Love Is Love

There were busy people in the hospital, and the faint smell of medicine lingered in the air.

The corridor on the first floor of the orthopedics department was full of knocking sounds, mixed with painful wails.

Unlike others, there was a girl in a light blue dress sitting at the door of the chief physician's office. She lowered her head without saying a word, as if she was not sick at all.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that her right hand is nestled against her chest in a slightly bent position, as if it has maintained this posture over the years.

"No. 38, Xu Weiyan."

Hearing the mechanical call, the silent girl raised her relatively undamaged left hand to rub her nose. After entering the examination room, she closed the door and found that there was no one inside.

Xu Weiyan sat down gracefully, and the dressing mirror in the corner of the room reflected the girl's exquisite profile. Her delicate features included a petite nose, and her fair, rosy complexion highlighted her youthful beauty.

Chenyang Hospital's orthopedic department was well-known in Yuncheng City. If it weren't for her good friend Su Nian using her family connections to secure an appointment with the chief physician, Xu Weiyan would never have come here. She neither had the money nor the time. Perhaps she would have casually visited a small clinic instead.

Time flowed, and the clock on the clean wall continued to tick, its sound incessant. Xu Weiyan sat restlessly.

The chief physician's office was located near the innermost part, and it was sparsely populated. She couldn't help but wonder if she had been forgotten in there.

Xu Weiyan stood up and glanced around for a moment, eventually fixing her gaze on the door at the side of the physician's office desk, which was slightly ajar.

She clenched the hem of her skirt and then took slow steps towards it. She just wanted to take a look and see if there was anyone inside.

Pushing the door open, she saw a coat rack and a shoe cabinet near the entrance, all filled with black leather shoes and white coats.

Xu Weiyan's gaze grew more focused. This seemed to be a resting area, with a medium-sized bed adorned with a blue and white mattress towards the back. Standing in front of the bed was a person.

To be precise, it was a man.

With a well-defined physique, developed muscles, and a prominent V-line, Xu Weiyan blinked and then suddenly realized, "Ah!" She covered her eyes and looked down.

This person wasn't wearing any clothes!

Xu Weiyan turned her back, murmuring, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." as she reached for the door, intending to leave.

With one hand covering her eyes and the other fumbling in the air, she accidentally touched the door, causing it to close, and the sound of it locking automatically echoed through the room. The room fell into sudden silence.

Xu Weiyan: "..."

A faint mocking voice came from behind. Xu Weiyan froze, hearing a familiar voice, "Xu Weiyan, it's been three years, and your courage has grown significantly."

Xu Weiyan froze. No way?

Could it really be that someone encounters their ex while seeking medical treatment?

She hesitated for a moment before slowly lowering her hand that had been covering her eyes, turning around to meet his gaze.

The man had already put on a white shirt, and he casually held a white coat in his hand. His handsome face displayed indifference.

He had matured a bit more than before, and his face had become more chiseled, but he was still the charismatic him, a stark contrast to her disheveled appearance.

Xu Weiyan's long-numb heart felt a barely perceptible twinge.

It turned out that she had broken up with Gu Yu'an three years ago.

*

The examination room had excellent soundproofing, and now there was only the sound of pages being flipped. Gu Yu'an put on his wire-framed glasses and carefully examined her medical records. He casually asked, "How long has it been?"

Xu Weiyan raised her head slightly, pondered for a moment, and then replied, "It's been more than half a month."

Her voice was as soft as a tiny mosquito, and Gu Yu'an glanced at her.

"Let me have a look," he said briefly.

Xu Weiyan stared at him, baffled. "What?" She didn't quite understand.

Gu Yu'an furrowed his brow and, with less patience, repeated, "I need to see the affected area."

Xu Weiyan understood and quickly raised her hand for him to examine. Her hand had originally been slightly swollen and painful, but she hadn't been careful when she extended it earlier, and now it was even more swollen and causing a sharp pain. When she lifted it, she couldn't help but flinch, and tears welled up in her eyes.

Gu Yu'an set down the pen he had been holding and gently supported her hand from below, their hands touching. The sensation of their skin contact made Xu Weiyan feel uncomfortable, and she shifted her gaze away, but he remained focused on examining the affected area.

His fingertips were cold, and for some reason, Xu Weiyan felt that the pain had significantly eased.

"Why did you wait until now to come to the hospital?"

It seemed to be quite swollen, and Xu Weiyan quickly withdrew her hand, using her other hand to press it beneath the table. "It's not that serious, actually. I just applied some force earlier, and it got swollen, so it looks worse than it is," she defended herself.

"It may not be serious now, but if you had come any later, you might have ended up on the operating table."

Gu Yu'an handed her the medical record, which had several handwritten notes on it. Although they were scribbled, most of them were legible.

"Tendonitis. Take this prescription to get your medication and make sure to follow the treatment schedule," Gu Yu'an explained to her.

"Okay," Xu Weiyan accepted the prescription and stood up. She had been restless for a while, but out of politeness, she added, "Thank you... Dr. Gu."

"Wait a moment," Gu Yu'an called out to her, then placed a stack of sticky notes on the table in front of her. "Name and contact information."

