Five Years of Studying Medicine, Three Years of Flirting With Guys - Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The matter of bento delivery had been in the past for a while now. Tang Lincheng was frequently in the operating room (OR) performing surgeries, and when he returned to the ward, it was to check on patient conditions. Furthermore, Tang Linsheng’s shifts hadn’t matched up with his for the past few days, so the two hadn’t crossed paths in quite some time.

Because of this, Tang Linsheng’s heart had been “blue-thin-mushroom” (sad and depressed) for a long while. Every day, he would rush to work with high spirits, enthusiastically volunteer to help the doctor’s office bring back medical record folders, and excitedly take a detour to peek into the Department Director’s office only to end up pushing a cart of medical records back with a dejected heart.

Senior is too dedicated to his work; I can’t find him at all, Tang Linsheng thought as he swiped through his WeChat chat list. Looking at the contact “Future Partner Big Tang Tang,” his face was once again filled with sorrow.

Still a “future partner,” and I don’t even have a place to flirt.

He was burying his head in deep thought about how to find an opportunity to “hook up” with him unobtrusively when someone tapped him on the shoulder. By reflex, he covered his phone first before turning around to look. This look made his palms break out in a sweat.

The Nurse Manager?! Oh no! Being caught playing with his phone… he was finished.

Nurse Manager Shan glanced at his hand, which was clearly trying to cover up the evidence, quietly rolled her eyes, and said, “Alright, stop hiding it. Just pay attention in the future.”

Tang Linsheng immediately nodded with a well-behaved expression, locked his phone, and put it in his pocket, looking like he was ready to “break up” with his phone from then on.

Nurse Manager Shan was well aware that nurses in the department looked at their phones when they were free. She hadn’t intended to scold Tang Linsheng anyway, and seeing this fair-skinned boy looking so incredibly obedient, she couldn’t resist pinching his fleshy cheeks and asking, “Your last rotation was in the OR?”

Tang Linsheng had bitterness in his heart but couldn’t speak out Great Boss, feel free to pinch! “Mhm, mhm.”

Nurse Manager Shan pinched him a few times, and seeing that the fair face had turned a bit red from her pinching, she let go with a natural air and said, “Starting next week, go to the OR to help out. You’ll be the dedicated nurse for the Cardiology OR. They’re short-handed over there, and the Nursing Department is asking us for staff.”

Thinking about the days of working himself to death and daily overtime in his previous rotation in the OR, Tang Linsheng swallowed hard. He looked up cautiously at the Nurse Manager; the words of refusal were forced back down the moment he saw her serious expression. He immediately switched to a smiling face and said with “total willingness,” “Will do~”

In Tang Linsheng’s interpretation, the Nurse Manager’s expression meant: If you dare not go to the OR, I’ll dock your bonus at the end of the month.

For the sake of his “little money,” Tang Linsheng had no choice but to surrender to the Nurse Manager’s “despotic power.”

Before leaving, Nurse Manager Shan gave Tang Linsheng’s little face another pinch and said, “When the time comes, go to Professor Tang’s OR and cooperate well! This kid looks quite lively and sunny; if the department needs to put on a show for the hospital’s annual gala this year, he’ll be the one.”

Hearing this, Tang Linsheng’s eyes lit up, and he responded actively, “Okay! Definitely, definitely!” How could he have forgotten? The senior has to do surgeries! And it’s doing surgery in the same room as the Senior!! Working overtime with seniors is also very NICE!

Tang Linsheng gave himself a mental thumbs-up. Excellent, the opportunity has delivered itself to my door!

…

Under Tang Linsheng’s full anticipation, the day to help in the OR finally arrived. He happily changed into his white coat in the locker room and smiled at the small mirror on the locker door.

Good, an eight-tooth smile. Perfect.

Just as he was feeling satisfied with himself, he saw Tang Lincheng standing behind him in the corner of the mirror. He was so startled he immediately snapped his mouth shut, turned around, and gave a “demure” smile with pursed lips: “Hi~ Good morning, Professor Tang.”

Tang Lincheng smiled as gently as ever, though his tone when speaking to him was much more relaxed than with others: “Morning, Xiao Tang. Have you had breakfast?”

“I ate!” Tang Linsheng answered crisply.

Tang Lincheng changed into his white coat and took out a small paper bag, saying, “Is that so? Would you like a little more? I bought too much breakfast this morning.”

Tang Linsheng was sharp-eyed; when it was taken out, he saw the contents through the opening of the bag. Emmm, it was his favorite chocolate bread. His lips twitched a few times as he said, “…Actually, if you can’t finish it, I can help you.”

Tang Lincheng chuckled: “Thanks. There are a lot of surgeries today; eat more to replenish your energy.”

Since Senior had given him a way out, Tang Linsheng naturally kicked the “demureness” he had discarded earlier even further away. He followed Tang Lincheng to the pantry to eat with joy, and then the two went to the third-floor OR together.

