Especially Fond of You

Chapter 29(A, Gu Lin’s Perspective)

Gu Lin had been so busy lately that he wished he had three heads and eight arms.

There were medical disputes every year, but this year was especially bad. Recently, Old Xu from their department had been surrounded by family members of a patient, causing a scene that even made it to the news. And just two days ago, a colleague from the critical care unit was "targeted" by a patient's family.

It was quite serious too. They used a wrench to hit his head, catching him off guard and cracking his skull. Fortunately, another colleague was present and quickly grabbed the wrench, but not before the burly family member kicked him and broke three of his ribs.

Such incidents left everyone in the hospital feeling both aggrieved and disheartened, yet they couldn't act like the troublemaking families, waving a white flag with red letters in front of the hospital to seek justice. There were still so many patients needing their care, and with several doctors injured and needing treatment, those remaining had to work even harder.

While making rounds, Gu Lin overheard a few young nurses chatting. One of them mentioned witnessing Dr. Zhang getting hit and how it had traumatized her, claiming she needed a vacation for psychological therapy.

Gu Lin scoffed and told her, "In our line of work, who has the luxury of a heart?"

The new nurse shyly smiled at his handsome face, seemingly not even registering his words.

Gu Lin smiled and continued his work. Before dinner, while washing his hands, he glanced at himself in the mirror. His eye bags were so heavy they could hold a pen, and his stubble was unkempt, devoid of any charm.

Taking a moment to shave, he then took a short nap on the sofa. From yesterday to today, he had performed three major surgeries back-to-back, not having closed his eyes for over twenty hours.

After about half an hour, someone entered the on-call room to get something. Though they moved quietly, it still woke Gu Lin.

Feeling hungry, he sat up, cleared his head, and finished the half-eaten meal on the table. Just as he was about to rest a bit more, his stomach felt uncomfortable, so he headed to the bathroom, noticing some minor issues.

He didn't pay much attention to it, took another nap, and this time, luckily, no one disturbed him for a few hours. He spent the night at the hospital and, come morning, bought some oral hemostatic medicine and Mayinglong ointment from the pharmacy. The pharmacist smiled knowingly, but Gu Lin didn't feel embarrassed. He couldn't believe there was anyone in the hospital who hadn't had hemorrhoids.

Doctors, with their irregular meals, sleep, and hours of standing, were prone to varicose veins as they aged. In the afternoon, when preparing for another surgery, he made sure to wear compression stockings on his calves to avoid further issues.

With the hospital so busy, he couldn't afford to have any problems—more importantly, even if he did, he still had to keep working.

After a few minor surgeries, it was already 1 a.m. Gu Lin nearly fell asleep while washing his hands, having no interest in a late-night snack despite his colleague's invitation.

Maybe it was his age, but this "small issue" had escalated quickly into a big problem.

Doctors feared death because they knew too many potential causes. Gu Lin didn't dare delay, but since the hospital was short-staffed, he didn't go to a major hospital for a check-up. Instead, he went straight to their proctology department.

His colleague had just seen off a patient when Gu Lin entered and lay down on the examination bed. "This patient," his colleague said sternly, "don't cut in line. Go get a number and wait."

Gu Lin covered his eyes. "Hurry up. I have surgery at noon."

His colleague clicked his tongue, paused the patient call, put on gloves, and examined him. Afterward, he patted Gu Lin's butt. "Put your pants back on."

Gu Lin cursed while dressing. "Damn, I'm going to report you for s****l harassment."

His colleague, a peer who had joined the hospital the same year as Gu Lin, responded casually, "Given your current condition, I couldn't harass you even if I wanted to. You have severe rectal varices. Postpone your surgery, and I'll operate on you first."

"Ah, will it hurt afterward? If it does, I'll finish my surgeries first and then come back for your abuse."

"Dude, can you not phrase it so weirdly?" His colleague scribbled the diagnosis, his handwriting so messy even Gu Lin couldn't read it. "You'll need to stay in the hospital for three days post-op. If you think you can handle it, do your surgeries first. The procedure isn't long, about twenty minutes, but you'll need rest afterward. You can't just jump back into surgery."

Gu Lin hesitated for a few seconds. "I can manage. I'll finish my work and then call you."

"Alright, take some painkillers in the meantime." His colleague handed him a prescription, then looked at him sympathetically. "Eat soft foods, drink less water, and try not to have bowel movements."

When illness strikes, it hits hard. Gu Lin managed to complete his scheduled surgery, reported his condition to his supervisor, and requested a three-day hospital stay. The supervisor, sympathizing with him, quietly confided, "I've been dealing with the same issue recently, though not as severe. After your surgery, just take a day off. If we need you later, you can come down for meetings and consultations as part of your recovery."

Gu Lin understood that with the current staff shortage, it was unreasonable to take sick leave right after a vacation. Sharing a moment of mutual sympathy with his supervisor, Gu Lin felt even worse.

