Running Towards You - Chapter 3

After completing the hospitalization procedures, Ji Yin was taken for various medical tests.

When she returned to the ward, she glanced at her bed, which had been decorated in an overly flashy manner, and rolled her eyes. “Stop with the childishness, will you? Get rid of it.”

“What’s so childish about it? With all these plushies keeping you company, it’ll be lively,” Yanzi said, meticulously arranging the stuffed animals by the bedside.

“Three.”

“I offered to stay with you, but you refused. Can’t I at least leave a few plushies here instead?”

“Two.”

“Alright, alright, I’ll take them away!” Yanzi quickly stuffed all the plush toys into a bag.

Though she rarely got beaten these days, Ji Yin’s punches were terrifying enough to leave her with lingering trauma.

The other patients in the ward stifled their laughter.

The room had six beds in total, with Ji Yin occupying the one closest to the window.

Yanzi placed the daily necessities on the bedside table, rubbed her hands together, and paced around the ward. “Sis, I should really stay to take care of you.”

“No need. Seeing you hovering around every day is annoying. The shop still needs you to keep an eye on things. Just find me a caregiver.”

“Fine, I’ll go look for one.”

As Yanzi reached the door, Ji Yin called out, “Don’t get one that’s too expensive.”

“You’re such a cheapskate!”

After making inquiries at the caregiver station, Yanzi settled on a middle-aged woman who charged 400 yuan a day, reportedly the most highly recommended and strongest among the options.

She specifically instructed, “If my sister asks how much you cost, just say 200 a day.”

“Huh? But the money…”

“I’ll still pay you the full 400.”

“Got it. Leave it to me, I’ll make sure your sister is well taken care of.”

After paying the deposit, Yanzi returned to the ward, only to freeze in confusion. She scanned the room frantically. “Ji Yin? Ji Yin! Has anyone seen where my sister went?”

“She went for surgery.”

“Oh!” Yanzi rushed to the operating room just in time to see Ji Yin being wheeled in. She immediately shouted, “Sis !”

“Are you trying to kill me?” Ji Yin lifted her head in exasperation.

“Sis, wuwuwu.” Overcome with emotion at the sight of Ji Yin lying on the gurney, Yanzi tearfully grabbed her hand. “You have to be okay.”

“Why are you crying?”

“It just feels like the right mood for it.”

“…” Ji Yin pulled her hand back. “Get lost.”

Turning to the doctor, Yanzi clasped his hand. “Doctor, you have to cure her. She’s the only family I have left.”

“Don’t worry, the surgery won’t take long,” the doctor reassured her.

Ji Yin was wheeled into the operating room.

Yanzi stared at the words “Operating Room” above the door, a wave of despair crashing over her. She feared the doctor would emerge once more to deliver the news of another failed surgery.

She had already lost one family member, she couldn’t bear to lose another.

Wiping her tears, she noticed a stunning woman in a white coat walk past her and enter the operating room.

The doors closed.

Lu Jiahe approached the operating table and glanced at Ji Yin, who was still conscious.

Ji Yin had opted for local anesthesia. She blinked and asked, “Will the surgery take long?”

“Not too long. It’s just a minor procedure. You can take a nap.”

“Alright.”

As soon as Ji Yin closed her eyes, the surgical lights flicked on, casting a bright glow over her.

Her eyelids twitched, and she slowly opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by several doctors and nurses.

She stared blankly at the surgical light, lost in memories of her first operation.

The first time was when she was eighteen, fighting over a street vending spot that escalated into a brawl.

She barely won by fighting like her life depended on it, only for the other side to return with a group of people, cornering and beating her against a wall.

Back then, her injuries were much worse than now, her face covered in blood. A nurse had to wipe it clean and asked for her family’s contact information.

She said she had none and signed the surgical consent form herself. She didn’t dare see Yanzi until after she was discharged.

“Is that your sister outside?”

Ji Yin suddenly heard Dr. Lu’s voice and paused before replying, “Yes.”

“She’s crying pretty hard. Must be really worried about you.”

Ji Yin smiled helplessly. “Unnecessarily so.”

“That’s just how family is.”

Ji Yin lowered her gaze slightly, landing on Lu Jiahe, only to quickly look away when she noticed the forceps in her hand.

Last time, she was under general anesthesia and completely unaware of the procedure. Now, hearing the clinking and clanging sounds was oddly terrifying.

She could even feel Dr. Lu drilling, tapping, and stitching inside her bones with those tools.

“Don’t be afraid. You actually can’t feel any pain, just don’t think too much about it.” Lu Jiahe noticed her tightly clenched fists.

