The door of the ward was half-open, and the voices of two people talking could be heard inside. It sounded like Su Qing had co back, and they were arguing about sothing.
"Knock knock knock," Lan Tian knocked on the door. The arguing voices inside suddenly stopped, and Lan Tian pushed the door and entered.
Jiang Xiaoshan and Su Qing were talking about sothing, Su Qing looking gloomy. Seeing Lan Tian return, they exchanged a glance and, by silent consent, did not continue with the topic they were just on.
"Back already? Where’s Chunhua?" Not seeing Chunhua in the room, they must not have picked her up yet.
"It seems there was an issue back ho so Comrade Chunhua went back. I heard from her colleagues at the hospital that Comrade Chuntao Hua will be back in a couple of days. I’ll go and pick her up then."
Lan Tian uttered an "oh," grabbed a stool and sat by the windowsill, taking out a book from her bag to read. After a few pages, she noticed both of their gazes fixed on her, hesitating.
Without looking up, Lan Tian said, "If you guys have things to do, you can head back to the military first. I’ll stay here with him."
"Sister-in-law, thank you for your hard work. Once we get through these busy days, we’ll both co by to take care of the battalion commander." The two of them gave Lan Tian a military salute and hurried back to their unit.
What happened?
Lan Tian pondered for a mont. In her previous life, at this ti, she was still digging in the fields in Mo Village and had no recollection of anything happening in the military. Thinking of this, Lan Tian felt defeated. In her previous life, she was too much of a failure, totally oblivious to important matters, only able to guess from bits and pieces of information.
Forget it. No matter what happened, it had nothing to do with her. She continued reading.
.........
Cai Mingming was absent-minded all morning, barely making through until the end of her shift. Skipping lunch, she hurried back to her dormitory.
"Weiwei, guess what I saw?"
After coming back from Chu Yang’s place, Zhou Yuwei had been staying in the dorm, not going anywhere. The two obvious bruises on her chin, evidently caused by a man’s grip, were noticeable to anyone. The hospital was full of people she knew, so of whom were friendly with her and others not so much. If they saw her, they would surely ask countless questions and, behind her back, who knows how they might gossip.
Zhou Yuwei closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep. With Cai Mingming’s cloddish behavior, what could she have possibly seen? Zhou Yuwei didn’t want Cai Mingming to witness her current disheveled state. Although they were friends, Zhou Yuwei used to look down on her, unintentionally showing disdain. Now that she had fallen into misfortune, who knows how Cai Mingming would gloat inside.
Hence, when a person’s heart is twisted, their view of the people and things around them becos distorted. Cai Mingming truly cared for her, yet she ended up being treated with caution and distrust by Zhou Yuwei.
Cai Mingming ran to Zhou Yuwei’s bed and, panting, leaned on the bed rail, "That country bumpkin from the village, she’s sneaking around behind the back, hugging and cuddling with other n, keeping several lovers on the side."
"What did you say?" Zhou Yuwei sat up abruptly, gripping Cai Mingming’s hands tightly as she questioned, "Are you serious? Did you really see Lan Tian cuddling with other n?"
Cai Mingming frowned, Weiwei’s grip being so strong it hurt her arm to think that the vile country bumpkin had bullied her the day before. She was likely too agitated now. The pain was nothing compared to Weiwei’s suffering; she could endure it.
"Weiwei, you’re hurting ." If the grip continued, her hand would go numb. "Let go and I’ll explain properly."
Zhou Yuwei seed to realize she had been holding onto Cai Mingming’s arm, quickly letting go and looking worriedly at her arm, "I’m sorry, I got a bit too anxious when I heard what you said. I didn’t hurt you, did I?"
Cai Mingming rubbed her arm over her clothes and said indifferently, "It’s not painful, really. I understand how you feel."
"Is what you just said true?" After a quick show of concern, Zhou Yuwei was not in the mood to placate Cai Mingming. She wanted to know about Lan Tian’s secret affair. A fierce glint flickered in Zhou Yuwei’s eyes, "Lan Tian, you’ve got what’s coming to you, caught in the act!"
Chu Yang moved so fast!
"Who did you say she was hugging and cuddling with? Where? And who else knows about this?" Zhou Yuwei’s face turned a bashful red as she asked shyly, "Oh dear, it’s so embarrassing. We’re two unmarried girls, talking about such things, it doesn’t seem very appropriate!"
Cai Mingming was exasperated, "She had the gall to do it, and yet you fear others speaking of it! Listen to , it was in Camp Commander Mo’s ward where that woman was hugging and cuddling with several n. Not only did I see it, but many people did. Oh, right, the soldiers under Camp Commander Mo saw it too. Now, her reputation will be destroyed. Everyone will know she’s promiscuous, keeping multiple lovers, and we’ll see if she still has the face to compete with you for Camp Commander Mo."
Zhou Yuwei was stunned. Mo Junhua’s ward? And with several n?
That doesn’t sound like Chu Yang. Then who?
"You don’t know; that woman, upon seeing those n, laughed so coquettishly, as if she wanted everyone to know they were intimately involved. Later, that woman even left with them. Eh, Weiwei, what’s wrong with your face?"
