Chapter 70

Outside the examination room, there was a waiting area. During the time waiting for Xie Chengyun to arrive, neither Qin Qingzhuo nor Ji Chi spoke.

Xie Chengyun quickly changed into a white coat and walked in, closing the door behind him. He carefully sought Qin Qingzhuo’s opinion, “Come on, Qingzhuo, let’s start with an examination. Would you like to go in by yourself, or would you like Mr. Ji to accompany you?”

Before Qin Qingzhuo could speak, Ji Chi spoke first, “Qingzhuo, let me go in with you, okay?”

Qin Qingzhuo shook his head, feeling somewhat weary, “I said I can go in by myself.”

Ji Chi wanted to say something more, but Xie Chengyun interrupted, “Well then, Mr. Ji, since Qingzhuo said so, he’ll come with me alone. No one else is coming tonight, so you can sit wherever you like.”

With that said, Ji Chi didn’t have much to say and just responded, “Okay then,” waiting outside the examination room.

Entering the examination room, Xie Chengyun closed the door behind him and looked at Qin Qingzhuo, “So I should congratulate us on progressing to the next stage of treatment. My patient has started to distrust me.”

“Of course not,” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled bitterly. “Chengyun, you really know how to make me speechless.”

Xie Chengyun squeezed disinfectant onto his hands, rubbing them together while looking at him without speaking.

Qin Qingzhuo sighed, “It’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that I’m afraid of what I might find out from you.”

“What did I do?” Xie Chengyun was puzzled, patting the chair in the examination room. “Come, sit here.”

“You don’t understand the feelings of people like us,” Qin Qingzhuo took off his coat. “It’s like going around in circles without any conclusion.”

After saying that, he felt that his expression was too heavy, so he joked, “Chengyun, you’re just like a scumbag, giving people no hope at all.”

“How am I a scumbag?” Xie Chengyun raised an eyebrow. “You can’t just say that, Qingzhuo. Whether I’m a scumbag or not is another matter, but I’ve never been a scumbag to you.”

“Yes, you’re even worse than a scumbag. At least a scumbag would say something hopeful to give people some hope,” Qin Qingzhuo continued joking, “But you, when things are good, you say, ‘Qingzhuo, you must continue to be vigilant, don’t let your guard down, and try to avoid the possibility of recurrence.’ When things are bad, you say, ‘Qingzhuo, you must keep a positive attitude and try to reduce the possibility of recurrence…’ Isn’t that right?”

Xie Chengyun turned on the examination device and thought for a moment, unable to resist being amused by him, “Hmm, it seems like that’s true. Damn, why am I even worse than a scumbag?”

“See?” Qin Qingzhuo laughed along, “At least you could lie to me a bit, ah.”

“I wouldn’t mind that either,” the instrument powered on, Xie Chengyun patted the examination chair. “Come, sit here, let’s start with an examination.”

Qin Qingzhuo took off his coat and sat down, leaning against the backrest of the examination chair. “Let’s make a deal today, Chengyun. I’ll give you a chance to lie to me once. I promise I’ll believe whatever you say.”

He joked, but his expression was quite serious.

Xie Chengyun took the examination instrument and sat down, looking at him for a few seconds before sighing, “I’m sorry, Qingzhuo.”

“Why so serious all of a sudden?” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled again. “I was just kidding, and you took it seriously.”

“Come on,” he closed his eyes, “aren’t we supposed to do the examination?”

He heard Chengyun sighing beside him. After a while, the cold instrument probed into his ear, feeling a bit itchy.

Over the past four years, Qin Qingzhuo had undergone countless similar examinations.

He had become somewhat numb to it.

Even the initially painful laryngoscopy could now be endured without a change in expression.

As Xie Chengyun looked at the display screen of the testing machine, he typed away on the computer next to him, recording the examination results.

There was no need to ask about the results. After such a long time, Qin Qingzhuo could already infer the severity of the situation from Xie Chengyun’s expression.

With a slightly furrowed brow and a serious expression, it meant the situation was quite bad.

After the examination was done, before Xie Chengyun could speak, Qin Qingzhuo spoke first, “Chengyun, if it’s the same as before, there’s no need to say anything.”

He had heard it too many times, and he simply didn’t want to hear it again.

Xie Chengyun remained silent for a moment, then sighed again.

“Let’s just get straight to the diagnosis,” Qin Qingzhuo said. “I’ll do as you say.”

Xie Chengyun looked at him, hesitating for a few seconds, but ultimately said nothing, starting to type out the diagnosis results on the keyboard.

A few minutes later, the printer emitted a buzzing sound.

Xie Chengyun walked over, took the examination results, and handed them to Qin Qingzhuo. “Everything is written here. I don’t want to force you to look at it now. Wait until you’re in a better mood.”

Qin Qingzhuo took it and folded the examination results. “Hmm.”

“The next stage of the treatment plan, I’ll discuss it thoroughly with several directors in our department at the meeting tomorrow, and then I’ll inform you over the phone. Also, for these days, refrain from doing any music. Continuously putting pressure on your ears in this situation might lead to irreversible hearing damage. Qingzhuo, you should be well aware of this.”

