withered lover

Du Zhinian ended the phone call with Shen Guiwan, rubbing his chin and recalling his lover's unusual attitude.

Shen Guiwan probably went out today. During the call, there were the sounds of traffic and crowds talking in the background, and before he said "see you tomorrow", Du Zhinian heard the voice of the bus announcing the stop.

A mechanical electronic female voice came from the receiver of the mobile phone, and the sound quality became blurred, but Du Zhinian could still vaguely recognize that it was the name of a platform less than 500 meters away from his home.

He didn't know what Shen Guiwan did, but that rare "see you tomorrow" made him feel better after a day of overtime work.

With a smile on the corner of Du Zhinian's mouth, he submitted a leave application in the system, sorted out his medical records, and was ready to go home.

He took the car keys and just stood up when the phone on the table lit up again.

The phone vibrated slightly, and the caller's name was displayed on the screen.

Du Zhinian frowned as he looked at the name he hadn't seen for a long time.

With his hands on the table, he didn't answer the call for a long time.

The phone rang for a long time, and then quickly dialed after hanging up automatically.

Over and over again, the caller kept calling for 10 minutes. Du Zhinian was so annoyed that he couldn't bear it anymore and finally picked up the phone.

"Say what you have to say!" His tone was bad, and every word was full of impatience.

The person who was tirelessly on the phone was silent for a moment, and then slowly said: "In the year, your father is back."

It was a woman's voice, the tone was gentle and flat, but without a trace of emotion.

She didn't ask Du Zhi why he didn't answer the phone, but sent him a gentle message: "He asked you to come back for dinner tonight."

Du Zhinian sneered, and asked her harshly, "Who do you think I am? I'm always on call with just one phone call. Why don't you ask me if I have any business of my own?"

"He told me to go home and won't he notify me himself? Do you want to convey it? You and Du Hengyu are really as disgusting as before!"

"It's almost over, mother--"

Du Zhinian bit the last two words very hard, and the woman he called "mother" stopped talking again.

The weird silence lasted for a long time. Du Zhinian heard a few whispers from the phone, and then his call partner changed from a woman to a man.

"Then I will notify you now." The man said, "If you have something to do tonight, just push me away and get back immediately!"

He gave an unquestionable order and hung up the phone without giving Du Zhinian any chance to attack.

Du Zhinian gritted his teeth and looked at the lit screen, his father Du Hengyu's words were like cold water poured on his head, and the joy of talking on the phone with Shen Guiwan just now was wiped out.

He held back his anger but had nowhere to vent it, so he could only slam the phone on the table.

The phone turned half a circle on the table, with the back cover facing the ceiling, lying quietly in the corner of the table.

Du Zhinian rubbed his temples and took a few deep breaths before he managed to stabilize his emotions.

After being roughly hung up by Du Hengyu, Du Zhinian sat on the sofa in the office, staring up at the ceiling in a daze. The phone that was left on the table vibrated several times, but he didn't pick it up to take a look.

He was emptying his head when someone knocked on the office door.

"Please come in." Du Zhinian withdrew his gaze and slowly sat up straight.

The door opened a crack, and a young nurse from the department poked her head in.

She looked at Du Zhinian who was full of exhaustion, and asked softly, "Dr. Du, Dr. Zheng is treating you to dinner tonight. Are you going?"

Du Zhinian pinched the center of his brows and let out a long sigh.

The important things are all piled up together, but now he is out of skills, so he can only deal with the most troublesome one first.

Du Zhinian looked at the nurse and said helplessly, "I won't go, I just have something to do at home today, so I have to go back."

He paused, then forced a smile on the corner of his mouth, and said, "Say congratulations to Zheng Yi for me."

The nurse was stunned for a moment, then blinked at Du Zhinian, "Okay, then I'll go first."

Du Zhinian smiled wearily, "Go."

The nurse closed the door gently, and Du Zhinian sat quietly for half a minute, then stood up slowly.

Although he was unwilling, but Du Hengyu made Wen Qiong make so many calls just to urge him to go home, maybe there is something big waiting for him tonight.

Du Zhinian had been ordered like this before, but he didn't go back at that time, but was taken away from the dormitory by the people sent by Du Hengyu.

Being stuffed into a car and taken away in public, Du Zhinian didn't want to experience that kind of humiliation again, so he could only go to Du's house on his own initiative every time he received a call.

