PDGUT - 10

In the end, Yu Tian still followed Yan Ming back to the stadium, chattering all the way.

Almost as soon as they returned to the venue, Yu Tian and Yan Ming were intercepted by someone.

“We’ve been looking everywhere for you. I thought you’d slipped away. Come on, the guest speakers are about to take their seats on stage.”

Yu Tian looked up and realized it was the same person who had given Yan Ming an amused look when he knelt to tie her shoelaces earlier.

The man shot several curious glances at Yu Tian before turning to Yan Ming with a questioning gaze, clearly waiting for an introduction: “And who is this?”

Yan Ming didn’t even glance sideways, his tone calm: “No need for introductions. We’re not close, and you won’t see her again anyway.”

“You’re not close, yet you tied her shoelaces?”

“...”

Yan Ming was momentarily speechless, but Yu Tian enthusiastically seized the opportunity to introduce herself: “Hello! I’m Yu Tian, Brother Yan Ming’s little sister. You can call me Xiaoyu.”

The man blinked in surprise and turned to Yan Ming: “You have a sister? I’ve never heard about this before! Aren’t all your relatives’ kids boys?”

Yan Ming glanced at Yu Tian, his expression blank: “Yu Tian, my ‘sister’ whom I was separated from for over twenty years.”

“...”

Then he turned around, pointed at the man, and briefly introduced him to Yu Tian: “Jiang Yuming, a friend of mine who isn’t particularly important.”

“...”

“Alright, I’m going on stage now.” Yan Ming was about to leave but paused, turned back, and said to Jiang Yuming: “Keep an eye on her for me.”

As soon as Yan Ming left, Jiang Yuming couldn’t wait to gossip. He lowered his voice: “Are you pursuing Yan Ming?”

“To be honest, there have always been many people chasing after Yan Ming, but almost all of them were discouraged by his cold attitude. You’re the first person I’ve seen him acknowledge as a ‘sister.’ And he even bent down to tie your shoelaces! That practically means you’re close to getting married! I really admire your perseverance. Let’s exchange contact info. If any other women try to get close to Yan Ming, I’ll notify you immediately!”

Yu Tian exchanged contact information with Jiang Yuming and then decided to clarify: “I’m not pursuing Brother Yan Ming—I genuinely see him as a brother…”

She briefly explained the situation about her mother and Yan Ming’s father meeting through middle-aged matchmaking. No sooner had she finished speaking than Jiang Yuming gave her a look that said, You must be so naïve.

“It’s perfectly normal and natural for siblings to fall in love! Keep it in the family, right? Don’t worry, I’m very progressive-minded. Even if you’re only siblings in name, without blood ties, society would classify your relationship as ‘pseudo-siblings.’ Though it might feel a bit taboo, sometimes taboos make things more beautiful. Don’t mind what others think—pursue true love boldly! I support you both!”

Yu Tian was somewhat puzzled. How did someone as rule-abiding and serious as Yan Ming end up with a friend like this?

Curious, she asked: “Are you an alumnus of our school? Were you classmates with Brother Yan Ming?”

“Yes,” Jiang Yuming smiled. “We’re also colleagues. But I just returned from studying abroad and rejoined the First Affiliated Hospital a few days ago.”

This piqued Yu Tian’s interest: “Which department do you work in? Which country did you study in?”

Jiang Yuming grew slightly bashful: “Orthopedics.”

He kindly added: “I just came back from Germany.”

“...”

“If you ever have orthopedic issues, feel free to come see me.”

German orthopedics? No thanks…

Although the centennial anniversary celebration had invited some successful alumni to speak as guests, due to time constraints, their speeches were quite brief. The main focus remained on the school leadership’s speeches and their vision for the future of the university.

Soon, the opening ceremony concluded, leaving the rest of the day open for various campus activities organized by student clubs.

“It’s almost mealtime. How about revisiting the school cafeteria’s famous ‘Green Fairy’ dish?”

