My Fierce Beta Husband is Surprisingly Sweet | Chapter 76 | Chasing the Moon's Reflection | Novela.app

"Dad, something just happened. I’m taking Li Zhenting for a check-up at the hospital, and then I’ll come pick you up. Please wait a little longer." As closing time approached, Yan Yan had just returned to his office from the department when he received a message from Li Zi. Seeing the mention of a check-up, his heart immediately leaped into his throat. "What happened? Is it serious?" He had lost a child himself because he hadn't been careful enough during pregnancy. He was terrified that his own child would have to face such pain. "It should be fine, don't worry." Li Zi quickly sent back a voice message, briefly explaining the situation. Yan Yan urged her, "Make sure to explain everything clearly to the doctor and have a thorough examination." "I know." Sitting in his chair, his thoughts raced. He couldn't set his mind at ease, so he decided to head over to the OB/GYN department to find them himself. By now, most doctors had already finished their shifts, but the hospital was still bustling with people. Just as Yan Yan reached the elevator doors, he heard a patient's family member causing a scene. It seemed they had been delayed and missed their appointment time; now that the doctor was no longer on duty, they were relentlessly demanding the doctor's return. "Aren't doctors supposed to treat people? Now that the patient is here, how can they just leave so irresponsibly?" "We waited a long time for this appointment! Just because we're a little late, we can't be seen?" The one shouting at the triage desk was a large man, flanked by an elderly person trying to pull him back. The man was being aggressive toward the young nurse at the desk, refusing to listen to anything she said. Yan Yan frowned slightly and turned to step forward, intending to stop the man who looked ready to get physical. "Sir, please calm down." "What's it to you? Get lost!" The man shoved his hand away forcefully. Yan Yan lost his footing and stumbled back several steps, nearly falling. A pair of hands caught him from behind. "Dr. Yan! Careful!" Steadying himself, he hurried to turn and give his thanks. "Thank you." Xie Bing stood behind him, looking at him with concern. "Are you alright?" "I'm fine. And you are...?" Yan Yan felt this doctor looked strangely familiar, and her gaze was far too intense and knowing. Suppressing the excitement in her heart, Xie Bing spoke quickly. "Dr. Yan, do you still remember me?" *** Six o'clock arrived, and Xie Bing had not appeared. At the park entrance, Li Qingliu adjusted his collar. His anticipation and anxiety grew more intense with every passing second. He glanced at his phone. Xie Bing had just replied to his message: "Qing-ge, wait for me a moment." Wait a moment? He hesitated. Hadn't Xie Bing said she had nothing else to do today? He could have waited a bit longer, but Li Qingliu couldn't help himself. He decided to go straight to the hospital to pick her up. Navigating the familiar path to Xie Bing’s department, he knocked on the door, but there was no response. She wasn't there. Where else could she be? Li Qingliu was puzzled. Just then, the nurse who had teased him about Xie Bing before passed by. Seeing him, she greeted him, "Aren't you Dr. Xie's friend? Looking for her?" "Yes. Does she have a patient? Where is she now?" Li Qingliu asked politely. "Dr. Xie is done for the day. Oh, I know—I think she went to the OB/GYN department with Professor Yan." "Professor Yan?" He sensitively caught the title. "Yes, Professor Yan Yan. He's here at our hospital for an academic exchange. We're all his fans, haha. I bet Xie Bing is too." "She's been distracted all day today, probably thinking about finding Professor Yan." Xie Bing... distracted all day? For some reason, a sense of foreboding rose in Li Qingliu’s heart. "Alright, thank you." His pace quickened. He only wanted to see her immediately, finish what he had planned, and finally make their feelings clear to each other. He didn't want any more variables. Before long, he spotted a familiar back. Xie Bing had already taken off her white coat and was wearing a sweater, currently talking to the person beside her. Li Qingliu felt a surge of joy and was about to step forward to call her name. "Xiao—" *Xie.* He saw Xie Bing turn her head, gazing intently at the man beside her. Her eyes were so soft and fervent, like a long-distance voyager who had finally found a lighthouse, or like someone trying to delicately scoop up a reflection of the moon with their bare hands. That look... Li Qingliu desperately wanted to convince himself that this was just professional admiration, but Xie Bing's gaze was too conspicuous. How could such intense emotion be purely professional? He had only ever seen that look in the eyes of someone whose heart already belonged to another. The man beside her said something else, and Xie Bing’s eyes crinkled into a smile as she nodded gently. She was completely unaware that someone was watching her silently from behind. *I look like a clown.