Chapter 37

Ma Le howled twice and then couldn't speak anymore, because he had seen the situation in the room. In the spacious ward, there were four beds, three of which were occupied by patients. The bed closest to the door was where Ma Le's father was sitting, leaning against a pillow, with one leg in a cast hanging in the air. Beside the bed sat Ma Le's mother, holding a bowl of hot water in her left hand and a spoon in her right, blowing to cool it down. On the other side stood Ma Xiao Xiao. The three of them were motionless, staring in shock at Ma Le, who was kneeling on the ground. Even the patients and their families on the other two beds were stunned, and no one in the room dared to speak...

Ma Le couldn't help but blush, coughed twice, and stood up, approaching his father. He smiled awkwardly and said, "Dad, are you okay...?"

The room burst into laughter, and Ma Le's mother also blushed deeply. She reached out and patted Ma Le's head, scolding him, "How can you talk like that, you brat? Your dad's leg is broken, and you still say he's fine!"

Ma Le chuckled and said, "I just heard you were in the hospital and thought the worst..." Ma Xiao Xiao, standing beside him, said, "I told you on the phone, it was just a car accident, and his leg is broken!" Ma Le scratched his head and said, "I didn't hear the rest. When I heard you were in the hospital, I almost went crazy..."

After all, he had just dealt with Mr. Wang's matter, and the first thing that came to mind when he heard "hospital" was the morgue... Plus, the phone calls were either unanswered or the phone was off, creating a strange atmosphere that made Ma Le think the worst.

Seeing their son return, the old couple couldn't help but feel emotional. They had been stunned by Ma Le's sudden antics, but now, as they chatted calmly, his mother started to cry, and his usually strict father didn't scold him, just saying, "It's good you're back, it's good you're back..."

It turned out that Ma Le's timing was perfect. His father had been in a car accident the day before yesterday, breaking his leg and sustaining some minor injuries, making it difficult for him to move. For the past two days, Ma Le's mother had been by his side, and no one was answering the home phone. His father's phone had been smashed in the accident, and he hadn't bought a new one yet, so it was off. Ma Le regretted not thinking to call his mother.

Speaking of Ma Xiao Xiao, she was the "Ma Le next door" who had taken Ma Le's name over twenty years ago. The two families had always been close, both neighbors and relatives, and they helped each other more than relatives. This sudden event had caught the relatives off guard, and no one had the time to come and take care of his mother, so the old lady, in her fifties, had been on duty 24/7. Ma Xiao Xiao, upon learning about the situation, had come to help, and thanks to her, the old lady had been able to rest a bit.

Ma Le naturally thanked Ma Xiao Xiao. She was a straightforward girl and patted his head, saying, "What are you thanking me for? When I was sick as a child and my parents weren't home, it was Uncle Ma who took me to the hospital. I'm just here to help, and I'm not tired. Besides, most of the work was done by Auntie (Ma Le's mother), and I'm just an outsider."

Ma Le still felt a bit guilty, "But Sister Xiao, you must be busy with school, and this is a big inconvenience!"

Ma Xiao Xiao was a graduate student and was preparing for her Ph.D. exams, so her studies were quite intense. But she smiled confidently and said, "You don't know me? I'm known as the 'Refined Scholar'! A little studying is nothing!" As she spoke, she pulled out a thick textbook from her backpack, which left Ma Le speechless.

They chatted for a while, and it was already past nine o'clock. Since Ma Le had returned, his mother and Ma Xiao Xiao didn't need to stay overnight. The old lady went home to get some rest. After seeing them off, Ma Le sat back by his father's bed, looking down at his dad without a word.

His father also looked at Ma Le, and after a moment, he smiled and reached out to pat Ma Le's head. Ma Le smiled back, letting his father stroke his head.

"Brat, you've gotten stronger!" His father's face was full of kindness, with no trace of anger.

"Of course, I've been thoroughly trained this time!" Ma Le picked up an apple, peeled it, cut it into small pieces, and fed it to his father. After eating a couple of bites, his father suddenly said he was tired and wanted to sleep, closing his eyes and leaning his head to the side. But Ma Le clearly saw that his usually strong father had tears welling up in his eyes.

...

The next morning, Ma Xiao Xiao came to the hospital again. Ma Le was surprised and said, "Hey, Sister Xiao, why are you here again?"

Ma Xiao Xiao put on a stern face, pretending to be angry, "What, I can't come?" She placed a bag of boxed meals on the bedside table, "Uncle Ma has been complaining about the hospital food. I went home yesterday and made some tasty dishes with Auntie, and brought them for you!"

