Chapter 17: Spicy Hotpot for a Patient
“Hiss—”
“So painful—”
A groan echoed in the pristine white hospital room.
Fang Xiaocao had woken up!
But a wave of dizziness hit her, making her reluctant to open her eyes.
She was terribly thirsty and desperately wanted a drink of water!
Lying in bed, she whimpered softly, hoping that some kind soul would notice her and help her drink some water to keep her alive.
Her head was spinning, nausea churned in her stomach, and pain wracked her whole body!
These were the first things she felt after regaining consciousness.
“You’re awake?”
“Go get the doctor!”
A familiar voice rang in her ears.
“Hey, don’t go—”
“Give me some water before you leave!”
Hearing the footsteps fade away, Fang Xiaocao weakly called out.
But the person, like a bear, had already stomped away without even noticing her mosquito-like voice.
Bang!
The ward door slammed shut. Fang Xiaocao pouted, feeling like crying.
“Is this how you take care of a patient?”
“Not even asking if I’m thirsty…”
She fumed internally.
“Ouch, it really hurts—”
“If I knew it would hurt this much, I wouldn’t have risked my life…”
Lying in bed, tears welled in her eyes as she muttered, staring at the water cup beside her. She wanted to reach for it, but she had no strength.
“Water, oh water, just fly into my mouth already…”
She gazed at the cup with longing, hoping that the water inside would be considerate enough to come to her on its own.
“Seriously, who the hell is my caregiver…”
“Ughhh… I’m gonna die of thirst at this rate…”
She looked at the call button beside her bed but felt too weak to press it. All she could do was complain bitterly about her unreliable companion in her heart.
“What’s wrong?”
“Is the call button too hot to touch?”
Just as she was about to give up hope, the door creaked open.
A beautiful nurse walked in.
“Huh?”
“You’re awake?”
“Where’s your caregiver?”
“Why didn’t they press the call button?”
The nurse was puzzled, seeing Fang Xiaocao staring at her with wide eyes.
“Sniff sniff—”
“I see an angel—”
Seeing the nurse, Fang Xiaocao almost cried.
“How do you feel?”
The nurse walked up to the bed, smiling, and casually pressed the call button.
“Water… I’m thirsty…”
Fang Xiaocao mustered all her strength and whispered in a trembling voice.
The nurse was taken aback, instinctively looking at her dry lips.
“This is the most irresponsible caregiver I’ve ever seen. They left without notifying a nurse, and now the patient has woken up, and no one even called a doctor.”
Muttering to herself, the nurse picked up the water cup.
Fang Xiaocao mentally applauded.
If her head weren’t spinning so much, she would’ve nodded in agreement.
The nurse dipped a cotton swab in the water and gently moistened Fang Xiaocao’s lips.
“You can’t drink water yet. Let’s moisten your lips first. After the doctor checks on you, you can drink some.”
The nurse’s voice was soft and gentle.
Staring at this warm and caring angel in white, Fang Xiaocao was utterly smitten.
She obediently nodded and licked the moisture off her lips, suddenly feeling less thirsty.
“Such a good girl!”
The nurse smiled.
Creak!
At that moment, the door opened again.
A doctor walked in.
“How’s the patient?”
The doctor asked in a low voice.
“She looks fine, just thirsty.”
The nurse replied.
“Alright, let me check her.”
“If everything’s fine, she can start eating.”
The doctor nodded, speaking in a deep voice.
He asked Fang Xiaocao about her symptoms, and she answered one by one. After a thorough examination, he nodded.
“Apart from a mild concussion, there are no major issues.”
“Rest for a couple of days, stay in the hospital for observation, and then you can go home to recover.”
“Avoid greasy foods and eat light meals for now. If you feel uncomfortable, press the call button.”
“Okay…”
Fang Xiaocao nodded weakly.
“Get some rest.”
The doctor left the ward.
As soon as he left, Fang Xiaocao gave the nurse a pitiful look.
The nurse smiled and inserted a straw into the water cup before placing it near her lips.
Fang Xiaocao’s eyes lit up. She gratefully looked at the nurse and eagerly clamped onto the straw.
As the warm water flowed down her throat, she felt strength returning to her body, and even her dizziness eased.
“Drink slowly. I’ll refill it if it’s not enough.”
The nurse chuckled.
“Mm, thank you, sister.”
Whenever she met a pretty girl, Fang Xiaocao always called them “sister.”
The goal? To be sweet and likable.
“Rest well. Call if you need anything.”
The nurse smiled.
“Okay!”
Fang Xiaocao nodded obediently.
Seeing how well-behaved she was, the nurse chuckled, refilled the water cup, and then left the room.
As soon as the nurse left, Fang Xiaocao struggled to sit up and reached for her phone.
“Phew—”
“Thank goodness my phone is fine—”
Seeing her phone intact on the bedside table, she sighed in relief.
She picked it up and unlocked it.
Her WeChat was flooded with messages—all from Hot Noodles, scolding her.
Fang Xiaocao chuckled and replied: “I’m fine, just a mild concussion.”
【Hot Noodles: I already knew you were okay.】
【Hot Noodles: Do you even realize you almost died?】
【Hot Noodles: The future is just a reference, not 100% accurate. What if something unexpected had happened?】
Reading the messages, Fang Xiaocao felt a wave of lingering fear.
“At that moment, I wasn’t thinking… I just acted on impulse.”
She responded meekly.
【Hot Noodles: Hmph. Rest well. In a few days, I’ll take you to make money.】
“Okay~”
She replied obediently.
BANG!
Suddenly, the ward door was kicked open.
Fang Xiaocao looked up and immediately rolled her eyes.
It was her best friend and roommate—Su Wanqing, also known as Iron Lady.
A total goofball and class clown!
Fang Xiaocao wasn’t even surprised that this unreliable girl had abandoned her halfway while fetching the doctor.
“Xiaocao! You’re awake?”
“Are you hungry?”
“Want some spicy hotpot?”
“I figured you’d be starving, so I bought two deluxe portions~”
Su Wanqing lifted the takeout bags like a treasure.
“Who the hell gives a patient spicy hotpot?!”
Fang Xiaocao glared at her.
Only this nutjob would think of feeding hospital patients spicy hotpot.
“Wait, you can’t eat it?”
Su Wanqing blinked, looking innocent and clueless.
“Not even a little…”
Smelling the spicy aroma, Fang Xiaocao’s stomach growled traitorously, making her even more frustrated.
“Ugh, I’m starving—”
She groaned weakly.
“How about a beer first to settle your stomach?”
Su Wanqing casually pulled out a can of beer and popped it open with a crisp PSSHT!
Fang Xiaocao: …
(End of Chapter 17)
