Chapter 7
“You refuse to transfer hospitals—don’t you know I’m doing this for your own good?”
“It’s because you think Rui Tan Hospital is too expensive, right? Are you seriously short on money?”
“Can you stop being so stubborn and bullheaded? Do you know better, or do I?”
First thing in the morning, Lin Hening was getting an earful over a video call with Xia Zhile—no “good morning,” just a full-on lecture.
Lin Hening didn’t argue. He just watched Xia Zhile’s lips open and close rapidly, words spilling out like beans from a jar, smooth and relentless.
You know best. Of course you do. Who else would know better than Xia Zhile, the top medical expert in Yunzhou City?
Lin Hening finally spoke: “Fine. I’ll go to the Central Hospital. It’s a top-tier public hospital, ranked in the top ten nationwide. That should be good enough, right?”
Xia Zhile let out a derisive laugh. “Do you even know what rank Rui Tan is? It’s a top-three private hospital in the country. It leaves every other hospital in the dust.”
“The doctors there are all industry elites. There’s no comparison.” As he spoke, his chin lifted slightly, pride evident in his expression.
Lin Hening took a deep breath. “Central Hospital. I’ve decided.”
Xia Zhile instantly lost his temper. “Are you an idiot? The hospital fees from your accident aren’t even coming out of your pocket—make the driver who hit you pay! You have a golden opportunity to stay at Rui Tan, and you’re just giving it up? Who are you saving money for?”
Lin Hening: “Hah?”
Xia Zhile: “Do I even need to describe the conditions at Rui Tan? Just treat it like a vacation! You’d get a **luxury sea-view suite, 24-hour nursing care—**and you’re turning that down? I swear, you weren’t just hit in the arm, you must’ve been hit in the head too. Whatever, do what you want. Bye!”
The call ended abruptly.
Good thing he hung up fast—otherwise…
But Lin Hening wasn’t going to let this slide. He held down the voice message button and said, “What did you just say? That I should use this as a chance to scam the driver for money?”
For a moment, Lin Hening felt like he didn’t know Xia Zhile at all.
They’d fought before, sure—but it was always over trivial things, the kind that resolved themselves by lunchtime.
The worst fight they ever had was **six months into dating—**bad enough that Lin Hening actually broke up with him.
Back then, Xia Zhile wasn’t at Rui Tan yet. Work was tough. His department was split into two rival factions, constantly scheming, stealing patients, sucking up to leadership—Xia Zhile just wanted to be a good doctor and treat his patients, but he was caught in the crossfire every single day.
Work sucked. And when work sucked, it spilled over into his personal life.
At the same time, Lin Hening was drowning in stress too—he’d just taken on two major cases back-to-back.
One was a seven-person family massacre.
The other was a serial killer who raped and murdered five young women.
Both were high-profile cases, with top officials breathing down his neck.
He had to juggle government pressure, daily interrogations from victims’ families, on-site investigations, prison visits, court appearances—he was completely burnt out.
That night, he came home, so exhausted his eyelids wouldn’t stay open.
He sat down in the entryway and nearly passed out.
Then, he heard something.
Half-asleep, he thought it was his cat and mumbled for it to quiet down.
But through his half-lidded eyes, he saw a figure sitting on the couch.
In the middle of the night.
Like a damn ghost.
Startled, Lin Hening snapped awake, his tone turning sharp. But before he could say much, Xia Zhile went off like a machine gun.
“Oh, look who finally decided to come home! Do you even remember you have a boyfriend?”
“Have you fulfilled any of your duties as a partner?”
Lin Hening was too mentally fried to even process.
Xia Zhile stormed on, voice full of grievance.
“I work my ass off every single day, and when I get home, there isn’t even a glass of water waiting for me. I have to drag myself all the way across Yunzhou just to see you.”
Lin Hening, still trying to diffuse the situation, explained, “I can’t help it. Our jobs are so far apart. But that’s not a problem—we can just move in together. I’ll wake up two hours earlier and take the subway to the prosecutor’s office.”
But Xia Zhile wasn’t having it.
He shot back, “Can’t you act like a normal boyfriend for once? Stay home with me. Cook me a meal—boil me some soup, make dumplings, set up a candlelit dinner.”
“When I’m exhausted, can’t you give me a shoulder rub? When I need you, can’t you comfort me?”
That was when Lin Hening finally snapped awake.
A normal boyfriend?
So I’m not normal?
I work too. I get tired too. What am I, a cactus? Do I not need someone at home to pour me a glass of water?
Did Xia Zhile want a boyfriend or a full-time caregiver?
And that last line—”comfort me when I need it”—what kind of comfort, exactly? He was using elegant wording, but the implication was pretty damn clear.
Lin Hening had always been a bit conservative, and Xia Zhile wasn’t exactly the reckless type either. At the very least, he wasn’t the kind to jump into bed the moment they got together.
Six months into dating, it wasn’t that Lin Hening refused to go there—it was just that both of them were so exhausted from work that, by the time they got home, they were more drained than a stray dog. Who had the energy for that kind of exercise?
That night, though, Xia Zhile lost it.