The small restaurant Jiang Yuming mentioned was a popular spot at Rong Medical University. Located on the rooftop of the public canteen, it utilized a greenhouse-like setup, decorated like a mini-garden surrounded by lush greenery and blooming flowers. The owner even kept three lively Siamese cats. With the air conditioning on, it felt like a slice of paradise on earth.

Yan Ming remained indifferent, preparing to follow Jiang Yuming, when the latter called out to Yu Tian:

“Xiaoyu, Brother Yan Ming and I are going to eat. Come along too.”

Qi Sihao had been helping backstage for the reunion because of his many friends and had just contacted Yu Tian via WeChat, promising to meet her soon for lunch.

Yu Tian hesitated: “I have a friend I promised to have lunch with. Can I invite him to join us?”

Jiang Yuming was very enthusiastic: “Of course! Since you’re Yan Ming’s sister, you’re like my sister too. Your friends are my friends. We’re all alumni of the same school, and we’ll likely end up working in the same medical system. Getting to know each other can only be a good thing.”

However, Jiang Yuming’s enthusiasm waned the moment he saw Qi Sihao, who stood at 180 cm tall.

Fortunately, Qi Sihao was talkative and flattered Jiang Yuming with terms like “Senior” repeatedly, making the latter beam with joy.

Qi Sihao hadn’t spared Yan Ming from teasing behind his back, but upon meeting the real Yan Ming, he was practically groveling for praise.

Yan Ming said nothing, maintaining his usual polite but distant demeanor, though he did shoot several glances at Qi Sihao.

However, the three of them—all graduates of Rong Medical School—launched into conversations ranging from the “haunted” boys’ dormitory to the creepy incidents in the communal men’s bathhouse, leaving Yu Tian completely unable to join in.

Feeling a bit bored, Yu Tian pulled out her phone. She took a picture of the caramel pudding in front of her, paired it with photos she’d taken earlier during the centennial celebration, and posted it on her social media.

To her surprise, Gao Mei messaged her almost immediately after the post went live.

[Mei Mei]: Little Sister Yu Tian, I happen to be near your school. Let me come find you!

Yu Tian glanced at Yan Ming sitting beside her, unsure how to politely decline, when Gao Mei’s next message arrived—

[Mei Mei]: I saw Brother Yan Ming’s reflection on the spoon next to your caramel pudding. So you’re together, huh? The napkin beside it has the restaurant’s name. Wait five minutes—I’m almost there.

“...”

Well, it was clear she was coming specifically for Yan Ming.

True to her word, Gao Mei arrived within five minutes. Before Yu Tian could even bring up the topic to inform Yan Ming, Gao Mei had already appeared dramatically at their table.

Gao Mei was delicate-looking, dressed impeccably, and exuded an elegant aura. She was the kind of girl who turned heads on the street.

Gao Mei greeted them gracefully, seemingly surprised: “There are so many of you here. When I heard Xiaoyu mention I was nearby, I thought she was alone.”

At this point, she casually glanced at Yan Ming, then smiled faintly: “Oh, Yan Ming, you’re here too.”

Yan Ming remained aloof, giving Gao Mei only a curt nod before turning an accusatory gaze toward Yu Tian, clearly demanding an explanation.

Yu Tian couldn’t justify herself and could only awkwardly gulp down water.

Thankfully, Jiang Yuming engaged Gao Mei in lively conversation, preventing any awkward silences.

However, Qi Sihao, who was usually talkative, seemed unusually tense. Like Yu Tian, he kept drinking water nervously, his eyes darting uncomfortably toward Gao Mei.

The meal didn’t last long, eventually breaking up when Yan Ming and Jiang Yuming were called away to the hospital for overtime shifts.

Gao Mei, who had rushed over specifically, barely got to exchange a few words with Yan Ming and wore a visibly disappointed expression.

Just as Yu Tian was about to console her and say goodbye, the previously silent Qi Sihao suddenly sprang back to life with renewed enthusiasm.

“You’re Gao Mei, right? I’m Qi Sihao, Yu Tian’s best friend and also a junior of Yan Ming.”

Qi Sihao put on his most sincere and trustworthy expression. “Are you trying to pursue Yu Tian’s brother?”

