Chapter Forty-Three: The Letter of Consent

An Changpu believed they should first visit the hospital where Lu Min had undergone the gender reassignment surgery, to question the professor they had met once before—who had been utterly unwilling to divulge any information about Lu Min—about his reasons for seeking the operation. Qin Ruonan did not particularly agree; she doubted they would get anything out of Professor Jin. However, she did not voice any objection, for what she needed most at the moment was to minimize conversation and contact with An Changpu.

Yesterday, his concern for her had probably been nothing more than an instinctive reaction, yet it felt like a small hammer had tapped her heart, cracking the hard shell she had painstakingly built over the years. As a result, her whole state today was unsettled. If this went on, she feared she might soon revert to the foolish girl she used to be, full of unrealistic fantasies.

So she said nothing, accepting An Changpu’s suggestion without protest, which surprised and unsettled him. Several times before they set out, he regarded Qin Ruonan with a speculative gaze. Qin Ruonan pretended not to notice. After they had finished discussing work, their conversation ceased altogether, and neither spoke again until they arrived at the renowned plastic surgery hospital where Professor Jin practiced.

It was an ordinary working day, but when they stepped into the bustling outpatient hall, they immediately understood the meaning of “a house thronged with guests.” The last time, Professor Jin had treated them with suspicion and even hostility, refusing to give them any personal contact information. Thus, upon arrival this time, they had to ask the triage nurse about Professor Jin’s schedule.

It took considerable effort to reach the front of the line, but before they could speak, the nurse recognized them. She looked from An Changpu to Qin Ruonan in surprise. “It’s you two again! Still here to see Professor Jin?”

Qin Ruonan stood silently behind An Changpu. He was half amused, half exasperated by the nurse’s words. “You have quite a memory, don’t you?”

It was not meant as flattery. He and Qin Ruonan had been coming to the hospital for some time; if not for the nurse’s words, he would barely have recognized her as the person they had met before. Yet she remembered them clearly and knew they had been here last time for Professor Jin.

For a nurse working in such a busy hospital, her ability to remember faces was indeed remarkable.

“Professor Jin isn’t seeing patients today. If you have an appointment, you can go to his office. If not, come back next Tuesday,” the nurse replied, unimpressed by An Changpu’s compliment and rolling her eyes impatiently.

As An Changpu and Qin Ruonan turned to leave, they overheard the nurse’s colleague ask, “Why are you so harsh?”

“I can’t stand men who make their girlfriends get breast implants just to satisfy themselves!” the nurse’s voice was righteously indignant.

“But then again, is it really wrong for a man to want his girlfriend to be a bit more feminine?” The rest of their conversation was quickly drowned out by the noisy hall. An Changpu looked back helplessly, but the two nurses were already surrounded by other patients and out of sight. He shook his head and shrugged at Qin Ruonan.

Qin Ruonan seemed unfazed by this episode, as if she didn’t care about others’ misunderstandings. Yet once inside the elevator, she glanced furtively at her own profile in the mirror several times.

Professor Jin’s office was at the end of the corridor in the Department of Breast Surgery. According to the nameplate on the door, he was not only a senior medical specialist but also the department’s deputy director.

A few people were waiting in the hallway. As An Changpu approached to knock, a middle-aged woman promptly stopped him.

“Hey, hey! Don’t you understand first come, first served?” She pointed to the others in the corridor. “We’re all here for Professor Jin’s follow-up, and we’ve been waiting most of the morning! Do you think you’re the only clever one, just because you know to knock? Are the rest of us just fools waiting here?”

An Changpu was embarrassed. The woman’s loud rebuke made his face flush red. Qin Ruonan frowned and reached for her pocket, intending to show her badge and explain, but An Changpu quickly stopped her.

“Forget it, let’s just wait. They’ve come a long way to see the doctor, let them go first. Anyone who needs a thorough exam will be called to the clinic anyway; those waiting here won’t take long,” he whispered as he pulled her aside.

Qin Ruonan pursed her lips in disapproval and muttered, “Such a softie.”

“I am not a softie! I have principles, but when it’s not a matter of principle or anything serious, a little patience doesn’t hurt,” An Changpu explained, clearly uncomfortable with being labeled as overly kind.

For a moment, Qin Ruonan seemed about to say something but held back in the end.

Soon, someone exited the office, and the person who had waited the longest went in. An Changpu and Qin Ruonan waited patiently; after about forty minutes, all those ahead of them had been seen, and it was finally their turn.

An Changpu knocked symbolically and entered first, with Qin Ruonan following. Professor Jin was at his desk, sipping water. At first, he paid them little mind, but as soon as he recognized the two detectives he had met before, he froze.

“So, the deceased really was my patient, then?” Without waiting for An Changpu to explain, he had already deduced why the police had returned.

“Yes, the identity has been confirmed. It was indeed Lu Min. We’re here today to find out the real reason he wanted the surgery,” An Changpu said, and, fearing the professor might not understand, added, “We mean, why did Lu Min want to transition? Was it because of sexual orientation or for some other reason? Surely you investigate these things before the operation?”

“Of course. Gender reassignment surgery is unlike any other; the outcome has a profound impact on the patient’s life. We must be absolutely sure before agreeing to proceed, and the consent forms are never omitted. That’s why the first procedure was just breast augmentation, with a period of recovery afterward—it gives patients time to adjust psychologically. Often, what people wish for and what they can bear are two different things. Quite a few who inquire about this kind of surgery are like those who fear what they claim to love,” Professor Jin said, gesturing for them to sit as he walked to the file cabinet.

He soon found Lu Min’s file and, after glancing through it, let out a chuckle.

“I hadn’t paid much attention to this patient’s records before—my assistant handled the files. Looking at it now, it’s rather interesting. Lu Min’s reason for seeking gender reassignment was both selfish and peculiar. What’s even more intriguing is that his family—especially his wife—actually agreed and signed the consent form for him to undergo the procedure!”