Chapter 25: Chapter 25: A Whiff of Foxiness
Qiao Xi stood in front of the storage locker, stuffing her belongings into it. A few delicate-looking girls gathered around her, obviously up to no good.
She turned around calmly and asked, “Is there a problem?”
“You still bring a lunchbox? Let see what kind of dishes you have,” one girl nad Wu Yachun snatched it away, accidentally spilling it on the floor.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t hold it steady.” Her smile was filled with malice.
Qiao Xi pressed her lips tightly together, watching as Aunt Qian’s carefully prepared al was wasted, frustration swelling in her heart.
“Still angry, huh? Country folks really can’t hide their petty nature.” Her delicate face wore a look of triumph. She fanned the air with her hand and asked, “Do you sll that fox-like stench?”
...
“It’s so musky.”
“Qiao Xi, it must be coming from you, right? Let us help you out.”
They laughed and started to spray disinfectant alcohol on Qiao Xi, mocking her as they sprayed.
“Not only does it sll musky, but it also has that rural earthiness.”
“Qiao Xi, don’t dodge.”
Ye Manman stood outside the crowd, arms crossed, enjoying the spectacle. The girls’ malice was blatant, and Ye Manman had exploited their tendency to despise evil quite thoroughly.
Qiao Xi grabbed the needles from her sleeve and jabbed them, causing them to howl in pain.
Then she snatch up the disinfectant alcohol and doused them with it, saying coldly, “You didn’t brush your teeth this morning. I’m just helping you freshen up.”
“You’ve used a needle to hurt soone! I’m going to tell my uncle!” Wu Yachun glared at her resentfully, “Just you wait!”
“Let’s go!”
They scattered, and Qiao Xi let out a sigh of relief, setting the alcohol aside.
Ye Manman approached, feigning concern as she said, “Qiao Xi, are you okay? They were really too much.”
“Ye Manman.”
Qiao Xi looked at her, “Stop pretending. The malice in your eyes is overflowing.”
Ye Manman gave a snort of laughter, “Alright then. I just incited them a little; who knew they would be so impulsive to actually disinfect you.”
Qiao Xi took a broom and cleaned up all the scattered food on the floor, paying no attention to her.
“Qiao Xi, do you know who Wu Yachun’s uncle is? He’s Director Wu, in charge of the interns. You’ve offended her, you’re done for.”
“I’m here for an internship at the hospital, I don’t wish to sche with you.”
Qiao Xi’s voice was chilly, and her apricot eyes radiated a remote and icy light. She changed back into her coat, fixed her hair, and walked out.
Ye Manman laughed sarcastically; she wouldn’t give up that easily!
She took out her mobile phone from her branded bag and made a call to Chen Xu, “Chen Xu, there’s a good opportunity now to get back at Qiao Xi, will you do it?”
Whatever the hospital valued most, she would destroy that for Qiao Xi.
…
In the director’s office, the middle-aged, paunchy Director Wu, with his round-frad glasses, looked at the surprisingly beautiful girl in front of him.
“Qiao Xi, right?”
“Yes.” Qiao Xi straightened her back.
“Our Acupuncture Rehabilitation Departnt is the City Hospital’s pride, not just anyone can stay. The teaching doctors currently have no slots for interns, so you’ll be an assistant physician for now. Mainly in charge of ward 2103, don’t ss up.”
An assistant physician is basically a gofer, similar to an orderly.
They have to do all the dirty and tireso work.
Qiao Xi slowly raised her eyes to look at him, “Okay.”
She knew Director Wu was deliberately making things difficult, ready to kick her out at the first mistake.
“Young people need proper experience. There will be an internship assessnt in a week, those who fail will be sent back to school.”
Qiao Xi nodded and walked away.
At the door of the office, a few girls crowded together, wearing faces eager for a joke.
“Yachun, your uncle is really sothing. I heard that the patient in ward 2103 is very difficult to deal with, and they have connections. I wonder how many people have been dismissed because of them.”
