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Dai Xin was an excellent conversationalist, and in response to Yu Tian’s flattery, he clearly knew how to reciprocate with equal praise.
This was a positive interaction, and Yu Tian found herself praising him more and more smoothly—
“And I noticed on your WeChat Moments that you post a lot about baking. Did you make all those things yourself? I think it’s amazing! Compared to those who can’t even cook and either eat instant noodles or make their younger siblings do everything for them, a brother like you is simply the best—practically全能!”
Though she was complimenting Dai Xin, there was a hint of resentment in Yu Tian’s words.
Directed at a certain ophthalmologist.
Of course, in reality, Yan Ming wasn’t nearly as bad as she made him out to be. He was simply not close to her and had no motivation or intention to become so. His strengths far outweighed his flaws.
Yu Tian understood all these logical points, but that didn’t change the fact that humans were emotional creatures.
She still really wanted to vent her frustrations about Yan Ming.
However, Dai Xin’s voice quickly brought Yu Tian back to the present. She looked at the warm and approachable man smiling at her, thinking about how her mother’s relationship with his father seemed to be going smoothly. Perhaps they might truly form a family in the future. From the bottom of her heart, she felt that this gentle and easygoing brother might suit her better.
With that thought, Yu Tian’s compliments to Dai Xin became even more sincere and enthusiastic.
Just as Yu Tian was hitting her stride and enthusiastically praising him, her phone buzzed with a WeChat notification. Glancing at it briefly, she saw it was from Qi Sihao. It was probably nothing urgent, especially since he had sent several messages in quick succession—likely some gossip or trivial updates.
Without bothering to read the content, Yu Tian immediately flipped her phone over and placed it face down on the table to show respect to Dai Xin.
Dai Xin appeared unfazed: “Feel free to reply if it’s important. I don’t mind.”
“It’s not important,” Yu Tian smiled. “Having dinner with you is more important.”
But just as her words faded, a loud clearing of the throat came from the neighboring booth behind the curtain.
It sounded strangely familiar.
Yu Tian didn’t pay much attention and was about to continue speaking when her phone suddenly rang.
After bombarding her with a flurry of messages, Qi Sihao had called directly.
Dai Xin was considerate: “Go ahead and answer. There might be something urgent. Don’t let it wait.”
This wasn’t Qi Sihao’s usual behavior, so Yu Tian grew a bit nervous. She answered the call—
“Hello? Qi Sihao? What’s wrong?”
The surrounding din of people eating forced Yu Tian to raise her voice slightly. Qi Sihao seemed to be in a noisy place too, and before she could make out what he was saying, the sound of a waiter accidentally dropping a plate echoed nearby—and almost simultaneously, the same noise came through as background sound from Qi Sihao’s end of the line.
“…”
Yu Tian suddenly had a sinking feeling.
And at that moment, she finally heard Qi Sihao’s voice, deliberately lowered—
“We’re right next door to you!!!”
“…”
Yu Tian’s hand trembled, and she hastily hung up the phone. At that exact moment, the waiter lifted the curtain to serve dishes, fixing it in place while bringing in the food. Through the gap left by the lifted curtain, Yu Tian locked eyes with someone inside the neighboring booth.
It was the group of doctors and nurses from the First Affiliated Hospital who had come for the free clinic, filling the adjacent table completely.
Qi Sihao sat closest to Yu Tian, looking at her with an expression of sympathy, as if unable to bear witnessing her predicament.
A few nurses who also knew Yu Tian were surprised at first but then greeted her with smiles.
Forcing herself to look over, Yu Tian confirmed that Yan Ming was indeed there.
He sat at the far end of the table from her, calmly sipping tea. Upon hearing the commotion, he glanced over instinctively, then casually swept his gaze across Yu Tian, treating her like just another potted plant. Without lingering for even a second, he returned his attention elsewhere, his expression calm and devoid of emotion.
So he hadn’t heard?
