DSMIS CH59

Chapter 59: Captain Jiang Publicly Outed Him

Seeing Liu Xiaohu’s reaction, Shen Xing couldn’t care less about anything else. For many comatose patients, awakening often required a sudden catalyst or an emotional trigger. Now that Liu Xiaohu was visibly receiving signals, Shen Xing frantically signaled to Jiang Lin with his hands, his meaning crystal clear: Hurry, add more fuel to the fire!

Equally gripped by uncontrollable nervous tension, Jiang Lin leaned close to the bedside and blurted out, raw and unfiltered:

“I fell in love with a man.”

Sure enough, the reaction from the person in the bed became even more pronounced, the slit between his eyelids parting wider. Throwing all caution to the wind, Jiang Lin spilled everything in a rapid-fire torrent:

“He’s a doctor named Shen Xing. Incredibly talented, utterly brilliant. Truth be told, you have my boyfriend to thank for where you are today. He’s the one who pulled strings to get a neurosurgeon from Capital Hospital. Otherwise, you’d still be rotting away in the back wing of Fulan County Hospital right now.”

Not only did this statement shock the person in the bed into snapping his eyes wide open, but it also stunned Xu Huai—who had just wrapped up morning rounds and arrived at the door—into staring with his eyes nearly bugging out of his head. He never could have anticipated walking straight into such a massive scoop the moment he stepped up!

Shen Xing was staring intently at Liu Xiaohu. The instant the boy’s eyes fluttered open, Shen Xing experienced, for the very first time in his life, just how boundless human curiosity was, and how terrifyingly potent the power of gossip could be:

“He opened his eyes! He really opened his eyes! Wait here, I’ll go get my senior brother—”

He spun around to head out, only to collide face-to-face with Xu Huai, frozen in the doorway. Realization slammed into Shen Xing like a freight train, and a wave of pure embarrassment surged from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head. Holy crap, Captain Jiang just outed him right on the spot!

Tugging the corner of his mouth into a strained, awkward grin, he forced himself to speak:

“Senior Brother… uh, he opened his eyes.”

As a seasoned veteran of the hospital wards, Deputy Director Xu had seen his fair share of the world. He instinctively adjusted his white coat, smoothly pulled the pen from his breast pocket, clicked it back in, and fully recomposed his professional demeanor:

“Let me see.”

Liu Xiaohu’s eyes were indeed open, though his gaze was still somewhat dull and unfocused, staring blankly up at the ceiling. Xu Huai turned to Jiang Lin:

“Stand directly in his line of sight and keep talking to him. See if his gaze tracks you.”

Jiang Lin did as instructed, while Shen Xing simply scooped Heibao up in his arms to hold him in Xiaohu’s view. The moment he clearly saw the person in the bed, Heibao became wildly agitated, thrashing and lunging forward; Shen Xing had to use all his strength just to restrain him.

As Heibao squirmed and let out eager, whining whimpers, Liu Xiaohu’s eyes moved. Though sluggish and stiff, his gaze was unquestionably tracking Heibao. His lips trembled, and while no sound came out, the rims of his eyes flushed a deep red, his entire frame visibly shaking with emotion.

The sight sent a sharp ache through Jiang Lin’s chest. During that catastrophic operation, Heibao had thrown his body in front of Liu Xiaohu, and Xiaohu had never woken up afterward. Perhaps only at this very moment did he realize that Heibao had survived. Jiang Lin brushed his hand through the fur on Heibao’s lower belly, speaking to the man in the bed without pause:

“Heibao took a bullet for you, but luckily he had surgery. They had to remove his spleen, but he survived. He’s retired now. Look at him—he’s recovered so well. He can run, he can jump, he eats and drinks like a champ. Just a while ago, he even cracked another major case and earned a merit…”

It was the first time Shen Xing had ever seen Captain Jiang this talkative, rambling on about every detail, large and small. It wasn’t until Liu Xiaohu’s eyes drifted shut again that Jiang Lin paused, a flash of panic crossing his features:

“Doctor, how is he?”

“Don’t worry,” Xu Huai reassured him. “The initial emergence doesn’t last long. Li Chang, gather the team. Order a repeat EEG, a head CT, an electromyogram, and nerve conduction velocity testing.”

A medical team swiftly wheeled Liu Xiaohu out of the room. Before leaving, Xu Huai didn’t forget to give Shen Xing a playful, knowing pat on the shoulder. No wonder, he thought. No wonder Shen Xing flew across the country to Beijing the moment he received a single phone call yesterday. Turns out he was so devoted for this reason.

