It’s My Ex- boyfriend
When Nie Xingchao came in to do his rounds, Xia Xinghe was sitting cross-legged on the hospital bed, hugging his laptop and typing away with full concentration.
Ahem.
Nie Xingchao cleared his throat.
“Good morning, Dr. Nie.”
Xia Xinghe quickly lifted his eyes and greeted him politely, then turned his attention right back to the screen. His fair fingers glided smoothly over the keyboard, the sharp tapping sounds pouring out from his fingertips.
Nie Xingchao leaned over curiously. “What are you working on?”
Xia Xinghe: “A deadline.”
Xia Xinghe was a writer. He’d loved writing since school and decided to pursue it full-time after graduation.
Young people can be impulsive, but Xia Xinghe truly had talent. In just two years of full-time work, he’d built up a decent fanbase and reputation. His earnings were good, and his lifestyle was carefree and unrestrained. The only downside was that living alone for so long meant there was no one to nag him about his health—so he often didn’t take care of himself properly.
A few days ago, the weather shifted with the start of autumn, and Xia Xinghe caught a chill. He didn’t think much of it at first, but as he dragged it out, it developed into a serious cold. Medication no longer helped, and he needed an IV. Unfortunately, the hospital had this annoying rule: no IV without hospitalization. So Xia Xinghe was reluctantly admitted for a few days. Nie Xingchao was his attending physician.
Fortunately, his test results weren’t too bad—he’d be discharged in a few days.
“A great writer, huh? Not bad.”
Nie Xingchao flipped up the medical chart hanging at the head of Xia Xinghe’s bed and casually asked, “What’s your temperature today?”
Xia Xinghe replied casually, “Haven’t had time to check.”
“How much water have you drunk?”
“Haven’t gotten around to it.”
“Medicine?”
“……”
Nie Xingchao was exasperated. “Rushing to finish a manuscript? Looks to me like you’re rushing straight to the afterlife!”
Seeing the doctor’s expression darken, Xia Xinghe gave him a sheepish smile, quickly set the laptop aside, and reached for the medicine on the table. “Don’t be mad, Dr. Nie—I’ll take it right now!”
He was in his twenties already—he wasn’t about to completely ruin his health. But since he was an experiential writer, once he got into a story, he couldn’t help but get completely immersed. He would cry and laugh along with his characters, then look up and realize hours had passed. Eating, sleeping—he forgot it all.
Xia Xinghe looked very sweet. Fair skin, slightly upturned eyes, and recently, he’d been talked into dyeing his hair a light gold by a pushy hairstylist, but it didn’t make him look wild or brash.
He had a small frame, and the hair at the sides of his face was loosely tied into a small ponytail at the back of his head. Wearing the oversized hospital gown, he looked more like a student who hadn’t yet graduated. His cold hadn’t fully cleared up yet, so his voice carried a soft nasal tone, and the corners of his eyes were faintly flushed. When he smiled, his eyes curved adorably—he looked completely harmless.
Nie Xingchao rubbed his temples and sighed lightly. “I’m not scolding you out of spite. You’re still young now and don’t think much of getting sick. But if you keep neglecting your health as you get older, you’ll suffer for it eventually.”
Xia Xinghe nodded. “I understand.”
He placed the colorful pills into his palm and swallowed them with a sip of cold water that slid down his throat. As he took the medicine, Xia Xinghe let out a small sigh in his heart.
The manuscript he was working on was about to be finished in a day or two. He really should adjust his schedule.
Back in college, when he was still with that person, he used to go to bed at ten and wake up at five—healthier than a retiree. His cup always had goji berries steeping in it.
After the breakup, he’d tried to erase everything associated with that person. As a sort of rebellion, he changed all his habits and slowly became how he was now. He told himself it was freedom, spontaneity, and living unrestrained—but in reality, he was still haunted by the past, subconsciously avoiding it like someone who got bitten by a snake and now feared every rope.