Gao Mei was momentarily stunned by Qi Sihao’s direct question, her cheeks flushing slightly, but she nodded nonetheless.

“Then let me help you,” Qi Sihao declared earnestly, patting his chest for emphasis. “I’ll soon be working at the same hospital as Brother Yan Ming.”

He glanced at Yu Tian: “Xiaoyu doesn’t work in the same place as Yan Ming, so she probably doesn’t know as much about his movements as I do.”

Gao Mei hesitated.

“To say I’m helping you because you’re Xiaoyu’s friend would sound unconvincing, right?” Qi Sihao said candidly. “So I won’t lie to you—I have my own selfish motives for doing this.”

“The girl I like has always secretly admired Brother Yan Ming. As long as he remains single, she won’t give up hope. And since you also want to pursue him, if you succeed with him, doesn’t that increase my chances of winning over the girl I like?”

Qi Sihao smiled bashfully: “So I propose we form an alliance—to chase after the people we each want.”

With that statement, Gao Mei’s hesitation vanished completely. She looked at Qi Sihao with eyes full of trust.

The two quickly exchanged contact information before parting ways.

As soon as Gao Mei left, Yu Tian blocked Qi Sihao’s path.

Her expression was blank as she interrogated him: “Explain yourself.”

Gao Mei might not know Qi Sihao well, but Yu Tian knew him all too well—this guy wasn’t exactly altruistic.

“Do you remember the girl I fell in love with at first sight?”

Qi Sihao’s eyes sparkled mischievously: “That’s her.”

??

Qi Sihao grinned gleefully: “It seems spring is finally coming for me.”

“She doesn’t understand me yet because she’s smitten with Yan Ming, but I forgive her for it. However, she’ll soon realize my charm and come around,” Qi Sihao declared confidently.

Yu Tian was stunned: “So you just made up that story about someone pursuing you and pretended to ally with her to help her chase Yan Ming?”

Qi Sihao nodded: “This way, I can lower her guard and get closer to her heart faster.”

“….”

“First, become friends with Gao Mei. Then, when she inevitably fails in pursuing Yan Ming and feels heartbroken, I’ll naturally appear by her side to comfort her. When she needs a shoulder to lean on, I’ll swoop in and eventually win her over.”

Qi Sihao turned to look at Yu Tian: “You need to help me.”

His tone was righteous: “You saw it yourself—your Brother Yan Ming isn’t interested in her at all. He’s focused solely on his career and has no interest in worldly desires. This is actually a good deed on my part—I’m helping your Brother Yan Ming achieve his dream of focusing entirely on his work without distractions, allowing him to scale new heights.”

“…” Yu Tian sighed, somewhat speechless: “Don’t you think what you’re doing is manipulative and underhanded? How can you be so sure Gao Mei won’t succeed in pursuing Yan Ming? What if they develop feelings over time?”

Qi Sihao waved off her concerns: “This is called optimizing resources. Your Brother Yan Ming doesn’t even appreciate Gao Mei’s qualities—he barely glanced at her! He looked at me more than he did at her!”

Yu Tian wanted to argue back.

She felt that sabotaging someone else’s potential romance with Yan Ming was immoral.

But just then, she received a message from Yan Ming—

[How much money did you receive for selling me out to Gao Mei?]

Yu Tian felt wronged: [I didn’t take any money…]

Before she could finish explaining, another message arrived from Yan Ming.

He sent her a transfer.

[Yan]: Don’t sell me out next time—I’ve redeemed myself.

Yu Tian had intended to decline the transfer, but accidentally accepted it instead.

When she realized what happened, she saw that Yan Ming had sent her 5,000 yuan.

Almost immediately, Yu Tian tried returning the money to Yan Ming. But he promptly rejected the refund.

After several attempts, the money remained in her account.

[Little Fish]: Brother Yan Ming, this is too much money—I can’t accept it. It makes me uneasy to keep it!

[Yan]: You can feel at ease accepting it. After all, I’m worth far more than this amount.

“…”

Yu Tian thought quietly: Maybe Qi Sihao should just go ahead and sabotage Yan Ming’s romantic prospects.