My Wife Always Wants to Run Away - Chapter 7

“I’ve already eaten,” Jie Xiangyi said, a hint of resignation in her voice. She took a few steps toward Tang Jinzhi, wanting to go into the hospital room to chat further.

As Jie Xiangyi approached, Tang Jinzhi blinked repeatedly, her eyes sparkling with excitement. Her gaze kept drifting uncontrollably to Jie Xiangyi’s face, burning with intensity.

Jie Xiangyi’s face perfectly matched Tang Jinzhi’s exacting aesthetic standards.

Jie Xiangyi swallowed nervously and took a half-step back.

This is so weird, she thought. Why is Tang Jinzhi staring at me without saying a word?

Fortunately, Tang Jinzhi’s self-control held, preventing her from completely losing herself in her infatuation.

Honestly, she thought. It’s not like I’ve never seen Jie Xiangyi before. We just haven’t stood face-to-face like this. It’s not that big of a deal.

Tang Jinzhi cleared her throat softly, her gaze involuntarily drifting to the top of Jie Xiangyi’s head. She visually measured the height difference between them, noting it wasn’t much—and she wasn’t even standing up straight yet.

Then why does the profile say I’m one centimeter shorter than her?

Seeing Tang Jinzhi suddenly straighten up, Jie Xiangyi paused, as if finally understanding the meaning behind her darting glances. She ruthlessly punctured Tang Jinzhi’s hopes: “Even if you stand up straight, you’re still shorter than me.”

Tang Jinzhi: Huh?!

Is this something Jie Xiangyi would actually say?

Would the aloof Jie Xiangyi really engage in a childish height comparison?

Jie Xiangyi avoided Tang Jinzhi’s reproachful gaze and immediately steered the conversation to the point where Tang Jinzhi had called her over. “You want to be discharged? Does your hand still hurt?”

Tang Jinzhi waved her arm dismissively, gesturing for Jie Xiangyi to see for herself, and retorted, “Your attempts to change the subject are a little too clumsy, don’t you think?”

Jie Xiangyi lowered her eyes, silent. What Tang Jinzhi said was true.

Tang Jinzhi hummed softly, deciding not to press the matter. “Can I be discharged today?” she asked directly.

“Have you asked Doctor Qiu?” Jie Xiangyi replied. “If she says it’s okay, then it’s fine.”

They hadn’t had a chance to ask earlier when they came together.

Tang Jinzhi shook her head. “Not yet. I wanted to get your opinion first.”

Jie Xiangyi was speechless. She shifted slightly to avoid Tang Jinzhi’s gaze, feeling awkward. “You don’t need my permission to be discharged.”

Tang Jinzhi’s tone remained casual. “You’re family, after all.”

If anyone else had said that, Jie Xiangyi wouldn’t have given it a second thought. But hearing Tang Jinzhi herself acknowledge it made her discomfort escalate from awkward to intensely awkward.

She murmured a low “Mm-hmm” and quickly turned her gaze toward the hospital room. “Let’s go inside and wait for Doctor Qiu. We can ask her when she makes her rounds.”

Tang Jinzhi waved her hand. “No, Grandma’s napping. I won’t go in. I wanted to chat with you for a bit anyway.”

Jie Xiangyi nodded hesitantly, though she couldn’t imagine what she and Tang Jinzhi had to talk about.

But Tang Jinzhi had plenty on her mind.

“If I get discharged today, can I leave right away?” Tang Jinzhi asked, already leading Jie Xiangyi toward a nearby bench with an easy familiarity. “Will you be too busy to come home with me?”

As she sat down, she murmured, “You really do seem so busy.”

Turning to Jie Xiangyi, who had just settled beside her, she asked, “Your colleagues at the hospital said you’re in dermatology. Is it a demanding specialty? You must be working long hours.”

“And Zhang Yueqi mentioned you’re taking the doctoral entrance exam this year. You must be exhausted.”

The barrage of questions left Jie Xiangyi no room to answer.

Jie Xiangyi wondered if all those messages Tang Jinzhi had sent her were just pent-up questions waiting for this moment.

Tang Jinzhi tilted her head. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”

Was Jie Xiangyi just not a talkative person?

Was her reserved demeanor simply due to her quiet nature?

Jie Xiangyi choked, turning to meet Tang Jinzhi’s gaze. She didn’t hide her helplessness, stating plainly, “You didn’t give me a chance to speak.”

Her tone was mild, yet carried an undercurrent of innocence.

