Innocent Ex Is Hot Chapter 1

Reunion

On the 7th floor, Zhu Qing was waiting for the elevator.

He had just finished his consultations and finished organizing his things. He hadn’t had time to take off his white lab coat or his mask. His peach blossom eyes were clear and bright, the shape of his double eyelids was elegant, and combined with his slender figure, he stood there like a stalk of bamboo. Passersby couldn’t help but steal a few extra glances.

Standing beside him were Xiao Shiqi and Bai Xiaomeng, the two loudest nurses in the Neurology Department. At the moment, they were in the middle of a heated discussion about a popular television drama.

The elevator doors slowly opened, revealing four or five people standing inside. With just one look, Zhu Qing’s heart trembled slightly. His sense of smell had perceived the situation even before his vision did.

The scent of lily of the valley.

His heart skipped a beat, unable to believe the person appearing before him.

His entire body froze as if time had pressed the pause button. The surroundings fell silent; in fact, he couldn’t hear any sound at all. It felt as if his heart had been shattered into pieces and scattered everywhere, with every shard engraved with a single name.

The man inside smiled at him.

It was He Linzhou.

His ex-boyfriend.

That face, which had appeared in his dreams countless times, was now right in front of him, smiling.

Dressed in a suit and a turtleneck sweater, his superior height made him stand out like a crane among a flock of chickens. His brow was gentle, his eyes curved like crescent moons, and his smile was brimming with a hint of tenderness.

Zhu Qing’s heart stirred. The fingers inside his pocket felt hot as feelings from the past came rushing back.

He adjusted his breathing, avoided that tender gaze, and said to the people beside him, “I still have something to take care of. You two go down first.”

Xiao Shiqi and Bai Xiaomeng looked confused as they watched Dr. Zhu’s hurried departure. Once they entered the elevator and saw the handsome man, the two shared a knowing smile, their moods instantly brightening.

Xiao Shiqi was quite knowledgeable about perfumes. Upon smelling the fragrance, she immediately identified the lily of the valley notes. Many medical staff wore perfume, and Dr. Zhu had used this specific scent before.

Bai Xiaomeng was very happy, thinking that running into a handsome guy in the elevator was a truly wonderful thing.

The elevator doors slowly closed. A colleague beside him started talking, and the smile at the corners of He Linzhou’s eyes faded as he responded half-heartedly.

He had never imagined their reunion after four years would be like this.

He had imagined a thousand scenarios, but never this one.

He was avoiding him.

He Linzhou clenched his fist.

Xiao Shiqi thought to herself that this handsome guy seemed a bit cold.

Bai Xiaomeng thought to herself, oh, he’s a handsome guy with cold, pale skin.

In the First Hospital cafeteria, several medical staff from the Neurology Department were eating and chatting. Xiao Shiqi complained that today’s broccoli was terrible, sighing three times. “Did the cafeteria change chefs? It tastes completely different from last time.” For people who had worked hard all day, not having something they liked to eat was truly not a happy matter.

Head Nurse Tan Mei took a bite and said, “Maybe. It doesn’t look as fresh as last time.”

Bai Xiaomeng had always been a broccoli hater. Just as she was about to say something disparaging about the vegetable, a tall figure walked past.

Bai Xiaomeng looked up and saw a handsome male doctor walking like the wind with a tall, straight posture. She let out a sharp squeal. “Isn’t that the handsome guy we met in the elevator!”

Xiao Shiqi looked up and reported the news she had gathered during the evening shift. “Let me tell you, I asked around yesterday. He’s a new doctor in the Surgery Department. I heard he’s only been here for about two months, and quite a few people like him.”

Tan Mei wasn’t surprised at all. “Of course. In our line of work, handsome guys are rare to begin with. Now that one has arrived, it’s a case of too many wolves and not enough meat.”

Bai Xiaomeng said, “Huh? How come we didn’t know when he arrived? We really can’t keep up with anyone else.”

Xiao Shiqi had a bitter expression. “Of course you didn’t know. You forgot we were on a business trip out of town with Dr. Zhu for over two months.”

