A Flower_1

Standing at the doorway, she tensed up for a second, then immediately regained her composure.

"There's no issue with the bone," Nian Yuyu tried to say in a calm voice, "Please prescribe me some anti-inflammatory medication."

Chu You didn't respond, instead taking the X-rays and the diagnostic report to review.

The silence within the consulting room deepened.

"I'll get you a bottle of anti-inflammatory spray." Once he confirmed there were no issues, Chu You directly prescribed the medication on the computer, his voice still cool and unrippled.

"After you go back, you can apply ice to the injury for the next forty-eight hours."

"Use the anti-inflammatory spray three times a day."

"Try to minimize movement; you should recover in about a week or two."

Nian Yuyu nodded obediently, but her mind wandered, thinking this must be the longest speech she had ever heard from the icy handsome man.

She took her medical record and the prescription, and then quickly glanced at the name badge in front of her, murmuring, "Thank you... Dr. Chu."

"Hmm." She still received only a cool, indifferent reply.

--

After paying and getting the medicine, Nian Yuyu relaxed completely once she sat in the pre-booked taxi, gazing out of the window lost in thought.

At this moment, the sky was somewhat dim, and all sorts of neon lights had already started to compete in brightness.

Under the streetlight's billboards, red lanterns hung; festive paper-cuttings and couplets adorned the small shops on both sides of the road, brimming with the spirit of the New Year.

Yet, even amidst the bustling holiday, many corporate drones were hard at work.

For example... Nian Yuyu lifted her eyes to look at the somewhat weary taxi driver.

And the editors who were frantically demanding updates, herself who needed to update comics while injured, and... that overly attractive yet aloof Chu You, who made people too scared to approach.

Back home, Nian Yuyu snuggled into her comfortable sofa, messaging her parents that she'd update her comics that night and return home the next day.

The apartment she lived in, which she bought half a year after graduation, wasn't big—two bedrooms and one living room—but it was more than enough for her alone.

As a newly emerging first-tier provincial capital city, Jianan had seen real estate prices skyrocket in recent years, out of reach for the average person.

Nian Yuyu was a local and had attended university in Jianan. After graduation, she moved back in with her parents and worked full-time, which led to constant minor conflicts.

Later, after selling the rights to her work and saving up enough money, she bought a house and moved out to live independently, occasionally visiting her family, which restored their loving relationship.

After resting a while, she sprayed some more anti-inflammatory spray on her right foot.

Glancing at the time, she stood up to get a bag of dumplings from the fridge, planning to boil them for dinner.

The dumplings were homemade, with a pork and cabbage filling, and each was about half the size of a fist. She had planned to cook just ten, but thinking about pulling an all-nighter to update her comic, she silently added five more.

Just as she put the dumplings into the pot, her phone vibrated.

Nian Yuyu opened it to find a message from her best friend, Jiang Jingyun.

Jiang Jingyun: [Did you make it home? How's your foot?]

Nian Yuyu replied leisurely: [I'm home, it's nothing serious, the doctor gave me a bottle of anti-inflammatory spray.]

Jiang Jingyun: [Then rest well, and don't run around too much.]

Thinking about the afternoon's events, Nian Yuyu couldn't help but send a message: [I totally died of embarrassment today, and right in front of a handsome guy, too.]

Jiang Jingyun: [!!! What happened? Spill the beans and make me happy!]

Nian Yuyu: [???]

That's her best friend for you!

Her happiness built on Nian Yuyu's own misery!

Some time passed.

Jiang Jingyun: [Sis, what happened? Tell me, and I'll see if I can help you salvage the situation.]

Nian Yuyu sent a despairing message: [It can't be salvaged. I've lost all face, and now I just want to flee this planet.]

Then she spelled out the afternoon's debacle.

The next second, a long string of crying-laughing emojis came from the other side.

Jiang Jingyun: "Hahahaha! Don't worry, you must have made a lasting impression on that handsome doctor!"

"..."

