Eden looked at the person charging towards him with a hint of surprise in his eyes, sidestepped slightly, and easily dodged Annie’s hug. She ended up embracing the air and looked at Eden with a sullen expression, "We haven’t seen each other for so long; isn’t a hug upon eting not too much to ask for?"
Eden’s expression was indifferent, "How co you’re here?"
Annie bead, "This is fate. I co to visit a patient with a friend and happen to bump into you. Doesn’t this exactly show that our destiny runs deep?"
Eden didn’t respond to that remark, but instead said, "Have you finished visiting? Can you leave now?"
Looking even more aggrieved, Annie said, "I just saw you and you’re already rushing away. Do you dislike that much?"
Looking at her, Eden’s gaze was cool, "I’ve made myself clear already, I thought I had made it very obvious."
Annie clenched her teeth, yes, how could it not be obvious? He had casually rejected her, then blocked her phone number, even got himself a girlfriend, and fled from his own country to another country; to avoid her, Eden really went to great lengths.
Shen Qinglan watched the scene with interest, while Fu Hengyi, seeing her rare gossipy side, smiled helplessly.
Eden walked past Annie and ca over, when he spoke again, his expression had returned to its usual gentleness, "Qinglan, go ho tonight. I’ll be here in the hospital."
Shen Qinglan shook her head, "No need, you have surgery tomorrow, you need plenty of energy and strength. I can manage here on my own." Her gaze fell on Annie, who looked sadly disappointed, and she gave Eden a aningful look.
Understanding the implication in her eyes, a trace of lancholy passed through Eden’s heart, and he smiled, "Then I’ll have soone add another bed here for you."
Wen Xiyao had maintained her silence since Eden had arrived, observing the man in secret. She now believed what Annie had said: this man was genuinely uninterested in her. You could tell from the look in his eyes.
"Hello, I’m Qinglan’s future sister-in-law, my na is Wen Xiyao." Wen Xiyao took the initiative to introduce herself; she had seen this doctor nad Eden during the previous two surgeries and had heard Shen Junyu ntion him many tis, but it was the first ti she felt this curious.
Eden greeted her with a warm smile, "Hello, Miss Wen."
Wen Xiyao wasn’t surprised he knew her; after all, they had t several tis before.
Eden had co with the sole purpose of convincing Shen Qinglan to rest at ho; seeing her reluctance, he didn’t press the matter further and, having said what he intended, prepared to leave.
Once Eden left, Annie followed him. Wen Xiyao curiously looked at Shen Qinglan and asked, "Qinglan, does Doctor Eden have a girlfriend?"
Shen Qinglan didn’t get the chance to respond before Jin Enxi spoke up, "Eden doesn’t have a girlfriend, nor is he married. But he does have soone he likes. Your friend, well, she doesn’t stand a chance. When you have the ti, you should advise her to give up early and not waste her ti on Eden." Her words were entirely out of concern for Annie; they all knew how Eden felt: emotions nurtured over so many years couldn’t simply be cast aside.
Despite Eden’s calm deanor in the presence of Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi, that was just him keeping his feelings for Shen Qinglan hidden inside.
Wen Xiyao acted resigned, "I can’t control Annie’s matters."
Then there was nothing to be done; this matter would have to be resolved by Eden and Annie themselves.
Wen Xiyao stayed a while longer before leaving. She had ducked out of work at noon, and with a eting to chair in the afternoon, she naturally couldn’t linger for long. She called Annie, but Annie just waved her off, indicating she should leave first.
Annie had finally found Eden and naturally couldn’t just leave like that.
After Wen Xiyao left the ward, only Shen Qinglan, Fu Hengyi, and Jin Enxi remained. Shen Qinglan finally voiced the doubt in her heart, "What’s the deal with Annie and Eden?"
Leaning to one side and munching on an apple, Jin Enxi replied, "Annie once went to the hospital for a checkup, and the doctor happened to be Eden, and she was smitten by him. She insisted on being with Eden. You know how seriously Eden takes relationships, so he naturally wouldn’t accept her and turned her down. But that girl is persistent. Even after being rejected, she’s still not giving up on Eden and follows him everywhere."
