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Chapter 2
Heartbeats and a Beautiful Beginning.

A young woman leaned nonchalantly against the partitioned door, holding a white tote bag in her hand. She had probably just touched up her makeup—her complexion looked better than before. Her long, thick black hair framed a petite face with a pointed chin. Her expression was as lazy and careless as a cat.

“Sit,” Shen Qingshi said, dragging over another chair next to him for her to sit. He pulled up the X-ray on his computer and enlarged it. “Had an injury before?”

Chu Zhixia knew what he meant. She was startled too when she saw the scan just now—it did look a bit scary.

But she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Plastic surgery,” she said, twirling a lock of hair around her finger and casually making up an excuse. “It was surgery anyway, years ago, but it’s long been fine.”

“Open your mouth.” Shen Qingshi clearly didn’t believe the first half of her explanation. But seeing she didn’t want to explain further, he didn’t push. He turned slightly toward her.

“Do you have regular checkups here? Any medical records?”

“No, it was in another city. It happened when I was a kid. Anyway… it’s been checked since—no problem.”

Her lips parted slightly, her response vague.

His fingers gently cupped her jaw again, even more softly and carefully than before—steady, as if handling something fragile.

After hearing her answer, he gave her a deep glance and began inspecting more meticulously.

So close that when she lifted her gaze, she could see the small arc of shadow his short, thick eyelashes cast, and the elegant profile of his high nose under the mask.

His lashes fluttered like butterfly wings, veiling clear, deep eyes—and her heart tickled.

Also… this posture was nothing like lying in a dentist’s chair. They were face to face.

She wasn’t wearing a mask either, and could feel his faint scent—cool and clean, mixed with the smell of disinfectant.

Shen Qingshi studied the scan a few more times. Once he was certain, he let go of her and turned back to the computer. “The molar’s nerve is necrotic. You’ll need a root canal. It might take a while. How about next Wednesday evening?”

“Mm?” Chu Zhixia felt warm and fanned herself.

“Next Wednesday, 7 p.m.,” he repeated patiently. “I’ll book you for a follow-up. You just need to pay at the counter and come directly—no need to register again.”

“Okay, that’s fine—uh, wait!” Realizing today was only Tuesday, Chu Zhixia glanced at her phone and cooled down a bit. “Can we do it sooner? I’m on a tight schedule. I don’t have much time.”

“I…” She stared at the name tag on his chest—Attending Physician Shen Qingshi—and his youthful face. For some reason, she felt a bit embarrassed and hugged her tote bag closer. “I have an exam—about 20 days from now. I need to finish the treatment before that. I also have rehearsals every day. If my tooth hurts, I won’t be able to say my lines properly. The sooner the better.”

Shen Qingshi: “What kind of exam?”

Chu Zhixia figured he was just making conversation—but then again, maybe not. It could affect his scheduling, after all.

“Uh… well…”
She wasn’t sure why it was so hard to say. Maybe it was because she kind of liked him, and he was already a top doctor at such a young age—he must’ve finished his PhD early.

“Graduate school interview,” she blurted out, then quickly added, “I’ve been working for a few years before applying—not because I didn’t get in before. I just didn’t want to apply at the time.”

Shen Qingshi didn’t get why she had to squirm around in her chair to say that.

But this girl had been weird from the start.

“Mm.”

“How about giving me your WeChat?” Chu Zhixia offered, her eyes bright, taking out her phone. “You can let me know if a slot opens, and I’ll book it myself.”

“Come Friday evening at 7,” he replied calmly, after checking the schedule. He didn’t take out his phone and instead signaled for the next patient.

Chu Zhixia: “…”

She smiled faintly, put her phone away as if nothing had happened, politely thanked him, and walked out gracefully.

---

An hour later, Chu Zhixia was lying flat like a starfish on the wooden floor of the rehearsal room. Maybe it was psychological, but her toothache actually felt better. She patted her right cheek lightly and stared at the pale ceiling in disbelief.

Had she… been rejected?

Why?!

Was it because she wasn’t pretty enough? Was it because she didn’t wear makeup today? Or hadn’t washed her hair?

No, that didn’t make sense.

She sat up, hugging her knees, and looked at herself in the mirror. Not a hint of “not pretty.” Just from the short wait in the clinic earlier, three guys had come up to ask for her WeChat.

So what was the reason?

Maybe it was hospital policy? Doctors can’t casually add patients?

That thought made her feel a little better. She tucked some stray strands behind her ears, let her hair down, and tied it back high.

“Shen. Qing. Shi.” She muttered as she did her hair.

—She remembered his name.

“Shen Qingshi? From what drama?”

She didn’t notice the door open. Zhou Haoying walked in with two cups of coffee, placed them aside, and squatted beside her.

