“Why aren’t you talking? Will you miss me?” When I remain silent, he adds, “Then I won’t go…”
Like smooth Belgian chocolate, sweet and lingering, my eyebrows reveal a satisfied smile. “Who would miss you? But Zhongtian wants to treat you to a meal. Since you have no time, forget it.”
“Treat me to a meal? Your fiancé is quite tactful.”
“In a government office, those who aren’t tactful can’t survive,” I respond, speaking from Yin Zhongtian’s perspective.
“But that doesn’t mean you have to be sycophantic.”
The sarcasm in Ye Zhengchen’s tone makes me uncomfortable. Not everyone can be like him, born into a prominent family, displaying their personality and confronting reality head-on.
Yin Zhongtian, born into an ordinary family, has his own ideals and ambitions. Unable to change the environment in the municipal government, he adapted instead, meticulously climbing through diligence. Reaching his current position was challenging, but he unexpectedly lost everything.
“He is not like that,” I say, my tone clearly displeased. “Ye Zhengchen, don’t look down on him.”
Zhongtian wants to thank you, and if you don’t accept it, so be it.”
For my passionate defense, Ye Zhengchen snorted disdainfully. “I really don’t understand what you see in him.”
I returned his snort. “No matter how useless Zhongtian is, he’s still better than some beastly men.”
His breathing was amplified by the microphone, whooshing.
“You woman…” came a voice from the phone: “How can you burn the bridge after crossing it?”
I wanted to burn the bridge, but this steel and concrete structure was beyond my reach!
Someone knocked on the office door, shouting: “Doctor, doctor!”
“A patient is calling me, I’ll talk to you later.” Without waiting for a response, I hung up and ran to see the patient.
From that day on, Ye Zhengchen had no more news or phone calls. My father recovered and was discharged. My work returned to its original track, desperately trying to save hopeless patients every day. But after work, my life never returned to its normal course; I would drag my tired body and mind to see Yin Zhongtian every day.
