Chapter 72: Confession

At the end of November, snowfall arrived, and the temperature plummeted again.

As the weather turned cold, the number of patients in the hospital increased sharply, and the workload for doctors also intensified. First, the roads became icy and snowy, leading to more traffic accidents. Second, with the cold temperatures, many elderly and ill people couldn’t withstand the winter.

Xu Sui had been working continuously for a week, sometimes hastily eating a few bites of takeout before being called away by nurses.

Although the work was busy, returning home every day with an exhausted body and falling straight into bed, Xu Sui felt quite content; life was fulfilling and peaceful.

The next day at noon, in the hospital break room, Xu Sui stood at the water dispenser, holding a long coffee packet. He tore open a small opening and poured the powder into a mug. Behind him, colleagues sat at a long table, chatting and sipping coffee.

“Hey, have you seen the news? There was a rape case in Huaining recently. It’s terrifying. The victim was only 26 years old. They say the culprit targets young women leaving work late at night. The victim was in a terrible state; her ears were bitten, and she was found in the early morning, a young girl covered in blood lying in the bushes. Scum.” Dr. Cheng said.

“These kinds of people are truly beasts; they deserve the harshest punishment.” Nurse He’s eyes widened. “Huaining Road? Last week, I went to Wanzhong Cinema with a friend to watch ‘Wonder Woman.’ On the way back, I was so happy that I bought a bunch of yellow bubble roses. Less than ten minutes after getting off the subway, while waiting at the traffic lights, I felt like someone was staring at me. When I turned around, I saw a man with long hair smiling creepily at me, even making a kissing gesture.”

“Oh my goodness, what happened next?” Han Mei looked surprised.

“As soon as the light turned green, I ran into the crowd. It was so scary; I still shudder thinking about it.” Nurse He patted her chest.

“Next time, don’t take that route. I heard there have been quite a few weirdos around that area lately. Be careful when going home at night.” Someone comforted.

“Hey, Dr. Xu, isn’t your house on Huaining Road? You’ve been working overtime every day recently; be careful at night.” Han Mei said.

Xu Sui slowly stirred his coffee with a long spoon, took a sip, and half of his face leaned against the mug. “Should be fine, right? I wouldn’t be that unlucky, would I?”

Xu Sui stirred her coffee slowly with a long-handled spoon and took a light sip, half of her face resting against the rim of the cup. “It should be fine, right? I wouldn’t be that unlucky.”

“Just in case, Huaining Road is your residential area. You can’t avoid it. What should we do?” Nurse He said anxiously.

A male colleague at the hospital set down his coffee, crossed his arms, and said, “Dr. Xu, you’re like a rare flower in our hospital. You can’t have any accidents. How about us men escort you home?”

“Yeah, on odd-numbered days, it’s the two of us. On even-numbered days, Xiaogao and Old Gu.” A colleague chimed in with a smile.

Xu Sui’s tongue was scalded by the coffee, but she smiled and said, “The director will definitely scold me if that happens. Don’t worry, everyone. I’ll bring my personal alarm and defense pen.”

“That’s good.”

That evening, when Xu Sui was returning home after getting off the subway, she felt like someone was following her. Maybe it was because her colleagues had mentioned the news during the day.

She had a faint feeling that the person behind her was intentionally matching her pace. When she stopped, they stopped; when she sped up, they did too. Like a ghost, silently trailing behind her.

But when Xu Sui stopped and looked back, there was nothing behind her—just empty space with passing pedestrians.

Still, Xu Sui felt someone was following her, so she quickened her pace home. It wasn’t until she turned the key in the lock, entered her home, and leaned against the door that she breathed a sigh of relief, sweat forming on her back as she heavily exhaled.

For several days in a row, Xu Sui felt like someone was tracking her every evening when she returned home, but she couldn’t catch them. Once, she glimpsed a figure passing by, but saw nothing else.

Every time she stepped onto Huaining Road, she was on edge, her heart feeling like it carried a heavy burden.

