Chapter 40: Contagious
You Ruxu didn’t hang up until the summit started. Her phone felt warm to the touch. She put it away. Han Shuang, beside her, asked, “Something going on?”
You Ruxu turned to look at her, didn’t speak, just smiled.
Han Shuang said, “Ruxu, aren’t you planning to come back to Yuhai? I actually quite envy you.”
You Ruxu asked, “Envy me for what?”
“Envy you for working elsewhere.” Han Shuang said, “Remember how we all talked about wanting to work in other cities after graduation?”
Back then, as roommates, they would discuss their future career paths. You Ruxu’s plan had never changed, she had always intended to go to Jindu after graduation. At that time, Han Shuang had also said she wanted to leave Yuhai.
You Ruxu nodded, “I remember, why didn’t you go?”
“My grandmother fell ill in my second year after graduation.” Han Shuang said, “I was covering a story at the time, gone for a week. By the time I came back, my grandmother had already passed away.”
Han Shuang sighed, “My parents didn’t say anything directly, but they wanted me to come back, especially my mother. She even had surgery without telling me. I went to the hospital and saw them having dinner in her ward.” Han Shuang chuckled. “Not exaggerating, I burst into tears right then and there. I came back after that.”
You Ruxu nodded.
Han Shuang said, “So I really envy you, for being able to stick to your goals.”
You Ruxu was silent for a moment, looking towards the hall where Zhou Tianzui was sitting, looking up at the large screen displaying medical cases. Her throat itched, and she coughed twice, saying to Han Shuang, “I’m going out for a bit.”
Han Shuang offered to watch her equipment: “Go ahead.”
You Ruxu walked out and bought some cold medicine at a nearby pharmacy, then got a cup of hot water from a convenience store. She sat on a bench outside the store, took the medicine, and received a message from Wu Xiulian.
[Ruxu, when will you be done? Coming home for lunch?]
You Ruxu replied: [Not coming home for lunch, ran into Han Shuang, having lunch with everyone.]
Wu Xiulian replied: [Okay, then I won’t come home for lunch either, we’ll talk tonight.]
You Ruxu held her phone, sat quietly for a while, then returned to the hall. Han Shuang saw her and moved over slightly, making space for You Ruxu to sit down. You Ruxu, having taken the medicine, felt a little sleepy. It felt like those open lectures in university. Han Shuang, who loved to chat, started gossiping, from their other two roommates’ lives, relationships, and marriages, to gossip about their university professors. You Ruxu rarely kept in touch with her classmates, so hearing Han Shuang ask, “Didn’t know about that, did you?”
She honestly replied, “No.”
It greatly satisfied Han Shuang’s desire to share gossip. Han Shuang then said, “I’ll tell you more later, I have to go talk to my boss, she just called me.”
You Ruxu watched her leave, slipping through the crowd to the other side, and looked down at the camera. She picked it up, looked through the lens, her gaze finally landing on Zhou Tianzui’s profile.
Zhou Tianzui was listening to the male doctor beside her, her expression serious, her profile sharp and defined, her eyes blinking and lowering occasionally, her focused attention captivating. You Ruxu forgot to move the camera, her gaze fixed on Zhou Tianzui through the lens.
Lost in thought, Zhou Tianzui suddenly turned and looked directly at the camera. You Ruxu could almost hear her voice: “Teacher You, what are you looking at?”
She clutched her suddenly racing heart and moved the camera away.
At eleven o’clock, the summit ended, and people streamed out of the hall. Zhou Tianzui, looking for You Ruxu, saw two people trying to get her contact information. She called out, “You Ruxu.”
You Ruxu looked up, excused herself from the conversation, and walked over to Zhou Tianzui. Han Shuang joined them, “Dr. Zhou, Ruxu, I’m treating, let’s have lunch together.”
Zhou Tianzui looked at You Ruxu. Seeing her remain silent, she said, “Okay, thank you, Ms. Han.”
“Don’t mention it, I had a lot I wanted to talk to Ruxu about anyway.” Han Shuang grinned, “What a coincidence.”
They also invited another doctor, someone You Ruxu recognized, the deputy director of obstetrics at the city hospital, who had been sitting in the front row. Han Shuang said, “This is my cousin, and this is Dr. Zhou.”
Zhou Tianzui greeted her. The four of them walked towards the restaurant. On the way, Han Shuang and Zhou Tianzui discussed the interview schedule. Zhou Tianzui asked You Ruxu, “When are you free?”
You Ruxu looked at her, “What?”
