The material Bai Qingzhou sent was both detailed and easy to understand—far more useful than Xia Xinghe’s own notes from the documentary.
Thanks to that information, Xia Xinghe quickly grasped the full triage process and procedural norms. While he still couldn’t match a real doctor, at least he wouldn’t make mistakes so glaring that even amateurs could spot them.
He revised the earlier parts of his story, and now that he had a clear framework in mind, the writing flowed much more smoothly.
The writing went well—and so did the reader feedback. The next morning, when Xia Xinghe posted the newly revised chapter, the comments section was full of praise:
【The new chapter really hit me in the feels! It captured what I imagine a doctor to be like!】
【Wow!!!! After the revisions, it feels so professional! I love you, (Bamboo Author)!!!】
【Whispering: Honestly, I noticed some bugs in earlier chapters, but didn’t want to say anything in case it disrupted the author’s process. I’m so glad to see everything fixed now—my respect level just went up!】
【555555 Bamboo author-nim is the best! I’ll love you forever!!!】
Reader recognition is the best reward for any author. Seeing the screen full of encouraging comments, Xia Xinghe couldn’t help but smile. His heart felt warm. Even looking back at his chat history with Bai Qingzhou didn’t feel so irritating anymore.
Last night, after receiving all those reference materials from Bai Qingzhou, Xia Xinghe had been so grateful that he sent a simple “thank you,” but felt that was too casual. So, he wrote a much longer, heartfelt message.
And what did he get in return?
Just one word: “Mn.” No punctuation.
A long string of green message bubbles followed by a single, tiny white one. The contrast was jarring—and pretty embarrassing.
Now, rereading their chat history, Xia Xinghe couldn’t help but find it funny.
Whatever, he thought. They’ve known each other so long—it’s not like he didn’t already know how Bai Qingzhou was. The guy had a perfectly good mouth, but acted like saying more than one sentence would kill him.
Xia Xinghe decided not to dwell on it. Words weren’t getting through anyway—he might as well find another way to express his gratitude.
Regardless of Bai Qingzhou’s motives—whether to discourage or belittle him—objectively speaking, he had helped him immensely. Compiling all that material had taken serious time and effort. A simple thank you clearly wasn’t enough.
But how else could he show his appreciation?
If it were any other friend, Xia Xinghe would probably treat them to a meal. There’s nothing good food couldn’t fix—and if one meal wasn’t enough, then two would do.
But since it was Bai Qingzhou… things were different. The complicated relationship between them was hanging in the air. Having a meal together would only be awkward. And knowing Bai Qingzhou’s grumpy attitude, he’d probably refuse anyway.
After thinking hard for a moment, Xia Xinghe suddenly slapped his forehead—he had an idea.
There was still Bamboo.
Bai Qingzhou might not appreciate the gesture, but Bamboo definitely would. So Xia Xinghe immediately opened X Treasure (online shopping app) and ordered a bunch of tasty treats for Bamboo.
Dental chews? Bought.
Chicken breast? Bought.
Beef cubes? Bought.
The next day, the package arrived via express delivery. Xia Xinghe carried a large bag of goodies to Bai Qingzhou’s house.
To be fair, Bamboo had a very sharp nose. It smelled the delicious treats in Xia Xinghe’s bag the moment he stepped into the yard. Bamboo immediately bounded over happily, circling him excitedly, wagging its tail and barking. It was such a commotion that Bai Qingzhou opened the door even before Xia Xinghe could knock.
“You’re here?” Bai Qingzhou asked calmly.
“Mm.”
Xia Xinghe nodded, bent down to pet Bamboo, and then stepped into Bai Qingzhou’s house.
Since he was coming to deliver things, Xia Xinghe had called in advance and made sure to visit during Bai Qingzhou’s time off.
Bai Qingzhou in his daily off-duty state was different from usual. It seemed he had just taken a shower—his hair was still damp, and he wore loose home clothes. The usual cold and aloof aura was gone, replaced by a relaxed, lazy kind of beauty.
He casually put on the gold-rimmed glasses resting on the table and asked, “What did you say you were bringing?”