Bai Xiaomeng slapped her forehead. “Damn, I actually forgot. Look at my memory. Staying up late every day has really made me lose my brain.”

Zhu Qing had been eating with his head down. Only when the scent of lily of the valley vanished did he join the conversation. “Yeah, he’s quite handsome.”

Xiao Shiqi held her face in her hands, looking like a total fangirl. “I wonder whose hands a handsome guy like that will end up in. I’d wake up laughing from my dreams!”

Bai Xiaomeng said, “Then go chase him.”

Xiao Shiqi shrugged. “Better not. My first impression is that this doctor isn’t straight.”

Zhu Qing: “Cough…”

Bai Xiaomeng: “Right, I’ve also heard that if they’re handsome in a hospital, the probability of them being gay is higher.”

Zhu Qing: “Cough…”

Xiao Shiqi nodded in agreement. “Yeah, maybe this guy has an ex-boyfriend.”

Zhu Qing: “Cough…”

Bai Xiaomeng thought of the plots in the novels she had read, feeling as if she were shipping a real couple. She couldn’t agree more. “Right, maybe his ex-boyfriend is even in our hospital.”

Zhu Qing: “Cough…”

“Dr. Zhu, are you okay?”

“Dr. Zhu, have some water. Don’t eat so fast.”

After lunch ended, Xiao Shiqi and Bai Xiaomeng decided to return to the dormitory for a nap. Once they left, Tan Mei asked, “Dr. Zhu, are you free next month?”

Thinking of a phone call he had received a few days ago, Zhu Qing politely declined. “A friend from Nancheng is coming over.”

“Oh,” Tan Mei nodded, but she still didn’t give up. “Alright then. I have a friend whose daughter is about your age and is also single. She’s a very outstanding girl. When do you think you’ll have time to meet?”

It was true; good-looking people in the hospital were like meat in a pack of wolves. Dr. Zhu was young, successful, and good-looking. He was patient with patients, and many people in the hospital liked him. When her friend came to visit last time, she had taken a liking to Dr. Zhu at first sight and specifically asked her to play matchmaker.

Tan Mei wasn’t very confident. She always felt that behind Dr. Zhu’s polite demeanor was a sense of keeping people a thousand miles away, but she couldn’t withstand her friend’s repeated pleas.

Tan Mei said, “Dr. Zhu, think it over and give me an answer. My friend’s daughter is quite beautiful.”

The garden downstairs was a place Zhu Qing often visited during his lunch break. Camellias were planted here, and he liked camellias.

Finding an empty spot to breathe fresh air and clear his mind was his unique way of relaxing.

Finding a quiet place, the unique fragrance of camellias allowed his body and mind to slow down, helping him avoid thinking about messy things and people.

He took out his phone and opened the home security monitor. His cat—also named Shancha—was a calico, a beautiful little cat with black and orange tabby markings. At the moment, she was contentedly eating her cat food. He waved at the camera. “Shancha, remember not to eat too much, or you’ll ruin your stomach.”

Shancha glanced at the camera and gave a gentle meow.

Zhu Qing waved goodbye to her. Shancha used to be a stray cat at the school, and he had later adopted her. The reason was simple: he liked Shancha and didn’t want her wandering outside every day.

Gradually, the scent of camellias and lily of the valley began to blend together. A pair of black leather shoes appeared before his eyes.

Zhu Qing looked up. A pair of gentle eyes were looking at him seriously.

It was his ex-boyfriend.

The two stared at each other silently for several seconds. Something wordless flowed through the air, something both familiar and strange.

Until—

He Linzhou’s large hand reached out to stroke the top of his head.

Zhu Qing was startled and instinctively backed away.

He Linzhou’s hand remained suspended in mid-air.

The other man bristled. “What are you doing?”

“I came to see you, ex-boyfriend,” He Linzhou smiled, not expecting the other’s reaction to be so large.

He Linzhou stopped talking and just looked at him tenderly, the warmth in the corners of his eyes splashing out like melting ice and snow.

Zhu Qing was stunned.