“When are you free for the interview?” Zhou Tianzui asked. You Ruxu paused. The team had originally wanted her to conduct the interview, but she hadn’t decided on the topic yet, so she hadn’t signed up. Now, being asked by Zhou Tianzui, she figured Zhou Tianzui wanted to make time for her. You Ruxu thought for a few seconds and said, “The day after tomorrow.”
“Alright.” Zhou Tianzui said, “Then besides the day after tomorrow, Ms. Han, please finalize the other times and confirm with me.”
Han Shuang was amazed.
Was this the special treatment friends received? Not only prioritized, but also no restrictions on time. She suddenly wished she had a friend like this! Just for this special treatment alone!
She agreed: “Okay, I’ll contact you, Dr. Zhou, after I finalize the schedule.”
She took out her phone, “Dr. Zhou…”
Zhou Tianzui said, “My contact information? Teacher You can give it to you.”
Han Shuang asked You Ruxu, “Ruxu, are you still using your old WeChat account?”
Old WeChat account.
It meant they hadn’t been in contact for a while, at least not in the past two years. Zhou Tianzui lowered her eyes, hiding her pleasure. You Ruxu said, “Yes, I am.”
Han Shuang successfully added Zhou Tianzui on WeChat.
Zhou Tianzui discussed today’s medical cases with the other doctor, which angles would be better for the interview. You Ruxu, beside them, listening to the medical jargon she didn’t understand, felt even more dizzy.
Han Shuang had reserved a small booth. You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui sat together, while she sat with the deputy director, saying, “Looking at three beauties, I suddenly have more of an appetite.”
The deputy director was three years older than them, wearing a light blue jacket, her long hair curled, exuding a natural warmth, completely different from Zhou Tianzui. Her smile was gentle. She looked at Han Shuang and said, “Don’t tease me, it’s the three of you who are the beauties.”
“Not at all.” Han Shuang said coquettishly, “Cousin is the most beautiful!”
She often consulted her cousin on medical topics, so they kept in close contact, and her tone was casual. Zhou Tianzui, across the table, said, “Ms. Han and Dr. Wei have such a good relationship.”
“Of course.” Han Shuang said, “By the way, I heard from Ruxu that you two live together in Jindu, you must be close as well.”
Zhou Tianzui turned to look at You Ruxu and said, “We are, aren’t we, Teacher You?”
You Ruxu, under the gaze of three pairs of eyes, pursed her lips, “Yes.”
Han Shuang said, “I’m quite surprised, back in university, we said that if there were single rooms, Ruxu would definitely apply, she doesn’t like crowds. How did you two end up living together?”
You Ruxu said, “The location is close to work, and we can take care of each other.”
Han Shuang nodded, “That makes sense, but your personality hasn’t changed much.”
Still gentle and unassuming. But she had seen You Ruxu’s interviews, the sharp and perceptive way she pursued questions was completely different from now. You Ruxu at work was a different person from You Ruxu in private.
They enjoyed their lunch. Han Shuang invited them to a bar for drinks later, but You Ruxu said, “I’ll pass, I have a cold and took some medicine.”
“Then you can’t drink.” Han Shuang asked, “What about you, Dr. Zhou?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I don’t drink.”
Han Shuang, failing to persuade them, sighed and said, “Then let’s get together another time.”
They parted ways after lunch. They returned to the summit venue at 2:30 pm. During a break, Zhou Tianzui and You Ruxu came out of the hall. Zhou Tianzui asked, “You have a cold?”
You Ruxu nodded, showing her the medicine packet. Zhou Tianzui asked, “Since when?”
“I had a headache when I woke up this morning.” You Ruxu said, “I probably caught a chill yesterday.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
You Ruxu paused and said, “It’s not a big deal.”
Zhou Tianzui just looked at her, not speaking, her brow slightly furrowed. You Ruxu, noticing her gaze, said, “I’ll tell you next time.”
Zhou Tianzui pulled her wrist and started walking. You Ruxu asked, “Where are we going?”
“Where else?” Zhou Tianzui said, “Back to the room to rest.”
You Ruxu pursed her lips, looking at Zhou Tianzui’s hand holding hers. Her fingers were long and slender, her grip firm but not painful, You Ruxu couldn’t break free. She followed Zhou Tianzui willingly back to her hotel room. Inside, Zhou Tianzui turned up the heat, poured her a glass of warm water, and asked, “Did you take your medicine?”
“Not yet.” You Ruxu took the medicine out of her bag. Zhou Tianzui put down the glass of water, looked at the medicine, then handed it back to her. You Ruxu took a pill and swallowed it with the warm water. Zhou Tianzui took a blanket from the closet, walked over to the sofa, and asked You Ruxu, “Do you want to take a nap?”