“I’m not scared.”

“Your bones may be brittle, but your mouth is tough.” Lu Jiahe chuckled, turning to whisper something to the nurse.

Moments later, the nurse handed her a plush toy. She picked it up a little yellow duck, identical to the one on the little girl’s backpack she’d seen outside the clinic.

“You’re treating me like a kid?” Ji Yin laughed.

“Fear isn’t exclusive to children. This is for you. Stop gripping your clothes squeeze this instead.”

Ji Yin snorted in amusement.

After that, she really did feel less afraid. Staring at the duck for a while made her drowsy, and she dozed off until a worried voice called out beside her.

“Jie! Jie!”

“You’re gonna be the death of me,” Ji Yin grumbled, opening her eyes to see Yanzi’s tear-reddened ones. She softened her tone slightly. “You woke me up from a perfectly good nap.”

“That’s a relief! I thought you’d passed out!”

“The surgery was a success,” Lu Jiahe said from the side.

“Thank you, Doctor!” Yanzi bowed excitedly.

“Take your sister back to the ward first. The nurse will go over the post-op instructions with you.” After giving her instructions, Lu Jiahe left to prepare for the next surgery.

Back in the ward, Ji Yin lay in bed, eating grapes. “Alright, there’s nothing else here. Go back to the shop.”

“The shop’s fine. Those two groups that fought the other day haven’t shown up again. If anything happens, the staff will call us,” Yanzi said.

A few days ago, at the pool hall, two groups had gotten into a fight over a minor disagreement.

Yanzi had been at the shop and rushed to handle it, which was why Dong Xiang had accompanied Ji Yin for her previous checkups.

“Go back and watch the supermarket. Let Dong Xiang handle the pool hall,” Ji Yin instructed.

“The supermarket’s stable, what’s there to worry about? You’re the one always overthinking things.” Yanzi peeled an apple for her. “Oh, by the way, CEO Chen is coming here on a business trip in a couple of days.”

“Really?!” Ji Yin sat up abruptly, pressed her leg, and looked at her with delighted surprise. “Is the information reliable?”

“Yeah, he came to the shop looking for you. I told him you were hospitalized, and he left.”

“You’re such an airhead.” Ji Yin gave her a light shove on the head, annoyed. “Why didn’t you call and tell me right then?”

“You were about to be hospitalized! I know your temper, you’d probably postpone surgery just to close a deal. That’s why I waited until now to tell you.” Yanzi handed her an apple.

“Keep it for yourself.” Ji Yin pulled out her phone and immediately dialed Mr. Chen.

After a moment, she put the phone down, glared at the apple in Yanzi’s hand, and snatched it back. “Who said you could eat my apple?”

“I don’t even want to talk to you.”

Ji Yin finished the last two bites just as the caregiver arrived.

“Alright, get going. Keep an eye on the shop for me, and call if anything comes up.”

“Got it.” Yanzi picked up her bag, exchanged a few more words with the caregiver, and left.

At eight in the morning, Lu Jiahe and a few colleagues followed the chief physician on rounds.

Every time they made rounds, Lu Jiahe felt like she was back in morning study sessions, the moment she stepped into a room, she was met with a chorus of chatter.

The patients, with nothing to do all day lying in bed, would ask each other about their conditions and quickly strike up conversations, becoming fast friends.

When they entered Room 302, she heard a bright voice saying, “Suddenly, I hit a sharp turn, and there was a group of people ahead. In the blink of an eye, I pulled off this sick drift”

“And then crashed straight into the bushes,” Lu Jiahe finished.

The room burst into laughter.

Ji Yin laughed along. “Way to ruin the moment, Dr. Lu.”

“Didn’t want you corrupting the kids, making them think that was cool.” Lu Jiahe smiled as she approached the bed by the door, where a little boy lay after a skating accident.

After the chief physician checked on each patient, they came to Ji Yin’s bedside. Lu Jiahe reported her condition and the surgery results, and the chief nodded after reviewing the records.

Once the chief finished the routine questions, he moved on to the others.

For her own patient, Lu Jiahe asked more detailed questions. “How was your rest last night?”

“Not bad. The bed’s a bit narrow, but it’s not like I can turn over anyway,” Ji Yin answered honestly.

“Did it hurt after the anesthesia wore off?”

“Manageable. I could handle it.”

“Let the nurses know if anything comes up.”

“Got it.”

“Rest well these next few days. Try not to move around too much.”

“When can I be discharged?”

“We’ll observe for a week first, then see how your recovery goes.”

