Super Doctor - Chapter 36

Aside from Zhang Linyun, this was the first time Xu Ze had stayed up so late with a girl, especially one as stunning as Sun Lingfei. The situation felt undeniably awkward. To ease the tension, Xu Ze quickly turned on the TV and flipped through channels, hoping to find something to watch.

Late-night TV programs were predictably dull—either commercials or reruns of news. After switching through a couple of channels without finding anything interesting, Sun Lingfei spoke up in a soft voice, “How about some music?”

“Uh… sure!” Xu Ze quickly switched to a music channel, where a popular female artist’s music video was playing.

Sun Lingfei, who was usually outgoing and cheerful, also felt the awkwardness of the situation. Despite having countless admirers, she had never been alone with a guy this late at night before. And to make matters worse, he had apparently touched some rather private areas of her body. It was all quite embarrassing.

The music video on TV was beautifully shot, with the male and female leads entangled in a passionate embrace amidst a picturesque maple forest. The soft, romantic melody only added to the awkward atmosphere between the two.

Finally, Sun Lingfei, being naturally sociable, broke the silence. She turned to Xu Ze and asked, “Xu Ze, when did you start working part-time here?”

“Uh… almost two years ago,” Xu Ze replied, relieved to have something to talk about.

“Two years? So you’ve been here since your sophomore year?” Sun Lingfei looked at him curiously. “Are you close with the doctors here? How did they agree to let you work here when you were just starting your second year?”

Hearing her question, Xu Ze shook his head and smiled wryly. “Not really. Back then, Dr. Zhang wasn’t too keen on having me around. He even scolded me at first. But I needed a part-time job to cover my living expenses and wanted to learn something. Since I didn’t have any other options, I just kept showing up every day to help out. Eventually, Dr. Zhang saw how hard I was working and started paying me. That’s how I ended up staying.”

“Haha… you’re really something. I wouldn’t have guessed you had such thick skin. Getting scolded and still coming back…” Sun Lingfei covered her mouth and giggled, amused by Xu Ze’s story.

Xu Ze smiled faintly. “Looking back, I’m impressed with myself too. If it were now, I’m not sure I’d have the courage to do it again.” He sighed softly, his gaze drifting upward as if lost in thought.

Back then, he had stumbled upon a deeply hidden secret about his parents. The sudden realization had left him feeling lost, confused, and helpless. As a teenager who had always relied on his parents, discovering that he wasn’t their biological child had been a devastating blow.

He often thought about how hard his parents had worked to provide for their three children. His mother, who came from a scholarly family, had even set aside her pride to sell goods at a street stall to make ends meet. The thought of how much easier their lives might have been without him weighed heavily on his heart.

That was why he had thrown himself into the part-time job at the clinic, enduring the strange looks from Dr. Zhang and Sister Luo. He had seized every opportunity to help with injections and even volunteered to clean, just to prove his worth. Looking back, it hadn’t been easy.

Seeing the faint sadness on Xu Ze’s face, Sun Lingfei realized she might have touched on a sensitive topic. She quickly changed the subject, glancing at the IV bag. “Looks like the medicine’s almost out…”

Xu Ze nodded, got up, and fetched another bottle of levofloxacin from the medicine room. He replaced the empty bottle and smiled. “This is the last one.”

“That’s good. I’ve been such a bother all night,” Sun Lingfei said, her spirits lifting a little now that the end was in sight. She sat up and looked at Xu Ze with a playful smile. “By the way, after all this time, I still don’t know what’s wrong with me. Care to enlighten me, Dr. Xu?”

Xu Ze’s gaze softened as he took in her charming, teasing expression. Sun Lingfei really is a natural-born beauty, he thought. Whether she’s scowling or smiling, she has this captivating charm. No wonder she’s not just the department’s top beauty but also the university’s reigning queen.

Noticing the flicker of admiration in Xu Ze’s eyes, Sun Lingfei felt a small surge of satisfaction. So you’re not completely immune to my charms after all, she thought with a hint of pride.

“Well, it’s probably just a cold or maybe tonsillitis. Since you were asleep earlier, I didn’t get a chance to check your throat. I’ll take a look later,” Xu Ze said, leaning back in his chair and stretching lazily. “It shouldn’t be anything serious.”

“That’s a relief. I’d hate for it to be something major. I’ve hardly ever been sick in my life,” Sun Lingfei replied.

After some more small talk, the small IV bottle was nearly empty. Xu Ze stood up and said with a smile, “Alright, time to remove the needle.”

Hearing this, Sun Lingfei slowly raised her hand, her big eyes pleading. “Will it hurt? Be gentle, okay?”

Xu Ze couldn’t help but chuckle inwardly. The last time he’d seen her, she’d been as fierce as a little lioness. Who would’ve thought she’d be so timid now? He nodded reassuringly. “Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much. I promise.”

“Okay…” Trusting his assurance, Sun Lingfei slowly extended her hand, still cautioning him, “You’d better keep your promise.”

Xu Ze gently held her warm, soft hand, feeling a sudden flutter in his chest. But he quickly composed himself, focusing on carefully removing the tape and then smoothly pulling out the needle. He pressed a cotton ball over the spot and smiled. “See? Not so bad, right?”

“Hmm… it really didn’t hurt much. You’re good,” Sun Lingfei admitted with a satisfied nod.

“Alright, hold this for a bit. I’ll take a look at your throat now,” Xu Ze said, handing her the cotton ball. As she obediently opened her mouth, he used a cotton swab and a small flashlight to examine her throat. It was slightly red, but her tonsils weren’t too swollen. A couple more IV sessions should do the trick.

“It’s just a cold. One or two more IVs, and you’ll be fine,” Xu Ze said with a smile.

Hearing this, Sun Lingfei breathed a sigh of relief. She had always been afraid of needles, so the thought of only needing one or two more sessions was comforting.

Xu Ze checked his watch—it was almost 4 a.m. He looked at Sun Lingfei and said with a helpless smile, “It’s almost four. Looks like we’ll have to sleep here for a bit.”

“Here…?” Sun Lingfei frowned, about to agree, when suddenly Xu Ze’s stomach let out a loud gurgle.

Sun Lingfei glanced at the slightly embarrassed Xu Ze, then touched her own stomach. She hadn’t eaten all day due to feeling unwell, but now that she was feeling better, she realized she was hungry too. After a moment’s thought, she smiled and said, “You’ve worked so hard. Why don’t we go to my place? I should have some food there. We can grab a bite, and tomorrow I’ll treat you to a proper meal as thanks.”