Colds made one sleepy, and the medicine made one even sleepier. You Ruxu said, “I’ll just lie down for a bit…”
Before she could finish, Zhou Tianzui pulled her to the bed, made her lie down, and You Ruxu finally felt like a patient. Zhou Tianzui tucked her in. Her phone rang. She glanced at it and said, “It’s the hospital, you go to sleep.”
You Ruxu snuggled under the blanket, feeling weak and tired. She heard Zhou Tianzui ask into the phone, “Which patient? Number eleven? Number eleven’s current condition requires termination of pregnancy. I already discussed this with her husband…”
Zhou Tianzui glanced at You Ruxu and walked over to the window to continue the call, lowering her voice. You Ruxu drifted in and out of sleep, her eyes closing and opening repeatedly. Zhou Tianzui finished the call and returned to the bed. Seeing You Ruxu’s eyes still half-open, she asked, “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
Then, remembering You Ruxu’s habits, she asked, “Can’t sleep in unfamiliar beds?”
You Ruxu did have trouble sleeping in unfamiliar beds. She always brought her teddy bear when traveling. Today, she didn’t have it, and neither was Zhou Tianzui with her. She tossed and turned, unable to sleep. Hearing Zhou Tianzui’s question, she said, “I’m not sleepy yet.”
She wanted to yawn, but having just said she wasn’t sleepy, she suppressed it, her eyes watering slightly. Zhou Tianzui took off her jacket, got under the blanket, and lay down beside her, pulling You Ruxu’s wrist to make her lie down properly. You Ruxu couldn’t help but snuggle closer, a slight movement. Zhou Tianzui noticed and interlaced her fingers with You Ruxu’s, their palms touching. You Ruxu’s palms were sweaty and warm. She looked up at Zhou Tianzui, about to speak, when Zhou Tianzui leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.
You Ruxu instinctively tightened her grip, catching Zhou Tianzui’s fingers in hers, their palms pressing closer. She called out, “Zhou Tianzui.”
Zhou Tianzui’s other hand slipped out from under the blanket, moving from You Ruxu’s side to her neck, then to her ear. The earring felt cold against her skin, a stark contrast to Zhou Tianzui’s warm fingertips. You Ruxu’s cold earlobe felt as if it was submerged in hot water, the warmth spreading to her cheeks, making her blush.
Zhou Tianzui, hearing her call her name, asked, “What’s wrong?”
You Ruxu said, “Don’t kiss me.”
She pursed her lips, “I have a cold.”
“I know.” Zhou Tianzui lowered her head, and just before kissing You Ruxu again, said, “Give it to me.”
Author’s Note:
Don’t forget to check in after reading, mwah!
You Ruxu: You’re not being a good girl.
Zhou Tianzui: Good girls don’t get kisses.
Promoting my friend’s new novel, please add it to your collection if you like it! [Provoke] – Niqian
Tang Yin was having fun with her friends at a bar. Having lost a game, she was dared to ask a stranger for a kiss. Finding someone she liked, she swayed over, “Beautiful, could you do me a favor…”
The woman suddenly turned around, her stunning features illuminated by the lights, her eyes cool and clear, staring directly at her.
Tang Yin’s heart skipped a beat.
What the hell, why did this woman look so much like her wife who “disappeared” two years ago and hadn’t come home???
She took a closer look.
The woman’s lips parted slightly, calling out her name precisely, “Tang Yin.”
“…”
It really was her estranged wife, Gu Shenyi!
“Why are you back?!”
Gu Shenyi’s expression was calm, her voice betraying no emotion: “If I don’t come back, are you just going to cheat on me?”
The estranged couple had no affection for each other, tacitly pretending not to know each other when they were both at the company.
After work, Gu Shenyi called her into her office.
Tang Yin’s fox eyes shimmered with a seductive glint, her voice sweet and cloying, “Director Gu, is something the matter?”
Gu Shenyi pinned her against the desk, her cool fingers gripping Tang Yin’s chin, her voice low and questioning, “Were you flirting with that handsome young man again?”
Tang Yin’s expression changed instantly, “What do you mean flirting? We were just having a friendly chat between colleagues, don’t slander me…mmmph.”
Her words were cut short.
And such incidents, using work as an excuse for secret rendezvous, were far from uncommon…
Tang Yin, at twenty-four years old, having frequented countless bars and nightclubs, and having met countless people, doubted her judgment for the first time.
How could she have been so foolish as to provoke Gu Shenyi?
The first time she saw Gu Shenyi, she had thought she was a serious person, hence her own boldness, never expecting to be completely deceived by her appearance.
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