Chapter 43

Chapter 43

The next morning, a bus came to pick them up.

.

A large coach took the ten of them away.

Sitting beside Chu Li was his classmate who sat in front of him. His name was Yuan Tan. After the cat incident, their relationship had grown closer.

Bored on the journey, Yuan Tan struck up a conversation with Chu Li. "Since you'll be gone for so long, what about your cat? Have you found someone reliable to take care of it?"

Chu Li looked at him helplessly. This former desk mate really knew how to bring up sensitive topics. Not wanting to make a fuss, he replied, "I've entrusted it to a pet store."

"Oh?" Yuan Tan was puzzled. "Don't Omegas have to file a report when leaving school? Didn't the academic office give you a hard time?"

"No, I have a travel permit," Chu Li said. "They don't bother with such trivial matters."

"That's good," Yuan Tan said, gazing out the window blankly. "I wonder what the internship will be like. This is my first time going on one."

Chu Li was surprised. "The first time?"

"Yes, usually they choose third-year students. We've only just started, and we're still unfamiliar with different medical instruments. Third-years have more internships, I've heard they're often sent to hospitals every other day. I wonder why it's our turn this time."

If he had been speculating before, Chu Li was now even more certain that Wen Renjian had deliberately arranged for them to have this sudden internship.

Chu Li didn't elaborate. He simply said, "Just do your best, don't think too much about it."

Yuan Tan agreed. "You're right, there's no point in overthinking it. I'll definitely work hard and take this internship seriously!"

Chu Li: "…"

The person sitting in front of him was great in every way, except that he was too good at motivating himself.

The bus arrived at the hospital quickly, and the hospital had specially sent a head nurse to greet them.

It was a tall and slender male Beta with golden-rimmed glasses.

Beauty was always appreciated, and as soon as they got off the bus, the students couldn't help but express their admiration. A few Alphas were so captivated that they nearly came to blows with the females.

The stunning man said coolly, "I'm Shen Fengbei. For the next week, you'll be interning under me. The hospital's been chaotic lately, so don't get in the way."

With just a few piercing glances, he swiftly tamed the restless students, leaving Chu Li amazed.

Then, Shen Fengbei began calling out the students' names, allowing them to enter one by one. When it was Chu Li's turn, he was surprised. "An Omega?"

Chu Li replied, "Yes, Head Nurse. Is there an issue?"

Shen Fengbei quickly noticed the mark on his neck and belatedly recalled that the school had informed them that an Omega would be interning, but this Omega had already received a permanent mark and wouldn't cause any trouble due to pheromones.

He nodded. "No problem. Go ahead."

As soon as Chu Li entered, Yuan Tan approached him and whispered, "When patients have external injuries, their pheromones can leak uncontrollably. He was just worried about your well-being... Don't take it to heart."

Chu Li smiled. "It's no big deal. Don't worry about it."

Yuan Tan couldn't help but sigh when he looked at Chu Li. He had become quite close with Chu Li now. Every time he saw him, he couldn't help but wonder what kind of experiences this Omega had gone through to end up in the nursing program. Despite others' doubts, Chu Li had persisted.

His Alpha had never shown up, causing Yuan Tan to harbor a bit of resentment towards this unknown Alpha.

Ten students gathered in the hospital corridor, just as Shen Fengbei had said, it was bustling with activity. Nurses and doctors came and went, too preoccupied to spare a glance at those around them. Several nurses nearly collided with the students, leaving them flustered and huddled in corners to avoid obstructing others.

Chu Li stood amidst the crowd but found the scene eerily familiar. The scent of disinfectant in the air, the white nurse uniforms, the glass observation windows on the doors, and the room numbers... Everything was all too recognizable.

Through the open doors of the patient rooms, the spectrum of human experiences was on display. Although this was a place where medical instruments could cure any ailment, not everyone could afford such treatments. Some severely ill patients could only afford to use the medical equipment for critical treatments, leaving subsequent recovery to conventional hospital care.

Moreover, having lived through the interstellar era, humans now suffered from genetic diseases that the medical instruments were unable to address.

"What are you all standing here for?"

After a couple of minutes in the corridor, Shen Fengbei entered from outside. Tall and striding with purpose, he declared, "Right on time. Let's start our rounds."

The group of students waited in confusion, awaiting their division into teams.

Before the groups were sorted, an Alpha of impressive stature approached from the other end of the corridor. Upon seeing Shen Fengbei, he redirected his steps towards them.

Dressed in the white coat of a doctor, the students initially assumed he was their attending physician. However, this Alpha paid no attention to the students by his side, walking straight up to Shen Fengbei. "Is everything arranged?"

Shen Fengbei appeared frazzled, his tone exuding irritation. "No, it's been a headache."

"Don't worry, darling," the Alpha chuckled, lifting the Omega's face for a gentle peck on the lips. "Take your time, there's no rush."

Shen Fengbei remained unsoothed, pushing the Alpha away without even looking up. "Scram!"

The other students: "...."

Is this what the outside world is like? It's... quite thrilling.

