Chapter 68: Close at Hand

Hou Manling’s voice was rather shrill; when she shouted like that, Zhong Xiao even felt as if everyone in the dormitory building could hear her. Zhong Xiao frowned deeply, unable to suppress her irritation. Even if Hou Manling did have that kind of relationship with Song Tingshen, it didn’t mean she could speak to her in such a questioning tone whenever and wherever she pleased. It was as if Zhong Xiao and Song Tingshen were secretly involved.

Her gaze grew cold. The more Hou Manling pressed her, the more leisurely Zhong Xiao became. “Oh, you mean these clothes? Captain Song lent them to me. It was pouring when I returned from the hospital today, and he was worried I’d get cold, so he let me borrow them.”

Zhong Xiao was beautiful, her voice gentle and soft; now, with a deliberate touch of saccharine sweetness in her tone, she sounded both tender and teasing—a pleasure to the ear. Combined with her delicate, pitiable features, it was almost enough to make someone dizzy with infatuation. She was like a little fox, and this drove Hou Manling mad with jealousy.

Hou Manling’s eyes reddened as she stared at Zhong Xiao. “Zhong Xiao, I’m warning you, there are rules in the military district. You’re not one of us, you don’t work here, you have no right to stay in this dormitory! Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because you have connections with the Director!”

“Make yourself clear—who’s doing whatever she wants here?” Zhong Xiao retorted.

Hou Manling refused to back down. “In any case, you’re not with the hospital. Why should you stay in our dormitory? That’s against the rules, and I’m going to report it!”

“Go ahead, report it.” Zhong Xiao crossed her arms, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint, mocking smile as she met Hou Manling’s gaze. “At worst, if you kick me out, I’ll just stay at Song Tingshen’s place.”

Hou Manling’s eyes widened to their limit. “What did you say?”

“I said,” Zhong Xiao repeated, “if you throw me out, I’ll just go live with Song Tingshen.”

Hou Manling’s face flushed with anger. “You… What right do you have to stay at Tingshen’s house?!”

“Didn’t you say so yourself?” Zhong Xiao replied. “All because I have that connection with Director Zuo. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to use it? Since I know him, staying at his house isn’t unreasonable, is it?”

Hou Manling jabbed a finger at Zhong Xiao, stammering “You, you, you—” for a long moment, rendered speechless by her rage.

Zhong Xiao ignored her, turning to sit in her chair. As she opened her jar of face cream and dabbed it gently onto her skin, she said, “That’s why you’d better not provoke me. If you really push me, I might just go live at Song Tingshen’s house. Don’t you know the saying, ‘the pavilion closest to the water enjoys the moon first’?”

“Don’t even think about it!” Hou Manling snapped.

“But I am thinking about it, and I’ll keep thinking about it!” Zhong Xiao replied.

It was then that Zhong Xiao realized for the first time just how adept she was at infuriating people—an innate talent, really. When it came to dealing with someone like Hou Manling, you had to be thick-skinned. Whatever she said, just follow her lead, and she’d be left utterly helpless.

Sure enough, facing Zhong Xiao’s shamelessness, Hou Manling—usually so sharp-tongued—was at a total loss. In truth, she was terrified: if Zhong Xiao was really driven out and ended up living with Song Tingshen, what would become of her? Zhong Xiao was so lovely; the thought of her sharing a roof with Song Tingshen every day was simply unbearable.

Fuming, Hou Manling glared at Zhong Xiao’s composed figure, stomped her foot, and spat out, “Just you wait!” before storming out of the dormitory.

Hearing the door slam, Zhong Xiao rolled her eyes. She silently grumbled to herself that, for all Song Tingshen’s merits, his taste in people was sorely lacking. She simply couldn’t understand how someone as shallow and crass as Hou Manling could possibly win his affection over time. It was hard to believe that the ever-calm, reserved Song Tingshen would be fond of someone like that.

But that was none of Zhong Xiao’s concern. After applying her face cream and hand lotion, she smoothed a little hair oil onto her hair until she smelled fresh and pleasant all over. Content, she climbed into bed and fell asleep.

—

Late at night, after a few hours’ rest, the other nurses in Zhong Xiao’s dormitory had to return to the hospital for their shifts. Sitting up in bed, they exchanged astonished looks, each seeing the same incredulity in the others’ eyes.

They realized something remarkable: they were all brimming with energy, nothing like people forced to wake in the dead of night. In fact, they felt as if they’d eaten their fill and were bursting with strength.

It seemed they could easily carry a man weighing over a hundred pounds.

“This is so strange. Why do I feel so energetic right now?” one nurse murmured as she changed clothes.

Another glanced at the sleeping Zhong Xiao and whispered, “Could it really be the water Xiao gave us to drink? It really seems to work!”

“It can’t be, right? One cup wouldn’t have such magical effects.”

“Oh, stop chattering and let’s go. Don’t you know how things are right now? Hurry up.”

“Right, right, let’s keep it down—Xiao is still sleeping.”

Chatting quietly, they slipped out of the dormitory and carefully closed the door behind them.

At the hospital, there were even more patients than during the day. The corridors were packed, and even the office areas on the fourth floor had been opened up for patients to rest.

Upon arrival, the first thing they did was put on masks. After more than an hour of hectic work, the nurses finally found a moment to rest at the station, sipping water.

“You know,” one of them said, “after drinking Xiao’s water, our own water just doesn’t taste the same—even though hers didn’t have any flavor, either.”

“So I’m not the only one who thinks so…”

A few sips led to gossip. Wang Junyao, who bunked across from Zhong Xiao, grinned, “I really underestimated Xiao. She looks so delicate and gentle, but she actually dared to argue with Sister Manling!”

“No kidding,” someone else agreed, laughing. “That’s the first time I’ve ever seen Sister Manling lose an argument. Xiao is impressive.”

Wang Junyao laughed again. “Hey, do you think Xiao would really go live at Captain Song’s house?”

Just then, Song Tingshen, coming downstairs from Song Qingfeng’s ward and about to leave the hospital, happened to overhear this line. He paused mid-step, unconsciously holding his breath, his brows furrowing as his gaze dropped, listening closely to the nurses’ conversation at the station below.

“Who knows…” one of the nurses replied. “But she does have a point. She’s not one of us, so technically she shouldn’t be staying in our dormitory. And since she knows Director Zuo, if she’s ever told to leave, the only place left for her to stay would be at Director Zuo’s house—which means she’d be living with Captain Song.”

Song Tingshen quietly withdrew his gaze, leaving the hospital without a sound.