Chapter 25: Chapter 25: She’s Betting That Lu Xiao Doesn’t Like Me

Doctor Wang, holding a tongue depressor, watched at a loss as Su Tang moved with fluid precision.

As she quickly wiped the child’s armpits and groin—areas with major blood vessels—with alcohol swabs to help lower his temperature, Su Tang rapidly explained to Doctor Wang.

“Doctor Wang, the child is having a febrile seizure. The first priority is to keep the airway clear to prevent asphyxiation and tongue biting. Physical cooling combined with sedative medication is key. A chloral hydrate enema is fast-acting and relatively safe.”

She offered her professional diagnosis while also preserving Doctor Wang’s dignity as the attending physician.

Doctor Wang had calmed down by this point and nodded in agreement.

The nurse quickly brought the medicine.

Su Tang skillfully assisted the nurse with diluting, lubricating, and administering the enema, her movements gentle and precise.

As the medicine was slowly administered, the child’s convulsions gradually subsided, and his breathing stabilized considerably.

Su Tang then instructed the farm woman to continue wiping the child’s body with warm water to lower his temperature.

The entire process took only a few minutes, but it was nerve-wracking.

The exam room fell silent. Everyone was stunned by the young intern’s composure and professionalism.

People in hospitals see life and death every day, so they should be used to sudden emergencies.

But this was only Doctor Wang’s second week working at the hospital.

He rarely encountered situations like this, and the farm woman’s expression, as if her child was on the verge of death, had thoroughly frightened him.

Doctor Wang looked at the fine beads of sweat on Su Tang’s temple and her focused profile.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions: gratitude, admiration, and a faint, almost imperceptible trace of shame.

He opened his mouth, but in the end only managed to say in a low voice, “…Thank you, Doctor Su.”

“Of course, Doctor Wang.”

Su Tang breathed a sigh of relief and gave him a gentle smile.

She deliberately reined in her brilliance, handing the lead back to Doctor Wang, only offering suggestions in a more tactful way when he hesitated or seemed to need it.

’Everyone’s like this when they first start at a hospital. It gets better with time.’

’Everyone has a first time.’

This scene was witnessed by Vice Director Jiang Kang, who happened to be passing by on his way to the Director’s office.

He stopped in his tracks and watched the entire event from outside the exam room, a flash of admiration in his eyes.

The Director had mentioned Su Tang to him before, saying their hospital was in dire need of someone with her talent.

However, the current situation was special, and Su Tang’s status was even more so, which was why they had to use such a roundabout method to get her into the hospital.

’Watching her now, the decision to bring her into the hospital couldn’t have been more correct.’

’No wonder the Director said Su Tang would be a pleasant surprise for the hospital.’

At the end of the day, Yuan Danqin didn’t give Su Tang a hard time after all. She simply wrote “Excellent” on her evaluation form.

“Thank you, Director Yuan!”

Su Tang broke into a bright smile and bowed to Director Yuan in thanks.

Yuan Danqin looked at Su Tang, the corners of her mouth twitching slightly, and waved her hand to dismiss her for the day.

’It’s nice to be young. So full of energy.’

Su Tang was very satisfied with her work today; she was beaming with happiness and excitement the whole way home.

Just as she neared the family courtyard, she saw a small circle of people gathered at the entrance, seemingly watching some commotion.

Zhang Cui had sharp eyes and spotted Su Tang immediately, squeezing through the crowd to get to her.

She had an excited, teasing smile on her face as she grabbed her arm. “Oh, girl, you’re finally back! Quick, look!”

In the middle of the crowd stood Lu Xiao, his posture ramrod straight.

In front of him was a young woman in a brand-new military uniform, with a pretty face and a slender, graceful figure.

“That’s Lin Qian, the star performer of our cultural troupe.”

Zhang Cui whispered, giving Su Tang a heads-up.

Su Tang raised an eyebrow slightly. ’Oh? I just dealt with Hu Lili, and Zheng Jinxin hasn’t even shown up yet, and now there’s a Lin Qian.’

’This Lu Xiao really attracts them one after another, doesn’t he?’

Lin Qian was holding a delicate tin pastry box.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and with a bright smile, she was looking up and saying something to Lu Xiao.

