Tang Ke really suspected, if the words "Jiang Xu is pregnant with Shen Fangyu's child" were posted in their eight-year clinical group, it would have definitely raised a lot of questions about his mental state, and people in the psychiatry department would even come and take him away that very day.
He stood up slowly, holding his back that hurt from falling, and looked at Jiang Xu with eyes full of accusations, "You're not teasing me, are you?" He said while smacking his own mouth, "Forget what I said about donations, it was just a joke, don't take it seriously."
Jiang Xu put down the files in his hands, hugged his elbows, and tilted his head to look at Tang Ke who was leaning on the table. "Would you believe me if I told you that we got drunk and ended up in bed?"
"Yes," Tang Ke said firmly, "otherwise I can't think of any reason why you two would sleep together."
Jiang Xu took a deep breath, "Come on, I said I would treat you to dinner."
Tang Ke hadn't recovered even after they sat down in the restaurant. He used the cover of the menu to peek at Jiang Xu, who held Tang Ke's gaze in silence for a long time before finally raising his eyes and interjecting, "Don't look, I'm not crazy."
"Then what are you going to do?" Tang Ke was like a worried mother, "Shen Fangyu doesn't look gay either."
The more he thought about it, the more hopeless he felt, "Damn, if only I had known, we should have kicked him out right then and there, so he wouldn't have to go out and bother others."
No matter how much Jiang Xu wanted to agree with Tang Ke, his conscience as a doctor restrained his desire to do so.
"So, are you going to tell him?" Tang Ke asked.
Jiang Xu did not answer directly.
He lowered his eyelashes and slowly stroked the edge of the white porcelain plate. It was clear that he didn't know what he should do, which was why he told Tang Ke about the child's father.
They were friends so Jiang Xu didn't need to save face in front of him.
Jiang Xu was at the center of the whirlpool, and he was worried that he would not be able to respond objectively and rationally enough, so he wanted to hear Tang Ke's thoughts on the matter.
However, Tang Ke, whom he had high hopes for, composed a series of plays and novels in his head about a girl who ran away with her lover's child [1], "If you can't find someone to perform an abortion on you, you don't plan to go secretly to Country M to give birth to the baby, right?"
His mind was like a wild horse that had gotten loose from its bridle, and the more he spoke, the more excited he became, "Then in ten years, when you two compete for the director position, you will tell Shen Fangyu that he is your baby's biological father and use them to hold him hostage."
Jiang Xu: "..."
"It's humbling that you're a doctor with such an imagination."
"To be honest," Tang Ke said with a smile, "Lu Xun[2], who abandoned medicine for literature, is my idol in life."
Jiang Xu rolled his eyes, and Tang Ke became serious, "I think you need to tell him."
He said, "If you are going to have surgery, you should take a long leave. I have also worked at Jihua Hospital, I know how difficult it is to take time off from work at a public hospital, and I know how much work you have to do, not to mention your unique situation."
As long as Jiang Xu still wanted to stay in the hospital and avoid a social downfall[3], he cannot use pregnancy and abortion as an excuse to take time off.
But if he wanted to hide his situation from the rest of the department, then taking time off would only become more difficult.
If he resigned, Shen Fangyu would set off firecrackers and explode them around his family's ancestral grave for three days and three nights[4], perhaps even thinking that Jiang Xu had lost and left after admitting defeat.
When imagining Shen Fangyu's happy face, Jiang Xu's face became a little darker.
"Shen Fangyu is much wiser than you when it comes to dealing with the higher-ups." Tang Ke said, "Besides, Shen Fangyu also has to be responsible, you don't have to bear the pressure alone."
If only a knife had not been put on his neck, Jiang Xu would have preferred not to tell Shen Fangyu something that sounded unbelievable.
There is a reason why novels and plays about running away with a lover's child[1] exist, avoidance is a shameful but useful thing.
Jiang Xu raised his hand to push his glasses, "I'll think about it." He glanced at his phone, he had sent an email to Dr. Kenn before coming to dinner but still didn't get a reply.
Even though he knew that there was a time difference and he was a renowned expert in his field so there was no way he would reply so quickly, Jiang Xu still couldn't help but feel annoyed.
He really doesn't check his messages often, even when he's sending out articles.
Tang Ke saw his movements and said deliberately, "If Dr. Kenn is really willing to share the surgical indication plan and videos with you, I can help arrange our hospital's operating room, but who will be the chief surgeon... for you?"