He Linzhou stared at this expression for a long time. He took a step forward, suppressing his internal impulses, and only placed a hand on his shoulder.

Zhu Qing flinched and backed away again. Without any hesitation, he turned to leave. He didn’t want anyone to see this bizarre scene, and he certainly didn’t want to end up on the trending topics because of this, becoming gossip for the medical staff after their meals.

“Wait,” He Linzhou grabbed him. Zhu Qing turned back and asked very unfriendlily what else he wanted. People were coming and going in the hospital; it would create a bad influence.

He Linzhou was silent for half a second. He saw through his thoughts but didn’t expose them. Changing the subject, he said, “My dear ex-boyfriend, this place isn’t suitable for catching up.”

Catching up?

Catching up?!

Catching up!!!

“Who wants to catch up with you!” Zhu Qing was furious, thinking this man really enjoyed playing tricks on people. He didn’t want to be fooled again. Zhu Qing’s beautiful peach blossom eyes carried a trace of thin anger, and his face turned slightly red.

He was always like this when he got angry. This scene wasn’t anything new to He Linzhou. Seeing it again after many years, he still found it adorable.

Truth be told, this was their first meeting after being apart for four years. Sometimes he could only see him in dreams. Meeting in person, even if the other was angry, was something he cherished. It had a special flavor.

Zhu Qing’s face was puffed up with anger. He had only come for a lunch break, yet this person had come to amuse himself at his expense.

“Ah, sorry, my wording was inappropriate. Don’t be angry,” Zhu Qing was someone who responded to gentleness rather than force, so He Linzhou immediately changed his strategy, using softness to overcome the hard. “We haven’t seen each other in a long time. Can we have a meal together? Fengshi is a very unfamiliar place to me.”

This wasn’t a lie. They had previously studied in Nancheng and then went to university in Haishi. Fengshi could be considered a very unremarkable city. Given He Linzhou’s status as the eldest young master of the He family, he likely hadn’t visited such a small place.

“Why would you come to Fengshi?” Zhu Qing asked curiously.

“Can’t I come? A fortune teller said I’d strike it rich if I came to Fengshi,” He Linzhou blinked. “I really want to strike it rich.”

Zhu Qing didn’t quite believe him; this guy was teasing him again.

“Oh, don’t be like this to your ex-boyfriend. I see your attitude toward patients is a hundred times better than your attitude toward me. Besides, we still have a child together.” He Linzhou’s brow furrowed slightly, unable to hide his sense of loss, looking as if he had suffered a great grievance.

Zhu Qing’s eyes widened. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

“Why are you acting like a scumbag who abandoned his wife and child? Isn’t Shancha our child?”

Zhu Qing: “…”

It was true. Shancha was essentially adopted by the two of them together, and even the name was chosen by both. Wait, He Linzhou couldn’t be here to fight for Shancha’s custody, could he?

Zhu Qing became wary again, his expression turning serious as he asked, “Don’t tell me you—”

“No, don’t worry. Custody is yours. I won’t fight you for it. However, according to the law, as the father, I enjoy the right of visitation. Surely Dr. Zhu knows this?”

Zhu Qing: “…”

“Also, to make it convenient to visit my daughter, I need your contact information, Dr. Zhu.”

Zhu Qing: “…”

“Of course, if Dr. Zhu doesn’t let me see my daughter, I have the right to sue you and appeal to your department leaders.”

Zhu Qing: “…”

In the end, He Linzhou got the contact information as he wished. At the very end, he even righteously demanded to be added on WeChat. His reason was very logical: when it was inconvenient, he needed to have video calls with his daughter.

At night, Zhu Qing lay in bed tossing and turning. Dammit, did he just give in like that today?

Was he under some kind of spell?

Damn, He Linzhou was truly annoying!

Messages kept popping up in the chat box. Zhu Qing stared at them for a few seconds before sending one back: Already in bed, stop annoying me!

He Linzhou, who had just finished his shower and was preparing to chat with his ex-boyfriend: …

He Linzhou sighed. Forget it. If he made him even angrier, it would be even harder to coax him back.

Sigh!