Secretly cannot hide

Meeting again

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away. She had spent years building a life for herself, chasing her dreams, becoming the person she wanted to be. She couldn't let one encounter-no matter how much it hurt-undo all of that.

As she left the café and stepped into the cool night air, she made a silent promise to herself. She would focus on her career, on her future. She would let go of the past, of the boy who had once been her everything.

But deep down, she knew it wouldn't be that easy.

The hospital was a whirlwind of activity, as it always was on a Monday morning. Zixuan moved through the corridors with practiced ease, her white coat swishing behind her as she checked charts, answered pages, and tended to patients. She had barely slept since her encounter with Hua Jing a week ago, her mind replaying their conversation on an endless loop.

But she couldn't afford to dwell on it

- not when there were lives depending on her.

"Dr. Yue, we've got a new admission in Room 204," a nurse called out as Zixuan passed the station. "Severe food poisoning. The patient's in a lot of pain."

"Got it," Zixuan replied, grabbing the chart and heading toward the room.

She skimmed the details as she walked: *Chen Yang, 28, male, presenting with nausea, vomiting, and abdominal cramps after consuming undercooked seafood.*

She pushed open the door to find a young man lying on the bed, his face pale and sweaty.

He groaned as she entered, clutching his stomach.

"Mr. Chen, I'm Dr. Yue," she said, her tone calm and professional. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"I think it was the oysters," he muttered, wincing. "I had them last night, and now... well, you can see the result."

Zixuan nodded, jotting down notes as she examined him.

"We'll get you some fluids and medication to help with the pain. You should start feeling better soon."

"Thanks, Doc," he said, managing a weak smile.

As she turned to leave, the door swung open, and her heart nearly stopped.

Hua Jing stood in the doorway, his expression tense. "Chen Yang, are you-"

His words trailed off as his eyes met Zixuan's. For a moment, they simply stared at each other, the air between them charged with unspoken emotions.

"Zixuan?" he said finally, his voice tinged with surprise.

"Hua Jing," she replied, forcing a smile. "I didn't realize you two knew each other."

"We've been friends since college,"

Hua Jing explained, stepping into the room. "I came as soon as I heard he was admitted."

Chen Yang looked between them, his eyebrows raised.

"Wait, you two know each other?"

"We went to high school together," Zixuan said quickly, her cheeks flushing.

"High school?" Chen Yang repeated, a grin spreading across his face despite his condition. "Hua Jing, isn't this the girl who used to-"

"Chen Yang," Hua Jing interrupted sharply, shooting him a warning look.

Zixuan's heart sank. She knew exactly what Chen Yang was about to say-

*the girl who used to have a crush on you.* She had hoped Hua Jing had forgotten about that, or at least that he wouldn't bring it up. But now, it hung in the air between them, unspoken but undeniable.

"I'll let you two catch up," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. "I'll check back in on you later, Mr.

Chen."

She hurried out of the room, her mind racing. She had thought seeing Hua Jing again would get easier with time, but it only seemed to get harder.

Every encounter brought back a flood of memories, of feelings she had tried so hard to bury.

Back at the nurse's station, she took a moment to collect herself. She couldn't let her personal feelings interfere with her work. She was a doctor, and her patients came first.

Later That Day

By the time Zixuan returned to Chen Yang's room, he was looking much better. The color had returned to his face, and he was sitting up in bed, chatting animatedly with Hua Jing.

"Dr. Yue!" Chen Yang greeted her with a grin. "You're a lifesaver. I feel like a new man."

"I'm glad to hear it," Zixuan said, smiling despite herself.

She checked his vitals and reviewed his chart, pleased with his progress.

"So, Dr. Yue," Chen Yang said, his tone teasing. "Hua Jing tells me you two haven't seen each other in years.

Small world, huh?"

"It is," Zixuan agreed, avoiding

Hua Jing's gaze.

"You know, he never mentioned you before," Chen Yang continued, clearly enjoying himself. "But now that I think about it, there was this one time in college when he-"

"Chen Yang," Hua Jing said, his voice firm. "That's enough."

Chen Yang held up his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. I'll stop.

But seriously, Zixuan, it's good to see you again. You've done well for yourself."

"Thank you," she said, her cheeks warming. "It's good to see you too." She finished her examination and turned to leave, but Hua Jing followed her out into the hallway.

"Zixuan," he said, his voice low. "I'm sorry about Chen Yang. He doesn't know when to stop talking."

"It's fine," she replied, though her heart was pounding. "He's just being himself."

Hua Jing hesitated, as if he wanted to say something more, but then he simply nodded. "Thank you for taking care of him."

"It's my job," she said, forcing a smile.

For a moment, they stood there in silence, the tension between them palpable. Then Hua Jing stepped back, his expression unreadable.

"Take care, Zixuan."

"You too, Hua Jing."

As she watched him walk away, she couldn't help but wonder if there was still a chance for them-or