“Stuff I bought for Bamboo.”
Since he hadn’t explained it well over the phone, Xia Xinghe placed his backpack on the sofa and began taking out the items one by one for Bai Qingzhou to see.
“This is canned chicken breast, brand A. My friend says his dog loves it.”
“These are beef cubes, brand B. Imported. No additives—green and healthy.”
“These are dental chews. I saw good reviews on Xhubu, so I got some for Bamboo too.”
Though he said “just a little,” it was actually “a whole lot.” Xia Xinghe had bought quite a variety of snacks, filling the entire coffee table. Just introducing everything took several minutes.
Bamboo sat off to the side, happily wagging its tail. Every now and then it couldn’t help but trot around the coffee table in excitement.
Bai Qingzhou listened to the introductions one by one. When Xia Xinghe finally finished, Bai Qingzhou picked up his phone from the table. “How much? I’ll send you the money on WeChat.”
“No, no,”
Xia Xinghe quickly waved his hands. “This is a gift for Bamboo, to show my thanks.”
“Thanks for what?”
Bai Qingzhou looked at him with slight confusion. Under the gaze of those pale eyes, Xia Xinghe smiled awkwardly. “For helping me with my writing.”
“Thanks for picking out the flaws.”
Having just lost his temper over WeChat, Xia Xinghe was clearly a bit embarrassed now. He looked away and said sheepishly, “I was too rushed before. I rewrote the parts involving medical knowledge and honestly, it feels a lot better now.”
“And that research material you gave me was a big help too.”
That stammering, slightly embarrassed tone seemed to amuse Bai Qingzhou. The corners of his lips lifted faintly, a trace of laughter flickering in his eyes.
He parted his lips slightly and said, “It’s nothing.” Then Xia Xinghe explained, “I originally wanted to treat you to a meal, but since I figured you’re usually busy, I just got some stuff for Bamboo instead… I picked all of these carefully. Bamboo will definitely like them!”
Bamboo was still pawing at the snacks on the coffee table. Upon hearing its name, it stood up excitedly and let out two joyful barks. Xia Xinghe, delighted, praised, “So cute!” But Bai Qingzhou’s expression darkened.
Xia Xinghe, focused on Bamboo, didn’t notice the change in Bai Qingzhou’s face. He casually opened one of the dental chews and handed it to Bamboo. Bamboo’s eyes lit up immediately, and it bit down happily before running off to a corner to chew.
“See? I told you Bamboo would like it.”
Xia Xinghe’s eyes curved with a smile as he asked Bai Qingzhou, “Isn’t this a pretty good thank-you gift?”
“…”
Bai Qingzhou was silent for a moment, then lowered his eyes. “…Yeah.”
Why the sudden cold attitude?
So moody.
Xia Xinghe was already used to his indifference. Having accomplished his goal, he didn’t stay long. After a little more small talk, he excused himself and left in a hurry.
With a click of the lock, the large room was left with only one man and one dog.
Bamboo was still lying in the corner, happily gnawing on the chew stick. Bai Qingzhou lowered his eyes to the table full of dog snacks. After a moment, he coldly called out, “Bamboo.”
“Woof?”
Bamboo looked up at the sound, one paw still pressed on the half-chewed stick, its wet eyes full of confusion. Bai Qingzhou looked back at it coldly, finding it not even half as cute as before.
“Great,”
Bai Qingzhou sneered. “You’ve really got some nerve now.”
“…?”
Bamboo tilted its head, tongue hanging out, utterly confused. Bai Qingzhou continued staring back coldly.
After a while, Bamboo couldn’t take it anymore and let out two friendly barks, trying to please him. Silly tongue out, big eyes gleaming. Bai Qingzhou seemed to deflate a little, lowering his eyes all of a sudden.
Moments later, he strode back into his study, leaving behind a coffee table full of Xia Xinghe’s gifted dog snacks—and one dumbfounded Bamboo sitting in the living room.
As the door closed, Bai Qingzhou muttered to himself: “Forget it. Why am I even jealous of a dog?”