After a moment of silence, Xu Weiyan asked, "Is this necessary for the medical treatment?"

Gu Yu'an propped his chin with one hand, his well-defined joints and slender, fair fingers drawing her gaze. A silver ring on his ring finger caught her attention, and Xu Weiyan was momentarily captivated.

"Miss Xu, you don't think I want to rekindle our old romance, do you?" He chuckled, the sarcasm evident.

Xu Weiyan snapped out of her thoughts and lowered her head, listening to his words. "You must have paid quite a bit to get an appointment in this department. Of course, for someone like you, a renowned cellist, this amount may not mean much. However, I am a doctor. Since you've spent money to seek treatment from me, I have a responsibility to take care of you."

"Please don't misunderstand," the last few words came out heavily. Xu Weiyan couldn't bear it any longer. She quickly wrote down her information on the paper, then briskly walked out without a moment's hesitation.

There's nothing more hurtful than the sarcasm of someone you care about.

After Xu Weiyan left, Gu Yu'an leaned forward and picked up the sticky note. He tore it off and carefully examined each word on it. Then he clenched it in his hand until the note was crumpled into a ball.

Xu Weiyan briskly walked to the hospital's main entrance, carrying a white transparent bag with two boxes of medication. She placed the items in her bag, and the scorching sun was causing her skin to tingle. Some young couples passed by, laughing and chatting, with a few of the girls even using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun.

Xu Weiyan stood there for a while, feeling a bit dry. A high school girl hesitated and stopped next to her. She couldn't help but ask in a soft voice, "Sister, are you feeling unwell?"

She pointed to Xu Weiyan's hand. "Is it hurting a lot?"

Xu Weiyan didn't respond and just stared at her listlessly. The girl quickly took a tissue from her backpack and handed it to her. "Sister, I'm going to be late for school, so I can't comfort you anymore. Please don't cry. If it's really unbearable, go ask the doctor for some painkillers."

After saying this, she smiled at Xu Weiyan and then ran off.

It was about 2:30 p. m. It's the peak time for school.

Upon hearing the girl's words, Xu Weiyan lifted her other hand and wiped her cheeks. Her face was wet and quite warm, indicating that she had cried quite intensely.

The phone started ringing, and Xu Weiyan struggled to take her phone out of her bag with her one good hand. It was an unknown number, but she answered it.

"Is this Miss Xu?" the voice on the other end asked.

"Yes," Xu Weiyan replied.

"Hello, I'm a medical assistant of Dr. Gu Yu'an from Chenyang Hospital. We have scheduled your appointment for tomorrow morning at 8 o'clock. Is that acceptable for you?"

"Alright."

"By the way, um... you can use a warm compress to relieve the pain."

"Okay."

Mr. Wu, the medical assistant, placed the receiver back on the desk. She found it strange that Dr. Gu had suddenly become so considerate of the patient. He instructed not to reveal that it was him who had advised the warm compress. Puzzled, Mr. Wu scratched her head and continued with her work.

Xu Weiyan bought two buns from a street vendor, intending to save them for dinner later. Her rented accommodation was quite far from the city center, and there were hardly any people around, let alone any food options.

Gu Yu'an had assumed that she had been doing well all these years, but that wasn't the case. Four years ago, she had moved to another city without any connections or experience, and she had a difficult time getting by.

Anyone who had heard her play the cello commented that her music felt lifeless and lacked vitality. Xu Weiyan didn't know what was wrong with her. Every time she played, her mind was filled with her mother's abusive words, like a curse that she couldn't escape from, even though she had left the city.

The next morning, at around 7 o'clock, Xu Weiyan woke up to the sound of her alarm clock. Her accommodation was more than half an hour away from the hospital, so she needed to get up early to prepare.

She didn't have the habit of eating breakfast. About ten minutes later, she tidied up and was about to go out.

At this time, her phone rang.

"Weiyan?" The call came from a young girl she knew, who was now playing the trumpet in a medium-sized theater in Yuncheng City.

"Yes," Xu Weiyan replied as she opened the door with her bag and key.

"Well, here's the thing. The cellist at our theater suddenly switched jobs, and now we don't have a replacement. We have a musical this morning. Would you like to come and give it a try?" Her voice was hushed because she was on the phone while at work.

Xu Weiyan immediately responded, "I can." She hadn't had a job for half a month since returning to Yuncheng City, so this opportunity was important to her.

"All right, I'll send you the address, come over right away, and if you perform well, you might even get to stay."

Chenyang Hospital, 7:50 in the morning.

The hospital was already crowded, with long queues forming at the registration counters. People in hospital gowns were walking in the corridors outside the wards.

After checking the rooms, Gu Yu'an went to the front desk to give some necessary instructions. He was strict when it came to work and didn't tolerate any mistakes from his subordinates. Therefore, at times like this, the nurses and young women were very focused, without their usual starry-eyed demeanor.

Mr. Wu stood nearby, waiting for a moment, until Gu Yu'an finished his work and noticed her.

"Doctor Gu, Xu Weiyan, the No. 38 patient, called this morning to say she can't make it."

Gu Yu'an paused for a moment, not saying anything.