Always By Your Side

Chapter 11: Mysterious Medicine Delivery Man

Yuanyuan returned to work and looked for the editor-in-chief to make up for her leave of absence. If she strictly followed the rules according to society, she would be regarded as absent from work. A lot of her pay would be deducted and her end-of-year assessment would not be excellent. But when she received the leave of absence slip, Yuanyuan discovered that the leave date was signed on the day that she had left. She looked at the editor-in-chief with doubt. Zhang Yueren said: “The manuscript I previously requested will be sent to my email within an hour.”

Yuanyuan nearly burst into tears, “Okay! Thank you, thank you Editor!” She thanked the editor-in-chief who had cheated by helping her ask for a leave of absence. Back at her seat, she began to shed blood, sweat, and tears to finish the draft.

Wang Yue watched this scene and shook her head, saying: “This kid is so easy to bribe.”

Yuanyuan snivelled and blew her nose while striving hard. In the middle of this, Wang Yue came over and asked: “Have a cold? Do you want to take medicine? I have some.”

Yuanyuan shook her head, “There’s no need to take medicine for such a small cold. Taking medicine for a week is good, but seven days without medicine is also good.” Her primary reason was that the cold made her rhinitis worse, and her nose was uncomfortable.

“That’s a misconception. Be careful that it doesn’t become pneumonia,” Wang Yue warned her.

At this moment, a courier man shouted at the door: “Cheng Yuanyuan, express delivery, please sign for it.”

“Yi? I didn’t buy anything online.” Yuanyuan walked towards the door, baffled. When she received the item she ripped it open and took a look. Unexpectedly, there were sachets of decocted Chinese medicine inside. There was also a list that explained how to take the medicine and its precautions. On the very last line were hand-written indications: Fever and cold, perspiration, runny nose, and so on. This handwriting was concise and dignified, and the ambience of it was graceful. From Yuanyuan’s perspective, this writing was almost at the level of a calligrapher’s. Looking at the header of the list, the number and logo of the medicine hall was stamped: Houdetang.

Yuanyuan thought, Nowadays, many Chinese medicine halls have arranged for help from express delivery services, it’s nothing strange. What she did find strange was that someone knew she had a cold and sent her medicine. When she returned to her seat, Wang Yue also leaned over to look at the medicine in her hand, “It wasn’t you who bought that?”

“It wasn’t. It might have been my uncle, he’s in the medicinal ingredient business and should be quite familiar with this kind of pharmacy.” Yuanyuan thought for half the day and felt that it could only be Uncle Shenghua.

“Oh, then it’s no wonder. After all, who still takes Chinese medicine for a cold? It’s so inconvenient and troublesome. But taking Chinese medicine is better than taking Western medicine, it doesn’t injure your body. Your elders are pretty good! Later on help me ask what kind of medicine is good for losing weight but doesn’t hurt the body?”

Yuanyuan said a bit helplessly: “If there was such a medicine, it would be popular worldwide.”

“Ya!” Wang Yue had already turned around to walk away, but suddenly saw something and cried out.

Yuanyuan was taken aback, “What is it?”

“Your family’s uncle is rich, right?” Wang Yue exclaimed. “No wait, maybe it’s more than that. This Houdetang number can’t be used by simply having money.”

“What do you mean?” Yuanyuan picked up the medicine list at hand, pointed to the name of the shop above, and asked: “This medicine hall is famous?”

Wang Yue nodded and said: “Previously, a certain leader of the Publishing Bureau had a problem with his liver. I heard it took a lot of connections to get the name of this medicine shop, and it took several thousand dollars just to register.”

Hearing this, Yuanyuan was speechless, “Is this shop able to raise the dead to become flesh and bone?”

“I don’t know the specifics. In short, it appears to be especially big. It doesn’t belong to someone of my small level’s scope of knowledge.” Wang Yue shrugged her shoulders.

Yuanyuan glanced at her sceptically. “If it’s truly as you said, I can’t help it. I should drink it quickly to see.” While speaking, she opened the medicine packet and poured it into a cup, knitting her brows as she drank it.

“How does it taste?” Wang Yue questioned.

“Not so good,” Yuanyuan said truthfully. “It’s bitter and a bit spicy…”

“Good medicine is bitter, you just wait to recover now.” Wang Yue saw her leader approaching from a distance, patted Yuanyuan’s head, and quickly slipped back to her seat.

“Doctor Cheng, Cheng Bai.”

Someone called out twice, and Cheng Bai, who was standing at the window, came back to his senses and saw the vast ocean outside the open door. 

“What is it?”

“Bro, it’s time to eat.”

