PDGUT - 24

Regarding Yan Ming’s question, Yu Tian nodded.

Yan Ming hesitated for a moment, his tone becoming somewhat grim: “You said you wanted to be written into the same household registration book. Did you also hope that your mother and my father would get together so we could become one family?”

Yu Tian nodded again.

Of course.

“So, when you came to bring me meals before, was it also because of this that you kept asking me to go out and eat?”

At this point, Yu Tian didn’t hide anything anymore and honestly replied: “That’s not entirely true. Bringing meals can be considered one of the ways a fan supports their idol? Besides, you were so kind to send me several red packets, I couldn’t just take them without doing something in return...”

“...”

Yan Ming tightly pursed his lips, saying nothing. The atmosphere became deathly silent, as if the air had frozen.

Was it too abrupt and offensive to mention transferring money back?

After all, Yan Ming’s family is so wealthy... Saying that made it seem like he cared about that money...

Did Yan Ming look like someone who lacked money or cared about such a small amount!

Just as Yu Tian was about to make amends and explain a bit more, she heard the long-silent Yan Ming speak again after looking at her with deep eyes—

“What about that rainy day? Why did you ask Qi Sihao to steal my umbrella?”

Yan Ming’s voice was cold, as if he were a student trying to catch logical flaws in an Olympiad math problem to prove that his inability to solve it wasn’t his fault but rather due to the flawed problem itself.

Yu Tian didn’t know why Yan Ming was so obsessed with that broken umbrella, but she still kindly clarified—

“It really wasn’t me who told Qi Sihao to steal it. He did it on his own. I tried to stop him, but he didn’t listen. He doesn’t play fair, saying that stealing your umbrella would prevent you from meeting Gao Mei at the hospital entrance, allowing him to lie that you were still busy so he could whisk Gao Mei away.”

Throughout Yu Tian’s explanation, Yan Ming’s brow never relaxed. He coldly asked, “What does this have to do with Gao Mei?”

Yu Tian was a bit puzzled: “Didn’t you say last time that you knew Qi Sihao’s intention in stealing the umbrella?”

Had he forgotten due to being too busy?

After some thought, Yu Tian decided to kindly remind him again: “Qi Sihao wanted to pursue Gao Mei, but unfortunately, the moon shines upon the ditch—Gao Mei has no interest in him, but she’s deeply infatuated with you… In order to replace you and spend time alone with Gao Mei, Qi Sihao came up with this bad idea…”

“...”

“So, what you said earlier in front of Gao Mei about how I’m no good and incompetent was also because of this?”

“Mm...” Yu Tian lowered her head, “Mainly, your dad’s affair made me resent you a little, so I thought about helping Qi Sihao undermine you. Didn’t you already know my intentions?”

“...”

“I was wrong about this. I apologize to you again. I’ll clarify things with Gao Mei as well. If you’re very upset, I can find an opportunity to invite both of you to dinner and formally clear this up.”

“No need. Don’t clarify anything. This is fine, very good.”

Yu Tian hadn’t noticed while speaking, but when she finished and looked up, she was startled by Yan Ming’s stormy expression.

This... What was wrong here?

Why did Yan Ming say it wasn’t necessary, yet look at her as if she’d committed some unforgivable crime?

She admitted that her actions regarding Gao Mei weren’t proper, but considering Gao Mei’s adoration of Yan Ming, as long as she explained properly, eliminating any negative impact wouldn’t be difficult!

But Yan Ming’s gaze seemed to view her as some kind of... fraudster?

So bringing this matter to light and discussing it openly was really inappropriate and immature?

However, Yu Tian didn’t expect Yan Ming’s line of concern to veer off a bit.

“‘Unfortunately, the moon shines upon the ditch.’“ His voice carried a chilling sense, as if icy daggers were piercing through. Yu Tian heard Yan Ming say word by word, “So you mean I’m the ditch?”

“...” This was taking things a bit too far, wasn’t it!

“It was just an inappropriate metaphor!” Yu Tian stuttered in her explanation, “I’m just bad with words—it was the first thing that popped into my mind...”

