PDGUT - 45

Yu Tian didn’t explain further to Yanming, as his understanding was evident after just a few sentences.

But pretending she wasn’t saddened by the situation would be a lie.

After tomorrow’s discharge procedures were completed, Xiao Ling might never be seen again.

Though they had only met a few times, thinking of Xiao Ling’s lively and cheerful smile made Yu Tian’s heart ache.

Xiao Ling clearly held a special place in Yanming’s heart as well.

“Most children who come for eye surgeries are accompanied and cared for by their parents, so they tend to act spoiled. But Xiao Ling never does. She’s more mature than her peers and has never asked for anything. Several times, nurses in our department wanted to give her gifts, but she refused everything…”

Yanming’s voice grew somber. “During her hospital stay, since Xiao Ling’s father had to work, she remained quiet and well-behaved. The on-duty nurses and doctors all adored her, feeling sorry for her illness at such a young age. They wanted to give her something, especially after discovering the metastasis…”

Yu Tian understood the emotions of these doctors and nurses. Once retinoblastoma metastasizes, it becomes uncontrollable. For Xiao Ling, the future held only pain and eventual death.

Everyone wanted Xiao Ling to experience more love and warmth while she was still alive.

Hearing this news now, Yu Tian couldn’t help but feel downcast and sorrowful. She wanted to do something for Xiao Ling.

But when modern medicine could no longer intervene, perhaps stepping away from medical solutions, she could still leave Xiao Ling with some happy memories.

In a flash of inspiration, Yu Tian suddenly remembered something.

Xiao Ling was indeed mature and didn’t accept gifts, but she did have something she truly desired!

“A birthday party! Xiao Ling said she hoped to have a birthday party with lots of people attending, eating cake, and even inviting her favorite Wonder Woman!”

This was what Xiao Ling most looked forward to!

Without hesitation, Yu Tian shared her idea with Yanming: “Could we throw Xiao Ling a birthday party before she’s discharged tomorrow? All the available medical staff on duty tomorrow can attend!”

Yu Tian wasted no time. “I’ll order the cake and arrange for a Wonder Woman cosplay outfit!”

Yanming naturally supported the idea of celebrating Xiao Ling’s birthday. However…

He furrowed his brows slightly: “But who will play Wonder Woman?”

“Me!”

Yu Tian didn’t hesitate. “You’re all busy working. Only I, a semi-idle member of society, can do it!”

Despite being exhausted earlier, the thought of tomorrow energized her. Fighting off her fatigue, she began preparations with determination.

Though the party would be modest, it couldn’t lack balloons, cake, candles, or birthday hats. Some items could be ordered tonight for delivery by morning, but others required an early trip to purchase.

Everything else came together quickly, except for the Wonder Woman costume. Due to the tight schedule, Yu Tian could only find a cheap, low-quality version. After receiving it via courier, she even had to rush to make some modifications. Unfortunately, the final result was still hilariously low-budget.

There was no time to improve it further.

With time running short, her handiwork suffering, and exhaustion setting in, her right hand uncooperative, she accidentally burned several blisters onto her fingers while using a glue gun to modify the outfit.

Early the next morning, Yanming reserved an unused meeting room for Yu Tian.

By the time Yu Tian finished setting up, Xiao Ling was wheeled in by the nurses for her final “check-up” before discharge.

It was nearing lunchtime, and medical staff finishing their morning shifts gradually joined in.

Amidst flickering candlelight and the background melody of the birthday song, amidst applause and singing, Yu Tian saw genuine happiness blooming on Xiao Ling’s face.

“Xiao Ling, happy early birthday!”

Though the costume was embarrassing due to its poor quality, Yu Tian didn’t care anymore. Stepping forward awkwardly yet determinedly, she struck several iconic poses of Wonder Woman—

“I’ll keep fighting, and you must keep fighting too!”

Reflected in Xiao Ling’s eyes were the glow of fire and sparkling joy. A girl about to turn eight, born without much favor from fate, had not enjoyed much light or happiness because of her eyes. Yet in this moment, her face radiated pure immersion and innocent delight.

Xiao Ling’s father, a weathered but simple man, wiped away tears secretly moved by the atmosphere.

Many nurses cried openly, offering their most heartfelt blessings and embracing Xiao Ling.

