Chapter 69

Xin Chanxi returned home, did ten extra push-ups in one go in the training room, then collapsed exhausted on the floor.

If it weren't for today's chance encounter.

For these many days, about Wang Chuan, apart from what her eyes saw, she knew nothing else about him.

"Tomorrow, I'll go find Senior Sister Pei and ask about Wang Chuan."

Wang Chuan added another piece to the puzzle in Xin Chanxi's heart: family upheaval, yet he never gave up, forging ahead through thorns and brambles.

After bathing, Xin Chanxi put on a white nightgown, kicked off her slippers, stepped barefoot on the floor, took a few steps, then launched herself like a hungry tiger pouncing on prey, slamming onto the bed.

The soft, fluffy pillow wrapped around her delicate, smooth face. This novel is originally published on TianTian Kan XiaoShuo, ttks. tw, offering you a seamless reading experience with no errors or disordered chapters.

The quilt and pillow carried the scent of the Sun—obviously, the maid had taken them out to dry all day.

"Wang Chuan, are you asleep? I'm really sorry tonight."

Xin Chanxi still couldn't resist sending a text, thinking that six hours had passed since one a. m. —his mood should've calmed by now.

After sixty seconds, no reply. Xin Chanxi sighed—he must've fallen asleep.

A beep, the screen lit up: "I was just about to sleep."

Wang Chuan had just finished his twelfth round of Virtual Operation Training: six virtual hours, spanning from midnight to one a. m. in real time.

Another beep: "I'm fine now. People should look forward. Aren't you sleeping?"

Xin Chanxi saw the two consecutive texts, her lips curled into a smile: "Can't sleep~~~"

"Then go to sleep early, that way you can~~~"

"Can do what?"

"Then you'll see me sooner in your dreams!"

Xin Chanxi read the message, her cheeks warming slightly: "Who wants to see you? (#^. ^#)"

But after a while, no reply came. She sent five more messages: "Wang Chuan, are you asleep?"

She waited half an hour—still no reply.

Xin Chanxi wrinkled her nose, pouted, furious, muttering: "He really fell asleep."

She looked up and spotted a fluffy toy on her desk—it was bought at the Mall on her way back, shaped like Doraemon dressed as a Doctor.

She got up, took a pen, and wrote on the toy's back tag: "Doctor, Wang."

Then she lay back on the bed, picked up the toy, and smiled: "From now on, you're not Doraemon anymore—you're my Doctor Wang."

She swung her pink fist and flattened Doraemon's face: "Sleeping, huh? Not replying to my texts?"

Xin Chanxi took out her Mobile Phone and took a selfie of her silly expression, with the squashed Doraemon face beside her.

She snapped over a dozen photos, ready to send them to Wang Chuan—then remembered his Mobile Phone couldn't receive pictures.

"Forget it. I'll send them to you when you get a new phone."

When Pei Nanli got home, Ning Hui, who was reading on the sofa, asked: "Did you eat dinner?"

"Mom, I already ate."

"You didn't come home for dinner—why didn't you tell the family? Who did you have dinner with? Wang Chuan?"

"Yes, this afternoon Wang Chuan took me to sign up for driving lessons. Tonight, we went to Little Fat Sheep with two friends."

Pei Nanli walked up to her mother: "Mom, I've told you everything. What else do you want to know?"

Ning Hui was about to speak, but Pei Nanli added: "I know you only mean well—you're afraid I'll get into danger."

"And you even went out of your way to notify the Hospital's Medical Affairs Section—so now, during my internship, I never have to work the Night Shift again."

"Hey, that was your father's doing—why blame it on me, Xiao Li?"

Pei Nanli ignored her, turned, kicked off her slippers, took off her jeans, revealing long, snow-white legs, then pulled off her white T-shirt—bang—the Bathroom door slammed shut.

Soon, water gushed from the showerhead, a roaring splash filling the air.