His supervisor had a wife and children to care for him, but he had to face this alone, undergoing surgery on his "little chrysanthemum." But his melancholy didn't last long, as Wang Miao texted him before the surgery.

Although it was just a simple "When are you coming to my house? I'm back," Gu Lin sensed a deep longing in her words, as if she were saying, "I miss you so much. Can we meet? I can't wait to see you."

He immediately called her back, telling her about his surgery and trying to reassure her it was just hemorrhoids.

After a brief silence, Wang Miao asked softly, "Can I laugh?"

Gu Lin laughed first. "No, hold it in."

Wang Miao's voice was now playful. "I know, it's common among men. I won't make fun of you."

"Oh? Haven't you heard the saying that it's common among women too?"

"Really?" Wang Miao was surprised. "Nonsense! I don't have it!"

"It's not that you won't; it's just not time yet. You'll know when you're pregnant." Seeing his colleague signaling it was time for surgery, Gu Lin nodded and said goodbye to Wang Miao. "Alright, I'll call you when I'm done."

"Wait!" Wang Miao stopped him. "Are you having the surgery at your hospital? I'll come see you."

Gu Lin thought, Wang Miao really wanted to see him and be with him.

"Okay, but I have to stay overnight. You can help feed Gu Er and San San, and bring me some bed linens." Gu Lin gave her instructions without hesitation. After Wang Miao repeated them, he happily hung up.

Good mood or not, surgery was surgery. His colleague worked quickly, and even with anesthesia, Gu Lin felt the pain.

The surgery was indeed short. By the time he was wheeled to the ward, Wang Miao hadn't arrived yet. Despite his disdain for hospital beds, he had no choice but to lie down. Once the anesthesia wore off, the indescribable pain hit his soul, leaving him no time to worry about clean sheets.

Gu Lin was somewhat relieved Wang Miao hadn't arrived yet. It would be embarrassing for her to see him in this sorry state. Even close to marriage, he still wanted to maintain some romantic ideals.

When Wang Miao called to ask which room he was in, he was still too weak to talk without wincing. He wanted to tell her, "Go away, I don't want to see you," but couldn't be that unreasonable, so he bitterly told her the room number.

How unfortunate, the first time he gave Wang Miao a room number, it was a hospital, not a hotel.

When Wang Miao arrived, she carried several bags, looking every bit the part of a family member there to take care of a patient.

She not only brought bed linens and a quilt but also his cup, toiletries, and a change of clothes, plus a thermos of food.

Her first words upon seeing Gu Lin were, "I saw the food and water for the dogs were freshly changed. Did you go home?"

"No, I asked Zhezi to help out."

"Oh, he has your house key?" Wang Miao pouted as she spoke.

Gu Lin, though in pain, found her reaction endearing. "I'll take the key back from him tomorrow."

Wang Miao changed the quilt cover and pillowcase but left the sheet for later. She then unpacked the thermos of food. "My mom said people with hemorrhoids shouldn't eat hard or dry food. She made some porridge and said you should soak the bread in vegetable soup before eating."

"I can't eat anything. I can't have bowel movements for twenty-four hours, or it'll infect the wound." Gu Lin buried his face in his pillow, feeling embarrassed. Why was he discussing such undignified matters with his cute girlfriend? And why did this small ailment become such a big deal that her whole family knew?

Wang Miao put the food back and pulled up a chair next to the bed. "So you have to be like a

pixiu for twenty-four hours?"

A pixiu could at least take things in, but he couldn't even do that.

He didn't respond, so Wang Miao poked his cheek. "Are you going to lie like this all day? Isn't it boring?"

"Not boring. I'll sleep. I've been short on sleep lately."

Wang Miao rested her elbow on her knee and propped her chin on her hand. "Then sleep. I'll watch you sleep. I'm not short on sleep."

With her staring at him, Gu Lin couldn't sleep. Lying on his stomach for so long, he felt fatigued and tried to turn over, wincing as pain shot through his legs.

Seeing this, Wang Miao stood up, concerned. "Should we call a doctor?"

"No need." Gu Lin endured the wave of pain and pointed to his leg under Wang Miao's worried gaze. "My calf seems to be cramping."

"Let me massage it for you." Wang Miao lifted the corner of the quilt, revealing one of his legs. "Is it this one?"

"No."

"Oh." Wang Miao covered him back up, moved to the other side of the bed, and massaged the other leg. She must have used quite a bit of force; Gu Lin felt a mix of pain and relief in his muscles.

He shifted slightly, gritting his teeth as he settled back on his stomach.

He thought about asking Wang Miao if there was a third option for the pain, but the words wouldn't come.

Turning his head, he noticed a bead of sweat on Wang Miao's forehead. Whether from rushing to get here or from the effort of massaging his leg, he wasn't sure.

Gu Lin turned his head back and silently repented for his brief inappropriate thoughts.

Repentance turned to self-reproach, and he fell asleep, the last thought in his mind being: Wang Miao is so good to me.

Author's note: For my innocent readers, let me explain the final inappropriate thought:

Gu Lin wondered if there was a "third leg" option.