Chapter 29

“Woof, woof, woof!”

The person under the blanket furrowed their brows, turned over, pushed away the little Shiba Inu pressing on their arm, and reached for the phone on their right.

Yesterday was Thursday, and Tang Feiwan had worked the night shift. She didn’t leave the hospital until nearly 10 a.m. this morning, but still had the energy to stop by the market across from the north gate of Shujiang University to buy groceries before heading home to cook. She figured she couldn’t keep relying on convenience foods and should learn a few signature dishes. That way, she could also have Lin Ye taste her cooking someday. She spent a long time following a recipe, ate, washed the dishes, and finally collapsed onto the bed close to 1 p.m.

Now it was only 4 p.m., and their high-speed train to Chuzhou was at 7:03 p.m.

“Just ten more minutes,” she mumbled, speaking both to herself and to Tomato. Over the years, Tomato had developed a habit whenever the alarm went off and Tang Feiwan didn’t react, the little Shiba Inu would climb onto the bed and paw at her, a personal wake-up service of sorts.

Tang Feiwan pulled the blanket over her head to keep sleeping, but Tomato refused to give up and patted her with its paw.

“Stupid Tomato, do you want me to die from exhaustion?” After two minutes of struggle, Tang Feiwan finally accepted her fate, threw off the blanket, and got out of bed. She walked to the window and pulled open the curtains. The lingering heat of the late summer sun was still raging outside, but inside, the air conditioning kept things comfortably cool. She squinted against the sudden brightness, adjusted for a few seconds, then turned to wash up.

Standing under the showerhead in the bathroom, her body had no extra fat on the contrary, it was clear at a glance that she had a habit of strength training. Her waist had defined abs, and her arms had toned but not overly prominent muscles. After rinsing off the foam, she raised a hand to massage her sore shoulders and neck, which ached from long hours of work. Then, wrapping herself in a towel, she put on a face mask and walked back to the bedroom.

She was so exhausted that she even managed to take a nap during the 15-minute mask session. When the alarm went off again, she reluctantly got up to wash her face. Before leaving, she did a simple skincare routine and applied a light daily makeup after all, she was going on a business trip with Lin Ye today.

Before heading to the train station, Tang Feiwan dropped Tomato off at the pet store next to the traditional Chinese medicine clinic she often visited. The little Shiba Inu blinked its moist eyes at her, full of reluctance.

“Woof! Woof!”

Tang Feiwan squatted down, stroked its head, and reassured it, “I haven’t even left yet.”

The shop owner chuckled, “Every time you drop Tomato off before your shift, it takes a while for him to adjust. Once other dogs come in for baths, he’ll have friends to play with.”

“Tomato, you little traitor, you forget all about me as soon as you see your friends,” Tang Feiwan lightly poked the dog’s shiny black nose, then stood up and politely said, “Thanks for taking care of him.”

The shop owner smiled even more, “It’s no trouble. Tomato is adorable. Besides, I am getting paid for it.”

Tang Feiwan nodded. Seeing that it was almost 6 p.m., she said goodbye, hailed a cab, and rushed to the train station.

The distance between Shujiang and Chuzhou was nearly 700 kilometers. Back in the day, Lin Ye had to take an old green train that took 11 hours to get home. But now, with modern transportation, the high-speed train covered the distance in under three hours.

The Second Affiliated Hospital’s team heading to Chuzhou for the skills competition was divided into a pre-hospital emergency group and a critical care emergency group, with a total of 12 members. Their transportation, meals, and accommodations were all arranged in advance. Train tickets had already been purchased, and they were instructed to meet at the ticket gate at 6:30 p.m. Because of traffic, Tang Feiwan arrived just one minute before the meeting time. She bent over, catching her breath, and when she looked up, she saw Lin Ye, who was in charge of roll call, gazing in her direction. She immediately straightened up.

Once everyone had arrived, the team leader reminded them, “We’re all in Car 3. Make sure to take your belongings.”

Tang Feiwan’s seat was 12D in Car 3. She lined up, boarded the train, and found her seat. Just as she was about to catch up on some sleep, she heard someone call out, “Director Lin, your seat is over there.” She followed her colleague’s pointing fingerand wasn’t that seat 12F, right next to hers?

Whoever bought these tickets Tang Feiwan silently thanked them from the bottom of her heart.

She sat up straight, watching as Lin Ye approached, pulling a small suitcase. She immediately stood up to offer help. “Let me.”

Lin Ye declined politely, “No need, it’s light.”

Tang Feiwan pressed her lips together, stepped aside to make space, and watched as Lin Ye lifted the suitcase into the overhead luggage rack before taking the seat beside her. Only then did Tang Feiwan sit back down.

As the train set off, the scenery outside was bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, slowly retreating into the distance. Lin Ye reached up, pulled the window shade down, leaned against her U-shaped pillow, and closed her eyes clearly not intending to talk. Tang Feiwan, who had initially wanted to chat, abandoned the idea altogether.

Medical school had been rigorous, but in their first three years together, they had managed to travel to quite a few places. Tang Feiwan still remembered Lin Ye saying she “liked watching the scenery from a moving train,” so every trip they took, no matter how far, they chose to travel by train.