After all, he was seated far away from her, unlike Qi Sihao, who was much closer.
The waiter soon finished serving the dishes and lowered the curtain again, once more separating the two worlds and seemingly isolating the earlier awkwardness and tension outside.
Only then did Yu Tian open Qi Sihao’s WeChat messages, which were already flooded with his frantic rants—
“Yu Tian, you’re really exaggerating the contrast between your new ‘brother’ and the old one!”
“Of course, Yan Ming is my rival, so I have no objections if you want to criticize him to death. But couldn’t you be a little vaguer about the context? You’re being way too obvious now—it’s clearly targeted at Yan Ming! You might as well broadcast his ID number while you’re at it!”
“Take my advice: next time you’re going to shower your new brother with praise, check your surroundings first!”
“You’ve shown me just how terrifying women can be when they move on to someone new!”
Reading line after line on the screen, Yu Tian felt her cheeks burning.
Her earlier barrage of words replayed in her mind countless times, and she realized she had spoken without thinking. Only now did she begin to feel a pang of guilt.
Had her complaints and dissatisfaction toward Yan Ming accumulated so much? Like a kettle filled to the brim, even the slightest nudge caused the water to spill uncontrollably?
Still, it was somewhat comforting that Yan Ming likely hadn’t heard.
His composed expression and detached gaze suggested he hadn’t fully engaged with the lively atmosphere among the doctors and nurses. He probably hadn’t been paying attention to what was being said in the neighboring booth, especially since he was seated so far from her.
Yu Tian breathed a sigh of relief and resolved to heed Qi Sihao’s advice in the future: always check her surroundings thoroughly before criticizing anyone.
However, Yu Tian’s startled reactions and actions caught Dai Xin’s curiosity. Concerned, he asked, “What’s wrong? Did something happen? Is there anything I can help with?”
Seeing how thoughtful and considerate he was, Yu Tian felt a bit embarrassed. She smiled and gave a brief explanation: “I just realized my friends are sitting in the booth next to us…”
But she clearly underestimated the boundless enthusiasm of a warm and hospitable person like Dai Xin. Not only was he passionate about his potential future sister, but he extended that warmth to everyone around him.
Before Yu Tian could finish her sentence, Dai Xin had already raised his teacup: “If they’re your friends, they’re my friends too. Since we’re neighbors, it’s fate! Let me toast with tea instead of wine to say hello.”
As he spoke, he unhesitatingly lifted the curtain and walked over to the neighboring booth…
With no choice, Yu Tian reluctantly followed, holding her teacup.
Dai Xin was indeed the polar opposite of Yan Ming. If Yan Ming was socially aloof, then Dai Xin undoubtedly suffered from “social superpower syndrome.”
He showed no trace of awkwardness, effortlessly raising his teacup to clink glasses with several unsuspecting doctors and nurses.
Dai Xin’s speech was witty and lively, and soon, a few doctors warmed up to him.
Though he wasn’t as strikingly handsome as Yan Ming, Dai Xin’s sunny and handsome appearance still drew admiring glances. A few young nurses, upon confirming that Dai Xin was single, immediately asked for his WeChat contact.
The only person immune to Dai Xin’s charm was Yan Ming.
This socially indifferent individual remained quietly seated at the far end of the table, appearing utterly disinterested in the newly arrived “friend.” He barely spared a glance for Yu Tian.
Perhaps the stark contrast in personalities intrigued Dai Xin. After chatting and laughing with a few doctors and nurses, he confidently approached Yan Ming and introduced himself—
“Hello, I’m Dai Xin, Little Yu’s brother.”
Yan Ming nodded politely but distantly: “Hello, I’m Yan Ming.” His calm gaze swept over Yu Tian as he added, “I’m also Yu Tian’s brother.”
??
Not only Yu Tian but also Dai Xin was momentarily stunned: “Ah?”