“It’s time to blow out the candles and make a wish, Xiao Ling. Do you have any wishes?”

Faced with the doctor’s question, Xiao Ling tilted her head, then revealed an excited yet shy expression.

After some deliberation, she looked at Yu Tian and hesitantly asked, “Wonder Woman, do you have a boyfriend?”

Yu Tian paused, feeling somewhat embarrassed herself. “No.”

Xiao Ling bit her lip, finally gathering the courage to say, “Then my birthday wish is that Wonder Woman gets a new boyfriend. Her old one died, and now she doesn’t have one. She’s so lonely by herself.”

Xiao Ling tugged at Yu Tian’s hand. “Wonder Woman, you must try hard to find a new boyfriend.”

Faced with this wish, Yu Tian couldn’t help but chuckle. Solemnly, she nodded. “Alright, Xiao Ling. I’ll definitely try hard to find a boyfriend.”

Someone in the crowd teased, “Then, Xiao Ling, what kind of boyfriend should Wonder Woman look for? Any standards? We’ll all help her find one.”

What started as a joke, Xiao Ling took seriously. After some thought, she said, “I hope Wonder Woman finds a doctor boyfriend.”

“Because there are many doctors here?” a nurse chuckled. “You don’t need to flatter us doctors like that.”

But Xiao Ling reasoned earnestly: “Wonder Woman gets hurt easily, and sometimes her superpowers fail. In those moments, she needs a doctor boyfriend to treat her!”

Children were always pure and kind. Though tinged with sadness, Yu Tian couldn’t help but laugh.

The birthday party was a resounding success. In this moment, Xiao Ling basked in happiness.

Humans couldn’t achieve eternity, but mastering fleeting joy and living fully in every second might already be enough.

Ultimately, Xiao Ling and her father didn’t process the discharge procedures with sorrowful expressions. Especially Xiao Ling’s father—though his face bore sadness, it also reflected happiness and gratitude.

Watching Xiao Ling’s father leave with Xiao Ling in his arms, filled with gratitude, Yu Tian felt a whirlwind of emotions.

She was utterly exhausted. Spending the entire night preparing for the birthday party and playing Wonder Woman, the ill-fitting boots had left her heels raw and blistered, likely rubbed to the point of breaking skin.

By the time she finished cleaning up, Yu Tian was nearly collapsing from fatigue.

A young resident male doctor who had stayed behind to help clean up handed her a can of cola—

“For you. Thank you for throwing a birthday party for our patient. If possible, could I get your…”

Before the young resident could finish, a hand reached out and snatched the can of cola from Yu Tian’s grasp.

The young resident turned around, recognizing the intruder, and stammered, “Dr. Yan… Dr. Yanming…” He glanced at Yu Tian, then at the stern-faced Yanming standing behind her, uncertainly asking, “Are you two…?”

“Yu Tian is my younger sister,” Yanming said coolly. “You don’t need her contact information. If you need to reach her, go through me.”

Pausing, he glanced at the name tag on the resident’s chest. “You’re from orthopedics, right? Jiang Yuming seems to be looking for you urgently.”

The young resident let out a startled “Ah” and, without another word, dashed toward the orthopedic clinic.

Yu Tian was irritated. “Who said I’m your sister? Isn’t Chen Xi your sister? Why does it matter to you if someone wants my contact information?”

“You’re so nice to Chen Xi, giving her everything she wants.”

Yu Tian tried not to dwell on it, but the more she thought about it, the angrier and more indignant she became.

She glanced at the can of cola Yanming had just taken from her moments ago and couldn’t help muttering: “How dare you call yourself my older brother when you treat me so poorly? You even snatch away a soda someone gave me…”

Before Yu Tian could finish her sentence, she heard the sound of the soda can being opened, followed by the gurgling noise of bubbles rushing out.

Was Yanming even human?

Not only had he taken her soda, but he was now drinking it in front of her?

Did he have no conscience?

But as Yu Tian glared at Yanming, ready to accuse him, he silently placed the can back into her hand.

He pressed his lips together lightly. “I opened it for you.”

Yu Tian almost laughed in frustration. She clearly didn’t believe him. “You only returned it because I called you out! It’s not like you intended to open it for me—it’s because of guilt and moral pressure!”

