After her dramatic cousin stopped acting up, the aloof doctor got anxious.

To ease the awkwardness, Shen Ruo took out her phone, opened Tomato Novel, and started reading "The Domineering CEO's Substitute Wife".

When she saw the exciting part, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Ruolai Qiwenshen glanced at him sideways.

Shen Ruo quickly covered her mouth, but it was too late.

She looked up awkwardly and met Qi Wenshen's gaze.

He held up his phone. "I'm reading a novel. It's funny."

"What novel are you reading?"

"Domineering CEO..."

"nice?"

"nice."

Shen Ruo waited for him to continue asking questions, preparing to tell him a touching story about a domineering CEO who spends money on his girlfriend without expecting anything in return.

Qi Wenshen didn't ask any more questions and focused on driving.

Shen Ruo sighed inwardly at the missed opportunity, thinking she could have gotten back the 338 yuan.

The Municipal People's Hospital, Surgical Building.

Shen Ruo followed behind Qi Wenshen like a little follower, receiving stares from the nurses at the nurses' station, the information desk, and the cleaning ladies along the way.

Good morning, Director Qi.

"Dr. Qi looks really handsome today."

"Dr. Qi, patient in bed 3 is recovering well after surgery..."

Qi Wenshen nodded in response to each one, continuing on his way.

Shen Ruo shrank her neck, trying to minimize her presence.

Is this the prestige of a top surgeon?

So terrifying.

Upon reaching the nurses' station, Qi Wenshen suddenly stopped.

Shen Ruo couldn't brake in time and crashed headfirst into his back.

"Ouch!"

Qi Wenshen turned around.

"Shen Ruo, let's go home together after get off work tonight."

Before Shen Ruo could refuse, Qi Wenshen had already strode away, leaving a group of dumbfounded nurses behind.

"Who is that?"

Director Qi's cousin.

"That can't be right, Director Qi has a cousin?"

"That's not the point. The point is that Director Qi said we should go back together."

"My God, Director Qi can actually speak sentences with more than four characters."

Shen Ruo: "??"

Are all you surgeons this free?

She turned around to report to the head nurse, not noticing that Qi Wenshen was standing at the corner behind her. He glanced at her before pushing open the door to the examination room.

When Shen Ruo reported for duty, Head Nurse Lin was standing with her hands on her hips, berating a junior nurse mercilessly, "You can't even do this simple thing right? You failed to puncture the vein three times? Are your hands pig's trotters?"

The nurse cried her eyes out.

Shen Ruo's legs felt a little weak.

"Is Director Qi your cousin?"

Nurse Lin suddenly asked her.

"Yes."

This is a fact, and it cannot be denied.

Nurse Lin sneered, "With me, there are no relatives, only abilities. If you don't do a good job, even Director Qi can't protect you. Go and take the blood pressure of patient number 5."

"Yes."

Working people, working spirit, working hard to increase the number in their bank balances.

Bed 5 is occupied by a middle-aged man who was on his third day after appendicitis surgery and was scrolling through Douyin (TikTok) in bed.

"Uncle, let me take your blood pressure."

"Oh, the nurse's here!"

The middle-aged man put down his phone and looked her up and down. "New here? You're quite pretty. Do you have a boyfriend?"

Shen Ruo gave a professional fake smile, "I've got it, the head of surgery, surnamed Qi."

After taking and recording her blood pressure, Shen Ruo's movements became increasingly skilled thanks to yesterday's last-minute practice.

Behind him, the middle-aged man stopped scrolling through his TikTok videos, looking utterly shocked.

So this is the type Dr. Qi likes. No wonder he wouldn't agree to introduce his niece to her.

Shen Ruo left the ward and breathed a sigh of relief.

It's so satisfying to talk nonsense.

What she didn't know was that these words would spread throughout the entire surgical department within ten minutes.

The cafeteria at 8 PM.

Shen Ruo carried her tray, found a corner to sit down, and had just taken a couple of bites of rice when she sensed that something was off about the atmosphere around her.

"Is it her?"

"Yes, she's said to be Director Qi's girlfriend."

"Impossible! Someone as cold as Director Qi, would he even have a girlfriend?"

"I heard they're living together; they came here together this morning."

"Oh my god, my youth is over."

Shen Ruo spat out a mouthful of rice.

What the heck?

girlfriend?

cohabitation?

She shared a room with Qi Wenshen, but their relationship was very different from that of roommates.

She stood up abruptly, wanting to explain, but then she saw Qi Wenshen walking in with a tray at the cafeteria entrance, followed by several doctors, like a star being surrounded by admirers.

Eyes facing each other.

Qi Wenshen paused in his steps.

Shen Ruo stiffly raised her hand. "Cousin, if I said this was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"

Qi Wenshen looked at her, then at the whispering crowd around him.

Then, he strode over and sat down opposite Shen Ruo.

"Have a meal."

"what?"

I said, let's eat.

Shen Ruo: "..."

Why don't you go to another table to eat? What are you doing sitting here?

Get out of the way!

Do you know you're adding fuel to the fire?

The gazes around her grew even more intense, filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred, almost burning her to ashes.

Shen Ruo lowered her head and frantically ate her rice.

I thought to myself: I can't live like this anymore, really.

In the afternoon, Shen Ruo was called to the operating room by Head Nurse Lin to observe.

"Dr. Qi will be the surgeon for the laparoscopic cholecystectomy. You go in and keep an eye on things, but don't move around."

"Yes."

Shen Ruo changed into surgical scrubs, put on a mask and cap, leaving only her eyes visible, and then entered the operating room.

The operating lights came on, and Qi Wenshen was already standing in the surgeon's position. After his hands were disinfected, the scrub nurse handed him the scalpel.

"start."

His voice came through the mask, deep and calm, completely different from his usual self.

Shen Ruo stood in the corner, watching the scene on the screen.

Qi Wenshen's hands were as steady as a machine, every movement precise and professional.

In his hands, the laparoscope seemed to come alive, separating, stopping bleeding, removing, and extracting.

"Amount of bleeding?"

5ml.

"Okay, sew it up."

Shen Ruo watched Qi Wenshen's skillful sewing movements and his serious profile, which made her heart race.

The surgery was completed in forty minutes.

Qi Wenshen took off his mask, revealing his face with red marks from the mask and a fine layer of sweat on his forehead.

He turned his head and his gaze accurately found Shen Ruo in the corner.

"Did you understand?"

"I understand."

Qi Wenshen's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

"Dr. Qi, come out and wash your hands during work hours."

"Okay, Dr. Qi."

At midnight, Shen Ruo finally finished her internship and collapsed on a bench in the locker room. Oh my god, she was so tired.

My phone rang. It was a message from Qi Wenshen: [Parking lot, B2.]

Shen Ruo stared at the message for a full minute.

What am I doing?

Why should I wait for him?

I can walk by myself.

But her legs had already stood up automatically, she had changed her clothes automatically, and she had walked to the parking lot automatically.

In parking lot B2, the BYD was parked quietly in a corner.

Shen Ruo opened the car door, sat in the passenger seat, and sighed softly, "I'm exhausted..."

Qi Wenshen started the car.

You'll get used to it.

Shen Ruo suddenly turned her head, "Cousin, are you this tired every day?"

"I'm used to it."

She looked at Qi Wenshen's profile and smiled, "Cousin, thank you for taking me here today. Also, you looked very handsome during the surgery."

The straightforward praise caught Qi Wenshen off guard.

He had heard many people praise him and was already used to it.

Her words alone stirred something within me.