Standing next to Chu Li, Yuan Tan seemed lost in thought, a peculiar flush staining his dark complexion.

Chu Li: "?"

Five minutes later, Shen Fengbei had organized the ten students into five groups and assigned them to different instructors. Unluckily, Chu Li and Yuan Tan were paired with none other than Shen Fengbei, who would be guiding them through the department that dealt with the Syndrome of Informational Scent during their room inspection.

As soon as they entered that floor, Chu Li wrinkled his nose. The air was saturated with the scents of Alphas and Omegas – truth be told, neither aroma was particularly pleasant.

It felt as if he had stepped into a marketplace just before noon, where all the fresh goods had been sold, leaving behind only items baked under the blazing sun, emitting an indescribable odor.

"..." It wouldn't be very polite to say such things in front of the patients here.

Therefore, Chu Li didn't dare to voice his thoughts and could only secretly ponder about them.

Before entering the patient's room, Shen Fengbei glanced back at him. "How do you feel?"

Their gaze landed firmly on Chu Li, causing him to pause. "It's fine, but... there's a bit of an unpleasant smell."

"Smelly?" Shen Fengbei examined Chu Li up and down, a hint of amusement sparkling in his sharp, handsome eyes. "So it seems your compatibility with your Alpha is quite high."

If one's own pheromones weren't compatible, they shouldn't find others' repulsive.

Chu Li shook his head. "I don't know. We never had our pheromone compatibility tested."

Shen Fengbei scoffed coldly. "Pretty daring to mark without a test."

Chu Li was baffled by the rebuke. He sensed that Head Nurse Shen held animosity towards him, but it wasn't a personal vendetta... Rather, it felt like a broader hostility, and he was merely caught in its wake.

Was it because he was an Omega?

Chu Li wasn't entirely sure.

Fortunately, Shen Fengbei didn't say much and began the routine ward round.

There were more precautions to take note of during the ward rounds here. Chu Li and Yuan Tan each grabbed a small notebook, following closely behind Shen Fengbei as they scribbled down every patient's condition diligently.

By the time they finished inspecting two floors, it was almost noon, leaving both of them with sore backs and aching legs.

The other doctors who had been conducting their own ward rounds returned around the same time, similarly exhausted.

But Shen Fengbei didn't give anyone a break. He waved his hand and said, "Come on, let's head to the pharmacy so I can show you around."

Another hour passed before they returned. It was already past one in the afternoon when they finally had lunch, each receiving a packed meal. They barely had time to rinse their mouths before being summoned again.

They worked non-stop until dusk before the hospital could spare someone to help arrange accommodations for them.

The hospital accommodations were simple as well. Four people shared a large room, with two of them having to share with the nurses on duty.

Aside from Chu Li, there were exactly four Alphas and five Betas on this trip. They divided themselves into two rooms, with four Alphas and four Betas in each. When it came to Chu Li's turn, Yuan Tan eagerly offered, "I'll share a room with him!"

Shen Fengbei glanced at the pair and said, "Alright, both of you follow me."

Upon arriving at their destination, they realized that the last two would be staying with Shen Fengbei.

It seemed Shen Fengbei didn't have a roommate. After showing them the place, he hurriedly left.

Once he was gone, the atmosphere became livelier. Yuan Tan let out a sigh of relief as he sat on his assigned bed, rubbing his arms. "I didn't expect the internship to be so exhausting. This hospital doesn't treat us like interns; they treat us like livestock."

Chu Li chuckled, recalling some jokes from his previous life, such as how women were treated like men, and men were treated like livestock.

In this situation, he couldn't say those words anymore. Instead, he could only say... ABOS were all treated equally, like livestock.

"Alright, livestock," Chu Li said with a smile. "Hurry up and freshen up. We need to get up early tomorrow."

Yuan Tan sighed dramatically. "Perhaps, this is what life is like after leaving campus."

Chu Li nodded in agreement.

Indeed, every era had its share of company slaves.

Before such beings, all were equal.

Aware that he might have to live in a communal setting again, Chu Li had deliberately packed a more conservative pajama set - long-sleeved and full-length pants, yet loose-fitting for maximum comfort.

After his shower, he took the extra effort to dry his hair completely before exiting, only to find his sole roommate sound asleep.

Well then, that spared him any potential awkwardness.

Feeling exhausted, he lay in bed yet found himself devoid of sleep. After some contemplation, he decided to switch on his personal terminal.

His conversation with Jing Baiyuan was still paused at the ellipsis from several days ago. This rascal really didn't keep in touch after leaving.

If he had known, he wouldn't have allowed that bite. There were plenty of adorable kittens out there; who needed him for just one more?

As Chu Li grumbled to himself, he snapped a picture of himself in his pajamas and sent it over.

Accompanied by the message: "I had an internship today. So tired, but thinking about my major finally getting on track makes me happy."

"You might not see this, but if it disturbs you, just pretend you didn't. I just wanted to talk to someone today..."

Chu Li typed out a lengthy message, then felt that his emotions were too exposed. He was about to retract it when, to his surprise, a reply appeared in the chat window.

