There's one person in this world, who is your once-in-a-lifetime love.
It is said that prolonged stress will have a negative physical effect on the body.
—
When Zheng Dingding faced the bathroom mirror to dry her hair, she noticed something that did not look quite right – there was a part of her body that was like a silent red alarm, indicating that something was not normal.
She put down the bath towel, pressed her finger gently against the edge of her left chest, touching the cherry-sized, slippery thing. Pressing harder, she found that it was very bloated and was actually quite painful.
Realizing that this thing was indeed on her left chest, her heart dropped. She quickly got dressed and sat down at the computer table, opening her laptop to search on Baidu. Not too long after, a possible answer showed up: fibroadenoma (a non-cancerous breast tumor that most often occurs in young women).
Her heart dropped once again.
The next Wednesday afternoon, Zheng Dingding asked for half a day off and went to the First People's Hospital for an examination at the breast cancer clinic.
Zheng Dingding walked around for twelve minutes and found this department she had never been to before. The door was open, and inside there were two female interns quietly reading, the clinic filled with the elegant (?) taste of medicine.
She looked at the sign at the door before going in, finding out that the doctor's last name was Ning, and asked directly, “Is Dr. Ning in?”
Two female interns looked up, observed Zheng Dingding for a bit before replying: “Professor Ning went to the ward for his rounds and will come back in around 20 minutes. You can sit down first.”
After Zheng Dingding sat down, the two female interns began to ask carefully about her condition, she also answered diligently.
After a while, one of the female interns suddenly said meaningfully, “You are really lucky, it's Professor Ning's turn, and he only comes in for two days a week.”
“Hmm?” Zheng Dingding asked, “Because Doct- Professor Ning’s a good doctor?”
Two female interns smiled at each other, and the other girl intern lowered her voice, which meant nothing else:
“Technically speaking, he’s the best, but more importantly, it is a pleasure to be served by him.”
Zheng DingDing did not understand but laughed along with them. She turned her head to observe the room and from the corner of her eye saw the stethoscope, tongue depressors, tea-infuser cup, prescription books, paper clips, stapler and neatly stacked books. There were no personal items that gave away how the doctor’s preferences.
It seems that Professor Ning is a serious, diligent female doctor.
After a while, from outside the door came calm and orderly footsteps, a male doctor wearing a white coat and a mask came in, much to Zheng Dingding’s surprise. He walked over to the desk and sat back, his hand, slender as jade, taking her medical file and flipping over to a new page. His voice was smooth like the trickle of a mountain spring in early spring, “Where do you feel discomfort?”
Zheng Dingding snapped back into consciousness and replied in earnest, “There’s something on my left breast, not too big nor too small, slippery to the touch.
“When did you realize this?”
“Last night when I was showering.”
“Did you feel any discomfort before that?
“I don’t recall anything of note.”
She answered, a little nervous, because she did not expect Professor Ning to be a man.
Professor Ning seemed to say “hmm” and then stood up, his voice without a change in tone, “Come in with me for an inspection.”
There was no time for Zheng Dingding to hesitate, and she stood up and followed him into the examination area beyond the partition, which contained a clean, white single bed.
The tall Professor Ning turned and washed his hands in the washbasin: “Lie down, lift up your shirt and undo your bra.”
“......”
A female intern outside shut the curtains tightly.
Under the light, Professor Ning put on his gloves, covering his pair of slender, flexible and powerful hands akin to the finest jade, such that even the tips of his finger glowed slightly from under the thin latex gloves. He turned back to Zheng Dingding, “Ready?”
Zheng Dingding was already lying down and very awkwardly holding her top up and was about to unbuckle to hooks to her bra when she suddenly heard his tranquil voice. Moving quickly, she informed, “Almost done, wait a minute.”
She managed to unhook her bra, exhaled gently, and gave her OK.
Professor Ning turned, went to the bed, leaned over, pulled her t-shirt up with one hand, brought the cups of her bra down. Hearing her nervous, rapid breathing, he looked up at her indifferently, “What are you trembling for? Relax.”
Zheng Dingding gave a soft “en”, willing her mind to calm down. This is an extremely normal check-up, don’t let your mind wander, don’t need to be shy at all.
Professor Ning worked calmly and seriously, palms covering Zheng Dingding’s left chest, gently pressing in a circle.
Only, Zheng Ding Ding's heartbeat accelerated to the peak, his hands’ presence was too intense, his gloves were too cold like that of metal, raising goosebumps on her body. When he professionally, skillfully, slowly rolled her nipple between his thumb and index finger, “eh?”-ing in question, he really felt her heart was going to jump out of her throat. Blood rushed up her neck to her brain and her mind went blank for a second. She could hear a buzzing in her ears never before heard, her body felt as if it was on the verge of collapsing.
“Raise your arms.” He commanded.
She did so obediently.
He continued his inspection.
“Put your arm down.” He ordered again.
She did.
He carefully examined her breast again.
After nearly ten minutes of inspection, Professor Ning turned, took off his gloves and told her to dress.
Zheng Dingding sat up, buckled her bra, put down her shirt, tidied her hair and put on her shoes before following him out.
Professor Ning had once again sat down, holding a pen to write on her medical file, “round shape with smooth and regular edges, has a membrane”.
Zheng Dingding sat down.
“Preliminary diagnosis is that this is a fibroadenoma, but you need to do a few tests, particularly ultrasound, for proper diagnosis.” Professor Ning finished writing the prescription and gave it to her, “Come back here once you’ve done these.”
Zheng Dingding took the form, thanked him and carefully read through the procedures. In her peripheral view, she saw Professor Ning taking off his face mask then looked directly at him.
