Frozen Heart Begins To Yield

Earlier, when Ailine was rushed to the hospital.

That night still clung to Owen’s mind. Not merely as a memory—more like a wound too fresh to touch. The hospital building had long fallen into silence, but his thoughts hadn’t. The quiet only sharpened the one thing he despised most: himself.

Owen sat on the long bench near the intensive care unit, head bowed, fingers locked together in a tight grip. The same hands that were so familiar with holding a scalpel had just touched the fragile body of the woman who once filled his youthful romance.

He wanted—desperately—to forget all those memories. But memories were like nails hammered deeper each time he tried to pull them out. The more he tried to forget, the clearer they became.

Owen never imagined that tonight he would meet Ailine again—not as lovers, but as a doctor and his patient.

The ex-lover he had intentionally left behind years ago now lay weak and vulnerable before him.

The surgeon fought hard to keep himself steady while treating her. He forced his expression to remain flat and professional, hoping it would hide the rapid heartbeat he could barely control.

“Thank God… I managed to save her. She’s stable now… and I’m sure she’ll continue to get better. The IV is already in place, oxygen is set, she’s gotten the injections she needs… Everything that can be done has been done… Ailine will recover. She will…”

The handsome surgeon kept reassuring himself that he had done everything in his power to help her when she was brought in unconscious. Everything he could give her—he already had.

He even came to check on her at midnight, just to make sure she was truly out of danger.

He chose not to go home because of Ailine.

Even if it meant lying to her, because he didn’t know how to face her anymore.

Facing Ailine was far more terrifying than performing any tumor removal surgery he had ever done.

“So many things in my head are begging to spill out of my mouth… but I shut them down. The moment I saw her again after more than ten years… my mind was filled with nothing but her.”

Owen closed his eyes, recalling Ailine’s faint smile when she woke up. A smile that should’ve relieved him—yet only deepened his guilt.

Because every time Ailine smiled… he felt unworthy of seeing it.

Yes, he wasn’t worthy of seeing Ailine’s smile.

What hurt even more was how she always tried to look strong. Even when the world tore her apart, she still stood.

And Owen—with all his logic, intelligence, composure, and arrogance—had been one of the reasons she was hurt in the first place.

Out of all the pain she had endured, he was one of the biggest contributors.

“She doesn’t understand…” he whispered. “If I stayed away, it wasn’t because I wanted to. It was because I’m afraid.”

Afraid of what?

Afraid that if he got close again…

he would break her one more time.

---

Normal time…

Dr. Lisa entered Owen’s private office after hearing he had returned from the rooftop.

“Owen, are you alright?”

He replied flatly, “I’m a doctor. I don’t need to be alright.”

A lie.

He knew it. Lisa knew it. Anyone with eyes could see it. Owen looked tenser than usual. The dark circles under his eyes were obvious.

But even if she asked, he wouldn’t answer honestly.

Owen was always this closed-off—especially about his private life.

“I heard you were on the rooftop! I went looking for you, you know! Here, I brought your favorite—black coffee, no sugar, and tuna onigiri.”

She handed him the items. Owen took them, placing them on the table without a change in expression. Lisa watched every movement he made.

“Congratulations on finishing the most difficult operation this week. None of the other surgeons even dared to take it. You really are a genius.”

Ah, right—he had spent all morning intensely focused in the operating room. He simply did what he had to do.

“It’s just a doctor’s responsibility to help his patients to the best of his ability.”

“Tch, you’re too modest! You should ask the hospital for a raise!”

“My salary increases every six months.”

“Haaah, you’re impossible!”

“I know I’m impossible.”

Lisa’s mouth fell open. “Hey—don’t take it seriously! Why are you always this stiff?”

“….”

“Oh right! About our superstar patient!”

“?” Owen frowned.

“Owen, you know there’s a man staying with Miss Su in her room, right?”

“….”

“Haaisssh, Julian Feng! Julian Feng! His face is literally everywhere!”

Owen knew. He wasn’t that clueless. Even though he didn’t follow celebrity news, he still saw billboards on his commute—most of them featuring actors.

And the ones he saw the most were Ailine and Julian.

“Yes. Why?”

“Why? Owen, aren’t you even a little bit curious about their relationship? They’re too close! The way Julian looks at Miss Su… there’s no way nothing is going on between them.”

“Don’t pry into other people’s business.”

“They’re not just ‘other people.’ They’re the biggest celebrities in Country Z! It’s normal to be curious!”

“It’s not normal. You’re their doctor—you should stay professional.”

Lisa pouted. “Like you are being professional!”

“Hm?”

“Don’t pretend to be clueless in front of me, Owen! Ever since our superstar came in and you became her doctor, you’ve been working overtime more than usual. You barely go home. That means you’re curious too!”

“…” What on earth is she talking about?

“Don’t deny it! The nurses talk about it all the time!”

“I just happened to get early morning surgery schedules.”

“Excuses… excuses… Anyway—what do you think?”

“About what?”

“Miss Su. She’s really beautiful, isn’t she?”

Lisa tried teasing him, hoping to see a reaction—hoping to see whether he liked women more than scalpels.

“Yes.”

“EHHHH?” Lisa’s eyes widened. She didn’t expect that answer at all.

“All women are beautiful,” Owen said calmly.

“Tch, I knew you’d say something like that. Nothing can beat your love for your scalpel!”

“You already know that. Why ask?”

“Yeah, yeah, fine. Oh! If she continues improving, I plan to discharge Miss Su tomorrow night. What do you think?”

“You’re her primary doctor. If you’re confident, follow your judgment.”

“I am, but her small tumor is still something to monitor. It should be fine as long as it doesn’t suddenly grow. It all depends on how well she takes care of herself. If she doesn’t—and it enlarges—we’ll need surgery.”

“Make sure you remind her to take care of herself.”

“Why only me? You can remind her too.”

“You’re her primary doctor. And I’ll be in surgery the whole day when she gets discharged.”

“So I’m handling everything alone? This is the first time we’ve treated a patient together!”

“Dr. Lisa, be professional.”

“Haaah, yes, yes, Mr. Stiff!”

“Go back to your clinic. My break is almost over—I need to eat.”

“You’re kicking me out after I brought you food?”

“I didn’t ask for it. You came on your own.”

“Haishhh… Fine, see you later…”

“Yeah.”

Lisa left reluctantly. She always made the effort to find him first. Clearly because she liked him.

But beyond that—Owen really didn’t take care of himself. He ate just enough to function. When busy, he even skipped meals.

It hadn’t caused him to collapse yet, but if this continued, it certainly would.

And she didn’t want that.

“Is he really this dense about my feelings…?”

She gazed at him from the doorway. Owen was already engrossed in his patient files, casually eating the onigiri she brought.

She smiled faintly. “Well… at least he ate it.”

---

After Lisa left…

Ailine Su and Julian Feng were likely in a romantic relationship.

Ailine Su…

Julian Feng…

A romantic relationship.

A romantic relationship meant dating, right?

Right?

Dating, right?

RIGHT?

BRACKK!

Owen slammed the patient file onto the table so hard his coffee spilled. Thankfully it didn’t splash onto the other documents.

He exhaled sharply.

“Tch… damn it…”