One Hundred Ways to Knock Down the Doctor - Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Wang Xiaoxiao called me to ask how my date with my dream guy went today.

Clutching my phone, I asked her if our plan for hot pot was still on.

A bestie is a bestie for a reason; she sensed something was wrong from just one sentence. She immediately ditched her younger boyfriend and came over to accompany me to Haidilao Hot Pot.

I gave her a concise description of what could only be described as a tragedy triggered by a gust of wind.

After listening, Wang Xiaoxiao gave me a thumbs-up.

“With moves like that, you actually managed to hook up with him? He cooked for you, took you to the hospital, and even provided after-sales service? If you hadn’t just said he has a girlfriend, I would’ve thought he was into you.”

I hit her with a triple denial.

“Impossible. He isn’t. It’s just a professional habit.”

He’s a doctor, after all. He couldn’t just stand by and watch me suffer an allergic reaction without doing anything.

He simply has great professional ethics and high moral standards.

All the good men are always someone else’s boyfriend.

Wang Xiaoxiao stroked her chin, continuing her relentless interrogation.

“Then how did you find out he has a girlfriend?”

I opened my photo album and showed her the screenshot.

A handsome man and a beautiful woman, four long, pale legs-even Wang Xiaoxiao felt a pang of jealousy for a moment.

Did I even need to say more?

Wang Xiaoxiao looked at me, heartbroken on my behalf.

“You only just now thought to check his social media feed?”

I explained that I was purely blinded by his beauty and had completely forgotten about that part.

Wang Xiaoxiao pronounced my death sentence.

“Just stay single. Stick to blind dates. Trying to flirt with men on your own? No chance.”

Right on cue, several laughs drifted over from the next table.

The nurse from earlier rounded the corner from behind a small decorative planter, looking at me with a beaming smile.

Zhao Chunian was right there beside her.

As they sat side-by-side, I felt like I was witnessing the absolute pinnacle of visual perfection.

They looked perfect together.

The sight was devastating.

Zhao Chunian stepped around the partition and walked over to me.

“Scoot in.”

I obediently shifted my butt over.

The man, who seemed to still carry a faint scent of disinfectant, sat down right next to me.

“Didn’t I tell you? You need to eat light while you’re having an allergic reaction.”

I poked at my spicy dipping sauce with my chopsticks.

“I forgot.”

Wang Xiaoxiao looked at me, then at Zhao Chunian, then at the nurse, her face a mask of confusion.

The nurse leaned in and whispered something into Wang Xiaoxiao’s ear.

Then, that heartless traitor of a friend immediately abandoned our bond for a pretty face, moving to the next table with a grin.

The two of them even called a waiter over to move their order to a different table, putting plenty of distance between them and me.

I almost buried my face in the hot pot broth.

Zhao Chunian placed an ID card on the table, followed by a second ID card right next to it.

I peeked out of the corner of my eye.

The first ID card: Male, Name: Zhao Chunian.

I have to say, a dream guy is a dream guy; even his ID photo looked good.

The second ID card: Female, Name: Zhao Chuyun.

Huh?

Why did her name match his?

More importantly, the face in the photo was also very beautiful.

Beautiful in the exact same way as the nurse.

Zhao Chunian explained unhurriedly.

“That’s my sister. My older sister. Her son is four and a half.”

“The one who saw you in the ER that day was my cousin. He’s married.”

So your whole family works at the same hospital.

I snatched up the IDs, tilting them against the light and scratching the surface, treating them like I was authenticating currency as I tried to verify their legitimacy.

My dream guy added a commentary from the side, “They’re real.”

I looked at the IDs, then at him, then back at the IDs, my heart blooming with joy.

Of course, I wasn’t going to admit it out loud.

“Why are you telling me this?”

Zhao Chunian pulled the spicy bowl away from me and replaced it with a clean dipping sauce. He even took the liberty of rinsing a piece of napa cabbage in the clear broth for me.

“To tell you that I don’t have a girlfriend, and I’m not married.”

I silently shrunk back into the corner of the booth.

Zhao Chunian continued to lead the conversation.

“I had an unscheduled surgery today, so I got back late.”

I peeked at Zhao Chunian while stuffing enoki mushrooms into my mouth.

Slender fingers paired with a cold scalpel-the mental image was just too much.

