CHAPTER 413: CHAPTER 412

Wei Zhongxun’s arrival caused ripples throughout the medical team, first and foremost with Ma Xiuli, who couldn’t help but praise him: He’s good-looking, highly skilled, comes from a good family, and is a genuinely nice person. These qualities made many girls swoon.

Shen Junping, on the other hand, didn’t seem to smile as much as before, and sometimes even his smile seemed forced, but nobody was paying attention to him now.

During this time, many artistic troupe soldiers visited the medical team to catch a glimpse of the special guest doctor everyone was talking about.

Indeed, Wei Zhongxun was quite the handsome presence, resembling the ideal archetype of a rich, handsome man within the medical team. Most of the female visitors came specifically for him.

"He might not have other skills, but he’s sure good at attracting attention," Beisitian teased.

Wei Zhongxun flicked his hair with a hint of frustration on his face, "What can I do? Being handsome and capable is really quite distressing!"

Beisitian couldn’t help but roll her eyes and chose to ignore him.

"I’m leaving a bit early today; I’ve informed Director Sun," Beisitian said to Shen Junping, so he wouldn’t have to look for her later.

Today was the day Tian Zhi was arriving in Anding City. He was coming to the local school for a medical exchange, which was more like a competition where schools showcased who had the better skills, with nice prizes to be won.

Such healthy competition ought to happen more often, as the process turned out to be one of the best forms of exchange.

Only by interacting more with Tian Zhi could she understand him and see if he was qualified to become her apprentice.

After work, Beisitian headed to the bus station. Standing outside the platform, she watched the long-distance bus roll in and let her gaze wander, finding that all the passengers were students—probably all from their school.

Tian Zhi got off the bus and looked for Beisitian among the crowd. His cousin had said she’d come to pick him up. He scanned the crowd and soon spotted Beisitian, waving his hand to greet her.

His classmate and good friend Lu Tao asked, "Is that your pretty cousin?"

"Yes!" Tian Zhi hadn’t meant to emphasize Beisitian’s beauty, but inadvertently did, leaving an impression on his irreverent schoolmates.

"Really pretty, huh? I thought you were just exaggerating!" Li Yong laughed heartily, making light of it.

Tian Zhi nudged his two mischievous friends with his elbow, and they laughed and joked together.

Now all the students had disembarked from the bus, engaging in some free activities within a small area. Tian Zhi jogged over to Beisitian and called out, "Cousin!"

"Are you here for the exchange with Anding Third College of Traditional Chinese Medicine?" Beisitian asked.

This school was not far from the 119th Division, just two bus rides away, making it quite convenient.

Tian Zhi nodded, "We’ve been arranged to stay nearby. I checked the map, it’s close to the military unit where you are, cousin."

"What are you guys exchanging?" Beisitian inquired.

"The same old things—recognizing herbs, identifying prescriptions, and an acupuncture competition. Unfortunately, I’m not good at acupuncture."

Listening to him, Beisitian realized that this competition would clearly reveal Tian Zhi’s foundational skills, much more thoroughly than her previous inquiries had.

She recalled the posters and red banners outside recently, all promoting the exchange between Anding Third College of Traditional Chinese Medicine and Beijing University of Chinese Medicine.

"The exchange allows external guests to observe, right? I’ll come to support Xiao Zhi," Beisitian said with a smile.

"You must come, cousin! I’m aiming for both the team and individual best," Tian Zhi said, clenching his fist, his face brimming with confidence.

Beisitian smiled; Tian Zhi’s confidence wasn’t blind. This type of self-assuredness made her quite happy.

"Your teacher seems to be calling for you. Here’s the phone number for our reception desk. Call if you need anything," Beisitian told him.

Tian Zhi took the number, waved to Beisitian, and ran toward the teacher; they were operating collectively and weren’t allowed to act individually except during fixed times.

When Beisitian returned home, she found Luo Xudong was back, lying on the bed evidently exhausted.

Seeing Beisitian, Luo Xudong reached out towards her, "Come, let me hug you."

Beisitian gave him a sideways glance, grabbed a cup of warm water, and walked over to hand it to him.

This so-called outdoor maneuver was probably just an excuse; Luo Xudong was likely off on a mission, but since he said it that way, it surely meant the mission couldn’t be disclosed.

The reason Beisitian could guess was that Luo Xudong had never looked this tired after an outdoor maneuver.

Luo Xudong sat up slightly to drink the water and then said, "Things aren’t calm in Anding City lately. Try to go out less."

Beisitian looked at Luo Xudong’s serious expression and nodded to show she understood, then mentioned Tian Zhi’s situation in Anding City. Luo Xudong’s brow furrowed slightly, but he didn’t say anything.

Beisitian made dinner and called Luo Xudong. He opened his somewhat reddened eyes, quickly ate dinner, took a shower, and went to sleep.

Beisitian had never seen him so exhausted before; she hoped he wasn’t tasked with anything too dangerous, and couldn’t help but worry.

In the morning, when she opened her eyes, Luo Xudong wasn’t beside her. Was he out for drills or on a mission?

After breakfast, Beisitian went to work, but her mind remained somewhat uneasy throughout the day. She didn’t encounter Luo Xudong at the cafeteria during lunch, and felt even more distracted in the afternoon.

Only when Luo Xudong returned in the evening did Beisitian breathe a sigh of relief, stepping forward to embrace his broad and sturdy body, burying her face in his chest.

Surprise flickered across Luo Xudong’s face, and he instinctively hugged Beisitian back, gently whispering in her ear, "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing, just missed you," Beisitian’s muffled voice replied, without lifting her face. She felt a bit embarrassed for having said such a thing.

Upon hearing this, a deeper smile graced Luo Xudong’s lips. Beisitian rarely expressed her feelings openly; although they had almost been married for a year, she had never directly said she missed him before. This instantly cleared away the gloominess that had been weighing on Luo Xudong recently.

Beisitian didn’t let go, and Luo Xudong was reluctant to release her either. They stayed embraced at the doorway for quite a while before finally pulling apart.

Luo Xudong looked at Beisitian’s face, resembling a red apple, bent down quickly to peck, "Let’s go have dinner."

At the dinner table, Beisitian glanced at Luo Xudong multiple times, seemingly hesitant to speak. Luo Xudong eventually set down his bowl and chopsticks, looked at Beisitian with a smile, "Is there something you want to say?"

Beisitian pursed her lips, then spoke, "Whatever you’re doing, be careful!"

Luo Xudong gazed steadily at Beisitian, nodding, "Even for you, I won’t push myself recklessly."

He knew he couldn’t hide from Beisitian. Although her concern made him happy, it also made his heart ache.