Zhou Yuwei was still trying to identify the man who had an affair with Lan Tian when she suddenly heard Cai Mingming’s exclamation. Subconsciously, she covered her chin, which would’ve clearly given her away, so she quickly lowered her hand and looked up to et Cai Mingming’s curious gaze fixated on her face, her eyes sinking.
Tears were on the brink of falling as she said, "I..." She only got one word out before breaking into sobs, a picture of heartbreak with nowhere to turn for comfort.
Suddenly, Cai Mingming’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief, stamring as she spoke, "Was it that woman who brought those n to beat you up? I knew it was odd for them to leave so abruptly, and now it turns out they went to the dorm to bully you. This is too much! They don’t have any respect for our hospital at all."
Zhou Yuwei was gobsmacked. What kind of reasoning was this? How did she even make that connection?
"I’m going to the hospital to report this, to have them kicked out, and to make sure she is never allowed in again," declared Cai Mingming, as she beca more convinced of her idea and stood up ready to leave.
Zhou Yuwei trembled with anger. This fool... Mo Junhua’s affairs in the hospital had to be kept secret, but here she was, ready to make a scene. If things escalated, everyone would learn that Lan Tian was Mo Junhua’s wife, and that she, Zhou Yuwei, was nothing. Just the thought of everyone’s mocking and disdainful looks made her near insane.
"Mingming, don’t go." Cai Mingming was about to step out when Zhou Yuwei suddenly clutched her stomach and yelled, "Ow, ow, my stomach hurts, Mingming!"
Cai Mingming, who reached the door, turned back at Zhou Yuwei’s painful moans, and seeing Zhou Yuwei’s agonized and sweaty face, she hurried back, asking with concern, "Weiwei, what’s wrong? Don’t scare ."
"It’s nothing. Mingming, I haven’t eaten anything from yesterday till now, so my stomach feels a bit uncomfortable. I’ll bear with it; it’ll pass," Zhou Yuwei improvised, but then she rembered that indeed, she hadn’t had a drop of water since yesterday, which explained her intense hunger.
"Why didn’t you say so earlier? I’ll go and get you so food, just wait here!"
After sending Cai Mingming away, Zhou Yuwei got up, closed the door, and walked over to the mirror. Seeing her pale, ghostly reflection with two purple bruises on her jaw, a mocking reminder of her naivety. She had thought that changing places would an eting different n. Yet, reality slapped her hard: wherever she was, n were unreliable. Faced with greater temptations, they would ruthlessly discard the sweet past for the burdens of now.
Like herself.
Chu Yang, if you dare do this to , I will make you pay. Mo Junhua, if I can’t have you, I’d rather destroy you than see you loving another woman all your life.
......
Late at night, as the world was quiet, it was ti for Lan Tian to administer acupuncture to Mo Junhua again. This session lasted a quarter of an hour longer than the last. Don’t underestimate these extra minutes; to Mo Junhua, the torture seed endless, the pain engulfing him like waves, plunging him into the boundless Asura hell.
After performing acupuncture on Mo Junhua and sticking a needle into his chest, she saw his limbs twitching from pain. Lan Tian then happily turned over and went to bed to sleep. Jiang Xiaoshan and Su Qing had left and not returned, content in leaving Mo Junhua in her care.
The weather outside was nice, with a boundless cerulean sky, and clouds like blooming white cotton flowers sprawled across the firmant. A breeze raised the white curtains at the window, carrying the faint scent of sweet osmanthus in the air.
Lan Tian sat in front of the window, engrossed in reading a journal she found in Old Mr. Mo’s dicine House. The journal recorded customs and legends from ancient tis to the present, from places far and wide.
As Lan Tian was reading intently, there ca a ’knock knock knock’ at the door,
Interrupted at an engrossing mont, a flicker of impatience crossed her eyes as she glanced towards the door. It wasn’t ti yet for Mo Junhua’s routine check-up, so why the early visit?
"Co in!"
Lan Tian called out and returned her gaze to the book.
Chu Yang pushed the door open; his eyes imdiately landed on the elegant figure sitting by the window, bathed in sunlight, her body emitting a soft halo, as if she were a fairy descended to earth, untouchable.
Chu Yang was srized and couldn’t help but walk over.
A dark shadow suddenly lood over, blocking Lan Tian’s view. Looking up at the newcor, Lan Tian felt a mont of absent-mindedness, as the person seed vaguely familiar.
The two who entered were Chu Yang and Zhou Yuwei.
No wonder, Lan Tian had little interaction with Chu Yang. Her impression of him remained only because he was once Zhou Yuwei’s ex-husband. If there has to be a connection, it was that brief encounter in the alleys of Shanghai years ago; they hadn’t seen each other since.
It was normal for Lan Tian to not rember soone so distantly related. Even if Mo Junhua was slightly out of her sight, she would just as likely not rember him.
A glint passed through her eyes – why had these two co together?
Her gaze casually swept over them. Zhou Yuwei looked much better after a few days, radiant as if reborn. Lan Tian noticed the faint makeup on her face couldn’t hide the dark circles under her eyes. Lan Tian subtlely squinted, concealing the amusent in her eyes.
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