Chapter 5: She Came
Qin Qianrou’s call never came. Although the nurse had taken her phone back, seeing Shen Yiqiu’s state, she kept the matter in mind.
Back at the nurses’ station, she kept glancing at her phone, drawing teasing from her colleague on duty, “Anything special happening tonight?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Don’t hide it. How many times have you looked at your phone tonight? I’ve never seen you like this during a night shift. Did that guy your family introduced last time make a move?”
The nurse shook her head speechlessly. She wanted to explain, but felt it was a breach of patient confidentiality. Shen Yiqiu had trusted her with this request; it wouldn’t be right to spread it around.
“With our job, who would really want to date us?” The nurse pouted and shook her head. She wasn’t just saying that; she was only twenty-five and had already been through several failed blind dates.
Without exception, as soon as they heard she was a nurse, they frowned. It wasn’t that she wasn’t a good catch, but people wanted someone who could take care of the family, and being a nurse clearly didn’t fit that image.
**
Li Wan had barely managed to endure an hour and a half at the restaurant. After finishing her steak, she symbolically took two sips of red wine as a courtesy to Zhuo Cheng. He had only initiated conversation at the beginning, and after understanding Li Wan’s attitude, he stopped trying. This blind date dinner was exceptionally calm, but not to the point of being irritating.
Glancing at the time, it was almost 8:30 pm. Li Wan suggested they leave.
“Xiao Wan, let me see you out,” Zhuo Cheng quickly stood up, a sincere expression on his face.
Li Wan picked up her bag, straightened her clothes, and firmly refused, “Don’t bother, someone is picking us up. Besides, you drank the most tonight. If you want to get a DUI, don’t drag us into the headlines with you.”
Zhuo Cheng gave a wry smile; Li Wan’s personality hadn’t changed. Black and white, clear-cut, no chances given to those she disliked.
He shifted his gaze to Qin Qianrou, only receiving an indifferent response.
Qin Qianrou and Li Wan had been friends since college, but she had never been close to Zhuo Cheng. Qin Qianrou’s aloofness was well-known on campus, and Zhuo Cheng was long accustomed to it.
“Then I’ll walk you out.” Zhuo Cheng quickly paid the bill and followed behind them, speaking before Li Wan could refuse again, “If I can’t even do this, Uncle Li will blame me.”
Li Wan gave a sarcastic smile, ignoring him, linking arms with Qin Qianrou as they walked towards the entrance, treating Zhuo Cheng as if he didn’t exist.
Once they were in the car sent by the Li family, Li Wan finally breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing how different she was from just moments ago, Qin Qianrou couldn’t help but tease her, “Tired from acting?”
Li Wan casually leaned against Qin Qianrou and quickly retorted, “No way! I just feel it’s ironic.”
Looking at Li Wan’s dejected face after she relaxed, Qin Qianrou felt a pang of sympathy.
Back in college, many had pursued Li Wan, but she had favored Zhuo Cheng, who came from an ordinary family. She had said that she valued character and talent and wouldn’t care about family background.
However, Zhuo Cheng had still succumbed to societal expectations. After receiving a full scholarship to study abroad, he had started preparing to leave without much discussion with Li Wan. As his girlfriend, she hadn’t officially learned about it until his visa was approved.
Zhuo Cheng’s explanation at the time was that he wanted better development and prospects, so he would have the confidence to meet Uncle Li in the future and ask for his precious daughter’s hand in marriage.
Yet now, it was Uncle Li who had arranged for him to go on a blind date with her, but Li Wan no longer cared.
Times change, and this was probably a prime example. Countless emotions, endless sighs.
The car drove smoothly. Li Wan’s phone vibrated continuously. In the restaurant, her handbag had been by her side, and her phone was set to vibrate. Coming back to her senses, she realized she might have missed quite a few calls.
But at this hour, it was most likely her father.
As she retrieved her phone, she complained to Qin Qianrou, “It must be Zhuo Cheng reporting to my dad.”
“Didn’t you say he wouldn’t even dare answer your parents’ calls before?”
“Things are different now. Didn’t you notice his change tonight?”
Qin Qianrou wasn’t one for gossip. Except for work purposes, she rarely paid special attention to anyone. She did feel that Zhuo Cheng was different from before, but in terms of understanding him, she couldn’t compare to his ex-girlfriend, Li Wan.
“Huh, why is it her?” Li Wan was surprised after seeing the caller ID.
Qin Qianrou’s attention was drawn, and she glanced over. The words “Team Leader” flashed on the screen.
However, Li Wan stared at the phone without answering. Qin Qianrou raised an eyebrow at her.
“Why aren’t you answering?”
Li Wan gave a forced smile, saying nothing, still not answering the call.
After a while, the call automatically disconnected.
Now, Li Wan noticed something even more surprising: there were several missed calls. The earliest ones were from a colleague, using the office phone, and the later ones were from the team leader, including the one just now, a total of seven.