Qin Qingzhuo again responded with a “Hmm.”

“How’s the progress going with the psychologist recently?”

“I discontinued the treatment,” Qin Qingzhuo truthfully stated.

“Why?” Xie Chengyun was somewhat surprised.

“I felt it was not effective, and, ironically, despite seeking psychological treatment to alleviate stress, every time I thought about going to see a psychologist, I felt immense pressure. It’s almost like a paradox.”

Qin Qingzhuo spoke in a light tone, and after finishing, he chuckled lightly, as if sharing a genuinely amusing story.

But Xie Chengyun didn’t laugh. He was unsure of what to say; after all, comforting words had been spoken countless times over these four years. As a doctor, he couldn’t deceive Qin Qingzhuo.

In the past, when Jì Chì accompanied Qin Qingzhuo for medical visits, he would inform Jì Chì of all the conditions and precautions. Jì Chì had always seemed reliable, diligently recording the diagnosis results and treatment plans in a notebook specifically dedicated to details related to Qin Qingzhuo’s condition.

Now that Qin Qingzhuo and Jì Chì had parted ways, he could only try to write out the diagnosis results in as much detail as possible.

Looking at a person who used to be accompanied, why wasn’t he handling things properly? Xie Chengyun thought about these things and shook his head.

“By the way,” noticing Qin Qingzhuo’s low spirits, Xie Chengyun changed the topic, deliberately lightening the tone, “are you about to enter into a new romantic relationship?”

“Hmm?” Qin Qingzhuo looked up at him.

“The nurses in our ward have been discussing your show recently, and they’re shipping… what’s it called… CP? They’re saying you’re together with your bandmate, Jiang Ji. Is it true?”

Qin Qingzhuo forced a smile, “Don’t listen to their nonsense.”

“So, there’s nothing going on? I thought it was true.” Xie Chengyun said, “These days, Jiang Ji has come to the hospital to find me a few times, saying he wants to know about your condition. But I haven’t told him yet; I wanted to get your opinion first. Should I reveal this to him?”

“Jiang Ji came?” Qin Qingzhuo was somewhat surprised that Jiang Ji had directly come to the hospital and found Xie Chengyun.

But after some thought, it didn’t seem that surprising. After all, Jiang Ji had accompanied him to the hospital before, and he was quite clever.

“Let’s not say anything.” Qin Qingzhuo shook his head.

“Okay, I’ll respect your opinion,” Xie Chengyun agreed. “However, considering your current state, perhaps starting a new romance might not be a bad thing. It could at least help shift your mood, right? It’s better than burying yourself in music with a heavy heart.”

“Using a new romance as initial medicine?” Qin Qingzhuo chuckled bitterly. “I’d better not. Besides, you know how things started between me and Jì Chì.”

“True.” Xie Chengyun sighed.

Paused momentarily, Qin Qingzhuo murmured softly, “Do you think this is like once bitten by a snake, forever afraid of well ropes?”

“You’re asking me, this individualist?” Xie Chengyun raised his hand and patted Qin Qingzhuo’s shoulder. “In that case, I’ll only tell you, it’s never wrong to protect yourself. Qingzhuo, life is short, follow your heart.”

Qin Qingzhuo nodded and didn’t say anything further.

Pushing open the door of the examination room, Qin Qingzhuo stepped out. Ji Chi was sitting on a chair in the outpatient room, head lowered, flipping through a black notebook.

Seeing Qin Qingzhuo coming out, he stood up. “How’s it going, Qingzhuo? Is Chengyun still inside? I’ll go talk to him.”

“No need,” Qin Qingzhuo said, “Chengyun has already explained everything clearly to me.”

“He used to tell me everything,” Ji Chi’s steps didn’t stop, still insisting on going in, “I’ll still go and ask.”

“Ji Chi,” Qin Qingzhuo stopped him, this time with a firmer tone, “really, there’s no need.”

After a pause, he added, “This is my business, it’s not your concern anymore.”

Ji Chi’s steps finally halted, standing in front of Qin Qingzhuo. There were a few seconds where he didn’t say anything, looking somewhat upset.

“Go back, I’ll have the driver come pick me up. Don’t come looking for me again in the future.”

Qin Qingzhuo moved to walk away, but Ji Chi reached out and grabbed his arm. “Qingzhuo, can we talk?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” Qin Qingzhuo shook his head, “I’m not in the mood for conversation.”

“Let’s talk, Qingzhuo,” Ji Chi repeated, his tone cautious and pleading, “just one conversation, please?”

Seeing Qin Qingzhuo still silent, Ji Chi handed him the notebook. “A few days ago when I returned from filming, while sorting out those old things, I found this. Whether you hate me or dislike me, I think you should keep this notebook. It’s useful to you.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t take it, his gaze falling on one of the opened pages.

In fact, he didn’t need to look; he already knew what was written in that notebook.

