Chapter 29#

Critically Ill#

Ji Baiwen watched Mo Xuzhi walk away, then looked down at the glass filled with milk, closed his eyes, and gulped it down in one go.

After gulping down the milk like a real man, Ji Baiwen wiped the white foam from the corner of his mouth and gripped the mouse again.

Mo Xuzhi’s words were very effective. After catching the way to handle the data, his speed in processing this complex data significantly improved.

Ji Baiwen could clearly feel the change in himself. Although his fingers gradually became sore, he felt more and more energetic as he worked.

Mo Xuzhi had a separate office and laboratory, but he rarely went there. Instead, he pulled a desk in the large office and installed a few cabinets as his workspace, so everyone could see him just by turning their heads.

Ji Baiwen occasionally took a few extra glances, thinking he was hidden.

Mo Xuzhi seemed like he would never get tired; no matter when he looked over, he was always working.

After finishing data processing again, Ji Baiwen briefly stretched and habitually looked up, only to find that the person who had been sitting in his seat was gone.

“Still looking at Group Leader Mo?”

The person sitting next to him leaned over, causing Ji Baiwen to withdraw his gaze. He said, “Group Leader Mo went to check the lithography machine and will be back in a while.”

Ji Baiwen tried to explain: “I didn’t…”

“Haha, don’t be shy. If you looked, you looked; we all look,” the research fellow next door laughed brightly. “After all, Group Leader Mo is good-looking; taking a few extra glances is pleasing to the eye, isn’t it?”

Ji Baiwen thought for a long time but couldn’t think of how to reply, only responding with a simple: “Mhm.”

The research fellow added: “You can look, but don’t set your sights on Group Leader Mo.”

“I haven’t,” Ji Baiwen habitually denied first, then asked, “Why?”

He looked at Mo Xuzhi only out of curiosity, with no other meaning, but hearing what this person said piqued his interest.

Gossip is the essence of humanity.

A clear expression of regret appeared on the research fellow’s face. He first looked left and right, then leaned over and whispered: “Did you see Professor Wang?”

Ji Baiwen looked around and said: “No.”

“He definitely isn’t here,” the research fellow said. “Professor Wang has always stayed by Group Leader Mo’s side, not even leaving a gap; others can’t get in between.”

“There are so many girls here; if it weren’t for Professor Wang, they would have made a move long ago.”

Ji Baiwen lowered his head and carefully recalled the scenes he had seen of Mo Xuzhi and Wang Zhifeng communicating.

The two indeed seemed very coordinated, with an atmosphere that made it hard for others to intervene.

“It’s just hard on those girls; they can only take a few glances at Group Leader Mo through Professor Wang.”

Ji Baiwen nodded: “Indeed.”

Fortunately, he didn’t like Mo Xuzhi.

If one liked a person like that, they’d probably be worried all day, fearing that someone else would try to hook up when they weren’t around.

The brief chat ended, and the two refocused their gaze on their respective computer screens.

In the laboratory, one could hardly feel the passage of time. When several researchers stretched and pulled open the curtains, they found that the sky outside had turned completely dark.

Someone checked their watch and found it was already ten o’clock.

“It’s time to get off work!”

Someone shouted, and then many people slowly started moving, the sound of computers shutting down constantly ringing.

Another half hour later, there were few people left in the laboratory.

The person who was enthusiastically gossiping with Ji Baiwen today also packed his things and prepared to leave. He turned his head and saw that Ji Baiwen was still sitting in his seat and had no intention of preparing, so he said: “It’s time; go back early. The laboratory doesn’t encourage overtime. Only by resting well will you have energy to work. After the Group Leader leaves tomorrow, we get off work at five in the afternoon, and then everyone can go out to play.”

Ji Baiwen glanced at the few remaining documents and nodded, “I’ll leave after I finish these.”

The research fellow next door left.

Ji Baiwen continued to immerse himself in data processing. When he looked up again, he found that the entire office was empty, leaving only him.

After briefly tidying the desktop, Ji Baiwen let out a breath and checked his watch, discovering it was already eleven o’clock before he knew it.

So late.

Ji Baiwen packed his things and was just about to leave when he heard movement at the entrance.

A figure tumbled in.

He was wearing the laboratory’s uniform white coat, his figure staggering, barely stabilizing himself by supporting himself against the wall.

The person was half-bent, and the folder standing on the desk in front just happened to block the line of sight. Ji Baiwen supported himself on the wheelchair and stood up, wanting to see clearly what the situation was.

The sound of coughing came.

Ji Baiwen squinted and saw Mo Xuzhi supporting himself against the wall.

His head was turned so his face couldn’t be seen clearly, but Ji Baiwen recognized his glasses and hair.

He saw Mo Xuzhi clutching his chest and coughing incessantly; just listening to it was heart-shaking.

“Mo…”

Ji Baiwen just made a sound when he saw Mo Xuzhi move, supporting himself against the wall and walking slowly along the wall base.

Ji Baiwen wanted to step forward, but his leg in a cast stopped him.

Mo Xuzhi didn’t seem to notice him, moved to his own desk, slumped into the chair, bent over to enter the password, and opened a certain drawer.

The “click” of the drawer popping out and the sound of tablets hitting the medicine bottle were particularly clear in the quiet office.

Ji Baiwen saw Mo Xuzhi tilt his head back and swallow two tablets.

