Past 8:00 PM. The fifth-floor surgical wing of the Neurosurgery Building.
Tonight, a total of three cranial surgeries were underway.
In the family waiting area, nearly twenty people were sparsely scattered across five rows of seats.
They were clearly separated into three distinct groups.
They spoke in low voices, comforting and encouraging one another, occasionally glancing at the sealed, blue-and-white isolation doors leading to the surgical area.
Although they had all been told the surgeries wouldn't be finished until after midnight at the earliest, they still couldn't help but look at those doors.
However, five or six of the adult men among them kept sneaking glances toward the last row.
In the leftmost seat of the back row sat a young woman who looked to be about twenty-two or twenty-three.
She clearly wasn't a friend or relative of any of the three surgical patients. She just sat there alone, quietly flipping through a thick medical textbook resting on her lap.
The girl's attire was quite simple.
Sneakers, slim-fit jeans, a form-fitting blouse, and a cropped jacket over it.
Her straight, black hair was tied back simply, giving her a fresh, clean, and youthful look.
If that were all, the girl naturally wouldn't have attracted so many furtive glances.
Especially not at a time and place like this.
The key was her stunningly beautiful face, which made her look like a celebrity who had just stepped out of a fashion magazine.
The girl remained focused on her book.
She was completely unaware that two young doctors in white coats had passed by her three times, one walking briskly and the other with his head down in contemplation.
Just then, a sudden SCREECH echoed through the family waiting area.
It was the sound of the somewhat old automatic isolation doors starting to open.
Everyone simultaneously turned to look at the opening surgical area doors, from which emerged a tall, slim, and handsome young man in street clothes.
The tall, slim young man walked out of the isolation doors and strode toward the elevators, only to stop after a few steps.
It was then that the waiting family members noticed.
The beautiful girl who had been reading quietly was now running toward the tall, slim young man, her book in one hand, her bag in the other, and a wide smile on her face.
In that moment, a series of soft sighs filled with regret, pity, and disappointment rippled through the family area.
The man and woman who had drawn everyone's attention were Yan Feifan and Yu Suye.
Yu Suye stuffed the book into her bag, slung the bag over her left shoulder, and hugged Yan Feifan's left arm.
"I thought you wouldn't be out until nine or ten. This was a rare chance to observe Dr. Qiu's surgery."
Yan Feifan said softly, "I've been busy all day, I have another surgery tomorrow, and I still haven't eaten dinner."
"Observing a surgery can wait. There will definitely be other opportunities."
He then asked, "Didn't I tell you that you didn't have to wait for me?"
As they spoke, the two of them reached the elevators.
Yu Suye took the initiative and pressed the down button.
"I'm still on bodyguard duty, you know. I have to be diligent. How could I let you go back all by yourself?"
Yu Suye replied with a straight face, then asked, "Feifan, did the surgery go smoothly?"
Yan Feifan grunted in affirmation and explained, "As of when I left the operating room, the patient's vital signs were relatively stable."
"There were no complications during the punctures at the six injection sites."
"The patient's vitals didn't fluctuate significantly during the ethanol injection or while it was taking effect."
"Before I left, Dr. Qiu had just begun the craniotomy. The real test has only just begun."
At that moment, the elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside.
"Feifan, I told your sister earlier that we'd be eating out tonight, so she doesn't need to make us dinner."
Yu Suye then said eagerly, "Is there anything you're in the mood for?"
"Tonight, it's my treat."
She added, "You can have whatever you want. We can even go to Houli Snack Street, I know you like the shaomai from a place there."
Hearing this, Yan Feifan couldn't help but let out a small gasp.
"I keep feeling like I've forgotten something important. Su Ye, now that you've mentioned Houli Snack Street and shaomai…"
"I remember what it was."
Just then, the elevator reached the first floor.
They exited the elevator, and Yan Feifan took out his phone to call his sister.
"Sis, you promised me last time that you'd personally make me your 'taste-of-happiness' shaomai."
"It's been so long, and you still haven't made good on your promise."
"Are you trying to back out of it?"
Yan Ziruo's chuckling voice came from the phone. "That unlucky guy who got stabbed to death with a bamboo skewer that night made me forget all about it."
"It's not like I was trying to back out of it on purpose."
"How about this? Tomorrow is Saturday. I'll go buy the ingredients myself and guarantee you'll have authentic, taste-of-happiness shaomai the moment you get home…"
Yan Feifan ended the call with his sister and explained to Yu Suye, "That shaomai place on the snack street was perfectly to my taste. Eating it gave me a feeling of complete happiness."
"It's just a shame that the shop has already been sold."
He sighed with regret, then continued, "As for dinner, I don't have any special requests."
"Su Ye, why don't you decide…"
At Yu Suye's suggestion, the two of them went to a café next to the hospital and ordered two simple steak dinners.
Yu Suye took a sip of lemonade and said in a slow, deliberate tone, "Feifan, my dad called me around seven this evening."
She paused for a moment, met Yan Feifan's gaze, and then suddenly smiled. "It's good news, I guess."
"He said on the phone that he respects Lu Yao's opinion and won't interfere with us too much. He told us to just handle things on our own."
Yu Suye giggled again and said, "In other words, for a year…"
She thought for a moment, then said more conservatively, "For at least the next six months, we can date properly without any interference."
"If within this half-year, or year…"
Yu Suye said encouragingly, "Feifan, if you continue to achieve great things, the opposition from our families will lessen, or maybe even disappear entirely. It's possible."
Yan Feifan let out a soft "Oh," and said, "I'll do my best."
Yu Suye squeezed Yan Feifan's hand. "Don't feel pressured. Just keep moving forward step by step."
"My feelings for you won't change. No matter how strong my family's opposition is, it won't shake me."
Yan Feifan smiled and stated, "I'll do my best not to let you fight this battle alone."
Joy radiated from every pore on her face.
"Oh, I almost forgot to tell you the other good news."
"That Mr. Zhou, the one who resorted to a desperate remedy, can now walk for a few minutes with support after his recent rehabilitation."
"He was discharged today."
"And that liver cancer patient also found a donor liver. The transplant surgery is scheduled for tomorrow morning…"
Just as Yu Suye was recounting all this with great animation, a middle-aged man walked over to their table.
The man was in his forties, with slicked-back hair. He wore a suit and tie, and his leather shoes were polished to a mirror shine. He had the look of a high-flying corporate professional.
"Excuse me for interrupting…"
The middle-aged man looked at Yu Suye and gave a slight bow. "Miss, I'm an executive at Pointer Advertising Company."
"I must admit, your look and aura are so exceptional that I felt compelled to come over, even at the risk of being taken for a con man."
As he spoke, the man placed a business card on the table between Yu Suye and Yan Feifan.
"Our company, Pointer Advertising, is a well-known major advertising agency in Binhai."
"If you have any interest in being a print ad model, a commercial actor, or even breaking into the film and television industry, please feel free to contact me."
After saying his piece, the middle-aged man didn't disturb Yan Feifan and Yu Suye any further. He gave another slight bow and walked straight out of the café.
Noticing that Yan Feifan's gaze was following the man, Yu Suye tried to reassure him. "When I was in Jingcheng, I was often approached by people claiming to be talent scouts, ad agency bosses, or famous directors."
"This guy was actually quite polite and knew his boundaries."
"Feifan, don't worry. If I really wanted to be an actress or an entertainer, I would have done it by now…"
Yan Feifan withdrew his gaze and explained, "I'm not worried about that. I just think something seems off about that guy."
"It looks like he might have some sort of health problem…"
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