“I’ll come to your place when we get back. I’m going to watch you finish your allergy medication.”

I stuffed a shrimp ball into my mouth.

“I’m going to work tomorrow. Do you want a ride?”

I had finished fishing out all the token ingredients from the clear broth.

Zhao Chunian looked at me and sighed. “Since you’re not saying anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”

My attempt to play dead failed, and I was forced to speak. “Yes to what?”

“Yes to me driving you to work tomorrow.”

Me: …

That’s it?

You pulled out your ID card just to tell me this?

I thought you were going to say we should get married on the spot.

What a letdown.

I listlessly told him that my company and his hospital were in completely opposite directions.

Zhao Chunian glanced at the table. He didn’t say whether he knew that or not; he just asked if I was full.

It was the middle of the night, and it wasn’t right to keep bothering the Haidilao Hot Pot waiter.

Besides, at the table around the corner, the two pairs of gossiping eyes belonging to the nurse and Wang Xiaoxiao were practically burning holes through my table.

I followed his lead and said I was stuffed.

Zhao Chunian picked up the tablet to pay the bill.

Could I allow that? No.

In that instant, my hand speed exploded. I scanned the code and entered my password in one fluid motion. Only after the payment was successful did I realize that in my rush to snatch the bill, I had basically lunged onto the tablet.

The tablet was in Zhao Chunian’s hands.

By extension, it was as if I was in his arms.

I couldn’t see Zhao Chunian’s expression because the top of my head was pointed right at him.

I don’t have eyes on the top of my head.

But Wang Xiaoxiao was giving me a thumbs-up.

I knew what she meant: “Nice one, girl.”

Zhao Chunian seemed to chuckle, or maybe he didn’t.

I made a final struggle, saying I needed to check in with my bestie.

However, my resistance was futile.

Not only did I fail to resist, but I also slipped and fell squarely onto Zhao Chunian’s lap.

Zhao Chunian glanced over at Wang Xiaoxiao’s table and told me that my bestie and his sister had hit it off immediately. They had decided to stay and enjoy another round of hot pot together.

I decided right then and there to block that turncoat Wang Xiaoxiao as soon as I got back.

Zhao Chunian supported me all the way to the elevator.

And yes, it was exactly the kind of “support” I was thinking of.

With one hand under my elbow and the other hovering near my waist, he seemed to be using the excuse of helping me balance to subtly pull me toward his chest.

I stealthily moved my ankle. It didn’t hurt, and there was no swelling. “My foot is fine.”

Zhao Chunian gave an “oh” in response. The hand hovering at my waist let go to press the elevator button, while the other hand shifted from supporting my arm to holding my hand.

It was just the two of us in the elevator.

Outside the glass of the observation lift, the city lights were brilliant, mirroring the starry sky. Inside, he stood right beside me, his arm brushing against mine every now and then. The palm encircling my wrist was dry and strong.

For a moment, I could actually hear my own heartbeat.

Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump.

We took his little white car back.

Zhao Chunian was a man of his word. He said he was coming over to watch me take my medicine, and he really did come over to watch me take my medicine.

He didn’t even go to his own place first; he just followed right behind me through my front door.

A packed container of vegetable salad sat on the small coffee table, looking particularly conspicuous.

Zhao Chunian sat down next to me. As he poured water and handed me my pills, he chatted with me in a remarkably relaxed tone.

“This is what you’re having for dinner?”

In a momentary lapse of judgment, I told the truth.

“It’s for you. You went through so much trouble for me last night, and you even gave me a ride this morning.”

Well, that wasn’t a lie. It was just that my original plan was to use the delivery as an excuse to join him at the table.

Zhao Chunian watched me finish the medicine. When I was done, he reached out and gave the back of my hand a gentle, natural pat.

“Alright, get some rest. I’ll come by to get you at seven tomorrow morning.”

Me: ???

Didn’t he say it wasn’t on his way?

He didn’t give me time to react. After saying that, he picked up the vegetable salad and strolled back to his place, looking quite pleased with himself.

Utterly confused, I pulled out my phone and sent a WeChat message to Wang Xiaoxiao.

Me: You’re not human! You have no heart!

Xiaoxiao Loves Pickled Fish: You big fat liar! With this level of interaction, you expect me to believe you haven’t been having an affair for at least six months? I don’t buy it!

