Chapter 22: A Chance Encounter

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Qiao Yuyan parked the car in the underground garage of the affiliated hospital.

“Yunxi!” A woman with a neat short haircut strode up excitedly and hugged Jiang Yunxi, who had just stepped out of the car.

“Senior sister, long time no see,” Jiang Yunxi returned the embrace.

“Come on, let’s go to the office and chat,” the woman released Jiang Yunxi and looked at Qiao Yuyan following behind, “This must be your younger sister? She looks so obedient.”

“Yes, this is my sister Yuyan,” Jiang Yunxi introduced, “Yuyan, this is my senior sister Li Li.”

“Hello, Dr. Li,” Qiao Yuyan greeted politely.

“Good, good,” Li Li said, linking arms with both of them as they entered the elevator. She looked at Jiang Yunxi with a flood of emotion. “You’ve finally decided to come back. You don’t know how sad the professor was when you gave up your PhD.”

They had all studied under Professor Chen Huilan. Li Li was two years ahead of Jiang Yunxi during university.

Later, Li Li pursued her PhD under Chen Huilan, and Jiang Yunxi was admitted to Chen’s program for a master’s degree. When Chen was busy, Li Li helped mentor Jiang Yunxi, and they had maintained a close bond.

“I was just too stubborn back then,” Jiang Yunxi said, biting her lip and lowering her head.

“That’s alright,” the elevator arrived on the third floor. Li Li led them into a research office, teasing, “Now that you want to come back, you better prepare yourself to start learning from scratch. You’ll have to endure some hardships.”

Inside the office, a tall male doctor was intently flipping through medical records.

Hearing the noise, he looked up and warmly greeted, “Junior sister, welcome back!”

“Thank you, senior brother,” Jiang Yunxi said nervously, “I’m not sure if I can pass the exam yet.”

Li Li smiled and pulled two chairs over, inviting them to sit at the desk.

Qiao Yuyan recognized the man as the emergency doctor who had treated the car accident victim at noon.

“No doubt about it,” the doctor laughed heartily, “Junior sister, your fundamentals are solid. At the accident, it was thanks to your timely assistance that things went smoothly.”

“Oh, so you handled that couple,” Li Li brought over two cups of hot tea and placed them in front of Qiao Yuyan and Jiang Yunxi. “I was wondering why Song Lin was acting so secretive today.”

The two sisters raised their cups in thanks.

Mentioning the accident made Jiang Yunxi worried. “How are they now?”

The couple had serious injuries, and their child was very young. Losing loving parents would leave the little one utterly alone and pitiable.

She suppressed the urge to look at Qiao Yuyan beside her, sincerely hoping the family would be safe.

“They’re in the ICU now,” Li Li, knowing her kind heart, gently reassured her, “Don’t worry. They’re temporarily out of danger. With proper care afterwards, they’ll be fine.”

Sensing the somber mood, Song Lin went over to the bookshelf and pulled down a thick stack of medical books, placing them on the desk before Jiang Yunxi. “The professor only has limited PhD slots now, and competition is fierce. You’ll have to work hard.”

“Don’t worry too much,” Li Li patted Jiang Yunxi’s shoulder. “We’ll also help you collect and organize the academic journals from the past few years and send them to you. That’ll make your review smoother.”

Listening to her senior siblings’ thoughtful concern, tears welled in Jiang Yunxi’s eyes. She choked back her voice, “Thank you, senior brother. Thank you, senior sister.”

“Oh, there’s no need to thank us. It’s just something we do,” Li Li grabbed some tissues from the desk and wiped Jiang Yunxi’s tears, teasing, “Look at our star neurosurgeon, still so prone to crying after all these years. If anyone else saw this, they’d think I was bullying you.”

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Jiang Yunxi turned her tears into a smile.

While the seniors reminisced, Qiao Yuyan, with nothing else to do, admired the anatomical specimens preserved in jars on the shelves.

As a large teaching hospital, Chen University’s affiliated hospital not only cured patients but also nurtured medical talent.

This research office was filled with medical books and jars of organs preserved in formalin.

“Little sister, aren’t you afraid of these?” Song Lin asked when he saw Qiao Yuyan leaning close to a specimen jar without the slightest fear.

Qiao Yuyan turned and smiled faintly. “Not afraid.”

Why fear these lifeless things? She had even seen her own intestines when she was seriously injured—she had stuffed them back herself. Honestly, her intestines were much prettier than those in the jars.

“Not bad,” Song Lin slapped his thigh. “A promising medical student. Have you ever thought about switching majors and taking the grad entrance exam to come to Chen University?”

Qiao Yuyan politely declined, “Thank you for your kindness, but I dropped out of junior high.”