Like a wild beast, he lunged at Lin Hening, tearing at his clothes in the dark.
Lin Hening didn’t hold back. He slapped him.
Physically, Lin Hening was a bit leaner than Xia Zhile, but when it came to actual fighting? Ten Xia Zhiles wouldn’t be enough to take him down.
Lin Hening straightened his clothes, said nothing more than two words—
“We’re done.”
Since he wasn’t a “qualified boyfriend”…
Since Xia Zhile was so dissatisfied with him…
Then they might as well break up.
As for what Xia Zhile had said the night he confessed—
“I’ll make a fortune for you to spend, do your laundry, cook for you, massage your shoulders, and make you my one and only prince.”
Ha.
A man’s words? Nice to hear, but never to be taken seriously.
—
Later, though, Xia Zhile went through hell and back trying to win him back.
It was almost like fate had handed him a knight-in-shining-armor moment.
At the time, Lin Hening’s family hit a financial crisis. Their business was on the verge of bankruptcy, his father fell seriously ill, and—on top of it all—the old man kept threatening to jump off a building.
Someone had to be hired just to keep an eye on him.
Xia Zhile volunteered.
He took care of the old man, checked his blood pressure and blood sugar every morning and night, followed him around, kept him company so he wouldn’t feel so hopeless.
Lin Hening told him to quit the act. “I’m about to go from rich kid to broke-ass debtor. What’s the point?”
But Xia Zhile just hugged him and kissed him.
“I’m not leaving.”
Lin Hening wasn’t made of stone. How could he not be moved?
Xia Zhile proved he wasn’t just a good boyfriend—he was someone who actually walked the talk.
—
Later still, a massive medical corruption scandal in Yunzhou exploded onto national headlines.
Someone had reported that two department heads were taking bribes, pushing unnecessary treatments, and colluding with pharmaceutical reps to prescribe pointless medications just to rake in profits.
That whistleblower?
The one doctor who refused to play dirty.
Xia Zhile.
The lone clean stream in a cesspool of filth.
He said, “Even if the industry blacklists me—even if they take away my white coat and I have to change careers—I won’t stay silent. I won’t turn a blind eye to those bastards ruining patients’ lives.”
“I swore the Hippocratic Oath. I have to answer to my own conscience.”
And Lin Hening realized—Xia Zhile wasn’t just a good boyfriend.
He was also a damn good doctor.
Honest. Kind. Righteous. Recklessly fearless in the face of injustice.
The same kind of stubbornness that had made him refuse to rely on family money in the past…
Now made him stand tall for what was right, no matter the cost.
A little foolish.
But foolish in a way that Lin Hening couldn’t help but love.
Later, Lin Hening’s father made a comeback.
Not only did he revive the family business, but he expanded it bigger than before.
And Xia Zhile? He landed on his feet, too.
His integrity and medical ethics caught the eye of the vice president of Ruitan Hospital, who personally extended a rare and valuable offer.
The storm had passed.
The hardships were over.
And they got back together.
—
To Lin Hening, Xia Zhile had always been simple, honest, and a little foolish.
A man of strong morals, good character, and true talent.
But now?
Now he was saying things like—
“Since you’re injured, take advantage of it and get into the best private hospital. Eat for free, drink for free, use their medical resources without paying a dime. Might as well squeeze every last cent out of the guilty party—only an idiot wouldn’t.”
Lin Hening felt a dull, suffocating anger.
After he sent his voice message, Xia Zhile didn’t reply.
—
Lin Hening transferred hospitals himself.
Instead of fighting for a bed in some overcrowded top-tier hospital, he chose a regular city hospital instead.
Just as the doctor finished scheduling a few tests, his father called.
“Something this serious happened, and you didn’t tell me?!”
Lin Hening pulled the phone away from his ear, which was buzzing from the sheer volume of the shouting.
“What serious thing? It’s just a sprained ankle.”
His father, Lin Youyu, went off.
He was all the way in the Philippines and couldn’t come back right away, but he’d already told his secretary to book the next available flight.
“Son, don’t worry. Dad’s coming home! Don’t be scared, okay?!”
Lin Hening: “…”
And then—
“I’m calling Ruitan’s hospital director right now. A car will pick you up soon. Just wait there!”
“Stop, stop, stop!”
Lin Hening felt his temples throbbing.
What was with everyone and Ruitan Hospital?!
Was it the only hospital in Yunzhou or what?!
Did these people not understand that the harder they pushed, the more he resisted?!
At this point, his impression of Ruitan was so bad that just hearing the name made him annoyed.
He told his father to cancel the flight, drop the hospital arrangements, and just go about his business.
“I’m fine!”
Lin Youyu sighed.
“You’ve been stubborn since you were a kid… Fine. At least Zhile is there to take care of you. That makes me feel better.”
Lin Hening muttered a vague reply.
—
He stayed in the hospital for another seven days.
Once the doctors confirmed there were no complications or lasting effects, he was discharged.
On the day he left the hospital, Xia Zhile showed up.
Somehow, he had found out and driven over to pick him up.
But neither of them spoke.
And Lin Hening didn’t get in his car.
Xia Zhile, awkward and ignored, eventually drove away.
