“… Thank you.” At the mention of breakfast, Song Chuyi realized he was indeed a little hungry.
“Look at yourself—you’re drinking coffee on an empty stomach again. Just like in the past.” Song Yunyang walked over with a frown, throwing the coffee straight into the bin. “Did you forget that you have a weak stomach?”
Song Chuyi looked at the cup of coffee and rubbed his glabella. “My stomach is quite okay now. Thanks for today.”
“No problem. I know your medical skills very well. Whether as a doctor or a colleague, or… something else, I cannot pretend to not see it.” Song Yunyang softened her voice melancholically.
Song Chuyi locked the frown on his face and was silent for a while before saying, “Right, I heard you worked at a hospital in a war-torn country before. Is that true?”
“Yeah.” Song Yunyang laughed in self-mockery. “I saw that you went to Africa to work previously and went because I wanted to be closer to you.”
“Yunyang, you don’t have to be like this.” Song Chuyi felt deeply remorseful.
“Isn’t it too late to say all this now? Why did I study medicine? Wasn’t it all because of you? I did it in order to get into the same university as you. In the end, we still separated.” Song Yunyang was smiling but her voice was filled with a slight hoarseness. “If I’d have known, I’d have rathered died under the canons and bullets in those war-torn countries. I’m afraid you wouldn’t even be a little upset even if I died. However, I would still be concerned about you, worried that you’d be hungry. Forget it, I’m afraid it’s all meaningless, saying all this to you right now. I’m going to work first, enjoy your breakfast.”
She closed the door after her when she left.
Song Chuyi froze for a short while before diving back into his report. He pondered for a long while yet he didn’t type anything out.
A little past 10 am, Song Huaisheng gave him a call to ask him to make a trip back after he got off work.
In the afternoon, he completed the report and personally handed it to Director Guo.
When he got home, it was already 1 pm. There was only Song Huaisheng alone in the living room.
Song Chuyi was exhausted and found a comfortable spot on the couch straight away. “Did the Hospital Director say something to you?”
“Encountering an incident like this before your promotion,” Song Huaisheng started with a deep voice, “This matter isn’t so simple. Have you clearly investigated who set tongues wagging at the hospital?”
“Dr. Yan,” Song Chuyi said lightly. “I investigated. He made the nurses he was closer with pretend to spread my identity unintentionally, and I was really down on my luck to have a patient pass away during my shift. That gave the patient’s family an excuse to question me. Actually, the family members just wanted to make some money out of it.”
“Mm. Your investigation was quite fast.” Song Huaisheng crossed his legs. “Now the Gao Family is using this matter to threaten you. What’s your take on this?”
“I’m not giving them a single cent. Money is a small issue. However, if I give them money, it would make people think there really is a problem with my medical skills.” Song Chuyi’s expression became solemn. “If he wants to kick up a fuss, sure—I don’t mind him going to court, but I don’t think he really wants a lawsuit. His family isn’t very well-off and doesn’t have so much money to waste on our hospital. On top of that, they signed for his father’s condition. No matter which lawyer he gets, he can’t push the blame onto me. As long as the hospital stands firm, he cannot do anything to me.”
“I’m not worried about his complaint; it’s just to put on a show. I’m just afraid that if this matter blows up, it might affect your reputation.” Song Huaisheng said softly, “The position for the Director this year…”
“If it’s not possible this year, next year then.”
Song Huaisheng’s face sank. “As for Song Yunyang… your brother got her into the hospital. What do you think?”
“Nothing much. I’m already married,” Song Chuyi said without any expression.
“That’s good. I know very clearly what your brother’s thinking. However, all I want is for our family to be at peace. Honestly, if your brother insists on marrying Yunyang, I wouldn’t agree to that either.” Song Huaisheng slowly stared at him as though trying to sound him out.
Song Chuyi’s pupils constricted inconspicuously.
The broadcasting station.
Changqing just came down from the stage and was busy removing her makeup when Wen Tong walked over and said softly, “When I came back just now, I met someone from the news department who was going out for an interview. I heard that a doctor from Bo Han Hospital killed a patient because of his lack of medical skills.”
“Who was it? What bad luck, ” Changqing said callously while she removed her earrings.
“It was said to be… the son of the big boss behind Bo Han Hospital. His surname is Song,” Wen Tong said softly.
Changqing was stunned and turned back to look at her as though she had seen a ghost, even forgetting to remove her earrings. “That’s impossible. Did you get it wrong? Song Chuchu is usually very conscientious when it comes to his medical skills. He would never make such a mistake.”
She knew that even though Song Chuyi couldn’t be considered a very good husband, he was indeed a good doctor who often read medical books late at night.
“I’ve asked a few times; there was no mistake.” Wen Tong shook her head solemnly. “The family members are still making a scene at the hospital.”
Changqing couldn’t listen any longer and took her phone out to give Song Chuyi a call.
“Hello…” A languid and magnetic voice came from the speaker.
“Song Chuchu, I heard gossip that a patient died because of medical malpractice on your part. Is it true?”
The other side of the phone was quiet for a long time. Changqing’s little heart was lifted. She didn’t want to be a widow at such a young age.
“Say something.” She was extremely anxious.
“It’s a little… hard to explain in a few words. Have you gotten off? Come to the Song Household first; I’m here,” Song Chuyi said softly.
