Especially Fond of You

Chapter 5(A, Gu Lin’s Perspective)

Gu Lin witnessed his phone being thrown into the toilet by his stupid dog and nearly lost his temper. The dog, sensing danger, dashed under the bed and started howling, seemingly telling him that no matter how loudly he apologized, it wouldn't accept it.

Who was really causing trouble here?

Wearing rubber gloves, he retrieved the phone from the toilet, wrapped it in layers of tissue, and spent a long time blow-drying it, but it still wouldn't turn on. In the end, he had to take out the SIM card and planned to use the old phone he kept at the hospital temporarily.

The next day, he was on his feet for one surgery after another. It wasn't until he finished work, changed clothes, and checked his phone that he remembered he hadn't explained to Wang Miao why his phone suddenly shut off the previous night.

Given the time that had passed, calling her out of the blue to explain his dog's antics seemed like a clumsy attempt to strike up a conversation, and he wasn't sure how she would react.

While he hesitated, she called first, saying she had twisted her ankle and was near the hospital, hoping to come over.

The phone incident suddenly seemed irrelevant.

Gu Lin didn't know how severe her injury was, so he borrowed a wheelchair and waited at the entrance. Seeing her hobbling toward him with a smile, he guessed the injury wasn't too serious—at least she could still smile.

She wore a white V-neck collared shirt and a black knee-length skirt, with minimal makeup, appearing more mature than she had the day before.

Pushing her back to his office, he found Old Zhang there. Gu Lin felt it would be unkind to dismiss her injury lightly, so he asked Old Zhang to take a look.

He would then express appropriate concern and give her some general care instructions.

The silly girl kept asking if he couldn't treat her, making Gu Lin stifle a laugh.

Old Zhang, ever the joker, solemnly suggested, "Maybe Dr. Gu should take you for an X-ray to be sure."

Gu Lin shot him a look but didn't contradict him. Seeing Wang Miao deep in thought about her foot, he feared she might overthink it and pushed the wheelchair out, saying, "It's no trouble. I'll take you there."

Before leaving, he closed the door behind him, seeing Old Zhang winking at him as if giving him a big opportunity.

It wasn't just Old Zhang; along the way, nurses and doctors who knew him were curious about Wang Miao. Gu Lin couldn't introduce her as his blind date, so he greeted them quickly and moved on.

Wang Miao seemed oblivious to the curious glances, still fixated on whether he could treat her. Gu Lin felt helpless, unable to tell her she was overreacting or that he suspected she just wanted to see him.

Instead, he made up a reason, "I don't date colleagues or patients."

It wasn't entirely a lie; he kept work and personal life separate, rarely letting girlfriends visit the hospital.

Of course, his short dating periods contributed to this, fearing his colleagues might confuse names and cause embarrassment.

Wang Miao seemed convinced, asking, "Wouldn't you treat your girlfriend if she was sick?"

"She can be my girlfriend first, then my patient. But if she's my patient first, she can't be my girlfriend," Gu Lin explained.

Wang Miao followed up, "So I can be your girlfriend because I'm not your patient?"

"Yes," Gu Lin nodded.

Wang Miao seemed to catch on, frowning and glaring at him, "Yes what?"

Gu Lin grinned and stopped the wheelchair at the radiology department, "Everything."

When the X-rays came back, Gu Lin saw there was no significant problem. He didn't bother going back to Old Zhang, seeing Wang Miao's reluctance to use the wheelchair, he politely asked, "Would you like me to take you home directly, or do you want to grab a bite first?"

Wang Miao walked awkwardly, hobbling ahead of Gu Lin, "I can go home on my own. Don't trouble yourself."

"Alright, since it seems you're not in a hurry, how about letting me treat you to a meal first?" Gu Lin felt good about Wang Miao and had planned to invite her to dinner regardless.

Wang Miao politely declined, and Gu Lin, thinking she might want to rest her leg, relented, "Alright, I'll invite you when you're feeling better."

He settled Wang Miao on a bench near the hospital entrance and brought his car around. Seeing her struggle, he helped her into the passenger seat.

