The Little Surgeon's Guide to the Wheelchair Iceberg Sister - Chapter 1

At six o’clock on a Friday afternoon, outside the operating room of Jinda First Affiliated Hospital, Wu Shuang, a young surgeon, was briefing an intern on post-operative care:

“When you wheel Bed 307 out later, make sure you don’t casually disclose any surgical details to his family. I’ll go over the frozen section results with him and his family personally tomorrow.”

Wu Shuang pulled open the door to the women’s locker room, only to find Director Qin—the lead surgeon of the Breast and Thyroid Surgery department and the one who had just performed the operation—standing in the doorway, smiling warmly at her.

“I was just about to say that, but you’ve already taken care of it for me,” Director Qin said. “Alright then, I can change my clothes in peace now! You’re growing fast, Xiao Wu.”

Wu Shuang stepped quickly into the locker room, kicking off her green slippers. The moment she pulled off her green surgical cap, a cascade of smooth, long hair fell to her shoulders.

“You mentioned it to me during our last surgery, Teacher Qin. With the current tensions between doctors and patients, I need to prevent any miscommunication from the intern that might upset the patient. As the saying goes, ‘Better safe than sorry’—or, ‘A cautious sailor sails for ten thousand years.'”

Director Qin nodded with a smile. “That’s right. You’re a sharp one. If you keep paying this much attention to detail, I’m sure you’ll become our hospital’s very own ‘Wu the Blade’ in no time!”

“Haha, you’re teasing me again. I’m just glad you said [ Wu the Blade ] instead of [ Wu Yifan ]!” Wu Shuang replied playfully, making Director Qin double over with laughter.

Wu Shuang was 27 years old, a PhD student in the eight-year clinical program at Jinda Medical College. After graduating last year, she had successfully joined the First Affiliated Hospital of her alma mater for her three-year pre-service standardized residency training.

By nature, Wu Shuang was lively and optimistic. After spending over two months in Breast and Thyroid Surgery, she had already become very close with her colleagues and superiors. However, because she was a lesbian, she remained deeply closeted in the hospital. Consequently, she always deliberately looked away from her other colleagues whenever she changed in the locker room.

At this moment, facing a teacher she deeply respected, she was completely focused, hurriedly changing her clothes as if she wished she could spin around and be fully dressed and fly out of the room like in a xianxia drama…

“Oh, right,” Teacher Qin broke the silence. “Xiao Wu, you joined last year, didn’t you? Xiao Ma is your senior?”

“Huh? Yes, Teacher. Xiao Ma is one grade above me. We both graduated as PhD students in surgery.”

“Xiao Ma is pregnant. She submitted an application to postpone her Chief Resident duties to me yesterday. I was just wondering who could take her place! As they say, ‘After a long search, you find what you’re looking for right here.’ So, how about you? Are you up for it?”

Wu Shuang froze in surprise. She was scheduled to be promoted to Attending Physician the year after next. Generally, before a Resident could be promoted, they had to serve a one-year term as a Chief Resident, handling emergency calls and consultations for the hospital wards.

For every doctor, this was both a precious opportunity to gain experience and an incredibly busy and exhausting year.

“Are you saying I should take Senior Sister Xiao Ma’s place and serve as Chief Resident a year early? I can, of course I can, but…” Getting promoted early was a good thing, but Wu Shuang had always been the type to aim for a bare-minimum 60%, anything more was a waste. The thought of taking on such a heavy responsibility ahead of schedule made her want to back out.

“Good. Go back and start preparing,” Director Qin said, giving Wu Shuang no time to hesitate.

“But Teacher Qin, when do I start?”

“Next week.”

“!!”

As Wu Shuang walked out of the locker room, her mind raced. Becoming Chief Resident starting next week meant that for more than half of the next year, she would be living in the wards—truly becoming an “inpatient” doctor.

That means my side hustle, my weekly Bilibili food channel “Organic Ox-Horse,” will have to stop updating!

And I’ll never find a girlfriend!!

Wu Shuang had been single for three years. Her medical studies had been incredibly demanding, leaving her to hope that once she started her career, she’d have more personal time to let loose and socialize.

Now, it seemed that was a distant dream…

If I don’t find a girlfriend soon, all my talent and beauty will go to waste!

With this thought, Wu Shuang trudged back into the Breast and Thyroid Surgery office. After a dramatic sigh to the heavens, she began dictating post-operative orders. Once she started, however, she threw herself into the work with fierce focus, quickly forgetting all about her quest for a girlfriend.

Until a phone call snapped her back to reality.

“Xiao Wu! Didn’t we agree last week that you’d come to my girlfriend’s birthday party? How could you flake on me again?!”

Xiao Shu’s voice crackled through the phone, sounding impatient over the thumping bass of KTV music in the background.

“Ah!” Wu Shuang slapped her forehead. “I completely forgot!”