Me: I swear on your character that the hospital was the first time I ever saw him, and he was even wearing a mask then.

Xiaoxiao Loves Pickled Fish: No, I don’t believe you. From today on, you’re no longer Gu Xiaoqiu to me. You are Gu Niuhulu Xiaoqiu, the Master of Schemes.

Me: …

Fine, this conversation was going nowhere.

Just as I was in the middle of a heated debate with Wang Xiaoxiao, my dream guy sent me a message.

crush target: Get some rest. Don’t stay up late.

crush target: We’ll go for hot pot once your allergies are better.

crush target: No need to set so many alarms. I’ll call you tomorrow.

I screenshotted the messages and sent them straight to Wang Xiaoxiao, asking her what on earth Zhao Chunian meant by this.

She replied with a virtual eye-roll, saying it meant he wanted to hit on me.

Me: !!!

I felt like that was truly impossible. Outside of romance novels-and old-school ones at that-no real-life female lead ever wins over her dream guy by acting like an idiot.

I sent Wang Xiaoxiao a long-winded essay, focusing the discussion on why a modern-day dream guy like Zhao Chunian-with a clean background, a good job, a high salary, a car, and a house-would ever take an interest in me.

Just because I lived next door?

Wang Xiaoxiao asked if I was sick in the head and accused me of being a humblebragger. Here I was, having such a high-quality man pursuing me, and I was actually feeling anxious about it.

She declared that if it were her, she’d be knocking on his door right now, pretending her shower was broken to borrow his bathroom, then pretending she forgot her bathrobe to score one of his shirts. After that, nature would take its course in a passionate, harmonious fire of life.

Fine, I admit it. I’m a coward. I wouldn’t dare.

Wang Xiaoxiao said I was like a person stuffed to the gills who didn’t understand the pain of the starving. To have a dream guy delivered to my door and not pounce immediately-who plays the long game these days?

“Careful the fish doesn’t swim away,” she warned.

Holding my phone, I felt a war raging inside me. Should I try Wang Xiaoxiao’s method?

But it felt like it didn’t really fit my style. Besides, it wasn’t like he hadn’t seen me in my pajamas before.

Wang Xiaoxiao was aggressively selling me on the “pajama tactic,” rambling about everything from a man’s natural protective instinct to his sense of conquest, and then on to hormones and dopamine. In short: “Just try it; you have nothing to lose.”

Finally, with a “might as well try” attitude, I pulled the plug on the water heater. Then I messaged Zhao Chunian, saying my heater wasn’t producing hot water.

Three minutes later, there was a knock at my door.

Zhao Chunian walked in carrying a toolbox.

“Where’s the problem?” I was stunned on the spot.

He was a medical student; why did he know how to fix a water heater?

I stammered, saying there was no hot water. Zhao Chunian first went to the kitchen to turn off the water valve, then inspected my heater.

Then, with an expressionless face, he plugged it back in for me and signaled for me to turn the water valve back on and try again.

I wanted to die of embarrassment. I told him there was no need to try-I’d just forgotten to plug it in.

Zhao Chunian gave me a meaningful look.

He graced me with four words.

“Go lie in bed.”

Me: Huh? Huh? Huh?

Wasn’t the water heater fixed?

I looked at Zhao Chunian with a face full of confusion. He looked back at me quite openly. Not only was he looking at me, but he was also walking toward me, step by step.

Clutching my little throw pillow, I was backed into a corner, then into the bedroom, and finally pressed down to sit on the bed.

Zhao Chunian leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. His voice held a hint of gravelly magnetism.

“Don’t close the door. Wait for me.”

I shrank into the covers, my face beet red. My mind was filled with all sorts of indescribable, R-rated scenarios.

Zhao Chunian went back to his place for a moment and returned with something in his hand.

My dream guy’s hand patted my back through the quilt.

“Do you want to do it yourself, or should I?”

I gripped the quilt for dear life and refused to let go.

From outside the covers came the sound of packaging being opened. It sounded like something was being peeled off.

Then, one hand lifted a corner of the quilt while the other reached in.

He stuck a heat patch right onto my clothes.

Me: ???

I was ready to take my pants off, and all you give me is a heat patch?

I threw the quilt off with a huff.