Jiang Xu immediately picked up the phone, he suddenly didn't want to talk to Tang Ke anymore.
Every word Tang Ke said tonight was on point, they were all the most difficult problems he was facing, he really wanted to cover his ears and wished he could stop doing everything.
The operation was the first of its kind in China, and skilled surgeons who were unfamiliar with obstetrics and gynecology would not dare come to perform it, moreover, Jihua Hospital's obstetrics and gynecology department was already the best in the country.
However, there was no way he would ask someone from the obstetrics and gynecology department of Jihua Hospital to do it. Firstly, they were colleagues he often met. Never mind how embarrassing it would be, Jiang Xu knew the capabilities of his comrades very well. Even fewer of them have the balls and courage to be the "first."
But he couldn't blame them, if a patient with a similar case came to him, he would still have to consider carefully whether to do it or not.
Jiang Xu could only think of one person who had his ability, courage, and approval, but it was one person he didn't want to mention.
"We can ask Shen Fangyu." Tang Ke immediately pointed out the name he had in mind.
Jiang Xu frowned.
"He may look like an ordinary man, but he has abilities. You guys have slept together, so what's wrong with letting him carry out the abortion? If he refuses to do it, you guys can go to the Disciplinary Committee and report him for toying with men and women, and being Chen Shimei's [5] contemporaries."
Jiang Xiu: "..."
If he was not angered by Shen Fangyu in the future, he would definitely be angered by Tang Ke.
Jiang Xu even wondered if everyone around him didn't talk much because he didn't like talking.
The dishes were slowly brought to the table, and Jiang Xu directly took the largest chicken thigh in the pot and put it into Tang Ke's bowl. When Tang Ke wanted to say something more, Jiang Xu immediately put one hand to his lips, "Shhh, eat."
However, before he could eat a few mouthfuls of food, Jiang Xu put down his chopsticks. The feeling of nausea always appeared on various occasions. He looked at the table full of brightly colored food and couldn't hold his appetite.
Pregnancy was tiring.
So far, he has never been seriously ill, even colds and fevers are rare. His body was always energetic enough to support his work and study schedule.
But now, Jiang Xu felt like his energy was being drained, and the discomfort was like a forced shutdown system on a cell phone, which often made him feel helpless.
No matter how much he wanted to bury himself like an ostrich, he had to consider Tang Ke's words.
He was in the middle of the puzzle, many things would be blurry because of his emotions and tainted perspective, but Tang Ke was at the edge of the puzzle, so he would see things more clearly and more thoroughly than what he saw himself.
Jiang Xu was silent for a while. He wasn't sure what would happen after telling Shen Fangyu, or even how he would face him afterwards. However, Tang Ke was right about one thing. Whether it's an abortion or the birth of a child, forcing yourself to take responsibility will only make the outcome worse.
Jiang Xu was a man who was very demanding of himself and could hardly bear the thought of his work efficiency decreasing because he had devoted too much energy to this unexpected child, whether by his own accord or by force.
If it continues like this, the consequences may be more than just loss of face and social death.
Never mind, Jiang Xu thought, When enemy solidiers invade, deploy generals to fight back; when a flood comes, we build a dam from the earth [6]. As long as I'm not embarrassed, it will simply come from everyone else.
So he took a deep breath, clicked on Shen Fangyu's contact number, and sent a message, "I will be waiting for you in the office tonight at nine o'clock /smile.jpg."
Translator notes:
[1] This translations was originally "composed a series of plays and novels in his head about a girl who ran away with a lion cub", but I changed lion cub to lover's child to make it easier to understand.
[2] Lu Xun was a Chinese novelist who initially studied medicine, but later pursued literature as he believed people needs "spiritual healing" instead of physical healing.
[3] "Social downfall" referring to men getting pregnant, so he wants to avoid it by hide it. I think my translation was a bit confusing, so just making it clear
[4] Celebrating Jiang Xu's resignation
[5] Chen Shimei is a fictional character from a classical Chinese folk story called "The Tale of Qin Xianglian", known for his unfaithful and selfish nature.
[6] This is a Chinese idiom (兵来将挡,水来土掩 or bīng lái jiàng dǎng, shuǐ lái tǔ yǎn), which means there is a solution to every problem and problems should be remedied with the right plan.