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Chapter 09 Rash and foolish decision
Chi Ke regretted sending the friend request the moment he did it.
That kind of highly unstable and erratic presence—he should be running away, not voluntarily getting closer to.
As expected, money makes fools of the poor.
Ji Qian accepted the request almost immediately. Not only that, he even sent a message.
[The Great Ji Gatsby [mfn]a play on The Great Gatsby. Refers to someone who is wealthy, mysterious, ambitious, or has a grand lifestyle[/mfn]: Chi Zhu?]
[The Great Ji Gatsby: Good evening :-D]
That smiley emoticon made Chi Ke frown. He scrolled through his collection of emojis for a while.
Was there no expression that was both distant yet polite?
In a flash of inspiration, he suddenly thought of Leng Yunting.
[k: Good evening, Dr. Ji.]
[k: President Leng asked me to add you on WeChat for future communication.]
[The Great Ji Gatsby: Oh oh :(]
Chi Ke: “?”
What did this mean now?
Wasn’t he all ‘:-D’ just a second ago?
This guy was truly unpredictable.
Chi Ke couldn’t quite figure out Ji Qian’s mood, and that made him unhappy. He was now absolutely certain that adding him was a rash and foolish decision.
So, he went to Secretary Sun and asked for another contact. It was a bit pricier than the previous one, but at least the conversation was normal—neither too cold nor too sarcastic.
Since the transaction was clear-cut, he paid promptly.
[k: /Transferred 1100 RMB/]
[AAAA Professional Ticketing | 100% Guaranteed: /Payment Received/]
[AAAA Professional Ticketing | 100% Guaranteed: Oh wow! You’re such a straightforward guy! Just send over your ID, and in five minutes, your ticket will be secured /rose/~~ All taken care of with love /heart/] [mfn]Just imagine those words such as rose and heart as respective emojis[/mfn]
Chi Ke let out a cold laugh at this world where everything had a fixed price.
***
The next morning at 8 AM, Chi Ke arrived at the Sixth Hospital’s medical center right on time. With remote guidance from a scalper, he successfully picked up his number and began the examination.
Since he had multiple tests to do, including a 24-hour Holter monitor [mfn]ECG Monitor[/mfn], the full examination wasn’t completed until the next evening when he went to the VIP outpatient clinic for a consultation.
“Doctor, are you sure I don’t need a CTA or an angiography?” Chi Ke persistently requested further tests. “I might look fine on the surface, but I feel like something’s wrong.”
The doctor: “…”
The doctor took off his glasses, visibly exasperated.
This guy had been incredibly cooperative during all the tests—so much so that the doctor almost thought he was a fellow medical professional. Everything had gone smoothly, yet now that they were wrapping up, he suddenly started acting neurotic.
The way he spoke was so serious and convincing that if you ignored the content and just listened to the tone, you’d think he was delivering some kind of authoritative academic research report.
“Do you know under what conditions CTA and angiography are actually required?” The doctor tapped the ECG and ultrasound results. “Your heart does have a slight issue, but it’s still within normal limits. Young people experience stress and fatigue from work—just pay attention to your routine and diet.”
“Most people dread undergoing these tests, and here you are, eager to sign up.”
Chi Ke pointed at his own heart, dead serious, “Sure, I’ve been fine for the past month, but before that, I had heart—cough—discomfort. Chest tightness, shortness of breath, irregular heartbeat…”
The doctor’s brows furrowed more and more as he listened. “So, you’re telling me that such serious heart problems… just suddenly disappeared one-day last month?”
Chi Ke: “…”
Now that the doctor put it like that, it did sound suspicious.
Like a dying man suddenly sitting up in his deathbed—could he really be a medical miracle?
The doctor sighed, “If you’re determined to do it, I can sign off on it, but you’ll have to acknowledge that this is entirely your own request. Are you sure?”
Chi Ke pressed his lips together, “Yes.”
In his past life, his severe heart disease was a ticking time bomb. He wouldn’t feel at ease unless he thoroughly checked it out.
Sure, he felt fine now. But what about the future? What if he just dropped dead again?
He had considered the possibility that transmigrating into a novel had somehow blessed him with a perfectly healthy body.
For the past month, he had intentionally avoided thinking about it, skipping the medication he used to take religiously. He figured—if he really was sick, then it was better to die now before he got too attached to this second life.
If he wasn’t sick…
That idea was too extravagant, too dangerous. Once entertained, it would be impossible to bear the disappointment of having it shattered.
Until he got the final test results, he refused to overthink it.
Seeing that Chi Ke had made up his mind, the doctor stopped trying to persuade him. “Alright. When do you want to be admitted?”
“Today.” Chi Ke didn’t like postponing tasks.
The doctor began writing up the hospital admission paperwork, “It’s a minimally invasive procedure, but… are you alone? Don’t you need someone to accompany you?”
“No need.” Chi Ke took the documents, thanked the doctor, and left without another word.
The doctor watched his calm and composed departure, took a sip of water, and sighed.