The drive was plagued with traffic jams. Gu Lin, noticing Wang Miao was quiet, played some music. After a while, the silence felt odd, and he glanced over to see her dozing off.

Puzzled, he softly called, "Ms. Wang?"

Wang Miao immediately woke up, "I'm here."

At a green light, the cars ahead moved slowly. Gu Lin followed, then stopped, continuing, "I know you're here. Why did you fall asleep?"

Wang Miao sat up straighter, "I tend to get sleepy in slow-moving cars. It's been half an hour, and we haven't crossed the bridge yet?"

"Almost there, just two more lights. It will be smooth after that," Gu Lin turned off the music, "If you're sleepy, feel free to nap."

"I won't nap. If I pass it on to you, it'll hinder your driving."

"I'm not much older than you, no need for formalities. Just call me by my name," Gu Lin suggested.

Wang Miao nodded, seeming unsure what to say next, and remained silent.

Once past the busy area, the road became smoother, as Gu Lin had said.

With the traffic easing, Gu Lin felt more relaxed and wanted to chat with Wang Miao. He asked about her family, "Are you an only child?"

"No, I have an older brother, thirteen years older."

"Oh, you must be quite cherished at home." Gu Lin had always wished for a younger sister but his mother had dismissed the idea, saying one child was enough to handle.

"When I was old enough to understand, my brother was already away for school and work. He married early, had a child, and then divorced. When I was ten, he left my niece with my parents to raise." Wang Miao briefly summarized her family, "After my niece came, my mom focused on her, and I helped raise her."

Gu Lin glanced at her, seeing her smile despite her complaints.

So Wang Miao had been looking after a child since her teens, making her a homebody.

As he pondered her personality, she asked, "Can I ask why you're dating online? With your qualifications, you should have no trouble finding a girlfriend."

Gu Lin's heart skipped a beat. Despite defending himself to Fan Sizhe, he knew admitting frequent girlfriend changes wasn't good. Luckily, she only asked why he was online dating, not about his past relationships.

He could be honest about that.

"I'm busy at work and don't want to date within the hospital. There's little opportunity to meet suitable women." Not that he lacked chances to meet women; his girlfriends rarely wanted marriage.

"So you have dated before? Why did your last relationship end?"

After breaking up with Shen Lingxin, he briefly dated a flight attendant but chose to mention only Shen Lingxin. "She married someone else."

His tone was downcast, the simple words forming a poignant narrative, staring ahead with an indiscernible expression.

Wang Miao's next words carried guilt, "I'm sorry."

Gu Lin didn't respond.

Wang Miao's neighborhood was old, with ivy-covered walls adding charm.

Gu Lin got out to help her, but she insisted, "I can manage. It's late. You should go home."

Seeing the building lacked an elevator, Gu Lin asked, "Which floor? I should help you up."

"It's not that serious. It doesn't hurt much now," Wang Miao protested, "Really, go home. My parents might misunderstand."

Gu Lin found her flustered state amusing, but relented, "Alright, I'll treat you once your foot's better."

As they reached the entrance, a woman's voice called, "Fool!"

Wang Miao grimaced and told Gu Lin, "Come in for tea."

Startled, Gu Lin turned to see a middle-aged couple. Smiling, he greeted, "Hello, Uncle, Auntie."

Mrs. Niu seemed delighted, releasing her husband's arm to approach, "Dr. Gu, thank you for bringing Wang Miao home. Please come in."

Gu Lin thanked them and followed inside.

Beside him, Wang Miao muttered, "I told you to leave."

Worried their conversation might be overheard, Gu Lin stayed silent.

Without a response, Wang Miao turned to her parents, "Mom! I sprained my ankle."

Distracted, Mrs. Niu replied, "Oh, drink more hot water."

Gu Lin nearly laughed, seeing Wang Miao's defeated look. He asked, "Why did your mom call you a fool?"

As they ascended, the voice-activated lights flicked on with their words.

Wang Miao gripped the handrail, climbing carefully, "You are a fool."