Chi Mu’s outburst downstairs at the Inpatient Department was loud enough to draw a crowd. Normally, she wouldn’t have cared—after all, she was in Nie Yijun’s body, so it wasn’t her reputation on the line, but the person she was yelling at was wearing her own face.
Deep down, Nie Yijun’s words had also struck a nerve, leaving her feeling profoundly unsettled. Chi Mu turned and stormed off. She had always been quick to anger, but her temper faded just as fast; by the time she neared the office, her fury had already dissipated by half.
She even felt she had matured significantly. In the past, she wouldn’t have wasted words with Nie Yijun; she would have simply thrown a punch. Perhaps she just couldn’t bring herself to hit her own face, but she had actually managed to restrain her usual impulse toward violence.
As Chi Mu stepped into the elevator and pressed the close button, a hand reached in, blocking the door. It was a fair, slender hand, one that Chi Mu had spent a fortune maintaining.
The sensors triggered, and the doors slid back open to reveal Nie Yijun.
Chi Mu averted her gaze, refusing to look at her.
The elevator was packed, so neither said a word. It wasn’t until they stepped out that Nie Yijun spoke up. “I apologize for what happened just now.”
“Don’t bother.” Chi Mu marched toward the office.
“Fine then,” Nie Yijun replied, immediately dropping the apology. “Come with me to the Emergency Room.”
Chi Mu stopped dead in her tracks at the office door. This woman really had a screw loose. She rounded on Nie Yijun. “I tell you not to bother and you just stop?”
Nie Yijun blinked. “You said it wasn’t necessary.”
“Me saying it isn’t necessary is my business. Whether you apologize or not is yours!” The anger that had half-subsided flared up again. “You were the one meddling where you didn’t belong!”
Chi Mu shoved the office door open. “With a personality like yours, do us all a favor and stay away from Omegas.”
Inside the office, Lu Nianyun was sitting across from the desk, head down as she wrote. Hearing the commotion, she looked up and immediately stood. “Dr. Nie.”
Well, Chi Mu thought, seeing a beauty makes everything better.
“Mm.” Chi Mu gave her a smile. “Have a seat.”
Lu Nianyun didn’t sit. Instead, she handed over the records she had just finished. “Could you take a look at these and see if there are any issues?”
Chi Mu could clearly feel Lu Nianyun’s nervousness. She glanced at Nie Yijun by the door, thinking what a one-track-minded fool she was—clearly, Nie Yijun had no idea how to be gentle with a beautiful woman.
Chi Mu took the records and beckoned to Nie Yijun. “Get in here.”
Nie Yijun leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed, making no move to enter. Lu Nianyun looked back and said, “Dr. Nie, since you have a guest, I’ll head out first.”
Chi Mu really wanted to tell her to stay, but since she couldn’t actually read the medical records, she had to rely on Nie Yijun. She nodded. “Alright. Go ahead with your work. I’ll message you on WeChat later.”
As soon as Lu Nianyun hurried out, Chi Mu tossed the records onto the desk. “See for yourself.”
Nie Yijun entered the room, shut the door, and picked up the papers. Her brow furrowed instantly. She held out a hand toward Chi Mu. “Pen.”
Chi Mu handed it over and watched as Nie Yijun began marking up the records, showing absolutely no mercy.
“Take it easy,” Chi Mu muttered. “She’s just an intern. If there are mistakes, explain them gently.”
Nie Yijun corrected every single error Lu Nianyun had made and scribbled instructions for her next tasks at the bottom. She set the pen down and looked at Chi Mu. “Don’t discuss anything with her outside of work.”
Chi Mu let out a contemptuous snort. “And what right do you have to tell me what to do?”
The two locked eyes. Chi Mu’s gaze was mocking and playful, clearly relishing this bit of revenge for Nie Yijun’s earlier meddling with Chi Xi.
“Okay,” Nie Yijun said, being the first to surrender. “Let’s talk properly. I apologize. You have your own way of helping people, and I overstepped. I’m sorry.”
Chi Mu sank into the chair, stretching her legs out across the desk. Nie Yijun was always reasonable when it came to professional matters, but the moment things turned personal, she became incredibly punchable.
Being someone who responded better to a soft approach than a hard one, Chi Mu decided to let it drop now that Nie Yijun had offered a formal apology. “As long as you know.”
“I know,” Nie Yijun said.
Satisfied, Chi Mu’s expression softened. She picked up a cup from the desk and took a sip of water. “Fine. Back to business. I’ll do the desensitization therapy, but we’re doing it step-by-step. Otherwise, I’m going to throw up all over you.”
Nie Yijun looked at her, at a loss for how to keep this “young lady” from getting upset, but as long as Chi Mu was willing to cooperate, Nie Yijun was happy to agree to anything.
“Deal,” Nie Yijun said.
They headed to the ER, the place of the most direct exposure. The ER was a chaotic landscape of every type of patient imaginable—people in agony, wailing in pain, and scenes of gruesome, bloody injuries.
Chi Mu felt her stomach turn. She turned to leave, only to be blocked by a firm embrace.
“Don’t be afraid,” Nie Yijun said, steadying her by the shoulders. “You’re a doctor right now. If you’re scared, the patients will be even more terrified. It’s okay. I’m right here with you.”
Chi Mu caught the scent of her own pheromones on Nie Yijun’s body. It felt strange, but having someone by her side seemed to give her a flicker of courage.
Chi Mu gripped Nie Yijun’s wrist and slowly turned back around. They stood in the corner of the frantic ER as a gurney rushed past. The person on it was covered in blood.
The sight was a blur of visceral red. Dizziness washed over Chi Mu; Nie Yijun pulled her closer, feeling the girl’s body begin to tremble.
The gurney didn’t move on; it stopped barely a meter in front of them. Chi Mu swallowed hard. Despite the air-conditioned chill of the ER, her back was drenched in a cold sweat.
“Let’s go outside,” she heard Nie Yijun whisper in her ear.
Nie Yijun led her out of the ER and sat her down on a bench in the lobby. She fetched a cup of warm water and pressed it into Chi Mu’s hands.
Chi Mu downed the water in one go. “Thanks.”
Nie Yijun sat beside her, gently rubbing her back. “It seems you don’t just have a ‘fainting’ response to blood. You’re afraid of it.”
Chi Mu turned her head slightly. “It’s the same thing.”
“There’s a difference,” Nie Yijun corrected. “A phobia of blood can be innate, but a fear of blood is usually learned. Chi Mu, have you ever witnessed something particularly traumatic?”
Chi Mu looked down and closed her eyes. “No.”
“I’m not asking just to meddle,” Nie Yijun said, her hand still moving in soothing circles on Chi Mu’s back. “If you’re truly afraid of blood, we need a specific approach. You have to tell me why.”
Chi Mu remained silent, her fingers crushing the paper cup out of shape.
“Chi Mu.”
“Nothing happened,” Chi Mu interrupted. “I haven’t seen anything. I’m just a coward when it comes to blood. Stop overanalyzing.”
She stood up, tossed the cup into the trash, and rubbed her face briskly. She turned and walked right back into the ER. Once Chi Mu set her mind to something, she was going to see it through.
It was just blood. She would conquer it.