To go, not to go home, the sentiments involved in the two terms are vastly different.

In Du Zhinian's eyes, the Du's manor was just a temporary residence in the past, not a "home" at all, and the so-called "going home" he told the nurse was just an excuse to avoid being questioned.

That manor is full of intrigues, even the air is filled with the smell of calculation, and the people who live with them are connected by blood, but everything they do and every word they say is full of suspicion and use.

Du Zhinian had no right to make decisions before he became an adult, so he had no choice but to spend the long and tormenting 18 years in Du's house.

Later, he became an adult, admitted to a medical university, chose his favorite major, and moved out of his home as soon as he entered school.

He couldn't understand the pretending couple. He hardly went back during college, and he didn't go to work in the so-called family business after graduation. After finishing his master's degree, he went directly to work in the hospital.

Du Zhinian looked down on the members of the Du family, and those nominally direct blood relatives also sneered at his words and deeds.

However, although the two hate each other, Du Zhinian has no intention of disobeying Du Hengyu's order today.

He has other things to ask Du Hengyu.

Du Zhinian set his phone full of messages to Do Not Disturb, and left the office in a hurry before seven o'clock.

But as soon as he took two steps, he collided with Zheng Yi who was walking towards him.

The other party didn't seem to notice Du Zhinian's gloomy face, so he hooked his shoulder familiarly, "Senior Brother Du, Xiaotang said you won't come to the dinner party tonight?"

Zheng Yi was two years younger than Du Zhinian, was taught by the same tutor, and worked in the same department after graduation. After getting acquainted with Du Zhinian, he always called "Senior Brother Du" and "Senior Du".

"I'm going to the United States next week. You'll be off tomorrow. Why don't you do me a favor and have a drink with me tonight?" Zheng Yi said with a smile.

This year, the hospital allocated a place for advanced study in their department. Zheng Yi passed the assessment and obtained the qualification to go to the United States for advanced study and exchange.

According to the old rules of the hospital, those who are advanced studies have to invite colleagues in the department to dinner before leaving. He thought that Du Zhinian would definitely go, but he didn't expect that the other party was the only one absent.

"I really have something to do tonight." Du Zhinian reluctantly took Zheng Yi's arm away, "It's not like you won't come back, it's the same for future gatherings."

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly walked towards the elevator, as if there was something urgent.

Zheng Yi looked at Du Zhinian's back, hesitated for a moment, then followed him into the elevator.

The elevator descended slowly, and Zheng Yi looked at the numbers jumping on the screen, and suddenly asked, "Senior Brother Du, don't you feel it a pity to give me the seat?"

Du Zhinian raised his head, and looked at Zheng Yi in the reflection through the transparent glass door of the elevator.

Zheng Yi noticed the displeasure of the people around him, put away the playful smile on his face, and asked him in a deep voice: "How many people are struggling to go to the United States and Europe to study, but you give the opportunity to others every year..."

"why?"

On the ranking list of this year's hospital assessment, Zheng Yi's name was next to Du Zhinian, and there was only one quota allocated to the department. Logically speaking, the person who went should be Du Zhinian.

However, on the day the quota was announced, it was Zheng Yi's name that appeared on it.

Zheng Yi went to the dean, and heard the news that Du Zhinian had given up his studies without accident.

Du Zhinian participated in the assessment every year, and gave up the opportunity to study every year. Zheng Yi didn't understand why Du Zhinian did this.

He was full of doubts in his heart, and when he learned that the other party was going to miss the last dinner party before he left, he finally couldn't help but came to ask Du Zhinian.

However, Du Zhinian remained silent in the face of questioning from his junior brother and colleague.

The number on the screen jumped from positive to negative, and the elevator finally stopped. The door of the car opened in front of the two of them, and a gust of wind mixed with the damp smell of the underground garage came in.

Du Zhinian pressed the button for the floor where the office was located, and got out of the elevator.

"It's a pity that it's my business, whether you go or not is your business." Du Zhinian's voice echoed in the empty underground parking lot.

He turned his back to Zheng Yi, and said with some regret: "I'm leaving first, you have a good night, and I will buy you a drink when you come back."

Zheng Yi behind him didn't speak, the elevator door closed slowly, and his figure was isolated behind the door.

Breathing in the cold air, Du Zhinian drooped his shoulders wearily.

He knew that the opportunity to study was precious, but he had no choice but to give up.

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