The Anesthetist’s Arcane Gift

Qi Bo took a deep breath outside the entrance of the gynecological abortion room, trying to calm the unease bubbling inside him. He was a certified anesthetist. Back when he worked at the People’s Hospital after medical school, he’d handled anesthesia for over a dozen surgeries. But he had never stepped foot in a gynecology operating room. Most of his past patients were either men or elderly women. Today would be his first time performing anesthesia for a young woman—and not just any kind of procedure, but an abortion. Technically speaking, abortion anesthesia was one of the simplest tasks in his field. A quick intravenous injection, and the patient would be unconscious in less than five seconds. She’d wake up later, dazed but pain-free, with no memory of the operation. As long as the anesthetist cooperated well with the surgical doctor, the job was practically foolproof. So no, his nerves weren’t about the medical side of things. It was… the patient. The setting. The whole situation. Back in med school, he’d done an internship in gynecology. He still remembered—clear as day—the chaos that erupted the first time he and a group of male and female interns entered a gynecological exam room. A female patient screamed. Family members rushed in. The scene nearly escalated into a riot. That moment left a shadow in his mind. Most of the following gynecological demonstrations were done using plastic models, with the instructor giving a rushed, clinical explanation. So yes, at 24, this was Qi Bo’s first real entry into a gynecology operating room. He once heard from classmates who worked in OB-GYN: going into the abortion room was like stepping into a women’s restroom—awkward, intrusive, and full of landmines. Women would be lying there with nothing on from the waist down, legs spread for examination or surgery. If you were a guy walking in, it was almost impossible to know where to look. Qi Bo wasn’t a monk. He was a typical homebody guy. During his freshman year, he had once fallen for a girl he’d met by chance. She was breathtakingly beautiful, kind, the kind of girl who imprinted herself on your soul. But he never worked up the courage to ask for her contact info, and after that one meeting, she disappeared from his life. For years, he pined for her silently. He was still single. So no, he’d never dated. Never had any intimate experience. Which made walking into a place that felt like a women’s restroom… more than just awkward. What if they screamed again? What if he got kicked out for being inappropriate? The hospital he worked at now was a private women’s clinic, nestled in the heart of Yunfeng City, surrounded by colleges. Most patients were university students—18 to 22, young, bright, in the prime of their femininity. That alone made the situation even more delicate. So yes, Qi Bo felt nervous. But he also felt something else, something he didn’t want to admit out loud. A strange mix of curiosity and… excitement. Every guy knew why. In what other circumstance would you see a young woman like that—pants off, legs open, completely exposed? Nowhere. Only here. Qi Bo was a healthy, sexually mature 24-year-old man. Of course thoughts would flash through his mind. He wasn’t proud of it, but he couldn’t lie to himself either. He adjusted his mask, sanitized his hands again, and took another deep breath before finally stepping into the operating room. And bam—right as he stepped in, his eyes landed on a girl by the wall. She had already taken off her pants, ready to get on the table. Her bare bottom was facing the door. The moment she heard him come in, she turned around, let out a startled scream, and instinctively covered herself. Qi Bo nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart raced. His brain froze. Holy s**t. This really is like walking into the ladies’ room. “Quiet! Quiet down! What’s with all the screaming in the OR?” snapped Nurse Sun Xiaomei, hurrying over to scold the student. “Why is there a man in here?” the girl asked in a whisper, face flushed with embarrassment. She covered herself tightly, as if Qi Bo had barged in while she was on the toilet. The problem was… unlike in the restroom, screaming didn’t make this guy leave. “He’s the anesthetist. You want the procedure without anesthesia? Fine, but other girls do want it.” Nurse Sun scolded her again. The girl wasn’t brave enough to argue back. She stayed silent, still covering herself tightly, eyeing Qi Bo with a mix of caution and shame. Qi Bo kept his composure. He lowered his gaze and checked the name and bed number on the patient sheet. His first patient today: Lin Ruoying, on Bed #3. He looked around the room. Besides the flustered girl by the wall, there were three other women lying on operating beds—legs spread wide open, their lower halves fully exposed under bright surgical lights. It was more explicit than any adult film he’d ever seen. His body reacted instantly. A stirring below made walking… difficult. He tried not to stare. He tried to focus on the job. “Hey! What the hell is going on? Why is there a man here?” came another voice—from Bed #3. Lin Ruoying had just lifted her head, realizing a male doctor was approaching—and staring directly at her lower body. She panicked, screaming and trying to cover herself with trembling hands, though her legs were already strapped in place. Qi Bo had only glanced to confirm her identity, not to ogle her. He was here to administer anesthesia—nothing more. Many girls chose to forgo anesthesia to save money, gritting their teeth through the pain. Lin Ruoying had paid extra for a painless abortion. Which meant she needed Qi Bo. “He’s the anesthetist. You don’t want anesthesia? Fine. We’ll let Dr. Cao start the procedure raw. But don’t complain if it hurts,” Nurse Sun barked again, silencing the second patient. Sun Xiaomei wasn’t just any nurse—she ruled the OR with an iron fist. Her strict tone brought order to the room, calming the nervous, half-naked students lying under the surgical lights. Aside from the panicked girl by the wall and Lin Ruoying on Bed #3, the other two patients were already in the middle of their procedures, moaning and crying from the pain. They had no bandwidth to care about anything else. Hearing their screams only made Lin Ruoying more anxious. She said nothing more, but her eyes never left Qi Bo. She stared at him like he was a thief—afraid he might steal something precious. He couldn’t leave, but her gaze made sure he got the message loud and clear