He was a very handsome man, with exquisite facial features, eyes sharp and powerful, nose high and straight, on top of that, an elegant lip line.
And also quite familiar.
That’s right, she remembered! The day before Chinese Valentine's Day last year, she had an order in the city that she personally delivered to the customer. At that time, he was sitting in a black Porsche at the entrance of an apartment building. He had rolled down the window and held out two 100s to her. She had not brought change as beforehand she explicitly told the customer that the total was 189 yuan and to prepare it so that she would not have to bring change. She didn’t think that when the day came, he didn’t prepare small change.
“No need for change.” He reached for the gift bag in her hand, his eyes calm and cold, and said, “Consider it as the delivery fee.”
It was hard to believe that half a year later, she would meet him again in such time and place.
Ning Weijin’s consultation times were on Wednesday and Friday.
On Friday, Zheng Dingding took her file to find him. Coincidentally, Ning Weijin was examining a patient in the partitioned area. Through the door, the patient’s soft whines can be heard, “Dr. Ning, gentler, slow down, it’s quite painful...”
Goosebumps rose on Zheng Dingding as she listened. She put down her file on the desk and went over to Ning Weijin’s two female interns for a chat while waiting.
“Professor Ning’s so proficient, he was the first doctor in our city to set the record of youngest professor at the age of 27.
“He goes to medical school every week to give a lecture and is very welcomed by the students. They all regard him as their idol.”
“He’s amazing; last year he set the hospital record for the highest success rate for lumpectomy.”
Zheng Dingding quietly listened to them singing praises to Ning Weijin, until finally the curtains parted and Ning Weijin and the female patient stepped out. She scanned the patient – slightly old, thin, dressed expensively, and can’t stop talking about her symptoms even after coming out.
Ning Weijin opened a perscription for her. After receiving it she smiled and thanked Professor Ning before reluctantly leaving.
It was Zheng Dingding’s turn. She handed the results over to Ning Weijin, who read through it very seriously, taking a good while before looking back up at Zheng Dingding, “The initial diagnosis was correct – it is fibroadenoma. Your condition calls for surgery, as the tumor is larger than 2cm, and traditional surgery would have better results than minimally invasive surgery.
“Is it possible to not have surgery?” Zheng Dingding asked, “I heard that you can adopt a conservative treatment for fibroadenoma and just take medicine for it, right?”
“Simply taking medicine isn’t enough, the possibility of getting rid of the tumor is quite small as you’re not completely removing it through surgery. There is a likelihood of it growing even bigger, or other illnesses arising.” Ning Weijin pronounced with clear diction, and although the tone is not heavy, it sounds commanding, “Are you sure you can take the risk?”
“...” Zheng Dingding shook her head silently.
Ning Weijin put down the ultrasound report in his hand, opened her medical records and used a pen to quietly write two lines.
As he was writing, Zheng Dingding looked at him, direct sunlight came through the window and casted on him, highlighting his almost perfect side profile. His eyelashes were long and drooped gently, while the light emphasized the angular nature of his jaw, making him look godly.
The air was stagnant and quiet.
Until Ning Weijin closed the medical file and handed it back to Zheng Dingding, “You need surgery, the sooner the better. I have time in two weeks, pick a day.”
“You’re performing it on me?” Zheng Dingding confirmed.
Ning Weijin looked at her, his tone slightly cold and hard, “Yes, do you have any problem with that?”
“No problem.” Zheng Dingding thought he was very reliable.
That day, on her way out of his office, Zheng Dingding got Ning Weijin’s business card as well as contact information, which she placed in her wallet.
Back at her apartment, Zheng Dingding turned on her laptop after showering to update her online shop, issuing a notice that business would be suspended from XX to XX.
Zheng Dingding was a toy designer working at Yafun Culture and Creative Co., Ltd during the day and had an online shop on the side to sell toys and other handiwork that she designed and made herself. Business wasn’t picking up, earning less than three hundred a month was quite common.
But she never thought to give up, this online shop is a reflection of her childish side, even the name is very cute, called “Meng Meng Da”.
She brought up her transaction records and flipped to August 12th of last year, the day before Chinese Valentine’s day
At this point, she turned the page, and on August12, last year, the day before Valentine's Day, there was an ID “Blue Skies” who ordered a “Rose Sandbottle” for $189.
That must be a birthday gift for his girlfriend, Zheng Dingding thought. Now that she thought about it, Ning Weijin’s girlfriend doesn’t mind what he does at all? He has to touch women’s ‘that part’ everyday, though? How magnanimous of her.
She thought of that intern’s meaningful tone, “It's a pleasure to be served by him.”
Zheng Dingding felt chills down her spine.
Closing the page, she opened her private blog, writing, “I have encountered Mr. Fibroadenoma. It’s round, about 2.8cm and quite cute. But in order to prevent it from growing uncontrollably and becoming malignant, you have to cut it off. What I’m worried about is, will it hurt after the anesthesia wears off?”
After she finished writing, she scrolled through her previous logs and each one, without exception, had a man’s name on it, a very nice tame: Chen Xun.
Over the years, she wrote countless words on this log for this man.
A month and a half ago, he went to N City and never contacted her again, and although he said he would come back to give her an explanation after he handled the matter over there, she learned that he had given up on her.
To be honest, she had already known deep down and had been mentally prepared for this breakup, but in this moment where she was at her lowest and emotionally fragiel, she couldn’t help but scroll back up and type, seriously, rationally:
“Tumors can be cut out with scalpels, but what about memories and feelings? Who knows how long it will take for them to be forgotten.”
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