“So you were helping Qi Sihao poach my girlfriend?”

Yu Tian started to sweat profusely. She attempted to argue: “It’s not exactly like that... I saw that you had no feelings for Gao Mei, and you even sent me money, telling me not to sell your information. So this could be considered a kind of resource optimization... But I didn’t have any malicious intent. At most, I was a coercive accomplice—the idea to steal the umbrella was Qi Sihao’s own scheme!”

“If you’re upset, you can make Qi Sihao work extra night shifts! Enslave him! After all, he’s quite physically capable! You see, I’m not siding with him!”

Being the seasoned frenemy, Yu Tian immediately wished to sever ties with Qi Sihao. She solemnly declared: “Qi Sihao’s immoral act of stealing the umbrella should indeed be condemned! Although the umbrella theft had nothing to do with me, since I’m his neighbor and knew about his behavior, I wanted to make amends, so I came to bring an umbrella!”

Yu Tian felt she had explained herself very thoroughly, but for some reason, Yan Ming’s expression was like that of a misdiagnosed patient—though not giving up treatment, the wrong treatment direction only worsened his condition...

Yu Tian couldn’t help but feel concerned: “Are you feeling unwell? Did something happen?”

To her surprise, Yan Ming immediately denied: “No.” The man coldly replied, “Am I feeling unwell? I’m feeling great.”

Though denying, Yu Tian felt his tone carried a hint of sarcasm.

This was hardly the look of someone feeling great...

“If it’s not about feeling unwell, is there something wrong with your body?” Yu Tian still felt concerned, “Your complexion looks terrible. Did you overwork yourself?”

To which Yan Ming coldly responded: “I’m not uncomfortable. I feel perfectly fine, better than ever right now.”

This…

Never mind physical or emotional conditions, they might involve personal privacy. Yan Ming’s tightly pursed lips spelled refusal, clearly not wanting to discuss this topic further. Yu Tian decided it was wise to change the subject.

But to what?

Yu Tian anxiously glanced at Yan Ming’s moody face. Though a bit timid, she bit her lip and tried to make one last attempt: “So, can we still be friends?”

“Although our parents couldn’t be together, I think we get along well. We graduated from the same school, so we can consider ourselves alumni. Both our parents made mistakes, which cancel each other out... “

Unfortunately, Yan Ming’s gaze looked murderous. Interrupting Yu Tian, he gritted his teeth, saying slowly: “Didn’t you say that even if we couldn’t be friends, you could accept it?”

“...” Yu Tian was speechless, “I didn’t think that way. You said that once I brought these matters to light, we wouldn’t even be able to remain friends, and I don’t want that either...”

“So, you won’t resist if you don’t accept it?”

Yu Tian was honest: “Forced friendships aren’t sweet. After all, we’re not close. Apart from our parents’ connection, we don’t have any other relationship. I shouldn’t force you since I have no grounds or qualifications...”

Yu Tian was confused, not understanding why Yan Ming was so upset. She mentally added another flaw to Yan Ming’s list—moody.

Still, Yu Tian was adaptable. Unsure of Yan Ming’s meaning, she tentatively asked: “Then how should I resist? Will you continue being my friend if I resist?”

“No,” Yan Ming sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “Since you’ve mentally prepared yourself for not being friends, I shouldn’t waste your mental effort. There’s no need to be friends. We’re not close. Apart from our parents’ connection, we don’t have any other relationship. You’re right; don’t force it.”

“...”

For some unknown reason, Yan Ming looked genuinely angry. Yu Tian had never seen him so emotionally charged before, making her feel extremely apprehensive.

She cautiously said: “However, I’ll still fulfill the promises I made.”

After speaking, Yu Tian looked around and then earnestly faced Yan Ming: “Wait here for a moment. I’ll buy something and come right back.”

Yu Tian almost fled into a nearby grocery store by the roadside.