Cheng Bai glanced at the clock hanging on the wall. It was almost twelve o’clock. He grabbed his phone and stood up. Putting his hands in the pockets of his white coat, he walked to the door and said: “Do you still have Sibelium there?”

“Yes, why? Have a headache?”

“Somewhat.” He raised a hand and pressed the tianzhu acupoint at the back of his neck.

The two entered the dining hall and bought food before sitting down to eat. Wang Yang looked around left and right, then raised his eyebrows and said: “Doctor Cheng, do you know many beautiful women in our hospital fancy you?”

Cheng Bai was eating the stir-fried vegetables on his tray. His fingers holding the chopsticks were slim and long, and one could imagine how clean and nimble they looked when holding a scalpel.

Cheng Bai raised his head and glanced at Wang Yang, his interest waning: “Doctor Wang, you’re also not lacking, there is no need to talk to me.”

Wang Yang shook his head and smiled: “Alright, I won’t make fun of you.” Afterwards he said, “Tonight, the big beauty Shen Yu is celebrating her birthday. When she called me on the phone before, she told me to invite you too. No need to bring presents so long as people come. What do you think?”

Cheng Bai originally wanted to refuse when he opened his mouth, but after thinking about it, he said: “When we’re on the road, we can buy her some fruit.”

Wang Yang spurted out rice on the spot.

“Master Cheng, do you think you are visiting a patient?”

Seeing a few grains of rice had sprayed onto his plate, Cheng Bai put down his chopsticks. He had a bit of mysophobia, and after studying medicine he paid even more attention to hygiene.

Wang Yang wiped his mouth and said: “Sorry bro, I’ll go and buy you another one.”

“No need.” Cheng Bai took out his cellphone from the pocket of his white coat and said: “I don’t have any appetite, you eat it.”

When Wang Yang saw that he was playing “Escape from the Red House” again, he couldn’t help being speechless. In the eyes of Master Cheng, the beauties of the hospital were no match for the charm of mobile games.

In the evening, Wang Yang took Cheng Bai’s car to Beautiful Shen’s dinner party.

They reached their destination, and as soon as Wang Yang entered the private room he saw that many people had already arrived. The private room was very large and complete with facilities. Not only were there dining tables, but also a mahjong table and a small KTV next to it. It really encompassed all food, drinks, and fun.

“Doctor Wang is here!” Someone smiled and waved at Wang Yang. This person was Shen Yu’s senior brother Wang Jiayuan who had eaten with Wang Yang two times before. Thus they had become very familiar with one another.

“Brother Wang, I haven’t seen you for three days and now I look at you with new eyes. Your hairstyle is shaved enough, ah.” Wang Yang jested with the man, then after speaking he turned around and handed a bouquet of perfume lilies to Shen Yu. “Fresh flowers delivered to a beauty, I wish you to be as beautiful as a flower year after year.”

Shen Yu took it and said with satisfaction: “Thank you!”

“You’re welcome. Cheng Bai paid for it and I chose it.”

Shen Yu saw Cheng Bai stepping in and smiled happily, “Today I’ve been given so much face. The two most difficult people to invite both came.” She turned her head back to look at the always sophisticated Fu Beichen who was dressed head-to-toe in simple clothes. She then said, “Senior brother, although you’re drinking tea and not alcohol today, we must play to our heart’s content.”

“You don’t drink?” Wang Yang was stupefied. “Then how are you supposed to be happy?”

Wang Jiayuan looked down upon Wang Yang and said, “It’s just your vulgarity. If you don’t understand the elegance of handsome men and beautiful women, just come out and say it.”

“Elegance? Don’t threaten me, do you want to do rounds of qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting?”

Shen Yu watched them and said with a sweet smile: “Qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting won’t do. If you play this way, then my senior brother will absolutely defeat you. There is no question.”

When she said so, everybody looked towards Fu Beichen. Although Fu Beichen didn’t normally joke with his father’s students, he was also a playful person. Therefore he smiled and said: “Is there anyone in the ancient literature department who doesn’t know my five tones are incomplete? If you really want to see my qin, chess, calligraphy, and painting, then I will suffer a crushing defeat in the first game.”

Fu Beichen’s words lead to a burst of laughter.

Shen Yu laughed uncontrollably and said: “Let’s go to the table for dinner first. We’ll play after we eat. Vulgar and elegant people can all come.”

The dishes came out quickly, and the group of people ate and chatted. After eating, Fu Beichen wanted to say goodbye and leave, but Shen Yu naturally disagreed. “Senior brother, you aren’t married with children, you don’t have any family responsibilities. Why are you so anxious to go back?” The others also agreed repeatedly. Wang Jiayuan stubbornly pulled Fu Beichen onto the sofa to sit down.

