"Why are you starting the serialization again?" Mizukui sat in the visitor's chair next to the bed, picking up the manuscript and starting to flip through it. She flipped the pages slowly, her gaze moving with each turn of the page, reading very carefully.
"Mizukui, you're not secretly my fan, are you?" Bai Chuanxia teased. When he first showed her the Bleach manuscript, Mizukui had called it something only a chuunibyou (eighth-grader syndrome sufferer) would like.
"I'm reviewing the manuscript," Mizukui said seriously. If one only looked at her expression, they would actually believe her. Bai Chuanxia wanted to learn her expression control—wearing a cool, mature sister expression while carefully reading what she called "late-stage chuunibyou manga." If I'm not embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to others.
Mizukui spent half an hour flipping through the sixty-three pages. Only when she reached the last page did she close the manuscript, flatten it with her hand, and carefully place it inside the envelope used for storing drawings. After finishing, she turned to Bai Chuanxia. "I want to talk about the commission from yesterday."
Bai Chuanxia knew she meant the request to investigate Hashimoto Arina. But at the mention of the "commission," his mind involuntarily flashed to the strange sensation of being enveloped: warm, wet, wriggling, viscous, intimate, and... intense pain.
"It's not about the oral thing. I didn't study after I went home last night." Mizukui was completely open, making it seem like no big deal. "Why do you want to date Hashimoto Arina?"
Bai Chuanxia was taken aback. He couldn't say it was because of the APP, so he tried to come up with an excuse.
"I initially thought it was because that woman's gentleness gave you unrealistic fantasies," Mizukui preempted his response, cutting off his reason. "But after thinking it over carefully last night, I don't think that's the case." She leaned forward, her expression serious, making direct eye contact with Bai Chuanxia. "You're not the type of guy who would accept another woman's oral sex with a clear conscience if you truly liked a girl. So, what's your reason, exactly?"
"Do you think I have emotional cleanliness issues?" Bai Chuanxia gave a strained laugh. He hadn't expected his childhood friend's intuition to be so sharp, detecting an issue just from a few clues. One lie requires countless lies to cover it up, and Mizukui's gaze held an invisible pressure. His face remained calm, but his heart was pounding. It was hard to come up with a suitable reason on the spot.
"If you don't want to say, forget it," Mizukui suddenly straightened up, the pressure instantly vanishing. "Sometimes, a man doesn't need many reasons to want to do something."
"I want to date her seriously," Bai Chuanxia stated. Even without the APP, Hashimoto Arina's outward strength, gentleness, understanding, and the hidden playfulness and protective vulnerability he saw on their date, all drew him in.
"I'll continue to help you investigate her," Mizukui said, picking up the manuscript. Then, she added seriously, "But you need to be mentally prepared. That woman is not as pure and flawless as she seems."
Bai Chuanxia frowned. Hashimoto Arina had given him the feeling of carrying a great burden during their date yesterday, which concerned him. "Why do you say that? You just started investigating yesterday. Did you find information that quickly?"
"The director of this hospital has a daughter, 19 years old, studying at Tokyo Medical College," Mizukui said.
"Is she related to Hashimoto Arina?" Bai Chuanxia's mind started conjuring dramatic, evening-soap-opera scenarios.
"No," Mizukui shrugged. "I charmed her last night, and she told me some rumors about Hashimoto Arina. Most of it is just hearsay and exaggeration."
"But there's no smoke without fire. I'll let you know once I confirm the truth."
Mizukui stood up, waved her hand at him, and left with a flourish. Bai Chuanxia watched her retreating figure, a torrent of unspoken commentary in his mind. She totally nailed the dramatic exit.This amazing APP found the wrong host. If it were on Mizukui's phone, she'd be unstoppable.
As for the rumors about Hashimoto Arina, he wasn't worried. Reality wasn't a Korean drama where a couple could break up and reconcile over a misunderstanding for several episodes. Mature adults quietly observe the truth before drawing conclusions. Given Mizukui's combat effectiveness, it wouldn't be surprising if she came back soon and told him she had charmed all the attractive doctors and young nurses in the entire hospital to get firsthand information.
"Don't waste precious energy on meaningless things." Bai Chuanxia picked up his brush and manuscript, found a comfortable position on the bed, and started drawing rapidly. His illness, while bringing him pain, also gave him superhuman endurance. After accepting the pain, his willpower became stronger, allowing him to focus entirely and quickly enter a state of flow. There was a reason why many classic authors completed their masterpieces while afflicted with disease.
He drew until the evening, when the sunset cast a red veil over the sky, and was interrupted by a call from Mizukui, who had taken his manuscript.