It had already been four years. Classmates were having kids old enough to run errands—surely it was time to start letting go of that once-intense love.
Xia Xinghe pressed his lips together, then raised a hand in a mock pledge. “Dr. Nie, I know I was wrong. Starting today, I promise to follow your instructions—drink more water, sleep more, take my medicine on time, and stop wandering around. I vow to be a role model in delayed reincarnation!”
“…Alright, I’ll be watching your progress.”
The mix of a serious tone with his deliberately playful words made Nie Xingchao laugh, and he mentally noted Xia Xinghe as an amusing patient.
Nie Xingchao gave a few more reminders, all of which Xia Xinghe accepted without protest. After he finished his rounds and left, Xia Xinghe began to feel a little drowsy, so he shut the laptop and curled up under the blanket, closing his eyes.
….
The general ward was very quiet. Under the soft blanket, Xia Xinghe slept peacefully and comfortably—forming a sharp contrast with the intense atmosphere in the surgical floor above.
At that moment, an aortic dissection surgery was about to begin. The patient was already in a deep coma when they were wheeled in, and the pre-op tests didn’t look promising. The risk level was extremely high.
The atmosphere was tense to the point of suffocating. In the heavy silence, a calm voice suddenly broke through, taking command of the entire surgical team.
“Anesthesia.”
“Disinfect.”
Bai Qingzhou gave the command calmly and methodically.
The patient’s chest cavity was opened, revealing the beating heart.
A special solution was injected to stop the heart, and the main artery was carefully cut open.
…
Even beneath the light green surgical gown, Bai Qingzhou’s excellent physique was still apparent. His sharp features, composed expression, and steady hands holding the scalpel—all reflected his superb surgical skill and strong mental fortitude.
The stent was put in the right place without any trouble, and the heart started beating again normally. Most of the surgery was done, and Rong Zhiguo, who had been watching nearby, smiled with satisfaction.
Rong Zhiguo was the chief of cardiothoracic surgery. Surgeries of this caliber required his oversight, but Bai Qingzhou had handled nearly the entire operation himself. Rong Zhiguo couldn’t find a single flaw.
With a sharp “snap,” the shadowless surgical lamp turned off. The patient was wheeled into the ICU for observation, and everyone who had been standing for hours finally had a chance to breathe.
Back in the changing room, a few young assistants quickly stripped off their surgical gowns and grabbed ice-cold Cokes from the small fridge, downing them in big gulps.
“Damn, finally done. My legs are cramping.”
“That patient suddenly started bleeding just now—scared the hell out of me. Thank god Dr. Bai reacted fast and clamped the vessel immediately.”
“Dr. Bai’s hands are so steady. The patient’s true lumen was that tiny, and he still got the stent in.”
Bai Qingzhou paid no mind to their chatter. He slowly removed his gown. He didn’t drink carbonated beverages, so he picked out a bottle of mineral water and unscrewed the cap. His long neck arched in a graceful curve as his Adam’s apple moved up and down. His face remained as calm and distant as ever.
One young female intern blushed as she sneaked a poke at her friend’s side. “Hey, do you know if Dr. Bai has a girlfriend?”
“What, got a little crush?”
Her friend glanced at her and said, “You’ll have a lot of competition. He doesn’t have a girlfriend, but plenty of people are after him—pretty, talented, rich—you name it. But he’s cold to everyone, doesn’t even give them a glance.”
The girl was silent for a moment, but quickly cheered up. “Yeah, makes sense. Someone this amazing must have high standards. I’ll just admire him from afar and enjoy the view.”
By the time they left the operating room, it was already 1 p.m. After changing, everyone grouped up in twos and threes to head to lunch. Bai Qingzhou’s long legs strode at the back of the group, his white coat buttoned neatly from top to Bottom—undeniably the most striking figure in the crowd.
“Xiao Bai,” Rong Zhiguo walked up beside him and patted his shoulder with satisfaction. “Excellent work today. You’ve really got your father’s flair.”