“They’re looking for you so urgently; it must be work-related.” Although Qin Qianrou didn’t know why Li Wan was refusing the team leader’s calls, so many missed calls suggested something important.
Li Wan nodded, busy dialing back. The small knot in her heart was temporarily forgotten.
The call quickly connected, and the team leader’s slightly tired voice came through. Li Wan couldn’t help but complain, “Still haven’t rested after a busy day?”
Her tone was a little harsh, causing both Qin Qianrou and the person on the other end of the line to pause. Li Wan self-consciously tucked her hair behind her ear.
Before Li Wan could say anything else, the team leader asked directly, “Can you contact Qianrou?”
Looking for Qianrou? Li Wan subconsciously glanced at the person next to her and pointed at the phone.
“She’s right here. We just finished dinner and are on our way home.”
“Let her answer the phone.”
The team leader maintained a business-like tone, giving Li Wan the illusion that they were still in the office.
When the phone reached Qin Qianrou, the team leader’s voice was a little anxious, with a hint of displeasure, “Qianrou, why weren’t you answering your phone tonight?”
She had initially assumed that since Qin Qianrou had left work on time for once, she must have special plans, so it wasn’t surprising she couldn’t be reached. But after learning from Li Wan that they were together, it seemed they had gone out for dinner and shopping.
The team leader had always been supportive of Qin Qianrou’s work and rarely interfered in her personal life. Tonight’s call was a little strange, and the tone was odd, but Qin Qianrou wasn’t one to dwell on such things.
Knowing the team leader, if it weren’t important, she wouldn’t be looking for her so late, even going through Li Wan.
“My phone probably died. Usually, at this time, I’m working overtime and my phone is charging. I left early today and didn’t pay attention.” Qin Qianrou took out her phone from her bag; it had indeed turned itself off.
The team leader sighed on the other end and got to the point, “I ran into Xiao Li after the meeting tonight. He told me there was a call specifically for you, someone with information about Dongsheng Group. But Xiao Li couldn’t reach you and was afraid of delaying important matters, so he came to me.”
Upon hearing “Dongsheng Group,” Qin Qianrou, who had been indifferent all evening, immediately lit up, as if energized.
“Team Leader, Dongsheng Group is definitely worth investigating in depth. I already wrote a detailed analysis report this afternoon and left it on your desk!”
“I’ve already seen the report, otherwise why would I be calling you so late at night? Alright, enough chit-chat. The person left a message saying that if you’re interested, you should go to City Central Hospital, Room 3217.”
“Do you know the person’s name?”
Qin Qianrou signaled the driver to pull over, preparing to take a taxi to the Central Hospital after getting out of the car.
“Shen Yiqiu.”
Qin Qianrou froze. This name… she had called her before, but hadn’t mentioned Dongsheng Group at that time.
“What? Do you know this person?” The team leader, hearing Qin Qianrou’s sudden silence, became curious.
“I’ve heard the name. Wasn’t there continuous coverage of the highway accident a while ago? As for the person herself, I haven’t met her.”
Qin Qianrou regained her composure, but Li Wan stopped her before she got out of the car.
Li Wan mouthed silently, “I’ll go with you.”
“What time are you going tomorrow? I’ll meet you at the hospital.”
Lin Shuangzhi already knew what had happened at the project meeting. The team had never been autocratic, and she welcomed this atmosphere of checks and balances, but the scene of Qin Qianrou being isolated and helpless at the meeting today was somewhat unexpected.
She had read the meeting minutes and Qin Qianrou’s analysis report. She naturally leaned towards supporting Qin Qianrou. But on the surface, as the team leader, she couldn’t be overly biased.
“I’ll go now. Team Leader, you should rest. I’ll go with Li Wan.”
“It’s very late now.”
Qin Qianrou glanced at her watch; it was just past 9 pm, around the time she usually finished working overtime. But for journalists, there was no such thing as “late.” News waited for no one, and she was annoyed at receiving the information so late.
“Alright, alright, I know and I can’t dissuade you. Just be careful on the road and keep in touch if anything comes up.” Years of working together gave Lin Shuangzhi the tacit understanding to not bother persuading her further. Qin Qianrou was always on the front lines of journalism.
“Thank you, Team Leader.”
Lin Shuangzhi hadn’t explicitly expressed her stance on the Dongsheng Group matter, but she had spent the whole evening trying to reach her and had relayed Shen Yiqiu’s message without reservation, indirectly revealing her position.
It seemed the team leader also found Dongsheng Group suspicious. Qin Qianrou’s confidence grew.
Li Wan hung up the phone and confirmed one last time before asking the driver to turn around, “We’re going to Central Hospital?”
“Yes.”
Li Wan had overheard Lin Shuangzhi’s call and grasped the key information. She also supported the team’s investigation of Dongsheng Group, but this unknown Shen Yiqiu suddenly wanting to reveal information made her suspicious.