Xiao Shu was a close friend from her medical circle of three years. After her last relationship ended, Wu Shuang had been desperate to find a new girlfriend to get over her ex, and Xiao Shu had dragged her to several mixers.

But that was when Wu Shuang’s studies were at their most intense. She’d attend one event, then never show up again. Even when someone took a genuine interest in her, she’d keep putting things off until the spark completely fizzled out…

Xiao Shu, on the other hand, was a stunningly handsome extrovert who found love in no time. Today was her girlfriend Meng Zhou’s birthday, so Xiao Shu threw a party at a KTV, inviting all her inner-circle friends to celebrate.

With her upcoming “hospital life” looming, Wu Shuang decided to let loose and drink herself silly. She changed into casual clothes, freshened up, and took a taxi to the KTV, arriving just as the party was in full swing.

Inside the large private room, the crowd was split into two distinct camps: two “mic hogs” were glued to the song-request screen, belting out one hit after another in a karaoke battle, while the other six were gathered around a glass table, laughing and chatting boisterously.

Wu Shuang looked up to confirm the room number. Seeing mostly unfamiliar faces inside, she felt a mix of excitement and nerves, peeking tentatively from the doorway.

“Dr. Xiao Wu is here!” Meng Zhou, always the most observant, was the first to spot her. She was sitting in the center of the table, her features delicate and her aura gentle and approachable.

Xiao Wu had always felt that the thick-headed Xiao Shu had just gotten lucky that Meng Zhou had taken a fancy to her.

“You’re finally here! You’re almost an hour late!” Xiao Shu stood up, waving her hand and speaking with exaggerated flair. “That’s three drinks for you!”

Her words drew every eye in the room to her. Wu Shuang’s face flushed crimson as she instantly switched from “extrovert” to “introvert” mode, keeping her head down as she walked to the table. Xiao Shu grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the seat beside her.

“Our Xiao Wu is a surgeon!” Xiao Shu announced boisterously. “Don’t let her dazed look fool you, she’s a total badass in a white coat!”

Wu Shuang offered everyone an awkward but polite smile.

“Alright, drink up!” Xiao Shu slid a large glass toward her.

“Okay, okay…” Wu Shuang, feeling guilty for her tardiness and being too honest to suspect any trickery, didn’t even glance at the drink’s color. She boldly downed the entire glass in one go.

The scent of lemon and the burn of hard liquor flooded her system. A wave of warmth spread from her stomach to her extremities, and Wu Shuang felt like a pine branch crackling in a fireplace.

“Hahaha…” The table erupted in laughter at her boldness. A few kind-hearted guests added, “Take it easy! There’s half a shot of vodka in there…”

Xiao Shu and Meng Zhou organized introductions. After Wu Shuang had greeted everyone, she eagerly began snacking on the food scattered across the table.

Xiao Shu nudged her with an elbow and whispered, “Stop eating! Talk to the beautiful ladies next to you…”

Wu Shuang looked up to see Xiao Shu winking and nudging her. She glanced around and noticed the other women were all paired up, chatting away. Suddenly, it dawned on her: this wasn’t just a casual get-together.

This was a matchmaking party!

The realization sent a jolt through her. She had been asking Xiao Shu and Meng Zhou to set her up with a girlfriend, but she never expected it to happen today.

Unfortunately, she had just come straight from surgery, looking like a mess. Dressed in a plain white T-shirt and jeans, she was the picture of dishevelment.

But then again, she thought, twenty-seven is the prime of my career. I’ve already been single for three years; what’s one more? With that thought, Wu Shuang felt much more at ease.

“Xiao Wu, you look so young. Are you still in school?” the woman beside her asked, leaning in. A delicate fragrance wafted over.

Wu Shuang turned to see her smiling warmly. A rare blush crept onto her face as she replied, “I’ve graduated. I’m working now.”

The woman, who went by the name A Qing, was a designer and seemed genuinely interested in Wu Shuang. Flattered and flustered, Wu Shuang dropped her usual playful demeanor and answered A Qing’s questions with uncharacteristic earnestness. Xiao Shu and Meng Zhou exchanged a knowing smile.

As Wu Shuang was chatting with A Qing, she heard Meng Zhou say, “Taozi is here. I’ll go down and get her.”

Wu Shuang couldn’t help but think to herself that someone else was even later than she was. I’ll definitely have to tease her later so I don’t feel so bad about it, she decided. With the alcohol already buzzing in her head, she heard a noise at the door and shouted, “If you’re late, you have to drink three penalty shots!”

Everyone turned toward the entrance. Meng Zhou pushed the door open first, then wheeled in a girl in a wheelchair.

In the dim light of the private room, the girl’s features were sharply defined—a high bridge to her nose, deep-set eyes, and long, chestnut-brown curls cascading over her slender frame, though she sat perfectly straight.

