Super Doctor - Chapter 168

In the large white room, the thin, pale curtains over the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows fluttered gently in the breeze…

Sun Lingfei sat with her knees drawn up, leaning against the bedside, quietly watching Xu Ze across from her. Xu Ze, leaning against the wall with his guitar, strummed the strings while softly singing:

This world is so complex, it muddles the words I want to say,
I don’t understand grammar that’s too intricate,
What kind of gift can be remembered forever?
Let happiness not slip away too hastily,
Clouds and sky, butterflies and flowers, never need to speak,
Yet unable to break away, still caring day and night…

Reluctantly gazing at the dazed guy opposite her, Sun Lingfei finally whispered, “Xu Ze…”

“Hmm…”

“I have to go back tomorrow…”

Xu Ze looked up, his warm eyes filled with reluctance, and said softly, “Oh…”

“I probably… won’t be back until school starts…”

“Mmm… be careful on your way…” Xu Ze nodded…

Sun Lingfei’s long eyelashes fluttered slightly before she finally said, “If… there’s a chance… call me if you come to Beijing…”

Xu Ze understood what she meant. Lowering his gaze, he gently bit his lip, then looked up again, his warm eyes filled with tender warmth as he nodded. “Okay…”

Seeing Xu Ze’s warm, affirming smile, Sun Lingfei’s face gradually blossomed into a smile. She stood up gently, walked to Xu Ze’s side, and sat down quietly. Closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Ah Ze… no matter what, let’s both do our best…”

“Mmm… let’s work hard together!” Xu Ze turned his head, inhaling the faint, pleasant fragrance from her hair, his eyes reflecting warmth and joy as he spoke with determination.

In the evening, as expected, Xu Ze received a call from Dr. Li of the surgery department, inviting him to dinner with a few colleagues. Remembering his promise from that morning and feeling in high spirits, Xu Ze gladly drove to the meeting place.

The gathering was at the Baorui Grand Hotel, a well-known five-star hotel in Xing City. When Xu Ze arrived, three surgeons were already there: Tang Yijun, Jiang Zhibo, and Dr. Li Qifeng.

Seeing Xu Ze, the three stood up with smiles and greeted him. After shaking hands, they all sat down. Li Qifeng said warmly, “Xu Ze, thank you so much for yesterday. Today, almost everyone from the surgery department is here except for Wu Xiaotian. Let’s have a few drinks together…”

“Hehe… Qifeng, you’re too kind. We’re all colleagues. If there’s something I can help with, of course I’ll step up,” Xu Ze replied with a smile.

Jiang Zhibo chimed in, “Xu Ze, you really surprised us all yesterday. Your speed was incredible—I doubt anyone in the entire hospital could match it!”

“Hehe… I’ve been helping out at my family’s clinic since I was young, so I’ve had plenty of practice… plenty of practice…” Xu Ze smoothly offered an excuse to brush it off.

“Oh… no wonder… it runs in the family,” the three mused, not doubting his explanation.

The food arrived quickly, followed by two bottles of Wuliangye liquor…

Seeing the two bottles, Xu Ze was taken aback. He rarely drank baijiu, and with two bottles, each person would have about half a斤 (approximately 250 ml). After half a斤, he’d probably need help getting home.

He thought about declining, but Li Qifeng and the others wouldn’t hear of it. They insisted, “We’re men—we drink baijiu! Having beer just wouldn’t be the same…”

Unable to refuse, Xu Ze reluctantly agreed, thinking he’d just book a room at the hotel if needed.

The Wuliangye was exceptionally mellow and fragrant, and it was clear the other three were seasoned drinkers. Under their constant urging, Xu Ze had no choice but to keep up, taking sip after sip with them.

After three rounds, the two bottles were nearly empty. Li Qifeng and the others were already slightly tipsy, but Xu Ze remained calm and composed, without even a flush on his face.

This surprised Li Qifeng and the others, and they promptly called for more drinks…

Xu Ze himself was puzzled. Why did the alcohol feel like drinking beer? After nearly half a斤, he barely felt affected…

The drinks arrived quickly—two more bottles of Wuliangye. They continued toasting each other, and by the time the bottles were nearly empty, Li Qifeng and Tang Yijun were noticeably drunk, slurring their words. Only Jiang Zhibo was still relatively clear-headed, though his face was flushed.

The three stared at Xu Ze, who still looked completely unfazed, and were utterly stunned. No one called for more drinks this time. Instead, they ordered a bowl of soup to sober up slowly…

Xu Ze was genuinely baffled. Since when did his alcohol tolerance become so strong?

