“Shi Jin,” he replied solemnly, “if you have some time to spare, I suggest you undergo a psychological evaluation.”

Shi Jin looked at him calmly and muttered, “Get lost!”

Hmm… Finally, I get to witness Shi Jin talking tough.

It appeared that anyone who even mentioned the person in the photo was considered a trespasser into Shi Jin’s private affairs.

Disappointed, Xu Qingbo said, “Don’t forget that we’ve known each other for almost eight years—two of which were spent sharing bunk beds.”

Eight years prior, when Shi Jin had appeared out of nowhere and joined the team, Xu Qingbo had drawn the short straw and ended up sharing a bunk bed with him. Since then, he still hadn’t managed to step out of the shadow of this talented shining star.

Sighing, Xu Qingbo continued. “And yet, you are asking me to get lost without sharing any information. How superficial was our relationship?”

Xu Qingbo reached out to touch Shi Jin’s shoulder and was embarrassed when Shi Jin sidestepped him and left his hand hanging in midair. With a pained look, he watched as Shi Jin stripped off his coat and threw it in the bin before retrieving anti-bacterial spray from his pants pocket and spraying it at the exact spot on his shoulder.

Lifting his head, Shi Jin said calmly, “Just because we have known each other for eight years and shared a bunk bed for two does not give you the right to touch me as you please.” In his usual elegant and polite manner, he added, “Very dirty.”

Xu Qingbo was speechless.

Dammit. That hurt!

Suddenly, Xu Qingbo was reminded of a time during their bunk-bed days when he had accidentally stepped on Shi Jin’s bedding while trying to climb into his bed on the upper deck. Without uttering a word, Shi Jin had immediately removed the bedding, cleaned the affected area with antiseptic, and taken out the trash. It had all been quite clinical, like a major disinfection exercise. Shi Jin had moved out three months after that incident. It was a stretch to claim that they had shared the bunk bed for two years. It had definitely been a superficial relationship!

Taking a deep breath, Xu Qingbo asked a nurse who was passing by, “Nurse Liu, have you got a pair of scissors?”

Flustered at being summoned by the playboy of Tian Bei Hospital, Nurse Liu replied, “What? Oh, yes.”

Xu Qingbo walked to Nurse Liu’s medical trolley, retrieved a pair of scissors, and picked up the coat that Shi Jin had discarded from the bin. Without hesitation, he cut into the coat.

Looking at Shi Jin, he said, “Slashing our friendship!”

Shi Jin glanced briefly at him before turning his attention to the entrance of the radiology department. Feeling as if he was fighting with no one but himself, Xu Qingbo started to speak, only to see Shi Jin’s profile softening with a slight smile.

Taking a step forward, Shi Jin asked, “Does it still hurt?”

“Not really,” Jiang Jiusheng replied, gently moving the fingers of her left arm, which was secured in an arm brace. She didn’t sound weak, but Shi Jin was not convinced. She was beginning to believe that Shi Jin was indeed her secret fan.

“Don’t move. Your hand has not been put in a cast,” said Shi Jin.

Jiang Jiusheng nodded, her face covered with a surgical mask and her lower profile masked by a deep green scarf. Xu Qingbo recognized that scarf as belonging to Shi Jin.

Adjusting her mask and scarf to cover half her face, he said, “Wait in my office. I’ll go pick up your results.”

“Oka.”

Xu Qingbo was astounded to realize that, like a paranoiac fixated on certain people, Shi Jin the clean freak was obsessed with Jiang Jiusheng.

As they marched out of radiology toward the elevator, they encountered Xiao Linlin.

“Doctor Shi,” she said with a smile.

Nodding his head slightly, Shi Jin responded, “Doctor Xiao.”

Courteous but distant—his usual style.

Xiao Linlin did her best to conceal her disappointment as she looked at the person next to Shi Jin. “And this is?” she prodded.

“A friend,” he said.

No introduction or further explanation—just a polite response not revealing much.

Changing the subject to a professional one, Xiao Linlin asked in a tone tinged with femininity, “Are you available after six today? I’d like your opinion on a case.”

Shi Jin replied instantly, “Apologies. I’m not available.”

As a gentleman, Shi Jin was always gracious and would never be so abrupt in his rejection unless it was personal. Xiao Linlin was speechless.

