On Standby - Chapter 7

The partner stretching session lasted a full twenty minutes. Throughout the exercise, Tang Feihuan kept her gaze fixed on the floor or the white wall behind Lin Ye. On the rare occasions when their eyes met accidentally, she would flinch as if burned, immediately averting her gaze and fleeing mentally. When they stood too close, his breath tickling her nose, she could only stiffen her back and mechanically perform the movements.

Lu Yuqing’s words from years ago, when she had played the third wheel while Lin Ye fed Tang Feihuan ice cream, echoed in her mind: “Xiao Tang, why do you look like you’ve wandered into the Spider Cave? Why are you so tense?”

But now, the one who had once been proactive had withdrawn, while the nervous one remained just as anxious.

Finally, when it was time to move on to the equipment, Tang Feihuan felt like she had been granted a reprieve. She waited for the female instructor to call her name. But by sheer coincidence, the group of four the instructor led included both her and Lin Ye. Frustrated, Tang Feihuan followed the others to the equipment area.

With newcomers present, the instructor asked the routine question: “Does everyone have experience with strength training?”

“Yes,” Tang Feihuan replied. Although she had only started working out last year, she had consistently visited the gym twice a week, making her far more familiar with the equipment than most people who signed up for memberships but rarely used them.

Lin Ye worked out beside her, matching her movements. When she used the butterfly machine, he used the seated rowing machine. When she used the lat pulldown machine, he used the cable machine. For the entire 40-minute strength training session, Tang Feihuan maintained unwavering focus, her gaze as resolute as if she were taking an oath of office.

Fortunately, the subsequent cardio and post-workout stretching allowed for more flexibility. She and Lin Ye tacitly maintained their distance, one on the first treadmill and the other on the last. During the 20-minute yoga stretch, she took the first spot in the front row, while he positioned himself at the end of the third row.

At 5:10 PM, Tang Feihuan finally escaped the gym after showering and changing. It’s just nerves from the first time, she told herself. I’ll probably get used to it after a few more visits. After all, she’d chosen a small group training class, and the 12,000 yuan annual membership fee had already been charged to her account. She couldn’t let it go to waste.

Dinner was scheduled for 6:00 PM at Juhua Restaurant, 2.1 kilometers away. Walking would take 23 minutes, while a taxi would take only 6. After a moment’s deliberation, Tang Feihuan decided to walk. Juhua Restaurant was located in the Sea-Sky Building, directly across from the First Affiliated Hospital, making it convenient for Jiang Junli, who was coming straight from work. It was also convenient for Jiang Mu, who worked at the traffic police brigade, as his patrol route included the area between the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals and the two streets surrounding Shu River University.

The heavy rain had cooled the air slightly, but by early afternoon, the sun was already creeping back into the sky. Walking along the roadside without shade remained somewhat unbearable. Tang Feihuan strolled leisurely forward, fanning himself with a plastic fan he’d somehow acquired. A closer look revealed the advertisement printed on it: “GG, XXX Anal and Rectal Hospital.” If you wanted to easily obtain promotional materials for private hospitals, the best place to look was near public hospitals. Several elderly men and women stood there, colorful bags slung over their shoulders, overflowing with plastic fans and flyers.

After crossing a street and turning left, Tang Feihuan found himself amidst a throng of pedestrians, mostly elderly grandparents holding the hands of young children. The children’s backpacks, emblazoned with “Shatan District Experimental Kindergarten, Shu River City,” made him wonder, Do kindergartens really let out this late now? He muttered to himself, taking a few steps forward before abruptly stopping.

His gaze fell upon Lin Ye standing beneath the banyan tree at the kindergarten entrance. Dressed in a pale blue dress, Lin Ye’s long hair, usually tied back at work, cascaded freely over his shoulders. This was a stark contrast to the aloofness he had shown Tang Feihuan earlier. Now, facing the kindergarten gate, his eyes crinkled with a warm smile.

“Mommy!”

Tang Feihuan instinctively took two steps back, distancing herself slightly, but still close enough to see a little girl, about four years old with pigtails, let go of a middle-aged woman’s right hand and rush into Lin Ye’s arms.

“Happy birthday, Yangyang!” Lin Ye pulled a Disney rabbit plush toy from the bag she was carrying in her left hand and handed it to the girl.

“Wow, StellaLou! Thank you, Mommy!” Lin Yangyang pressed her cheek against Lin Ye’s face in gratitude, then obediently stepped out of her embrace and took Lin Ye’s hand. The little girl stood between Lin Wenhui on her left and Lin Ye on her right. Tang Feihuan didn’t recognize Lin Wenhui and assumed she was the man’s mother, judging that the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law seemed to have a good relationship.