Ma Le had already caught the scent of the food. He hadn't eaten for days, and the meal at the restaurant had been interrupted by the news, plus he hadn't eaten all day yesterday after the train ride. He was starving. He eagerly opened the lids of the boxes and saw mushrooms stir-fried with meat, sour cabbage with ribs, braised eggplant, and tomato and egg soup... The sight made his mouth water.

"Oh, these are all my favorites!" Ma Le couldn't resist, already picking up his chopsticks. Ma Xiao Xiao laughed and scolded him, "I've never heard of anything you don't like, you glutton!" Ma Le chuckled, thinking to himself that he was now a glutton 2.0, a more advanced version.

Ma Le's father, however, frowned and said, "Ribs again, ribs again. I've had ribs every meal for the past two days, and I'm tired of them..." Ma Xiao Xiao served him a bowl of rice and handed it to him, "Uncle Ma, Dr. Zhou said you should eat more calcium-rich foods to help your leg heal faster."

Ma Le, who was eating, heard their conversation and interjected, "Who is Dr. Zhou?"

"Oh, Dr. Zhou is my attending physician," Ma Le's father replied. "He's a good person, and his medical skills are excellent. He's very responsible, and I owe my leg to him!"

Ma Le slurped a mouthful of rib soup and said, "I bet it's because of the medical bills! Dad, don't worry. Once you can sit in a wheelchair, we'll check out. I have a magic potion that will make you walk like a young man again!"

Old Ma laughed, thinking his son was just trying to cheer him up. But Ma Xiao Xiao started to tease Ma Le, "Give it a rest! When will you ever be serious? Look at Dr. Zhou, young and accomplished, skilled, and handsome. Look at you, when will you ever be reliable?"

"Is Dr. Zhou that perfect?" Ma Le looked at Ma Xiao Xiao, who he hadn't noticed before because he was eating. Now he saw that she looked much more beautiful today. She had a slender and well-proportioned figure, and today she was wearing tight leather pants with long high-heeled boots, exuding a sexy charm. She wore a white short blouse with a casual blazer, looking both stylish and professional. Her long hair was tied back in a ponytail, with a few strands left in front, and a light makeup enhanced her already beautiful face, giving her an indescribable allure... She looked more like a campus goddess than a scholar.

Ma Xiao Xiao felt uncomfortable under Ma Le's gaze and was about to snap at him when she heard him chuckle and say, "I see, you're dressed so nicely today because there's a dream guy in the hospital..."

Ma Xiao Xiao blushed deeply, avoiding Ma Le's eyes and said softly, "What are you talking about, there's no such thing..."

"Don't try to fool me!" Ma Le laughed. "You like Dr. Zhou, don't you? It's okay, it's not embarrassing, and you're not young anymore... I can help you get Dr. Zhou's phone number, and I won't charge you for it..."

Ma Xiao Xiao's forehead veins bulged, and she glared at Ma Le, saying sarcastically, "Yes, I do like Dr. Zhou. Look at him, young and accomplished, a respected doctor, and even his name sounds better than yours! What's your name, 'Ma Le'? Just a cheap imitation. Dr. Zhou's name is Rui Nan, meaning 'auspicious south,' Zhou Rui Nan! Isn't he much better than you?"

"Tsk tsk tsk, you can fantasize about a name for so long and still say you're not interested?" Ma Le laughed, but as he took a sip of rib soup, he suddenly "puh" and spat it out, staring at Ma Xiao Xiao with wide eyes, "Wait! What did you say? What's his name?!"

Ma Xiao Xiao was startled by Ma Le's intense reaction and replied, "Zhou... Zhou Rui Nan, what's the matter?"

Ma Le's mind was in turmoil. It's Zhou Rui Nan?! One of the senior adventurers who had framed him! The guy with the dagger! It can't be a coincidence, right? But that adventurer Zhou Rui Nan also wore a white coat, so he must be a doctor. Could it really be...

Ma Le was lost in thought when Ma Xiao Xiao's eyes lit up, "Speak of the devil, Dr. Zhou, you're here."

Ma Le was facing away from the door, but he heard a man's voice behind him, "Oh, I'm here to check on Uncle Ma. Is he feeling better?"

Ma Xiao Xiao stood up and greeted him, "He seems to be doing well this morning. Uncle Ma's son came back yesterday and took care of him last night." She then turned to Ma Le and said, "Ma Le, this is Dr. Zhou!"

Ma Le thought, "Oh no, this girl even told him my name. How can I hide it now? No choice, I have to face it head-on! After all, this is the real world, and it's about real attributes. I'm not afraid of a fight!" With that, Ma Le stood up and slowly turned to face Dr. Zhou...

Page break for ads

Page break for ads end