Mizukui stood up and pulled the bed curtain closed with a "swoosh," muffling the outside noise and creating a temporary private space for the two of them.
"My brother is so professional," Bai Chuanxia thought, nodding to himself. Drawing the curtain while discussing a tracking operation was a good way to prevent the conversation from being accidentally overheard.
After closing the curtain, Mizukui pulled down the zipper of her leather jacket, took it off, and tossed it casually onto the back of the chair.
"?" A question mark slowly appeared over Bai Chuanxia's head. The ward was well-ventilated and not hot. Mizukui's jacket removal revealed a T-shirt with a lion's claw-mark graphic. Due to her athletic build, her chest was quite firm. Mizukui pulled the hem of her T-shirt out of her jeans, the garment now suspended by her chest. She then reached for the button on her jeans and unfastened it. The fly snapped open, revealing black lace underwear beneath her pale skin.
"You really don't have to go to all this trouble," Bai Chuanxia tried his best to stay calm. He didn't understand the situation but was sure his good friend wouldn't suddenly turn lustful and try to force herself on him, given their different genders. He attempted to use words to figure out what was happening.
Mizukui paused with the jeans zipper halfway down. She pouted. "Virgins are so complicated." In manga and movies, things often started with kissing, but in reality, they didn't. Mizukui figured Bai Chuanxia's knowledge came from those sources, leading to a false perception of the real world. Since he would never truly date a girlfriend in this life, Mizukui couldn't be bothered to correct him. When she promised something, she wouldn't be wishy-washy.
Mizukui tied her medium-length hair back. She lifted the hospital blanket and leaned down over the bed.
Bai Chuanxia's composure finally broke, though Mizukui didn't notice his expression yet. She wasn't a professional and hadn't mastered the skill of maintaining eye contact while performing oral sex. In novels, when a beautiful woman mistakenly throws herself at the protagonist, he would always give a righteous explanation at the critical moment to increase the drama. In reality, Bai Chuanxia cooperatively raised his waist and found the sensation... very smooth.
A minute later.
"Ah!" Bai Chuanxia cried out in pain. Clenching his teeth, he suppressed a scream, his body curling up on the bed. He started to doubt his life choices.
Mizukui rinsed her mouth with water, wiped her lips with a tissue, and maintained her usual calm expression. "Sorry. Should I call a nurse? I thought it would be simple."
Bai Chuanxia endured the pain, frantically waving his hand. Only when the searing pain subsided did he speak languidly. "I remember you change girlfriends almost every month, right?"
"The anatomy of men and women is different." Mizukui fastened her jeans. Her voice paused for a moment; she seemed to feel genuinely bad for Bai Chuanxia. Zipping up her leather jacket, she said, "I'll come back and finish it for you next time." In the information age, the only thing stopping people from learning more techniques was laziness.
Mizukui finished dressing. "I'm leaving now."
"Uh, wait, hold on." Bai Chuanxia ignored the pain and quickly spoke up.
Mizukui frowned deeply. "Don't push your luck. I'm only doing this because I consider you a brother."
"No, it's not that." This time, Bai Chuanxia dared not hesitate, fearing she would misunderstand again. He spoke quickly. "I still need your help to follow Hashimoto Arina. I want to know if she has a boyfriend and get detailed information about him." He knew it was inappropriate to bring this up right after what just happened, but the constant feeling of weakness told him that time was his scarcest commodity.
Mizukui froze. The timing of this request, combined with Bai Chuanxia's earlier behavior, made her instantly realize she had completely misread his intentions. Embarrassment flashed across her face, but she maintained her cool expression and said casually, "Got it." She then pulled back the curtain and left the ward.
Bai Chuanxia watched her leave, then fully relaxed and slumped onto the hospital bed. A strange feeling arose in his heart, along with the memory of the odd sensations. It wasn't just women who cared about emotional connection; men were the same. Try to imagine: the person performing the act was a charming woman versus a cool, handsome childhood friend who was also looking at you with a look of distaste. The sensory experience was entirely different.
"This is going to be trouble," Bai Chuanxia pulled the sheet over his head. What was he supposed to do if his brother suddenly started looking cute?
In the corner of the hospital downstairs, Mizukui repeatedly hit her forehead against the wall, making loud "thudding" sounds.
"Just let me be destroyed," Mizukui mumbled, supporting her forehead with one hand. Doing something like that was completely different from doing it due to a massive misunderstanding. All she wanted now was to flee Earth.
"Hashimoto Arina," Mizukui murmured the name, casually leaning against the wall and taking out her phone to search for related information. She had run into the doctor a few times when she came to the hospital to pick up manuscripts. She instinctively disliked the cheerfully beautiful female doctor. Her enthusiasm, kindness, and gentleness would create false impressions in an inexperienced boy. Bai Chuanxia was a genius, but due to his health, he was confined to his bed. It was no surprise he fell for a woman like that when he was at his most emotionally vulnerable. The outcome was clear: they were never going to work out.
