Gloves - Chapter 14

After those words were spoken, Yi Heng immediately regretted it. He stood frozen in place, the veins on his hand popping out in protest. The air in the room became heavy, and he could clearly hear An Chujie’s rapid breathing and her suppressed sobbing.

Yi Heng looked at his beloved girl, huddled up and folding her frail body, her narrow shoulders trembling uncontrollably. He wanted to go over and hold her, but she seemed more like a crumpled piece of delicate paper that could tear apart at any moment.

“Chujie, I’m sorry,” the person speaking didn’t receive any response. An Chujie shook her head. Yi Heng wasn’t wrong, he didn’t need to apologize.

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“You all listen up,” Xu Yuer announced, holding the microphone and standing in the center. “Today, we all have one goal, and that is to bring down Director Shang! Let’s do it!”

“Let’s do it!” Everyone raised their glasses and cheered. It was a rare opportunity to overthrow their boss, who had been intimidating and pressuring them for years. Everyone was excited and nervous, except for Tu Yi and Yang Yiluo, who sat in a corner.

“Is that the newly transferred doctor?” Yang Yiluo looked at the woman with the microphone, exuding a bit of arrogance.

“Hmph, isn’t it? A brainless woman with big breasts. All the nutrients her brain needs have been absorbed by her chest!” Tu Yi rolled his eyes at Xu Yuer.

“You let yourself be bullied by someone like her?” Yang Yiluo couldn’t believe it. The last time Tu Yi came home with red eyes and cursed the doctor, it was this arrogant girl.

“If it weren’t for her good relationship with Director Shang, I would have cursed her so badly that she would want to crawl back into her mother’s womb immediately,” Yang Yiluo said, unable to help but laugh at Tu Yi’s frustrated expression.

“Alright, no worries. Watch how I handle her later,” Yang Yiluo said confidently, propping her leg up with a smirk.

The lively crowd suddenly turned their attention to one spot as the door to the private room was pushed open. A tall woman walked in, her height requiring her to lower her head when entering. She was wearing cropped trousers that reached almost to her calves, and yet she still exposed her perfect ankles with high-heeled shoes. Her high-quality cardigan and small suit made her look exceptionally sharp. Her golden hair made her stand out, and her three-dimensional facial features exuded an air of disdain for everything. The custom-made handbag in her hand revealed her high-end fashion sense, and the pair of pristine white gloves kept others at a distance. All in all, she was unquestionably the queen.

“Is she a model from a magazine?” Yang Yiluo raised her head and unknowingly rested her foot on Tu Yi’s leg. Her reaction to seeing Shang Zhuoxi was similar to the first time Tu Yi saw her in person.

“Oh, come on, Yang Yiluo. You can’t even close your legs when you see a beautiful woman’s legs!” Tu Yi pushed Yang Yiluo’s foot away with disdain.

“What do you want to eat or drink? Feel free to order whatever you like. I hope everyone has a good time,” Shang Zhuoxi said, breaking the silence and bringing back the lively atmosphere.

“Zhuoxi, why are you just arriving now?” Xu Yuer immediately walked over, linking her arm with Shang Zhuoxi’s and pulling her to sit next to her. There were very few people in the hospital who dared to get so close to their director, let alone touch her. But Xu Yuer could, thanks to everyone’s constant indulgence towards her.

“Tsk tsk, Big Wave Sister is quite proactive,” Yang Yiluo looked at Xu Yuer and shook her head.

After a while, everyone loosened up. Following the plan, they all went to toast Shang Zhuoxi. Boxes of alcohol were opened on the floor and tables. They didn’t know how long they had been playing, but seeing that Shang Zhuoxi was still not drunk, Xu Yuer started to get anxious. She quickly said, “I’ll sing a song. Director Shang, can you drink three glasses?”

“Okay!” Everyone cheered once again. Shang Zhuoxi had already been to the restroom several times, but in order to not dampen everyone’s spirits, she continued to smile and accompany them.

If everyone was like this, Director Shang wouldn’t be able to handle it and would end up getting drunk. Tu Yi couldn’t just stand by and watch Director Shang being targeted. That would be too cruel. His good sister and ally naturally stood with him. Yang Yiluo understood the feeling of being forcefully fed alcohol. She remembered when it happened to her, there were even more people involved. Now, Yang Yiluo filled her glass to the brim and gracefully stood up, walking towards Xu Yuer.

