Weekend of Disconnection

"Come over quickly, my equipment is all ready. I'm going to stay over this weekend, and you can't go anywhere. Stay here and let me examine you."

Chen Lie dragged Gu Nianzhi into Huo Shaoheng's study, where his materials and equipment were set up and arranged in complicated positions.

Gu Nianzhi was frazzled from being pulled along by the portly doctor, and she couldn't suppress her laughter. "Brother Chen, you've got to at least let me put my things down and wash up first, ok? Also, I haven't had dinner yet; I'm hungry."

"Dinner? It's ok to skip a meal, just consider it as dieting." Chen Lie continued to lead her, taking her backpack off and dragging her to sit on the examining chair. He swiftly attached an array of apparatuses to her head, wrists and chest. Gu Nianzhi knew he was obsessed with medicine, but had never thought that she would end up as his test subject one day.

There's nothing I can do, I'll just have to lean back on this big examining chair, close my eyes and let him examine me. Gu Nianzhi resigned herself to his ministrations.

After attaching various apparatuses on her, Chen Lie began drawing her blood. Gu Nianzhi's eyes flew open as she stared at her arms and she suddenly asked, "By the way, Brother Chen, why are there so many needle pricks on my arms?"

The marks weren't immediatelyapparent, and some had already faded away after a week. However, Gu Nianzhi's eyes could discern even the smallest pin pricks now. She had been busy the whole week at school and had even rushed her showers. She hadn't looked at her body carefully until now.

Chen Lie's kept a straight face as he said, "Well, these were from all the blood I took when you passed out that week."

Gu Nianzhi was speechless. She stared at Chen Lie steadily, then closed her eyes and tried to rest, but his words kept ringing in her head. She wondered why she had lapsed into a week long coma, when she had only been afflicted with an aphrodisiac. If she had truly been ok, why had Chen Lie take so much blood? Also, why did she still have weekly examinations when she was clearly fine already? Had it been simply an aphrodisiac she was afflicted with?

Gu Nianzhi was a very cautious person. These thoughts spun in her head and pointed to a more serious problem. She opened her eyes to watch Chen Lie, who was busy with his equipment, and suddenly asked, "Was I poisoned?"

She had asked so unexpectedly that a normal person would have blurted out the truth. However, Chen Lie was a Medical Officer in the Empire's Military and held a Senior Colonel rank. He was more vigilant than most to start with, and had also undergone extensive professional training. Gu Nianzhi's little outburst didn't work on him.

Chen Lie shook his head calmly. "Of course you weren't poisoned. It was just a potent aphrodisiac that had stronger effects than average. I had to dig out everything to formulate an antidote for you."

"Oh, really?" Gu Nianzhi's eyes widened. They possessed an almost childlike innocence and trust when she looked at him.

Chen Lie quickly turned his head to look at the instruments and data, and avoided her gaze. He was worried that he would blurt out the truth when he faced those eyes filled with honesty and sincerity. The consequences he risked at the hands of Huo Shaoheng were severe enough to keep him quiet. He didn't want to be beaten to a pulp and resigned to conducting experiments in jail for the rest of his life!

"Of course! So to thank me, you have to let me continue observing you so that I may perfect my antidote research." Chen Lie's glasses nearly slide down his nose and he pushed them up before resuming his stern expression.

Gu Nianzhi finally believed Chen Lie's words and breathed out in relief. She lay on the examining chair and lazily said, "You should've said something earlier. You know how I tend to overthink things."

"What did you think it was?"

"I thought that I had been poisoned and that there were still traces of it in my system." Gu Nianzhi giggled and unexpectedly fell asleep on the examining chair slowly.

It's better that she's asleep. Chen Lie had injected her with a drug to put her into a deep sleep and better allow him to continue observation of her bodily functions. For two days, Gu Nianzhi drifted in and out of sleep. Chen Lie also called Ye Zitan over to help him take care of Nianzhi. She was a female physician and certain things were more convenient with her assistance. Mei Xiawen called Gu Nianzhi numerous times the whole weekend, but she might as well have fallen off the face the earth. He was sick with worry. He even went to the Fengya Precinct, where she had told him before that house sat for. However, this time he couldn't even enter the precinct. He had o only been able to get in last time with Chen Lie telling the security to allow him entry. This time, Chen Lie didn't want any interference with his examination of Gu Nianzhi, and certainly didn't want him to come in and be a nuisance.

Gu Nianzhi only regained complete consciousness on Sunday evening. She sat up from the bed to see Ye Zitan tidying up.

"Dr. Ye, when did you get here?"

Ye Zitan turned to smile at her, "You're awake! Hungry? Chen Lie ordered food, so let's eat together."

As soon as food was mentioned, Gu Nianzhi lifted her blankets to get out of bed. "Gosh, where? I'm so hungry I could eat a cow right now!"

"No cows, but how about red braised pork belly?" Chen Lie poked his head in and smiled approvingly at Gu Nianzhi's energetic state. He rubbed the stubble on his chin. "This was a meal delivered from the cafeteria at the base, you can't get it elsewhere!"

Gu Nianzhi saw Chen Lie and ran over to grab his elbow. She tilted her head and smiled. "Brother Chen, the cafeteria in the base has red braised pork belly? Don't tease me!"

"Haha, you silly child, you're getting more and more impish!" Chen Lie decided to assert his older age. "Thinking back... when I first met you, you were like a small animal, clawing at anyone you saw. My hands still have the scratch marks from your nails!"

Gu Nianzhi covered her mouth, laughing."I did that? I don't remember at all."

As the two bantered, Ye Zitan had already set the table and was calling them over to eat. Gu Nianzhi ate until she couldn't any more, and finally put down her chopsticks.

It was already late and Ye Zitan still had to return to the base. Chen Lie was worried about her leaving alone and discussed this with Gu Nianzhi.

"Nianzhi, I'm going back to the vase with Dr. Ye. Will you be ok here alone?"

He knew Gu Nianzhi rarely stayed here alone since she was usually with Huo Shaoheng. However, she had been alone for last time. The week before, Chen Lie had left early and Gu Nianzhi stayed alone for one night. She had returned to campus early next morning.

Gu Nianzhi felt she should get used to living alone as soon as possible, so she didn't ask Chen Lie to stay. It wasn't ideal for Ye Zitan to go back to the base alone, and more importantly, Gu Nianzhi knew Chen Lie secretly had feelings for Ye Zitan but couldn't find the courage to pursue her. Chen Lie was so good to Gu Nianzhi; of course she had to return the favour.

Gu Nianzhi winked at him. "Don't worry, don't worry, Brother Chen. Go back with Dr. Ye. I still have things to do."

Chen Lie turned to Ye Zitan. "Dr. Ye, I still have some data to discuss with you, we can do this on the way back."

"Ok, sounds good. I also happen to have some matters to consult with you about." Ye Zitan got up to get her laptop bag.