Cross Lines

Chapter 24: An Accident

With Emily Luo’s help, Maggie safely landed on the ground. Dr. Luo naturally released her grip and handed her the phone. Maggie wiped the spot she had stood on with a tissue and cheerfully suggested, “Why don’t you take a photo too?”

Emily Luo, with a hint of playful reproach, replied, “Who acts so childish at your age?”

Emily Luo gave Maggie a sidelong glance, clearly seeing through her antics. Maggie, caught, blushed and awkwardly looked away, clearing her throat.

Dr. Luo, being kind-hearted, didn’t push it further and said, “If you want to take a photo, do it quickly.”

Maggie’s face lit up, and she eagerly snapped a few pictures with the camera focused on Emily Luo, completely ignoring the background. Dr. Luo, showing a “I can’t be bothered to call you out” expression, didn’t even look at the photos before walking ahead. Maggie, thrilled, admired the photos as she walked. They turned out great, making her even happier.

After a short detour, Emily Luo’s phone rang with family urging her to return. She answered, hung up, and then turned to Maggie, who was waiting quietly.

“Shall we head out?” Maggie suggested.

Emily, moved by Maggie’s warm smile in the sunlight, felt a pang of sympathy. She hesitated, unsure of what to say. For Maggie, such a holiday might be a bit cruel.

“Um, you…”

“If you drop me off at a bus stop, I’ll find a place to eat,” Maggie said nonchalantly.

Dr. Luo thought for a moment and then proposed, “If you can make it to Nanjie by 2:30, I’ll go with you to the temple fair.”

Emily Luo raised her eyebrows, her expression lively. Maggie, momentarily stunned, quickly responded, “Absolutely!”

Seizing the opportunity, Maggie ensured Dr. Luo couldn’t back out. It felt like a stroke of luck—an auspicious start to the New Year!

On the first day of the new year, Maggie and Emily Luo spent the whole day together. The temple fair went surprisingly well. Maggie had worried that the crowds and chaos might bother the cleanliness-conscious Dr. Luo, but Emily quickly warmed up to the stalls and snacks, and Maggie struggled to keep up.

People’s appearances can be deceiving.

By dusk, Dr. Luo had accumulated a lot of odd items in her car and kindly drove Maggie home. Maggie, clutching a pile of plush toys and a giant candy kebab Emily had insisted on giving her, felt a deep sense of helplessness—had she missed something?

“Ah, right!” As Maggie was about to get out of the car, Emily Luo suddenly called out to her, “I’m on duty on the fourth day. If you’re free, come by.”

Maggie was puzzled, “Go to the hospital? For what?”

“I told you to come for a regular check-up. I need to check your chest.”

Emily Luo, with a mischievous glint, cast a lingering look at Maggie’s chest.

Maggie’s face stiffened, “I… I’ve been feeling fine recently, not much pain…”

“Don’t be careless.”

Dr. Luo’s authoritative tone made it hard for Maggie to refuse, so she resignedly agreed. Emily Luo seemed pleased with this response and waved cheerfully as she drove away.

Maggie, watching the car disappear, felt a mix of emotions. Emily Luo was so bright and endearing when she wasn’t in her professional mode. Why had she let herself sink into such confusion and despair?

Taking a deep breath, Maggie smiled with newfound determination.

The next two days, Maggie dazzled relatives and friends with her appearance, reassuring them that she was doing well and that they need not worry about her marriage prospects. Though the relatives continued to bombard her with marriage inquiries, their concern was affectionate rather than aggressive. They eventually accepted her reluctance as a sign she must have someone in mind and moved on.

And so, another victorious year began!

On the evening of the third day, Maggie played board games with friends until after midnight. Exhausted, she climbed into bed around 1 a.m. and set her alarm for the next day’s appointment with Emily Luo, drifting into sleep.

The next morning, the alarm went off at 9 a.m. Maggie’s bed remained still for a while before a pale arm reached out and swatted the alarm clock away. The clock, unfazed, continued to ring.

Eventually, Maggie dragged herself out of bed, turned off the alarm, and pondered why she had set it during the holidays.

When she remembered Emily Luo, she snapped her fingers, “That’s right!”

She quickly got ready, applying a light makeup to cover the signs of her late night. As the city bus’s mechanical voice announced, “Arriving at the East Gate of the First People’s Hospital,” Maggie arrived at her destination.

The hospital was unusually quiet, with most patients having gone home for the holidays, and few people in the waiting area. Maggie, undeterred by the lack of interest from the registration staff, navigated to the breast department floor. A young nurse greeted her warmly, directing her to Dr. Luo’s office.

Dr. Luo, seeing Maggie, smiled and said, “Still obedient, huh?”

Maggie, not entirely pleased with the compliment, glanced around and asked, “Is it just you here?”

“Fewer patients during the holidays, so we’re taking turns on duty,” Emily Luo replied, closing her notebook and gesturing to a chair. “Have a seat.”

Sensing potential trouble, Maggie cautiously asked, “What… do I need to do?”

Dr. Luo, momentarily puzzled, responded, “Hmm? What do you mean?”

“Sit down… isn’t that to take off my clothes?”

Emily Luo rolled her eyes, “I’ve seen you before, no need to be shy.”

Clearing her throat awkwardly, Maggie sat down, resigned to whatever might come.

Dr. Luo inquired if the pain had lessened and if Maggie had kept up with the massages. When Maggie affirmed, Dr. Luo’s seemingly flawless demeanor hinted at suppressed amusement.

Just as they were discussing Maggie’s condition, a high-pitched scream and shouts of men echoed from the corridor. Maggie and Dr. Luo exchanged puzzled glances before Emily Luo’s eyes widened in terror.

Two disheveled men burst into the room, one brandishing a knife with a wild look. Maggie instinctively shielded Emily Luo, but fear made her speechless, unsure of what the men wanted.

“Where’s Dr. Hou?!” one man shouted at Maggie, who flinched. “What…?”

The man pushed Maggie aside, brandishing the knife menacingly in front of Emily Luo’s face. “Are you the doctor?”

Maggie, without hesitation, pushed Emily Luo behind her, confronting the man. “Hey, let’s talk this out. What’s going on? There’s no Dr. Hou here!”

“Not asking you!! I’m asking her!!” The man was agitated. “You killed my wife! How are we supposed to celebrate the New Year? If I can’t, neither will you!!”

Maggie realized they were facing a typical medical dispute. But surely, there was no need to attack anyone in a white coat?