Chapter 76: They’re Here
Chen Xiang sensed the strange atmosphere in the ward. She paused for a moment, then said, “Teacher You, I’ll go wash the fruit.”
Before You Ruxu could reply, Chen Xiang took the fruit basket and went to the bathroom. You Ruxu looked at Zhou Tianzui and said, “Why are you scaring her?”
Zhou Tianzui said, “Am I?”
Not even admitting it.
That look earlier could freeze someone to death. You Ruxu chuckled, “You should go back to work.”
Zhou Tianzui said, “I know.” Still worried about You Ruxu, she added, “Don’t move around too much, make sure you rest.”
You Ruxu nodded, “You can come check on me anytime.”
Zhou Tianzui’s lips curved into a smile, she turned and left the ward. Chen Xiang came out after washing the fruit, “Oh, Dr. Zhou left?”
She had even washed a piece of fruit for Zhou Tianzui.
You Ruxu said, “She went back to work. Why are you here?”
“The boss sent me.” Chen Xiang said, “She was arguing with the leader of Team 1 this morning about their report, they were still arguing when I left.”
Otherwise, Shi Qi would have come herself.
Team 1 was so unprofessional, reporting on You Ruxu’s car accident before even knowing the full story, pushing her into the spotlight. The phones at the midday news team’s office had been ringing non-stop before she left. Chen Xiang was annoyed, “That Xu Jinwan is really something, trying to make a big splash the moment she comes back, even using her own colleagues.”
Xu Jinwan had been away for further studies, returning last month, eager to make a name for herself, and now she had latched onto You Ruxu.
And clearly, she was using You Ruxu’s accident to target Fengyuan.
Zhou Heng’s reputation wasn’t good, and the rumors about his involvement in his brother’s accident abroad, and now this major issue with the cars, it wasn’t surprising what kind of speculations would arise. They didn’t even need to embellish the story, many people already suspected it was connected to Fengyuan.
Chen Xiang asked, “Teacher You, do you also suspect Zhou Heng?”
You Ruxu paused for two seconds, “It’s hard to say.”
If it was really Zhou Heng, it seemed a little too hasty, warning her so soon after the investigation began? And using such an obvious method? Anyone would suspect him, was Zhou Heng really that stupid?
But perhaps Shi Qi’s rejection last night had angered him. You Ruxu hadn’t met Zhou Heng before, didn’t know what kind of person he was, “What did the police say?”
You Ruxu shook her head: “I haven’t seen the police yet.”
Chen Xiang nodded. It was normal that she hadn’t seen them yet, having just woken up. They chatted for a few minutes when someone knocked on the door, it was someone from the traffic department, and the man with the bandaged head.
The man immediately apologized upon seeing You Ruxu, “I’m so sorry, the road was so slippery, are you alright?”
You Ruxu sat on the bed, her hair neatly tied back, her face slightly pale, but her spirits were good, “I’m fine.”
The man kept looking at You Ruxu, a flattering smile on his face, “Miss, could you give me your contact information? Your car is being assessed at the 4S shop, I’ll contact you when the results are out.”
You Ruxu looked at him, paused for a few seconds, then took out a business card and handed it to him. The man said, “Then feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I’m taking the day off today, otherwise…”
“No need.” You Ruxu said, “The doctor told me to rest, I don’t want to trouble you.”
The man looked disappointed, holding the business card, “Then feel free to call me if you have any questions, even about the car, I work at Guiyin, nearby.”
Guiyin.
A record company.
You Ruxu knew it.
She nodded: “Okay.”
Before leaving, the man also gave her his business card. He was fully responsible for the accident, the liability report issued quickly. Chen Xiang said, “It seems unrelated to Zhou Heng, doesn’t it?”
The way that man looked at You Ruxu, the admiration and delight in his eyes, if he was really working for Zhou Heng, there was no need to be so attentive.
Perhaps they were overthinking it?
Was it really just an ordinary car accident?
You Ruxu looked at the man’s business card, silent.
Chen Xiang sat on the edge of the bed. Her phone rang. She answered impatiently, “We’re not interested in an interview, Reporter You is not accepting any interviews at the moment, thank you!”
She hung up, annoyed, “I really don’t understand these people.”
You Ruxu smiled: “What’s wrong?”
“After your accident, so many people called the station, even wanting to interview you.” Chen Xiang said, “We’re in the media ourselves, and they’re asking us if we want an interview.”
She was so speechless she couldn’t even continue.
You Ruxu could understand. Not to mention her recent investigation of Fengyuan was a hot topic, even the “timing” of her car accident was suspicious. If she were in their shoes, she would also wonder if there was a connection.
She said, “Is anyone following up on Fengyuan now?”
“Not yet.” She was in charge of this news story, and since the accident happened this morning, Shi Qi hadn’t had time to reassign it. Chen Xiang continued, “But I think the station might give it to Xu Jinwan.”
You Ruxu looked at Chen Xiang, “Give it to her?”
“Not give it to her, she snatched it!” Chen Xiang said angrily.
“I wouldn’t dare take the credit.” A voice came from the doorway. You Ruxu and Chen Xiang looked over. Xu Jinwan, carrying a flower basket and a bouquet, walked in, her high heels clicking against the floor. She said to You Ruxu, “Reporter You, are you alright?”
You Ruxu said, “I’m fine.”