“I’ll be there right away.”
Changqing felt that something was wrong after hearing that low tone.
It seemed like there was something going on. It couldn’t even be clarified over the phone.
Changqing’s imagination was running wild and she wasn’t even in the mood to remove her makeup, saying to Wen Tong, “Help me cancel that dinner tonight; say I have something important to attend to.”
“Don’t tell me something really happened to Song Chuyi?” Wen Tong was also shocked. She was still relying on Changqing to depend on this backing to be able to eat and drink well. “The consequences for medical malpractice is the revocation of one’s medical certificate and also jail time.”
“Yeah, cut it out.” Changqing was more afraid the more she listened.
Would she really have to guard an empty bedroom for a few decades while she was so young? How lonely would that be?
On the way back to the Song Household, Changqing’s heart was pounding insanely from anxiousness and remorse. If she had known earlier, she wouldn’t have thrown a tantrum at Song Chuchu.
This person was going to jail. In the future, she wouldn’t even be able to see his annoying face even if she wanted to.
It wasn’t good to not have a husband.
In the future, no one would hug her to sleep. When she was hungry in the middle of the night, there would be no one to buy food for her.
Every time she went out to play, there wouldn’t be anyone to stuff money in her purse.
When she was ill, there wouldn’t be anyone to treat her.
When she got bullied outside, no one would stand up for her.
Also, there was Robben and Lolita. Would she have to take care of their children and grandchildren as well?
The more Changqing thought, the more she suddenly felt like there were actually several aspects in which Song Chuchu was nice to her.
As she thought, for some reason, her eyes started turning hot.
By the time she reached the Song Household, her eyes were red.
She rushed out of the car and saw Dai Ai, who was sitting in the living room, watching television programs. Dai Ai was shocked. “Changqing, what are you doing here?”
“I’m looking for Song Chuchu.” Changqing saw that Dai Ai was still her happy self and for the first time, she felt a sense of disgust towards her. Really! Song Chuchu was about to go to jail. Even if she wasn’t upset, how could she still smile?
Even if she was a stepmother, she still had to at least put on a pretence.
“Chuyi is sleeping upstairs…” Before Dai Ai even finished, Changqing ran upstairs like the wind. Dai Ai was bewildered. Did Changqing encounter some setback somewhere? Her eyes looked like she had cried. She must be hurrying to complain to her husband.
Changqing opened the door to the bedroom. The air-conditioner was switched on and Song Chuyi was sleeping very soundly in bed in his underwear and a blanket covering his stomach.
Changqing moved over and saw the stubble around his mouth. He looked very haggard. She sat by the side and couldn’t help but think of the ex-convicts in drama serials who came out after years in jail and they all had stubble, looking like old men.
Perhaps the next time she saw Song Chuchu, he would be an old man too.
Tears trickled down from the corners of her eyes. Changqing lay on his chest slowly.
If Song Chuchu were to go to jail, what would happen to her?
Song Chuyi was sleeping soundly when, in his state of semi-consciousness, he felt something wet on his chest.
He opened his lids and saw a small head lying on his chest, weeping softly.
He was stunned and shook her. “Why are you crying?”
Changqing lifted her head. Her eye makeup was smudged from her tears, making her look like a panda but she wasn’t at all aware of this.
The corners of Song Chuyi’s lips twitched. He stroked her head and wiped away the eyeshadow under her eyes with his fingers. In the end, it got darker and she became a little panda completely.
“Are you going to jail?” Changqing suddenly asked hoarsely while pouting her red lips.
Song Chuyi was stunned and suddenly recalled that he ended her call before he fell asleep. Then he heard her anxious tone and for some reason, he just wanted to trick her. To think that he would see her crying so badly the moment he opened his eyes.
He felt an inexplicable sense of happiness upon thinking about the fact that she was crying for him.
He frowned and pressed his lips into a line, looking as though there was a sense of melancholy through the gloominess. “Say, if I were to go to jail, what would happen to you?”
Changqing widened her eyes and was at a loss. It looked like it was true.
How long would he be in there for? It wouldn’t be life imprisonment, right?
The possibility of life imprisonment wasn’t big. However, it must at least be 20 years.
Changqing stared at him, dumbfounded. He was now 30. Wouldn’t he be 50 when he got released?
She would probably be in her forties too. Then would they still be able to have a baby?
She still wanted to experience being a mother.
“Why are you looking at me?” Song Chuyi’s frown deepened. “Do you want to remarry?”
Changqing shook her head without thinking, saying as she sniffed, “I’m not remarrying. I’m waiting for you.”
“The jail term for medical malpractice is very long.” Song Chuyi stared into her eyes.
“I’ll wait no matter how long it is.” Changqing pouted her little mouth and was about to cry again. “However, before you go in, can you leave me with a baby? Then I wouldn’t be that lonely; at least there would be someone to accompany me.”
Song Chuyi’s eyes softened. He lowered his head as he held her messy little face and planted a kiss. “Silly, I’m not going to jail. Say, with you acting like this, if I were to go to jail, you would definitely be bullied.”
Changqing was in a daze and lifted her head as she wiped her tears. “Didn’t you kill someone?”
“When did I say I killed someone?”
“… The people from the broadcasting station said so.” Changqing blinked. “You didn’t deny it either.”