What did so call so many times? Did something happen? Huo Shaoheng’s gaze shifted to the timestamps of the calls and saw that they were all from 9 in the morning local time, which was about nine in the evening in the States. Looking at the missed calls, it must’ve been from seven or eight hours ago. Nianzhi was probably still awake? Huo Shaoheng unlocked the phone to dial her number.
…
As an Internet addict, Gu Nianzhi always had her phone with her, even in the shower. She was about to take a bubble bath, so there was lots of time to soak in the tub and browse online. Her phone laid on the small table next to the tub, while she relaxed in the tub and smearing all the bubbles on herself. She was tempted to blow bubbles and have them fly around the bathroom. In the quiet bathroom, the sudden ringing of the phone startled her. Her gaze moved to phone and she froze before reacting–that was the ringtone she had especially set for Uncle Huo! Gu Nianzhi’s eyes lit up as she frantically reached her hand out from the tub to pick up the phone, the water splashing as she stood up from the tub and her body was covered in white bubbles.
“…Uncle Huo?!” She was so excited that voice trembled slightly.
“Mhmm, it’s me.” Huo Shaoheng gripped the phone as he asked, “I saw you called many times, did something happen?”
Gu Nianzhi recalled the sadness and dismay she felt from calling for two hours to no avail and whimpered, “Uncle Huo, you told me I can always find you if I call this number, but you…” She sniffled before continuing, “I understand if you’re busy and couldn’t pick up, but you can’t lie to me. Tell me if you don’t want me to call, I want bother you.”
Huo Shaoheng shook his head helplessly, “…Nianzhi, I was on a mission when you called. I couldn’t bring a personal phone.”
“Huh?” Gu Nianzhi immediately felt guilty as she quietly grumbled, “Is that true? I know you can’t pick up during missions, but I asked Brother Ze and he told me you just talked to him, but then you didn’t take my call…”
“Impossible.” Huo Shaoheng firmly denied, “Little Ze must’ve not explained it properly. Besides, even if I called him, it would’ve been for business. –Why would I deliberately ignore your call?”
“Really?” Gu Nianzhi smiled as she held the phone, her emotions too easily influenced by Huo Shaoheng. A few words can send her to heaven, and another few words can banish her to hell. She was in limbo between heaven and hell; suffering yet ecstatic.
“Of course not.” Huo Shaoheng switched the phone to his other hand and began unbuttoning his uniform to take a shower, “Tell me, what did you want to say? Was it urgent that you called so much?”
“It was urgent then, but now it’s alright.” Gu Nianzhi spoke carefully, “I wanted to ask you, did you find out anything?” She stood naked in the bathtub filled with white bubbles and a mirror was mounted on the opposite wall. The condensation on the mirror made the reflection a blur, and only her silhouette was visible. Gu Nianzhi reached out to wipe the mirror off and looked at her face. Her cheeks were flushed, large eyes misty as she looked fearfully at herself and seaweed-like hair hung down her back. She wiped the disappearing bubbles off her body and bent over to douse water on herself.
Huo Shaoheng opened the closet in the bathroom to take out a new, tan colored towel to drape on his shoulder. He said, “That’s good then, Everything is taken care of here, and Little Ze will let you know the details. Report anything else right away.”
Gu Nianzhi immediately promised when it sounded like Huo Shaoheng wanted to end the call. She couldn’t bear letting him go and held her phone as she paced in the bathtub to try to think of something else to talk about. Lost in her thoughts, her foot suddenly slipped and her phone dropped into the tub with a big splash. “Oh no…” Gu Nianzhi cried as she nearly slipped but thankfully grabbed on the handrail hastily. She bent over to look in the tub and fished out her phone. Thankfully, the phone was alright but the call was ended. The phone had excellent waterproof capabilities indeed. Gu Nianzhi eagerly called back.
“Nianzhi? Nianzhi?” Huo Shaoheng only heard thumps from the phone, then the call ended. He looked at the phone with an increasingly grim expression and was just about to call Zhao Liangze to ask what happened when his phone vibrated again. Gu Nianzhi was calling. He unlocked the phone. “Why did the call end? What happened?” Huo Shaoheng sternly questioned, his voice dangerously low.
Gu Nianzhi pressed the wet phone to her ear and blushed when she heard him speak, “Everything’s ok! I just dropped the phone into the bathtub…”
Huo Shaoheng, “…How did you do that? Where are you? What are you doing?”
“I was in the bathroom when you called and taking a bubble bath.” Gu Nianzhi hurriedly explained, “…So the bathtub wasa slippery.”
“Slippery? You’re taking a bath?” Huo Shaoheng frowned and remembered that it was indeed night time in the States right now and it made sense she was taking a bath. He chided her, “Why did you pick up in the middle of a bath? What’s wrong with you? –Is the phone still ok?”
Gu Nianzhi anxiously nodded, then shook her head, “Yes it’s ok! I was very careful! I picked up the phone when I was standing in the tub, so it didn’t get wet. Really, it was an accident that I slipped and dropped it.”
Huo Shaoheng closed his eyes and was silent before asking her in a raspy voice, “…Are you hurt?”
“No, I caught the handrail. I didn’t fall down.” Gu Nianzhi looked at the phone, “The phone is wet though, I’m going to dry it with a hairdryer after my bath.”
“Continue then.” Huo Shaoheng couldn’t speak anymore and swiped the phone to end the call. He threw it onto a small basket on the bathroom counter. He walked to the shower and turned on the hot water to allow it to gush onto his body–the droplets wet his hair, sliding from his broad back down to his defined back muscles. The frosted glass enclosure of the shower quickly grew misty. He raised his arms and leaned against the wall, burying this head as the hot water rinsed his strapping, unmoving body. He was still swollen… Huo Shaoheng finally sighed and switched to cold water. Cold water on the base was supplied by groundwater, so it was much colder than normal room temperature water. The iciness washed over his body twice before he finished cleaning himself. Huo Shaoheng dried his hair with a towel and wrapped his lower body with the tan towel. Face expressionless, he grabbed the phone from the basket and left the bathroom. When he returned to his room, he felt uncomfortable looking at the large bed. Instead, he changed into casual clothes and laid on the sofa to quickly rest his eyes. He was awaken by knocking on this door.
“Mr. Huo? Mr. Huo? Are you there? It’s me, Chen Lie, Big Xiong said you were looking for me?” Chen Lie’s voice thundered from outside the door.
Huo Shaoheng opened his eyes and got up to open the outside door to see it was already dark. He only took a nap, why was it dark already? He looked at his phone and saw it was already 8 in the evening. It was truly a deep slumber, he slept straight from day to night. Huo Shaoheng’s felt a little embarrassed as he turned to let Chen Lie inside.
“Mr. Huo, what is it?” Chen Lie carried his briefcase,”I just finished two surgeries and am starving now. Can you call the cafeteria to send some food over?”
Huo Shaoheng signalled his orderly, “Have food sent here.”
The food was quickly delivered and Chen Lie ate as he listened to Huo Shaoheng, “…About Nianzhi’s case in the States, I want you to make a trip there.”