Rong Yan looked up.
She glanced at Su Jing in surprise, and as she withdrew her gaze, she noticed Chi Jingyuan silently staring at her.
Cold, profound, indifferent.
And a hint of probing.
Rong Yan quickly averted her eyes. "I'm sorry, it was my fault. I'll take responsibility for my mistake. Please forgive me, Mr. Chi, and don't trouble Su Jing."
Manager Yu also hurriedly apologized with a smile. "Tonight, we'll give all our esteemed guests a 20% discount. We're truly sorry."
"No need."
Chi Jingyuan brushed off his sleeve and strode forward. "If you're not feeling well, rest properly. Next time, don't just lean on people like that."
Manager Yu forced another smile.
The group gradually walked away.
Chi Jingyuan looked at his right hand.
"What's wrong, Brother Jing? Does your right hand hurt?"
Chi Jingyuan withdrew his hand. "It's nothing."
Just now… he had instinctively wrapped his arm around her waist—so soft, without an ounce of excess fat, as if the warmth still lingered on his hand.
It seemed… the sensation was quite nice.
......
After the group had left, Rong Yan could no longer hold on. Her body slumped, and she nearly collapsed to the ground.
Fortunately, Manager Yu caught her.
"I'm sorry for causing trouble at the club tonight."
Manager Yu shook his head and tossed the car keys to Su Jing. "Take my car and get her to the hospital. Hurry."
Rong Yan tried to refuse, but Manager Yu cut her off. "If you don't want to miss work, get yourself checked properly. If this happens again, I'll have to deduct your salary."
Rong Yan fell silent and nodded.
Su Jing was a good driver, and the car soon arrived at the hospital, where they headed straight to the emergency room.
At 4 a.m., the emergency room wasn't crowded. The hallway was nearly empty, and the few people there wore expressions of calm, exhaustion, and numbness—just like Rong Yan two years ago.
The night her mother passed away, it had been the same: a late night, the same emergency room.
She had fallen down the stairs while cleaning at home, hitting the back of her head. By the time she was rushed to the hospital, it was too late to save her.
Back then, Rong Yan's face had worn the same expression.
Calm, exhausted, numb.
As if the sun would never rise again.
Soon, Rong Yan's name was called.
Su Jing happened to receive a phone call, so after helping Rong Yan into the emergency room, she stepped outside.
"Where does it hurt?" Rong Yuanzhou looked at the pale-faced young woman before him and froze for a moment.
This girl gave him an inexplicable sense of familiarity, like a long-lost friend. Strangely enough, her features even bore some resemblance to his father.
Glancing down at the registration form, he was even more surprised. "You're also surnamed Rong."
The surname Rong was quite rare in the country.
Rong Yan stared at the doctor, her scalp tingling.
This man… looked so much like her father in his younger days.
Not a perfect match, but at least seventy percent similar.
If her father had a son—if his first wife had given him a son—he might have looked just like this.
Thinking of her father, Rong Yan's eyes reddened, and she pressed her lips together.
What was she even thinking?
Even if this man really had some connection to her father, what did it matter to her?
Her mother had merely been the mistress her father kept behind his first wife's back, and she herself was just the illegitimate daughter who had never met her father.
A bastard child didn't deserve a father.
Forcing a smile, she replied to Rong Yuanzhou, "Yes, what a coincidence. I didn't expect the doctor to also be surnamed Rong."
"No wonder…"
Rong Yuanzhou didn't finish his sentence. Instead, he turned to his computer and began filling out the medical record.
"Where does it hurt?" Seeing the redness in the girl's eyes, Rong Yuanzhou softened his voice, thinking he might have startled her.
Rong Yan took a deep breath and slowly described her symptoms.
"Does it hurt here? Or here?" Rong Yuanzhou gently pressed on her abdomen. When he reached the lower abdomen, Rong Yan gasped in pain.
"Any bleeding down there?"
"Down... down where?"
"Yes, the vagina."
Rong Yan's face flushed red, and she nodded. "A little, but not much."
"Have you been sexually active recently?" Rong Yuanzhou asked further.
Rong Yan: "..."
Her face turned even redder, as if blood might drip from it. After a long pause, she bit her lip and nodded.
"Was it intense? You can describe it in terms of frequency."
Rong Yan: "...Do I really have to say?"
"We need to understand the cause clearly to avoid misdiagnosis."
Rong Yan's face burned like a boiled shrimp. She turned her head away and whispered, barely audible, "F-four... no, maybe five times."
Rong Yuanzhou frowned and stepped into the next room.
Soon, a female doctor came in with tools. "Rong Yan, right? Come here, I'll examine you."
Rong Yan had no choice but to follow the female doctor into the examination room. As instructed, she removed her pants and lay on the bed.
After a while, the doctor looked up. "All done."
Rong Yan got up from the bed, slowly dressed, and returned with the doctor to Rong Yuanzhou. "You were right—there's tearing and acute inflammation."
With that, the female doctor left.
Rong Yan: "..."
She never expected a doctor's visit to be this mortifying.
If she'd known it was this kind of issue, she would've gone straight to gynecology. But now she'd run into a male doctor... She wanted to dig a hole and bury herself.
Rong Yuanzhou frowned. "Is the pain still severe now?"
Rong Yan nodded, her palms slick with cold sweat.
"We'll give you a painkiller shot today. After you go back, take your medicine on time. You heard what Dr. Hao said—don't overdo it in the future. Tell your boyfriend to be more careful. The body is fragile, and if your immune system is weak, injuries can easily lead to acute infections. Understand?"
Rong Yan nodded. "Y-yes, I understand."
With the prescription in hand, Rong Yan turned to leave.
"Wait." Rong Yuanzhou watched her retreating figure and suddenly felt reluctant to let her go.
He scribbled something on a scrap of paper and handed it to her. "My number. If you feel unwell later, you can call me."
Rong Yan thanked him.
Su Jing returned from her phone call, and Rong Yan quickly pulled her away, leaving the emergency department.
Just then, Chi Jingyuan stepped out of the elevator and caught a glimpse of her hurried figure.
"What are you looking at, Young Master Chi?" Rong Yuanzhou walked up to him and waved a hand in front of his face.
"Was that your patient?" Chi Jingyuan gestured in the direction Rong Yan had gone.
"Yeah, poor thing. So young and inexperienced, and her boyfriend has no restraint. She thought it was just gastroenteritis." Rong Yuanzhou shook his head sympathetically.
Chi Jingyuan's expression stiffened slightly. "That kind of issue?"
"What else could it be? Acute inflammation. The girl must've been in pain for a while—she's tough."
Chi Jingyuan: "..."
"Wait for me. I'll have Dr. Hao cover for me, and then we'll head out."
The Chi and Rong families had business ties, and Chi Jingyuan and Rong Yuanzhou had known each other for years—close enough to be considered friends.
They had originally planned to leave in the early morning to visit a sick friend in a neighboring city. But now, here they were, running into Rong Yan.