Coronary angiography involves inserting a catheter through the wrist. It did hurt—most patients would be anxious and scared. Even medical professionals freaked out when they had to do it themselves, let alone an ordinary patient.
He’d seen plenty of patients needing this procedure, but this guy? He was the calmest, most unfazed one yet.
Tsk.
What a fearless guy.
***
The so-called ‘fearless’ patient walked out of the doctor’s office, went straight to a convenience store, and bought a handful of heating pads. He clutched them to his chest the entire night, completely sleepless.
He was terrified.
So terrified that his hands and feet were ice-cold.
So cold that it might even affect the IV needle placement.
Pain tolerance varied from person to person, and his was low.
In his past life, when he had this procedure done, the pain was so excruciating he nearly bit through his own molars just to keep from screaming. God knows how much psychological trauma that experience left behind.
But pain wasn’t even the biggest issue.
The real problem was—he had zero trust in other people. Not even doctors.
His worst fear during medical procedures?
What if the doctor’s hand slips and punctures his blood vessel?
The next morning, during pre-op [mfn]before operation[/mfn], Chi Ke looked so grim and serious that the nurse was frightened into thinking he had some sort of terminal illness. She didn’t dare say a word.
On the way to the operating room in the afternoon, his mind drifted as he focused on counting the meters left to the door.
He was so preoccupied that he didn’t even notice a familiar figure in his peripheral vision.
“Ji Qian?”
The hospital director had walked a couple of steps ahead before realizing Ji Qian had stopped. “What are you looking at? Hurry up, people are waiting for your signature.”
Ji Qian had come to finalize some medical equipment contracts for his new private hospital. Those were obtained using the Director’s connections.
“…Nothing,” he murmured, retracting his gaze. “I thought I saw a colleague of mine, but he has no reason to be here. Must’ve been a mistake.”
The director chuckled, “Your eyesight is getting bad already? Look at those dark circles under your eyes. What, did you lose sleep over something?”
Ji Qian forced a smile, “Yeah… one hell of a problem.”
He had spent the entire night thinking—why had Chi Ke sent him a friend request during that time period?
Did Leng Yunting tell him to?
That… doesn’t seem to be the reason. He didn’t want to believe it. He wouldn’t believe it.
…
When the anesthesia needle went into his wrist, Chi Ke flinched, but the doctor caught him instantly.
“Don’t run,” the doctor said with a smile, swiftly inserting the needle, “It’ll be over soon.”
Chi Ke clenched his jaw tight.
Starting now, for the next two hours, he would hold an equal level of resentment towards every single person in a white coat.
The procedure was a quick contrast angiography under partial anesthesia. Since the results were good and he didn’t need a stent, he just had to rest in his hospital room for observation overnight.
Chi Ke walked out of the OR [mfn]Operation Room[/mfn] with heavy steps, only to be stopped at the door.
“Hey, young man,” a man in his sixties or seventies greeted him, holding a medical report in one hand. “You’re here alone? Got some guts! How do you feel?”
Chi Ke, whose pain had nearly knocked him out and whose right hand was practically numb, quickly smoothed out his grimace and put on a polite smile, “Just a minor procedure. It’s fine, doesn’t hurt much—totally bearable.”
With that, he walked off, taking slow, deliberate steps. But after a dozen steps, he turned back, and as he passed by the old man, he casually explained, “First time here, I’m not too familiar with the layout.”
It’s definitely not because he was so nervous that he forgot which way was north or which way was south.
Three nurses helped him back to his room.
The Sixth Hospital was always packed with patients, and all the private rooms were full. He had to share a double room.
His roommate was a young guy named Lu Xiaoyong [mfn]meaning- great bravery and heroism[/mfn], who had just undergone an open-heart surgery. True to his name, he was unbelievably brave—he didn’t even make a sound when they pulled his drainage tube out yesterday.
The first thing Chi Ke did after getting back was clutch his wrist and burrow into his blanket, quietly sucking in sharp breaths.
Lu Xiaoyong wasn’t just brave—he was also friendly. “Hey, bro, you alright?” he asked with concern.
Still buried in his blanket, Chi Ke kept his voice steady. “I’m fine. Just a little tired.”
“Oh, okay. Then get some rest.” Lu Xiaoyong switched off the light with a click. “But do you want some earplugs? My attending doctor’s coming soon, might disturb you.”
Right as he finished speaking, the door swung open.
“Lu Xiaoyong, how are you feeling today? Look who’s here!”
Chi Ke had seen this doctor before—he was the hospital director. A very kind old man.
But right now, Chi Ke still resented every single white coat in existence. Just seeing a doctor made his skin crawl, so he simply put on his headphones, curled up under his blanket, and blocked it all out.
“Cousin?! What are you doing here?”
Lu Xiaoyong shot up in excitement, nearly popping his freshly stitched chest open. His voice even cut through Chi Ke’s noise-canceling headphones. “Bro, let me tell you about the past few days—bro? Bro? Are you listening?”
