Chapter 160: Chapter 153
Xiao Lin returned to Yan University Hospital around eleven o’clock at night. According to logic, the hospital should be very quiet at this time. Except for two nurses on duty and one doctor on duty, there should only be the guard at the gate. However, when Xiao Lin reached the third floor ward, there was actually a nurse on duty at the front desk.
This nurse worked in the inpatient department of the university hospital. There were four nurses and two doctors in the whole inpatient department. However, typically, this place only accommodates patients who need to lie down while receiving intravenous treatment. Basically, no one stays here unless the affiliated hospital is full, and someone knows people at the university hospital to arrange it. Normally, they don’t need to work night shifts.
"Dr. Xiao, you’ve come!" The nurse smiled and greeted Xiao Lin when she saw him coming, not giving him a hard time for leaving little Niu Niu and having her work the shift, showing just how lovable Niu Niu was.
"Yeah, thank you for your hard work!" Xiao Lin saw a nurse on duty in the inpatient department and knew that there were usually not many people hospitalized here; working a night shift was purely fanciful. He smiled and greeted the nurse.
"Dr. Xiao, you’re here to see little Niu Niu, right? She just woke up not long ago, everyone is in her room!" The nurse said with a smile.
"By the way, hasn’t Dr. Xia come back?" Xiao Lin looked towards the room down the corridor. Only the light in little Niu Niu’s room was on. Her mom seemed not to have come to the university hospital, and this thought made Xiao Lin nervous again; hopefully, nothing happened to Xia Xue?
"No, what’s the matter, Dr. Xiao?" The young nurse didn’t see Xia Xue come back.
Xiao Lin’s smile froze a bit. "It’s nothing, I’ll go see little Niu Niu first!" He didn’t stay and walked directly to little Niu Niu’s room, taking out his phone to call Xia Xue.
The phone’s music played, but no one answered, making Xiao Lin increasingly anxious. Just answer!
Finally, after more than a minute, the call was connected, and Xiao Lin’s worried mind was instantly at ease; it was good she could answer the phone. He quickly asked, "Xiaoxue, where are you now?" Unknowingly, Xiao Lin became more worried about Xia Xue and grew fonder of her. Xia Xue’s importance in Xiao Lin’s heart increased.
"Xiao Lin..." Xia Xue’s sobbing voice came from the other side, startling Xiao Lin. He hurriedly said, "Xiaoxue, what’s wrong? Don’t cry, don’t cry, I’m here!" Xiao Lin’s previously calmed heart became worried again.
"Xiao Lin, it’s so tragic, I... I...!" Xia Xue stammered, crying as if she needed to vent, unable to complete her sentence.
Xiao Lin seemed to know what Xia Xue needed to vent, indicating she wasn’t hurt, which reassured him. He quickly comforted, "Don’t rush, don’t rush, we can talk about it later. Where are you now? I’ll come find you later!" Xiao Lin knew that in Xia Xue’s current state, even given a few more minutes, she might not be able to clarify things, and he had a vague suspicion it might be related to Niu Niu’s mom.
"I’m at the First Affiliated Hospital!" Xia Xue managed to say clearly this time, though her voice was still a bit sobbing, clearly still emotionally unstable.
"Okay, I know. I’ll come over in a while!" Xiao Lin hung up, by now reaching little Niu Niu’s room. Inside were the sounds of nurses’ laughter and little Niu Niu’s voice, which sounded mature yet incredibly adorable.
"Big brother, you’re here!" Little Niu Niu had sharp eyes and noticed Xiao Lin the moment he appeared at the door, or perhaps she had been watching the door, hoping Xiao Lin or Xia Xue would come back soon, as they said they would pick up her mom.
Though Xiao Lin’s heart was heavy, seeing little Niu Niu’s sunny smile did lift his spirit. He smiled, "Niu Niu, with so many sisters accompanying you, are you happy?"
"Dr. Xiao, now you can’t kick me out, right? It’s already after working hours!" Xiao Mei chimed in cheerfully when she saw Xiao Lin come in. In the afternoon, it was Xiao Lin who had sent them away.
Xiao Lin smiled helplessly. Little Niu Niu’s charm was indeed too great. Even at eleven o’clock at night, there were still four or five nurses accompanying her in the ward. From the emergency department, there were Xiao Mei, Xiao Li, and Xiao Ning, and the other two were from other departments who often visited the emergency department. Xiao Lin recognized them and nodded in greeting.
"Why are you still here so late? Won’t your boyfriend be angry?" Xiao Lin teased Xiao Mei.
"I don’t have a boyfriend, and even if I did, I wouldn’t go back!" Xiao Mei replied cheerfully but firmly, "Tonight, I’m staying here to accompany little Niu Niu, so Dr. Xiao, don’t worry!"
