Chapter Twelve: Will You Give Yourself to Me?

The scent of the woman’s hair and her breath lingered at his nostrils.

Huo Yixun’s lowered hand unconsciously clenched into a fist.

Jiang Shiyi smiled lightly. “I haven’t properly thanked you for that night. When you get married, remember to send me an invitation—I’ll make sure to give you a big red envelope as a token of gratitude.”

Huo Yixun lowered his gaze, his voice deep and steady. “I escorted her because our families have been close allies for generations.”

Jiang Shiyi’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Did she hear that right?

The usually aloof and proud Minister Huo was actually explaining himself to her at this moment!

Huo Yixun was silent.

At that moment, a little flower-selling girl passed by, spotting the man and woman standing just a step apart.

In a clear, bright voice, the girl asked, “Big brother, would you like to buy some flowers? Fresh roses, for a beautiful lady.”

Jiang Shiyi bent down and smiled at the girl.

Then she looked up at Huo Yixun. “Little sister, give that big brother a rose.”

An inscrutable lift appeared at the corner of Huo Yixun’s brow.

The little girl rummaged through her basket, picking the brightest, most exquisite rose and handed it to Huo Yixun, then glanced at Jiang Shiyi.

Jiang Shiyi smiled sweetly, taking out fifty cents from her bag and giving it to the girl. “Your roses are so beautiful—they suit this big brother perfectly.”

The little girl happily accepted the money and ran off.

Just as Huo Yixun was about to say something, he caught the almost teasing glint in her eyes.

Under his imposing gaze, she slowly leaned toward his ear. “Minister Huo, I’ll give you the flower if you give yourself to me. How about that?”

Her seductive voice whispered softly in his ear like a blazing fire that instantly ignited his body. Huo Yixun struggled to suppress his emotions.

Jiang Shiyi’s hand first rested on his chest, then slowly slid down along his well-defined arm, snatching the rose from his hand.

She lowered her head to smell it, then tucked the rose into the pocket of his coat. “Keep the flower safe.”

The gloomy sky revealed a rare ray of sunlight, the brief warmth stirring a restless unease.

In the afternoon.

Another person in charge was responsible for assigning staff positions. Since it was a military district hospital, all equipment was the most advanced of the time, so the personnel allocation was naturally carefully considered.

Soon, all positions were assigned except for the most demanding one—the surgical department still lacked a suitable candidate.

The person in charge glanced down at the roster again, then looked at Jiang Shiyi. “You’ll go to surgery.”

Before the words even left his mouth, someone raised their hand: it was Chen Wanzhou, whom Jiang Shiyi had briefly met earlier.

“Director Wu, I think I could also go to surgery. While studying in the UK, I specialized in surgery as well.”

Seeing Chen Wanzhou’s request to switch departments, Director Wu frowned instinctively but, recalling her influential family background, though displeased, he eventually agreed.

With all departments now staffed, everyone proceeded to report to their respective units.

“Shiyi, let’s go report to the department together,” Chen Wanzhou said with a forced smile.

Jiang Shiyi stopped in her tracks and glanced sideways at her. “Sorry, I’m used to working alone.”

Chen Wanzhou’s expression stiffened.

For some reason, from the moment she first saw Jiang Shiyi, she felt a sense of danger. She was jealous of her breathtaking beauty.

After their first meeting, Chen Wanzhou immediately researched Jiang Shiyi’s background.

She was just a country girl, unqualified to be at a military district hospital, let alone appear before Huo Yixun.

A rustic bumpkin would only tarnish his vision.

While Chen Wanzhou seethed silently, Jiang Shiyi ignored her and walked straight toward the surgical department.

Watching Jiang Shiyi’s retreating figure, Chen Wanzhou deeply despised her self-righteous attitude.

A few days later, Jiang Shiyi and the others had officially begun their hospital duties.

During the quiet night shift, Jiang Shiyi pondered how she might flirt with a handsome man next time.

She realized belatedly that since giving the flower, she hadn’t seen Huo Yixun again.

Could he be deliberately avoiding her?

Suddenly, the phone in the doctors’ office rang, answered by Chen Wanzhou.

“Hello, this is the surgical office.”

“How is the patient’s vital sign now?”

“Alright, we’ll prepare immediately!”

Chaos ensued among the doctors and nurses.

Several people in green uniforms rushed in, pushing a stretcher.

Jiang Shiyi’s gaze fell on the patient lying there: an elderly man with graying temples, furrowed brows, sweat beads rolling down his forehead, clutching his chest.

“Who will take care of our former leader?” someone shouted hoarsely.

In this era, night shift doctors were usually inexperienced. Seeing the commotion, everyone surmised this elderly man held significant status.

At that moment, Chen Wanzhou stepped forward. “I will take responsibility.”

At the same time, she cast a triumphant look at Jiang Shiyi.

Chen Wanzhou arranged for the man to undergo emergency basic tests, then coordinated the team to implement treatment, all appearing practiced and steady.

Nearby doctors kept praising her.

“Dr. Chen really lives up to her overseas study. I wouldn’t dare if I were in her place.”

“Lanxin truly comes from a medical family. I heard her grandfather was the first director of this hospital.”

“Exactly. That patient was in severe pain, but Dr. Chen handled the problem quickly.”

At this moment, Jiang Shiyi offered an unconventional opinion.

“This doesn’t look like a heart attack. It’s more like a type A aortic dissection. The pain has subsided because of the analgesics.”

Everyone was stunned.

“Oh no, if it’s that illness, it’s not good. Our only surgeon who can handle this, Director Qin, is out on a study exchange.”

“Don’t listen to her nonsense. She’s just from a small town. How can she compare to Lanxin?”

“No way. I’ve only heard of this disease in Director Qin’s lectures, never seen it in practice.”

“Come on, some people talk without pain. If she had the ability, why didn’t she step up to take the patient earlier?”

“I heard Jiang Shiyi got in through connections. Back in the town clinic, she wasn’t even a formal employee.”

Listening to these words, Chen Wanzhou felt quite pleased. She never expected the opportunity to overshadow Jiang Shiyi would come so soon.

But soon she also felt reluctant—why should such a woman make Huo Yixun fall for her?

Just because of that fox-like charm?

That day at the porridge shop, when she tried to get close to Huo Yixun, she caught a faint trace of Jiang Shiyi’s scent on him.

Unaware of Chen Wanzhou’s schemes, Jiang Shiyi now felt no desire to argue with this group of sycophantic fools.

She was indifferent.

After all, medical science in this era couldn’t compare to that of the future.

She stepped out and called the operating room to prepare a surgical suite.

Just as Chen Wanzhou was wrapping up the emergency, the elderly man on the bed suddenly vomited blood, followed by the monitors emitting urgent alarms.

The crowd, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, panicked instantly.

Chen Wanzhou was startled by the sudden turn of events.