Feeling completely seen through, Shen Xing’s face flamed bright red.

Liu Xiaohu was shuttled between diagnostic suites all morning. Neither Shen Xing nor Jiang Lin strayed far, eventually ducking into a small noodle shop outside the hospital at lunchtime to order bowls of zhajiangmian. They had simply intended to grab a quick bite, but the flavor turned out to be remarkably authentic.

Shen Xing’s eyes lit up:

“Not bad! This is really good. By the way, what time do Auntie Shulan and her nephew arrive?”

“Their flight lands in Beijing around 2:50 PM. By the time they make it to the hospital, it’ll be evening. Liu Xiaohu’s test results should be out by then.”

Speaking of test results, Shen Xing looked up at Jiang Lin. His persistent anemia hadn’t shown much improvement; for a condition like that, aside from steady dietary nourishment and waiting for the body to regenerate on its own, there were few shortcuts.

However, during his last cardiac panel, Jiang Lin had shown signs of myocardial ischemia. While his myocardial enzymes had improved slightly over the past two months, the progress was minimal. Although it wasn’t overly severe and didn’t noticeably impede his daily life, it was still an issue involving the heart. Shen Xing had originally planned to consult a colleague back home.

Now that they were in Beijing, he was suddenly reminded of an old friend: Xu Yi, his former master’s program roommate with whom he had shared a dorm for over a year, who was now a cardiac surgeon at the Affiliated Hospital of Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. Having him take a look would be perfect.

Moreover, Shen Xing suddenly recalled the past rumors surrounding Xu Yi and the towering giant of cardiac surgery, Gu Yan. Back then, he hadn’t given it much thought, but now that he had inexplicably bent the rainbow himself, he was genuinely eager to catch up with Xu Yi and share notes.

Cao Shulan arrived at the hospital shortly past 6:00 PM. Her leg was recovering well; at home, she could already walk without forearm crutches, though she still relied on them for longer distances, wielding them with seasoned proficiency. Shen Xing and Jiang Lin chose not to crowd into the ward this time, remaining outside the door and listening to the choked, tearful cries of joy echoing from within.

That evening, Shen Xing treated Xu Huai to dinner alone, while Jiang Lin stayed behind to help settle Cao Shulan and her nephew.

Shen Xing and Xu Huai sat in a private booth at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Under Xu Huai’s intensely probing gaze, Shen Xing’s scalp prickled with embarrassment:

“Senior Brother…”

“So… you two? When did this happen?”

“Just during this mission to Yunnan. It was quite a coincidence, honestly…”

Shen Xing summarized their meeting in a few concise sentences, leaving Xu Huai dumbfounded:

“Your real life is more dramatic than a novel.”

Friendships forged in medical school ran deep; even after a long absence, a single shared meal could reignite the camaraderie. And whenever old classmates reunited, gossiping about their peers was practically a mandatory agenda item. The conversation inevitably drifted toward Xu Yi, and the dormant gossip enthusiast in Shen Xing’s soul flared to life:

“Did Xu Yi really end up with Gu Yan?”

Wrapping a piece of grilled meat in lettuce, Xu Huai looked up:

“Is your house running on a 2G network? That’s an open secret by now. You’re only finding out today?”

“I only heard faint rumors back then! Later, I heard Gu Yan left the university affiliate, so I assumed the whole thing had fizzled out.”

Xu Huai wagged a finger:

“Quite the contrary! Think about it: same hospital, same department, one a legendary titan of the field, the other a rising star. If they stayed together under the same roof, what would people whisper? No matter how hard Xu Yi worked, whenever an opportunity fell into his lap, who wouldn’t assume Gu Yan was playing favorites? Gu Yan leaving actually cleared away all the obstacles keeping them apart.”

Now it was Shen Xing’s turn to stare in disbelief:

“Wait… the hospital actually agreed to let him go?”

Gu Yan was a living, breathing billboard for the hospital. Trading away an industry giant for a young surgeon—if Shen Xing were the hospital president, he would never have agreed to such a losing deal.

Xu Huai popped the lettuce wrap into his mouth, swallowed, chased it with a sip of tea, and spoke with undisguised admiration:

“That’s Gu Yan we’re talking about. Back during his master’s studies, when his mentor tried to take his research credits and hand them to a senior student, Gu Yan had the guts to cut ties with the mentor on the spot. He went abroad for five years and staged a triumphant return worthy of Consort Xi reclaiming the palace—a legendary figure among legends.