“Beauty, I don’t think you know me, but your voice has captivated me. This glass is for you,” Yang Yiluo looked sincerely at Xu Yuer, took a glass from the coffee table behind her, and handed it to her. Xu Yuer didn’t expect to be praised and happily took the glass, taking a small sip. But when she looked at the red-haired woman in front of her, she realized that she didn’t intend to leave. Instead, she stared at the glass in Xu Yuer’s hand. Xu Yuer could only awkwardly smile and down the remaining liquid in one gulp. It was a drinking experience she had never had before, and Xu Yuer’s scalp tingled as her eyebrows furrowed. Yang Yiluo looked at her scrunched-up face and finally walked away, satisfied.

“I finished singing, now it’s Director Shang’s turn, three glasses for her,” Xu Yuer quickly shifted her focus to Shang Zhuoxi. But when she turned around, she saw Tu Yi standing in front of Shang Zhuoxi, who promptly downed the three fiery shots without hesitation.

“I’ll drink these three glasses on behalf of Director Shang. Thank you, First Hospital, for taking me in, and thank you, Director Shang, for nurturing me. In the future, I will definitely become the… second beautiful flower in our hospital,” Tu Yi said, winking at Shang Zhuoxi, causing everyone to burst into laughter. “Next, I want to express my gratitude to the singer, this beautiful lady. I think all the nurses present should thank her. Thank her for testing our ‘work abilities’ and improving our ‘decision-making skills.’ Come on, Dr. Xu, this glass is for you,” Tu Yi said with a smile, raising his glass and gesturing to the girls in the duty room. Everyone thought about the pressure they had experienced from this young and ambitious doctor during this period of time, and their raised hands turned towards Xu Yuer. Doctors and nurses from other departments also raised their glasses, enjoying the spectacle. Just as Xu Yuer felt helpless, Shang Zhuoxi stood up.

“Yu’er is someone I brought to the hospital. She’s a great doctor, but she’s not good at drinking. I’ll take two shots for her,” Shang Zhuoxi said, tilting her head back and letting the liquid glide down her throat. A slight dizziness washed over Shang Zhuoxi’s brain, but she quickly regained her composure. Feeling protected, Xu Yuer gave Tu Yi a smug smile.

Shang Zhuoxi realized that she definitely couldn’t drive home tonight, so she quickly sent a message to An Chujie in the restroom.

Because An Chujie was still recovering from a cold and had been practicing the piano for a long time, she was feeling more tired than usual. Just as she was about to fall asleep, her phone vibrated and woke her up. Rubbing her eyes, she opened the screen and saw Shang Zhuoxi’s message, saying that she needed her right now. Without hesitation, An Chujie got up, threw on a random cashmere coat, and went to the place Shang Zhuoxi mentioned because she said she needed her.

An Chujie was no stranger to this kind of situation. Walking through the long, dimly lit corridor, she found the designated location. Carefully pushing the door open, she immediately spotted Shang Zhuoxi sitting in the middle, surrounded by people. Shang Zhuoxi had her arm around a girl’s shoulder, and An Chujie couldn’t hear what they were saying. Everyone turned their gaze towards An Chujie, except for those two. An Chujie stood at the doorway, her hand on the doorknob, feeling awkward.

“Oh! Isn’t this my little pity?” Tu Yi exclaimed happily and surprised, rushing towards An Chujie to rescue her from the awkwardness. Everyone curiously stared at the girl’s inconvenienced left leg, but An Chujie’s eyes were fixed on the expressionless person. Shang Zhuoxi could see the timid look in An Chujie’s eyes.

“This is a good friend of mine and Director Shang,” Tu Yi tightly held An Chujie’s cold hand. He could sense her unease. At that moment, He Li also stood up, smiling as she walked towards An Chujie. Soon, the people from their duty room also stood up.

“Don’t forget about us, okay?” The presence of this group of people made An Chujie feel much more at ease.

An Chujie looked at the numerous bottles on the coffee table and on the floor, and her heart tightened. Goodness, how much did they make her drink?

“How come I didn’t know you had another friend, Zhuoxi?” Xu Yuer’s chin rested on Shang Zhuoxi’s shoulder as she spoke. These intimate gestures were particularly noticeable, and An Chujie couldn’t understand why Shang Zhuoxi had called her here. Was it to provoke her and make fun of her? An Chujie wished she could leave right now.

