The emergency entrance glowed red against the night.
Su Wanwan stumbled through the automatic doors, one hand pressed against her side, the other clutching her phone. Her vision blurred at the edges. Everything hurt.
"Miss? Miss, are you okay?"
A nurse rushed toward her, but Wanwan couldn't focus on her face. The fluorescent lights were too bright. The floor tilted.
"I just… I need…"
Her knees buckled.
Strong hands caught her before she hit the ground. Multiple voices overlapped, urgent and sharp. Someone was shouting orders. Someone else was already rolling a stretcher toward her.
"Get her to Trauma Bay 3. Now."
That voice.
Deep. Calm. Absolute authority.
Wanwan forced her eyes open, trying to see who was speaking, but the ceiling lights streaked past too fast. She was moving. Hands pressed against her wrist, checking her pulse. Another hand held her head steady.
"BP dropping. We need an IV line."
"Someone page Dr. Lin…"
"I'm already here."
That voice again.
Wanwan's breath caught. No. It couldn't be.
"Miss, can you tell me your name?"
She tried to answer, but her throat was too dry. Her lips moved, but nothing came out.
"Check her ID. Someone find her ID."
Hands patted her jacket pockets. Her phone clattered onto the metal tray beside the stretcher. Then her wallet. Her student card.
"Su Wanwan. Twenty-two years old. University student."
Silence.
Just for a second. But Wanwan felt it like a weight dropping onto her chest.
"Continue stabilizing her. I'll handle the exam."
No. No, no, no.
Wanwan grabbed the nearest wrist. Her fingers were weak, trembling, but she held on. "Not… not him. Different doctor. Please."
The nurse looked confused. "Miss, Dr. Gu is the best trauma surgeon we have. You're in good hands."
"I don't want…"
"Miss Su."
His voice was closer now. Right beside her ear. Still calm. Still controlled. But something underneath it felt sharp.
Wanwan turned her head, and there he was.
Gu Chengyi.
Thirty-three years old. Surgeon. CEO of City H's most prestigious private medical group. Tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp features that looked like they'd been carved from ice. His white coat was spotless. His expression was unreadable.
And he was staring at her like he'd seen a ghost.
"You," he said quietly.
It wasn't a question.
Wanwan closed her eyes. Of all the hospitals in City H. Of all the emergency rooms. Of course it had to be his.
"Dr. Gu?" The nurse was waiting for instructions.
He didn't answer immediately. Wanwan could feel his gaze on her face, heavy and unrelenting. Then he straightened, and when he spoke again, his voice was perfectly professional.
"Start fluids. Run a full trauma panel. I want imaging on her ribs and abdomen. She's guarding her left side."
"Yes, Doctor."
The team moved around her like a machine. Efficient. Fast. No one questioned him. No one hesitated.
Wanwan felt the needle slide into her arm. Cold liquid rushed through her veins. Someone was cutting away her jacket. She wanted to protest, but she was too tired. Too dizzy.
"Miss Su, can you tell me what happened?"
She opened her eyes again. Gu Chengyi was standing at the head of the stretcher now, looking down at her. His face was calm, but his jaw was tight.
"I fell," she whispered.
"You fell."
"Yes."
"From where?"
"Does it matter?"
His eyes narrowed slightly. "It matters if you're lying."
Wanwan's chest tightened. She looked away. "I'm not lying."
"Then answer the question."
"I tripped. On the stairs. Outside my building."
He didn't respond immediately. She could feel him watching her, analyzing every word, every expression. He'd always been like that. Too observant. Too careful.
"Your building doesn't have an elevator?"
"No."
"Which floor?"
"Fourth."
"And you fell all the way down?"
Wanwan's hands clenched into fists. "I don't remember. I just remember hitting the ground."
Another pause. Then he nodded once, curtly. "We'll know more after imaging."
He turned to one of the nurses. "I want the results on my desk in twenty minutes."
"Yes, Dr. Gu."
He started to walk away, but then he stopped. His hand hovered over the metal tray where her belongings were scattered. Her phone. Her wallet. Her student card.
He picked up the card. Stared at it for a long moment.
"You're still at Huada University," he said.
It wasn't a question, but Wanwan answered anyway. "Yes."
"Senior year?"
"Yes."
"Scholarship?"
Her throat tightened. "Not anymore."
His eyes flicked toward her. Sharp. Assessing. "Why not?"
"Does it matter?"
"It might."
Wanwan turned her face away. "I don't want to talk about it."
Silence stretched between them. The machines beeped steadily. Voices echoed from other trauma bays. Someone was crying in the distance.
Finally, Gu Chengyi placed the student card back on the tray. "Fine. We'll talk about it later."
"There's no need…"
"Miss Su." His voice was still calm, but there was steel underneath it now. "You're in my hospital. Under my care. We'll talk about whatever I decide we need to talk about."
Wanwan bit her lip. Her eyes stung, but she refused to cry. Not here. Not in front of him.
"Understood?" he asked.
She didn't answer.
He leaned down slightly, just enough that only she could hear him. "I said, understood?"
"Yes," she whispered.
"Good."
He straightened and walked out of the trauma bay without looking back.
Wanwan stared at the ceiling. Her heart was pounding too fast. Her ribs ached with every breath. But the pain in her chest had nothing to do with her injuries.
Of all the people in City H. Of all the doctors in this city.
Why did it have to be him?