After all, Yan Ming’s father also cheated! Why did Yan Ming look at her with such a murderous expression after she confessed her mother’s situation? It felt as though she had done something wrong, as if they had some deep-seated grudge against each other.

Yu Tian was a bit nervous, but she braced herself, bought something, and walked out of the shop, handing it to Yan Ming.

Yan Ming’s face remained stern, as if digesting Yu Tian’s previous words, or still angry.

He pursed his lips: “What is this?”

“I checked, and the nearest health food store is quite a distance away. Since we’ve talked about it, it feels awkward to accompany you to buy supplements together, especially since you don’t want to be friends anymore…” Yu Tian carefully chose her words, “But I still want to keep my promise. So I bought you some walnuts.”

“Walnuts are good for the brain, natural, rich in protein and vitamins, good for appetite and nourishing blood...”

Though not as expensive as supplements, to express her sincerity, Yu Tian bought a heavy bag. After speaking, she thrust the hefty bag into Yan Ming’s hands.

The sudden weight finally gave Yan Ming some tangible sensation.

Yu Tian appeared very nervous. Her previous bold declaration had clearly used up all her courage. Now, she looked quite embarrassed and apologetic, avoiding eye contact and not daring to look directly at Yan Ming.

Yu Tian was flustered but frank.

Her face showed no shyness, disappointment, or grievance.

Yan Ming also snapped out of his stupor.

Yu Tian’s earlier words finally made him realize the issue and sort out the details he had misinterpreted in the past.

It wasn’t Yu Tian’s fault.

It was his mistake.

And a huge one at that.

Under the shock, Yan Ming was caught off guard. He was somewhat dazed, passively reacting to Yu Tian’s words without managing to say anything proactive.

Until this heartless person bought the walnuts and shoved the heavy bag into Yan Ming’s hands, he finally snapped out of his stupor and realized what he needed to clarify.

Staring at Yu Tian, he gritted his teeth, saying word by word: “Don’t you know that my father and your mother broke up peacefully weeks ago?”

“Huh?!”

Sure enough, Yu Tian’s face showed astonishment and shock: “What?”

Her reaction successfully darkened Yan Ming’s expression further. He rubbed his temples, showing an ugly “so it was” expression: “You didn’t know?”

Yu Tian’s reaction spoke volumes.

She really didn’t know.

So she was still talking about both sets of parents cheating.

This was the crux of the issue.

Yan Ming’s sluggish thinking was forced to kick into gear again in the face of this fact.

In other words, according to Yu Tian’s logic, she had always thought that their parents were still in the honeymoon phase, even to the point where marriage was possible.

Her deliberate attempts to be friendly, subtle expressions of wanting to be written into the same household registration book, and her current attitude and previous statements...

Were simply unbelievable.

How could it be so wrong.

Yan Ming wasn’t ready to give up. As if he couldn’t believe it, he continued to confirm: “So you misunderstood before, not knowing they had broken up, and were thinking about becoming step-siblings with me?”

For some reason, Yan Ming’s eyes looked a bit subtle and fierce, like a betrayed spouse confronting a cheating partner, enunciating each word, gritting his teeth, unable to accept it.

Yu Tian also looked extremely shocked. She didn’t bother answering Yan Ming’s question, only exclaiming: “What?! They broke up? When did they break up? My mom never told me! She said she was still dating your dad!”

Yan Ming mentioned a time, only to receive another earthquake-like expression from Yu Tian.

She looked completely stunned, as if her worldview had been suddenly shattered, her face cracking like a mirror.

By now, Yu Tian reflected on her mother’s recent behavior and suddenly realized the traces of abnormality had been there all along.

Ms. Song Chunxiang had actually hidden this from her!

Yu Tian was utterly shocked: “My mom never told me! Several times when I saw her not going out on dates, she said it was because you were keeping Uncle Yan busy, so he didn’t have time... And I...”

Yan Ming’s eyes were deep as he stared at Yu Tian, expressionless: “So you came to see me every day, thinking that occupying my time would leave my dad free to date your mom?”