Dai Xin turned to Yu Tian, looking surprised and seeking confirmation.
Before he could speak, Yan Ming, expressionless, clarified: “Oh, I forgot to mention—he’s not anymore.”
“…”
Dai Xin, oblivious to the icy atmosphere between Yu Tian and Yan Ming, asked innocently, “How can someone stop being a brother?”
Yan Ming’s expression remained unruffled. He gave Dai Xin a faint smile, his tone light and casual: “Because the character setting didn’t fit, so I’ve been fired.”
“…”
Yan Ming glanced at Yu Tian and added, “I just received the termination notice.”
“…”
Yan Ming’s expression was as calm as if he’d casually mentioned, “I haven’t eaten yet.” But Yu Tian was mortified, wishing she could transform into a mole and dig a hole to escape on the spot because she felt that if she didn’t run soon, Yan Ming would start swinging a hammer at her.
Meanwhile, the other doctors burst into laughter over some amusing topic, drowning out Yan Ming’s voice. Thus, Yu Tian, standing beside Yan Ming, clearly heard his last two sentences, but Dai Xin evidently missed most of it.
Unaware of the underlying dynamics, Dai Xin naturally assumed Yan Ming was a close friend of Yu Tian’s and took his words as a joke. Laughing, he patted Yan Ming on the back and quickly turned to greet the other doctors.
But Yu Tian was starting to feel uneasy.
Almost as if fleeing, Yu Tian tugged on Dai Xin’s sleeve before he could turn back to chat with Yan Ming again: “Brother Xin, let’s... let’s go back. The food will get cold, and the doctors are busy too...”
Fortunately, this time Dai Xin also slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing with an apologetic smile: “You still need to rush back to the hospital, right? I won’t disturb you anymore!”
He raised his teacup in a gesture of farewell, then followed Yu Tian back to their booth.
For the rest of the meal, no matter how hard she tried, Yu Tian couldn’t focus entirely on Dai Xin. Though he remained enthusiastic, chatting about being an up主 and sharing live-streaming tips, Yu Tian couldn’t absorb much of it. Her attention was drawn to the neighboring room behind the curtain.
She could hear Jiang Yuming’s hearty laughter, Qi Sihao’s flattery, and the giggles of several nurses—but there was no sound from Yan Ming.
Yet the quieter Yan Ming was, the more uneasy Yu Tian felt.
She still remembered that chilly look he had given her earlier.
Yan Ming’s gaze had been calm, but precisely because of that, Yu Tian found it all the more spine-chilling.
She couldn’t fathom what he was thinking or what kind of storm might be brewing inside him.
But for some reason, Yu Tian couldn’t shake the feeling that the calmer Yan Ming appeared, the angrier he probably was…
She decided it would be best to avoid appearing in front of him for a while so as not to add to his frustration.
Though Jiang Yuming was thick-skinned, even he noticed Yan Ming’s low spirits after several days of gloom.
Out of concern for his friend, during their lunch break after finishing outpatient duties, Jiang Yuming asked Yan Ming:
“You’ve seemed a bit off lately. Did something happen? Need me to help brainstorm solutions?”
To his surprise, Yan Ming flatly denied it: “No, I’m fine.”
As concise as ever, he paused after speaking, then glanced at Jiang Yuming: “Why do you think I’m in a bad mood?”
“Can’t you tell? You haven’t shown any interest in anything I’ve said recently. You’ve just been brushing me off with one-word responses like ‘oh’ or ‘really?’”
The more Jiang Yuming spoke, the more certain he became. He eyed Yan Ming suspiciously: “I used to act like this when I got rejected after confessing to someone. Yan Ming, don’t tell me you’ve been dumped too?”
At this, Yan Ming reacted strongly. Without giving Jiang Yuming a chance to continue analyzing, he decisively cut him off: “I’m not dating anyone, so how could I have been dumped?”