Tang Jinzhi: “……”

Alright, my fault. I was overthinking things.

Jie Xiangyi, sensing Tang Jinzhi’s awkwardness, kindly steered the conversation back on track. She slowly answered Tang Jinzhi’s question, “I’ve been busy with school matters these past few days, but I’ve mostly finished now. If you’re discharged, I can keep you company.”

Tang Jinzhi’s eyes lit up, her mood brightening considerably.

This completely unfamiliar place left her feeling deeply insecure. She found herself subconsciously relying on Jie Xiangyi, who had saved her life.

The outside world currently filled her with anxiety; she had little interest in exploring it.

If not for the need to earn money, Tang Jinzhi suspected she wouldn’t have bothered learning about this world so quickly. Besides, she was naturally a homebody.

Suddenly, Tang Jinzhi remembered something and asked curiously, “You couldn’t possibly be so busy that you have to stay at the hospital overnight, right?”

How busy could she possibly be?!

Tang Jinzhi’s purely curious question was misinterpreted by Jie Xiangyi, who assumed she was trying to preemptively shut down any excuses about staying at the hospital due to work.

Jie Xiangyi shifted her gaze guiltily. To be honest, she had considered it, but the thought had been dismissed as soon as it surfaced.

The hospital’s break room was no substitute for home. She wouldn’t subject herself to such discomfort just to avoid sharing a room with Tang Jinzhi.

Jie Xiangyi closed her eyes briefly, her voice muffled. “It’s not far from home—only a ten-minute walk.”

Her only real concern was whether she could get separate rooms from Tang Jinzhi.

But then she reconsidered. It seemed she would have to adjust to this eventually anyway, so there was no point in dwelling on it.

Tang Jinzhi, on the other hand, clearly hadn’t even considered the room-sharing issue.

After mentally estimating the distance between the hospital and home, Tang Jinzhi nodded. “You’re right, it’s very close.”

This would make follow-up appointments much more convenient.

“By the way, did you… talk to the hospital staff?” Jie Xiangyi asked, her voice hesitant. Her gaze fixed on Tang Jinzhi’s face, a hint of worry in her eyes.

Tang Jinzhi’s emotional instability made Jie Xiangyi genuinely afraid that the rumors might trigger psychological issues.

Tang Jinzhi, usually remarkably composed, nodded. “Yes, why?”

Jie Xiangyi studied Tang Jinzhi’s expression, feeling uncertain. She tentatively asked, “You didn’t hear anything too harsh, did you?”

Seeing Jie Xiangyi’s unusual expression, Tang Jinzhi understood immediately why she was asking.

“I did hear some things, but…”

But I joined in too…

Jie Xiangyi fell silent when Tang Jinzhi revealed she had created a fake identity as a doctor’s family member and gossiped with the hospital staff.

By the time Tang Jinzhi finished her account, Jie Xiangyi’s heart had sunk heavily. Most of the hospital staff were sympathetic to her, with Tang Jinzhi being the primary target of their gossip.

Yet Tang Jinzhi’s enthusiastic demeanor made it impossible for Jie Xiangyi to feel self-pity.

“But their words were so cruel… Why did you join in?” Jie Xiangyi wanted to ask why Tang Jinzhi had participated in disparaging herself, but she lacked the energy, her voice barely a whisper.

“I’m sorry. I only realized this today. I should have clarified our relationship earlier.”

Tang Jinzhi reached out and poked Jie Xiangyi’s arm. “Why are you apologizing? It’s not your fault. You’re a victim too.”

Just because I’m getting more of the hate doesn’t mean you should ignore your own suffering!

Jie Xiangyi pressed her lips together, saying nothing.

Tang Jinzhi smiled. “I can’t stop people from talking, but I don’t want to jump in and defend myself either. That would just turn me into a spectacle for them to gawk at.”

She added, “Actually, I’ve already gotten my revenge in my own way.”

Jie Xiangyi’s long lashes fluttered as she tilted her head to look at Tang Jinzhi, her eyes clearly questioning.

Tang Jinzhi’s smile turned mischievous. She glanced around furtively, then leaned in close to Jie Xiangyi’s ear and whispered, “The gossip they were sharing wasn’t just about us. I overheard them talking about other patients’ families too.”

Then…

During her outdoor exercise sessions, she casually let slip what she’d heard. Soon, the victims of the gossip had expanded from just the two of them to a whole group.

