A Bad-Hearted Doctor is Unbearably Beautiful - Chapter 65

Cheng Nianchuan’s frame was thin and frail as the nurse led him forward. His face was devoid of emotion, his legs moving almost by mechanical instinct. They were just about to enter the elevator bank.

Shen Zhao’s heart sank. He gave a quick “wait a moment” gesture to the receptionist and, in the next second, followed them almost subconsciously.

“Xiao Cheng.”

Shen Zhao’s voice was moderate, but it landed perfectly in Cheng Nianchuan’s ears. When the boy turned, the nurse stopped beside him, leaning down to ask, “Hmm? Why did you stop?”

Cheng Nianchuan ignored her, his eyes locking onto Shen Zhao. In the middle of the lobby, their gazes met across the crowd. Upon seeing Shen Zhao, a flicker of surprise, joy, and… unease crossed the boy’s eyes.

Seeing that he had been noticed, Shen Zhao stepped forward quickly. As the nurse looked at him with confusion, Shen Zhao ran a quick mental rehearsal and spoke. “I am a friend of Mr. Zhai’s. I came to see Xiao Cheng.”

Shen Zhao wore a calm smile, his tone steady and certain. His gentle expression and polite posture made him seem entirely harmless. The nurse was momentarily dazed and gave him a shy smile in return.

“Hello. May I ask your name? According to regulations, I need to report this to President Zhai.”

This private hospital was an investment of Zhai Hongtian’s; everyone from the top down held him in the highest respect. Cheng Nianchuan was a child Zhai had personally ordered to be cared for with the utmost seriousness. Although Zhai had never explicitly stated the boy’s identity, the staff could guess their relationship just by looking at the child’s face.

Panic flared in Shen Zhao’s heart. Just then, Cheng Nianchuan tugged on the nurse’s sleeve and spoke softly: “Sister, this is Uncle Lin.”

Realizing the boy was helping him, Shen Zhao remained silent, simply smiling at the nurse to confirm the lie.

The nurse nodded, her last shred of doubt vanishing. She gave Shen Zhao a thoughtful look and became significantly more courteous. Shen Zhao pondered this; it seemed the “Uncle Lin” the boy mentioned was a well-known figure among the hospital staff.

“Can I speak with Xiao Cheng for a moment?” Shen Zhao asked, his expression still friendly.

The nurse smiled apologetically. “It’s… it’s not impossible, but Xiao Cheng needs to go to the specialist’s room for nutritional IVs now. We have strict schedules for all medical projects. You can head to VIP Room 05 later; once he’s finished, I’ll escort him back there.”

Cheng Nianchuan gave a gentle smile and squeezed Shen Zhao’s finger before obediently following the nurse into the elevator. Shen Zhao felt a spark of warmth from the contact—a sign of the boy’s trust.

He suppressed the tremors in his heart and stood still in the lobby until the elevator doors closed. His intuition told him that Xiao Cheng was hiding a secret, and Zhai Hongtian’s decision to keep him here was likely for a very specific reason. I can’t startle the snake yet… I must proceed with Xiao Cheng slowly.

Shen Zhao straightened his collar and returned to the front desk.

“Sir, what else can I help you with?” the young man at the desk asked.

“Hello, I’d like to go to VIP Room 02. How do I get there?”

The elevators in this private hospital were controlled entirely by the front desk via computer. Without an appointment, an outsider couldn’t even see a “call” button. This was for absolute privacy and security.

The young man checked his computer. “One moment… VIP 02… Oh, that gentleman’s ward. Do you have an appointment?”

Shen Zhao hesitated, then nodded. Since he had a text message, he figured that counted.

“Please wait a moment. Stay right there for a second for the camera! That’s it, please smile~ Great, registration complete. Please wait in the lounge; I will confirm with the client and get back to you.”

Shen Zhao sat on the sofa, his fingers interlaced and squeezing tight to manage his anxiety. He was about to meet the person who sent that text. Every second felt like an eternity.

Could it really be him…?

“Sir,” the receptionist called out, “I’ve confirmed with the client that you indeed have an appointment. Please follow the staff member over there; she will take you up.”

Shen Zhao rose in a daze and followed a nurse. During the elevator ride, fragments of memories flashed through his mind. For some reason, after receiving Nine’s text, he began to associate him with the kidnapper—the man in the white suit and porcelain mask with those flirtatious, ambiguous movements.

It was just a fleeting, baseless intuition. Nine was dead in his mind, so the thought had vanished as quickly as it came. But now…

Shen Zhao remembered the moment before he jumped from the car, when he had stabbed the kidnapper in the liver with scissors. As he thought, his head began to throb violently, forcing him to stop his train of thought. These episodes of mental fog had been happening frequently lately. When did they start?

Ding.

The elevator stopped on the 8th floor. The nurse guided him to a ward. Unlike a normal hospital, there was no observation window on the door. Here, privacy was paramount.

The nurse bowed slightly and departed. Shen Zhao stood alone before the door, rubbing his aching head. He stared at the “visitor” button but hesitated to press it. This was a scene he had fantasized about a thousand times in his dreams, and now he was standing just a wall away from Nine.

He hesitated, his palms sweating. He turned and walked to the floor’s restroom. He looked at himself in the mirror, turned on the tap, and splashed cold water on his face.

Just then, he heard voices from the adjacent ladies’ room:

“Did you know? Damian is in our hospital!”

“Damian… you don’t mean that big star who just returned to the country to develop his career?”

“Yes! That’s him! I heard he grew up abroad, but I saw him yesterday! His Chinese is amazing! And he’s so handsome and gentle—his eyes are absolutely killer~ Did you see his first comeback concert? Super hot!”

“What? I’ve only seen fan edits online, and even those were mind-blowing! I can’t believe he’s actually here!”

“He’s an international superstar. He’s back to conquer the domestic market and supposedly plans to stay long-term…”

Shen Zhao found the gossip uninteresting and turned to leave after drying his hands. Then, he heard one last muffled sentence:

“It’s true! He’s in Room 2!”

Shen Zhao’s muscles tensed. An international superstar? Who are they talking about?

Room 2… shouldn’t it be Nine?