Chapter 15

“If you didn’t fight, why have you been checking your phone nonstop?” Liu Zhen teased. “Waiting for your girlfriend’s messages?”
He was waiting, yes—but at the same time, he felt Mianmian had neither obligation nor reason to share her life with him every single day.
Besides, she had just received a very special gift last night. Maybe she was already chatting with someone very special now—someone unlike him, stiff and old-fashioned.
Ji Zhou only stayed silent, giving Liu Zhen no answer.
Seeing he didn’t want to talk, everyone assumed he had some conflict with his girlfriend and was in a bad mood, so they tactfully changed the topic.
Bzzz—his phone vibrated twice.
Not sure whether it was another boring news alert, Ji Zhou still picked up his phone.
—[You have two friend messages from Seek.]
Ji Zhou paused, then tapped in with a small bit of expectation.
There was a little red dot next to the familiar avatar.
Mianmian: [Liar.]
Mianmian: [[Angry]]
The emotions that had been blocked in Ji Zhou’s chest for a long while suddenly loosened at that instant.
A smile returned to his taut face. He stood and said to the others, “I’m done eating. Take your time.”
“Hey, you only ate that little?” Dr. Wu called out.
“Mm. I’m full.” Ji Zhou took his phone and went upstairs.
“Didn’t even eat properly. How are a few vegetables enough…”
“Hey, hey…” Liu Zhen cut Dr. Wu off. “Let Brother Ji go soothe his girlfriend. Didn’t you see his soul fly away just now?”
Xiao Gao bit into a chicken wing. “Whoa. Never thought our Dr. Ji would be a lovesick type?”
_
Ji Zhou entered the break room and, a bit puzzled, sent a question mark.
Worried that might seem too cold, he added another line:
[What did I do?]
Mianmian: [You said anesthesia doesn’t hurt!]
Joice: [You had the tooth pulled?]
Mianmian: [Yeah. It hurts so much.]
Joice: [How many did they pull?]
Mianmian: [Two. Both on the left side.]
Joice: [Then that’s not too bad.]
Mianmian: [Not good at all. I can’t even open my mouth. I have to drink water with a straw.]
Joice: [Don’t use a straw. It can easily cause bleeding.]
Mianmian: [Ah? But I already used one. I only took one sip—should be okay, right?]
Joice: [Mm. Didn’t your dentist tell you this?]
Mianmian: [My lower wisdom tooth took nearly an hour to pull, and they even used a little hammer. My head got rattled dizzy. I don’t remember what he said after that. (T . T)]
Ji Zhou sighed softly. In his mind, a wronged-looking girl’s face appeared—pitiful somehow.
He edited all post-extraction precautions into one long message and sent it over, adding:
[Remember to read it.]
Mianmian: [Of course. Husband, anything you send, I’ll read carefully.]
Joice: [Mm.]
Mianmian: [Husband.]
Joice: [What is it?]
Only after sending did he realize something was off, but it was too late to retract.
These days, Mianmian had been boiling the frog in warm water, alternating between “husband” and “doctor.”
Ji Zhou had corrected her before, but she never changed. Over time, he instead became accustomed to it.
Mianmian: [You finally admitted you’re my husband!]
Mianmian: [[hands-on-hips.jpg]]
Mianmian: [Husband, cuddle me.]
The break room temperature was low, yet Ji Zhou still felt heat rise to his ears and cheeks.
He didn’t know sweet talk, and he had no flirty lines.
So he awkwardly asked:
[Are you like this with everyone?]
Mianmian: [Like what?]
Joice: [Nothing.]
Twisted and awkward.
He thought maybe Mianmian was just being verbally playful online; if he pressed her while emotional, it would really sour the tone.
After a short pause, Mianmian seemed to finally catch on.
She asked:
[Are you indirectly saying I’m frivolous?]
That wasn’t Ji Zhou’s intention, but he knew she had definitely misunderstood.
He wasn’t good at soothing people, so he could only explain clumsily.
Joice: [No.]
Mianmian: [Then what do you mean?]
Mianmian: [[Image]]
Mianmian: [Only you.]
The image she sent was her Seek chat screen.
Once a match is made, all matched users appear there—even if chat history is deleted—unless the match is removed.
And Mianmian’s chat list was clean. There was really only him.
Joice: [Sorry.]
This time the top of her chat box kept showing “typing…”
Yet no message came for a long while.
Ji Zhou thought she was probably truly angry, and he was already prepared to be scolded.
Knock knock. The break room door was tapped, then someone pushed in and said, “Brother Ji, the 2 p.m. patient arrived early. Filling case.”
“Okay.”
Ji Zhou glanced at his phone—still nothing. He had to turn off the screen, stand up, and walk out.
-
Ye Muyang held an ice pack against his cheek with one hand and typed with the other.
Yu Bei had told him: you don’t need to chase straight-as-steel men. Just force-love them—keep calling them husband whenever you catch them.
With their single-track emotional experience and fish-wooden brains that never wake up, over time they’ll truly start to internalize the “husband” role.
Originally Ye Muyang thought he had already succeeded. He never expected Joice to speculate about him like that.
He was really angry!
He typed and deleted repeatedly. Looking at Joice’s apology, he still couldn’t bring himself to say anything harsh.
Ten minutes later, he finally sent a strategic retreat message—
Mianmian: [If you don’t like it, I won’t call you that anymore.]
Fake. He’d keep calling him that anyway.
Mianmian: [But I really only called you husband.]
This one was true. Don’t make random assumptions!
Mianmian: [For the trouble I caused you these days, I should be the one saying sorry.]