Chapter 1 — Contact Person Number One

I learned that Thuong Du Bach fainted through a hot search online. The video is just over ten seconds long. Before the finish line of the charity marathon, his face turned pale, his hands clung tightly to the protective fence, and in the next second he collapsed. The scene was extremely chaotic. Amidst the shaking lens, a woman wearing a white sports jacket walked through the crowd, knelt down next to him, expertly checking his pulse. In the comments section, someone recognized her. [Diep Vi An, boss Thuong's personal rehabilitation consultant.] [I heard that boss Thuong's health over the past year has been in charge of her.] [She looks even more stressed than her family.] I paused at the last sentence for about two seconds, then dialed Thuong Du Bach's assistant. It wasn't until the third call that the other end of the line picked up.

“Madam.”

His voice was clearly tense. I glanced at my watch: "Which hospital are you in?"

“Thuong Thi Cardiovascular Center.”

“When should I put it in?”

“Twenty minutes ago.”

“Why didn't anyone tell me?”

The other end of the line was silent for two seconds.

“Doctor Diep has worked directly with the hospital, we thought…”

I hung up the phone. Forty minutes later, I entered the VIP hospital room on the top floor of Thuong Thi cardiovascular center. The hospital room door is not closed tightly. Diep Vi An stood next to the bed, whispering instructions to the main treating doctor.

"This morning he only drank half a cup of black coffee, no breakfast. Last night he slept less than five hours, his resting heart rate was twelve beats per minute higher than normal."

“This week's medications were all taken on time, only last night's dose was half an hour late.”

These numbers flowed from her mouth without a single hesitation. Thuong Du Bach's phone, watch, and vest were all placed right next to her hand. The person on the bed was still unconscious, his face was a little better than in the video, and there was an IV needle on the back of his hand. I pushed the door and walked in. Treating doctor Chu Sam saw me first: "I love you." Diep Vi An also turned around. She was twenty-nine years old, slim, with her hair tied in a low ponytail. No makeup, no unnecessary jewelry, the whole person exudes neatness and fluidity. Anyone who saw her would immediately believe that she was only here to fulfill her work responsibilities.

“Boss Dung.”

She nodded to me. Not called Lady Thuong. I glanced at the hospital bed: "How's it going?" Chu Sam gave me the test results.

"Hypoglycemia plus transient arrhythmia, now stable. Further tests still have no results, need to stay in the hospital for monitoring tonight."

I received the report and read it quickly. The condition is not serious enough to require emergency treatment and is not life-threatening. The breath that was holding me back loosened a bit, I turned to ask the nurse: "Have the admission procedures been completed yet?" The nurse looked at Diep Vi An, then looked back at me.

“It's done.”

“Who signed?”

“Doctor Diep.”

I paused for a moment.

“I am his wife.”

The nurse's face stiffened slightly, clearly not expecting me to ask such a blunt question. She bowed her head and checked the system again.

“Sorry, Mrs. Thuong. Currently, Mr. Thuong's emergency contact number 1 is registered as Doctor Diep Vi An.”

The hospital room suddenly fell silent. The sunlight outside the window was very beautiful, shining on Thuong Du Bach's pale face. I lowered my eyes and looked at the tablet in the nurse's hand.

“Since when was it modified?”

“The system displays six months ago.”

Six months. It was not a temporary addition today, nor was it adjusted by the hospital itself after the incident. Half a year ago, Thuong Du Bach personally removed me from his emergency contact list. As for me, I was completely unaware. Diep Vi An softly explained: "Mr. Thuong has been practicing cardiovascular rehabilitation for a year. Many emergency situations require immediate extraction of health data. I understand his illness better than the average family member, so…”

“Normal family members?”

I raised my eyes to look at her. Diep Vi An seemed to realize that her word usage was incorrect and immediately stopped.

“I don't mean anything else. It's just that from a medical perspective, people with expertise will handle it more effectively."

I nodded.

“So that's it.”

Diep Vi An didn't seem to expect me to be so calm, her eyes stopped for a moment. She picked up a file on the table and handed it to me.

“This is Mr. Thuong's rehabilitation plan for the coming time, along with the items the family needs to coordinate.”

I took it and turned a page. Eating, sleeping, exercising, traveling, each category is listed in great detail. The last page even clearly states: Family members should avoid discussing work and emotional issues when the patient is tired. I folded the document.

“Doctor Diep.”

“Just say it.”

“How long have you been in charge of his rehabilitation?”

“Eleven months.”

“Since you're such a professional, you probably know the difference between a medical advisor and a life partner.”

The smile on her lips faded a bit.

“Of course.”

“That's good.”

I put the documents back on the table.

“Medical history, medication and recovery plan, you can decide.”

“But who is he married to, who is his family member, who is qualified to make decisions for him when he loses consciousness, those things are beyond your scope of expertise.”

Diep Vi An pursed her lips.

“Changing the contact person is Mr. Thuong's personal decision, I never requested it.”

“I know.”

I looked straight at her.

“So I'm waiting for him to wake up.”

About ten minutes later, Thuong Du Bach opened his eyes. First he frowned slightly, his eyes fell on the IV tube, then looked at Diep Vi An.

“How are the test results?”

“There are no major problems for now, Dr. Chu suggested staying at the hospital for observation for one night.”

Diep Vi An helped him raise the head of the bed, then poured half a glass of warm water. The movements were extremely proficient, without even the slightest hesitation. Thuong Du Bach drank two sips of water, then saw me sitting next to the window. He froze for a moment.

“Gia Duong?”

“Are you awake?”

He looked at my cold expression and quickly reacted.

“How do you know?”

“Read the news.”

Thuong Du Bach's eyebrows furrowed even tighter: "Didn't Assistant Tran inform you?"

“No.”

He turned to look at Diep Vi An. Diep Vi An explained: "At that time the situation was urgent, I contacted the hospital first. Maybe while busy, Assistant Tran forgot." Just one sentence, blaming all the negligence on the busyness at that time. Not only do I not blame my assistant, but I also don't let the responsibility fall on my head. Thuong Du Bach raised his hand to rub the seal.

"It's okay, don't blame them for this little thing."

I burst out laughing.

“Do you think I came here to blame the assistant?”

Thuong Du Bach looked at me. I placed the contact information that the nurse had just printed out in front of him.

“Half a year ago, I changed my emergency contact number 1 to Diep Vi An.”

His eyes stopped on the paper for a second. There were no surprises. In other words, he remembers this clearly.