The girl had clearly heard the shout, and her sharp gaze instantly locked onto the speaker.

As their eyes met, Wu Shuang felt a strange sensation, as if a brilliant spark had ignited from the pine-branch fire within her, streaking across her mind.

“Alright! I’ll drink!” the girl said with a smile, her voice softer than her appearance suggested.

A Qing moved her small stool closer to Wu Shuang, clearing a spot on the other side. The girl wheeled herself to the table and settled in.

“Oh, are you sure you’re up for this? Didn’t you just have a cold? You don’t have to drink…” Meng Zhou asked softly, gripping her own glass tightly.

“I’m late. This shot is my penalty,” the girl replied, her unyielding gaze urging Xiao Shu to pour the drink. Fortunately, this glass contained only fruit wine, with no vodka mixed in.

Wu Shuang’s eyes widened as she watched the girl take the glass, part her crimson lips, and tilt her slender neck back to drain it in a single gulp. A single, glistening drop escaped the corner of her mouth, which she lightly wiped away with the back of her hand.

The glass met the glass tabletop with a crisp clink.

Only then did Wu Shuang realize that everyone had been utterly captivated by this beautiful woman, staring at her silhouette in stunned silence. Even the karaoke enthusiasts had fallen out of tune, their voices trailing off.

“Alright, alright, go on and introduce yourself!” Xiao Shu said.

The woman swept her long hair over her shoulder and spoke with a confident brevity. “I’m Taozi, a programmer. I’ve been working a lot of overtime lately. I’m a friend of Meng Zhou’s.”

As she spoke, she scanned the room. Wu Shuang noticed her eyes were like peach blossoms—yet sharper—and while her face was lean, her features were remarkably soft.

Her thick, long eyelashes added a touch of allure when she lowered her gaze. Wu Shuang blushed furiously the moment their eyes met, but thankfully, the dim lighting hid her reaction from the rest of the group.

The party soon regained its lively hum. Wu Shuang wanted to talk to Taozi more and properly introduce herself, but as she turned to speak, she found A Qing already smiling warmly at her.

“A Qing, are you a designer? What do you do specifically?” Wu Shuang asked, shifting her attention to A Qing instead.

On the other side, Tao Yuan, who went by the nickname Taozi, murmured in a low voice, “So you’re the one who set up this couple?”

“Xiao Shu did it!” Meng Zhou replied. “She successfully matched a couple last month and is now obsessed with playing matchmaker.”

“Developing such a hobby at such a young age…” Tao Yuan rolled her eyes. “Why don’t you set me up with someone?”

This time, it was Meng Zhou’s turn to roll her eyes. “You still need a setup? The line of people chasing you stretches all the way to France! Just pick whoever you like from this crowd!”

Even Xiao Shu, who was in the middle of singing, couldn’t stand it anymore. “That butch girl you messed with last time got lovesick and cried to me for a whole month! I’m too scared to even mention your name to anyone now!”

Tao Yuan’s smile turned a bit sharp. “Which one are you talking about?”

“Meng Zhou,” Wu Shuang said, squeezing in front of the three women, her round face flushed red from the alcohol. “Sorry, I have to go. I’ve been swamped with work lately. Happy birthday! Here’s the gift I bought for you!”

Meng Zhou cried out, “You workaholic!” and Xiao Shu made Wu Shuang drink another glass as a penalty before letting her leave.

After Wu Shuang left, A Qing walked over with her wine glass and sat down beside Xiao Shu. “Xiao Wu is so cute!”

“Right? Right? She’s usually hilarious, but for some reason, she’s been acting all shy and reserved today. Probably worked herself stupid with all that overtime. But she’s super reliable. A surgeon, how’s that for a catch? I told her she’s totally your type!” Xiao Shu beamed.

Meng Zhou was equally delighted. “You two would make a great couple. I’ll ask Xiao Wu what she thinks later.”

Then, Meng Zhou tilted her head to look at Tao Yuan, who was listening intently to the music. “Taozi, do you think they’ll work out?”

“Who?” Tao Yuan asked, taking a sip of water.

“Xiao Wu and A Qing!”

“Who’s Xiao Wu?”

“…” Meng Zhou was speechless.

Tao Yuan’s car had been modified so she could drive it despite her paraplegia. But since she’d been drinking tonight, she couldn’t drive, so she had called a ride.

She was fiercely independent and refused to trouble others for things she could do herself. After the gathering ended, she politely declined Meng Zhou’s offer to ride together and waited for her ride-share car alone.

When the car pulled up, she opened the door and used her arms to lift her lifeless legs, bracing herself as she transferred into the vehicle. Only then did she ask the driver to put her wheelchair in the back seat.

“You’ve got some real strength in those arms, miss!” the driver remarked in admiration.

Tao Yuan didn’t reply, her gaze fixed on the window as they drove away.

Support