Rose
“Zhu Hui will never regret it,” Zhan Aiping retorted provocatively, unable to stand Captain Luo’s smug self-assurance.
Did he really imagine Zhu Hui was living poorly without him? That she’d regret it, crying and begging to rekindle their relationship?
Captain Luo scoffed at her words. “I know you women just like to put on a tough front.”
“You don’t understand women at all—and you’re giving yourself way too much credit,” Zhan Aiping shot back.
Does he really think he’s that important? He’s delusional.
Realizing the conversation was going nowhere, Zhan Aiping cut it short, saying she had to leave. Captain Luo called after her, “When my wife moves into the compound, make sure to look out for her.”
“And please don’t go telling Zhu Hui about my new married life. I wouldn’t want her to feel hurt.”
Zhan Aiping: “…”
It was painfully obvious to her now: Captain Luo was revelling in his new marriage, clearly holding onto a desire to make Zhu Hui feel regret and to flaunt his newfound happiness.
With a slight smile, Zhan Aiping replied, “I wish you a happy married life.”
Captain Luo smiled back and walked away, savouring the thought of turning his life around. He wanted to show everyone in the compound that he was a good man, loyal to his family, and to make Zhu Hui regret missing out on such an “upstanding” partner.
He left, clenching his fists in satisfaction.
Feeling unsettled by the encounter, Zhan Aiping still had a hint of frustration when she later saw Gu Sheng. Captain Luo was the perfect example of a “self-important man,” someone who thought the world revolved around him.
“Who’s Captain Luo’s new fiancée anyway?” Although she hadn’t cared before, now she was curious. Knowing one’s “opponent” was key, especially if this couple might try to flaunt their happiness in front of her in the future.
Gu Sheng put his hands behind his back, looking calm and composed. “Didn’t Captain Luo tell you himself? Why didn’t you just ask?”
“It was nothing worth hearing.”
Gu Sheng leaned closer, nuzzling her cheek with a smile. “What did he say? Tell me, and we’ll curse him together.”
Zhan Aiping smirked, “Even if I told you, you wouldn’t take the women’s side. All you men stick together; none of you are that great, honestly.”
People would likely defend Captain Luo, claiming he had strong qualities and that Zhu Hui might regret losing him one day.
Gu Sheng blinked. “Not all men stick together. Commander Jiang and I curse him in private all the time.”
She couldn’t help but laugh, “…”
“You’re a good man, my dear Commander Gu.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.
But just then, footsteps approached from the other side of the wall, and people were chatting as they passed by. A flush spread across her cheeks.
Even though she was usually carefree, she felt shy being affectionate in public with Gu Sheng.
Two kids, and still so easily embarrassed!
“Wife, you…” Gu Sheng’s voice was a little hoarse. He thought it was more than worth it to slip away and come here—he’d have to show off to Commander Jiang later.
She pushed his face gently, “Don’t make a habit of this. Coming to the hospital every few days isn’t good.”
Gu Sheng smiled, “It’s a rare opportunity.”
“Ever since I married a doctor, the hospital feels like home. I love coming here.”
Zhan Aiping gave him a disapproving look, “Enough of that.”
“I like you healthy. I’d rather not see you here as a patient.”
Gu Sheng hugged her, laughing. “So I can’t come to the hospital, but you and the kids can?”
She nodded. “Exactly. Different rules for you.”
“Take care of yourself, and don’t make us worry.”
Gu Sheng smiled and nodded.
“You look so good in your white coat. You never wear it just for me,” he murmured, his gaze warm as he admired her. Her face was still slightly flushed from the earlier embarrassment, like a ripe peach, which made her even more charming.
“White looks good on me, huh?” she asked, amused.
“It does,” he replied. “Just like the books say: my wife has fair skin, dressed in white, as radiant as jade against the snow.”
Her lips curved, and she looked at him with a smile. “I like hearing such sweet words, Comrade Gu. You should say them more often.”
Gu Sheng pinched her cheek, “If our kids take after you—loving compliments and good at flattery—they’ll be quite a handful.”
She stepped on his foot lightly. “So you’re saying your sweet talk isn’t sincere? Just flattery?”
Gu Sheng said, “When I say it, it’s genuine. When others do it, it’s just flattery.”
“I hope our kids inherit your good qualities and shower me with rainbow compliments.”
Gu Sheng raised an eyebrow, puzzled. “Rainbow compliments?”
What was that supposed to mean?
She poked him playfully in the chest, “You’re the high-minded one who doesn’t care for compliments. I, on the other hand, love hearing them.”
He laughed, taking her hand. “I’d like to hear them too, but you never flatter me. If you did, I’d end up like an ancient fool of a king, listening to every word you say.”
“All right, all right, I’ll save that technique for someday,” she laughed, noting that Captain Luo clearly just wanted to flaunt his happiness and stir up jealousy.
“Their family isn’t the only one who can flaunt a relationship. Who can’t do that?” Zhan Aiping thought, smiling to herself. Let’s see who bothers whom first.
As it neared the end of her shift, Zhan Aiping thought about asking around to learn more about Captain Luo’s fiancée. She asked Gu Sheng to pick up the kids, telling him she’d join him soon. As she was walking down the corridor on the second floor, she ran into Head Nurse Zhang.
Head Nurse Zhang called her over, flashing a sweet smile, the kind that felt more like a weasel eyeing a hen. She and her husband had been trying to make a wooden toy car for their son, but their daily struggles with the project had nearly driven her to tears.
