Chapter Fourteen

Jiang Shiyi glanced at Xu Weiguo. After the surgery, the elderly man had lost quite a bit of weight, with various tubes from medical devices inserted into his body.

Jiang Shiyi and Aunt Qiao went over some post-operative care points before taking their leave.

In the days that followed, she came to visit Old Master Xu every morning.

However, she never encountered Huo Yixun again.

Through these interactions, Aunt Qiao grew quite fond of Jiang Shiyi. No matter what topic she brought up, Jiang Shiyi would engage smoothly and even occasionally offer her own insights.

On the seventh day, the hospital administration sent out a notice: Jiang Shiyi’s medical license was revoked!

This was not unexpected for Jiang Shiyi.

Lin Yu had come to see her as soon as the verdict was out, assuring her not to worry and promising to handle the negotiations with the hospital.

Jiang Shiyi refused.

She had already dragged Lin Yu into trouble once and didn’t want to owe him any more favors.

For standing up for oneself, one needed to call in the big guns.

Jiang Shiyi sneered coldly and turned toward the administrative building where Huo Yixun worked.

Searching the office, she found no sign of him. Just then, Director Zhang came by to deliver some documents, so Jiang Shiyi took the opportunity to inquire about Huo Yixun’s dormitory.

Raising her hand to knock on the door, it suddenly swung open the moment her hand touched it.

Inside, Huo Yixun was in the middle of changing clothes. Hearing the noise, he quickly grabbed a blanket to cover his private parts.

His face darkened instantly.

If looks could kill, Jiang Shiyi would have been torn to shreds.

She froze at the doorway, her expression shifting from shock to a teasing smile.

Though he was quick, she still caught a glimpse of something she shouldn’t have.

In her mind, Jiang Shiyi scored him: ninety points.

Why not a perfect hundred?

Just in case he looked good but wasn’t capable.

“Well... you’ve seen me before, so I guess we’re even,” she said.

Had she kept silent it might have been better, but Huo Yixun immediately recalled that night…

“Get out!” he snapped tersely.

Jiang Shiyi chuckled awkwardly. “Alright, I’ll wait outside.”

She thoughtfully closed the door behind him.

Even through the door, she could feel Huo Yixun’s gaze burning into her like a fierce flame, as if intent on reducing her to ashes.

Five minutes later, the door opened again.

Seeing Jiang Shiyi still waiting, he asked, “What do you want?”

“I’ve been expelled from the hospital. I came specifically to say goodbye.”

He looked puzzled. Jiang Shiyi’s skills had been proven; why would the hospital dismiss her?

Jiang Shiyi continued, “Because Chen Wanzhou proposed an incorrect rescue plan that wasted precious time. If I had followed the hospital’s procedures, Old Master Xu probably wouldn’t have survived.”

“Understood,” Huo Yixun replied simply.

While chatting with Aunt Qiao, Jiang Shiyi learned their families were longtime acquaintances; Old Master Xu had once saved Huo’s father’s life on the battlefield. Their families had even arranged a childhood engagement, though both women ended up having sons.

So it made sense to ask Huo Yixun to intervene.

Shortly after leaving Huo Yixun, Jiang Shiyi received a call from the hospital director.

Not only was her medical license safe, but there was an opening for an external study exchange in the surgical department, and she was assigned to it.

The next morning, before Jiang Shiyi even entered the doctors’ office, she bumped into Chen Wanzhou, who was waiting just for her.

“What a pity. Though Dr. Jiang is skilled, her temperament is poor. In our profession, one must curb impatience,” Chen Wanzhou sneered openly.

Jiang Shiyi stopped in her tracks and snorted coldly, “It’s good you recognize my medical skill. After all, not everyone is qualified to represent the hospital abroad.”

Chen Wanzhou was stunned.

By the time she recovered, Jiang Shiyi had already vanished from the office.

Asking around, Chen Wanzhou learned Jiang Shiyi was not there to pack up and leave but to retrieve Old Master Xu’s surgical records for her upcoming study trip.

Chen Wanzhou was furious.

After lunch, she sought out the hospital administration director again.

This time, the director showed no respect and made her sit on the cold bench for two hours.

The director was angry too.

He had helped Chen Wanzhou target Jiang Shiyi initially because his wife was a disciple of Old Master Chen, who had aided her many times during his tenure at the hospital.

As the saying goes, you don’t look at the monk’s face but the Buddha’s. Moreover, Chen Wanzhou had said Jiang Shiyi was just a temporary worker from a small township clinic.

Besides, everyone knew Old Master Xu was notoriously stubborn, valuing rules above all. The chances of him backing Jiang Shiyi were slim.

But no one expected Jiang Shiyi to have powerful backing after all, causing the director to be scolded by the hospital head all morning until his ears felt sore.

Meanwhile, before leaving, Jiang Shiyi bought fruit and visited Old Master Xu again.

Aunt Qiao warmly invited her into the ward. Compared to a few days ago, Old Master Xu looked more spirited and even thanked her upon her arrival.

Jiang Shiyi chatted with Aunt Qiao as usual.

After spending over half an hour there, she took her leave.

This time, Aunt Qiao gave her Huo Yixun’s contact information.

After all, completing this mission was her ultimate goal.

…

In the staff dormitory, Jiang Shiyi quickly packed her luggage and began fiddling with the phone Zhou Huailing had bought for her.

She looked thoughtfully at the eleven-digit phone number.

Moments later, she dialed the number.

The phone rang a few times before being answered.

“Speak,” Huo Yixun’s tone was indifferent.

Playing with her long hair, Jiang Shiyi said, “Minister Huo, this is Jiang Shiyi. I’m leaving for my study trip tomorrow. My train departs at 10:20 a.m. Could you see me off?”

Before she could hope for a response, the line went dead.

Clearly, he had hung up.

Undeterred, Jiang Shiyi called again.

This time, she didn’t even get a chance to be answered.

Looking at the outdated phone in her hand, she frowned, wishing she could log into some messaging app like in the future, at least to have a social circle.

But Jiang Shiyi would not be defeated by such a minor setback.

Her slender fingers danced over the keypad.

She composed a text message:

“If you can come see me off, I’d be very happy. But if you’re busy, that’s okay.”

After a moment, she sent another message:

“The fried dumplings at Liu’s on Huaijin Road are delicious. I hope, with your blessing, Minister Huo, I can enjoy a warm, crispy dumpling before the long journey tomorrow.”

The next morning, after washing up, Jiang Shiyi left with her luggage. At the dormitory entrance, she spotted Lin Yu not far away.

Jiang Shiyi thought it best to avoid too much contact, pretending not to see him.

“Shiyi, did you pack everything?” Lin Yu called.

She couldn’t refuse—after all, she owed him a favor. If he hadn’t shown up that night, no one would have let her into the operating room.

Jiang Shiyi smiled awkwardly. “Everything’s ready.”

Lin Yu took a thermos lunch box from his bag. “My mom made fried dumplings, your favorite when you were little. Take them for the trip.”

Jiang Shiyi felt embarrassed. “No need, I’ll just buy something on the train.”

Lin Yu smiled kindly. “Come on, I’ll take you to the station. Otherwise, you might be pressed for time.”

Jiang Shiyi couldn’t refuse.

The black Mercedes slowly pulled away.

About twenty meters away, Huo Yixun watched the scene and sneered coldly, then tossed the box of warm Liu’s fried dumplings into the trash.