Word has it that before leaving, he pulled in a massive round of research funding for one of the hospital’s key laboratories. Plus, Xu Yi is far from a pushover himself; he’s practically a spitting image of Gu Yan from ten years ago. So, the hospital leadership had no choice but to accept it.”

This meal certainly hadn’t gone to waste; Shen Xing returned with an entire harvest of elite hospital gossip.

Returning to the pet-friendly hotel that night, Shen Xing picked up Qianjin and brought him up to the room, finding Jiang Lin already back. The slightly wilted Samoyed let out an affectionate whimper upon seeing Heibao. Heibao wagged his tail and trotted over, nuzzling Qianjin’s nose with unusual excitement. Qianjin buried his face in the shepherd’s neck, and within moments, the two dogs had tangled into a single fluffy knot.

Shen Xing gave his silly dog’s rear a light swat before stepping inside. Jiang Lin reached out and pulled him directly onto his lap. Shen Xing jolted upright in alarm:

“Have you lost your mind?! Can that leg support my weight?”

Jiang Lin tapped his right thigh:

“This one can. Come here.”

Shen Xing smiled, obliging Captain Jiang’s request by perching on his good leg and looping his arms around his neck. Jiang Lin wrapped an arm securely around his waist, asking with a hint of concern:

“Did your senior brother find out because of what I said earlier?”

Shen Xing nodded:

“He knows. You basically outed me in broad daylight.”

Jiang Lin felt a pang of flustered guilt. In the heat of the moment, he hadn’t noticed anyone standing in the doorway. Their relationship hadn’t been made public, and he didn’t know how Shen Xing felt about being outed. Afraid he had caused trouble for him, he stammered:

“I’m sorry, I—”

Before he could finish, Shen Xing playfully tugged at the hair at the back of his neck:

“What are you apologizing for? If he knows, he knows. It’s not like I planned on keeping this an underground affair forever. Besides, it’s not as if my Captain Jiang is someone to be ashamed of. By the way, did you get Auntie Shulan settled? Are they staying in Beijing long-term this time?”

Jiang Lin nodded:

“Yes. With such strong hopes of Xiaohu waking up, there’s no way she’s leaving. Her nephew is helping her rent a small apartment near the hospital.”

Shen Xing paused:

“Rent near this hospital isn’t cheap.”

“No, it isn’t. I called our department today; in cases like this, there’s a possibility of securing subsidized municipal housing. We should hear back soon. Her nephew runs his own business, so he’ll stay here to look after her for a while.”

Shen Xing glanced toward Qianjin, who was currently draped across Heibao’s belly like a pancake, and asked softly:

“Then… does Heibao have to stay behind this time?”

Truthfully, Shen Xing couldn’t bear the thought. Beyond how desperately attached Qianjin was to Heibao, Shen Xing himself had grown accustomed to having both furballs around the house. Yet he knew how vital Heibao’s presence was to Liu Xiaohu’s recovery. Jiang Lin looked over at Heibao as well:

“Keeping Heibao here would definitely help Xiaohu. But Auntie Shulan can barely manage her own daily needs right now; taking care of Heibao would be far too much for her. I plan to take him back with us first, and then fly to Beijing with him once a week to visit Xiaohu. It’s just… I barely have enough time to spend with you as it is. With this, I’ll have even less time for you.”

Shen Xing felt Jiang Lin’s grip on his waist tighten. Needless to say, Captain Jiang was drowning in guilt and insecurity. Shen Xing broke into a sudden smile:

“Am I some kind of clingy little boyfriend? We live under the same roof; missing out on a couple of weekend days isn’t going to kill us. Besides, we’re not strapped for airfare. Even if I can’t come with you every single week, coming every other week is no problem at all.

If we travel together, we can take turns driving to the airport. Otherwise, I wouldn’t feel comfortable letting you drive back and forth all that way on your own. Besides, I love copper-pot mutton—how could Fulan County ever compete with authentic Beijing hot pot?”

Shen Xing and Jiang Lin booked their return flight for Sunday afternoon. On Sunday morning, Jiang Lin took Director Shen out for an authentic, traditional copper-pot instant-boiled mutton feast.