Since Lin Ye was walking in the same direction as her, Tang Feihuan, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, detoured through a small path behind the kindergarten. Her steps quickened, and her heart raced, but she couldn’t shake the beautiful scene she had just glimpsed.

What was beautiful to Lin Ye felt like a knife twisting in Tang Feihuan’s chest, tearing at her heart. She understood that her belated, one-sided affection was absurd, given that Lin Ye had completely forgotten their past. So she repeatedly told herself to let go, to treat Lin Ye as just another colleague, and to genuinely wish her well.

Turning right at the end of the hutong and crossing the pedestrian street, Tang Feihuan could see the Sea-Sky Building. A mango enthusiast, she bought a cup of Yangzhi Ganlu with extra ice and sugar from a roadside stall, hoping the sweet treat would stimulate her taste buds and release dopamine, helping her suppress her emotions. She didn’t want to arrive at dinner with Old Tang looking gloomy, only to be bombarded with questions later.

Juhua Restaurant was located on the fourth floor of the Sea-Sky Building’s dining area, and Tang Feihuan arrived first. She sat in the outdoor waiting area and sent a WeChat message to Tang Anhua: Teacher Tang, I’ve arrived.

Tang Anhua replied quickly: Your mother has an emergency surgery this afternoon, so we’ll be late. Here’s Jiang Mu’s phone number—contact him first.

Call him? Wouldn’t that be awkward?

Experience quickly proved her right.

Tang Feihuan reluctantly dialed the number. The call connected, and the other party spoke first: “Hello?”

“Hello, I’m Tang Feihuan.”

“Hello, Jiang Mu.”

Normally introverted, Tang Feihuan had been forcing herself to integrate into her new environment since returning to China. Now, she found herself at a loss for words. Fortunately, Jiang Mu spoke again: “I’m at the escalator on the third floor, almost there. I’m wearing a brown short-sleeved shirt and a black baseball cap.”

“I’m in the outdoor waiting area of Juhua Restaurant, wearing a cream-colored T-shirt.”

No sooner had Tang Feihuan finished speaking than a figure emerged from the escalator entrance a short distance to her left. The newcomer was slightly taller than her by a few centimeters, dressed in a coffee-colored short-sleeved shirt, light-colored trousers, and a black baseball cap that concealed her long hair. A black cord hung around her neck, its end adorned with a silver skull pendant. A black backpack completed her cool, edgy look. Unlike others who merely tried to appear cool, this woman radiated an innate, heroic aura, her smile even carrying a hint of allure.

Tang Feihuan tentatively called out, “Hello.”

Jiang Mu’s eyes crinkled at the corners. “Hello.”

Tang Feihuan managed to squeeze out three words: “Auntie Jiang.”

Jiang Mu immediately protested, “No, no, no! Just call me Jiang Mu. I’m only two years younger than you.”

Someone my age, and seems easy to get along with, Tang Feihuan thought, her words flowing more freely now. She sighed softly. “My mom insists on respecting seniority…”

“Suit yourself,” Jiang Mu replied, unbothered. She sat down next to Tang Feihuan and pulled out her phone, absorbed in her own world.

This was the proper way for two strangers to interact upon first meeting: each minding their own business.

Tang Feihuan also retrieved her phone. With nothing else to do, she scrolled through Group Two’s chat messages. Someone was complaining about having only one patient during the first half of the night shift, followed by four patients arriving almost simultaneously in the second half. Another lamented not having time to submit their paper, effectively disqualifying them from this year’s Resident Physician competition. Yet another shared the triumphant feeling of successfully resuscitating a critically ill patient.

Jiang Mu, who was beside her, suddenly asked, “Want some bubble tea? I’ll order delivery.”

Tang Feihuan thanked him for his kindness. “No need, I just finished a cup before coming here.”

“One more won’t hurt. Aren’t you doctors particularly health-conscious? Always telling us what not to eat or drink.”

Tang Feihuan chuckled and shook her head. “Not really. Bubble tea, cola, instant noodles, burgers—the very things we advise patients to avoid—are common sights in our office. They’re convenient and give us a little comfort, helping us relieve stress. Take pulling all-nighters, for example. We constantly warn patients against it, but we have no choice when we’re on call.”

“Sounds pretty tough.”

As they chatted casually, they were unaware that the two people who had come out of the restaurant across the street to pick up a cake had been staring at them for a full three minutes.

It was Lin Yangyang’s fourth birthday, and Lin Ye had invited Lu Yuqing to join them for the occasion. Now, Lu Yuqing was complaining with a dark expression, “He told me he was busy tonight and we’d reschedule, only to meet up with someone else. By the way, does Tang Feihuan use XX (a same-s3x/exchange website)?”