Ning Hui checked the jeans left outside, pulled out Pei Nanli's Mobile Phone contact list, and saved Wang Chuan's number into her own phone.

She also saw the text inviting Doctor Yang Fang to dinner, followed by the cancellation.

"Yang Fang—that's Yang Guohua's nephew, also an outstanding young doctor."

She also saved Yang Fang's number into her own phone.

Pei Nanli's Notebook password hadn't been changed; Ning Hui had checked it these past few days—no emails between Pei Nanli and Fang Yuan.

In the shower, Pei Nanli thought: Xin Chanxi seems to have feelings for Wang Chuan.

Maybe one day she'll become Wang Chuan's girlfriend.

A high schooler and a graduating male student—is that even possible?

Oh right, they're only two years apart—such an age gap in romance is normal.

The image of Xin Chanxi and Wang Chuan standing before her, both smiling, stirred a faint unease in Pei Nanli's heart.

"Tomorrow, I'll ask Xin Chanxi more about this."

"Xiao Li, your nightgown's hanging on the doorknob. Next time, bring it into the Bathroom—you can take off your clothes in there."

Pei Nanli didn't respond to her mother's words.

The next day at seven a. m., Wang Chuan saw Xin Chanxi's text, smiled, and replied: "I'm sleeping during the Day Shift today—I'm on the Night Shift."

He then activated his thirteenth round of Virtual Operation Training: six virtual hours, spanning from seven to eight a. m. in real time.

He walked to the Street by the Hospital entrance, bought breakfast, returned to the Dormitory, and went back to sleep to restore his energy.

He woke again at two p. m., his energy fully restored.

The Canteen hours were over, so he headed alone to the Southwest Restaurant—the same place he'd gone before with Li Wei and Luo De.

"Boss, one serving of hui guo rou, one serving of stir-fried greens, two bowls of rice."

Since getting his salary, Wang Chuan no longer skimped on meals.

The Waitress brought the food; Wang Chuan ventured to ask: "Are you the younger brother of Doctor Shen Mianshuang?"

"You know my sister?"

"Of course, I'm also from Mingzhou First Hospital."

"Hello, I'm Shen Xiaobing." The younger brother smiled, his skin dark but his teeth bright white.

"Wang Chuan!"

"Doctor Wang, do you know whether my sister is dating anyone?"

Wang Chuan was surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"Yesterday, your hospital paid out salaries. My sister's pay was two thousand eight hundred yuan. She was supposed to give me two thousand, but she only gave me one thousand. I'm thinking some pretty boy is swindling my sister's wages."

Wang Chuan listened and was about to speak when suddenly Shen Xiaobing's mobile phone rang in his trouser pocket.

"Hello, got it, can we not push the time back a bit?"

"What, the thirteenth, where am I supposed to get five thousand yuan."

Shen Xiaobing stood at the restaurant door holding his mobile phone, very agitated.

After hanging up, he turned back and asked Wang Chuan: "Doctor Wang, what do you say, got any idea?"

"I don't know. Don't you have a job yourself? Why are you still asking your sister for money?" Wang Chuan had a guess in his mind.

Shen Xiaobing lit a cigarette and laughed: "A man, sometimes you play a few cards, sit in on some mahjong, winning and losing is normal. Sometimes you have to go hang out at the clubs, expenses are naturally big."

This Shen Xiaobing was a gambler of a younger brother. Wang Chuan said nothing more and lowered his head to eat.

Finishing quickly, Wang Chuan left the restaurant, crossed the road heading back to the hospital gate. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of someone at the door of a small supermarket nearby.

A very familiar person — he'd seen him buying breakfast this morning, seen him at the mouth of the alley when passing the restaurant earlier, and now again under the big tree on the street.

Very strange — in the morning he had a thick beard, at noon he wore a hat, and now he had neither beard nor hat.

But a small knife scar on his chin was still there. Relying on Wang Chuan's extraordinary memory, it was the same person, definitely the same person.

'Shit, someone's tailing me?'