Jie Xiangyi opened her mouth, quickly realizing what Tang Jinzhi had done. Her expression was one of surprise.

Recently, the hospital had been hit with multiple complaints about its toxic atmosphere. Since she was still at school at the time, she hadn’t paid much attention to the news.

Now it seemed the truth had finally come to light.

Jie Xiangyi didn’t dare dwell on it any further. She quickly asked Tang Jinzhi, “You weren’t discovered, were you?”

Tang Jinzhi blinked. “Of course not. Though I thought you’d blame me for deliberately stirring up conflict between doctors and patients.”

Ever since realizing she wasn’t a good person, Tang Jinzhi had carried out such schemes without the slightest guilt.

Good people try to reason things out, but she was no paragon of virtue. She held grudges and would always retaliate against anyone who upset her.

Seeing the smug look on Tang Jinzhi’s face, Jie Xiangyi finally relaxed.

She retorted, “I heard about it. The patients and families who filed complaints were either already discharged after recovering or had relatively mild conditions. It didn’t escalate into a full-blown medical dispute, and the complaints were only about the medical staff’s attitude.”

Jie Xiangyi’s tone was tinged with resignation. She knew this outcome was precisely because Tang Jinzhi had carefully calculated her actions.

Still, she couldn’t help but warn her.

“But this is too risky. What if you encounter a patient or family member who can’t tolerate the slightest criticism and loses control of their emotions?”

Realizing Jie Xiangyi wasn’t criticizing her but expressing concern, Tang Jinzhi raised an eyebrow and shook her head. “I only target people with stable emotions, like myself.”

Jie Xiangyi couldn’t help but laugh, giving Tang Jinzhi a very impolite once-over. “You? Emotionally stable?”

How could she even say that with a straight face?

Tang Jinzhi tilted her chin upward, brimming with confidence. “Of course!”

Jie Xiangyi: “……”

Unable to contain her smugness, Tang Jinzhi added gleefully, “So you can relax. Now that those gossipy jerks have been punished, I feel much better.”

“Using self-deprecation to infiltrate their circle…” Jie Xiangyi paused, sighing with resignation. “The gossips got what they deserved, but the rumors are still spreading. Don’t you care?”

Tang Jinzhi grinned. “Of course I care! But I trust you won’t let this go unanswered.”

Jie Xiangyi choked on her trust, turning away to mutter awkwardly, “But you never even told me about any of this.”

Tang Jinzhi, who usually bombarded Jie Xiangyi with complaints every day, had never mentioned this incident.

“Because…” Tang Jinzhi began, but Zhang Yueqi cut her off.

“Because she was afraid it would affect your performance on the preliminary exam,” Zhang Yueqi said casually from the side, a hint of inexplicable excitement in her voice.

Jie Xiangyi and Tang Jinzhi turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes toward Zhang Yueqi carrying distinct nuances.

Jie Xiangyi’s usually composed expression now showed clear surprise. “What?”

Zhang Yueqi had long since stopped wondering why they hadn’t visited the hospital room in days. She grinned at Jie Xiangyi, finally sharing the words she’d been holding back for days. “The first thing Tang Jinzhi asked me when she found out was, ‘What’s your advisor’s impression of Xiangyi?'”

Tang Jinzhi narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed intently on Zhang Yueqi.

Zhang Yueqi rubbed her neck, deciding to ignore Tang Jinzhi’s death stare.

Today, she was determined to play the role of the all-knowing wingwoman from a novel, the only one who knew the truth!

Zhang Yueqi didn’t wait for Jie Xiangyi to ask before continuing her explanation.

“After analyzing the situation together, we concluded that you must have offended someone. They’re trying to take down a workaholic like you, someone who only cares about work and studying.”

“The clever, resourceful, and courageous Miss Tang Jinzhi declared that she couldn’t stop the rumors from spreading. So, she reluctantly decided to control the direction of the gossip. And the great heroine turned the blame onto herself!”

Jie Xiangyi was stunned by this revelation. She stared intently at Tang Jinzhi, momentarily speechless.

Tang Jinzhi’s brow furrowed deeper, her ten toes curling awkwardly against the floor.

She whipped her head around to glare fiercely at the smug Zhang Yueqi, gritting her teeth as she hissed, “What would happen if you left out those adjectives?!”

Tang Jinzhi regretted ever bringing Zhang Yueqi along. Why did I ever let her join us?!

Zhang Yueqi snorted and delivered a cryptic response:

“I’m going to be sitting at the head table!”