Volume 1, Chapter 7: Fu Jinzhou, Do You Still Remember Me?

Sunlight streamed through the window of the hospital corridor, casting dappled patterns on his face. It softened his naturally cold and detached aura, yet it could not mask the metallic sheen of a man tempered by long years of discipline.

The man clearly noticed Su Li looking up at him and came to a sudden halt. His dark eyes were like morning dew in early autumn—cool, clear, and pure. He remained as he had always been: aloof and noble, with an air that warned others to keep their distance.

However, as his gaze settled on Su Li at the foot of the stairs, the coldness in his eyes deepened into something more profound.

Song Guoping, the assistant by Fu Jinzhou’s side, saw his mentor stop abruptly. Seeing the flicker of surprise in those icy eyes, he followed his mentor's gaze. Oh, so he had spotted a beautiful woman. He had never expected Professor Fu, usually so ascetic and indifferent, to be interested in beauties. In private, they had once even speculated that the professor suffered from some hidden ailment.

Song Guoping had been with Fu Jinzhou for nearly two years and had never seen him look at any woman with such an expression. Just as he was anticipating the drama to follow, he heard a low, steady voice. "You take the interns and head over first."

After giving the instruction, Fu Jinzhou removed the stethoscope from his neck, coiled it with rhythmic precision, placed it in the pocket of his white coat, and walked slowly toward Su Li.

Su Li had not expected him to appear just as she had summoned the courage to ask for his help.

"Fu Jinzhou, hello. Do you remember me?"

Su Li forced herself to greet him, feeling awkward. It would be a lie to say she wasn't uncomfortable. Fu Jinzhou had been the top student in their class and the provincial college entrance exam scholar. She had heard that when he graduated from university, hospitals in the provincial capital had invited him repeatedly, but he had refused them all and returned to their hometown of Pingjiang instead.

How could he possibly remember her? In her previous life, he had likely only recognized her because he happened to see her name on her medical report. Thinking of that previous life, she still felt a sense of gratitude toward him; after learning of her condition, he had immediately helped her contact specialists in the provincial capital. Unfortunately, after Shao Ting'an and Zhao Xinran locked her away, she never made it to those appointments.

"Su Li!"

Fu Jinzhou spoke quietly, his voice as cool as a mountain stream.

Su Li laughed in surprise. "It’s you. As expected of the top student in our class—your memory is excellent. You still recognize an old classmate after all this time."

As she spoke, she bit her lower lip. It was inevitable to be a bit more enthusiastic when asking for a favor, but the underlying embarrassment clung to her, making her warmth seem forced.

A faint smile touched the corner of Fu Jinzhou's mouth. "Are you not feeling well?"

As he drew closer, Su Li became even more self-conscious. She lowered her gaze slightly and adjusted the canvas bag on her shoulder. "A little."

Seeing that she had been quite friendly moments ago but now seemed embarrassed when mentioning her condition, Fu Jinzhou’s expression darkened slightly. "The obstetrics and gynecology department is on the second floor. I have matters to attend to, so I must go."

He began to walk away. As they brushed past each other, Su Li felt the air around them grow noticeably colder.

"Fu Jinzhou!"

Seeing him about to leave, Su Li turned and called out to him in a hurry.

Fu Jinzhou stopped again but did not turn around. "Is something the matter?"

*Still the same as back in school,* Su Li sighed inwardly. *He’s a man of few words, unwilling to utter a single syllable more than necessary.*

"I would like to ask you for a favor."

Su Li took two steps forward until she was standing across from him. "I know we aren't particularly close, but we were classmates, after all, and I..."

Fu Jinzhou observed her hesitation. After a moment of silence, he said in a low voice, "Come to my office."

With that, he turned and headed upstairs. Su Li felt a surge of excitement; though he wasn't exactly warm, he had at least given her a chance.

In Fu Jinzhou’s office, Su Li sat across from him, feeling quite awkward. Even though he was a doctor and shouldn't be bothered by such things, they weren't close, and there was a boundary between men and women. For a moment, she didn't know how to begin.

Seeing her remain silent, Fu Jinzhou spoke softly, "Let me see your report." Although he wasn't an OB-GYN, he could still interpret fetal development.

"Oh, no, it's not that. I'm fine. I just wanted to ask you to write me a medical certificate."

Su Li gritted her teeth and decided to blurt out exactly what she was thinking. Being embarrassed was better than feeling disgusted with herself.

"You want me to write you a medical certificate?" Fu Jinzhou was puzzled. Seeing her persistent discomfort, he had assumed it was about a pregnancy.

Su Li nodded. "Yes. I’ll be honest with you—I came to find you because I need a fake medical certificate."

"A fake medical certificate?" Fu Jinzhou understood now. She wasn't embarrassed about being pregnant, but about this request.

"Fu Jinzhou, I’ll tell you the truth. I don’t want a child right now, but my family is pressuring me. That’s why I want you to help me draft a fake medical record. As long as it’s a condition that prohibits physical intimacy, any illness will do."

Su Li finished in one breath, her brow furrowed, not daring to look him in the eye. "I know this isn't right, but..."

Before she could finish, Fu Jinzhou interrupted, "Why... why don't you want to have children? You two have been married for nearly a year; it is perfectly normal to have a child."

Su Li looked at him, surprised that he had remained calm. "You even know when I married Shao Ting'an? That’s rare!" In her mind, Fu Jinzhou had always been the type to shut the world out, as if no one and nothing could ever enter his heart. Especially since he had been in Kyoto pursuing his graduate studies when she and Shao Ting'an married.

Fu Jinzhou said nothing, his gaze fixed intently on her.

Su Li felt guilty under his stare and bit her lip. "I just feel it isn't the right time."

"Are there problems in your relationship?"

Fu Jinzhou’s unhurried voice left Su Li unsure of how to reply. She needed his help, but she couldn't tell him everything. She lowered her head and fidgeted with her fingers, trying to figure out how to respond, when she heard that same cool, deep voice.

"My certificate would be useless for your purposes. Wait here for a moment."

Su Li looked up, meeting his profound gaze, and nodded slightly. "Thank you!"

She hadn't expected someone as aloof and distant as Fu Jinzhou to value their former classmate connection. It seemed he was a person with a warm heart beneath a cold exterior.

Less than ten minutes later, Fu Jinzhou returned with a document.

"This is for you."

Su Li looked at the paper in her hand, stunned. "Why is this a prescription?"

"Professor Fu, the consultation team is urging you to—"

Song Guoping pushed the door open in a rush, but seeing Su Li staring fixedly at his mentor, he froze in the doorway, swallowing his words. *Good grief,* he thought. *In the short time I was gone, the professor has already lured someone into his office, and the young lady seems quite taken with him.* How could someone as stern as Fu Jinzhou allow a woman to stare at him like that?

"I told you to head over first."

Fu Jinzhou looked at the person appearing at the door and glared coldly. Song Guoping shivered and quickly closed the door to leave.

"A doctor’s duty is to heal the sick. Issuing a fake medical record is an abuse of power and a violation of professional ethics. Buy these medications; the instructions state that during the course of treatment... physical intimacy is not permitted." Fu Jinzhou paused. "As for the nature of the illness, you may tell people whatever you wish."

Su Li lowered her head and smiled. "Thank you."

"It was no trouble at all."