Her eyes sparkled, not bothering to hide the admiration within them.

“Captain Lu, these are pastries our cultural troupe made. I brought them for everyone to try. This box is especially for you.”

Lin Qian’s voice was clear and pleasant, and her posture—head high, chest out—was like that of a beautiful white swan.

The surrounding wives whispered among themselves, their gazes darting back and forth between Lu Xiao, Lin Qian, and the newly arrived Su Tang, filled with the excitement of watching a drama unfold.

Lu Xiao’s face was expressionless, maintaining his usual cold and stern look. He gazed calmly at Lin Qian, neither taking the pastries nor speaking.

Lin Qian seemed used to Lu Xiao’s indifference. Undiscouraged, she pushed the box forward again. “Take it, Captain Lu. You used to…”

“There’s no need.”

Lu Xiao finally spoke. His voice wasn’t loud, but it cut through the air like a blade of ice.

“Comrade Lin Qian, please share the pastries with the others. My wife…”

He paused, his gaze traveling over the crowd and landing precisely on Su Tang.

The ice in his eyes seemed to melt in an instant, replaced by an indescribable focus. “My wife will make them for me.”

Muffled gasps and quiet laughter rippled through the crowd.

The smile on Lin Qian’s face froze instantly. Her hands, holding the pastry box, hovered awkwardly in mid-air, unsure whether to move forward or pull back.

Following Lu Xiao’s gaze, she saw Su Tang standing next to Zhang Cui, looking equally stunned.

She had heard that Lu Xiao got married and that his city-bred wife had come to the Northwest.

She’d also heard the wife was very beautiful and now worked at the hospital.

Lin Qian clutched the tin box tightly, staring at Su Tang.

The looks she was so proud of seemed like mere child’s play in front of Su Tang.

Even without makeup, Su Tang was gorgeous. She had a natural, structural beauty that Lin Qian couldn’t compare to.

Lu Xiao no longer looked at Lin Qian. He parted the crowd and strode directly to Su Tang.

His tall figure cast a shadow over her, bringing with it a familiar scent.

Su Tang’s heart, betraying her, began to beat faster.

Lu Xiao looked down at her, pulled something from his pocket, and stuffed it directly into her hand.

It was cool to the touch, with the feel of metal.

Su Tang looked down and saw it was a brand-new, bright silver Hero-brand fountain pen.

In this era, this was definitely a rare and valuable item.

“For you.”

Lu Xiao’s voice was deep, betraying no emotion.

“You can use it for work. Congratulations on finding a job.”

Without waiting for Su Tang’s reaction, he turned and strode away, his departure swift and decisive.

Su Tang clutched the heavy fountain pen, her fingertips seeming to still hold the fleeting warmth from when he had pressed it into her hand.

She looked up and met Lin Qian’s eyes, which were practically shooting fire.

“Sister, let’s go,” Su Tang said to Zhang Cui. “The silverberries I picked before are all ripe. I’ll make you some silverberry oil cakes.”

Su Tang calmly put the pen away, the slight tilt of her eyes a clear declaration of her claim.

’This Lu Xiao is pretty great. He knows how to get rid of his own admirers.’

Zhang Cui looked at the shiny pen, tsk-tsked, and nudged Su Tang’s shoulder teasingly. “Not bad, girl! Brother Lu’s gift is way more practical than a box of pastries.”

“Come on, come on, hurry up and let me and Mai Sui taste your cooking.”

A round of good-natured laughter erupted from the crowd.

Lin Qian’s eyes reddened. She turned and ran off.

Zhang Cui twisted her head to glance at her retreating back.

“You know, this Lin Qian is really something. Before you even came to the Northwest, Lu Xiao had already given out wedding candy to all the families. She took it with her own hands, and now she’s just looking for trouble.”

Hearing Zhang Cui’s words, Su Tang lowered her head and smiled. “She was betting that Lu Xiao doesn’t like me.”

To put it bluntly, given Lu Xiao’s current status, even if he were divorced, there would still be plenty of women wanting to marry him.

Whether it’s Zheng Jinxin or Lin Qian, isn’t that what they’re after?

’I didn’t realize this man was such a hot commodity.’

’Did I accidentally stumble upon a treasure?’

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep