Wen Chi now received a call from Mrs. Wen, and from the tone of her voice, he felt a headache coming on.
âOkay, Mom, I got it. I have a surgery right now. Weâll talk when I get back,â Wen Chi soothed.
âAll right, I wonât hold you up from work then,â Mrs. Wen finally agreed to hang up the phone.
After hanging up, Wen Chi felt his temples throbbing violently with pain; even massaging them firmly caused discomfort.
Every time after talking to Mrs. Wen on the phone, he always felt a sense of helplessness and vexation.
The more he thought about it, the more his forehead hurt. He stood up from his seat and then decided to go to the break room to make a cup of coffee to perk himself up.
The aroma of tea lingered in the air.
The doctor getting water in front of him was Dr. Zhang from neurosurgery. Although they werenât in the same department, they recognized each other from passing by in the hospital corridors.
Wen Chi had always been a notable figure at the hospital, so it wasnât strange for everyone to know him.
Wen Chi always had an imposing aura, and soon Dr. Zhang felt the chill behind him. He turned around and smiled at Wen Chi, âMaking coffee, huh? Youâre finally making your own coffee now.â
The old Dr. Wen was a frequent customer at Starbucks, often seen holding a cup from there.
Wen Chi responded without much enthusiasm, âYeah, just to wake up a bit, I have surgery later.â
âDr. Wen, youâre truly our idol, successful in both work and marriage,â Dr. Zhang said enviously, âYou know? Iâm almost 30, and I still havenât taken a wife. My mother calls me dozens of times a day, wondering when she can hold a grandson. Iâm not even close to that point, and Iâm anxious too, but I canât do anything if fate hasnât arrived.â
As Dr. Zhang spoke, his expressions were exaggerated, making gestures at Wen Chi while he finished getting his water and started on his own.
Having a wife of his own, there was nothing Wen Chi could do to help Dr. Zhang.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
The rich and smooth scent of coffee unfurled; black foam rolled in the cup, creating ripples as they slowly spread out.
It was then that Dr. Zhang noticed the mug in Wen Chiâs hand was pink and had hearts on it.
He couldnât help but laugh, âDr. Wen, do you have a girly side too? Youâre actually using a pink mug?â It was somewhat unexpected.
âHmm, my daughter-in-law bought it. Whatâs the matter? Are you jealous?â
âDr. Wen, youâre really hitting me where it hurts,â Dr. Zhang said, âdonât keep on about your daughter-in-law, show some manly dignity.â
âDr. Zhang, you donât understand. When you have a wife, youâll know,â Wen Chi replied coolly, then asked, âShould I be longing for someone else instead of my wife?â
âUhâ¦â Dr. Zhang was at a loss for words, feeling suddenly crushed to bits.
âBut donât get too smug, Dr. Wen. A stunning beauty just transferred to our department, and youâre out of luck,â Dr. Zhang said with a sudden smugness.
Wen Chi suddenly thought of Song Ying. Was it her? He seemed to recall Gao Jie mentioning that she worked at the same hospital and was in neurosurgery.
Wen Chi hummed in response, then took a sip of his coffee and asked, âWhatâs her name?â
âWerenât you just saying how much you love your daughter-in-law? Why are you interested in someone else now?â Dr. Zhang smirked deviously.
Wen Chi looked at him as if he was asking for it, then said, âWhat if itâs someone I know?â
âShe just returned from studying abroad in the US. Her name is Song Ying. Sheâs tall and beautiful. She had just reported in when she was dubbed the flower of our department,â Dr. Zhang proudly declared, feeling a bit of reflected glory as she was in his department.