"Xiao Mei, that’s not right. You’re staying here with little Niu Niu, where does that leave me, the head nurse!" Xiao Ning immediately protested, quickly retorting.
The nurses chatted lively, and little Niu Niu noticed that Xiao Lin seemed a bit weary. Her bright eyes glanced at Xiao Lin and suddenly she said, "Big brother, you haven’t eaten yet, have you? This is the chicken soup Sister Xiao Li just brought me, have some!"
Without little Niu Niu’s mention, Xiao Lin didn’t feel hungry, but now he realized he was quite starving. After rushing around for so long and having a big fight with Zhang Teng, even though he won, it still drained a lot of energy, showing some tiredness on his face. Little Niu Niu’s mention made his stomach growl in protest.
After hearing little Niu Niu, the other nurses noticed that Xiao Lin’s energy wasn’t as usual. Today he was all over the place and probably didn’t have time to eat. Xiao Ning immediately said, "Dr. Xiao, I’ll get you a bowl of chicken soup!" Without waiting for Xiao Lin’s response, she got up to fetch the soup for him.
Xiao Lin wasn’t pretending to be modest. He smiled and nodded to Xiao Ning, then said, "Thank you!"
Li Jingyi was standing at the door and seeing everything inside, she felt immense joy. Yan University Hospital was becoming warmer and more cohesive, especially after little Niu Niu’s arrival. Today, all the department members gathered spontaneously, a vast improvement over the usual dullness. Li Jingyi was looking forward to the kind of change this overly young medical doctor and this poor little Niu Niu would bring to the hospital in the coming days.
As Xiao Lin drank the soup, Nurse Xiao Li peeled an apple for little Niu Niu, while other nurses played with her. The room was filled with warmth, and anyone would be touched by the happiness within.
Little Niu Niu was mostly fine now. As long as she recuperated for a few days and her head wound was stitched up, she could get out of bed and walk around.
Then, Li Jingyi came in, did her routine check-up on little Niu Niu, and asked Xiao Lin, who was drinking chicken soup, "By the way, Dr. Xiao, where is Dr. Xia Xue? Why hasn’t she returned yet? Didn’t you pick her up today?"
For what happened in Jiangling, someone in Li Jingyi’s position couldn’t have been aware, and today’s events with Xia Xue in Jiangling were only known by Xiao Lin, who hadn’t told anyone.
"She’s back!" Xiao Lin gave Li Jingyi a signal with his eyes. From Xia Xue’s phone call, filled with sobbing and her broken words, it seemed that little Niu Niu’s mom wasn’t in a good state.
Little Niu Niu might be young but she was clever, initially wanting to ask Xiao Lin if he’d picked up her mom right when he came in. But seeing Xiao Lin’s tired face, she didn’t ask, understanding the situation well. However, after hearing Li Jingyi, little Niu Niu seemed to have found a breakthrough and hurriedly asked, "Big brother, did you pick up my mom? Is my mom alright?"
Hearing little Niu Niu’s question, Xiao Lin felt a pang and didn’t know how to reply. Seeing little Niu Niu’s innocent eyes, Xiao Lin lied for the first time in his life, "Don’t worry, Niu Niu, your Sister Xia Xue is having dinner with Mom. She’ll visit you tomorrow. Mom asked you to be good and listen to the sisters!"
"Big brother, can I ask you a favor?" little Niu Niu suddenly asked, her big eyes showing a look that was hard to refuse, quite pitiful.
Dealing with the clever little Niu Niu was indeed difficult for Xiao Lin, who was off-guard at first by her sharpness, then softened by her pitifulness, "Hmm, what is it?" he thought, as long as it’s not about her mom, it’s fine, otherwise, the lie would soon be caught by little Niu Niu.
"Can you please let my mom come to see me in a few days? Seeing me like this will make her sad!" After saying it, little Niu Niu looked at her wounds.
This child, too considerate, often stirring tears in the eyes of young folks.
"Alright, alright, big brother promises you!" Xiao Lin was relatively strong, somewhat immune to little Niu Niu. This child, too understanding, too mature, often saying things adults wouldn’t think of.
"Thank you, big brother!" little Niu Niu smiled at Xiao Lin, showing gratitude.
After drinking the chicken soup and saying a few more words to little Niu Niu and the nurses, Xiao Lin left the ward. He wasn’t worried at all about little Niu Niu’s life in the hospital. With the care of these enthusiastic and kind doctors and nurses, little Niu Niu would surely recover quickly.
The Yan University Hospital was just a block away from Yan University’s First Hospital. Driving would take only two or three minutes. Soon, Xiao Lin found himself at the entrance of the First Hospital. He parked the car, dialed Xia Xue’s phone, and walked towards the inpatient department of the First Hospital. (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian () to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)