“Qianrou, should we wait until tomorrow morning? Firstly, it’s late now, and visiting hours are long over. You might not be able to see her. Secondly, this Shen Yiqiu doesn’t seem to have any connection to Dongsheng Group. Suddenly asking to see you, I’m afraid Dongsheng Group is just an excuse.”
Li Wan wasn’t worried that Shen Yiqiu would do anything excessive to Qin Qianrou, but having just been in a serious car accident and lost both parents, such a blow was hard to bear, let alone for an eighteen-year-old. Coupled with the strange rumors circulating online, she was a little worried that Shen Yiqiu might have ulterior motives.
“She insisted on seeing me; I think she must have her reasons. As for the real reason, won’t we find out when we see her?”
The small talk with Zhuo Cheng had left Qin Qianrou bored and even tired, but as soon as work was involved, she was immediately revitalized.
“Fine, I’ll go with you to see what’s so special about this Shen Yiqiu that she insists on seeing you.”
**
Twenty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of Central Hospital. Before getting out, Li Wan called her father, briefly explaining the blind date and telling him that she would be staying at Qin Qianrou’s place tonight and wouldn’t be coming home.
The Li family had strict rules, but they knew Qin Qianrou well. Li Wan usually wasn’t allowed to stay out overnight except for work reasons. Staying at Qin Qianrou’s place was the only exception.
“Are you sure you want to stay at my place tonight?” Qin Qianrou smiled as she pressed the elevator button.
Li Wan shrugged nonchalantly, her tone relaxed, “I don’t want to go back anyway, I don’t want to be interrogated by my parents about the blind date details. I don’t want to recall anything about Zhuo Cheng.”
Qin Qianrou understood from tonight’s events that Li Wan not only had no lingering feelings for Zhuo Cheng but also clearly disliked him. In this case, either Zhuo Cheng had wronged her in the past, or Li Wan now had a new love interest.
… Either way, it seemed quite tiring. Standing in the elevator, looking at her reflection in the shiny panel, Qin Qianrou was a little lost in thought. Romance was such a bothersome thing.
Fortunately, she only loved work.
Soon, they reached the floor where Shen Yiqiu’s ward was located. It was almost 10 pm, and the ward area was quiet. Those accompanying patients had already settled down for the night, and visitors had all left.
Qin Qianrou stopped at the nurses’ station and was about to inquire about Shen Yiqiu, “Hello, excuse me…”
The nurse was busy writing something, her head still down, but her voice came through first, “Visiting hours are over. Please come back at 6 am tomorrow.”
“I’m sorry, but I have something very important to discuss. I’d like to see Shen Yiqiu in Room 3217. Could you please make an exception?” Although Qin Qianrou had an aloof personality, she wasn’t arrogant or looked down on others. She simply wasn’t good at small talk and didn’t like too much interaction with people outside of work.
“You’re looking for Shen Yiqiu?” The nurse looked up, thinking that Shen Yiqiu was quite popular; either she was looking for others, or others were looking for her.
But when she saw the person in front of her clearly, she froze.
Qin Qianrou’s program had high ratings in Meng City, and many young people recognized her. Even though she looked slightly different from how she appeared on screen, her overall features and temperament were unmistakable.
“Oh! You’re… Reporter Qin!”
Qin Qianrou smiled politely. Seeing the other person’s reaction, she skipped the self-introduction.
The nurse whispered to her colleague, then stood up, walked out from behind the nurses’ station, and around to Qin Qianrou.
“When I called you earlier, you said you weren’t coming. I didn’t expect you to actually come tonight.”
Qin Qianrou was a little surprised, her tone unchanged, “You were the one who called.”
The nurse started leading the way. The moment she saw Qin Qianrou, she immediately recalled Shen Yiqiu pouting before falling asleep.
“Shen Yiqiu is in a single room, but she has a caregiver inside. So your conversation can’t be too long. If other patients or their families see you, I’ll be in trouble.” The nurse stopped at the door of Room 3217 and stuck out her tongue.
“Thank you, I’ll be mindful of the time.”
Li Wan stayed outside the ward, letting Qin Qianrou enter alone. It was too quiet here; two people entering at the same time would make too much noise.
Shen Yiqiu hadn’t been sleeping at all, waiting all night for news about Qin Qianrou. But before the final round of nurse checks, the nurse could only shake her head helplessly at her, and she had to give up for the time being.
The moment the door opened, Shen Yiqiu was awake. She opened her eyes alertly, staring at the place where the light shone in.
At the intersection of light and shadow, someone was slowly walking towards her. A slender figure enveloped in a dark business suit, a faint, elegant fragrance drifting from afar, all seemed out of place in the quiet, white hospital, yet surprisingly harmonious.
As the light gradually brightened, Shen Yiqiu finally saw the person clearly.
The pout that had lasted all night finally curved into a smile, and the heart that had been hanging all night slowly settled.
Qin Qianrou, I finally waited for you.
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