“It’s my fault,” I replied seriously. “If I had agreed to your request on the first day and come back, you wouldn’t have needed to do all this, and Zhong Tian wouldn’t be in this situation.”
Ye Zhengchen leaned back in his seat, staring out the window. I couldn’t see his expression, only his hand pressed against his chest.
The road ahead was familiar, yet I couldn’t distinguish the direction, much like knowing right from wrong but being unable to identify who was right or wrong in this situation.
The car drove steadily along the straight road, and I was grateful it was the only option, sparing me further choices.
At Nanzhou City Hospital, Ye Zhengchen brought me to his ward, which resembled a luxurious private suite. It lacked a kitchen but had all other facilities, including a luxurious double bed.
A young nurse rushed in upon seeing Ye Zhengchen. “You’re finally back. Dr. Lin has come many times to check your wound.”
I helped Ye Zhengchen sit on the hospital bed and urged the nurse, “His wound is bleeding; quickly call a doctor.”
“Bleeding? I’ll get Dr. Lin right away,” she said, turning to leave and stopping another young nurse on her way out.
“The patient in the high-ranking ward is bleeding. I’m going to call Dr. Lin. You quickly help him change his clothes.”
As soon as she finished speaking, another young nurse rushed in and took a set of patient clothes from the cabinet.
I’ve worked in this hospital for so long, and I’ve never seen nurses with such high work efficiency and responsibility. It seems our hospital could learn from the city hospital.
The young nurse knelt in front of Ye Zhengchen, carefully unbuttoning his clothes, gently lifting the blood-stained lapel, and helping him take it off with professional movements.
Nurses changing clothes for patients is not unfamiliar to me. As a qualified doctor, I had never had any impure thoughts about such a scene before, but…
The nurse’s delicate chin, bright, watery eyes, and graceful way of undressing were distracting. I don’t believe anyone could avoid having some impure thoughts.
Seeing the nurse about to undo Ye Zhengchen’s belt, I couldn’t hold back anymore and stepped forward, “Let me do it.”
My tone was firm. The nurse looked at me helplessly, “He’s injured…”
“I know, I’ll be careful.”
Seeing my insistence, the nurse gave up her position to me.
I slowly squatted in front of Ye Zhengchen, lowering my head to undo his belt. My movements were more amateur than the nurse’s, and I struggled for a long time.
Finally, just as I was about to pull down his zipper, Ye Zhengchen leaned close to my ear and whispered, “Dr. Bao, do you always treat patients like this?”
I looked up and saw a hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.
“Occasionally,” I said, “when my father needs help changing.”
Ye Zhengchen quietly advised, “Let the nurses do this in the future. You’re really testing a patient’s endurance.”
Assuming he thought I was too slow, I sped up, quickly helping him change his pants. The nurse beside me watched nervously, repeatedly reminding me to be careful. Ye Zhengchen observed me intently, his smile deepening.
Just after changing clothes, a male doctor around thirty rushed into the room, a white mask covering his face, revealing only his narrow, peach blossom eyes.
“Dr. Lin,” the nurse greeted respectfully.
I remembered Dr. Lin from the city hospital’s orthopedics department, known for his top-notch surgical skills and looks.
Dr. Lin approached, slowly opening Ye Zhengchen’s lapel to see the bloody, mangled wound, his brow furrowing.
He looked at me and then at Ye Zhengchen, saying, “Didn’t I tell you that moderate exercise is fine, but don’t be too intense, especially certain special exercises?”
The young nurse lowered her head, her skin beyond the mask turning pink. I guessed my face didn’t look much better.
Lin said, gesturing to a chair.
I sat down, puzzled by the conversation that had just transpired.
“Ye Zhengchen needs to take his recovery seriously. He can’t afford any setbacks,” Dr. Lin stated, focusing on the matter at hand.
“I know. I’ll make sure he follows your advice,” I assured him.
Dr. Lin nodded, “Good. His health comes first. He must rest and follow the prescribed treatment strictly.”
“Understood.”
“Also, he might need more support during his recovery. Keep an eye on him,” Dr. Lin added, putting his mask back on as he prepared to leave.
I thanked him for his concern and returned to Ye Zhengchen, who awaited my return with a curious expression.
Bao,” he politely pulled out a chair.
Hearing him call me by name, I was slightly stunned, “You know me?”
“I’ve seen you a few times. Dr. Bao probably didn’t notice me.”
After I sat down, Dr. Lin asked, “Are you busy, Dr. Bao?”
Understanding his inquiry about my recent absence, I explained, “Not busy. My boyfriend was afraid I’d worry, so he kept it from me… I only found out about his injury today.”
“I see,” Dr. Lin sighed, “To be frank, I’ve been a doctor for so long and have seen all kinds of patients, but I’ve never seen one as irresponsible as this. On the first day of removing his stitches, he ran away at night, almost causing the wound to become inflamed. Whenever the nurses weren’t looking, he’d run off…”
I lowered my head, unable to respond.
Dr. Lin continued, “I hope you can persuade him that no matter how urgent things are, he must take care of his health.”
“Don’t worry, starting today, I’ll watch him 24 hours a day to ensure he won’t run around again.”
Dr. Lin let out a sigh of relief, “That’s good.”
“Dr. Lin, what injury did my boyfriend suffer, and how did he get hurt?”
“You don’t know?” Dr.
Lin looked at me in surprise.
“He was afraid I’d worry and wouldn’t tell me anything.”
Dr. Lin laughed for a long time, as if he’d heard something very interesting. “I didn’t expect him to be so devoted. Yes, I used to not notice that.”
After a conversation with Dr. Lin, I learned that Ye Zhengchen had been in a car accident ten days ago. He was hit by a car and thrown over three meters, landing on the edge of a flower pool’s cement border. He suffered three broken ribs, with one nearly piercing his liver.
The accident site was close to the People’s Hospital, but he insisted on coming to the city hospital. The day after surgery, the police questioned him, but due to his special status and insistence on not involving law enforcement, they dropped the case.
Logically, if it were simply a traffic accident, Ye Zhengchen should not have prevented the police from investigating. If it wasn’t, could it have been premeditated murder?
“Has the perpetrator appeared?”
“He came once.”
“Who is he?”
Dr. Lin hesitated. “You should ask him.”
I realized it was inappropriate for a doctor to discuss a patient’s private matters. “I want to see his medical records.”
“Okay.”
Dr. Lin retrieved Ye Zhengchen’s medical records, and I read them carefully.
The records detailed his temperature and wound changes each time he went out and returned. The lines seemed to accuse me of how Ye Zhengchen treated me and how I could treat him. With heart-wrenching pain, I returned to his hospital room.
He sat up quickly when he saw me. “What did Dr. Lin tell you?” I sat on the edge of his bed, looked at the IV bottles, and slowed down the drip. “He told me to watch you for twenty-four hours and not let you run around.”
“With you by my side for twenty-four hours, how could I run around?” I wanted to laugh but felt like crying instead. I looked at him quietly for a long time, then stroked his hair. “Senior, I’ll help you wash your hair later.”
