Cured by Destiny

Chapter 9 — Between Light and Shadow

The morning snow had stopped without anyone noticing. The city seemed to wake up slowly, like someone gently nudging it from sleep. Thin white snow still covered the streets, sparkling faintly in the weak light — like many tiny diamonds. A cold wind swept by, lifting a few leftover flakes into the air. They spun and rustled softly.

Su Wan stepped out of the operating room, heavy and tired. She had worked a long night. Fatigue hit her like a strong tide, wave after wave, trying to pull her under. Her steps felt light and weak, as if she was walking with every bit of effort left in her body. Her eyes were red and droopy. She could barely hide how exhausted she was.

She slowly pulled off her mask. It still smelled faintly of warm breath mixed with the hospital’s clean, sharp scent. She breathed in the cool air outside and headed toward the office. The office door was half open and a little light came through. When she pushed the door, someone stood there.

“You planning to live at the hospital?” the voice said, half annoyed.

Lin Xi leaned in the doorway, hands on her hips like a boss waiting to scold. Her hair was tied up messy, a few strands loose by her face. Her white coat was open and she looked like she had rushed in. She gave Su Wan a worried, annoyed look. “If you keep working like this, I’ll be doing the reapers’ job for you. Got it?”

Su Wan paused, a bit startled. Her lips moved, but she didn’t know what to say at once.

“I saw you doing rounds at three a.m. last night,” Lin Xi continued. She handed Su Wan a hot cup of soy milk without asking. Steam curled from the cup and the warmth spread into Su Wan’s cold hands. “How many lives did you owe this hospital in your past life?” Lin Xi teased, half mad, half caring.

Su Wan couldn’t help but smile a little. “I was just finishing some files last night,” she answered in a tired, hoarse voice.

“Finishing files? You’re going to turn into a specimen if you keep this up!” Lin Xi rolled her eyes but her tone was soft underneath. “If you drop dead, I won’t even bother to cry.” Her words sounded tough, but they hid concern.

The small kindness eased the heavy pressure on Su Wan’s chest. She held the warm cup and felt the heat spread. “Thanks,” she said softly.

“Don’t thank me — invite me for hotpot,” Lin Xi snapped, but her face showed she liked the idea. She already seemed to smell the hotpot’s spicy steam.

They chatted and laughed, and the office felt less heavy. A soft glow came from the corridor, like a light silk was laid over the morning, making things feel gentler for a moment.

At noon, sunlight poured through the meeting room windows, making patches of light on the floor. The hospital assistant opened the meeting door and introduced a newcomer. “Dr. Su, this is our new pharmacology consultant, Lin Wanqing.”

Su Wan looked up. A young woman stepped in wearing a light apricot coat. Sunlight made the coat shimmer faintly. Her hair fell like smooth black silk on her shoulders. She smiled softly, her voice gentle as spring. “Hello, Dr. Su. I’m Lin Wanqing. I’ll be helping on the d**g projects.” She reached out her hand.

The sunlight hit her fingertips at that moment. Her skin looked almost translucent, fingers long and neat. Su Wan hesitated a little, then took her hand. “Welcome,” she said, calm but watching carefully.

“Thank you.” Lin Wanqing’s smile was warm, like a spring flower. “I interned at a branch of this hospital before, and I’ve heard of your work.”

“My work?” Su Wan raised a brow, curious.

“Yes,” Lin Wanqing laughed softly. “Everyone says you are calm and professional, but a little hard to get close to.”

Lin Xi couldn’t help but tease, “That’s true. Getting her to smile is harder than saving a patient.” She laughed.

Lin Wanqing smiled again. “That’s a good thing — calm doctors are the most trusted.” Her words were kind and understanding. The room’s mood softened and even Lin Xi nodded.

But something in Su Wan’s chest tightened. The smile felt almost too perfect, like water warmed to an exact temperature — neither hot nor cold. She found she watched Lin Wanqing with a slight alertness.

The meeting discussed d**g mixtures, procedures, and costs. Lin Wanqing took careful notes and occasionally looked up to confirm things with Su Wan. She sounded gentle and respectful, and her eyes were serious, as if nothing else mattered but the work.

After the meeting Lin Wanqing came closer. “Dr. Su, I have a question. May I ask you?”

Su Wan nodded.

“In yesterday’s data, one batch seems to show 3% more medication than planned. I’m worried it’s a data entry error.” Her tone was natural and friendly, no accusation — only concern. Her eyes looked sincere, as if she truly cared about protecting Su Wan.

Su Wan was surprised. She remembered Ning Yu asking for a recheck. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table without thinking. “I’ll check it again,” she said, a steady promise in her voice.

“Okay.” Lin Wanqing’s smile stayed warm. “I just worry a mistake could cause trouble for you. You’ve been working hard.”

Su Wan nodded. “Thanks for pointing it out.”

After Lin Wanqing left, Lin Xi lowered her voice and said, “The new girl knows how to read the room.” She sounded curious.

Su Wan closed the file. “She seems okay,” she said plainly.

“Seems okay?” Lin Xi raised an eyebrow. “That sounded like you’re on guard.”

Su Wan didn’t answer. She looked out the window. The snow had melted into a pale glow. The sky looked clean like polished glass. She had a weird feeling — like something hidden beyond the light was watching her. A small unease rose in her chest, like someone’s eyes following her moves from the dark.

Night arrived quietly. The office was empty and all that remained was the steady beep of a monitor — a small sound like the steps of time.

Su Wan cleaned up a d**g list. Her fingers brushed the silver needle on the desk. It flashed cold in the faint light. For a moment, the red mark on her wrist glowed softly, as if something was being woken.

She paused and looked at her reflection in the window. The night outside was dark and deep, and her figure in the glass looked lonely. Then she thought she saw the corner of the reflection’s mouth move — just a little. Her heart jumped. She stared, confused and a little scared. She kept looking, as if the reflection might tell her what was real.

A draft slipped through the window c***k and made the papers rustle. One report slid off the desk and landed by her feet. She bent down and picked it up. On it was a line she recognized: d**g Batch: LQ - 07.

Her pupils tightened. That was the batch she had signed yesterday. Her fingers grew cold. Her thoughts raced in a tangle.

Later that night, Lin Wanqing stood at the end of the hospital corridor in the dim light. She faced away from the lamps, and her shadow lay long and quiet. She pressed the phone to her ear and said in a low voice, “Yes, she noticed.”

Her tone stayed soft and steady, like she was only reporting normal work. “But she won’t suspect me,” she added, confident. A wind brushed her hair and it glimmered in the light. She smiled quietly, a small, secretive smile. “She’s too kind.” Then she let the night swallow her words.