“Alright.” Ji Yin noticed her gaze lingering somewhere and turned to see the little rubber duck on the nightstand. Smiling, she picked it up and handed it over. “Here, take it back.”

“No need. It’s yours.” Lu Jiahe gave a small smile, slipping her hands into her pockets as she prepared to leave.

“Dr. Lu, I want a duck too,” the little boy by the door piped up.

“Didn’t I already give you one?” Lu Jiahe chuckled.

“I lost it by accident.”

“Then you’re out of luck. These are rewards for good kids. Your mom said you’ve been a bit cranky lately, I’ll check on your behavior tomorrow.”

“Fine, I’ll be good!”

After finishing rounds, Lu Jiahe prepped for surgery.

With no fixed schedule, she was starving by the time her shift ended.

Her parents had probably already eaten by now, so she grabbed a quick bite at a nearby mall.

A giant Christmas tree stood in the mall’s first floor.

She’d been so busy these past few days that she’d forgotten tomorrow was Christmas.

Not that it mattered it wasn’t like they got a holiday anyway.

After dinner, she strolled along the street when a beautiful singing voice suddenly caught her attention. Following the sound, she found it was coming from a bar.

The live singer’s voice was mesmerizing, and she stood there listening for a while.

“Hey there, just one person?” the host at the entrance asked.

“Yeah.” Lu Jiahe walked in and ordered a dessert and a glass of water.

The waiter asked if she wanted any alcohol after all, it was a bar.

“I have surgery tomorrow, so I can’t drink,” Lu Jiahe apologized.

“No problem at all,” the waiter said with a smile before leaving.

The dessert wasn’t great, so after a couple of bites, she decided to listen to a few more songs before heading out.

Then, laughter erupted from a corner in the back, a voice that sounded vaguely familiar.

Curious, she turned around and, in the dim, flickering lights, thought she spotted one of her patients.

Lu Jiahe:

Ji Yin was discussing a potential collaboration with Mr. Chen when a shadow suddenly fell over them. Puzzled, she looked up and froze at the sight of Lu Jiahe’s expressionless face.

It felt eerily like getting caught skipping class by a strict teacher.

“Dr. Lu, what a coincidence, hahaha”

“Who said you could leave the hospital?” Lu Jiahe asked.

“I had something urgent to take care of…”

Lu Jiahe glanced at the man across from her, then at the alcohol on the table, her brows knitting together. “You can’t drink right now. Come back with me, what could possibly be more urgent than your health?”

“And this is?” Mr. Chen asked.

“This is my doctor,” Ji Yin introduced.

“Oh, in that case, Xiao Ji, you should probably go back with the doctor. I’ll think over what you’ve said,” Mr. Chen replied with a chuckle.

Ji Yin wasn’t sure what to make of his smile and was about to try salvaging the conversation when she suddenly felt scorched by a certain gaze.

She cautiously peeked at Dr. Lu.

This was the first time she’d seen the doctor look so stern, it was kind of terrifying.

“Come back to the hospital with me,” Lu Jiahe said.

Ji Yin had no choice but to bid Mr. Chen goodbye. The moment she turned, her arm was suddenly lifted and draped over Dr. Lu’s shoulder.

A hand also settled firmly around her waist, guiding her forward.

Ji Yin hopped a couple of steps before Dr. Lu stopped.

“What’s wrong?”

“Get on. I’ll carry you out.”

“Isn’t that… inappropriate?”

“Hurry up,” Lu Jiahe urged.

“I’m kind of heavy,” Ji Yin mumbled but carefully climbed onto her back, and just like that, she was carried out of the bar.

Once in the car, Lu Jiahe took a few sips of water before starting the engine and driving back to the hospital.

“Didn’t your family come to stay with you?”

“I hired a caregiver.”

Lu Jiahe escorted her to her room and found her caregiver. “Don’t let her wander off alone during her hospital stay.”

“But if she insists on going out, what can I do?” the caregiver protested.

“Then tell the nurses. Or tell me directly.”

“Can I add you on WeChat then?”

Lu Jiahe exchanged contacts with the caregiver before turning back to see Ji Yin tugging at the blanket.

“…” Though Dr. Lu’s face remained impassive, Ji Yin couldn’t shake the feeling she’d just been glared at.

She guiltily slowed down and obediently pulled the covers over herself. “Thank you, Dr. Lu. Goodnight, Dr. Lu.”

The next moment, Lu Jiahe walked to her bedside, picked up the little yellow duck from the nightstand, and said, “Confiscated.”

With that, he left without looking back.

Ji Yin turned her head to look at the now-empty nightstand: “…”

Ah!

My little ducky T^T