Chapter 1 The Mad Beauty

Chapter 1: The Mad Beauty

Late last night, He'an Hospital admitted a patient with a brain injury from a car accident. Before the tests were complete, the hospital's legal representative landed on the rooftop via helicopter.

It turned out the patient was none other than Chu Yan, the only younger brother of the hospital's legal representative.

The patient woke up remarkably quickly, not even having time for a full examination. What followed was a Pandora's box that left the medical staff and the patient's family at their wit's end.

The top-tier care ward was reduced to rubble. The brain-injured patient, Chu Yan, went into a frenzy whenever anyone approached, harder to restrain than a wild animal.

The patient's elder brother's face grew darker. "Chu Yan, haven't you caused enough trouble?"

The man being called had unfocused eyes, groping blindly until he found the back of his hand, yanking out the IV needle that several people had just managed to insert. He then followed the dislodged IV tubing to the drip bag and hurled it at the source of the sound.

Chu Chenzhi pulled Director Xing aside to avoid the attack. The drip bag slammed into the wall with a 'bang,' spraying medication everywhere, splattering everyone and everything in the room.

Chu Yan's hand was still spurting blood. He groped around again until he found the two corners of the bedside table. Seeing the commotion, the others hastily retreated from the ward. As the door closed, another 'bang' sounded, and the metal door bulged outward from the inside.

Chu Chenzhi had stayed up all night, dark circles under his eyes, his suit wrinkled from being tugged by his younger brother. Originally the epitome of an elite executive, he now looked like a homeless guy under a bridge.

He ran his hand through his already disheveled hair, adding insult to injury. "What do we do now? Tell me, what the hell do we do now?"

Bearing the brunt of Chu Chenzhi's frantic roar was Director Xing from He'an Hospital's neurosurgery department, also with dark circles under his eyes, and with his receding hairline, looking even more like a vagrant. "How about... we restrain him?"

"What coercive measures?"

Director Xing, as if knowing the suggestion wouldn't be accepted, lowered his voice. "Call the psychiatric ward... to bring a straitjacket."

Sure enough, Chu Chenzhi shot him a cold glare.

Chu Yan didn't recognize anyone now. Hearing voices triggered his frenzy, and he started smashing things. Afraid the medical staff might get injured, Chu Chenzhi had Director Xing clear out the entire floor where Chu Yan was confined.

After monitoring him all night and day, they had tried every possible method. Chu Chenzhi closed his eyes, almost ready to follow Director Xing's advice and have his precious brother restrained for mandatory treatment.

At a loss, Chu Chenzhi continued pacing the corridor.

But even this sole method for alleviating his anxiety was halted by someone blocking his path.

Frowning, Chu Chenzhi glanced at the person.

Standing before him was a young doctor in a white coat.

Chu Chenzhi said gloomily, "Excuse me."

The young doctor, with a gentle expression, stepped aside and then walked over to Director Xing. "Director, this is the brain CT and lumbar puncture report for Zhou Jinsheng in bed 65 of the pediatric ward. Your guess was correct—it's a parasitic infection."

As Chi Suiyong spoke, he handed over the films.

Director Xing, overwhelmed by the chaos, asked, "Who? What parasitic infection?"

The young doctor replied patiently, "Zhou Jinsheng, the child you consulted on with the pediatrics department last week."

Director Xing scratched his thinning hair, regaining some focus. "Ah, that kid. How is he now?"

"That's what I need your opinion on—what medication to use. It's my first time handling such a case, and I'm a bit uncertain."

Director Xing glanced at the lumbar puncture report. "Toxoplasmosis. Use sulfadiazine combined with pyrimethamine. By the way, couldn't this child be diagnosed earlier? Was there a delay?"

"Yes."

"The patient is three years old, with a six-month illness duration and weak immunity. Follow-up treatment requires monitoring and supplementing with folic acid to reduce drug side effects."

"Thank you, Director. I'll head down now. You're busy."

It seemed their conversation disturbed Chu Yan (the Pandora's box) in the ward, as a rustling sound suddenly came from inside.

