed to what Old Lu asked of me."
"That's good," Elder Luo suggested. "You're done now, right? Just perfect, come over now, Old Lu's here too, he's treating us to dinner."
Sheng Congzhi gladly accepted, "Sure."
Tomorrow she would have to fly out of town to join the crew for filming, and for the next few months, she would practically be in seclusion. It wasn't easy to get out.
...
After changing her clothes, Sheng Congzhi set off for the restaurant.
She arrived an hour later.
After getting off the car, Sheng Congzhi told her assistant and driver to head back first.
"Sister Zhi, see you tomorrow."
As the nanny van drove away, a familiar black Bentley approached and stopped.
The passenger window rolled down, and Fu Yuting was seated inside, "Sheng Congzhi, what are you doing here?"