Back in Y country, she had sothing to discuss with Eden and just saw Annie pestering him. To make Annie lose hope, he had claid Jin Enxi was his girlfriend and that he liked cute girls like Jin Enxi.
After listening, Shen Qinglan comnted quietly, "I actually think Annie’s pretty good." Eden’s personality is reserved and passive, while Annie’s is cheerful and proactive. The two seed like a good complent to each other.
Jin Enxi looked at Shen Qinglan, "Thank goodness you didn’t say that in front of Eden." Otherwise, Eden would be heartbroken.
Such words, of course, Shen Qinglan wouldn’t say in front of Eden; she wasn’t foolish. She turned to Fu Hengyi, "I’ve asked Aunt Liu to send over a change of clothes."
Fu Hengyi shook his head, "You’re not needed here, I’m just here to get so sleep, and I’ll be entering the operating room early tomorrow morning. There won’t be any issues, nor is there a need for soone to take care of . If I really needed help, I could find a nursing aide. You should go back and rest."
The environnt here wasn’t comparable to ho, and Fu Hengyi didn’t want Shen Qinglan to stay here.
Shen Qinglan wanted to insist, but t Fu Hengyi’s eyes filled with hidden concern and finally nodded, "Okay, I’ll co over with Grandpa tomorrow morning. I’ll go find a nursing aide for you later."
Fu Hengyi did not refuse.
Shen Qinglan stayed until nine in the evening before leaving the hospital under Fu Hengyi’s repeated urging. Jin Enxi was responsible for taking her ho.
"On the way back, Jin Enxi teased, "Mr. Fu sure is attentive to you."
Shen Qinglan smiled faintly, "Daniel is not good to you?"
"If he dares to treat badly, hmm hmm," Jin Enxi raised her fists.
"He’s just an ordinary guy who can’t beat you. Don’t commit dostic violence."
Jin Enxi chuckled, "How could I bear to be violent with him? I was just saying."
After safely escorting Shen Qinglan ho, Jin Enxi left. Returning ho, Shen Qinglan found Grandpa Fu still waiting for her in the living room, "Grandpa, it’s late. You don’t have to wait for next ti, get so rest earlier."
Grandpa Fu’s smile was gentle, "When you get old, you sleep less. I wasn’t really waiting for you, I was watching TV."
Shen Qinglan didn’t expose his lie, "It’s late now. You should rest early, Grandpa. Don’t stay up late watching TV. It’s bad for your eyes."
Grandpa Fu smiled, his eyes crinkling as he stood, "Off to sleep I go, Qinglan girl. You should rest early too."
Shen Qinglan smiled and nodded.
**
The next day, Shen Qinglan woke up early. She reached out and touched the cool, empty bed beside her, rembering that Fu Hengyi was at the hospital. She touched her stomach and whispered softly, "Mommy just woke up and has already started missing Daddy. Do you miss him as much as Mommy?"
There was no movent from her belly; it was quiet. Shen Qinglan’s expression was tender. She lay awake in bed for a while before getting up.
After breakfast, Shen Qinglan and Old Sir Shen set out, and upon arriving at the hospital, Doctor Eden was performing the final check on Fu Hengyi.
"Grandpa." Fu Hengyi called out, then looked towards Shen Qinglan, "Have you had breakfast?"
Shen Qinglan nodded, "I had breakfast before coming."
With that, Fu Hengyi didn’t say much more, and when the ti ca, he was wheeled into the operating room.
Shen Qinglan and Grandpa Fu sat outside in the hospital corridor. Shen Qinglan stared at the illuminated "In Operation" sign, her expression calm but her hands damp.
Although Doctor Eden had said that there wouldn’t be too many issues with the surgery, this operation was too important for Fu Hengyi. He was a proud man, an outstanding soldier. If his leg couldn’t fully recover, Shen Qinglan thought, it would be the greatest regret of Fu Hengyi’s life.
"Don’t be nervous, Qinglan girl. Hengyi is a man; he can handle this," Grandpa Fu comforted her softly.
