“Excessive indulgence led to a mental breakdown, the mental breakdown resulted in a fall from a horse, causing a minor fracture. Cast it up, it'll get better in three months.”
A prolonged cold had left her voice hoarse, but the words she just uttered caused the several interns behind her to gasp.
Xia Chunian slammed the patient record shut, looking at Zhong Qing on the bed, and Zhong Qing was seething with rage.
“Dr. Xia, mind your words. This concerns our Zhong Qing's reputation.” Beside her stood Zhong Qing’s manager, Sister Rou.
And Zhong Qing, an actress who became famous under the patronage of a prominent figure.
With a sarcastic smile, Xia Chunian said, "Dark circles under the eyes, clear signs of weariness, and a significant lack of energy. I'm afraid Miss Zhong has gone overboard with her youthful recklessness. You should be more cautious in the future."
Sans makeup, Zhong Qing's face pale and worn, dark circles clearly visible, and noticeable nasolabial folds, not matching the innocent woman image on TV. At present, she stared fiercely at Xia Chunian, full of smugness. "Xia Chunian, you had a birthday yesterday, but do you know who was with me? It was Gu Lin Ge."
Xia Chunian intended to cap her pen, but due to a slip, the pen left a clear mark on her hand.
The long streak, a blend of black and red, cutting through her skin.
Much like the blood that had spilled before.
Gu Lin, her husband of three years.
A man who broke her heart a week ago.
The interns behind her kept silent, not daring to lift their heads as if they heard big news.
Xia Chunian finally put the cap back on her pen, she turned back to the interns, "That's enough for this morning's rounds. You can go now."
The interns nodded hurriedly, escaping the suffocating scene of revelation.
Xia Chunian glanced back at Zhong Qing, who was triumphantly nestled in the hospital bed, and couldn't help but tighten her grip on the medical record in her hand. She then slightly bent over and placed her hand firmly on Zhong Qing's leg.
"Ah…" Zhong Qing’s triumphant expression instantly turned into a sharp scream.
Before the agent could get to them, Xia Chunian had already swung Zhong Qing’s leg away. "If you choose to be the other woman, you should bear the risk of having your legs broken, Miss Zhong. Perhaps next time, it won't be just one leg that gets broken."
"Xia, Xia Chunian, you…" Zhong Qing was in pain that brought tears to her eyes. But when she caught sight of the man who had just walked in, her malicious expression quickly turned into one of grievance. "Sister Chunian, Gu Lin and I are completely innocent. How could you accuse me of such things? Even if you break my legs, I still stand by my words. There’s nothing between Gu Lin and me."
A chill ran down Xia Chunian’s spine, but within moments, she found herself laughing.
The man who just walked in was dressed elegantly in a suit, his icy face unreadable. All that was telling about his mood was his tight-lipped expression, not good at all.
Seeing it as a perfect opportunity, Zhong Qing reached out to grab Xia Chunian, trying to create a scene like before, showing Gu Lin how Xia Chunian was about to break her leg.
However, before Zhong Qing could get to Xia Chunian's wrist, the pen in Xia Chunian's hand was already pressed against the pulse of her wrist, as if ready to pierce through her wrist in the next second.
At that moment, Gu Lin's brows furrowed as he looked at Xia Chunian's hand. The next second, he firmly grasped her wrist.
His hand was hot, but Xia Chunian's wrist was shockingly cold. Gu Lin subconsciously looked at Xia Chunian’s face, which was pale and devoid of any color. And the faint shadows under her eyes marked her lack of rest.
The pain on her wounded wrist reminded Xia Chunian not to pull back her wrist and instead glaring at Gu Lin, she said, “Mr. Gu, I'm sorry if I almost hurt your precious one. But Mr. Gu, you should be more careful next time, after all, humans are more fragile than flowers."
"Then apologize," Gu Lin said in a low voice. He could make out her sarcasm.
Ignoring him for a week and now mocking him in front of others. Is this what a Mrs. Gu should do?
Apologize?
The medical record at her side was trembling slightly. Xia Chunian appeared to be suppressing emotions. Her heart ached slightly as if she was using all her strength to quell the painful emotions.
Zhong Qing wore a smirk of satisfaction, yet she coquettishly said, "Brother Gu Lin, Sister Chu Nian didn't do it on purpose, so she doesn't need to…”
"Xia Chu Nian, apologize." Gu Lin still stared at Xia Chu Nian, expressing words devoid of any emotion.
Xia Chu Nian's wrist bore a clear mark from being gripped. She wasn't doubting the possibility of Gu Lin breaking her wrist. However, an apology from her was absolutely impossible, not now, not ever.
Xia Chu Nian suddenly laughed, slightly raising her eyelids as she casually started, "If anyone should be apologizing, it's Boss Gu. Boss Gu needs to learn to cherish women. After all, the bus still has to operate."
After finishing her statement, she jerked her hand away and turned to leave the spot.
Otherwise, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to resist the urge to slap her medical record right onto his face.
How could Zhong Qing not discern the meaning behind Xia Chu Nian's words? Xia Chu Nian was calling her a public bus!
"Brother Gu Lin." Zhong Qing reached out and grabbed Gu Lin's wrist, "How could Sister Chu Nian talk about me like that? What did I do wrong that she dislikes me so much?"
Xia Chu Nian left the ward, leaning against the wall. Her body shook uncontrollably, and the unbearable pain was making even her breath laborious, almost suffocating her.
Turns out, the pain of habit wouldn't disappear simply because one gave up.
Bearing the pain that permeated her whole body, she slowly walked away from the scene, refusing to let anyone see her in this dismal state.
She ran all the way to the rooftop. The scorching sun hit her, but it didn't dispel the chill that clung to her.
Xia Chu Nian slid down the corner with her medical record, tightly hugging her knees as she curled up into a ball.
She loved Gu Lin, and had loved him for ten years.
But in just a single day, Gu Lin managed to tear apart all her love.
A shadow grew in front of me, bringing a slight warm breath along with it. The newcomer slowly crouched down and passed the cup in his hand to Xia Chuyan, "Madam, your silkie chicken soup."
It was Gu Lin's special assistant, the one Xia Chuyan had been in contact with most over these years.
Su Yang knew all the humble things she did for Gu Lin, so in front of Su Yang, Xia Chuyan didn't have as many reservations. She slowly sat on the ground, her body leaning against the wall, "Assistant Su, please tell Gu Lin that I agree to the divorce."
Su Yang was shocked, looking at Xia Chuyan incredulously, "Madam, you..."
Xia Chuyan wanted to cry initially, but she laughed. Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes, landing on her pale face. She said, "On the day my child was lost, he was celebrating another woman's birthday, a woman who caused my child's death."
Her voice was hollow, so hollow that one couldn't grasp the meaning within.
"I've never been as wretched as I was this week, but never as sober either. I admit, he won. I agree to the divorce, I'm setting him free."
"Madam." Su Yang looked at Xia Chuyan struggling to stand up, and subconsciously reached out to support her, "Madam, the truth about the President and..."
"It doesn't matter anymore," Xia Chuyan replied, "He was right, Gu Lin is someone whom Xia Chuyan hasn't been able to love for a long time now. After striving beyond my abilities for so many years, it is time to give up." Xia Chuyan placed her hand on her flat belly, where, once, a child had resided.
But the child had left, too suddenly.