“I have things to attend to. Excuse me.” Shi Jin then pressed the elevator button and turned to his companion, saying, “Shall I have you admitted?”

Reluctant to keep bothering this moronic fan of hers, Jiang Jiusheng stated, “I don’t think I need to be admitted.”

Shi Jin persuaded: “Your arm is too swollen,” Shi Jin insisted. He managed to maintain a friendly tone without coming off as too intrusive. “It could be a symptom of nerve damage or muscle injury. Best get admitted for observation.”

The words of a doctor. Suddenly reminded that her neighbor was an excellent doctor, Jiang Jiusheng relented and laughed. “Doctor Shi,” she said, “aren’t you a cardiac surgeon? Do you dabble in orthopedics as well?”

Shi Jin nodded. “I know everything.”

Jiang Jiusheng said nothing.

Shi Jin was right on the money; the x-ray detected minor tissue damage. After her arm was put in a cast, Shi Jin had her admitted. Fortunately, since they had another month before her next concert and the injury was on her left arm, it was unlikely that the tour would be adversely affected. To prevent any further mishaps, Mo Bing agreed wholeheartedly with Doctor Shi that Jiang Jiusheng, her prized artiste, should be admitted.

While Mo Bing’s injuries were minor, she had twisted her ankle and walked with a limp. On Jiang Jiusheng’s suggestion, she went home to rest, leaving her assistant Chen Yiqiao to attend to her artiste.

Chen Yiqiao, nicknamed Xiao Qiao, was as her name implied: gentle and virtuous like the ladies in ancient times. Having tasted her cooking on many occasions, Mo Bing had claimed that she was just as capable in the boardroom as in the kitchen. In fact, Jiang Jiusheng suspected that Mo Bing might have hired Xiao Qiao for her culinary skills.

That night, Xiao Qiao brought soup to the hospital. Seeing the bodyguards that Yuwen Chongfeng had placed at the entrance to Jiang Jiusheng’s room, the young lady greeted them shyly and asked if they would like to have some soup. The bodyguards declined politely.

Entering the room, Xiao Qiao said, “Miss Sheng, I brought you some bone broth.”

“Thank you,” Jiang Jiusheng replied, putting aside her magazine.

With an awkward smile, Xiao Qiao placed the thermal flask on top of the closet, put down her bag, and started to rinse the utensils with hot water.

“Xiao Qiao,” Jiang Jiusheng said, glancing at her overnight bag, “it’s only my arm. No big inconvenience to me. You don’t have to stay here to look after me.”

Shaking her head vigorously, Xiao Qiao exclaimed, “Oh, no! Since Miss Mo Bing is not here, I need to stay by your side. What if the secret fan makes an appearance?”

On cue, the secret fan appeared.

Jiang Jiusheng looked toward the entrance and asked, “Was the op a success?”

There stood Shi Jin in his scrubs, managing to look as immaculate as ever.

What a clotheshorse, Jiang Jiusheng thought.

“Yep,” he said with a nod. “Very successful op.”

At that moment, a loud crash caught their attention. The floor was strewn with broken ceramic pieces and soup, with Xiao Qiao frantically trying to clean up.

“I am sooo sorry,” she said with a red face. “I’m so clumsy. I forgot to dry my hands and… and the bowl slipped. I am so sorry, Miss Sheng. I’ll clean this up now.”

Getting on her knees, she began picking up the broken pieces with her bare hands.

“It’s okay,” Jiang Jiusheng said. She noticed that her hand had been scalded red. “Don’t use your hands to clean this. You might get hurt. Let the nurse do it. I’m not very hungry right now, so there’s no need to rush. Go get that hand seen to at E&A.”

Thanking her profusely, Xiao Qiao summoned the nurse and then left the room.

Upon seeing Shi Jin, the nurse who came in to clear up was temporarily stunned but managed to quickly compose herself. As she worked, she kept her ears open to follow the ongoing conversation. Gossip fodder! This was a mega medical melodrama—featuring the great cardiac surgeon Doctor Shi and a celebrity artiste, no less!

Walking toward Jiang Jiusheng, Shi Jin asked, “Does the arm still hurt?” He sounded very much like the attending physician on a case.

“No, but it feels numb,” Jiang Jiusheng replied.

Bending over, he looked at the arm and tapped a slender finger on the cast. She stared at his hand, mesmerized.

What a beauty. I want to touch…