“It was for you,” Yanming said calmly, though he subtly turned his gaze away. “Your right hand can’t open this kind of pull-tab can.”

This time, Yanming shifted his gaze back to Yu Tian, stating the facts plainly: “When you got the soda, you wanted to drink it immediately and instinctively reached for it with your right hand, but you flinched as soon as you touched the tab.”

So… he really had taken it to open it for her?

Yu Tian bit her lip, not even realizing her own subconscious actions.

No wonder Yanming was considered a legendary figure at school—his observational skills were incredibly sharp.

For a moment, Yu Tian felt a flicker of happiness, but then she remembered that perhaps Yanming treated all his patients this way—it wasn’t anything special—and her mood dipped again.

Taking the soda, she muttered a quiet “thank you” before turning to leave. But before she could take a step, Yanming grabbed her wrist.

Before Yu Tian could react, Yanming gently touched the pads of her fingers on her right hand.

“Ow! It hurts!”

Almost instinctively, Yu Tian cried out.

“Now you feel the pain?”

Yanming pulled a small tube of ointment from his pocket and scolded her like a child: “Why were you so careless using the glue gun? Why didn’t you run the burn under cold water immediately? You’re studying medicine—how could you fail at basic first aid for burns?”

Yu Tian looked down and realized Yanming was holding burn-relief ointment.

While his words were harsh, his actions were gentle as he carefully applied the ointment to the blisters on her fingertips.

Though his treatment was undoubtedly professional, it also came across as cold and clinical.

The more her heart raced as Yanming held her hand to apply the ointment, the more dejected she felt afterward.

It seemed she could never be composed around him. Perhaps, in his eyes, she would always come off as clumsy and awkward.

But she was an excellent medical student!

Did she not know how to handle burns?

It was just that she’d been rushing to finish the Wonder Woman cosplay costume, fearing there wouldn’t be enough time, so she hadn’t paused to tend to her injury.

Yu Tian withdrew her hand weakly and mumbled, “Thank you.”

She glanced up at Yanming, her expression wounded, her heart feeling even more bruised. Lowering her gaze, she murmured softly, “You always seem to criticize me.”

Yanming froze for a moment.

At this point, their conversation had hit a dead end.

Yu Tian knew she was being uncooperative and braced herself for Yanming to leave.

But after a few moments, his shoes were still within her line of sight—he hadn’t moved.

“It’s not criticism. I know you did this for Xiao Ling. But if Xiao Ling gets hurt or feels unwell, people will worry about her. If you get hurt, there are people who won’t be able to feel happy about it.”

Yanming’s voice was low and steady. He repeated himself: “So it’s not criticism. I didn’t mean to criticize you.”

Yu Tian looked up and saw Yanming staring at her, his expression exasperated yet tender.

He extended his hand toward her.

“Huh?”

“Give me your hand.”

Yu Tian assumed he wanted to check the burn again. Though she instinctively extended her hand, she couldn’t help explaining: “It’s not a big deal. Even without ointment, it’ll heal in a few days…”

But before she could finish, Yanming took her right hand, lifted it to his lips, and blew on it calmly.

As Yu Tian stared in shock, the man remained completely composed, gently lowering her hand afterward. “There. Done.”

Almost as if to complement the scene, a little boy walked by nearby, holding the hand of an even younger girl. The girl was crying softly, wiping her tears.

“Sister, stop crying. Getting a shot does hurt a little, but let me blow on it. The pain will go away.”

The boy then took his sister’s fingertip, which had been pricked for blood, and blew on it earnestly.

Yu Tian glanced at Yanming.

“Aren’t you the one who just lectured me a few days ago that blowing on burns has no effect? That it’s not proper treatment for a medical student? Are you telling me this is what a doctor’s medical expertise looks like now?”

Yanming’s response was calm and self-assured: “Blowing on a burn doesn’t help with physical pain, but it provides psychological comfort, subconsciously easing the sensation of discomfort.”

Though his expression remained composed, his ears gradually turned red.

“It’s psychological therapy,” he added, glancing at the boy and girl in the distance. “Just like that brother, I’m not treating you poorly.”

Is blowing on a finger really enough to be a good brother?

Almost perfectly timed, the little girl started crying again.

“Big brother, it still hurts even after you blew on it!”