Yu Tian coughed, embellishing: “It’s not exactly like that. Coming to see you every day was heartfelt. Mainly, I really wanted to be your sister. You’re my idol, the beacon of progress, the compass of life. I really wanted us to be one family, so I thought about getting to know you, experiencing your charisma and human brilliance...”

But by now, Yu Tian dared not hide anything else and had to confess everything: “Besides, of course, there was a bit of selfishness. I thought that as an adult man, being overly attached to your dad isn’t good. I figured you might not have much of a social circle or close friends due to work, and since I’m a freelancer with plenty of free time, I could pull you into enriching our leisure activities and avoid you clinging to your dad all day...”

She quickly added, “Of course, now I know it was all a misunderstanding! Based on the timeline you mentioned, my mom and your dad must have already broken up by that time! You definitely aren’t overly attached to your dad!”

Yan Ming’s gaze was heavy, fixed firmly on her.

Under his intense stare, Yu Tian started to feel awkward. “Now that I realize it was a misunderstanding, I feel quite guilty for taking up so much of your free time… Every time you sent me money, I kept track of the expenses when I cooked for you, and there’s still quite a bit left.”

An idea struck Yu Tian: “But since you insist that I don’t need to repay you, how about we settle this another way? For example, in the future, I can invite you to dinner again, and you can let me pay the bill.”

Facing Yan Ming’s increasingly stormy expression, Yu Tian grew more nervous, her words becoming increasingly jumbled. Meanwhile, Yan Ming’s face darkened further with each word she spoke.

“Invite me to dinner again, huh? I see, you just want to ask me academic and professional questions, right?”

“…”

Though there was indeed a small part of that intention, it wasn’t entirely true…

“What about that photoshopped picture last time?”

Yu Tian was taken aback, unsure why the topic had suddenly shifted here, but she instinctively confessed: “That restaurant had a discount for couples’ meals, and all we needed was to provide a photo together.”

After some thought, she added, “And something like writing a love message—I just made something up to get through it.” Yu Tian explained, “I saw many people claiming to be couples just to enjoy the discount. At that time, I wasn’t earning much from my self-media work, so the discount was very tempting…”

“…”

Probably disapproving of her being greedy for small benefits and recalling the dissatisfaction over the photoshopped picture, Yan Ming’s expression grew even darker.

But at this moment, bringing this up, Yu Tian naturally understood the underlying subtext of his question.

He must have thought the restaurant’s dishes were good and wanted her to invite him there again in the future. However, due to the photoshopped picture incident, he felt somewhat embarrassed.

To smooth things over, Yu Tian quickly explained, “It’s fine. I’ve already explained the situation to the restaurant, and they know we’re not a couple. Even if we go again next time, they won’t misunderstand. Besides, I promise not to ask you any academic questions!”

Yan Ming simply pursed his lips, coldly remaining silent.

Yu Tian racked her brains, about to open her mouth to explain that the风波 surrounding the photoshopped picture had already been resolved, but Yan Ming stopped her: “Don’t speak. I don’t want to go there again.”

He glared at Yu Tian, his eyes warning her as if she were a terrifying sorcerer who might cast a spell at any moment.

He stared at Yu Tian: “Let me be.”

“…”

However, after Yan Ming’s words, as Yu Tian gradually regained her composure, she began to understand.

Yan Ming’s father and her mother had already broken up long ago, and Yan Ming knew about it, while her mother had hidden this fact from her for some reason.

Since Yan Ming had known about her mother and his father breaking up, then all along, she had wrongfully accused Yan Ming. He didn’t approve of cheating—after all, his father was now single again and had the freedom to see anyone, and her mother hadn’t cheated either.

Yu Tian felt relieved.

Neither Yan Ming nor Yan Wenhua turned out to be scoundrels, and neither was her mother.

But if her mother and Yan Ming’s father had already broken up earlier, with neither of them cheating…

Why couldn’t she and Yan Ming still be friends?

After all, there were no moral flaws or ugly breakups involved!

In modern society, it’s normal for people who dated and broke up amicably to remain friends.