“I don’t know,” Lin Ye replied calmly.

Lu Yuqing let her imagination run wild, sharing her thoughts with Lin Ye. “Think about it—neither of them is straight. Why would they be meeting for dinner?”

Lin Ye’s expression remained unchanged. “Maybe they know each other.”

“Know each other? One just returned from abroad, and the other was transferred here from a rural clinic on July 20th.”

Lin Ye appeared nonchalant, but he subtly bit his lip. “Didn’t you say yesterday that Jiang Mu promised to date only you before you broke up? Don’t you trust her?”

“We were just online friends, dating for mutual convenience. I don’t really know her personality,” Lu Yuqing said, pausing before adding, “I’ll just text her and ask.”

Are you eating?

A reply came within ten seconds: Yeah, with family.

Lu Yuqing’s anger flared. She pointed at her phone. “See? She lied and said Tang Feihuan is her family. What kind of family is that?”

“Maybe she really is family,” Lin Ye said, noticing Jiang Mu had deliberately avoided Tang Feihuan while texting. He didn’t mention it to Lu Yuqing, as both explanations seemed plausible. But Lu Yuqing had noticed too. “She’s hiding Tang Feihuan while texting me. She definitely doesn’t want her to know I exist.”

“Tang Feihuan’s mother is also named Jiang. Maybe…”

“Still unconditionally trusting her? Have you forgotten how she said she was busy and didn’t reply, only to go out partying with those foreign guys until midnight?”

“I…” Lin Ye was stung by the reminder, unable to refute it. He quickly changed the subject. “Alright, Dr. Lu, Yangyang’s birthday is waiting for us.”

“I’ll get to the bottom of this another day. If she doesn’t tell the truth, it’s over.” Lu Yuqing, pulled back to the restaurant by Lin Ye, immediately switched her expression, her face beaming as she walked toward their reserved private room.

Her short vacation had ended, and she was about to face new challenges. Tang Feihuan had left her motorcycle in the parking lot for two days and rode with Tang Anhua, arriving earlier than usual.

As her computer booted up, she heard colleagues greeting Lin Ye behind her. Lin Ye returned each greeting, and Tang Feihuan politely called out a greeting as well. Unexpectedly, she received no response.

Suspecting her voice had been too soft, and preoccupied with her work, Tang Feihuan didn’t dwell on it. After finishing her shift and taking a sip of water, Sun Qinhuai interrupted her urgently: “Doctor Tang, where’s Director Lin?”

“Making rounds.”

“There’s been a car accident on Wen Kailu Road. Three patients are being transported here and will arrive in five minutes.” Emergency patients arriving via ambulance were like opening blind boxes—you never knew what kind of suffering the next one would be enduring. Sun Qinhuai relayed the information and hurried off to recruit staff from the other two teams.

With three car accident patients, each team would handle one.

Tang Feihuan arrived at the resuscitation room early, where medical staff were already preparing urgently.

Three minutes later, the first patient was wheeled in and immediately transferred to Bed 4, which was under their team’s care.

Tang Feihuan asked the accompanying paramedic, “What’s the situation?”

“The steel rebar pierced straight through the car cabin, causing a penetrating injury to the driver,” the accompanying doctor explained briefly, helping transfer the patient to the resuscitation bed. “The firefighters have already cut off the excess rebar, but they’re afraid to move the remaining piece.”

Tang Feihuan leaned over and patted the patient’s shoulder, listening to his chest with a stethoscope. “Do you know who you are?”

The patient’s lips parted slightly, and bl00d trickled from the corner of his mouth.

“Suspect lung injury. This will likely affect his respiratory system later. We need to intubate immediately.” Tang Feihuan examined the patient, her brow furrowing slightly. “Difficult airway.”

The Resident Physician beside her quickly offered, “I’ll go get Dr. Lu.”

“Come back. Hand me the intubation kit.” Tang Feihuan remained focused on the patient’s head, her hands moving swiftly. “Head Nurse, please request a surgical consultation.”

Inside the resuscitation room, over a dozen medical staff worked frantically. Outside, the patient’s family wailed and prayed for divine intervention. Jiang Mu, still in uniform, had just finished speaking with the driver who caused the accident and was about to leave when Lu Yuqing stopped him in the lobby. She cut straight to the chase: “Jiang Mu, who was that relative you were having dinner with last night?”

“Hmm? Doctor Tang Feihuan from your hospital.”

Lu Yuqing’s eyes flickered with speculation. “Cousins?”

“I’m her aunt.”