Zhou Haoying was tall—at least 6’1″. He had a background in dance too, with long legs and arms. Even squatting, he was half a head taller than her.

He was beautiful. His light blond hair was often tied in a half-bun, but today it hung loose to his shoulders. No accessories today, but he wore a snow-white, fitted shirt with soft fluff and flared white trousers.

He had clearly dressed up for rehearsal.

Chu Zhixia liked looking at pretty people, and even though she saw him all the time, she still stared a little longer at his cherry-blossom-like face. Honestly—if he weren’t so tall and broad-shouldered, you might mistake him for a sweet, pure-looking girl at first glance.

“Wifey~” Zhou Haoying used to compete in dance shows, and fans called him that. Chu Zhixia, who loved teasing pretty people, tilted her head and smiled at him.

“You’re looking for trouble again.” Zhou Haoying was good at keeping up appearances—gentle and elegant in public, the perfect “big sister.” But in private, especially during rehearsals, he was brutally strict. His voice, though, was soft and husky—impossible to take seriously when he scolded.

“Did you even choose your piece yet? Look how close the exam is.” He pulled her up and stood with arms crossed, looking at her in the mirror. “And what about your tooth? Who even is Shen Qingshi?”

“Nobody. Just… a little dentist.”

Chu Zhixia tried to sound casual, but couldn’t stop the smile that followed those three words.

Turns out, she really liked him.

Cool and quiet.

But strangely captivating.

The thought of how he wrapped himself up so neatly—pristine white coat, translucent gloves, all clean and composed—yet had that one little mole, so tempting.

So smart, steady hands, calm heart—yet cold and distant.

Really, very interesting.

Her smile widened.

Zhou Haoying noticed, and his voice turned cold: “Are you still planning to take the exam or not?”

“Sorry,” Chu Zhixia quickly snapped out of it, sensing that her teacher-friend was annoyed. She wrapped an arm naturally around his narrow waist—just like they always did in rehearsals. “Don’t be mad, Director Zhou. I’ll work overtime today. I was just in pain all morning, couldn’t think straight.”

Then she pulled back and pouted: “And it’s not my fault. It’s been a week since the results came out, and there’s still no word on the school’s shortlist. Who knows if I’ll even get in.”

Hearing the word toothache, Zhou Haoying immediately softened. He stepped in front of her and gently smoothed her hair, encouraging her, “You’ll definitely make it. You’ll definitely pass.”

“Mm.”

He turned her toward the mirror. “Alright. Let’s rehearse.”

---

Chu Zhixia’s background was a bit complicated.

She graduated from a top 211 university’s broadcasting program. After graduation, with her stunning looks and professional skills, she got a coveted position at the city’s TV station in the sports department.

All her classmates envied her. Her mom and friends were pleased too. But only she knew how much inner conflict it caused.

First, she wasn’t interested in sports. Second, sports show hosts had strict standards—tall, slim waist, large chest, tiny skirts.

The director especially loved filming her legs.

Chu Zhixia had always been open about her beauty and never ashamed of it. But she had agency. She wanted to look beautiful for herself—whether that meant shorts, skirts, or bikinis.

Not to please others, not to feed their lingering gazes.

She held a mic just like the male hosts, but while they were dressed formally, she was in sleeveless V-neck dresses barely covering her thighs.

Once, to boost ratings, the director made her hike up her cheongsam 20 cm to show more leg.

Simone de Beauvoir wrote in The Second Sex that man defines woman not as herself but in relation to him; he is the subject, she is the other.

But Chu Zhixia believed: She was the subject. Not the other.

After more than two years, she still felt suffocated.

So she quit.

She slacked off for a while, unsure what to do next, even considering leaving the industry altogether. She wasn’t short on money, and no one in her family was pressuring her to work. Zhou Haoying told her: “Apply for grad school. Pick something you love. Start over. Even if you don’t get in, it’s still a way to center yourself.”

So she did.

When Zhou Haoying took his exam, she was still working nonstop. She had no idea how he passed, but he got into one of the top three drama directing programs in the country.

Then again, it made sense.

Art connects. And they were both gifted and hardworking from a young age.

Now he studied drama directing instead of dancing. And after quitting, she ended up tagging along to all his strange, experimental plays.

And actually… they grew on her.

So she thought—why not try being a stage actress?

No camera close-ups, and super interesting.

She had all the skills—voice, performance, stage presence.

And so, half-clueless, she applied. Memorized over 20 textbooks, reviewed like crazy, and took the two-day preliminary exam in the coldest part of winter.

Last week, the results came out—she passed the national cut-off easily.

Now it was time to prepare for the interview.

---

During a break, Chu Zhixia stood in front of the mirror and pinched her cheek.

Things would get better.

A fresh start.

Somehow, she thought of Shen Qingshi again—

Surely, it would be a sweet and beautiful beginning.