After the surgery, Song Xuan's face had recovered quite well.
"Xiao, my face is finally healed. We can finally go on dates openly now!" Song Xuan looked at her reflection in the mirror as her features gradually returned to normal. Although it wasn't the face she had hoped for, at least it no longer resembled the terrifying, disfigured look after the burn.
However, Gu Qixiao, who was standing by the window, remained silent in response to Song Xuan's words. He simply stood there, lost in thought.
Seeing his lack of reaction, Song Xuan clenched her teeth, the resentment in her eyes growing stronger.
But no matter how bitter she felt, she could only suppress it for now.
"Xiao, what are you looking at that's got you so focused?" Song Xuan walked over to Gu Qixiao's side and followed his gaze.
In the hospital garden below, Ji Yu was chatting with a sunny and handsome young man.
"Xiao, isn't that Doctor Ji? Is that man next to her her boyfriend? They look so perfect together!"
The moment Gu Qixiao heard this, his expression darkened instantly.
"Whether they're a couple or not has nothing to do with you. What are you blabbering about?"
Gu Qixiao impatiently cut off Song Xuan's words, turned around, and sat down on the sofa.
His abrupt reaction made Song Xuan's heart sink, and she shifted her disdainful gaze away from the scene below.
"I was just making an observation! After all, Doctor Ji is so beautiful—she must have lots of admirers, right?"
"I wonder how Doctor Ji chooses from all these admirers. Does she switch boyfriends often? But with her looks, even if she cheated, those men would probably still forgive her!"
Reaching this point, Song Xuan's tone softened, and she even seemed a little melancholy.
"I'm nothing like Doctor Ji when it comes to attracting men. With my face the way it was before, only you, Xiao, stayed by my side through thick and thin."
Gu Qixiao found Song Xuan's melancholy unusual today but didn't think too much about it.
Looking at Song Xuan's softened demeanor and the tears at the corners of her eyes, he thought about the past three years of her erratic behavior. Perhaps her insecurities after the burns had caused her to act like that, and now that her face had healed, her personality seemed to have reverted too.
With this thought, Gu Qixiao uncharacteristically softened his tone to comfort Song Xuan.
When Ji Yu came to the room to check on Song Xuan's recovery, she was greeted by the sight of Gu Qixiao softly coaxing Song Xuan.
For a moment, Ji Yu was unsure whether to enter or retreat.
But standing there and watching her ex-husband tenderly comforting another woman was not something Ji Yu could stomach. Rolling her eyes, she left the room.
The two people inside had no idea someone had just been at the door.
After soothing Song Xuan's emotions, Gu Qixiao said, "I'll go find a doctor to check on your recovery and see how soon you can be discharged."
The atmosphere was just right, and Song Xuan didn't want Gu Qixiao to leave so quickly.
However, staying in the hospital meant possibly running into Ji Yu, and with Ji Yu's face, it was hard not to worry about Gu Qixiao being tempted. So, she nodded, letting him go call Ji Yu over instead.
Not far from the room, Ji Yu had just been stopped by a patient.
"Doctor Ji, are you busy right now?" The young man stood tall at 6'2, with a clean and gentle appearance that resembled a harmless "puppy lover" type.
Looking at him, Ji Yu, who had seen countless attractive men and women—many crafted by her own hands—still couldn't help but admire him. A genuinely fresh and clean young man like this was rare.
Pulling her gaze back, Ji Yu replied, "I'm free. What's the matter?"
Although Ji Yu admired the young man's looks, her own beauty was flawless—one could even call it divine artistry.
Encouraged by her response, the young man suddenly mustered the courage to look Ji Yu directly in the eye.
"Doctor Ji, I like you. Can we date?" As soon as he finished, his face turned bright red, but he stubbornly kept his gaze on her, refusing to look away.
Ji Yu was slightly taken aback by the confession, but she quickly regained her composure.
Smiling, she replied, "Sorry, but no."
The young man's expression instantly became awkward, but he was still unwilling to give up and asked why.
"I've been married for three years already."
The young man had guessed many possible answers but hadn't considered this one. Since he hadn't seen her wearing a wedding ring, he had overlooked the possibility.
Disheartened, the young man eventually left. Watching his retreating figure, Ji Yu also turned and walked away.
This was nothing more than a minor interlude and nothing of significance.
But for Gu Qixiao, who stood at a nearby corner, it was as if someone had thrown a massive stone into the calm waters of his heart.
So, she's married. Yet last time, she and I still...
Recalling the things Song Xuan had said in the hospital room earlier, her indifferent tone and casual demeanor after that incident, Gu Qixiao realized she hadn't been pretending—she really was that careless.
With this conclusion, any lingering feelings Gu Qixiao had for Ji Yu instantly dissipated.
A woman this indiscreet, engaging in one-night stands after marriage and being so blatant about her infidelity, was detestable.
Ji Yu had no idea about the image Gu Qixiao had constructed of her in his mind—that of a woman who casually cheated on her husband. But seeing Gu Qixiao's hostile attitude toward her now, Ji Yu's originally decent mood soured. What was his problem?
Feeling annoyed, Ji Yu wasn't about to tolerate Gu Qixiao's temper.
Whatever attitude Gu Qixiao gave Ji Yu, she matched it in return.
Throughout the process of examining Song Xuan and handling her discharge paperwork, the two acted as if they had encountered something utterly repugnant, their expressions grim.
Even Song Xuan, who usually took every opportunity to add fuel to the fire, remained unusually quiet during this interaction. After all, this outcome suited her perfectly.
As long as Gu Qixiao's attention wasn't on other women, he was hers. She didn't care about their attitudes toward each other.
While waiting for the assistant to finalize the discharge procedures, Ji Yu coincidentally passed by their area during her rounds.
Seeing Ji Yu approach, Gu Qixiao hurriedly wrapped everything up and instructed someone to pack Song Xuan's belongings before leading her out of the hospital without looking back.
As they walked past Ji Yu, his attitude was one of arrogance and disdain.
This scene left Ji Yu fuming. Was he insane? If something was wrong with him, he should get treatment instead of throwing a tantrum. Why act as if she'd wronged him?
Completely speechless, Ji Yu thought to herself, How can someone like this exist? Thank goodness I divorced him; who knows what else I'd have had to deal with!