Now, her worst fears had materialized.
"That kind of universally 'nice' person—so annoying," Mizukui murmured, turning to leave the hospital.
Bai Chuanxia had no idea how much trouble his request to investigate Hashimoto Arina had caused Mizukui. He wasn't an inexperienced young man; he knew what he needed to prioritize. The Affection Level on his phone app had not decreased after the office confession failure. Instead, it had risen from 93 to 95. There was no doubt that if their circumstances were equal, they would be discussing baby names.
Bai Chuanxia wrote down the obstacles he needed to solve on his drawing board:
The perceived immorality of the doctor-patient relationship.
His terrible physical condition.
Hashimoto Arina possibly dating someone else.
If he wanted to date Hashimoto Arina and succeed, these were the urgent problems he needed to solve. Without addressing them, a relationship was impossible.
"Dr. Hashimoto, you're here." The elderly lady in the bed near the door called out.
Bai Chuanxia was startled and quickly stuffed the drawing board under his pillow. Hashimoto Arina stood at the doorway, smiling as she talked to the elderly lady, whose wrinkles bunched up from her joyful expression. After checking the old lady's chart and giving some instructions, she walked over to Bai Chuanxia's bed, hands on her hips. "You're making a mess again."
Mizukui, for convenience, had piled his manuscripts and brushes haphazardly on the nightstand. Hashimoto Arina noticed this and reached out to help him tidy up.
Bai Chuanxia had failed his confession just that morning in her office. He thought she would deliberately avoid him for the next couple of days, but here she was, in the evening, actively seeking him out. As she bent over, she tucked her long hair behind her ear. The setting sun streaming through the window illuminated her face, softening the light.
Hashimoto Arina tidied up thoroughly, clapped her hands with satisfaction, and said, "All done!" She looked up and found Bai Chuanxia staring at her face. She didn't shy away, smiling. "Am I pretty? Don't you want to praise your older sister?"
"Arina-sis's beauty is beyond description," Bai Chuanxia shrugged, offering a cheesy compliment. His attention had been focused on her large chest, which sagged naturally due to gravity when she bent over.
"Such a smooth talker." Hashimoto Arina chuckled, reaching out to playfully mess up his hair.
"Stop messing up my hair," Bai Chuanxia pushed her arm away, curious as to why she suddenly came looking for him.
Hashimoto Arina let out a soft laugh, then suddenly reached out and pulled the bed curtain closed.
Bai Chuanxia's expression was odd. Why did this scene feel so familiar?
Hashimoto Arina closed the curtain, sat down on the bed next to him, and whispered, "Xia, were you trying to confess to me in the office this morning?"
"Uh." Bai Chuanxia was stunned. She had pleaded with him not to say anything just this morning, yet in the afternoon, she was actively laying her cards on the table. Nothing was going according to the script.
Seeing his silence, Hashimoto Arina suddenly gave a radiant smile. "I finished reading the manuscript. I really like the ending for Akane Mizuno and Kotaro." She paused. "I received all the feelings you poured into it."
"But we aren't suitable," Bai Chuanxia finished the line in his head. He had seen this plot point countless times in manga and movies; it truly was a timeless classic.
"We can try dating first," Hashimoto Arina said with a smile. Her smile was beautiful, the same warm and trustworthy smile she gave to patients.
"..." Bai Chuanxia reached up and rubbed his ear, his expression strange as he looked her up and down. His gaze drifted to her chest. The shape and size confirmed it was her. Could she be developing split personality disorder? A 26-year-old, successful female doctor agreeing to the confession of an 18-year-old bedridden boy—even novels wouldn't dare write this way.
"I'm sorry, Arina-sis. I didn't hear that clearly. Could you please repeat it?" Bai Chuanxia asked with a peculiar expression.
"Hey, don't make a girl repeat something like that twice!" Hashimoto Arina pouted, pretending to be angry. "Even I have some pride."
"Uh, sorry. It's just a little confusing." Bai Chuanxia rubbed his temples, meeting her gaze. "So, Arina-sis is my girlfriend now?"
"We're just trying to date, okay?" Hashimoto Arina placed a finger on her lips. "If it works out, then I'll be your official girlfriend."
"Then can we kiss?" Bai Chuanxia asked, testing her boundaries.
Hashimoto Arina's expression instantly turned cold. "Minus ten points. You are now at negative ten points."
"That's too easy to lose points," Bai Chuanxia muttered, scratching his head. "So how do I earn points?"
"Just sleep well, and you'll earn points." Hashimoto Arina suddenly smiled, pushing him onto the bed and tucking him in.
"Alright," Bai Chuanxia lay down obediently, not moving.
"Mm." Hashimoto Arina suddenly bent down and, to Bai Chuanxia's astonishment, touched his forehead with her lips. She pulled back and said, "We'll start with the forehead."
Bai Chuanxia felt no excitement. If he wasn't mistaken, Hashimoto Arina seemed to genuinely see him as a naive boy who had been bedridden for eighteen years.