175 The Manic Zheng Huai

Guan Lei picked up a crab roe dumpling, placed it into Shen Xi’s bowl and said, “You’re overthinking things. I’m treating you to a meal because you helped me with my insomnia. Last night was a great success; I managed to sleep till nine o’clock this morning, so I may need to trouble you for a while more. Take these dishes as my way of saying thank you.”

The crab roe dumpling suddenly tasted and smelled much better. Guan Lei did look better than he did the previous day, so maybe there was some truth in his words.

She, on the other hand, was the exact opposite. Earlier in the bathroom, she had seen her reflection in the mirror and nearly mistook herself for a panda.

Shen Xi feared that in helping Guan Lei treat his insomnia, she would fall victim to his present curse. It would be more than a loss if that were to happen.

“Eat; you’ve earned it. Every single dish here is yours to partake in. It’s perfectly reasonable,” Guan Lei said to Shen Xi, distracting her from the silly notion that she had to repay him.

Shen Xi put on a fake smile.

When they finished breakfast, it was already 11 o’clock, and Shen Xi decided it was time for her to return to her dorm and catch some shut-eye.

Shen Xi and Guan Lei exited the observation room together, surprising Zheng Huai.

Anxious to know the details, Zheng Huai rushed to the observation room the pair had exited, but as soon as he touched the door’s handle, a group of burly men appeared out of nowhere, stopping him.

One of them noted Zheng Huai’s white coat and addressed him politely, though his tone was cold. “My apologies, sir. This room had been reserved. Outsiders may not enter.”

Fireworks boomed and crackled in Zheng Huai’s head. Flustered, he babbled, “What do you mean it’s reserved? I’m a doctor at this school and have every right to ensure the patients under my care are treated properly. What happens if an unexpected situation arises and I cannot check my patients’ conditions?”

Since Zheng Huai chose to be difficult, the guards crossed their arms and formed up, barring the entrance to the observation room. “Sir, please leave.”

Zheng Huai waved his arms and legs, gesticulating wildly. Yet, the men blocking his way remained unphased. They had an advantage in strength and numbers. All Zheng Huai could do was tuck his tail between his legs, heading to the office to ask for help.

“I want to know who is staying in Observation Room 201. Did you write up the memo?” Zheng Huai grabbed Wang Nan and asked.

The school did not have many doctors on site. Aside from Zheng Huai, there were only four others. One of them had gone on maternity leave a while ago, while the other he had asked said they did not know someone was using Observation Room 201. That left Wang Nan.

“Oh, those two. They’re under my care. It was the principal’s instructions. Is something the matter?” Wang Nan was bewildered by Zheng Huai’s impatience as he demanded answers from him.

The impression he had gotten of Zheng Huai the previous day was that he was a refined gentleman from a wealthy family. He did not expect Zheng Huai to possess such a manic side to him. Those female students who idolised him for his refined persona would be disillusioned if they saw him in this state.

“Are the students in the observation room named Guan Lei and Shen Xi? What’s wrong with them? Why did they exit the room together?” Zheng Huai fired off his questions in rapid succession, anxious to get to the bottom of this situation.

Wang Nan frowned. “They aren’t in good health. I wrote up a memo recommending they stay overnight for observation,” he replied.

Zheng Huai nearly exploded where he stood. “What did you say? How could they have stayed in the same room overnight? The two of them!? Don’t you think that’s inappropriate?”

Although Wang Nan did feel a little guilty, he braced himself and said, “They shared similar symptoms, so they were assigned to the same ward. It’s more convenient to manage patients with similar conditions when they are put together. I thought the principal had a point in making that suggestion.”

Zheng Huai felt like he was going crazy. Wang Nan admitted it was the principal’s arrangement.

It had to be Guan Lei’s doing.

Zheng Huai was at his mental breaking point. Finding this dear, sweet cousin of his had been a miracle, yet before he could even introduce himself, some worthless pig had stolen her affections.

If his grandfather learnt of this, he would launch an all-out attack on the Guan family. By then, the Shen and Guan families, two of the country’s financial powerhouses, would be firmly at odds with each other.

Zheng Huai massaged his forehead, feeling a migraine brewing. He had to get down to the truth. Perhaps it was not as bad as he feared… In any case, he prayed he was overreacting.