Fu Beichen had no choice but to stay.

Everyone soon entered game mode. Because there were a lot of empty drink bottles left from the meal, someone proposed to collect these materials and first play a game of spin the bottle. The game was very simple: Put the bottle horizontally on the table, have the birthday girl spin the bottle, wait for the bottle to stop at someone, and whoever the bottle pointed at would be the loser. In this way of playing, winning or losing all depended on luck. But as an opening game, it could really drive the atmosphere well. 

In the first round, the mouth of the bottle faced Fu Beichen impartially.

Shen Yu spread her hands and said: “I’m sorry, senior brother. You must be willing to admit defeat.”

“Little junior sister, let your senior brother dance on Wang Yang, haha,” Wang Jiayuan proposed.

Fu Beichen glanced at Wang Jiayuan. The threat was beyond words.

“The imperial court orders our senior brother to dance, you can die tonight.” Another student of Professor Fu’s, Ruan Feng, was a nest of snakes and rats with Wang Jiayuan.

“Okay, you guys stop being noisy. I’m not that cruel,” Shen Yu said harmoniously and amiably. Immediately after, she released a crafty smile. “Senior brother, you only need to take out your phone and send a text message to anyone you want. The content is: You are the most brilliant light in my heart.”

After hearing this, everyone laughed. Wang Jiayuan seized the opportunity to tease Shen Yu: “Little junior sister ah, just how did you come up with such a sickening phrase? I reckon senior brother has never spoken such words before, right?”

Fu Beichen paused slightly. Although he thought his penalty was quite childish, he didn’t want to dampen the mood. He lowered his head and typed the words. When his thumb was about to press the “send” button, he still hesitated.

Ultimately, the message was sent out.

Yuanyuan was coming out of the shower when she heard her phone vibrate. She picked up the phone and saw a new text: You are the most brilliant light in my heart.

Yuanyuan was stunned. When she saw who the sender was, she nearly dropped her phone.

She brought the screen of the phone closer and looked at it again. After confirming that she hadn’t seen wrong, she murmured dumbly: “What’s the situation…”

After a while, Fu Beichen sent another text: Sorry, I lost a game with someone.

Yuanyuan understood. It was probably a game similar to truth or dare.

Only then did the temperature in her face drop.

“Senior brother, who did you send the message to? Did the other party reply? Let me look.” Wang Jiayuan leaned closer.

Fu Beichen put his phone back in his pocket and said: “Sorry, no follow-up entertainment is provided.”

Although Fu Beichen was easy to talk to, sometimes there was a kind of prestige that could not be offended. Wang Jiayuan smiled and backed away.

Everyone played for a while, and each person lost. The one with the best luck was Cheng Bai. Not once had his luck turned. And when the mouth of the bottle pointed at Fu Beichen a second time, Shen Yu said: “Senior brother, this time, can I ask you to tell the truth?”

Fu Beichen had no alternative but to say: “I’ll try my best to tell the truth.” At this time, everyone quieted down and waited for Shen Yu to ask.

Wang Jiayuan grabbed Ruan Feng and secretly whispered in his ear: “I usually see that our little junior sister has a favourable impression of our senior brother. She doesn’t mean to ask if he loves her or something?”

Just when Ruan Feng wanted to answer, he heard Shen Yu ask word for word: “Senior brother, would you commit suicide for love?”

Shen Yu’s voice wasn’t loud, but Fu Beichen’s heartbeat was powerful and resounding.

Suicide for love…He only felt that a certain chain in his brain clattered, then broke.

Fu Beichen looked at Shen Yu. He stared at her without blinking. There was no sound for a long time. 

“Is this question difficult?” Wang Yang looked at Fu Beichen strangely. “Clearly Beautiful Shen is showing mercy to the handsome guy, ah.”

Wang Jiayuan agreed: “Senior brother is handsome, just take advantage of him!”

Shen Yu completely disregarded the onlookers. She just looked directly at Fu Beichen and continued to ask: “Senior brother, would you?”

“No,” Fu Beichen restrained his facial expression and replied flatly. Soon after, he stood up and said to everyone, “Sorry, I was away on a business trip two days ago. I didn’t get enough sleep and I’m not feeling too well. I’ll be leaving now. You guys have fun.”

Having said so, he gave Shen Yu a slight nod and left. Shen Yu watched his back with an unclear expression. And Cheng Bai, who had been sitting in the corner, watched quietly from beginning to end without saying a word.