Her son had stubbornly insisted on a wooden car, and she and her husband were in despair. Even the simplest wooden jeep was beyond them. If only Dr. Zhan and her husband could lend a hand. Head Nurse Zhang was already planning to invite them over for dinner and hoped they could help with the car.
Seeing her, Zhan Aiping brightened. “Head Nurse Zhang, do you know which nurse in the hospital is dating Captain Luo and planning to marry him?”
“Oh, I do. It’s Nurse Zhang Lirong. Not me, Zhang with a ‘bow’ radical,” Head Nurse Zhang clarified.
“Thank you.” Zhan Aiping turned and left as quickly as the wind, not giving Head Nurse Zhang a chance to say anything else.
She had a feeling Head Nurse Zhang had more to say, but it probably wasn’t anything she wanted to hear.
Zhang Lirong, huh? she mused, amused by the coincidence. Her surname was Zhan, Head Nurse Zhang’s was Zhang, and now there was another Zhang. It was like a pronunciation drill.
“Zhang Lirong?” Zhan Aiping frowned. The name sounded familiar, but she couldn’t quite place it. Something flickered in her mind, just out of reach.
Before she could remember, she turned a corner and found herself face-to-face with a young nurse. The nurse had an air of sharp arrogance, her eyebrows lifted, and her expression almost sneering. She spoke directly: “You’re Zhan Aiping, aren’t you? Looking for me, right? I’ve heard about you.”
“I’m Zhang Lirong,” the nurse introduced herself, lifting an eyebrow. Though shorter than Zhan Aiping, she looked up with a mixture of disdain and hostility.
“Congratulations on your upcoming marriage with Captain Luo,” Zhan Aiping said evenly.
Zhang Lirong laughed mockingly. “I know exactly what you’re thinking. Captain Luo already told me all about you and Zhu Hui. I won’t listen to you. Don’t think you can ruin my marriage.”
“So Captain Luo didn’t have anything nice to say, I take it,” Zhan Aiping replied, raising an eyebrow.
“He was honest with me,” Zhang Lirong replied proudly. “People like us—you wouldn’t understand our connection. I hope Zhu Hui stops bothering him, too.”
Apparently, Captain Luo’s obsession with her filled Zhang Lirong with pride.
Zhu Hui and Zhang Lirong had once been colleagues, with a bit of open rivalry between them. Secretly, Zhang Lirong had envied Zhu Hui, and when she learned Zhu Hui’s marriage wasn’t going well, she’d felt smug satisfaction. She later started asking around about Captain Luo’s situation, and sparks flew instantly; the man she met didn’t align with the image she once had of him.
Captain Luo had told her that she was different from Zhu Hui—that she was his true love, the one who finally made him feel the excitement of real romance. He claimed his past marriages had been empty of feeling: the first was an arranged marriage with someone he’d barely met, and his union with Zhu Hui had been purely practical, with no real connection. He’d endured Zhu Hui’s many faults for too long, he said, but meeting Zhang Lirong was like finding his soulmate.
They connected on a deep level and always had something to talk about, a love straight out of a foreign romance novel.
To Zhang Lirong, Zhu Hui was nothing more than a superficial bumpkin.
“Zhu Hui has gone away for further studies; she’s not interested in Captain Luo. He’s the one who’s been pestering her,” Zhan Aiping said.
“She’s doing it on purpose, always playing the pitiful role with her tears,” Zhang Lirong scoffed. “Captain Luo only showed her some sympathy out of kindness, yet she spreads rumours.”
“Just make sure Zhu Hui doesn’t interfere. Captain Luo is mine now,” Zhang Lirong said, full of confidence, already eager to marry him and bask in the envy of other women. Captain Luo had assured her that even if she left her job to stay home, he would fully support her, cherish her, and wouldn’t pressure her into having children if she didn’t want to. Unlike other women who became baby machines, she would only have one child, if any.
Of course, she had no intention of quitting her job; that would be foolish. Now that she’d found a good partner, she wanted to maintain her social circle and flaunt her relationship at work.
She already had her lines prepared, waiting for opportunities to boast to her colleagues:
—”Captain Luo would rather I didn’t work, but I insisted.”
—”He doesn’t want me to go through childbirth because it might hurt.”
—”He’s so generous when he buys me things.”
…
She could already imagine the looks of envy she’d receive.
“Zhu Hui should find another man to marry instead of hanging onto one tree,” Zhang Lirong sneered, thinking smugly to herself. Who would want to marry a divorcee like her?
When Zhu Hui finds out that I’ve married Captain Luo, she’ll probably be twisted with jealousy, Zhang Lirong thought smugly.
Zhan Aiping chuckled. “Zhu Hui hasn’t thought of Captain Luo as anything special for a long time, so you can rest easy.”
This “couple” really was a case of “birds of a feather flock together.” They were perfectly suited to each other.
Zhang Lirong raised her eyebrows with a triumphant smile, convinced that Zhan Aiping must be feeling uncomfortable, perhaps even jealous.
Zhang Lirong eagerly continued boasting, “Our dear Luo is such a romantic and generous man. Even before we’re married, he’s already promised to give me red roses. He called me his red rose, saying that no flower suits me better. Once we’re married, he wants to plant a whole yard full of red roses for me.”
“Dr. Zhan, have you read foreign literature? Do you know what a ‘rose’ symbolizes?” Zhang Lirong’s eyes glinted with smug satisfaction as she continued with her rhetorical questions, savouring the thought of making everyone envious.
Zhan Aiping laughed, unable to hold it back. “Oh, really? Then maybe your Captain Luo should learn a thing or two from my Gu Sheng.”
“We’ve already got a yard full of blooming red roses. Once you’re married and move in, feel free to come over and have a look.”
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