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Chapter 10 Who are you here to keep watch for?
Ji Qian poured him a cup of hot water.
When Chi Ke took the paper cup, his fingertips brushed against Ji Qian’s wrist.
Just as he expected, Ji Qian’s hand was warm—hotter than the cup itself, warming him up instantly.
He took a moment to steady himself, then sipped the water slowly, regaining his usual calm demeanor. “Dr. Ji, what are you doing here?”
“Uh…” Ji Qian hesitated before replying, “Keeping someone company. That kid next to you is my cousin.”
“It’s actually you?” Chi Ke was a little surprised—but not that surprised.
It was just like Ji Qian to be that attentive.
The concern in Ji Qian’s eyes made him slightly uncomfortable, so he forced a joke to lighten the mood. “Dressed so handsomely just to keep someone company?”
Did this guy even look like a bedside companion?
Wearing LV’s latest fall collection to visit a patient—just one glance and you could tell he was the best-dressed guy in the whole hospital. Even stray dogs passing by would probably want to come over and mark him as their territory.
“Handsome, huh? Still not as stylish as Assistant Chi,” Ji Qian played along with the joke, waiting for him to relax before tapping the nightstand twice. “Let me see your right hand and your medical record.”
Chi Ke sighed, not planning to hide anything. He relented and stretched out his hand.
Ji Qian was clearly familiar with the hospital director. When he had been making rounds at noon, he must’ve spaced out while looking at the name on Chi Ke’s bed chart. Even without asking, he could have learned about his condition from the director, his colleagues, or his cousin.
With Ji Qian’s enthusiasm and kindness, there was no way he wouldn’t get involved.
Ji Qian’s hands were too warm. When he grabbed his wrist, Chi Ke instinctively flinched away.
Ji Qian paused for a moment, said nothing, then left the room and returned with a pair of medical gloves before taking his wrist again.
This time, Chi Ke didn’t move away—but inwardly, he thought it was a shame.
That reflexive flinch was just habit. If he was being honest, the warmth felt nice.
But the guy was treating him for free—if he kept nitpicking, wouldn’t he seem too demanding?
“There’s some bleeding. I’ll change your dressing. The bruising is pretty bad. How does it feel?” Ji Qian opened a medical kit, then placed a thermometer against his lips. “Hold this in your mouth.”
“A bit swollen and sore.” Chi Ke was a cooperative patient—he didn’t make things difficult for doctors. Without a word, he obediently bit down on the thermometer.
“Good, no fever.” Ji Qian let out a breath of relief, then coaxed him in a gentle voice, as if comforting a child. “This might sting a bit. I’ll be gentle.”
Chi Ke closed his eyes indifferently and mumbled around the thermometer, “No need, I’m not afraid of pain.”
Ji Qian merely said, “Got it,” but his hands were still careful and light. The dressing change was over in no time.
“I checked your test results earlier—nothing serious. You’re still young, so try to sleep more and don’t overwork yourself.”
Every doctor said the same thing. Chi Ke was used to being scolded.
He thought Ji Qian would ask: ‘If you’re not sick, why did you get such an invasive test done?’
But even as the dawn broke, this supposedly tactless man didn’t ask a single question. Instead, he just sat silently between the two hospital beds, keeping watch throughout the night.
Chi Ke couldn’t sleep. He shut his eyes, reflecting on his own weakness—hating his nerves that brought him an inopportune nightmare and made him passively owe favors.
In this era, not only goods but also relationships came with price tags.
He resented accepting help from others. Unless absolutely necessary, he would never ask for it.
These favors had to be repaid, but when? How? That uncertainty was unsettling. Maybe Ji Qian didn’t care, but Chi Ke himself couldn’t let it go.
He had to admit it—it felt good to wake up and have someone there. Being cared for was a strange experience.
But once you experienced it, you’d start wanting more.
As long as it didn’t come at a cost.
Thinking about those future debts, he shuddered and snuffed out the tiny spark of expectation.
Forget it.
Next time he got hospitalized, he’d get a private room. If there were no vacancies, he’d just go to a private hospital. Spend more money, avoid more problems—stay prepared for the unexpected.
“Not going back to sleep?” Ji Qian poured him another cup of water. “You need to drink more.”
“Thanks.” It was useless trying to fake it—doctors could always tell. Chi Ke simply sat up. “You working?”
The nightstand was stacked with files, and his tablet was filled with densely packed data and Chinese characters. It wasn’t hard to guess that some poor overworked soul was drowning in tasks.