On the way to the OR, Tang Linsheng was afraid of an awkward silence between them. He wanted to find a topic but felt like they didn’t have much in common. If he asked about Senior’s future dreams, it felt too ethereal and idiotic he was, after all, someone who had been “trained” by society (wages). He thought for a long time and finally thought of Teacher Kong Mingzhao, who had just been discharged last week, as a common topic.

Tang Linsheng tilted his head to look at Tang Lincheng and said, “Professor Tang, how did that Teacher Kong Mingzhao’s family agree to the surgery last time? I heard they had strongly refused several times before.”

“Explain the pros and cons clearly to them.” Tang Lincheng’s tone was calm, as if he were just sharing how the weather was today. “He was unwilling to let his father have surgery mainly because he was worried about postoperative complications. Just explain it clearly and get him to trust us.”

Tang Linsheng looked at him with some worship and said, “I see. Professor Tang is truly amazing!”

The worship in his eyes was almost overflowing. Tang Lincheng’s smile softened a bit; when this person looked at him, his large, watery eyes seemed to sparkle like stars. Set against that fair, tender face, it gave him the urge to reach out and pat the soft, slightly curly hair on Tang Linsheng’s head.

However, the thought remained just a thought. After all, compared to him, the other party was younger, but still in his twenties he surely wouldn’t like being treated like a child.

If Tang Linsheng knew what Senior was thinking at this moment, he would surely be on the ground with two lines of tears, pounding the floor: Don’t stop! Come and pat! Who says this is only for kids? I’m a baby too! I’ll give you my whole head, take it and pat it, don’t stop!

…

When Tang Lincheng said in the morning that there were “a bit many” surgical patients, he wasn’t just giving Tang Linsheng a way out; there really were many patients, not just “a bit.” Today, Tang Linsheng was the scrub nurse and had to assist at the table. Even though Tang Lincheng’s surgical skills were exquisite, they couldn’t withstand the sheer number of patients. Some patients were in serious condition; there were five patients who had two or three blocked cardiovascular vessels. For those with severe blockages, stents had to be placed to prop the vessels up. A surgery could be as fast as half an hour or as slow as four or five hours.

By the time the current surgery ended, Tang Linsheng felt that his legs had gone soft and he couldn’t stand. He sat on a chair, placed a hand towel on the OR dining table, and buried his face in it.

He was exhausted! He was back to the days of not being able to eat meals on time.

Tang Linsheng glanced at the clock on the wall; it was already 3:00 PM, and he hadn’t even had a bite of lunch. He turned to look outside, wondering why Senior hadn’t come over to eat yet?

Just as he took out several portions of heated food, the doctors from the same OR room walked over. Seeing that he had heated up the food, one doctor said cheerfully, “Thanks, Xiao Tang.”

Tang Linsheng hurriedly said, “It’s nothing, it’s nothing.” But his eyes quietly glanced at Tang Lincheng. Seeing that his face looked normal after removing the mask and his hands didn’t shake at all while eating, he felt that his own “level” was really not high enough and he still needed more training. The lead surgeon had been operating for so long and didn’t show a hint of fatigue, yet you, a coordinating scrub nurse, are still feeling so tired?!

As Tang Linsheng was despising himself in his heart, he heard Tang Lincheng say, “There are three more patients later. We’ll have to work overtime today. Everyone, work a bit harder; Xiao Tang, you too. I’ll treat you all to a meal next time.”

Hearing that he was actually singled out by Senior for thanks, he felt incredibly delighted. He was just about to agree to Tang Lincheng’s treat when he heard the others say with modesty and restraint, “No need, Professor Tang, you’re the one who worked the hardest.”

Tang Linsheng: “…”

He was wrong; he was still too young.

The surgeries that day didn’t end until past 10:00 PM. The doctors from the same OR took their things to the OR; the other nurses were originally from the OR anyway, so the only ones who needed to return to the ward were Tang Linsheng and Tang Lincheng.

Tang Linsheng wasn’t so full of vitality at this point. His legs felt as heavy as lead from standing too long, and since he had been standing the whole time, his waist was also a bit sore and aching. Overall, he felt uncomfortable all over. However, with Senior by his side, he was too embarrassed to show his true feelings.

Although he really wanted to spend time with Senior, at this moment, Tang Linsheng wanted even more to go back to his bed and be a “dead corpse,” sprawling there without moving an inch.

On the surface, he politely and inwardly with reluctance said goodbye to Tang Lincheng, quickly packed his things, and left the hospital. It was quite late, and taking the subway would require a transfer, so Tang Linsheng thought he might as well take the bus instead. It was slower, but he could sit all the way.

He checked the B City bus app and found that the bus was still three stops away, so he thought about sitting on a bench nearby to wait. Just as he turned around to sit, he saw a person lying on the bench, dead drunk, still holding a beer bottle and muttering something.

There were only the two of them at the station. Tang Linsheng thought about it, and in the end, compassion won out. He approached and cautiously nudged him: “Wake up, go home to—”

Before he could finish, the person suddenly sat up straight, smashed the beer bottle on the ground with a “clatter,” and shouted with blurry eyes: “Home? What home? Go back to what home? Where is there a home!”