Chapter 25: Spreading Rumors

Gu Yan’an spent the whole afternoon yesterday and finally managed to weave the twelve zodiac animals out of dogtail flowers before evening. He planned to personally hand them to Lan Mo when she came for rounds.

After breakfast, he kept glancing at his watch every few minutes. Yang Wei had never seen his cousin so restless before.

He said with a smile, “Cousin, do you want me to deliver the twelve zodiac animals you wove to the doctor’s office? I think Doctor Lan is probably already at work.”

“No hurry. They’ll come for rounds around eight o’clock. I want to personally give her these twelve zodiac animals.”

“Hah, no hurry? Yet you keep checking your watch. Cousin, I’ll go out now and see which room they’re checking.”

As soon as Yang Wei stepped out of the ward, he saw a large group of doctors emerging from Ward One and hurried back inside.

“Cousin, they’re coming! They’re here!”

Gu Yan’an quickly smoothed his hair and smiled as he glanced at the small flower basket on the bedside table.

Director Qin led several doctors from the office into Ward Two. They gathered around Gu Yan’an’s bed and asked how he was feeling today.

Gu Yan’an’s gaze was deep and intense, fixed directly on Lan Mo, who stood behind Director Qin.

Did she change her hairstyle today? Why does she look so adorable, so beautiful!

Her light, slightly wispy bangs added a touch of liveliness, covering her smooth forehead. Her delicate willow-leaf eyebrows were faintly visible, and her sparkling eyes shimmered with light. Her skin was as smooth as jade, and her face was as radiant as peach blossoms…

What should I do? Every time I see her, I feel myself sinking deeper, unable to extricate myself.

Director Qin looked at Gu Yan’an, who seemed lost in thought, and asked again with a smile, “Comrade Xiao Gu, we’re asking how you’re feeling today. Why aren’t you saying anything? Does your wound still hurt? Is it itchy?”

Yang Wei patted Gu Yan’an. “Cousin, the doctor is asking about your condition.”

Gu Yan’an snapped back to reality. “Ah? I’m fine, everything’s fine… The wound doesn’t hurt, but it’s a little itchy.”

“Alright, I’ll have Doctor Lan check on you again this afternoon. If the wound has healed particularly well, you can have the sutures removed and be discharged tomorrow afternoon.”

“Director Qin, are you sure you don’t want me to stay a few more days?”

“After the suture removal, if you have time, come back for a follow-up check in a week.”

After saying this, Director Qin led the other doctors to inquire about the conditions of the patients in the second and third beds.

Just as they finished checking and were about to step out of Ward Two, Gu Yan’an quickly jumped out of bed, leaned on his crutches, picked up the small flower basket from the bedside table, and handed it to Lan Mo, who was walking at the back.

“Doctor Lan, I’ve finished weaving the twelve zodiac animals you wanted!”

Lan Mo was startled. She hadn’t expected that this big fool would actually weave the twelve zodiac animals just because she casually mentioned it.

Women truly are emotional creatures. A few strands of grass moved her deeply, but did she really have to carry this basket of grass while doing rounds now?

Lan Mo said softly, “Thank you, but I still have to do rounds…”

At this moment, Director Qin, who had already stepped out the door, turned back and looked at Lan Mo and Gu Yan’an with a smile. “Comrade Xiao Lan, you can go back to the office first!”

He then turned to Doctor Deng beside him and said, “Doctor Deng, look at us—we’re like a bunch of old-fashioned folks who don’t even know how to pamper our wives. It seems we still have a lot to learn from the younger generation!”

Doctor Deng nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, yes. When I get home today, I’ll give my wife a massage to help her relax.”

Director Qin stopped in his tracks and chuckled, “Heh, massage? Why don’t you give your wife a bone-setting while you’re at it? I say, Doctor Deng, can’t you do something romantic for your wife?”

“Something romantic? You want me to go pick a bunch of wild chrysanthemums by the roadside? That’s not a bad idea. Once they dry, I can brew them into tea—clears heat and purges fire…”

“Heh… pick a bunch of wild chrysanthemums? You might as well place a bowl of rice in front of your wife and stick three incense sticks in it. Just send her off directly, so she doesn’t end up swatting all the flies in your house.”