"A fan meeting? I have to hold a press conference to apologize for the long hiatus!" Bai Chuanxia said righteously. "I stopped updating because of my own skill. Why should I apologize? I'm not going! Absolutely not! If they have a problem, tell them not to publish!" Bai Chuanxia finished and hung up the phone.
"Pfft." A soft laugh suddenly came from nearby.
It was Hashimoto Arina. She was in her doctor's uniform, holding a lunch box, standing by the bed. She had entered while he was on the phone and heard his entire conversation with Mizukui. After Bai Chuanxia hung up, Hashimoto Arina gently tapped his head with her hand, chiding him.
"Honestly, you're the one who was wrong, but you talk so righteously. You should apologize to your fans."
"I don't have fans," Bai Chuanxia shrugged. "They're all just antis."
"Besides, manga readers are actually easy to satisfy. They care more about the quality of the manga than the wait. As long as the story is exciting enough, they'll still curse the author, but their bodies will be honest and they'll pay to read it."
"So many skewed arguments," Hashimoto Arina said with an expression that showed she was defeated by his logic. She handed him the lunch box. "Here, your dinner."
"Ooh, Arina-sis's love-filled bento?" Bai Chuanxia looked thrilled, placing the lunch box on the bedside table, his eyes shining. "Arina-sis is too versatile! Are you a perfect heroine from a manga? Pretty, successful at work, and good at housework?"
"Smooth talker." Hashimoto Arina reached to rub his head. "Hurry up and eat. We still have time to go for a walk outside tonight."
"Mmm." Bai Chuanxia was tired of hospital food and felt the excitement of opening a mystery box. The lunch box was slowly opened. When Bai Chuanxia saw the dishes, he kept his smile, closed the box, and then opened it again.
"Stop looking and eat!" Hashimoto Arina's face was slightly red. "This is a nutritious dinner. I mainly focused on balanced nutrition and pairing."
"I've received your thoughtfulness, Arina-sis," Bai Chuanxia picked up his chopsticks and started shoveling food into his mouth. Hashimoto Arina held her hair back with one hand, constantly stealing glances at his expression, clearly caring about his critique.
"I'm full," Bai Chuanxia said, putting down his chopsticks, his expression content.
"How was it? Did you like it?" Hashimoto Arina turned her head away, not daring to look at his expression, her voice small.
Bai Chuanxia didn't answer immediately. He took a moment to organize his words, then complimented her in a highly emotionally intelligent way. "It melts in your mouth, it's light and healthy. And mixing the rice and dishes together fundamentally solves the problem of picky eating."
"Pfft..." Hashimoto Arina burst into laughter, covering her mouth, and chided him. "Nonsense." Though she was scolding him, her face was beaming with happiness.
Hashimoto Arina packed up the lunch box and helped him out of the ward. It was evening, and patients who were able to walk would take this time to stroll outside. The two walked side-by-side, maintaining a bit of distance because they were in the hospital. In reality, the attending physician wouldn't walk with patients; that was the nursing staff's job. However, no one suspected them of having an inappropriate relationship. One was a cheerful, pretty, mature female doctor, and the other was a thin, weak young man. In the eyes of others, any flirtation was impossible; they would only assume Dr. Hashimoto Arina was being kind and gentle, caring for a bedridden child. Bai Chuanxia wasn't short; he was 178cm tall, but he looked frail from being bedridden for so long.
Along the way, Hashimoto Arina greeted patients and their families enthusiastically. She raised her hand, smiling, and waved to an old man.
"Be careful, Arina-sis," Bai Chuanxia suddenly said. He saw a small stone under Hashimoto Arina's foot. She was busy waving and hadn't noticed. Bai Chuanxia spoke too late. The tip of Hashimoto Arina's high heel landed on the stone. Her body instantly lost balance and tilted backward.
Bai Chuanxia reacted quickly. As he spoke, he stepped forward, stood behind her, and reached out to catch her.
"Ah!" Hashimoto Arina cried out, only to feel her body lean against a solid, strong embrace. Bai Chuanxia stumbled but quickly pressed his right foot back for support, catching her with both hands.
Softness entered his arms. Only when he hugged her, pressing through her clothes to feel her body, did he realize Hashimoto Arina's inherent delicacy. Time seemed to pause for a moment, and the feeling was shared only between them.
Hashimoto Arina hastily pulled away, adjusting her uniform. "Xia, that was surprisingly reassuring."
"Of course, I'm a man," Bai Chuanxia said, flexing his arm. Hashimoto Arina was about 170cm tall, and her uniform heels and the way her chest pushed the white coat out made her seem large. In reality, hugging her revealed a unique feminine slenderness.
Hashimoto Arina smiled, opening her mouth to speak, but a young nurse suddenly ran up. She called out to Hashimoto Arina: "Dr. Arina, there's a handsome man with long hair looking for you at the hospital entrance."