Thick with pages, it was filled with all the medical advice Xie Chengyun had ever given Ji Chi over the four years, meticulously written, detailed and clear.

Qin Qingzhuo let out a soft sigh.

Back then, the reason he agreed to be with Ji Chi was largely because Ji Chi had accompanied him through the most difficult times.

The night of the concert, he had an accident, remained unconscious the whole night, and woke up the next morning to see Ji Chi’s eyes, red from staying up all night, when he opened his eyes.

Qin Qingzhuo still remembered the mixture of worry and surprise in Ji Chi’s eyes the moment he saw him awake.

After calling the doctor at that time, Ji Chi went to the bathroom, leaving Qin Qingzhuo lying on the hospital bed, vaguely hearing suppressed sobs coming from the bathroom.

Qin Qingzhuo believed those tears weren’t feigned, but how could one person be so conflicted?

Was Ji Chi always such a hypocritical person, or had the four years changed him?

Four years of being together, thinking they understood each other well, and yet it ended up like this in the end.

Perhaps it was time to have a conversation, to overcome this hurdle.

Otherwise, keeping it all inside would only cause discomfort.

“Alright, Ji Chi,” after a moment of silence, Qin Qingzhuo spoke up, “I’ll talk to you, but you have to promise me one thing.”

Seeing Qin Qingzhuo relent, Ji Chi immediately responded, “Sure, what is it?”

“After this conversation, don’t come looking for me again.”

Ji Chi stood there with his head slightly lowered, silent for a while, looking somewhat pitiful.

After a long pause, he finally murmured softly, “Okay.”

Qin Qingzhuo didn’t say anything more and walked towards the door.

As he pushed it open, he paused.

Jiang Ji was standing outside, leaning against the corridor window. He wasn’t wearing a mask, just looking up with deep, inscrutable eyes.

Just now Xie Chengyun mentioned that Jiang Ji had come to ask about him recently, so Qin Qingzhuo wasn’t so surprised to see him here now, but he hadn’t expected to bump into him like this.

The two locked eyes, initially neither saying a word. Jiang Ji just stared intently at Qin Qingzhuo.

After a moment of silence, Qin Qingzhuo spoke up, “What are you doing here?”

Although he could guess the answer to this question, Qin Qingzhuo still felt he had to say something.

“Why are you here?” Jiang Ji also spoke up, asking the exact same question as him.

“Jiang Ji,” Qin Qingzhuo said wearily, “I’ve told you this has nothing to do with you.”

“I’m not asking you, I’m asking the person next to you.” Jiang Ji’s tone was heavy, as if containing some suppressed anger.

Ji Chi remained silent. Perhaps sensing the subtle tension between the two, he wisely stayed quiet.

“Or maybe I’ll rephrase it,” Jiang Ji looked at Qin Qingzhuo and said, “Is his presence here your choice?”

His tone and gaze were somewhat aggressive, and Qin Qingzhuo felt his tinnitus in his left ear worsening.

The symptoms that had slightly eased over the past two days seemed to worsen again, making Qin Qingzhuo feel uncomfortable.

“Jiang Ji, go back,” Qin Qingzhuo rallied himself and said, “I and Ji Chi have had many years of relationship. Some things still need to be clarified.”

“Isn’t it clear enough already? Why do you still have anything to say to this scum?” Jiang Ji stood up straight and approached him, “Let’s go, I’ll take you back.”

As he spoke, he raised his hand to grab Qin Qingzhuo’s arm and pull him away.

Ji Chi, who had been silent all along, took a step forward at this moment, blocking in front of Qin Qingzhuo, and asked Jiang Ji, “What right do you have to interfere in our affairs?”

After saying that, he turned his head to Qin Qingzhuo and whispered, “Qingzhuo, you just promised me.”

Jiang Ji glanced at Qin Qingzhuo, then looked at Ji Chi, his expression turning hostile, and said coldly, “Get lost.”

But Ji Chi didn’t move, still standing in front of Qin Qingzhuo.

Passersby in the corridor glanced back with curiosity, and after a few steps away, took out their phones.

Qin Qingzhuo saw Jiang Ji raising his hand as if to grab Ji Chi’s collar.

“Jiang Ji.” He called out to stop his action.

Jiang Ji’s movement halted, no longer continuing, and he looked past Ji Chi’s shoulder to Qin Qingzhuo.

Qin Qingzhuo felt a splitting headache and just wanted to end this chaotic situation as soon as possible.

“Jiang Ji, go back now,” he used a commanding tone, “Don’t come to see Dr. Xie anymore, he won’t tell you anything.”

After Qin Qingzhuo finished speaking, he turned around and walked towards the elevator.

Seeing this, Ji Chi glanced at Jiang Ji and quickly followed.

Standing in place, Jiang Ji looked at the backs of the two people in front of him with a heavy expression.

Two nurses passed by in the corridor, whispering to each other as they glanced back.

As Qin Qingzhuo and Ji Chi’s figures disappeared around the corner not far ahead, Jiang Ji withdrew his gaze, his expression slightly dark, and walked towards the stairs with heavy steps.