“Then what’s—”
Yan Ming coughed awkwardly and shifted uncomfortably: “It’s just that recently, there have been many young female patients in the clinic and surgery rooms, and most of them have serious eye problems. Several have gone blind.”
Jiang Yuming grew curious: “How did that happen?”
“It’s all due to cosmetic procedures.” Rubbing his temples, Yan Ming averted his gaze from Jiang Yuming. “They went to unlicensed medical beauty clinics—basically illegal practices. But because these places were cheaper than legitimate hospitals and spent heavily on social media ads, many young girls went there hoping to look prettier.”
“Just this week, we’ve seen five cases of blindness caused by hyaluronic acid injections—all very young patients. One is only 17, and the other four are in their early twenties.”
Hearing this, Jiang Yuming turned serious: “If they receive timely treatment, can their vision recover?”
“The prognosis isn’t good—it’s hard to say. Normally, injecting hyaluronic acid doesn’t cause blindness; the probability is extremely low. But once it happens, the outcome is usually dire. Blindness indicates improper injection techniques—likely due to excessive force or incorrect methods that injected the substance into blood vessels, which then traveled to the arteries in the eyes, causing arterial thrombosis, ischemia of the retina nerves, and ultimately blindness.”
“Among these five patients, two older ones sought treatment immediately after noticing issues and underwent anticoagulation therapy. The other three, however, were misled by the medical beauty clinics, who assured them it was normal and that their vision would return after the hyaluronic acid was absorbed. By the time they came to me, it was too late. Their chances of recovering their vision are slim, if not impossible.”
“Besides these severe cases, there are others suffering from inflammation and infections caused by wearing decorative contact lenses improperly. One girl even developed corneal perforation after leaving her lenses in for over 24 hours because she was too lazy to take them out.”
“These unregulated medical beauty institutions are killing people!” Jiang Yuming exclaimed angrily. “We doctors can treat many conditions, but if young people had basic medical knowledge and understood the risks, these problems wouldn’t occur. It’d be great to spread awareness through educational content—just imagine how harmful ignorance is!”
Suddenly, Jiang Yuming remembered something: “Hey, didn’t your sister Little Yu work on healthcare education videos? Why don’t you ask her to make an episode specifically addressing the risks of medical beauty procedures for young people?”
Jiang Yuming expected Yan Ming to ignore him, but to his surprise, the usually taciturn man actually spoke up:
“She’s probably too busy,” Yan Ming muttered coolly, his voice icy. “From what I’ve seen, she’s swamped.”
At this, Jiang Yuming realized it had been a long time since he’d last seen Yu Tian.
Puzzled, he asked: “The last time I saw her was during that charity clinic dinner. What’s the deal with that guy who introduced himself as her brother? I thought you were her brother. When I talked to her before, she never mentioned having a biological or distant brother.”
Yan Ming didn’t bother explaining the breakup between his father and her mother, choosing instead to remain silent.
“Isn’t he one of those ambiguous ‘older brothers’?” Jiang Yuming pressed, unfazed. He leaned toward Yan Ming: “Let me ask you something. Does Little Yu have a boyfriend? Is that guy her new flame? We haven’t seen her around the hospital recently—could she be busy dating?”
Yan Ming’s response was frosty: “He’s not her boyfriend.”
Intrigued, Jiang Yuming hatched a plan. He nudged Yan Ming with his elbow: “Well then, since she’s single, let’s invite Little Yu out and discuss making some medical education videos together. We can start with the risks of cosmetic procedures for young people’s eyes. I can contribute an episode about calcium supplementation for maintaining bone health across different age groups.”
Jiang Yuming’s mind raced with calculations: “Think about it—we shouldn’t let outsiders reap the benefits. Little Yu is beautiful, kind-hearted, and our junior. She must understand the hardships of our profession. Since she’s single, why let someone else have her? It’d be better if she ends up with me.”
“If things work out between us, and our families become connected, you’ll be my future brother-in-law, and I’ll take good care of you.”