It wasn’t until the fifth day that Xu Sui safely made it home without incident. She let out a long breath, sat on the sofa, and posted a message on her social media: “It seems like I’ve been stalked by a creep for several days now. Starting to consider moving.”

Her post exploded with comments. Husi’s comment read: “Suibao, I want to send over my pet rhino to protect you.”

Liang Shuang commented: “Really? Come stay at my place.”

Da Liu said: “Girl, you really need to be careful.”

Xu Sui replied earnestly to each comment to reassure them.

At the Red Crane Club, a group of people were playing dice and drinking.

Sheng Nanzhou was on his phone and casually asked, seeing Husi’s comment below Xu Sui’s post, “When is she coming back? I really want to see the rhino she’s raising.”

However, after waiting for ten minutes, Sheng Nanzhou didn’t get a reply from Husi.

Zhou Jingze was idly playing with the dice, a cynical smile on his face, devastating the others in the game.

“Hey, did you see Xu Sui’s post? She mentioned encountering a creep recently.” Da Liu, unaware of what had transpired between them, brought it up.

But as soon as “Xu Sui” was mentioned, the atmosphere noticeably stiffened, and Zhou Jingze’s smile faded. He rolled the dice in his hand indifferently, “Is that so?”

“Yeah, apparently there’s a creep. Nowadays, men are really beasts, only thinking with the lower half when they see a pretty girl.” Sheng Nanzhou added.

Da Liu nodded vigorously, “Poor Xu Sui, caught up with this societal trash.”

Zhou Jingze, in black jeans, knee resting on the coffee table, smirked and said lazily, “Huh.”

Da Liu didn’t catch on to Zhou Jingze’s reaction, while Sheng Nanzhou quickly put things together and exclaimed, “Are you that trash? A beast?!”

Da Liu followed suit, shocked, “No way, Brother Zhou, when did you become so sentimental?”

“Senti… my foot,” Zhou Jingze reclined on the sofa, slow and relaxed, “I just happened to be walking my dog on that road.”

“What a load of rubbish. Your place is so far from hers. Your dog must have had a tough time following you all that way.” Sheng Nanzhou thought of a long line of lines, and was about to say something.

Sheng Nanzhou glanced over, pained, “Damn, lost again. Don’t you get bored winning all the time? Is life that dull for you?”

Zhou Jingze took the chips from him, raising an eyebrow, “Nope.”

“It feels good,” Zhou Jingze added.

On Friday night at ten o’clock, Xu Sui performed an eight-hour surgery and came out completely exhausted. After a quick tidy up, she left the hospital. As the cold wind blew, Xu Sui’s spirits momentarily faltered; she almost lost her balance. Thinking it was hunger and fatigue, she got into the car without much concern.

Upon reaching the subway entrance, the biting wind swept through the dry branches, blowing in all directions. Xu Sui shivered, burying her face in her scarf.

Approaching her apartment building, Xu Sui felt increasingly dizzy, as if a ton of bricks were on her head, unable to see clearly. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed straight onto a nearby bench.

Zhou Jingze hadn’t brought his dog out today because of the freezing weather. Keen to avoid this walk, the chilly weather became an excuse not to go out.

Zhou Jingze silently followed Xu Sui from behind to ensure she reached home safely before turning back. He wondered how Bai Yu Shi, her boyfriend, could allow her to walk home alone on this unsafe road, especially when accidents were common.

But then, he realized that witnessing them together might be more than he could handle. Zhou Jingze smirked self-deprecatingly.

Seeing Xu Sui stumbling ahead, he grew uneasy. In the moment it took to pull out a cigarette from his pocket, he inadvertently glanced up and saw Xu Sui already collapsed on the bench.

The cigarette snapped in his fingers as Zhou Jingze hurried over. Squatting down, he slid his arm under hers and lifted her waist, cradling her in his arms.

In the chilling wind, under the dense night sky speckled with sparse stars, Zhou Jingze carried Xu Sui through the wind.

Zhou Jingze, in a black down jacket with sharp features, carried a woman swiftly past onlookers.

