I went to the hospital to get my wisdom teeth extracted, and the doctor was a handsome guy who looked vaguely familiar.
"Does it hurt?"
After the anesthetic injection, I gritted my teeth and said, "No, it doesn't."
He glanced at me and said in a relaxed tone, "It's fine to be tough with an ex-boyfriend, but there's no need to be with your doctor."
1.
Hearing that familiar low, cool voice, my mind went blank.
Shen Yi'an?
The dazzling light shone into my eyes; I tried to suppress the pain and turned my head to look, only to see the man's deep, cold eyes.
Even with a mask on, he was still very handsome.
I finally knew where that vague sense of familiarity had come from.
Q: How do you feel when you run into your ex-boyfriend at the dentist?
A: He's the knife, and I'm the fish on the chopping block.
I closed my eyes in despair.
Last week, after enduring the pain of an inflamed wisdom tooth, I finally decided to get it extracted.
Who would have known I'd run into him here!?
Just as I was about to protest, a warm hand rested on my chin.
As soon as I looked up, I was drawn into those clear, deep eyes.
When he looked intently like that, a hint of subtle tenderness would show.
My heart beat faster than expected.
"If you feel uncomfortable, just tell me."
That's what he said.
I nodded unconsciously, but couldn't help but get distracted: Shen Yi'an was born handsome, and now, wearing this uniform, he was even more indescribably attractive.
While I was lost in thought, Shen Yi'an seemed completely unaffected by his ex-girlfriend.
In less than half an hour, the extraction was over.
The nurse gave a thumbs-up: "Dr. Shen, today went very smoothly!"
I bit down on the cotton gauze.
Tsk tsk, his ex-girlfriend really didn't affect the speed of his work at all; she even seemed to just be a backdrop for him.
Shen Yi'an gave a soft reply, his hand writing something.
I was about to go get my bag, but he stopped me.
"Nguyen Miaomiao, do you remember all the post-op instructions I just gave you?"
"Yes."
"Then recite them, I'll listen."
"...???"
Shen Yi'an, are you doing this on purpose to make things difficult for me?
2.
I just stared at him with my swollen cheek, seemingly recalling my high school years.
Back then, Shen Yi'an always said this to me – "Have you memorized all those important facts? Recite them for me."
Shen Yi'an was four years older than me, and our two families were neighbors.
He was a model student from a very young age.
Whenever my parents saw my report card, they would look at the door of the house opposite ours and sigh enviously.
I had learned from many painful experiences: "How about I sacrifice myself and snag him as your son-in-law!"
My parents gave up after serious consideration.
"Forget it, that boy Yi'an isn't blind."
Later, during the winter break of my senior year of high school, Shen Yi'an was invited by my parents to tutor me in math.
As reality proved, excellent people are excellent everywhere. I don't know how a dental student about to face his internship could have memorized those textbooks better than me – a liberal arts student.
Even after I got into university and officially started dating him, this psychological shadow still deeply enveloped me.
"..."
There was no surprise in Shen Yi'an's eyes; he had obviously anticipated that I wouldn't be able to answer.
He handed me a piece of paper: "Everything's written on there. Just be careful when you get back, don't let it get infected."
Oh, so he was writing... this just now?
I looked down; the handwriting was elegant and beautiful, and his fingers were even slenderer and whiter...
*Ahem!*
I quickly averted my gaze and took it: "Thank you, Doctor Shen."
He paused, then let go.
As I reached the door, I couldn't help but turn my head back.
It had to be admitted that some people, even after a long time apart, when they appeared... still commanded attention.
The nurse, tidying up, smiled and said to him:
"Doctor Shen, you're really responsible. You make such detailed notes for every patient."
I froze for a moment.
Shen Yi'an happened to turn his head: "What's wrong?"
I said blankly: "No, I just feel very lucky to have met a doctor like you."
After saying that, I turned and left, but because I was walking too fast, I accidentally bumped into another nurse at the turn.
"Sorry! Are you okay?"