“This is a small token of concern from our morning news team.” Xu Jinwan said, “I overheard your conversation just now, I apologize, your door wasn’t completely closed.”
Her smile held no apology. Chen Xiang was about to speak, but You Ruxu stopped her, “It’s okay, we weren’t paying attention.”
Xu Jinwan joined the TV station two years before You Ruxu, quickly becoming the anchor for Team 1. She always pursued trending news, boosting the morning news ratings considerably. She had been away for further studies recently, and now, having just returned, she was “stealing credit” again.
As expected, after the pleasantries, she got straight to the point: “The station said you’ve been working very hard, so they gave you a few days of leave, make sure you rest well.”
You Ruxu said, “Thank you, but I’m fine, I can come back to work tomorrow.”
Xu Jinwan looked at You Ruxu, “No need to rush.”
You Ruxu smiled, “It’s not about rushing, I just don’t want to create a false impression.”
She looked at Xu Jinwan, her gaze clear and unwavering. Xu Jinwan raised an eyebrow, not surprised by her words. After all, You Ruxu was smart, she could easily see through it.
The station gave You Ruxu leave to keep her out of the public eye, to imply the severity of her accident.
But You Ruxu refused.
Xu Jinwan recalled her colleagues’ jokes, saying You Ruxu acted like she was above it all, pursuing stories without considering their popularity. Those jokes now seemed.
Apt.
Rejecting the attention, You Ruxu knew that by not appearing, she would generate even more buzz, but she didn’t care, saying she didn’t want to create a false impression.
Xu Jinwan chuckled inwardly. These days, news stories were all embellished to some extent, how else could they generate buzz?
But she didn’t say anything more, just raised an eyebrow, “Suit yourself.”
She looked at You Ruxu, “As for Fengyuan, the station wants me to take over, could you please transfer the information to me, Reporter You?”
Chen Xiang was furious, “Isn’t this a little too much?!”
Xu Jinwan said, “It’s the station’s decision.”
Chen Xiang gritted her teeth.
You Ruxu’s expression remained calm, “I understand.”
Xu Jinwan smiled, said goodbye, and left the ward. Chen Xiang was seething, “Stealing news from another team, is she crazy?!”
“Doesn’t her team have any news of their own?”
“I’ve never seen someone so shameless!”
You Ruxu looked down at her phone. While she was talking to Xu Jinwan, Shi Qi had messaged her, informing her about the news story being reassigned, so she remained calm. She said to Chen Xiang, “Want some fruit?”
Chen Xiang’s outburst abruptly ended. She stared at You Ruxu, her jaw dropped, “What?”
You Ruxu said, “Do you want some fruit? I can peel one for you.”
“No, no, I’ll do it.” Chen Xiang said, “Teacher You, don’t move, I’ll do it!”
You Ruxu enjoyed two minutes of peace. Chen Xiang handed her the fruit. There was a knock on the door. You Ruxu looked up. The nurse reminded her, “You have a CT scan at eleven, please don’t leave the ward.”
Chen Xiang nodded repeatedly: “Okay, okay.”
You Ruxu asked her, “You’re not working today?”
Chen Xiang said, “The boss gave me the day off, I’m here to take care of you!”
You Ruxu took a bite of the fruit.
Chen Xiang said, “Teacher You, what do you want for lunch? I’ll go buy it later.”
You Ruxu said, “Anything is fine.”
Chen Xiang, holding her phone, searched for suitable meals for patients, “Then I’ll go buy it now, there might be a queue.”
You Ruxu nodded.
After she left, You Ruxu received a message from Zhou Tianzui, reminding her about the CT scan. She replied: [I know.]
Zhou Tianzui: [What are you doing?]
You Ruxu: [Lying down.]
Zhou Tianzui chuckled: [Chatting with Chen Xiang?]
You Ruxu: [Chen Xiang went to buy lunch.]
Zhou Tianzui’s finger tapped the screen. Thinking of the soft, almost coquettish look in You Ruxu’s eyes when she woke up, her heart itched. She didn’t reply, but put away her phone, stood up, and walked towards the elevators. Lin Luo was inside. Seeing Zhou Tianzui, she pressed the open button. Zhou Tianzui entered. Lin Luo took half a step back. The faint scent of disinfectant surrounded Zhou Tianzui, but she seemed to smell a hint of perfume as well, a blend of perfume and disinfectant.
Light and fragrant.
Lin Luo couldn’t help but ask, “Dr. Zhou, are you going downstairs?”
Zhou Tianzui nodded and pressed the button for the first floor.
As the elevator descended, Lin Luo, holding her breath, wanted to say something, but Zhou Tianzui had already reached her floor and quickly walked out. Lin Luo hesitated, the words caught in her throat.
The elevator doors closed. Zhou Tianzui reached You Ruxu’s ward. She reached for the doorknob, about to knock, when she heard a familiar voice.
“Teacher You, are you feeling any discomfort?”
“How’s your head? Does it hurt?”
The speaker turned, hearing the noise at the doorway. You Ruxu also looked over. Zhou Tianzui stood there, one hand in her white coat pocket, the other on the doorknob.
He Wei immediately stood up straight and greeted her respectfully, “Dr. Zhou.”
Zhou Tianzui’s lips curved into a strained smile.
Chen Xiang was buying lunch.
He Wei was here.
Zhou Tianzui: Heh, the ward is quite lively.
You Ruxu: …
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