"Grandpa, I’m worried," Shen Qinglan didn’t deny her nervousness.
Grandpa Fu continued, "Hengyi’s leg has recovered beyond initial expectations, and Doctor Eden said there wouldn’t be major issues."
Shen Qinglan of course understood this; she smiled and asked, "Grandpa, aren’t you worried?"
How could Grandpa Fu not be worried? After all, Fu Hengyi was his only grandson. But having weathered many storms, he had seen so much that he could remain composed.
The surgery was lengthy, even longer than the last one, causing Shen Qinglan to grow anxious.
Shen Junyu ca over to find Shen Qinglan still staring unblinkingly at the operating room door, where Fu Hengyi had already been for over three hours.
Holding several thermal containers in his hands, Shen Junyu said, "Grandpa Fu, Lanlan, you both should eat sothing first."
Shen Qinglan knew she couldn’t afford to go hungry right now, so despite her lack of appetite, she sat down and ate the al. Shen Junyu, seeing his silent sister eating without a word, didn’t try to comfort her but simply sat quietly by their side.
It was four hours later when the operating room doors finally opened. Doctor Eden erged looking exhausted. Even he felt fatigued after the nearly eight hours of high-precision surgery.
"Qinglan, the surgery went very well," Doctor Eden said. "We’ll know for sure after tomorrow’s check-up."
Shen Qinglan’s heart instantly settled at the news, and she offered a small smile. "I won’t say thank you anymore, you hurry up and go rest."
Seeing as there was nothing left for him to do, Doctor Eden nodded and left.
As Shen Qinglan watched Fu Hengyi being wheeled out, she felt a mont of daze. This was the fourth ti she had seen him co out of an operating room. In the years she wasn’t aware of, she didn’t know how often such scenes had played out, but she could guess from the vague scars still visible on Fu Hengyi’s body that he had been seriously injured more than once during his missions.
The effects of the anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet, and Fu Hengyi was still sleeping. Shen Qinglan sat silently by his bed, watching his peaceful sleeping face.
Old Sir Fu left after confirming Fu Hengyi’s physical state, his ninety-year-old body unable to endure as much as the youth, having waited for eight hours straight.
Shen Qinglan stayed in the hospital room with Fu Hengyi until he woke up.
**
Just as Doctor Eden left the operating room and arrived back at his office, he saw Annie waiting outside his office door, her hands holding a thermal container. "Eden, is the surgery over? Are you tired? I’ve prepared so food for you, made specially by our ho’s cook. Would you like to eat sothing?" she offered.
Eden glanced at her indifferently, didn’t take it, and walked into his office. Annie squeezed in, placed the thermal container on the desk, and said, "Eden, I had the chef make you a nourishing soup to replenish your strength. Try so."
She opened the container, and the fragrance of the food instantly filled the office.
Eden leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, completely ignoring Annie.
"Eden, you’ve been in surgery for so long; you must be hungry. Eat sothing before you sleep; it’s not good for your stomach otherwise."
With his eyes closed and remaining silent, Eden didn’t respond. Annie thodically set up the dishes and then tugged at Eden’s sleeve. "Eden, it’s ti to eat."
Finally, Eden opened his eyes and looked at her. "Leave," he said.
Annie didn’t leave. She was used to Eden’s cool behavior and insisted, "I’ll go after seeing you’ve eaten." To assure him, Annie swore, "I promise; just as soon as you finish the al, I’ll leave right away."
"Really not leaving?" asked Eden.
"Once you’ve eaten, this food was specially made by the chef." She even personally supervised in the kitchen.
Eden looked at her steadily, stood up, took off his white coat to leave. Annie stopped him, "Don’t go; I’ll leave, that’s fine, but rember to eat."
After saying that, Annie truly left. Eden looked at the food on the table for a while, shook his head, called a nurse over, and pointed to the food. "You can have this," he said. "It’s all untouched and clean."
The nurse looked at him in surprise. "Doctor Eden, all of this is for us?"
Eden smiled kindly. "Yes, all yours. Take it if you want it, or if not, could you dispose of it for ?"