I helped the nurse, feeling annoyed with myself for reacting so strongly to Shen Yi'an's words.
The nurse smiled and waved her hand, looking at me with an innocent expression:
"Did you come to ask for Doctor Shen's WeChat?"
"Huh?"
"Don't worry, Doctor Shen is always like this. Ever since he came to our hospital, lots of young girls have come wanting to pursue him, but unfortunately, none of them have succeeded yet, tsk tsk."
I waved my hand: "I, I didn't..."
The nurse patted my shoulder, comforting me, then shook her head:
"But you know, Doctor Shen was dumped by his ex-girlfriend. His emotional wounds are too deep, so pursuing him is very difficult. Girl, you should change your target!"
"..."
Three question marks slowly appeared above my head.
Me?
Dump him?
Shen Yi'an?!
3.
"After we broke up, is that how he spread rumors about me?"
I buried myself in the sofa, calling my best friend, Jiang Yuan.
Jiang Yuan let out a soft "tsk": "...Actually, in a way, you *were* the one who pursued him first, and you *were* the one who broke up with him first..."
"But we broke up because our personalities didn't match! How can he blame it all on me? Hmph..."
I clutched my cheek; it ached terribly after the anesthesia wore off!
Shen Yi'an was good at everything, but he liked to control me excessively.
He said it was because he was my boyfriend.
But I'd loved freedom since I was a child, and after a few arguments, I gritted my teeth and broke up with him.
"Does wisdom tooth extraction hurt that much? Miao Miao, are you okay?" Jiang Yuan sounded a little worried, "Are you still going home this week?"
Tears welled up in my eyes.
"It's already been agreed upon, I can't not go. It's fine, it's just one tooth extraction, I'll be better by then."
But reality was still cruel.
The extraction site was still throbbing even the night after I got home.
The only fortunate thing was that the swelling on my cheek had almost disappeared; it was barely noticeable unless you looked closely.
Dad was busy in the kitchen, so after I put my bag away, I hurried over.
But when I ran over to look, I was utterly shocked.
"This... Dad, it's rare for me to come home, why are you cooking such bland dishes?"
I liked oily and spicy food, but among the dishes on the table, there wasn't even half a spoon of pepper.
My dad, wearing an apron, didn't even bother to look up as he said: "Huh? Didn't your mom tell you? This table isn't for you today, we have guests."
When I saw Shen Yi'an appear in my living room, I was still very confused.
My mom greeted him warmly.
"Xiao An, it's been a long time since you last visited!"
Shen Yi'an rarely came home after he went to university, and naturally, after he started working, he was even busier than the president.
But the most important reason was: We had been secretly dating for a year, and neither my father nor mother knew about it.
After we broke up, he had even less reason to come here.
Shen Yi'an glanced at me, then quickly looked away.
His father went into the kitchen to cook with my father, while his mother sat in the living room, cracking melon seeds and chatting with my mother.
My mother looked at him as if he were her own son.
"Oh, that's right, Auntie heard Yi'an is working at City C Dental Hospital, isn't he? How impressive! Not like my Miaomiao, he's about to graduate but just stays cooped up at home all day!"
Auntie Chu sighed: "It's a pity I haven't found a girlfriend for him yet. His father and I are worried sick! I tell him, at his age, if he keeps dragging his feet, what girl will ever like him?"
"..."
Feeling guilty, I ran straight out to the balcony to hide, hoping only to escape this suffocating atmosphere.
And to my surprise, Shen Yi'an followed me.
"How is it?" He gestured with his chin, clearly asking about my wisdom tooth.
I wasn't afraid: "It's fine, I feel normal."
He suddenly tilted his head and chuckled softly.
What was he laughing at?!
After he finished laughing, he suddenly walked closer. I instinctively stepped back, my calf hitting a chair, forcing me to stop there.
The distance was too close; I could even hear his breathing.
He lowered his head slightly, placed a finger on my cheek, and said in a low voice:
"Open your mouth."