Shang Zhuoxi gestured for An Chujie to sit next to her. Since she was already here, she didn’t want to embarrass Shang Zhuoxi. An Chujie obediently walked over and sat down. As soon as she sat down, she felt a force binding her waist. The scent of perfume and strong alcohol filled her nostrils. An Chujie straightened her back and dared not move.

“When did you become friends with them?” Shang Zhuoxi tilted her head towards An Chujie and whispered in a voice only they could hear. “When the drinks come, help me handle them,” she said, then let go of An Chujie’s waist.

Others might think there was something between Xu Yuer and Director Shang, but as a fan of boys’ love, Tu Yi absolutely believed that his little pity was the “main spouse.” Yang Yiluo, who was also in the industry, agreed with Tu Yi’s perspective.

“You really want to protect your little pity, don’t you? And she’s quite refreshing-looking.”
“Of course, my little pity is on a completely different level than no-brainer Xu, right? Cheers.”
“Cheers,” Yang Yiluo said with a meaningful and wicked smile.

As the night grew deeper, many people left the private room. Shang Zhuoxi leaned against An Chujie’s fluffy shoulder, and her presence always made An Chujie feel so at ease.

“Zhuoxi, why are you falling asleep? Wake up and play with me,” Xu Yuer on the other side saw Shang Zhuoxi leaning on someone else’s shoulder and was very annoyed, shaking Shang Zhuoxi’s arm impatiently.

“She’s tired. Let her rest for a while,” An Chujie said softly, looking at Xu Yuer’s furrowed brows.

“And who do you think you are?” the arrogant woman sneered.

“A friend,” just as they had said.

“Hmph!” I’m still her girlfriend, of course, this was Xu Yuer’s own inner drama.

An Chujie smiled as she dealt with the last person who came to offer a toast. With most people gone, she patted Shang Zhuoxi’s shoulder and said, “Zhuoxi, let’s go home.” Shang Zhuoxi lifted her heavy eyelids, trying to stay awake. She stood up, placing half of her weight on An Chujie’s frail body. Xu Yuer, on the side, looked at An Chujie resentfully. Why was it her and not herself that Shang Zhuoxi instinctively trusted?

“Yu’er, go home early and stay safe,” Shang Zhuoxi said, leaning close to An Chujie’s ear. “Come to your place.”

Xu Yuer was dumbfounded as she watched them leave. What was happening? It should have been her who accompanied Shang Zhuoxi home and stayed overnight at her place. How did it turn out like this?

In the taxi, Shang Zhuoxi remained silent, closing her eyes and leaning quietly against An Chujie’s embrace.

Once they arrived home, Shang Zhuoxi’s tense demeanor instantly relaxed. She took off her coat and threw it on the couch, then pulled An Chujie into her arms. It was as if she was afraid that An Chujie would disappear in the next second. There was no rudeness or discomfort. An Chujie could hear Shang Zhuoxi’s heartbeat and feel the warmth of her hair. She had forgotten how long it had been since Shang Zhuoxi had been this gentle with her. It was surprisingly unfamiliar and disorienting.

Suddenly, Shang Zhuoxi’s abdomen contracted, causing her to release An Chujie and stumble towards the bathroom. She leaned over the sink, vomiting until there was nothing left. An Chujie wiped her clean, gently stroking her swollen back, hoping to make her feel more comfortable. After a while, Shang Zhuoxi’s consciousness slowly began to recover.

“Bring me some clean clothes. I’ll take a shower,” Shang Zhuoxi said wearily, leaning her hand against her forehead.

After showering, Shang Zhuoxi went straight to An Chujie’s room and fell asleep on her bed. It seemed like Shang Zhuoxi didn’t need An Chujie’s consent for anything. An Chujie looked at the person on her bed, feeling helpless and, more than anything, concerned. She felt sorry for Shang Zhuoxi, who was feeling so miserable from drinking. However, she also felt a bit worried because Shang Zhuoxi never slept with anyone else, so she probably wouldn’t want An Chujie to sleep next to her.

At this moment, An Chujie felt her body starting to heat up. Perhaps it was because she had consumed a lot of alcohol, her throat feeling slightly uncomfortable. She was afraid her cold would worsen, so she took out the fever-reducing medicine Yi Heng had bought for her. After taking it, she grabbed a new blanket from the closet and went to sleep in the guest room for the night.