Chapter 12: Actually, You Already Have a Boyfriend, Don’t You?

“Actually, you already have a boyfriend, don’t you?”

Tao Wanxing’s heart suddenly panicked, afraid that Tao Chuxia might notice something. “No, sis. We’re so busy, where would we find time to date?”

Tao Chuxia leaned closer, eyeing her suspiciously. “No male colleagues at your workplace have pursued you?”

Tao Wanxing shook her head. “No.”

Seeing Tao Wanxing’s firm and utterly unguilty expression, Tao Chuxia believed her again.

Noticing the dark circles under her eyes, she couldn’t help but feel a pang of heartache.

“Xingxing, you know your second brother is now the Governor of Cloud Province, right?”

Tao Wanxing’s grip on her sister’s arm tightened slightly as she lowered her eyelids, concealing the strange emotions in her eyes. “I know,” she muttered.

Over the years, whenever Meng Chu was mentioned, Tao Wanxing always reacted this way. Tao Chuxia was long used to it.

“How about I step in and ask him to help transfer you to a different position?”

“I really can’t bear it. Your current job seems inhuman.”

Afraid her sister might actually bring it up, Tao Wanxing quickly looked up and refused. “No.”

Tao Chuxia frowned. “Why such a strong reaction? He’s still your second brother, after all.”

Tao Wanxing’s heart raced nervously. “Second brother has important matters to attend to. Let’s not bother him.”

“Besides, you’re a legitimate member of the Meng family, but I’m not. If Uncle Meng finds out he’s abusing his power for an outsider like me, wouldn’t he scold you to death?”

She gave a bitter smile.

She didn’t want to have any further entanglements with the Meng family.

Tao Chuxia was momentarily stunned by her words and sighed.

Meng Liguo had initially opposed Tao Chuxia’s marriage to Meng Han, as he had someone more suitable in mind—someone of equal social standing.

But Meng Han, having climbed his way up from the military through sheer grit, was stubborn. Once he set his mind on someone, it had to be her.

Thus, Meng Liguo had always held a bias against Tao Chuxia.

This extended to Tao Wanxing as well, whom he rarely treated kindly.

“Your Uncle Meng treats me much better now than before. Don’t worry about me.”

Tao Wanxing smiled faintly, flexing her fingers as if casually asking, “Sis, is Second Brother still dating Zhu Yan?”

Tao Chuxia nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t know much about Xiao Er’s affairs.”

“Didn’t we hear they were getting married right after my college entrance exams?”

Tao Chuxia chuckled. “If they had married, that girl Zhu Yan wouldn’t be a big star now.”

“But…” Tao Chuxia thought for a moment before continuing, “I did hear they dated for a while, but then Zhu Yan supposedly dumped Xiao Er to pursue her dream of stardom.”

“Who knows what’s true or false in all that.”

Tao Wanxing lowered her eyelids. The stinging pain in her heart had dulled into a numb ache.

When she reported to the hospital, Tao Wanxing was assigned to a month of specialized training before being sent to clinical work for the final three months.

The long-lost student-like routine, with days packed full of classes, brought her a sense of peace.

It was as if Meng Chu had vanished from her life.

When she received his call again, she hesitated.

But she answered. She didn’t speak, and neither did Meng Chu. The silence stretched so long that Tao Wanxing thought he had hung up.

Then his deep, icy voice came through the phone: “Tao Wanxing, you’ve grown bold.”

Judging by his tone, he must have returned home to find her absent. She replied softly, “I went away for further training. It’ll last four months.”  

Another long silence followed on the other end.  

Meng Chu took a drag from his cigarette, the smoke curling from his nostrils. After a pause, he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”  

“Sister Zhu Yan needs you more.”  

The cigarette between Meng Chu’s lips dropped, nearly burning the back of his hand. He gritted his teeth. “Tao Wanxing, are you avoiding me?”  

Her heart clenched, a suffocating sensation flooding over her as if Meng Chu were standing right in front of her, gripping her chin—forcing her to face him with no escape.  

Instinctively, she hunched her shoulders and denied it. “I’m not.”  

Meng Chu paused before asking again, “Where are you now?”  

“Haizhou.” Tao Wanxing knew that if she didn’t answer today, he wouldn’t let it go—he might even make a scene at the hospital. So she lied casually to brush him off.  

Their department did have training programs in Haicheng.  

As long as he didn’t find out she was in Jingzhou, it would be fine.  

Sure enough, Meng Chu hesitated on the other end. “I went to Yuzhou these past few days.”  

“Mhm.”  

Tao Wanxing hummed lightly.  

Accompanying Zhu Yan to Yucheng, huh? A numbing chill spread through her chest at the thought.  

Summoning her courage, she asked, “Have you gotten home already?”  

Meng Chu gave a vague “Mhm.” Then, “Why didn’t you discuss the training with me?”  

Panic flickered in her. “It was decided before—before we were together. The timing was sudden.”  

When flustered or lying, Tao Wanxing always stammered.  

The resolve she had mustered to bring up the divorce dissolved once again.  

Afraid he would press further and expose her lie, she hurriedly said, “Take a look at the agreement I left on the table—” *Beep—beep—*  

Before she could finish, the call cut off with a dial tone.  

Her pearly teeth clenched her lower lip. He must have heard.  

Meng Chu stared at the darkened phone screen, exhaling almost imperceptibly before getting up to fetch the charger.  

As he stood, his gaze swept over the spotless table.  

His brow furrowed slightly before he turned and walked into the bedroom.  

That night, Tao Wanxing tossed and turned restlessly.  

By the time she reached the hospital, she was still in a daze. Today, she was assigned to the clinical department for training, with Zhao Tang as her instructor.  

Following behind Zhao Tang, she introduced herself, “Professor Zhao, I’ll be shadowing you today. You can just call me Wanxing.”  

Zhao Tang rolled her eyes discreetly, muttering under her breath. *Another clueless newbie dumped on me? Don’t they know how busy I am?*  

Tao Wanxing frowned. “I didn’t catch that. Could you repeat it, please?”  

Zhao Tang snapped impatiently, “Fine, fine, got it. Just follow me and watch what I do.”  

For some reason, Tao Wanxing sensed hostility from this Professor Zhao.  

A woman’s intuition.  

But since it was her first day in the department, she didn’t press the issue.  

Emergency Department work was chaotic, tense, and exhausting.  

Yet, for the first time, Tao Wanxing felt useless—her skills stifled, nowhere to apply them. Every time she tried to assist, Zhao Tang stopped her, refusing to let her lift a finger.  

By the time the afternoon shift neared its end, the emergency ambulance brought in a unique patient—a soldier transferred from a remote rural town.

He was still wearing his military uniform, likely injured during a mission, and his condition appeared critical.  

Tao Wanxing quickly stepped in to assist with transferring the patient.  

The military uniforms caught her attention, and as she took a closer look, she noticed something was wrong.  

The patient’s lips were turning blue, and even his facial skin was gradually taking on an unusual hue.  

His chest movements, which had been steady when he first arrived, were growing increasingly faint.  

Zhao Tang wasn’t here.  

There was no time for further hesitation—Tao Wanxing immediately shouted, “Something’s wrong—doctor!”