—
His ankle had only been a minor sprain—he could walk just fine now.
The real issue had been his fractured arm, but the doctor said that, since Lin Hening was still young with strong bones, he’d heal within two months.
Lin Hening thought the doctor was too conservative.
Half a month after discharge, he was already almost fully recovered.
By two months? He could probably swing a sledgehammer.
—
After visiting the detention center, he returned to the prosecutor’s office.
His assistant, Xiao Wei, parked the car and asked, “What’s next on the schedule?”
“I’m going home after work.”
Xiao Wei’s eyes lit up.
She immediately whipped out her phone and started typing excitedly.
Lin Hening figured she was texting her boyfriend.
And speaking of relationships…
It had been a long, long time since he’d last seen Xia Zhile.
Not a single phone call.
Not even a text.
Their last recorded chat was the voice message Lin Hening had sent him… last month.
…
Huh?
What’s that saying?
“Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.”
Lin Hening’s gaze landed on a black Mercedes parked across the street.
And standing next to it, waving at him—
Xia Zhile.
Xiao Wei grinned enviously.
“Wow, Dr. Xia came to pick you up from work?”
Lin Hening walked up, staring blankly at **Xia Zhile’s beaming smile.**
**He didn’t say a word.**
Xia Zhile put his hands together in a pleading gesture, his face full of guilt.
*”I’m sorry, baby. It was my fault. I shouldn’t have said those things.”*
*”I wasn’t thinking straight, okay? There was just too much going on at the time, and my temper got the best of me. I spoke without thinking, and I didn’t mean a single word of it.”*
*”If you’re still mad, go ahead—hit me. Kick me. Take it out on me.”*
Xia Zhile **grabbed Lin Hening’s hand** and guided it toward his own chest, as if inviting him to punch him.
—
Honestly, **Lin Hening was easy to appease.**
And after all this time, whatever anger he had felt had **already faded.**
They say when you fight, **just stay apart for a while.**
Don’t see each other. Don’t talk.
And **soon enough, it’ll pass.**
But seeing Lin Hening remain unmoved, **Xia Zhile started to panic.**
Like a helpless child, he **clung to him,** softening his voice, calling him *“baby,”* apologizing over and over.
Then, he **opened the car door.**
*”It’s cold. Even if you’re mad at me, don’t freeze yourself.”*
That… made sense.
Lin Hening saw no point in **torturing himself** just to prove that he wouldn’t **forgive so easily.**
—
Inside the car, Xia Zhile climbed in after him.
From the back seat, he **pulled out a massive bouquet of white roses.**
Another **sincere** apology.
And then, looking deeply into Lin Hening’s eyes, he said,
*”Baby, you can stay mad at me. But can you at least give me a temporary sentence reduction? Just for tonight?”*
Lin Hening raised an eyebrow. **”What?”**
Xia Zhile, looking smugly mysterious, reached into the back seat again—
And pulled out a **cake.**
*”Baby, today is our two-year anniversary!”*
—
Lin Hening was **stunned.**
His gaze dropped to the cake, where elegant, cursive red letters spelled it out clearly.
His already **softened** heart **melted completely.**
Of course, he hadn’t forgotten.
But he hadn’t expected **Xia Zhile to not only remember—but to go out of his way to prepare all of this.**
—
*”I was ignoring you on purpose,”* Xia Zhile admitted, **shrinking his neck like a guilty dog.**
*”I was saving it for this moment.”*
*”Wasn’t that ‘setback before payoff’ strategy kinda dumb?”*
Lin Hening **blinked.**
A little speechless.
—
He picked up the small card **tucked into the bouquet,** glanced at Xia Zhile’s goofy face…
And let out a **quiet laugh.**
Forget it. **Nobody’s perfect.**
When his family was in crisis, **Xia Zhile had stayed by his side.**
Never wavering. Never leaving.
From that moment, Lin Hening had already **made up his mind.**
**This was the person he was going to be with.**
—
Seeing Lin Hening laugh, **Xia Zhile knew he had finally succeeded.**
Excitedly, he gripped the steering wheel.
*”I already booked a restaurant! First, we’ll have black pepper steak. Then we’ll hit the movie theater. After that, we’ll go to the night market and buy your favorite candied chestnuts!”*
Lin Hening’s heart **was full.**
*”Tonight, I’m all yours.”*
—
Just as he said that—
**Xia Zhile’s phone rang.**
The caller ID flashed: **An Nian.**
—
Lin Hening’s smile froze.
Xia Zhile’s expression **also stiffened** for a split second—
Then, under Lin Hening’s **sharp gaze,** he casually **pressed decline.**
With a big, **overly natural** smile, he said,
*”Come on, let’s go eat.”*
—
But the phone **rang again.**
—
Xia Zhile hesitated.
Then, picking up, he glanced at Lin Hening and explained,
*”It’s probably something important. Baby, just wait a sec while I check.”*
Lin Hening didn’t say a word.
His eyes were **cold.**
—
Xia Zhile answered.
*”Hello? …Wait, wait, don’t cry—what’s wrong? …What?!”*
*”Don’t be scared! Just tell me where you are—I’ll be right there!”*