Director Xing and Chu Chenzhi exchanged terrified looks.

To add to their horror, another 'bang' erupted from the ward, as if a sledgehammer had struck eighty-one times against the wall.

The young doctor Chi Suiyong flinched, shooting the ward a bewildered look.

What a commotion—was He'an Hospital starting to admit psychiatric patients?

Before he could think further about that, the battle-scarred door creaked open from the inside.

In a flash, Chu Chenzhi, who was pacing, and Director Xing, on the phone, both looked as if facing a formidable enemy. They rushed over, taking three steps at a time, and with grim determination seized the monster that had burst out of the Pandora's box.

Chi Suiyong silently stepped back two paces.

This 'monster' had striking two-tone, shaggy mullet hair—short in front, long in back—edgy and fierce, with refined features. Even looking somewhat disheveled and ferocious in this scene, he could still be considered strikingly handsome.

He was tall; Director Xing could only cling to his waist, while the other held his shoulders.

They seemed to have him trapped, front and back, but the mad beauty had incredible strength, dragging both human anchors step by step toward Chi Suiyong.

Chi Suiyong was a pediatric attending physician at He'an Hospital, not security, and felt he couldn't contribute much in this physical confrontation. So he turned to leave.

But Director Xing's pleading voice stopped him. "Xiao Chi, come help us get him back inside."

The wide-open ward door revealed a scene of devastation to Chi Suiyong.

Inside, only one hospital bed was intact. If he got out in this state, he might injure staff or patients.

Chi Suiyong gritted his teeth and walked over.

He looked at the mad beauty held by the two men. The only safe spot was his head.

Of course, choking a frenzied person would only make them more violent. So Chi Suiyong pressed both hands against the mad beauty's face, pressing his body forward to help the other two push him back.

Feeling someone close, the mad beauty froze momentarily, his unfocused eyes shrouded in a thick mist.

Seeing this, Chi Suiyong tried to shove him into the ward, but the mad beauty suddenly pulled back the hand that was gripping the doorframe, and it landed exactly on Chi Suiyong's wrist.

That hand was icy cold, clamping down with mechanical force. Chi Suiyong sensed the danger and tried to pull his hand back several times, but the more he struggled, the tighter the grip.

It hurt like hell!

The other two were still pulling the man inside, but he was rooted like a stone statue. After a few seconds of stalemate, just as Chi Suiyong felt his wrist might be crushed to powder, the man sniffed and leaned in.

Chi Suiyong jerked his head to the side, barely dodging.

Director Xing, Chu Chenzhi, and Chi Suiyong were all panting from the intense struggle, the sound echoing through the empty ward.

None dared to speak, afraid to disturb the fragile standoff.

Chi Suiyong's hand had gone numb from the grip, but the warm breath against his neck grew heavier, the breathing sound next to his ear like a puppy sniffing around.

Then came the sound of him swallowing.

At this point, Chi Suiyong didn't dare move anymore. He didn't dare think whether he would die on the spot if the other really bit his neck like he was food.

The pain in his wrist gradually eased, and Chi Suiyong felt the vice-like hand loosen, so he pushed the other away.

After pulling back to a slightly safer distance, he unexpectedly noticed that the other's eyes, which had been excited and somewhat deranged, were now half-covered by drooping eyelids.

The handsome madman seemed to have lost all his strength, turning into a docile puppy, tilting his head his way.

Incredulously, Chi Suiyong focused all his attention on smelling, trying to sniff out some medicinal smell on himself that could soothe a mental patient.

But he smelled nothing.

Chi Suiyong did not know what illness the handsome madman before him had, but he tentatively took his hand and asked, "Is there somewhere that hurts?"

The words carried a hint of his usual professional tone, his voice gentle and soft, just as it was when he dealt with pediatric patients.

Hearing this, the handsome madman reacted like a caged cub hearing a familiar voice. He grasped Chi Suiyong's hand again and leaned in, saying, "Noisy, so noisy."

Chi Suiyong did not retreat again but observed the other's expression. "Is my noise bothering you?"