Eden left the office with a carefree air, and the nurse, looking at the lavish al on the table, ntally sent her condolences to Annie; it seed another heart was set to be disappointed.
Eden left the hospital and went straight to his ho in Beijing. After a quick shower, he went straight to sleep.
In the evening, when Eden woke up, he made himself a pack of instant noodles. After eating, he headed back to the hospital and glanced into Fu Hengyi’s room. Seeing Shen Qinglan and Fu Hengyi had already retired for the night, he didn’t disturb them.
He wasn’t a formal employee of the hospital, and shift work didn’t concern him at all. After changing clothes in the office, Eden went to the bar.
He sat alone at the bar, quietly sipping a drink. He seldom drank, but occasionally he would enjoy a glass. The noise of the bar had no effect on him.
"Hi, handso, here alone? Mind buying a drink?" A beautiful woman leaned on the bar, smiling at Eden, her gaze sending him electric signals for free.
Eden smiled, "My companion should be arriving soon."
The woman pouted disinterestedly, "That’s too bad, maybe next ti if fate allows."
Eden didn’t continue the conversation, and the woman shrugged before walking away.
The bartender placed a cocktail in front of Eden, "This is from that lady over there." He pointed in a certain direction.
Eden looked over and saw a long-haired beauty raising her glass to him. Eden lifted his glass and took a sip, and upon seeing this, the woman smiled and approached him.
"Handso."
Eden gave the beauty a head-to-toe glance and chuckled, gesturing to the bartender to prepare another drink and placing it in front of her, "This one’s on ."
The woman rested her hand on Eden’s shoulder, "Handso, I have lots of good wines at ho, would you like to co and try so?" A faint scent of perfu ca from her, not too strong, quite pleasant.
Eden chuckled, taking the woman’s hand, but before he could speak, another hand reached out and smacked the woman’s hand away, "Yo, whose claw is this, and where do you think you’re putting it?"
Eden frowned at the woman who was claiming ownership over his arm, "Are you stalking ?"
Annie huffed quietly, lowering her voice, "Don’t talk now, we’ll settle our score later." She turned to the other woman, "Miss, you’ve caked on so much makeup it could be weighed in pounds. How do you still have the nerve to embarrass yourself here? Don’t you know that when you smile, your makeup starts flaking off? Look at the floor, it’s covered with a white layer."
The woman trembled with anger, especially the hand that Annie had hit, which was now swollen and red, "Who are you?"
Annie hugged Eden’s arm more tightly, looking triumphantly at the woman, "What do you think?"
The woman’s face turned ashen as she looked at Eden, "Handso, is she your friend?"
Eden nodded, and the woman huffed, "I thought you were a catch, turns out you’re just a fool." She walked away but just after two steps, she returned to take the drink the bartender had handed her.
Annie watched the woman’s angry departure, laughing triumphantly.
"Can you let go now?" Eden asked calmly.
Annie let go of his arm, giggling, "Eden, I knew you had so feelings for ."
Eden was speechless, apparently baffled by her confidence.
Annie was quite happy, "You just admitted that I am your girlfriend."
"You misheard, I said friend," Eden clarified, "You didn’t answer , did you follow here?"
Annie rolled her eyes, "I did not. If I say it’s a coincidence, would you believe ? I ca here to drink as well, and the mont I walked in, I saw you doing sothing regrettable. I should be the angry one, right?" Her words were filled with exasperation. This infuriating man was so cold towards her, but all smiles with other won. Once she won him over, she was going to make him kneel on durian shells.
"There is no relationship between us, so where is this ’sorry’ coming from?" Eden’s expression remained indifferent.
Annie laughed, "Didn’t you just acknowledge to soone that we are in a relationship? There wasn’t one before, but now there is."
"I said friend," Eden emphasized again.
"Boyfriend and friend are just a word apart, what’s the big deal? It’s essentially the sa thing. You are my friend now and in the future, you’ll be my boyfriend. Since it’s inevitable, why not sooner rather than later?" Annie bead, her eyes gleaming.
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