Hell's Floor

I went to report to the new hospital early in the morning.

I knew one of the upper management staff as she was my mother's peer. So, the interview was a breeze and I could easily get in.

It helped that conveniently there was an opening for an orthopaedic surgeon and the pay at a private hospital was rather generous for an experienced surgeon like me.

Feeling a little optimistic, I walked in to greet the hospital director.

Only to think.

This really was a dog blood drama.

I smiled.

"Mr Lin. What a coincidence."

He smiled at me with that irritating cheerful demeanour, before standing up to pull out a chair in a gentlemanly gesture.

"It isn't a coincidence. I signed your transfer papers."

I sat down demurely.

"Mr Lin. This behaviour is really strange for someone of your stature."

Mr Lin smiled as he pushed a hot cup of tea over.

"It's not so surprising since such behaviour is common among men chasing their wives."

Such boring talk.

"Mr Lin, if you're doing this to make fun of me, then please stop. I'm not interested."

I stood up in a calm manner and looked at him coldly.

But that shameless man did not stop me.

"Dr Fu. Just because I like you does not mean I don't know my professional duties."

His demeanour changed.

"If I say that I happened to be placed at your previous hospital by sheer coincidence, would you even believe it?"

I snorted in disbelief. Why would a hospital director be treated at another hospital and even be admitted to a common ward? If this isn't a bad plot hole that usually happens in mediocre dramas, I don't know what it is.

I should have known that such overbearing President-like attitude meant this shameless person had a pretty high status.

He chuckled and stood up to walk over to me.

"Dr Fu, I happened to get into an accident. Since no one could identify me nor knew where I was, I couldn't get the VVIP treatment."

He took a step towards me.

"Plus, why would I need to get VVIP treatment or make a transfer to my hospital when I could get decent treatment where I was at? It doesn't make sense."

Another step towards me.

"I apologise that you found it an insult that I called upon you and made you my attending doctor all of a sudden. But I knew from a staff that an orthopaedic surgeon was interested in transferring over to my hospital. Hence, I requested to check you out."

Another step.

Humph. I'm not intimidated by your pathetic overbearing male lead actions.

The shameless man chuckled looking at my resistant attitude.

"What amazes me is how could a doctor, as great as you are, be so silly to believe in such rumours as a Hell's Floor?"

He reached me but did not stop.

"Have you been watching too much dramas in your spare time, Dr Fu?"

His warm breath tickled my face.

I smirked.

"That's none of your business."

He apologetically smile as if he was about to do something rude.

I took a step back this time, alarmed.

Overbearing male president Rule No. 2: Forcefully take the poor female lead away.

I ain't gonna be manhandled!

Immediately, that shameless person burst out loud laughing till tears came out from his eyes.

Feeling infuriated and greatly embarassed, I calmed myself. If what he said was true, then at least the job was a real deal.

But do I want to see this crazy person all the time?

No.

No I don't.

"Dr Fu. Please be assured. I won't indiscriminately attack you like an overbearing CEO president. This country has laws after all and no one likes a rude man like that."

He turned to look at me with those brown eyes of his.

"But too bad, I just realised I don't find myself adversed to the idea that perhaps we are in some kind of drama. And to the idea that I could be that kind of overbearing CEO president."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"36 years old. 186cm. Eldest male with two siblings.  Parents still alive. No hidden fiancée. Perhaps a ton of admirers but to be honest, rumours of me being gay that was spread by yours truly, deterred that. But I can't guarantee a woman won't appear to try and claim me. I can promise though, I won't be interested in them."

I rolled my eyes.

"Story of dead wife, a lie."

His eyes were apolegetic but his sense of presence was so strong, I felt that my personal space was attacked.

He touched his nose a little, his ears a tinge red as if embarrassed.

"I didn't want you to hate me for following after you, acting like a teenager in love. So I made up a ridiculous story. Who knew the first girl I liked would hate me because of some rumours about how the patients were like characters from dramas?"

He smirked as he looked at me with a strange attachment. His cocked head was dangerously attractive at that moment.

"Well, I guess it was like a drama. When you entered, I was stunned, acting very much unlike myself. Coming up with ridiculous ways to get your attention."

He went forward, looking at me dead in the eye.

"I don't think I'm a bad catch."

And he held my hand gently.

Strangely, I couldn't pull my hand away.

"And I'm really quite taken with you. Even outside the cursed Hell's Floor."

He murmured seductively.

"I guess that means I'm pretty much dead set on you."

I bit my lip, trying to steel myself from this grossly attractive male specimen who was oozing male lead halo vibes.

"Well, even if this was a drama, I'm pretty set on you being my female lead."

I gulped, feeling quite weak against his conman looks.

"I'm not a bad catch. A pretty marriageable person all in all.  The only thing not going for me is the fact that you think I'm acting like some kind of drama character."

His movement accidentally opened his shirt up to display a very tempting clavicle.

I closed my eyes to pray for strength against this delicious tasty morsel.

"Miss Fu. Can you consider me as your male lead?"

His good natured temperament appeared again.

I looked at him incredulously.

Obviously, I'm going to reject him.

A delirious person like himself that seeks attention in incredulous ways, obviously a highly educated woke person like myself would not fall for such a person.

He smirked at me.

Probably.

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A/N: I have been binge reading tons of modern Chinese webnovels recently (some great ones like "Noble Wife Wants No Love") and couldn't help envisioning that at the rate all these clichés were happening, hospitals would be overwhelmed.

Hence, this short story was born.

I don't plan to continue with a continuation (for now) although I'm greatly intrigued by Wen Jia's contradictory character of being someone very logical and sciencey yet a person who believes in clichés and avoids them versus Han Ming's conniving well-mannered face that hides a scheming logical person who doesn't mind acting illogically for his benefits.

So for now, this short story is complete! I hope you've enjoyed it :)