* Shame and disappointment crashed over Li Qingliu like a mountain collapsing. It turned out Xie Bing didn't lack an understanding of love; she simply already had someone in her heart. And there he was, secretly gloating, considering himself the man closest to her. *Then again, compared to a man like that, what am I?* At that moment, Xie Bing and her companion ran into some old acquaintances. Li Zi was walking from the end of the corridor, leading Li Zhenting by the hand. Seeing Yan Yan and Xie Bing together, Li Zi raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Dad, why are you with Xie Bing?" Yan Yan replied, "What's wrong? She's a colleague at the hospital. Oh, right, Xiao Zi, isn't she your former roommate?" "Yes." Li Zi nodded. She quietly observed Xie Bing’s expression and caught that familiar trace of obsession. Her fingers involuntarily tightened, drawing a confused look from Li Zhenting. *Xie Bing, oh Xie Bing. Are you going to be that fool again in this life?* It was Li Zhenting who looked up and saw Li Qingliu standing in the distance. Not yet understanding the situation, he raised a hand and shouted, "Li Qingliu! What are you doing here?" *Qing-ge?* Xie Bing’s mind had been filled with the joy of successfully reuniting with Yan Yan, but hearing that name snapped her back to reality. She immediately turned around to look in that direction. Li Qingliu was looking at her with reddened eyes. She didn't know how long he had been watching, but his face was filled with a sorrow and despair she couldn't fathom. Without a second thought, she walked quickly toward him. "Qing-ge, why are you here?" *Why am I here? I really shouldn't have come.* Li Qingliu didn't want to face this scene any longer. He gripped his bag, turned, and ran. "Qing-ge! Where are you going?" Xie Bing panicked. She didn't understand why Li Qingliu had run away so emotionally upon hearing her call him. She glanced back at Yan Yan, hesitating for a split second, unsure whether to stay or go. Li Zi seized the moment to speak. "Aren't you going to chase him? Boss Li clearly looks heartbroken." "I'm here to take my dad to dinner. You should go find the person you're supposed to be with." Li Zi’s words didn't seem to have any hidden meaning, yet they were like a thorn that suddenly pricked Xie Bing. She seemed to realize something from them. She nodded a goodbye to Yan Yan and chased after the direction Li Qingliu had gone without stopping. Yan Yan was still completely bewildered, failing to grasp the current situation. However, he still remembered the concern in his heart and hurriedly asked Li Zhenting, "Zhenting, are you alright? What did the doctor say?" "Uncle, I'm fine. I just moved too fast and disturbed the pregnancy a bit. The doctor said I just need to rest well," Li Zhenting replied sheepishly, rubbing his head. Yan Yan breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled. "You're already having a child, and you're still calling me 'Uncle'?" The elder's teasing made Li Zhenting very stiff, unsure of how to respond appropriately. With a flushed face, he secretly hooked his finger into Li Zi’s palm. *Help!* Li Zi glanced at him. She was actually still a bit annoyed and didn't help him out. Following Yan Yan’s lead, she said, "It is time to change how you address him." Li Zhenting hadn't expected Li Zi to join in. He could only stammer out, "Dad... Father." He had never called anyone that before. "Haha, it's okay if you're not used to it. We're family anyway; don't worry too much about the formalities." Yan Yan was amused by him and reached out to pat his shoulder. "You two aren't married yet anyway, so there's no rush." Li Zhenting nodded dumbly. "Since the doctor wants you to rest more, let's not eat out today. We'll just go to your place and have a simple meal." After such a big scare for Li Zi and Li Zhenting in just one afternoon, he was in no mood to dine out. "That works. We have some groceries at home. Dad, let's go. The car is parked downstairs." Li Zi nodded, while also pulling Li Zhenting closer to her. "You too. Go lie down once we get home. Stop jumping around everywhere." As they drove away from the hospital, Li Zi looked into the distance. The image of Xie Bing chasing after Li Qingliu flashed through her mind. She thought to herself: in this life, the relationship between Yu Tianwu and Liu Yan had softened, and they had saved Lian Zhi, who was originally supposed to be harmed. Xie Bing had even met Li Qingliu, something that had never happened in her previous life. Could she, then, wake up a little earlier this time? Flowers in a mirror and the moon in the water are beautiful, but they shatter at a touch. Some people think they love the beauty itself, when in reality, they have only ever been chasing their own ever-expanding beautiful illusions. ***