Chapter 107: Evidence
You Ruxu looked at Zhou Tianzui, who was lying in bed, wanting to sit up, but unable to, her attempts futile, her forehead covered in sweat, her face pale, her lips bitten red. She looked at You Ruxu, a pleading look in her eyes, shaking her head slightly.
She was begging her.
Not to agree.
You Ruxu’s heart tore in two, half for Zhou Tianzui’s silent plea, half for the hopeful look in Yu Qiao’s eyes. Yu Qiao’s hand gripped hers tightly. After a few seconds, she said, “We’ll find a way.”
Zhou Tianzui, exhausted, lay back against the pillows, staring at the ceiling light. Yu Qiao’s voice was filled with gratitude, “I knew you would find a way, Xiao Xu, please help Xiao Tian.”
You Ruxu nodded, “Okay.”
Zhou Tianzui turned her head away.
Yu Qiao said, “I’m going to talk to her director.”
“I’ll go.” You Ruxu said, “I’ll go.”
Zhou Tianzui’s voice was sharp, almost hysterical, “No, you won’t!”
You Ruxu said, “Zhou Tianzui…”
“I said, you’re not going!” Zhou Tianzui said, “You dare go?”
She looked at You Ruxu.
Their eyes met, and You Ruxu’s breath hitched, her heart skipping a beat, a numbness spreading through her before she recovered, “Let’s deal with the hospital issue first.”
Otherwise, this would snowball. Currently, it was Zhou Tianzui’s voluntary resignation, but later, it might become a dismissal, the implications different. If she was fired, how could she continue working in the same field?
Zhou Tianzui said, “You don’t have to deal with anything.”
Yu Qiao was exasperated, “What do you mean? Do you have to wait until everyone’s condemning you, until you can’t work as a doctor anymore? Xiao Xu, ignore her, you go.”
You Ruxu turned her back to Zhou Tianzui and heard Yu Qiao yell, “Zhou Tianzui!”
She turned around and saw Zhou Tianzui sitting up, clutching her wound, the white sheet stained crimson.
The wound had reopened.
You Ruxu froze.
Yu Qiao frantically went to find a doctor. Zhou Tianzui said, “Don’t go.”
You Ruxu’s eyes instantly reddened, “Are you crazy? Lie down!” She wheeled herself over to Zhou Tianzui’s bed and placed a hand on her shoulder. Zhou Tianzui grabbed her wrist tightly, “Deal with the hospital issue first, and then what? Deal with my father’s case? How do you plan on doing that?”
Her words were like nails, piercing You Ruxu’s heart.
You Ruxu said, “We’ll find a way.”
“What way?” Zhou Tianzui said, “Tell me, what way?”
Her face was pale. You Ruxu said, “We’ll discuss it later, I promise, I’ll just talk to the hospital about the resignation.”
Zhou Tianzui asked, “Really?”
A hint of vulnerability in her voice.
You Ruxu nodded, “Really.”
Zhou Tianzui seemed to relax slightly.
She released You Ruxu’s hand and frowned.
You Ruxu asked, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “My wound hurts.”
“You!” You Ruxu wanted to yell at her, but she couldn’t bring herself to. Yu Qiao entered the ward with a doctor. You Ruxu left and went to find Zhou Tianzui’s director, who looked troubled, “The higher-ups want to handle this discreetly, wait for things to die down…”
He was being euphemistic. The incident had become a big deal, and the higher-ups were still observing the situation. Just before You Ruxu entered, the director had been arguing with them. Zhou Tianzui’s father’s case, even if there was wrongdoing, it was her father’s wrongdoing, how could it be held against her?
But the higher-ups argued that, regarding Zhou Tianzui and the deputy director, if they made a statement now, it might be seen as protecting Zhou Tianzui, so it was best to wait.
“We can’t wait.” You Ruxu said, “This is clearly a targeted attack, if we don’t respond, it will only escalate.”
It was a blatant diversion tactic.