"-Distant Mountains and Rivers: Seen it."

Chu Li: "...."

He hadn't felt embarrassed while writing the message, but seeing this reply made him feel incredibly self-conscious.

Following that, Jing Baiyuanting responded,

"-Distant Mountains and Rivers: I've arrived too."

Attached was a picture – a breathtakingly beautiful starry sky, enhanced by special lens effects.

Jing Baiyuanting said, "I'm in the Outer Ring Galaxy, coordinates 1209/12. The stars here are stunning, and I wanted to share them with you."

Chu Li opened the image of the starry sky and examined it closely. It truly was magnificent.

Perhaps one day, I might escape this loathsome place and venture out into the vast expanse of space to explore.

Chu Li was still lost in thought as he gazed at the map when Jing Baiyuan Yuan ting added, "This is the expeditionary force's military base. Once you graduate, you can apply to be a military doctor attached to the troops and come here."

Chu Li couldn't help but smile. "You trust me that much? Aren't you afraid I won't succeed?"

Jing Baiyuan said, "I know you're an incredibly determined person, one who pours your heart and soul into whatever you set your mind to. And I'm also aware of your excellence, that whatever you aspire to achieve, you undoubtedly will succeed."

Chu Li couldn't help but laugh after reading it. "Did I transfer you money? You're praising me like this."

Jing Baiyuan said, "From the bottom of my heart."

It would sound peculiar coming from anyone else, but when Jing Baiyuan spoke those words, they carried an extraordinary sincerity.

Chu Li chuckled, then felt foolish a minute later for being amused by Jing Baiyuan's simple, non-flirtatious remarks. He quickly composed himself and resumed typing to him.

"I went to visit the kitten the other day, but I didn't bring it home yet. I plan on adopting it after its mating season is over."

"The little cat is incredibly adorable. I'll send you some pictures."

Chu Li sent over a flurry of pictures, including some he had shown Jing Baiyuan before and others that were new and unseen.

Among them was a short video clip of Chu Li playfully teasing Little Key with a cat toy.

Little Key was a black-and-white tabby kitten, unlike the little Li Hua Cat whose body was almost entirely covered in patterns. Little Key only had markings on its back, while its belly and paws were white. This meant that its paw pads were a delicate pink.

The baby kitten's paw pads were particularly translucently pink, and at its age, it was still indifferent to cat toys. After Chu Li waved the toy a couple of times, the kitten didn't even glance at it. Chu Li couldn't help himself and leaned in to pinch the kitten's rosy paw.

Little Key had a completely different personality from the little Li Hua Cat, who would have surely flipped onto its back by now. Instead, Little Key meowed at him and pulled its paw away with force.

Behind the camera, Chu Li could be heard chuckling softly.

In his office at the base, Jing Baiyuan sat at his desk and replayed that soft laugh several times.

He wanted to see him.

He wanted to go back.

Jing Baiyuan looked up at the vast expanse of space outside his window – for the first time, he felt a longing to return home.

Chu Li's internship lasted for a week. After the initial two days when he had some spare time to browse online, the rest of his days were consumed by a relentless cycle of work and study.

Each day, he returned to his dorm exhausted, promptly washing up before collapsing into bed.

Occasionally, when he was on duty and had a moment to spare, he would open his personal terminal to find messages from Jing Baiyuan.

They engaged in casual conversations back and forth.

Sometimes responding promptly, and at other times, taking a day to reply.

Chu Li didn't find anything wrong with this situation. Apart from the first two days after Jing Baiyuan's departure, when the influence of his pheromones made him miss him acutely during the quiet of night, it actually gave him a sense of relief.

Though Little Li Hua Cat was no longer by his side, Chu Li knew that it was safe and simply living its own life.

Perhaps from the beginning, he hadn't treated the little cat as a pet but as a family member. When a family member leaves, even if they are out of sight, the knowledge that they are doing well brings a deep sense of contentment.

--

A week passed in the blink of an eye, and there was a tinge of reluctance as they left the hospital.

With a few long-term patients discharged, the hospital became slightly less busy, allowing Shen Fengbei to step out of his whirlwind of work. He finally had time to see them off at the entrance.

Doctor Shen shed his white coat and donned a beige windbreaker. Squatting by the roadside, he held a cigarette between his lips. Behind his golden-rimmed glasses, his slender and exquisite eyes narrowed as he looked at Chu Li and the others. "You interns have been quite useful. If any of you want to work at the hospital in the future, feel free to look me up."

During this period, Shen Fengbei's 'devilish' reputation had firmly taken root in everyone's minds. The interns, who had endured his torment for nearly a week, dared not agree, all shaking their heads in fear.

Shen Fengbei was unconcerned. He spat out the half-smoked cigarette, extinguished it by pinching a nearby green leaf, then threw it into the trash bin before turning around. "Alright, let's go. Don't waste my time."

On the bus, Yuan Tan commented, "Doctor Shen... really doesn't seem like a Beta."

Chu Li smiled but didn't respond to Yuan Tan's remark.