The handsome madman shook his head nervously. "No, you're not noisy. They are noisy..."

Chi Suiyong pursued his hunch and asked step by step, "You're so sleepy, but they still keep chattering in your ear, so it must be annoying, right?"

The handsome madman nodded sincerely.

Chu Yan, who had only been smashing things all day, suddenly shed his violent demeanor, and even his eyes became much gentler.

Chu Chenzhi and Director Xing, who were still on high alert, their eyes nearly popped out the moment they saw Chu Yan nod.

After confirming his guess, Chi Suiyong gave the other two a meaningful look, signaling them to let go. "Then I'll tell them to stop talking. You can sleep well, okay?"

As soon as the words fell, he again felt that bone-crushing grip on his fingers. "Don't go."

Chi Suiyong gasped in pain. "Okay, I won't leave. I'll stay here with you."

The hospital bed was a mess, unfit for sleeping. Chi Suiyong pointed with his free hand toward the bed, signaling the other two to clean it up.

In the end, Chu Chenzhi ended up making the bed.

Chi Suiyong held Chu Yan's hand and felt that it was sticky. Looking down, he saw that the handsome madman's hand was still bleeding.

This needed to be taken care of.

"But your hand is injured. Let me clean it up before you sleep, okay?"

Remembering the sharp pain in his hand, Chu Yan shook his head in fright.

He couldn't see anything now; everything in front of him was pitch black, but his sense of touch, hearing, and smell were exceptionally sharp.

During this period of blindness, many unfamiliar people had come around him, but none that he recognized. Those strange sounds and smells constantly fueled his agitation, and he couldn't control his outbursts. Until just now, a pair of hands cupped his face.

The smell that came with those hands finally brought a sense of familiarity.

But who this person was, Chu Yan did not know.

"Don't... touch my hand," Chu Yan said, pulling his hand behind his back.

Chi Suiyong glanced and understood. He coaxed, "Come, touch my two hands. I'm not holding anything." Then he took Chu Yan's other hand, which was gripping his wrist, so he could verify.

Chu Yan groped around half-believing, half-skeptical.

Indeed, the other's hands held nothing.

Chi Suiyong took the chance to pull out the hand the other had hidden behind his back. "Come, use this hand to feel."

Sensing no threat from the other, Chu Yan finally let down his guard. "What's your name?"

He was led to sit in front of the bed, felt the other hold his hand and gently press on the spot where the needle had pricked.

"My name is Chi Suiyong. You can call me Yong Yong."

Chu Yan asked, "Which Yong?"

That person held out his palm and wrote on it while saying, "The Yong of 'graceful and dignified'. Do you know this character?"

Chu Yan nodded.

"This character is hard to write. You actually know it. That's amazing."

Chu Yan could feel his face heat up under the exaggerated praise. "My name is Chu Yan, the 'yan' from 'yanfang'."

"Can I call you Yan Yan?"

Chu Yan lifted his chin. "No."

"Then what should I call you?"

"Just call me Chu Yan... that's fine."

"Okay, then I'll call you Chu Yan."

After a while, the fingertip on his hand withdrew. Chu Yan felt the other was about to leave, so he stretched out his arms and groped around.

He first touched the person's hair, then the face. Chu Yan slid off the edge of the bed and panicked and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, holding tight, and the familiar scent became stronger.

Chu Yan couldn't recall what that smell was, but at this moment, the only lifeline he could grasp was this familiar scent.

"Don't go."

The person held by him grunted, as if out of breath. "I... I won't go. But you should sleep now. I'll stay here with you."

The other's gentle, breathless reassurance, Chu Yan had no intention of letting go. He just followed the other's movements, slowly got up, and then let the other lead him to lie down on the bed.

He still held the other's head. It smelled comforting. Chu Yan involuntarily buried his head in a warmer place.

The other didn't move again, lying beside him, trapped by his embrace.

A hand patted him gently on the back, with a soothing rhythm.

Chu Yan's eyelids grew heavier and heavier—