“Wow, look at that guy, he’s so handsome.”

“Yeah, in this freezing weather, carrying someone like that must be tough, but it’s so boyfriend-like.”

Zhou Jingze carried Xu Sui upstairs and hesitated at her door. Finally, he dialed Liang Shuang’s number.

Given his position, taking care of Xu Sui was inappropriate. However, the phone went unanswered. Zhou Jingze had no choice but to fish out the keys from Xu Sui’s bag, unlock the door, and carry her inside.

Inadvertently tripping over a slipper on the floor, Zhou Jingze stumbled onto the bed with Xu Sui in his arms. He lay half on top of her, his face against her soft chest, her hand on his neck, her milky scent mingling with his.

Zhou Jingze froze momentarily, feeling a heat in his lower abdomen. He closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again, tucking her arms under the blanket.

Turning away, he removed her shoes and tucked her in.

Zhou Jingze touched her forehead; she was burning up. Xu Sui seemed uncomfortable, tossing and turning in bed, murmuring incessantly.

Leaning against the wall, one long leg extended, Zhou Jingze stood and walked over, checking her temperature again.

Still too high.

Zhou Jingze recalled his grandmother making ginger soup when he was young. He grabbed his phone, ordered groceries, and soon a delivery arrived.

In the kitchen, Zhou Jingze cooked a pot of ginger soup. He timed it perfectly, carrying it to Xu Sui, sitting beside her on the bed.

Holding the bowl, they were close. He habitually brushed aside her stray hair, then, pausing, scooped a spoonful of soup towards her lips.

She instinctively drank a few sips. Zhou Jingze was surprised by how compliant she was even when sick, so he continued feeding her.

Little did he expect her to vomit all the ginger soup on him the next moment, leaving his gray sweater stained with yellow spots, looking terribly dirty.

“…” Zhou Jingze

Zhou Jingze supported her by the nape of her neck and gently placed her back on the bed. He took a few tissues from the bedside, glanced at the peacefully sleeping Xu Sui, and a hint of helplessness flickered in his dark eyes: “I really… admire you.”

Throughout the night, Xu Sui’s fever persisted, and Zhou Jingze stayed awake, sitting by her bedside. Every half hour, he would use a towel to cool her forehead and wipe her hands, physically trying to reduce her temperature.

By the early morning hours, Zhou Jingze hadn’t slept much, his eyelids half-lifted, showing signs of weariness. His eyes were tired and tinted with a hint of blue, persistently watching over Xu Sui until her fever subsided around four in the morning.

Zhou Jingze let out a sigh of relief. His throat felt scratchy, suddenly craving a cigarette, but then he remembered Xu Sui was still ill. He pulled out a cigarette from his pack but put it back. Instead, he took out a piece of candy from his pocket, slowly unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth, all the while watching Xu Sui sleep.

Xu Sui’s long hair cascaded on the bed, her fair cheeks still slightly flushed from the fever. Her lips were dry, and her dark lashes tightly shut, making her look beautiful and vulnerable in her sleep.

Zhou Jingze glanced at her, smiling wryly to himself before speaking out loud, almost to no one in particular.

He paused, then continued, “Bai Yushi is indeed quite outstanding, impeccable in both experience and character. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have lost you to him.”

“Liang Shuang was right. I have nothing now… what can I compete with?” Zhou Jingze’s voice was hoarse, his tongue touching the candy.

“And besides, if you don’t like me anymore, there’s nothing I can do.” Zhou Jingze looked at her and sighed.

He walked over and tucked Xu Sui in. With a soft click, he turned off the bedside lamp, enveloping the room in darkness. His face half-hidden in shadows, his expression unreadable, Zhou Jingze stood there like a tall, handsome statue, exuding a sense of loneliness and helplessness.

Before leaving, Zhou Jingze glanced deeply at Xu Sui, lowered his eyelids, and with his usual nonchalant tone, chuckled self-deprecatingly:

“So… liking someone can make you feel inadequate, huh?”