Song Lin was undeterred, even more enthusiastic. “That’s perfect! You can take the college entrance exam next year, apply to Chen University, and enroll with your sister. We’ll guide you step by step.”

Qiao Yuyan declined again, “No, I don’t like studying.”

Jiang Yunxi listened quietly to their conversation, a thought stirring in her mind. But now was not the time to discuss it.

She turned to Li Li and asked, “Please keep my PhD exam plans confidential for now.”

“Why? Aren’t you going to tell the professor?” Song Lin asked in surprise.

“I’m afraid I won’t pass and will only disappoint the professor,” Jiang Yunxi lowered her head. Studying medicine was tough, and she had wasted too much time already. She honestly lacked confidence.

“That’s impossible,” Li Li ruffled her hair. “You’re the most talented among us. You learned the fastest and best during school. Once you catch up on what you’ve missed these years, you’ll definitely pass.”

“All right, I’ll work hard,” Jiang Yunxi looked up and promised.

She noticed someone lingering at the door, seemingly wanting to speak with those inside. She stood, “Senior brother, senior sister, we won’t keep you from work. We’ll be going now.”

“Okay.”

Doctors really had little spare time. Song Lin and Li Li escorted them to the door before hurrying back to their posts.

Jiang Yunxi and Qiao Yuyan each carried thick stacks of medical materials as they stepped into the elevator.

Inside stood a tall, upright man. Qiao Yuyan looked up and recognized him as Shen Xiyuan, the grandson of Professor Shen.

“Mr. Shen,” Jiang Yunxi also noticed him and greeted proactively, “How is Grandfather Shen doing now?”

“Thank you for your concern, Ms. Jiang. Grandfather’s surgery went smoothly. He’s now under observation in the CCU,” Shen Xiyuan replied with a relaxed expression.

Seeing Qiao Yuyan behind Jiang Yunxi, he immediately expressed gratitude. “Thanks to Miss Qiao yesterday. The doctors said it was fortunate you found him in time and provided precise emergency care, buying precious time for Grandfather. We’re truly grateful.”

“It’s good that Professor Shen is fine,” Qiao Yuyan smiled faintly, not seeking credit.

Unlike Jiang Yunxi, whose rescue efforts stemmed from a doctor’s deep love for life, Qiao Yuyan’s help was simply because Professor Shen had always cared for her aunt.

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Shen Xiyuan, perceptive, realized Qiao Yuyan didn’t want to talk further and wisely said no more.

His gaze fell on the heavy books they held. He reached out, “I’m heading to the parking lot too. Let me walk you there.”

It was only a few books, so Qiao Yuyan didn’t refuse and handed them over graciously.

At the parking lot, Shen Xiyuan placed the books in the trunk. Qiao Yuyan softly thanked him.

“It’s no trouble at all,” Shen Xiyuan smiled warmly and closed the trunk.

Jiang Yunxi stepped forward. “Please let Grandfather Shen rest peacefully these days. We won’t disturb him. When he’s discharged, we’ll definitely go visit.”

“No need for formalities, Ms. Jiang,” Shen Xiyuan opened the car door for them. After they got in and closed the door, he bowed slightly. “Miss Qiao, take care.”

The car slowly left the hospital.

Through the rearview mirror, Qiao Yuyan saw Shen Xiyuan walking toward an old Wuling Hongguang vehicle.

“Does Professor Shen have only this one grandson?” Qiao Yuyan wondered. She had never heard her aunt mention the professor’s children.

“Yes, Professor Shen has only one daughter. She and her husband died in a car accident when Shen’s grandson was just an adult. Since then, the grandfather and grandson have relied on each other,” Jiang Yunxi explained softly, then wisely stopped.

She feared it would stir painful memories for Qiao Yuyan.

“I see,” Qiao Yuyan nodded, catching the guilt on Jiang Yunxi’s face out of the corner of her eye. After a moment’s thought, she understood what her sister was thinking.

Qiao Yuyan’s childhood had been happy and complete. Her parents ran a fairly successful company; their family was well-off.

She was sweet, clever, and bright, loved by teachers and classmates from the moment she started school.

Her future once seemed bright.

Until seventeen years ago.

The Qiao couple had returned to their home country from a business trip in Lin Country when their plane crashed, killing them both. Qiao Yuyan had stayed behind at school that day and was not on the flight.

After her parents’ death, Qiao Yuyan inherited their company shares and received a large compensation from the airline.

Though the money wouldn’t guarantee a lifetime without worries, it was enough for her to finish university.

Moreover, her maternal aunt Yu Qingmei kindly took care of her without charge until she reached adulthood, and Jiang Yunxi had always been by her side like a true sister.

Unfortunately, every family has its troubles. Yu Qingmei’s husband was a drunken wastrel.