The cousin, however, was much calmer than Lu Xiaoyong. His voice was light and composed—too quiet for Chi Ke to hear through his headphones.
By the time Chi Ke took them off, the doctor had already left, and the only ones in the room were the two patients.
He poked his head out and greeted Lu Xiaoyong.
The guy was chatty, pulling him into conversation about anything and everything.
Chi Ke wasn’t much of a talker, but he was polite and well-mannered enough to respond, keeping the conversation from dying.
Lu Xiaoyong was eighteen, a first-year finance student. He had congenital heart disease.
“Brother Chi, you’re about the same age as my cousin. He’s only a year older than you. Used to be a cardiothoracic surgeon here.”
“Impressive.” Chi Ke was scrolling through updates on a company artist they were keeping an eye on. He only half-listened, absentmindedly passing Lu Xiaoyong some tissues when he noticed sweat on his forehead. “Here, wipe your sweat. I’ll turn down the AC.”
“Thanks, bro.” Lu Xiaoyong glanced at him, muttering, “You’re really good-looking. Just like my cousin.”
Half-reclining on his pillow, Chi Ke saw some fresh gossip about one of his company’s artists and immediately screenshot it to send to Assistant Sun. Casually, he asked, “You are close with your cousin?”
“He saved my family’s life.” Lu Xiaoyong’s eyes shone with admiration. “My heart condition is genetic. My dad had an attack last year, and my cousin was the one who saved him. And this time, if my cousin hadn’t noticed something was off, I’d be dead at home right now.”
“He’s very attentive.”
Heart diseases could strike in an instant. ‘Noticing in time’ sounded simple, but as a former patient himself, Chi Ke knew just how much vigilance that took.
Lu Xiaoyong nodded fervently, “Right?! He’s the best guy in the world. I don’t get why my aunt doesn’t like him. If not for her, he wouldn’t have had to quit his job…”
The kid was naive, unaware that he was revealing someone else’s private matters. Chi Ke cut in smoothly, “Are you fully recovered now?”
“Uh, kind of? Not sure. I’ll need to take meds for a long time.” Lu Xiaoyong then asked, “What about you? How were your results?”
Chi Ke’s fingers slipped on the keyboard, accidentally sending a half-typed message to Assistant Sun. He quickly fixed it and put his phone down.
He repeated what the doctor had told him, “It went well. The results are good.”
There were issues, but not enough to classify as coronary heart disease.
Compared to the mess his body was in his last lifetime, he’d basically hit the jackpot.
Lu Xiaoyong was wheeled out for tests before he could ask further questions.
A while later, Chi Ke received a report that felt like a ‘not guilty’ verdict.
Black ink on white paper, yet he found it incomprehensible—unreal, even.
A heart condition that had haunted him for five or six years—just gone, just like that?
It felt like a dream.
Clutching the paper tightly, he took deep breaths, suddenly feeling drained. Hugging a pillow, he laid down, his body going limp, melting into the bedding.
Outside, the rain drizzled softly. For the first time in ages, Chi Ke fell into a deep sleep—only to dream of a not-so-pleasant past…
He was younger, lying in a hospital bed, watching a doctor’s teasing smile turn solemn. Through the mask, the doctor’s words weren’t “It went well. The results are good.”
Instead…
The mask covered his lips. Chi Ke couldn’t remember what the doctor had said.
He only remembered the piercing cold as if he had been thrown into an ice cellar. His whole body trembled. Though his vision was hazy, he clearly saw the empire he had painstakingly built—brick by brick—collapse in an instant.
From that moment on, he stood in the ruins, waiting for the sun to set, never again witnessing a sunrise.
[Cyrus, I’m really sorry, but…]
[You know we all put a lot into this. At this stage, we can’t afford to wait for you, nor can we bear the consequences if something happens to you.]
[Take care of yourself. The rest… just let it go.]
Let it go?
That suffocating feeling, like drowning, surged up again—just like in all those past nights.
Chi Ke broke out in a cold sweat. His eyes remained shut, his chest heavy as if it was filled with lead. He gasped for air, gripping the collar of his shirt desperately, trying to break free from the dream.
“Chi Ke?”
Who was calling him?
Tsk. His chest felt so tight…
A sudden flash of lightning split the night, illuminating the entire room.
“Chi Ke!”
He snapped his eyes open—but the brightness didn’t blind him.
A hand, slender and well-defined, hovered over his eyes, shielding him.
“You’re awake?” The hand lowered, brushing away the sweat on his temple before pulling back. He felt the warmth, fleeting but real, “It’s okay. You’re okay now.”
The suffocating tide of his dream receded.
Still panting, Chi Ke took a moment to steady his heartbeat, then quietly looked up at the man beside his bed. After a while, he finally spoke,
“Dr. Ji…”
He had meant to ask, ‘Why are you here?’
But what came out was—
“…Thank you.”
For the first time, after waking from a nightmare, someone was there to talk to him.
Ko-fi Chapter 10 link:- https://ko-fi.com/s/c51ff10684
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