Someone wanted to shift public attention. The Fengyuan case, which had been a hot topic, suddenly died down, replaced by Zhou Tianzui’s story, which wouldn’t have gained so much traction without someone pushing it, someone from Fengyuan.
The director looked at You Ruxu, seeing her clear and logical reasoning, “Then what should we do?”
“Sue.” You Ruxu said, “Sue in the hospital’s name.”
The director paused.
Suing in the hospital’s name meant they unequivocally supported Zhou Tianzui, “But then people will think the hospital is covering up for her.”
“What cover-up?” You Ruxu, sitting in her wheelchair, looked at the director and said firmly, “A cover-up is for concealing a crime, did Zhou Tianzui commit a crime? Was there anything inappropriate between her and the deputy director?”
Her series of questions silenced the director.
The director was on Zhou Tianzui’s side, she wouldn’t have argued with the higher-ups otherwise, but some decisions weren’t hers to make, Before she could respond.
There was a knock on the door.
The director said, “Come in.”
It was Fu Shushu.
Followed by He Wei, Lin Luo, Zhao Mingqi, and several other doctors, standing behind You Ruxu. The director asked, “What is it?”
Fu Shushu said, “We want to help Dr. Zhou.”
The director was stunned.
Fu Shushu said, “I can’t speak for other matters, but there was definitely nothing going on between Zhou Tianzui and the deputy director.”
If there was, why would she compete with her for the position?
The director, already troubled by this matter, frowned, “Don’t make a fuss…”
“This is not a fuss.” You Ruxu said, “This is about the hospital’s reputation, about a doctor’s reputation, if the hospital doesn’t make a statement, if you continue to remain silent, do you want to demoralize all the doctors here?”
He Wei and Lin Luo stepped forward, standing beside You Ruxu, their expressions indignant, as if they wouldn’t back down unless the director took action, a youthful fearlessness in their eyes. The director, holding her phone, looked at them, usually the different departments were constantly at odds, but this was the first time she felt such unity within their department.
Even Fu Shushu was speaking up for Zhou Tianzui.
The director said, “I’ll apply for a lawsuit.”
“It’s not an application, it’s a necessity.” You Ruxu said, “Please inform the higher-ups, if the hospital continues to ignore this, the Jindu TV news team will continue reporting on how Dr. Zhou was injured saving a child, and the hospital’s lack of response.”
The director looked at You Ruxu.
You Ruxu wasn’t wearing makeup, dressed in a hospital gown, her hair loose, her features delicate and beautiful, an air of composure about her, her tone calm and steady, not a single harsh word, yet her words carried weight.
The director nodded, “Okay.”
You Ruxu said calmly, “Thank you.”
The director said, “You’re welcome, I also hope this incident with her father doesn’t affect Dr. Zhou.”
You Ruxu paused for two seconds: “It won’t.”
She said, “Her father was a good reporter.”
The office was quiet. You Ruxu wheeled herself out. In the corridor, she looked out the window, the sun warm and gentle, the flowers blooming beautifully. Behind her, He Wei softly called out, “Teacher You.”
You Ruxu turned around.
She looked at Fu Shushu and the others, “Thank you, for what you did just now.”
Fu Shushu said, “You’re welcome, if Dr. Zhou needs anything, just let us know.”
You Ruxu nodded.
He Wei asked, “Teacher You, where are you going? Should I take you?”
You Ruxu said, “No, thank you, I need to make a few calls.”
He Wei said, “Okay, we won’t disturb you then.”
You Ruxu smiled at them, her face pale, but her expression firm, an undeniable charisma. She sat by the window and first called Captain Zhou for a consultation, then contacted Chen Xiang, who agreed after hearing what she said, “I’ll talk to the boss.”
You Ruxu said, “Thank you.”
“No problem!” Chen Xiang said, “Teacher You, I’m happy to help Dr. Zhou.”
You Ruxu wanted to laugh.