Bai Qingzhou gave a calm smile. “It’s all thanks to your guidance.”
“Oh, don’t be modest! The student has surpassed the master, as they say.”
Rong Zhiguo praised him a bit more, then took out another patient’s file to discuss as they walked downstairs and passed through the gastroenterology department on the way to the cafeteria. They happened to see Nie Xingchao in the hallway, giving instructions to a group of interns.
“Bed 32’s ventilator can be removed. Bed 35 just got a new patient—order a routine blood test for him…”
As they passed, Nie Xingchao casually pointed to a nearby patient room door and said with a chuckle in his voice, “Oh right, and the young guy in bed 26 in this room with the blond hair—remember to check in the afternoon if he took his meds on time.”
“Blond hair? I know who that is!”
Such a standout feature was clearly memorable. An intern’s eyes lit up. “Isn’t he the really fair-skinned cutie? I think his name is Xia… Xia…”
“Xia Xinghe,” said Nie Xingchao.
Bai Qingzhou’s steps faltered slightly.
Nie Xingchao continued, “That kid’s pretty interesting. He’s a writer, but kind of stubborn. Even in the hospital, he won’t take his medicine properly. Keep an extra eye on him during rounds.”
“Got it, teacher.”
The intern diligently noted everything down. Bai Qingzhou lifted his eyes slightly, his gaze falling on the door Nie Xingchao had pointed out.
The white door was closed, with a panel of frosted glass. Sunlight filtered through the window, making it clear the room was bright inside—but the interior couldn’t be seen.
“Xiao Bai?”
Rong Zhiguo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
“Sorry.” Bai Qingzhou lowered his gaze slightly, his expression returning to normal. “Where were we?”
….
Gossip spreads fast in a crowded department. Right after Nie Xingchao gave his instructions at noon, by the afternoon, the entire general internal medicine staff knew that bed 26 had a blond-haired cutie who wasn’t taking his medicine on time.
Girls, by nature, are curious about attractive things. Just after 1 p.m., wave after wave of self-proclaimed “rounding” staff came by to check if Xia Xinghe had taken his medicine.
At first, Xia Xinghe answered each one politely and seriously. But as more came, his patience wore thin. Eventually, he simply lined up all the pills he had already taken neatly on the bedside table for everyone to see. He was one step away from sticking a “Yes, I took my meds” sign on his forehead. Thankfully, his temperament was gentle—he didn’t lose his cool even after being harassed all afternoon.
That evening, when Nie Xingchao came by again, Xia Xinghe didn’t even wait for him to speak.
“I drank water, took my meds, normal temperature, everything’s fine. Anything else?”
Nie Xingchao was briefly startled, then nodded with satisfaction. “Very good—you’ve even learned to anticipate the questions.”
“Do I really seem that unreliable?”
Xia Xinghe sighed. “Five or six different people came to check on me this afternoon—I couldn’t not learn.”
Nie Xingchao, a grown man, had no idea about the inner thoughts of the department’s young women and didn’t believe Xia Xinghe at all. “No way. I only sent one person. Who else has time for that?”
Xia Xinghe: “I’m serious! They were all girls in their twenties!”
“Impossible!”
Nie Xingchao still didn’t believe him—when suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
Xia Xinghe beamed with joy, practically glowing with happiness, and gave Nie Xingchao a look that said, See? I told you so!, clearly expecting a satisfying moment of triumph.
“Come in!” he called toward the door.
With a soft click, the door opened—but instead of the young nurse Xia Xinghe had been expecting, a tall, slender man walked in.
The light cast soft shadows on the man’s high nose bridge. His cool, distant features began to overlap with the face buried deep in Xia Xinghe’s memory.
Bai Qingzhou?
The name flashed through Xia Xinghe’s mind, and his smile froze.
Not only was it not the usual nurse—it was the last person he wanted to see: his ex-boyfriend.