After some thought, he guessed it might be due to his increasingly robust physique, nearly reaching E-grade, which probably enhanced his resistance to alcohol.

After finishing the soup, everyone felt a bit more alert. Seeing that it was still early, they linked arms and took the elevator upstairs to engage in the most beloved pastime of the masses—karaoke.

Poor Xu Ze rarely frequented KTVs, but under the insistence of his three half-drunk companions, he had no choice but to go along.

Li Qifeng booked a large private room. Once they were settled, he stepped out briefly to make a few calls. Within half an hour, several pretty girls walked in.

Seeing them, Tang Yijun and Jiang Zhibo praised Li Qifeng for his connections, managing to invite so many beauties to sing with them.

Xu Ze, however, felt somewhat out of place. He wasn’t used to KTVs, and the presence of the girls made him a bit uneasy.

Li Qifeng seemed quite familiar with the girls and introduced them to everyone. Tang Yijun and Jiang Zhibo greeted them enthusiastically, while Xu Ze simply smiled politely without paying much attention. He only nodded and smiled when introduced.

Compared to the other two, Xu Ze naturally drew the girls’ attention. His handsome looks and aloof demeanor made him quite appealing.

One of the pretty girls, after greeting everyone, sat down beside Xu Ze and said with a smile, “Xu Ze… you don’t remember me?”

“Hmm?” Do I know any of these girls? Xu Ze looked up in surprise and found her face somewhat familiar. After a moment’s thought, he recognized her and replied with a faint smile, “Zhao Linlin?”

“That’s right! Xu Ze, you’re such a bad guy. I特意 gave you my number last time, but you never called me…” Zhao Linlin said playfully.

Xu Ze was taken aback for a moment before recalling that day at the Normal University gate when Zhao Linlin had used his phone to dial her number. He hadn’t paid much attention to it, and the number had long been deleted…

Of course, he couldn’t say that now. He simply smiled apologetically and said, “Sorry, I’ve been really busy…”

“Humph… summer vacation has been going on for so long, and I still haven’t heard from you,” Zhao Linlin retorted, knowing it was just an excuse. But she didn’t mind—the more indifferent Xu Ze was, the more interested she became.

As they chatted, Li Qifeng leaned over and asked, “Linlin, you know Xu Ze?”

“Yeah, we’ve met before,” Zhao Linlin replied. “Didn’t you say you were with colleagues? Is Xu Ze one of them too?”

“Yep, Xu Ze just started working with us. Of course he’s our colleague,” Li Qifeng said with a smile.

Hearing this, Xu Ze worried that Zhao Linlin might reveal his secret. Assuming she didn’t know he was only a third-year student, he quickly interjected, “I just started at Affiliated Hospital No. 1…”

“Ah… you’ve already graduated?” Zhao Linlin exclaimed in surprise.

Just then, a waiter brought in two cases of Budweiser. Worried that Zhao Linlin might continue the topic, Xu Ze quickly grabbed a few bottles and said, “Come on… let’s drink, let’s drink!”

Seeing Xu Ze, who had been somewhat distant, now taking the initiative to offer drinks, Zhao Linlin was delighted and dropped the subject, accepting the beer and drinking with him.

Noticing that Zhao Linlin and Xu Ze seemed to be getting along well, Li Qifeng smiled and sat down with the other girls, chatting and drinking while everyone took turns singing. The atmosphere was lively and enjoyable.

Xu Ze, however, was still somewhat reserved. He had rarely been to KTVs and had never sung in one before, so he felt out of place. He passed the time by chatting and drinking with Zhao Linlin, which wasn’t too boring.

After Tang Yijun and Li Qifeng had each sung a couple of songs, they finally noticed that Xu Ze hadn’t sung yet and insisted that he take a turn.

Poor Xu Ze, though he enjoyed playing guitar and humming lately, had never performed in such a setting. He tried to decline, but the microphone was already thrust into his hands.

Zhao Linlin, sitting beside him, cheered enthusiastically and insisted on singing a duet with him.

Reluctantly, Xu Ze chose a song he quite liked, “Good Heart Break Up,” and asked Zhao Linlin to select it.

As the music started, Xu Ze felt a bit nervous. But after Zhao Linlin sang a few lines, he gradually relaxed and joined in, following the melody.

Though he started off a bit stiff, his voice, as Xiao Dao had once said, was actually quite good. After a few lines, he warmed up and sang smoothly. Paired with Zhao Linlin’s charming voice, their duet flowed effortlessly. By the end, everyone was applauding and cheering. Li Qifeng even patted Xu Ze’s shoulder and jokingly scolded him for hiding his talent—how dare he!

Xu Ze himself was surprised. So he could actually sing decently after all…