Ji Qian groaned, running a hand through his hair, “Yeah. The threw all the things about the hospital to me.”
“Your family’s private hospital?” Chi Ke picked up a document after getting permission.
“Shenghui Jia Medical Center… [mfn]if anyone knows, do suggest a better name for this[/mfn] This is the first one, right? Are you planning to make it a chain? What’s your market focus? Are you aiming for international expansion?”
Ji Qian stayed silent.
Chi Ke: “?”
Chi Ke frowned, “Where’s the development plan? No long-term goals? Short-term ones, at least? You’ve got money, so if you’re not worried about losing it, we can skip risk assessments—but what about operations management? Marketing strategy?”
Ji Qian remained silent.
Chi Ke: “…”
He felt suffocated. “You haven’t even analyzed how the services align with market demand?”
Ji Qian covered his face.
Chi Ke was in disbelief, “You have no plan at all?”
Ji Qian: “…”
Finally, Ji Qian awkwardly admitted, “They just gave me money, threw a hospital at me, and told me to figure it out myself.”
Chi Ke shut his eyes.
Ji Qian, worried: “Are you okay?”
Chi Ke deadpanned, “I’m having a heart attack.”
Ji Qian could tell he was being sarcastic, but still pulled out a stethoscope. “Lift your blanket.”
“…No, thanks.” Chi Ke shoved the stethoscope back into the drawer. “You don’t know anything about business management, so why didn’t your family hire someone to help you? Or at least make you learn? They’re just letting you fumble around on your own?”
Ji Qian suddenly looked sentimental. “It’s a long story—”
“Enough. Spare me the drama.” Chi Ke wasn’t interested in gossip. “Need help? I can help you… at least enough to keep this hospital from going under.”
He understood how this world worked. The capital and startup funds were there. He was at least 90% confident he could keep Ji Qian’s hospital afloat.
As for bigger ambitions, that was a different story.
Ji Qian hesitated. The word ‘yes’ lingered on his lips but didn’t come out. “No. You’re already busy with work. You shouldn’t overexert yourself.”
“This much is fine. And I’m not doing it for free.” Chi Ke lazily propped up his chin, smirking, “I want compensation.”
Ji Qian shifted in his seat, hands folded under his chin, deep in thought.
He knew exactly what that statement meant.
A lack of business knowledge didn’t mean he was stupid. Anyone who could reach his level in medicine wasn’t a fool.
After a long pause, he asked, “What do you want?”
Chi Ke raised a brow. “Aren’t you gonna ask why I’m so confident?”
“A CMU honors graduate. Why wouldn’t you be confident?” Ji Qian countered. “You worked at ZhenTing for years, won ‘Employee of the Year’ every year—your skills don’t need validation from an outsider like me.”
Chi Ke sneered and, for once, felt like telling the truth—
Even if it meant getting a weird look in return.
He wasn’t the real owner of those credentials.
But you can’t exactly fake a resume.
He tapped the mole under his right eye absentmindedly, “Actually, I was supposed to get a double degree in MBA-JD [mfn]Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Juris Doctor (JD), which is a law degree[/mfn] from Stanford.”
Ji Qian raised a brow—not confused, but completely serious. “Actually, I was supposed to get an MD-PhD from Harvard Med [mfn]dual-degree program that combines a Doctor of Medicine (MD) and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).[/mfn].”
Chi Ke: “…”
Chi Ke was speechless. For a moment, he had a hallucination—two ambitious young fools bragging about their imaginary futures.
Well.
It wasn’t like this joke could ever be verified, and to anyone else, it was just empty boasting, wasn’t it?
The two averted their gazes and, without saying a word, silently agreed to move past the topic, pretending they never heard it.
Ji Qian asked, “What do you want? Can I afford it?”
“You can.” Chi Ke replied. “I don’t want much, just two things. First, a share of your profits. The exact percentage can be negotiated.”
Ji Qian: “And the second?”
Chi Ke said lightly, “Dr. Ji.”
The two words threw Ji Qian into momentary confusion, “Huh?”
“The second thing is, I want you.” Chi Ke held up two fingers, spreading them apart before closing them again. “I know you’re an exceptional doctor, so I hope you can take on a private job—be my personal physician. If you’re willing, I’ll transfer half of my annual dividends to you as compensation.”
When people see hope, they start to desire more.
