The Surgeon's Studio

None of them answered Su Yun’s question.

Was it a private matter?

Zheng Ren’s bizarre reaction spurred Su Yun’s curiosity further.

Despite the possibility of a trap, he observed the women up close for any telltale signs of medical conditions.

Aside from their extraordinary good looks, there was nothing of note.

After a minute of silence, he tried asking again, “Which one of you is sick? And where is the discomfort?”

They gave no reply, instead exchanging odd glances with each other.

Su Yun was experienced at reading women but was stumped this time around, unable to decipher what they were communicating through their furtive looks.

Was it a gynecological issue?

Damn you, Zheng Ren. Su Yun cursed under his breath.

The standard procedure in the emergency department was to consult the relevant specialties for specialized illnesses.

The emergency center was a chaotic place. There was always a risk of a drunkard crashing into the examination room, so it was best for the pertinent examination to be done in the gynecology department.

“Is it a gynecological disorder?,” Su Yun asked with a dashing smile, amping his charm as hard as he could. “Why don’t you girls head over to the gynecological department? Just follow the arrows on the floor.”

As the words left his mouth, he felt the temperature in the room drop.

Had he said something wrong? Was the woman pregnant and in need of an abortion? Su Yun’s mind went through all manner of possibilities.

Maybe they had been overenthusiastic in the bedroom and gotten a beer bottle stuck in their nether regions? Such a thing would certainly warrant a trip to the emergency department.

It was not an uncommon occurrence.

Maria Hospital had had a patient who checked in with multiple golf balls in them a few years ago. The youth these days were quite out of control.

The only limit was one’s imagination.

Su Yun was not judgmental but would prefer if they were more cautious. Risk of injury was not worth the pleasure.

However, judging from the reactions he was getting, he was mistaken.

What was going on?

The woman in the center, with the prettiest features and most attractive figure, said nothing and frowned.

Half a minute passed before she said abashedly, “Doctor…”

Her voice was hoarse in a way that reminded Su Yun of Anita Mui.

“Yes? You’re the one who needs medical attention?” His nosiness surfaced.

“I… I… accidentally hurt my bottom,” the woman stuttered.

A small smile appeared on Su Yun’s face. He was right; it had been a shameful incident. All he had to do was bring them to the gynecology department. “What happened, then?”

“I… My testicles hurt,” the ‘woman’ said in embarrassment.

Carried away by his victory, Su Yun did not register the patient’s words. “Remember to be gentler next time. Was it too rough? Or maybe the position was uncomfortable? Just pay attention in the future. I’ll take you to the gynecology department.”

It was probably post-coital pain. Su Yun chuckled at the woman’s straightforwardness.

“Doctor, I said my testicles hurt.” Realizing the doctor had clearly misunderstood, the ‘woman’ gathered their courage and said, “I am a man and I said my testicles hurt.”

What a whiplash!

Su Yun looked as if he had been struck by lightning.

His mop of black hair flopped lifelessly before sticking to his forehead.

He had to have heard wrong.

What did she say? Maybe he needed a hearing test.

“You—What did you say just now? Can— Can you repeat it?” Su Yun managed.

The ‘woman’ met Su Yun’s gaze and said meekly, “Doctor, I am a man… and my testicles hurt.”

Su Yun was stunned into silence.

A drag queen?

He had encountered a few in his life but none this realistic.

Despite his experience with women, Su Yun was not able to pick up on subtle differences.

“Doctor, can you take a look?” As the cat was out of the bag, the drag queen was no longer timid with his words.

His mannerisms retained the feminine coyness that tugged at the heartstrings of men.

Su Yun felt his worldview shift.

What was he witnessing here?

The hospital setting compelled Su Yun to hold onto his rational mind.

He turned away to not have to face the group. Whether the drag queen’s companions were actually women or not, Su Yun did not deign to find out.

Damn it! Tricked by that damned Zheng Ren again!

Su Yun managed to maneuver his fingers to operate the workstation, retrieving the patient’s name from the registration ticket and typing up a simple patient history. Then, he scheduled a B-scan ultrasound and gave the patient the necessary instructions.

Once the trio were gone, Su Yun breathed a sigh of relief.

“Good job.” Zheng Ren walked over and gave him a thumbs-up. “I was stunned when I noticed. I’d probably be useless in your shoes.”

A string of curses ran through Su Yun’s mind when he saw Zheng Ren.

“Chief Resident Zheng, why are you here?” The on-call doctor who had been tending to the child’s injury greeted them as he returned to the clinic.

“Ah, I came down to check on the floor. Internal medicine seems overburdened compared to surgery,” Zheng Ren replied.

“In the dead of winter, there are fewer drunken brawls and drunk drivers. Just the occasional minor injury. I heard yesterday was a hectic night for you guys upstairs,” the doctor said.

Zheng Ren rarely spoke to the other doctors but seemed to be in a talkative mood today as he regaled the surgeries of the previous night. “Oh, yesterday…”

Su Yun sat on one of the chairs, zoning out into the distance.

Some time had passed when Zheng Ren snapped him out of his daydream. “Come on, let’s go.”

“You!” Su Yun grabbed Zheng Ren’s arm. “How did you know?”

“Know what? I don’t know anything,” Zheng Ren retorted reflexively.

“No, you clearly knew the patient was a drag queen! His getup and act were impeccable. A work of art! If he hadn’t asked me to check his testicles…”

Zheng Ren could not hold back his laughter. “What are you talking about? All the doctors were busy and it was either you or me. I didn’t want to give you the opportunity to smear my name in front of Yiren.”

Su Yun thought about it. That was reasonable.

The two doctors walked back to the wards, one grinning joyously while the other scowled.

“I guess an image in the mind’s eye is better than nothing,” Su Yun said suddenly.

“Huh?”

“I had met some drag queens back in Imperial Capital but none of them were as perfect as this one. Of course, no one wanted me to check their balls then.” Su Yun sighed. “If he had not brought up the testicles… Honestly, the mention of drag queens and man bits kinda churns my stomach.”

“Didn’t you just praise his art?” Zheng Ren pointed out.

“If only he had not mentioned his testicles,” Su Yun repeated.

From the System’s display, Zheng Ren had seen that the patient was suffering from acute testicular trauma. He was not interested in its cause.

It was not a major case and he was put off by Su Yun’s constant teasing, so he found an opportunity to send the man away.