So why did Yan Ming react so strongly?

Yu Tian cautiously looked at Yan Ming and asked again: “Are you sure we can’t be friends anymore?”

Even though the misunderstanding had been cleared up, Yu Tian believed that she and Yan Ming could at least maintain a friendly relationship in the future. However, Yan Ming looked as if he were about to explode with anger.

“No.”

He glared at Yu Tian, emotionlessly uttering the two words.

Before Yu Tian could react, the large bag of walnuts she had just bought was thrust back into her hands.

“The walnuts should be left for someone who needs them more.”

“…”

Yan Ming’s expression was stern and cold, appearing quite unapproachable. From the tension in his brow, it was clear that his mood was extremely sour.

Although this outcome was somewhat saddening, Yu Tian understood to some extent.

A doctor’s time is extremely busy, especially for an excellent ophthalmologist like Yan Ming. It would be impossible for him to befriend every family member of those his father had dated. Moreover, she had previously introduced Ren Yali to see him, which likely violated a major taboo among doctors—they dislike making acquaintances with people who seek their medical expertise.

After the failed blind date, to avoid awkwardness, perhaps the best outcome was to return to being strangers. After all, their encounter was merely a fleeting connection, and under normal circumstances, they wouldn’t cross paths again.

Perhaps her badmouthing Yan Ming in front of Gao Mei had touched a sensitive nerve. In any case, men’s hearts are full of complexities, difficult to decipher, and Yu Tian gave up trying to guess.

The final ultimatum she received from Yan Ming was clear—now that everything had been laid bare, there was no possibility of remaining friends.

Becoming friends requires mutual consent, but ending a friendship is like divorce; if one party no longer wishes to continue the relationship, it cannot be sustained.

At this moment, Yu Tian’s mind was swirling with emotions.

But Yan Ming’s heart was far from calm either.

He observed Yu Tian’s expressions—her anxiety, unease, melancholy, and struggle—all clearly visible to him.

Yu Tian had never pursued him, so his previous behavior was entirely based on his own wishful thinking. His once confident demeanor now seemed ridiculous and comical in light of the facts.

Even though it had been his misunderstanding, and she had never intended to pursue him, the fact that they couldn’t remain friends and the harsh words he had said surely left her feeling hurt to some degree.

Yan Ming’s emotions were complex.

Yu Tian bit her lip so hard that Yan Ming feared if he didn’t intervene soon, her lips would start bleeding.

Why hold a grudge against her?

Due to some information gaps causing such a big misunderstanding, it wasn’t entirely Yu Tian’s fault. At least she acknowledged his character and abilities, which was why she so eagerly hoped he would become her stepbrother.

Yan Ming softened and decided to give Yu Tian an olive branch.

“Do you have anything else to say?”

Sure enough, Yu Tian became hesitant: “I…”

Her beautiful face showed embarrassment, as if struggling to voice something difficult to articulate.

Indeed, expecting someone like her to humbly beg for friendship was unrealistic.

Yan Ming’s mood slightly eased. He glanced at Yu Tian and offered her a chance: “You can make one request. I’ll agree to it.”

Though he certainly didn’t lack friends, having one more wouldn’t hurt.

Yan Ming decided to give Yu Tian one last chance—if she requested to remain friends, he’d turn a blind eye.

“Really?!”

Unsurprisingly, delight lit up Yu Tian’s face: “Any request?”

“Mm.”

Yu Tian excitedly pulled out a notebook from her bag: “There are still half of the questions I asked you last time that haven’t been resolved.”

She grabbed Yan Ming and casually walked into a small café by the roadside: “Then let’s take this opportunity tonight to finish asking these questions!”

She looked at Yan Ming with a pleading expression: “After this, I promise I won’t bother you again. Thank you so much!”

“…”

Yan Ming could hardly believe his eyes: “Are you sure you want to use this opportunity to ask questions?”