What lasting impression?

Her bright red socks adorned with the character for happiness?

Originally, that doctor named Chu You had an ice-cold demeanor and deep, exquisite features—absolutely her ideal type, but now all she hoped for was to never see him again for the rest of her life.

The dumplings in the pot were ready, so Nian Yuyu took a photo and sent it over: "I'm going to turn my frustration into appetite."

--

After finishing the incomplete comic and uploading the new chapter, she glanced at the time; it was already two in the morning.

After washing up and spraying the medicine one more time, Nian Yuyu finally went to sleep.

In the end, she even had a dream where she and Jiang Jingyun went shopping for clothes, but all the clothing stores only sold red socks.

...

Daylight broke, and Nian Yuyu woke up.

Staring blankly at the ceiling, the wretched sense of humiliation from seeing all those red socks in her dream surged in her heart again.

She lay in bed for a few minutes, glanced at her phone, and saw that it was already half-past ten.

Thinking of returning home for lunch, she finally stopped struggling and got up to wash.

Nian Yuyu's apartment was located near the university town with convenient transportation; she usually took the subway, but with her foot not yet healed, she had to take a taxi again.

When she got home and saw her aunt's family sitting on the couch and greeted them, her cousins followed her back to her room without being asked.

Nian Yuyu's cousin Liu Jianhang and cousin Liu Jianwei were twins, two years younger than Nian Yuyu, and had just graduated from university.

"Sis, did you go to the hospital yesterday?" Liu Jianwei asked.

She majored in nursing at university and was now interning at the same Provincial Second Hospital Nian Yuyu had visited yesterday, but she happened to have the day off.

"Yeah," Nian Yuyu replied, lifting her right leg onto the couch.

"I sprained my foot, went to orthopedics for a checkup, got some medicine."

"Orthopedics?" Liu Jianwei's voice suddenly rose several decibels, "Then did you see the 'Pride of the Orthopedics Department'?"

The Pride of the Orthopedics Department?

Nian Yuyu's mind immediately conjured up Chu You's face, but she still asked, "What 'Pride'?"

Liu Jianwei: "Orthopedic's Chu You ah, the famous pride of Provincial Second Hospital."

Then, she gave Nian Yuyu a thorough introduction to Chu You—

The youngest associate chief physician at Provincial Second Hospital, just twenty-nine years old.

A PhD graduate from the nation's top Capital Medical University, he was also an honorary professor at Jianan Medical College.

He was also renowned for his exceptional medical skills and handsome appearance, earning him the title "Pride of the Orthopedics Department," attracting countless girls flocking in hopes of winning his attention, yet to date, no one has succeeded in claiming this elusive prize.

"Sis, if you didn't see Dr. Chu You yesterday, that's such a pity," Liu Jianwei continued. "Most of the young female patients in orthopedics are there because of him."

"That face, that demeanor, tsk, doesn't lose out to any celebrity idol out there, women feel inferior just looking at him…"

"It's just a shame that he's too aloof, like an iceberg walking among us, it makes him unapproachable."

Before Nian Yuyu could reply, she heard her cousin Liu Jianhang playing video games on the lazyboy chime in: "You think your sister is as superficial as you? An iceberg walking among us, I say you're the one with an absurd fascination!"

Nian Yuyu: "..."

Sorry, she was also rather shallow.

When she opened the door to the consultation room yesterday and saw Chu You, she was stunned by his looks and air, a perfect romance comic male lead, and she even had a moment's inappropriate thoughts.

However, as things unfolded, all her thoughts had vanished like smoke.

"I didn't get his number," Nian Yuyu blinked and said calmly, "I'm not into that type."

Seeing Nian Yuyu was not interested, Liu Jianwei didn't say anything more and turned to tussle with Liu Jianhang who had just made fun of her.

Nian Yuyu leaned on the soft couch, recalling the icy handsome man she had seen yesterday, and roared silently in her heart, why on earth did she wear red socks!?