This little girl might as well have been Yu Tian’s real-life mouthpiece.

Crossing her arms, Yu Tian glared at Yanming accusingly.

“Then the big brother kisses her, and the pain goes away.” At that moment, the boy pulled his sister’s hand and kissed her cheek. This time, the girl stopped crying, seemingly comforted, and obediently let her brother hold her hand.

The boy patted his sister’s head like a little adult. “Be good. Mom went to the counter to get the medicine. She’ll be back soon. I’ll wait with you.”

Yu Tian couldn’t resist rolling her eyes back at Yanming. “See? Being a good brother isn’t as simple as just blowing on something. Some people have the audacity to claim they’re good brothers, but they don’t even measure up to children…”

Children knew how to provide emotional support, comforting with words and actions. Where was Yanming’s effort? Grabbing her hand and blowing on it randomly, without even saying a proper line—she hadn’t even realized what he was doing until it was over.

“Comforting a sister isn’t that easy…”

But this time, Yu Tian didn’t get to finish her sentence. Yanming cupped the back of her head and, to her utter shock, leaned in closer. His handsome face approached hers, magnified, and then his angular lips finally landed.

He tilted his head slightly and kissed her cheek.

Even after Yanming released her, Yu Tian was still overwhelmed with confusion.

What had Yanming just done?

Had he lost his mind?

But Yanming, unfazed by Yu Tian’s glare, remained as composed as ever.

“I’m a good brother too.”

Though his tone was confident, Yanming’s inner state likely didn’t match his outward calm. After stealing a quick glance at Yu Tian, he quickly averted his gaze.

His eyes were like the mist in the mountains before dawn—faint, lingering, almost dissipating. They fell onto Yu Tian’s hair, brushed past her cheeks, and hovered around her.

Though Yu Tian hadn’t initiated anything, she suddenly felt like a flustered child caught doing something wrong. She couldn’t meet Yanming’s eyes, couldn’t even look at his face. Her ears burned, and she felt like a cherry blossom tree quietly blooming alone—suddenly shaken by Yanming beneath its branches, causing petals to fall unpredictably.

The touch of his lips against her cheek had lasted only a moment.

But as Yanming pulled away, their eyes met briefly in her confusion. In that fleeting gaze, Yu Tian’s heart skipped a beat—a sensation she couldn’t put into words.

The air grew light, the sunlight receded into hidden corners, yet certain emotions became impossible to hide.

Yu Tian looked up and, once again, unexpectedly collided with those eyes of his.

Fortunately, the owner of those eyes quickly and knowingly averted his gaze.

“You be good. I’m going to the outpatient clinic now. I’ll… be back soon,” he hesitated, his tone betraying his lack of composure. Correcting himself, he said, “Actually, I won’t be back for a while, so I can’t wait with you.”

“But you be good. Don’t hurt yourself again.”

Yanming’s gaze shifted everywhere—toward the potted plants, the sign reminding everyone to stay quiet, the crowd at the clinic entrance—but not toward Yu Tian.

After a pause, he surrendered, finally meeting her eyes. Then, gently cupping her face, he kissed her eyelids, as if kissing a butterfly.

Instinctively, Yu Tian closed her eyes. She could hear her own heartbeat pounding loudly, mingled with Yanming’s soft breaths.

She heard this man, his voice slightly unnatural and uncertain, whisper: “I agree.”

Agree? Agree to what?

But Yu Tian was no longer capable of rational thought.

She felt weightless, like a small asteroid veering off its predetermined orbit. Her future trajectory suddenly became unpredictable.

Bold, impulsive, fearless.

Conservative, restrained, hesitant.

Conflicting emotions swirled together like pigments blending into colors and sensations Yu Tian had never experienced before.

Amidst a storm rivaling the explosive birth of a nova, she felt Yanming gently pat her head—

“I’m leaving.”

In Yu Tian’s stunned silence, the seemingly composed doctor walked away stiffly, his movements awkward.

Yu Tian stood frozen in place, staring at Yanming’s retreating figure until it disappeared entirely from view.

Only then did she remember to take a sip of the soda. It was like swallowing a flurry of bubbling foam, stirring up chaos and noise within her.

Yanming had kissed her.

Yanming!

Kissed her!