The weekend had been too hectic for Shen Xing to arrange an in-person meeting with Xu Yi. After returning to Fulan County, he picked an evening to call him directly. Having lived in the same dorm for over a year, there was no awkward distance between them. After exchanging quick pleasantries, Shen Xing cut straight to the chase:

“Lord Xu, I have a cardiac panel here that I need you to review. Oh, and if you aren’t completely sure, I’ll have to trouble you to pull some strings and get me a consultation slot with Professor Gu.”

Xu Yi answered the phone right after wrapping up night rounds. Hearing this, he laughed:

“I knew you wouldn’t call unless you needed something. Send it over, I’ll look at it now.”

Seeing Shen Xing call so late at night with such guarded phrasing, Xu Yi assumed he had encountered some rare, complex cardiovascular anomaly during his rural mission. He opened the file with rapt attention, only for his expression to turn completely deadpan after reviewing it:

“Are you out of your mind, Shen Xing? It’s just myocardial ischemia! For this, you want me to pull strings for Professor Gu’s clinic? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get an appointment with Professor Gu?”

The quip ‘Is it harder to pull strings with him, or harder to get the appointment?’ was forced back down Shen Xing’s throat. He explained:

“Look at the rest of the file. He suffered severe trauma with massive acute hemorrhage in the past, and he has persistent anemia. The myocardial ischemia has been very slow to improve. Is there any good way to manage this?”

Xu Yi looked at the subsequent medical history sheets, his brow furrowing slightly:

“Is this your patient?”

“My partner.”

Xu Yi nearly choked on the mouthful of water he had just taken, hurriedly flipping back to the first page of the chart. Sex: Male.

“Wait… you… when did this happen?!”

“During my mission to Yunnan. Alright, if you want the juicy details, you’ll have to trade me some gossip of your own.”

Xu Yi laughed in exasperation. He thoroughly reviewed the records, noting the hospital listed on the paperwork, and easily deduced Jiang Lin’s likely line of work:

“From what I can see, the acute massive hemorrhage led to insufficient coronary artery perfusion, which subsequently caused myocardial ischemia and an oxygen supply-demand imbalance. It’s essentially a mid-to-long-term complication of the acute blood loss.

The imaging actually shows no significant abnormalities, and there’s no left ventricular dysfunction. He doesn’t need medication to prevent myocardial remodeling, and his blood lipids are completely normal. In my opinion, he doesn’t need pharmaceutical intervention right now.

This type of condition simply requires daily lifestyle adjustments and regular follow-ups, giving his heart and body time to recuperate naturally. He could also take some traditional Chinese herbal medicine to regulate his system. If you were in Beijing, I could recommend an excellent physician.”

Only after hanging up did Shen Xing’s mind finally settle at ease.

April slipped past in the blink of an eye. On the final day of the month, Shen Xing performed his very first total knee replacement surgery since arriving at Fulan County Hospital.

It was nearly 8:00 PM when he finally emerged from the operating room. Sure enough, Captain Jiang was waiting outside the surgical doors, holding up a freshly arrived bag of KFC takeout with a gentle smile.

After briefing the patient’s family, Shen Xing dragged Jiang Lin back to his office, opening the takeout containers:

“Did the surgery go smoothly?”

Shen Xing took a huge bite of his burger, chewing as he spoke:

“Yeah, pretty smooth. But I’ll need to closely monitor this patient’s vitals and recovery over the weekend, so I won’t be able to fly to Beijing with you this time.”

“It’s fine. I can go alone.”

Once finished eating, exhaustion hit Shen Xing like a wave. He wasn’t on night duty, so he was chauffeured home on Captain Jiang’s pink electric moped. He didn’t forget his boarding ritual—tapping Jiang Lin’s pink helmet with a crisp command:

“Giddyup!”

Jiang Lin, utterly helpless against him, ferried him safely home.

Shen Xing had stayed up late the previous night reviewing the department’s weekly training modules, followed by a packed morning clinic and an afternoon surgery. After showering, he yawned non-stop, climbing into bed and clinging to Captain Jiang exactly like Qianjin clinging to Heibao, murmuring sleepily:

“I want the sesame paste flatbread from that hot pot place we went to… and the braised beef from the shop next door to it.

Oh, and bring back a jar of their ’28-sauce’ too, so we can make our own hot pot at home next week…”

His voice grew softer and softer until it faded into quiet breathing. Jiang Lin held him close, pressing a tender kiss to his forehead:

“Alright. I’ll buy it all for you. Go to sleep.”