Zhou Tianzui always said she had no friends, she wanted her to know how wrong she was.
Wu Xiulian arrived at the hospital just as You Ruxu finished her calls. The sunset painted the sky in warm hues, but as the sun dipped below the horizon, the gentle breeze turned cold. You Ruxu, wheeling herself towards Zhou Tianzui’s ward, saw Wu Xiulian.
Wu Xiulian said, “I didn’t see you in your ward, so I figured you would be here.”
You Ruxu said, “Yes, I went out for a bit.”
Wu Xiulian said, “I heard the hospital is suing?”
You Ruxu nodded.
Wu Xiulian continued, “I’ve already contacted the information management department, they’ll fully cooperate.”
You Ruxu’s heart was warmed by all the kindness, a stark contrast to the pain and anxiety earlier. A strength surged within her. She didn’t speak, just smiled at Wu Xiulian.
Wu Xiulian stepped forward and hugged her.
Yu Qiao opened the door and saw them, “Xiao Xu’s back.”
You Ruxu had been out all afternoon, and Yu Qiao had been worried. Zhou Tianzui’s wound had reopened and needed to be restitched, she had been drowsy all afternoon, no one to talk to, she couldn’t help but look at her phone.
The insults and accusations online were driving her to the edge.
The hospital had filed the lawsuit.
Against those who spread the rumors about Zhou Tianzui and the deputy director, even identifying the so-called “hospital insider” as the owner of a supermarket near the hospital. He immediately apologized online after being sued, claiming it was just hearsay, even insisting that everyone at the First Affiliated Hospital knew about it.
[Excuse me, I’m a doctor at the First Affiliated Hospital, and I’ve never heard of this.]
[I’m a nurse in the obstetrics department, this is the first time I’m hearing this rumor.]
[I’m an intern, Dr. Zhou is an excellent doctor, very dedicated to her work.]
Public opinion started to shift, no longer one-sided, but they then turned their attention to Zhou Tianzui’s father, claiming the hospital was just protecting her, that those doctors were forced to make those statements, instructed by the hospital.
But at least it wasn’t just insults like this afternoon.
You Ruxu was wheeled into the ward. Wu Xiulian brought dinner, two portions, “You two eat first, I’ll go get two more from the cafeteria.”
Yu Qiao said, “I’ll go.”
Wu Xiulian looked at her.
Yu Qiao said, “You stay here.”
Her tone polite, a subtle acceptance.
She seemed to have come to terms with their relationship. Wu Xiulian sighed, then seeing Yu Qiao leave, noticing how much she had aged after these incidents, her guilt intensified. She looked at You Ruxu and Zhou Tianzui and said, “You two eat first, Xu Xu, you sit there, I’ll feed Dr. Zhou.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I’m fine.”
“You’re fine, but you can’t eat by yourself.” Wu Xiulian said, “It’s just porridge, you can’t have anything too greasy right now.”
Zhou Tianzui gave a small “mm-hmm.”
The ward was quiet. You Ruxu opened her lunchbox and said, “The evening news will report on Fengyuan, it should divert some of the attention.”
Zhou Tianzui ate her porridge, her expression unreadable, and heard You Ruxu continue, “After the hospital lawsuit, I’ll ask Chen Xiang to do an anonymous interview.”
Zhou Tianzui looked up.
You Ruxu turned to her, “About your father, there’s a way.”
She said, “We can do an anonymous interview, to clear his name.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Anonymous.” She looked down, “Who would believe an anonymous interview without any evidence?”
You Ruxu said, “I’ll…”
“It’s not that there’s no evidence.” Wu Xiulian, looking down at her bowl of porridge, her words silencing the room, a long silence following, then she repeated, “It’s not that there’s no evidence.”
You Ruxu looked at her, “Aunt?”
Wu Xiulian said, “Xu Xu, I’m sorry, I’m sorry to you, and I’m sorry to Dr. Zhou.” She looked up at You Ruxu, her voice low, “I have the notebook.”
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