The wards starting with 21 house the wealthy and powerful and are all located in the 21st-floor inpatient departnt.
“I just want her out of City Hospital, even sharing the sa air with that kind of person is an insult to .”
“She’s a janitor, she definitely won’t pass the assessnt.”
Wu Yachun raised her voice intentionally so Qiao Xi could hear it.
Qiao Xi took a deep breath, swallowing down the grievances.
They wanted her to know how difficult it was and to give up, but she wouldn’t!
She headed to Ward 2103 with disinfectant and a mop from the supply closet, knocking on the door gently to avoid startling the patients.
Footsteps ca from inside.
As the door opened,
Qiao Xi saw that familiar handso face.
Surprise flickered in Xu Xiuyuan’s eyes as he saw her lab coat’s na badge, “Intern?”
“Hello.”
Qiao Xi, holding the bucket, had many questions flashing through her mind, “Dean Xu?”
She glanced again at his na badge—so young and already the honorary dean of City Hospital.
Xu Xiuyuan furrowed his eyebrows. Since when did interns in the rehabilitation departnt have to do such tasks?
“Xiuyuan, who is it?” a well-mannered voice asked from inside.
“A doctor from the hospital. Grandmother, I’m going to get back to work now.”
Xu Xiuyuan nodded towards Qiao Xi as a greeting and left her with a word of caution, “The old lady is quite particular.”
After he left, Qiao Xi entered on tiptoe.
The dignified and elegant old lady was sitting on the bed, paralyzed on the lower half of her body. Even in the hospital, she wore a finely made cheongsam and light makeup, flipping through a magazine with great poise.
It was evident that she must have been a stunning beauty in her youth, a pampered lady of nobility.
Glancing at the naplate over the head of her bed, it read Liu Qiushuang.
So this was the old lady who had taken her husband’s surna. What a coincidence. ntioned just yesterday, and here she was today.
Qiao Xi took out a mop soaked in disinfectant, ready to mop the floor.
The old lady didn’t even look up, speaking leisurely, “Use a rag to clean the floor; you can’t get it clean with a mop. If you don’t know how, get soone else.”
Without responding, Qiao Xi switched to a rag and bent down, wiping the tiles until they shone.
She had done these things in the countryside too.
The disinfectant was harsh, turning the skin on her hands a light red.
“I like it clean and bright—windows that let the sunlight in. The dust is heavy outside this hospital, clean the windows for too, spotless. Or else, I will complain about you,” she said, turning a page in her magazine with a graceful, soft voice.
At last, Qiao Xi understood what “difficult” ant. She rubbed her sore back and, changing the water, began to clean the windows.
During this, her phone in her pocket vibrated.
The old lady frowned, her tone cooling, “Don’t make any noise! I detest that buzzing vibration sound the most, hasn’t your Director Wu told you?”
“I’m sorry.”
Qiao Xi silenced her phone, texted back “At work” to Huo Xingzhou, and then ignored it.
She cleaned all the windows thoroughly.
“You have an examination later, I’ll take you there. After the exam, I’ll get your al,” said Qiao Xi, having tidied up the cleaning equipnt and standing by the bed.
“I’m not getting checked. The food in this hospital is terrible; order a set al from Jinling Garden,” Liu Qiushuang didn’t even look up, completely resistant and uncooperative.
Before Qiao Xi could reply, the old lady from the Liu Family posed another capricious demand, “Can you make coffee? My daughter sent this coffee machine; make a cup. I want it with extra milk and sugar.”
“Your condition prohibits you from drinking stimulating beverages like coffee,” Qiao Xi kindly reminded her, standing her ground as a doctor.
“You little girl, always ddling. I…” Liu Qiushuang tossed the magazine aside, looked up, and seeing Qiao Xi’s face, froze.
“Whose child are you?” she asked with a halting voice.
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