“Mm, mm, mm.” Yu Tian nodded vigorously while flipping open her notebook: “Here, in this surgery, I want to ask why you chose to perform this operation first…”

“…”

Yan Ming had never experienced anything like this before, but reality left him no time to dwell on it because Yu Tian’s questions came one after another.

Her questions were highly professional and detailed, leaving Yan Ming no room to slack off—he had to concentrate fully to ensure his answers were accurate.

“For the case you’re asking about—a six-year-old with congenital cataracts—but where vision improvement after cataract surgery was minimal, we need to thoroughly examine the fundus. I once treated a similar case and eventually discovered optic nerve hypoplasia, which presents similarly to Morning Glory Syndrome. Therefore, we need to adjust to a new intervention plan…”

Yu Tian had said she wanted to finish asking the remaining half of her notebook’s questions, and she meant it.

She was almost tireless, seizing the opportunity to grill Yan Ming like a sheep ready for shearing, without any consideration for his time. She bombarded him with questions so relentlessly that he didn’t even have time to drink water.

The small café they randomly chose offered sandwiches and other light meals, which neither Yu Tian nor Yan Ming paid much attention to. They ate casually while continuing their medical discussion.

Three hours later, as the café was about to close, Yu Tian finally finished asking the remaining half of her questions.

Her eyes sparkled with admiration and reluctance toward Yan Ming.

Finally, Yan Ming watched her close the notebook, her expression solemn as if marking the end of a perfect chapter.

“Senior Yan Ming, thank you for answering my questions and giving me this last opportunity.”

Yu Tian’s tone was polite and respectful, but the way she looked at him resembled admiring a high-end AI learning machine. Her address also shifted from the affectionate “Brother Yan Ming” to the formal “Senior Yan Ming.”

Yan Ming’s expression darkened: “I just said this was the last request I’d grant you.”

With a teasing mindset, driven by some childish urge to test and retaliate, he coldly said: “We shouldn’t see each other again.”

Even if they couldn’t become family, they could still be friends.

Yu Tian’s medical knowledge was impressive, and her professional abilities were commendable. Though it was unfortunate that her hand injury prevented her from performing surgeries, her current work in medical self-media could, if properly planned, greatly benefit the dissemination of medical knowledge.

A good medical self-media platform not only educates the public on medical topics but also bridges the gap between doctors and patients, allowing patients to better understand basic disease treatments that doctors often don’t have time to explain in detail. In the long run, this helps improve doctor-patient relationships and fosters mutual understanding.

Qi Sihao was willing to film content for her. If she came to him for help, he might as well cooperate to some extent.

Truthfully, Yan Ming regretted his earlier intimidating words as soon as he saw the disappointment, sadness, and evident reluctance on Yu Tian’s face.

She looked pitiful.

But just as Yan Ming was about to open his mouth to clarify that he was only joking, Yu Tian took a deep breath.

When she looked up again, all traces of regret, sadness, and hesitation had vanished from her brow, replaced by resolution and acceptance.

“Alright then. Regardless, I wish Uncle Yan finds a good partner, and I hope your family has smooth sailing in the future. Perhaps we’ll meet again someday.”

She packed her notebook into her bag and waved solemnly at Yan Ming: “I’m leaving now. Goodbye!”

With that, she turned and walked away without a backward glance. By the time Yan Ming realized it, Yu Tian had completely forgotten to pay for their cheap sandwich dinner. Worse still, she had actually taken the bag of walnuts she claimed were for nourishing his brain.

Hadn’t she just said she’d repay his earlier transfer by treating him to dinner?

Hadn’t she just said the walnuts were for nourishing his brain?

“…”

And wasn’t she the one who dragged him here to bombard him with questions, not letting him leave?

Wasn’t she the one who had enthusiastically reached out to him daily, leading to his own misunderstanding?

Now that she knew his dad and her mom had broken up, she left so cleanly?

Wasn’t this person too pragmatic?

Didn’t she just say she wanted to be friends? And now, after their parents split, this is her attitude?

Not even pretending?

No wonder she bought that hairpin.

Seems like she knows herself well.

Truly, an unadulterated flirt.