In his past life, he had been sick for so long that he had resigned himself to dying. He couldn’t even be bothered to hire a doctor. But this time, with just a minor discomfort, he was terrified of things getting worse.
Just arriving in this world, he had no idea which doctors could be trusted. It wasn’t like he could hang around hospitals every day, chatting with specialists. The best option was to find a personal physician.
And rather than taking a gamble on some internet-famous doctor with questionable skills, why not go straight to the best—the one recognized by both, the original author and the novel’s protagonist as the most brilliant doctor? Ji Qian.
He didn’t want to get too involved with this eccentric man, but fate had its own plans. After what just happened, there was no avoiding further entanglement between them.
Ji Qian’s medical skills were one thing.
But more importantly, just because Ji Qian didn’t ask questions didn’t mean he wasn’t curious. Chi Ke didn’t want him digging into his background. What if he found something suspicious? What if he told someone?
Better to keep him close and watch him personally.
A private doctor had a duty to safeguard their employer’s personal matters and secrets. Chi Ke trusted Ji Qian’s character and believed he would understand the unspoken message. Even if the truth eventually slipped out, Ji Qian wouldn’t breathe a word to anyone.
How ridiculous.
The last person he should’ve chosen turned out to be the only choice.
Ji Qian must’ve found it absurd too. He pointed at himself in disbelief. “Me?”
Chi Ke confirmed, “You.”
Ji Qian let out an exaggerated gasp, “I’m honored.”
Hearing that, Chi Ke reassured him, “You’re worth it.”
Ji Qian’s smile widened, “Before I answer, can I ask a question?”
Chi Ke: “Go ahead.”
Ji Qian: “Why me?”
Chi Ke: “Because you’re handsome.”
Ji Qian: “Deal!”
Chi Ke laughed as well, “Then—”
“Hold it, hold it.” Ji Qian made a silencing gesture. “Let’s leave the rest for tomorrow. As your doctor, I have the authority to demand that you go to sleep right now, don’t I?”
Chi Ke: “…” The contract wasn’t even finalized yet, and he was already working?
There wasn’t a better doctor in the world to swindle than Ji Qian.
Satisfied, Chi Ke burrowed under the covers. Within ten minutes, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
His breathing was quiet—so soft that once he fell asleep, it was nearly inaudible.
Ji Qian sat by the bed for a long time, carefully reaching out to pull down the blanket covering most of Chi Ke’s face, making sure he wasn’t suffocating himself. He was so meticulous that he didn’t even touch him, keeping a perfect sense of boundaries.
Without the blanket blocking the light, the sunrise hit Chi Ke’s tightly shut eyes, making him stir uncomfortably.
Ji Qian immediately stood up to close the curtains.
Winter had arrived.
The streets were free of those annoying, soggy fallen leaves. The rain had washed the roads clean, leaving them pristine despite the foot traffic.
Ji Qian liked seasons that felt fresh and clean.
Fresh air, a clear sky—enough to put anyone in a good mood for the whole day.
With his hands tucked in his pockets, he strolled leisurely back to Chi Ke’s bedside, carrying the scent of the wind with him, his eyes curving into a gentle smile.
Ji Qian had noticed how strange Chi Ke’s behavior was earlier, how unreasonable his request had been.
But it didn’t matter.
What Chi Ke wanted was something Ji Qian was willing to give.
What Chi Ke was willing to give was something Ji Qian wanted.
If Chi Ke didn’t want to explain his reasons, Ji Qian wouldn’t press him.
Both harbored their own secrets.
Neither exposed the other.
They silently accepted the fate that had entangled them.
Chi Ke had no idea what Ji Qian thought about it all. But Ji Qian? He was pleased. He liked this sense of understanding and trust between them.
Chi Ke was fast asleep, completely unaware that someone was dazedly staring at his sleeping self. Unguarded, he turned over.
Ji Qian’s reflexes were quick—he caught Chi Ke’s right hand and placed it carefully to the side, making sure his wound wasn’t pressed.
Letting out a small sigh of relief, Ji Qian looked at the strands of hair resting on Chi Ke’s forehead. Almost instinctively, his hand reached out—
“Brother.” A voice came from the next bed.
“Who exactly are you keeping watch for?”
T/N:- Sorry for the delay everyone.
Chapter 11 will be out on Tuesday. For now, it is available on Ko-fi for anyone who wants to read in advance.
Chapter 11 Ko-fi link:- https://ko-fi.com/s/fa2eb93b4c