“Hahaha… Let’s go check the next ward!”

Inside the ward, Gu Yan’an’s lips curled into a mischievous smile. This Director Qin was quite interesting. Asking him to be a matchmaker was definitely the right choice.

Lan Mo also felt that the Vice Hospital Director had done a good deed by transferring her to the Orthopedics Department. All her colleagues in the department were easy to get along with.

There was no scheming or competition for benefits. Although they were all male colleagues, they treated her like an elder, taking special care of her—she didn’t even have to work night shifts.

Most doctors in the orthopedics field were men, and Lan Mo was like a panda cub in their department.

“Doctor Lan, please take it. My cousin spent a whole day weaving these twelve zodiac animals.”

And he spent a whole day on it—he even picked all the foxtail flowers near the hospital.

Lan Mo took the basket and said, “Thank you! I’ll head back to the office first.”

Gu Yan’an watched as Lan Mo accepted the basket and grinned. Great, the first step in pursuing his future wife should be considered a success, right?

Lan Mo returned to the office, placed the basket on the desk, and picked up each of the twelve zodiac animals one by one to examine them.

This Gu Yan’an—not only was he exceptionally handsome, but his hands were also incredibly skillful. The twelve zodiac animals he made were vivid and lifelike.

Suddenly, Lan Mo noticed a piece of paper at the bottom of the basket. On it, written in bold, flowing strokes, were the words: “The twelve zodiac animals, a cycle of twelve years. May your years be as beautiful as flowers, and may every year of mine be spent with you! Peace, joy, and everlasting happiness!”

Lan Mo noticed that Gu Yan’an’s handwriting was powerful and vigorous, with a touch of boldness and dominance in its free-flowing style.

They say handwriting reflects a person’s character. What kind of person was he?

Both his appearance and personality appealed to her. If she ever decided to start a relationship, she might consider him first.

“Cousin, what are you grinning about? Now that Doctor Lan has accepted that basket of foxtail flowers, when are you going to treat me to that big meal you promised?”

“Once I can walk freely again, I’ll take you out for a meal. Don’t worry, I haven’t won my future wife over yet, so I’m not planning to return to Beijing anytime soon.”

“Then I wish you success in achieving your heart’s desire soon!”

“Not only will I treat you to a meal, but by the end of this year, I’ll also treat you to wedding candies. Just wait patiently!”

Admiration for someone may begin with their appearance, grow with their talent, and ultimately settle with their character.

For Gu Yan’an, it was love at first sight with Lan Mo, deeper affection upon the second meeting, complete infatuation by the third, and a lifelong commitment by the fourth. Now, his eyes and heart were filled with her.

As for Lan Mo, Gu Yan’an was determined to win her over. If he couldn’t pursue her successfully, he had no intention of looking for anyone else.

His life motto was: Everything else could be compromised, but love could not.

Now, all the doctors in the Orthopedics Department knew that Gu Yan’an, the patient in bed one of Ward Two, was pursuing their department’s “cub,” Lan Mo.

Soon, the news spread to other departments as well, and as it traveled, it gradually took on a different tone.

At first: “Did you know? There’s a patient in the Orthopedics Department who’s quite handsome, and he’s pursuing our hospital belle. He even gave her a set of twelve zodiac animals woven from dogtail flowers…”

Gradually, it turned into: “Let me tell you a secret—the patient from Orthopedics has hooked up with our hospital belle and gave her a dog and twelve gold bars.”

Later on: “Our hospital belle is dating the patient from Orthopedics. I heard the patient is an old man who keeps a dog at home, and the dog even wears a gold chain around its neck.”

Then it evolved into: “Our hospital belle has taken a liking to a dog and risked stealing someone else’s gold for it…”

Finally: “What? The hospital belle loves eating dog meat and found gold while eating it…”

As rumors spread, people began to feel something was off.

Some didn’t believe it and went straight to the Orthopedics Department to find out the truth. And what about Li Jiaojiao? What is she up to now?