While saying this, Jiang Yuming made up his mind: “Wait here—I’ll call Little Yu.”
This decision hadn’t come easily. Yu Tian was stunningly beautiful, and Jiang Yuming had always worried that girls like her would have countless suitors, none of whom would spare him a second glance. However, after interacting with her a few times, he realized she lacked the arrogance and self-importance typical of pretty girls, so he began to consider pursuing her.
Moreover, proximity was key. If Yu Tian and Yan Ming ended up as family, wouldn’t that make everything doubly convenient? He could use Yan Ming as a way to naturally create opportunities to spend time with Yu Tian—slowly winning her over until she fell for him!
Brilliant!
Just as Jiang Yuming mustered the courage to act, his phone barely in hand, Yan Ming—who had been lounging lazily moments ago—swiftly pulled out his own phone and dialed Yu Tian before Jiang Yuming could move.
Glancing at Jiang Yuming, Yan Ming stated tersely: “I’ll handle it.”
Despite his usual cold demeanor, Yan Ming clearly valued their friendship enough to step in at a crucial moment!
This was pure brotherhood—preventing Jiang Yuming from hesitating and missing his chance, actively paving the way for him to reconnect with Yu Tian!
If Jiang Yuming reached out to Yu Tian now, it might seem abrupt. But coming from Yan Ming, her former quasi-brother, it would feel natural and appropriate! And Jiang Yuming could subtly integrate himself into Yu Tian’s life without raising suspicion, gradually building rapport until he finally secured his happily-ever-after!
Genius!
Overwhelmed with gratitude, Jiang Yuming blurted: “Yan Ming! If I end up with Yu Tian, I’ll give you a matchmaker’s red envelope and a big ham! You won’t miss out on the wedding candy either!”
Yan Ming gave no response, but Jiang Yuming was nearly moved to tears by his friend’s unwavering support.
What was friendship? This was friendship!
Standing up for a friend’s happiness at critical moments—this was true loyalty!
Jiang Yuming’s heart swelled with emotion, and his gaze toward Yan Ming softened almost affectionately.
Yan Ming wasn’t even dating anyone, yet he cared enough to prioritize Jiang Yuming’s love life. Such magnanimity left Jiang Yuming questioning whether he’d have done the same if roles were reversed.
Unfortunately, Yan Ming remained indifferent to Jiang Yuming’s heartfelt gratitude.
During the brief wait for Yu Tian to answer, Yan Ming said nothing, not even sparing a glance at Jiang Yuming.
Soon, the call connected, and Yu Tian’s slightly hesitant voice came through the line:
“Hello?”
Jiang Yuming leaned closer, eager to eavesdrop further, but Yan Ming stood up and casually grabbed a bowl of soup. With that, Jiang Yuming lost any chance of hearing the conversation.
The less information he had, the tenser and more anxious he became.
Two minutes later, still wracked with nervous anticipation like a lovesick teenager, Yan Ming returned expressionlessly.
“We’ve arranged to meet tomorrow after work for dinner.”
Though determined to pursue Yu Tian, the rapid pace caught Jiang Yuming off guard. Flustered, he stammered: “I’ll bring the suit I bought for my cousin’s wedding. It cost a fortune. I’ll also get a haircut tonight and tidy myself up to impress Little Yu and leave a lasting impression...”
Yan Ming paused thoughtfully before replying in his usual detached tone: “There’s no need to go overboard. Be yourself—the key to relationships is honesty. Over-packaging isn’t necessary or meaningful. Dressing simply is perfectly fine and doesn’t come across as forced.”
Normally, when Jiang Yuming brought up such topics, Yan Ming would remain silent. So receiving such a lengthy response and advice filled Jiang Yuming with overwhelming gratitude. Despite Yan Ming’s usual aloofness, he proved trustworthy in critical moments.
Truly, having one more friend opened another door!
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