He turned his wheelchair to Mo Xuzhi’s side and asked, “Mo Xu… Group Leader, are you okay?”

Mo Xuzhi didn’t answer him, tilting his head back and taking a few breaths, probably not having regained his senses yet.

After a long while.

Mo Xuzhi opened his eyes, which were full of a hazy mist and faintly red.

He looked over lightly, making Ji Baiwen’s heart skip a beat involuntarily.

Ji Baiwen said softly: “The medicine…”

“A small problem.”

Mo Xuzhi placed a finger lightly against his lips, looking up at him. “Don’t mind it, and please don’t say anything.”

Clearly a simple action, but with a tilt of the corner of his eye, the atmosphere changed abruptly, unconsciously tinged with a vivid color.

“Don’t tell anyone—especially Wang Zhifeng,” Mo Xuzhi took off his glasses and lounged lazily in the chair, saying, “I’ll treat you to coffee then.”

He calculated seriously, “Counting the previous ones, I already owe you two cups.”

Ji Baiwen was originally dazed, but Mo Xuzhi’s chatter pulled back his drifting thoughts.

He shook his head, with the stubbornness unique to a youth, “It doesn’t seem like a small problem.”

“Group Leader Mo, there’s blood on your clothes.”

Mo Xuzhi looked down.

He hadn’t had time to notice just now; there was indeed a bit of blood on the collar.

He directly took off the white coat, placed it aside, and spread his hands to Ji Baiwen, “Alright, now it’s gone.”

Ji Baiwen didn’t speak.

He noticed that Mo Xuzhi’s hand unbuttoning the button just now was still trembling.

Inexplicably, he remembered what happened in the hospital before.

Whether it was the nurse who changed his dressing or the doctor on duty, when they talked about the young patient in the VIP ward, their faces were full of sighs and regret.

At that time, Mo Xuzhi was the only person staying in the VIP ward.

Ji Baiwen clearly realized that Mo Xuzhi was hiding something, and it should be something very important.

But in the end, he said nothing, only withdrew his gaze and nodded.

He wasn’t from the Institute of Science; whether it was physical condition or anything else, it was Mo Xuzhi’s personal matter, and he had no position to ask.

“Why haven’t you left yet, it’s so late?”

Defaulting that the previous topic had temporarily ended, Mo Xuzhi tidied up the things on the desktop, put the medicine bottle back into the bottom drawer and locked it, then turned his head and saw that the computer Ji Baiwen used for data processing was still on.

He thought that the office should be empty so late at night before coming back like this; he didn’t expect that while others had left, Ji Baiwen, who only came here to help, was still staying.

“Just about to leave, what about Group Leader Mo?”

Mo Xuzhi opened his computer unhurriedly, “Me soon.”

It didn’t look like “soon.”

Ji Baiwen was silent for a moment, then turned and left.

Mo Xuzhi heard the sound of him packing his things, then the sound of wheelchair wheels sliding on the floor.

The sound became smaller and smaller until it disappeared.

Mo Xuzhi unbuttoned the shirt buttons that were fastened all the way to the top, found a small rubber band kept on the corner of the desk, and tied a small bun facing the computer screen.

He had to find a time to cut the front hair.

The front hair grew fast; it would grow long soon after every cut. It interfered with his vision when working, and when he was too busy to take care of it, he could only tie it like this.

It couldn’t go on like this forever. He had borrowed a rubber band from a research fellow who usually prepared many small rubber bands and looked easy to talk to. When the other asked what he wanted it for, he said it was to tie his hair.

Then all the girls in that circle laughed.

Mo Xuzhi was baffled, but after that, he would only tie his hair when no one was around.

Today Wang Zhifeng was called away by the Director next door, and there was no one in the office, so he had no restrictions.

Mo Xuzhi was already used to such an empty office, and his efficiency in handling things also sped up. From time to time, he would tinker with the equipment, moving around the office.

While adjusting the spiral, a slight noise suddenly came from diagonally behind.

Mo Xuzhi turned his head and saw Ji Baiwen, who should have left long ago, sitting in a wheelchair with a glass of milk in his hand.

The two looked at each other, and the air froze for a moment.

This time Ji Baiwen was the first to react.

He turned his wheelchair wheels, placed the milk on Mo Xuzhi’s desk, making a “click” sound.

With a sincere and upright expression, he said: “Heated a glass of milk for you. Group Leader Mo rest early; I’m going back first.”

He pretended to push the wheelchair halfway, then turned his head back and said with a smile, “The hairstyle suits you very much, Group Leader.”

His face carried a visible smile of winning a point, his eyes staring straight at that bunch of hair on the top of Mo Xuzhi’s head.

Mo Xuzhi laughed: “Thanks.”

Ji Baiwen swiped his card and left the office. Mo Xuzhi incidentally went outside to retrieve his phone placed in the locker, brought it back to the office, set it aside, and opened his computer to look through literature.

The hot milk on the side silently displayed its presence.

Then a phone call came in. Mo Xuzhi glanced at the screen, saw it was from Du Minsheng, and answered it.

Du Minsheng asked him when he would be back tomorrow.

Mo Xuzhi swirled the glass, took a sip of milk, and said, “Six or seven.”

Then he added: “Do you need me to bring you a bottle of milk tomorrow?”