The summer of their senior year, they took a trip from Shujiang to Jiuzhaigou in the southwest, covering a total of 4,000 kilometers all by train. The green train swayed as it moved, and Lin Ye had leaned against Tang Feiwan’s shoulder, watching sunrises and sunsets, drizzles and downpours outside the window…

Now, the high-speed train was fast and steady, and the same person sat beside heryet her shoulder remained empty.

Memories slithered into her heart like little snakes. Tang Feiwan felt a tightness in her throat, a dull ache in her chest. She raised a hand to tap her forehead, trying to shake off the flood of thoughts. Eventually, exhausted, she drifted in and out of sleep.

By the time she woke up again, it was almost 9:30 p.m., and the train had noticeably slowed down, signaling their arrival in Chuzhou. The window shade had been pulled back, revealing scattered houses in the distance glowing faintly in the night. Tang Feiwan clasped her hands together, hesitated for a long time, and finally asked, “Director Lin, you’re staying at home tonight, right?”

Unexpectedly, Lin Ye didn’t answer. But Tang Feiwan noticed that her expressionusually indifferent toward her held a trace of sorrow.

Why? Had something happened before? Tang Feiwan hesitated, not daring to ask further.

When the train arrived, she followed the group silently, exited the station, and boarded the shuttle bus to the hotel.

She had assumed Lin Ye would take a taxi home. But instead, Lin Ye counted the people and was the last one to get on the bus.

The team leader asked, “Xiao Lin, is everyone here?”

“Yes,” Lin Ye nodded and took a single seat at the front of the bus, with Tang Feiwan sitting right behind her.

As the vehicle pulled out of the high-speed rail station and onto the main road, the team leader got settled and informed everyone, “There are 12 of us in total six men and six women so we’ve booked six double rooms. Any objections?”

The colleagues responded in unison, “No problem.”

Only Tang Feiwan and Lin Ye remained silent.

“You can pair up freely. Once we arrive at the hotel, just check in and get some rest early,” the team leader added.

A member of the critical care emergency team chuckled, “Got it, Director Zhang.”

Another senior doctor said, “No problem, we’ll team up now.”

“Old Zhang, I’m with you.”

“Alright.”

“Sister Chen, let’s share a room.”

“Sure, I even brought face masks. We can use them together tonight.”

As the others busily chose their roommates, Lin Ye and Tang Feiwan remained silent.

“Xiao Lin, what about you?” Director Zhang turned to Lin Ye, noticing her silence.

Before Lin Ye could respond, a doctor surnamed Chen answered for her, “Director Lin will obviously share a room with Dr. Tang, her own teammate.”

Tang Feiwan stared blankly, not uttering a word before she was paired with Lin Ye.

She’s not going home? Why didn’t she refuse? Was it because there were too many people around, making it hard to say no?

Tang Feiwan wasn’t too keen on sharing a room with Lin Ye at this moment. She was worried it would be awkward for Lin Ye and feared that she herself might act foolishly and annoy her. So, once she realized they’d be roommates, an uneasy feeling lodged itself in her throat, impossible to shake off.

The bus arrived at the hotel past 10 p.m. Everyone got off and went to the lobby to check in. Tang Feiwan quietly followed behind Lin Ye, and when the hotel room door was opened, Lin Ye entered the bathroom, allowing Tang Feiwan to breathe a sigh of relief.

What now? How should they interact?

This was their first time sharing a room in eight years, even though it wasn’t the same bed. Sitting on the edge of her bed, Tang Feiwan’s mind spun wildly, making her feel like a bride-to-be.

In contrast, Lin Ye appeared much calmer. She disinfected the bathroom and shower area first, then opened her suitcase near the entrance to retrieve her things.

Before Tang Feiwan even saw her again, Lin Ye had already showered, dressed, and carried her personal three-piece bedding set to the other bed.

Lin Ye was a Virgo. Though her cleanliness habits weren’t extreme, she preferred using her own sheets when staying outside.

Taking advantage of the moment, Tang Feiwan grabbed her pajamas and slipped into the bathroom, opting for a quick shower. Once she finished washing up and packed away her clothes, she cautiously peeked out. Seeing that Lin Ye had her back to the bathroom and was lying on her side, she finally felt at ease enough to step out.

It wasn’t as awkward as she had imagined. They coexisted peacefully, minding their own business.

Tang Feiwan thought she would sleep soundly and dreamlessly that night.

Outside the window, the moon hung high in the sky. But even in her hometown, Lin Ye struggled to fall asleep. She gazed at the endless night, her eyelashes trembling, sorrow etched into her delicate features.

She didn’t know how long it took before exhaustion overcame her, but when she finally fell asleep, nightmares haunted her.

“Dr. Lin, hurry! The deputy director of the emergency department at the Provincial People’s Hospital called your mother’s condition is critical!”

“Doctor, I’m on my way! Just 20 more minutes! Please, hold on! I’m begging you!”

Lin Ye’s mind was a whirlwind, countless voices swirling in chaos, the weight of despair crushing her.

The scene shifted suddenly, a blinding white light pierced through the darkness, illuminating a hospital bed in the center. Her mother lay there, eyes closed in eerie stillness.

Lin Ye watched helplessly as the heart monitor flatlined, doctors and nurses shaking their heads as they walked away.

She pleaded desperately, even trying to perform CPR herself, but nothing worked.

“Mom…”

At 2 a.m., Lin Ye let out a heart-wrenching scream, her voice thick with anguish as she woke from the nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.