Chapter 1 (1/2)
Part 1: The Doctor Who Chants for the Dead
June in Xia City meant the rainy season had arrived.
Under a heavy, bruised sky, rain fell in sheets. It was like a massive loom weaving water into the parched earth, quickly soaking the pavement.
Across the slick pavement, the wheels of a hospital gurney flew past, splashing a trail of muddy water amidst the anxious shouts of the patient’s family and the medical staff.
Mu Wan held an umbrella in one hand and a box of hot porridge in the other. Steam seeped through the paper container, chasing away the gloomy, sterile chill of the bustling hospital lobby.
"I'm here. What floor are you on?" Mu Wan collapsed her umbrella, navigating through the crowd toward the elevators.
Over the phone, Lin Wei rattled off the floor and room numbers. Mu Wan mumbled an acknowledgment, glancing up. The elevator indicator showed it had just reached the 12th floor; it was going to be a while.
Outside, the rain was pouring harder. Rainy days always meant more car accidents, and the gurneys being wheeled in carried quite a few trauma patients, their bodies covered in blood and grime.
The patients' groans, the families' wails, and the urgent shouts of the doctors and nurses all blended together, creating a chaotic, tragic symphony in the lobby.
Lin Wei was still chatting on the phone. Mu Wan nodded along, her gaze following a gurney into the nearby, chaotic ER ward.
The ward was massive. The heavy double doors were propped open, and people streamed in and out. Flashes of white coats darted through the room like shooting stars.
Mu Wan watched for a moment. The oppressive atmosphere made her uneasy, so she looked away, planning to just wait for the elevator. But in that split second, her gaze locked onto something.
Amidst the chaos of the ward, one corner was eerily quiet. A man and a woman, both bandaged, stood in front of a bed. On it lay a boy covered in blood and dirt. His eyes were tightly shut, his face a lifeless, bluish-gray.
On the other side stood a doctor and a nurse. They weren't performing any life-saving treatments. The nurse had her head bowed, her eyes red. Beside her, the male doctor was slightly bent over, holding the boy’s blood-stained, muddy hand.
The doctor’s appearance was striking. He had sharp brows, clear eyes, a straight nose, and thin, slightly pressed lips. He possessed the quiet, refined elegance of bamboo leaves washed clean by the rain—distinct, crisp, and pure. He carried an otherworldly aura, standing apart from the chaos like a distant, untouchable mountain.
He held the boy's hand. The cuff of his white coat was splattered with a few drops of blood, the red slowly blooming into the pristine fabric. He didn't seem to care. His long, slender fingers enveloped the boy's small hand, his eyes lowered, his expression perfectly calm.
The oppressive tightness in Mu Wan’s chest eased slightly. She blinked, reminded of a scene from years ago. At a train station, a passenger had suffered sudden cardiac arrest. A monk had held the deceased man's hand just like this, chanting to guide his soul.
Hospitals were no strangers to death. But when the doctor finally let go of the boy's hand and pulled the white sheet over his head, the couple's wails shattered the quiet. Mu Wan felt a chill run through her.
At that exact moment, the doctor seemed to sense her stare. He looked up.
His eyes were calm and unfathomable. His glance swept over her lightly, like a breeze rustling through a bamboo forest and brushing against her chest. Mu Wan was slightly stunned before quickly looking away.
Ding.
The elevator arrived at the first floor. Mu Wan glanced up at the "Emergency Room" sign above the ward and asked Lin Wei over the phone, "Do you guys have an ER upstairs?"
"What ER? What building are you in?"
"The one right in front of the main hospital entrance."
"That's the Outpatient Building! I'm in the Inpatient Ward!"
"..."
By the time Mu Wan reached Lin Wei’s room, she tucked her umbrella away. Lin Wei had already set up the overbed table, waiting for her food. She’d had her appendix removed two days ago and was strictly on a liquid diet. While Mu Wan had been out of town filming, Lin Wei had been complaining endlessly about how bland the hospital porridge was. Now that Mu Wan was back in Xia City, she’d dropped her luggage and immediately headed to Xu’s Porridge Shop to bring her friend some.
