It is well known that the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Jihua Hospital, affiliated with A Medical University, has two associate chief physicians who never see eye to eye.

From their freshman year to PhD graduation, and then through residency and title evaluations, Eric Bennett and Brian Sullivan have been locked in a fierce rivalry, fighting tooth and nail, as if it’s either you outdo me or I outdo you—if you score ninety-six, I’ll score ninety-seven.

In the end, they even set their sights on the same girl.

Who would have thought, before their battle could be decided, their crush would walk out hand in hand with her girlfriend, smiling as she came out right in front of them.

After three months of pointless head-to-head competition, the two straight guys, their worldviews shattered, drowned their sorrows together, and in a drunken haze, ended up in bed.

Afterwards, Eric Bennett struggled to get up, supporting his nearly broken waist, his mind blown for half a minute before he resolutely decided to forget the whole thing.

Until three months later, holding his vanished abs and staring at the urine test report, he looked at himself in the mirror in disbelief.

“Ugh—”

*

The first time the truth came out—

Brian Sullivan touched Eric Bennett’s forehead, “You don’t have a fever. Is it April Fool’s Day today?”

Then his face was swollen for seven days.

The first time calculating the due date—

Brian Sullivan couldn’t help but laugh: “Wow, the kid’s due date really is on April Fool’s Day.”

Eric Bennett looked indifferent: “That just means our meeting was a joke from the start.”

On April Fool’s Day—

The heavy smell of alcohol filled the air. Eric Bennett spoke irritably, “Can you do this or not?”

Dr. Sullivan, as mouthy as ever: “Don’t worry, I swear on my years of experience—if you don’t make it off the operating table alive, I’ll pay for your grave.”

Eric Bennett turned his head away: “Who the hell is scared—”

The oxygen mask was placed over Eric Bennett’s face, silencing him.

“I can’t kiss you right now, but I’ll stay with you the whole time.”

The sharp scalpel cut through his lover’s body layer by layer. When he looked up again, the usual nonchalance in Dr. Sullivan’s eyes was replaced by pure, open affection.

“Even though this child is born on April Fool’s Day, believe me, I’m not here to joke around.”

“Dr. Bennett,” Brian Sullivan said, “I love you.”

Chapter 1: Date

Jihua Hospital, affiliated with A Medical University.

It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, but the early summer sun was already dazzling, streaming through the clear windows and casting a fresh, spotless light on the corridor.

Two groups—attending physicians, residents, trainees, and graduate students—stood distinctly on either side of the hallway, the faint scent of disinfectant especially noticeable.

Inside Doctor’s Office No. 2, Eric Bennett set down his teacup, put on the white coat draped over his chair, picked up a thick stack of documents from the meticulously organized desk, his chest adorned with an associate chief physician’s badge, and three pens—black, blue, and red—tucked into his pocket.

At the farthest workstation, Brian Sullivan hurriedly gulped down two mouthfuls of coffee, a dark blue folder clamped under his arm. As he quickly buttoned his white coat, he deftly fished a black pen from the attending physician’s pocket at the next desk. “Thanks, bro!”

“Hey—”

The innocent colleague couldn’t summon Brian Sullivan back, while Eric Bennett lowered his head slightly, looking at Brian Sullivan who had squeezed in front of him and grabbed the doorknob with one hand: “……”

“Sorry, Dr. Bennett, I’m heading out first.” With a roguish smile on his handsome face, he swaggered out the door, snapped his fingers at the line of students on the left, and said, “Let’s go.”

On the right, the lead resident, Yu Sang, flashed an international friendly gesture at him as he turned. Only then did the impeccably dressed Eric Bennett push open the door and step out. Adjusting his glasses, he strode briskly down the hall, tapping a student at the end of the right line with his folder as he walked: “If anyone else can’t even button their white coat properly, go join Brian Sullivan’s group.”

That student suddenly realized his buttons were misaligned.

As a renowned teaching hospital, Jihua Hospital, affiliated with A Medical University, has a large number of patients and a diverse array of doctors. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is mainly composed of several medical teams, forming a pyramid structure led by chief/associate chief physicians, with attending physicians, residents, trainees, and graduate students learning under their guidance.