"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?" Mu Wan set out the bowls and chopsticks, pulling up a chair.
She had just flown back from Wencheng. It hadn't rained there, and it was still pretty hot, so she was dressed simply in a black T-shirt and white shorts. As she sat down, she crossed her long legs, her posture relaxed and languid.
Mu Wan was what the entertainment industry called an "18th-tier" actress—so far down the list she was practically invisible. She had a striking, wild beauty, reminiscent of the glamorous Hong Kong starlets of the 1980s. Her face was a perfect, palm-sized oval with a high, pretty nose bridge, crimson lips, and a delicate chin. Her large, dark eyes were clear and captivating, holding a charming allure without being overly provocative. Standing at 5'7", she had long legs, a slender waist, and a perfectly proportioned figure.
Her beauty was bold and untamed, yet it carried a high-class, aloof elegance that kept it from looking cheap.
"As long as I don't pull the stitches, it doesn't hurt." Lin Wei slurped her porridge, wincing slightly at the heat. She glanced at Mu Wan, who was staring out the window, lost in thought. "What are you thinking about?" Lin Wei waved her spoon in front of Mu Wan's face.
Outside, the rain had slowed. Large drops of water gathered on the windowsill and rolled down the glass, leaving winding trails that reminded her of the doctors darting back and forth in the ER.
"When I was waiting for the elevator, I saw a doctor. He seemed to be performing last rites for a little boy who passed away," Mu Wan said, snapping out of her thoughts. She told Lin Wei everything she’d seen in the ER.
A doctor’s job was to save lives, while performing last rites was for the dead. The two concepts were completely contradictory. But Lin Wei wasn't shocked at all. Instead, her eyes lit up. "Was Dr. Liu super hot?"
"You know him? Yeah, he’s definitely handsome." Mu Wan smiled, recalling the doctor's face. It had been a very clean, striking look, but it left a deep impression on her—especially that split second when he looked up and their eyes met.
"Dr. Liu Qianxiu from the Surgery Department. His nickname is 'Daoist Liu.' He’s the emotional anchor for every single female staff member at Tang'er Hospital." Lin Wei had been rushed to the ER by her studio colleagues a few days ago, and Liu Qianxiu had been the one to treat her.
She had been in agonizing pain at the time, but it was love at first sight. Right after her surgery, she had grilled the nurses until they spilled everything.
"Daoist Liu" was certainly a unique nickname. Mu Wan leaned back in her chair. "Why does he have a nickname like that?"
"He’s religious. Daoism, specifically. I heard he takes four days off every month to retreat to a Daoist temple. If there’s a patient in the ER they couldn't save, he’ll chant for the departed. But his personality is incredibly cold. He barely interacts with anyone. It's like he has no earthly desires, just floating around like a literal immortal."
Hearing this, Mu Wan’s impression of Liu Qianxiu finally clicked into place. No wonder he had that otherworldly, ethereal vibe. He was actually a Daoist practitioner.
"Daoist followers are probably all like that, right? Clear mind, few desires, focusing on their practice to achieve enlightenment." Mu Wan stopped there. Gossiping behind someone's back wasn't her style, especially since she had a good impression of him. He felt incredibly clean, like he’d been washed by the rain. As a doctor, he fought to save lives; as a Daoist, he chanted for the dead. Whether it actually helped or not, it brought comfort to the grieving families.
"But the name Liu Qianxiu sounds familiar." Mu Wan looked at Lin Wei.
"The head of the Liu family—one of the Four Young Masters of Xia City—is also named Liu Qianxiu." Lin Wei was always plugged into the local gossip. She scooped up some porridge with her spoon. "But it’s probably just a coincidence. The head of the Liu family is busy running his empire. Why would he work as a doctor? How much money can a doctor even make?"
"Maybe he doesn't lack money and just wants to save lives for spiritual redemption?" Mu Wan joked.
Lin Wei just tilted her head, rolled her eyes, and gave her a look that clearly said, Use your brain. Mu Wan laughed.
Edited by Little Kitty on 19/09/20
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