PDGUT - 49

From the chest of the man holding her, Yu Tian could feel the rhythmic vibrations as Yan Ming spoke, the warmth emanating from his body, and a sense of courage and strength that came from standing side by side.

“Yu Tian cannot possibly be your mistress. She has no time to waste on your so-called good husband, Zheng Tingfu. On the nights you accused her of checking into hotels, she was with me.”

Zhao Xinxin snapped out of her brief panic, sizing up Yan Ming before breaking into a cold laugh: “You? What can you prove? Who are you to her? Are you lying just to protect her…?”

Who exactly was Yan Ming to her? Even Yu Tian struggled to answer. Was he her brother? No, not really. And certainly not anything else.

The fact that Yan Ming stepped forward in this situation was already enough to deeply move Yu Tian.

In today’s society, publicly shaming mistresses had become almost politically correct. Sometimes, no concrete evidence was even needed—just the image of a wronged, pitiful wife was enough to justify mob justice against another woman, smearing her reputation.

If they weren’t close family or friends, who would want to get dragged into such messy affairs?

As a doctor at the First Affiliated Hospital, Yan Ming wasn’t like a random passerby with no emotional burden. When he stepped forward, familiar medical staff had already begun glancing over at him.

Who wanted rumors swirling around their workplace?

Instinctively, Yu Tian tried to distance Yan Ming from all of this. Almost urgently, she blurted out: “He’s my brother…”

Amid the chaos, Yu Tian’s phone had been knocked to the ground by Zhao Xinxin’s group. As she attempted to clarify, she lifted the white coat Yan Ming had draped over her, planning to pick up her phone and call the police.

But before she could finish speaking, Yan Ming interrupted her, his voice calm but firm—

“I am Yu Tian’s boyfriend. I don’t need to lie.”

Yan Ming’s lips were set in a straight line, his expression stern, his eyes deep and intimidating, exuding an aura of authority and distance.

Boyfriend?

Yu Tian’s heart began racing.

Because of his striking appearance, Yan Ming’s involvement naturally drew even more enthusiastic attention from the onlookers. Additionally, some of Yan Ming’s colleagues passing by turned their heads in surprise upon hearing his words.

Yan Ming had called her his girlfriend.

Strangely, all the helplessness, anger, and委屈 (grievance) that had filled Yu Tian’s heart seemed to vanish in an instant.

All that remained was a chaotic heartbeat and emotions she didn’t know how to process or contain.

“She spent those nights with me. Especially during the times mentioned in your chat records when you accused her of checking into hotels. Am I not the one most qualified to vouch for my own girlfriend’s whereabouts? How dare you point fingers at her?”

Yan Ming’s voice was cold and composed. Zhao Xinxin’s face twisted in madness, but Yan Ming showed no sign of backing down.

“You’re causing trouble in a hospital—a public place. First, this disrupts order and affects patients who need care. Blocking the hallway like this could delay emergency patients, potentially endangering lives if they can’t get through.”

“Second, you’ve attacked and slandered my girlfriend. My colleagues have already recorded everything. We will sue you and won’t show any leniency. If anyone here uploads videos of this incident online, we will file additional lawsuits.”

At this moment, Yu Tian finally managed to steady her trembling hands and dialed the police.

Compared to Zhao Xinxin’s rage and hysteria, Yan Ming remained completely calm throughout. His composure stood out as a rare and precious anchor amid the chaos. Yu Tian, like a small boat caught in a violent storm, finally found a safe harbor in him.

His words were not only meant to intimidate Zhao Xinxin and her group but also to warn the crowd of onlookers.

To anyone who dared to upload or spread videos of Yu Tian being humiliated, his message was clear: there would be consequences. They would face legal action.

No matter the situation, Yan Ming always thought things through meticulously.

Throughout the entire ordeal, Yan Ming never let go of Yu Tian’s hand. He shielded her behind him, as if afraid she might suffer even the slightest harm.

However, Zhao Xinxin was clearly consumed by paranoia. She couldn’t process Yan Ming’s words and quickly zeroed in on his weak spot. Her gaze locked onto the white coat he wore: “Are you a doctor at this hospital?”

After confirming, Zhao Xinxin erupted into another bout of hysteria: “This doctor hit me! A doctor hit a pregnant woman! A doctor from the First Affiliated Hospital hit a pregnant woman! Everyone, judge for yourselves!”

Yu Tian’s heart raced wildly, a mix of tension, fear, and worry. She didn’t know what this incident might mean for Yan Ming or what might happen between them.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Because Yan Ming was here, and Yan Ming was always calm.

However, it didn’t take long for Yu Tian to realize that Yan Ming wasn’t as calm as he appeared.

“First, I did not hit you. I merely stopped your violent actions—it was self-defense, completely justified. Second, if you dare touch her again or spread another word of slander, I cannot guarantee I won’t hit you.”

Zhao Xinxin seized on his words: “Look! This doctor threatened to hit me!”

Yan Ming stared at Zhao Xinxin, enunciating each word: “A doctor should never hit anyone, no matter how unreasonable the person is. But before I became a doctor, I was first Yu Tian’s man.”

His voice was icy: “If I can’t even protect my own girlfriend, how can I talk about protecting patients as a doctor?”

“Your precious boyfriend, Zheng Tingfu, abandoned Yu Tian during the medical dispute, leaving her to fend for herself while she protected the patient he was supposed to protect. Her hand was injured, and she lost the chance to become an excellent surgeon. Regardless of the circumstances, I will never abandon Yu Tian, and I will never let her suffer such humiliation or harm. That’s the difference between me and Zheng Tingfu.”

At this point, Yan Ming turned to look at Yu Tian. His voice softened, becoming gentle and tender: “Yu Tian, do you mind?”

He didn’t say more, but Yu Tian understood what he meant.

She shook her head: “I don’t mind.”

Yan Ming didn’t say anything further. Instead, he raised Yu Tian’s right hand, which he had been holding: “This is the hand that protected a patient. It was injured by those involved in the medical dispute. Yet Yu Tian never once sought compensation or held Zheng Tingfu accountable for it.”

“My girlfriend graduated from the best medical school in Rong City. She was my classmate, excelled academically, and aspired to become a surgeon. But because of this injury, she lost the chance to fulfill her dream. Five years of undergraduate medical studies, countless hours of effort and dedication—all gone to waste. Yet she never wallowed in self-pity or resentment. She never clung to the person who abandoned her and caused her injury.”

“After seeing someone’s true colors, who would hold on to them? Before Yu Tian met me, she endured alone. Now that she has me, she won’t—and can’t—spare another glance at your so-called good husband, Zheng Tingfu. Don’t jump to conclusions based solely on a flirty WeChat ID containing the word ‘fish’ and accuse her of being a mistress. That’s nothing more than baseless slander.”

Yan Ming’s words twisted Zhao Xinxin’s face even further. Faced with his eloquent rebuttal, she had no counterarguments.

The public opinion that had initially sided with Zhao Xinxin due to her perceived vulnerability as a pregnant wife now swiftly shifted to support Yan Ming and Yu Tian.

Yan Ming was incredibly handsome and held the respectable profession of a doctor. Anyone looking at him would think finding such a boyfriend was something to secretly celebrate—how could Yu Tian possibly have the mindset to cheat?

Moreover, the truth about Yu Tian’s injured hand sparked discussions among the onlookers:

“That poor girl… Did you see her hand? It looks like it was almost completely severed. She’s a medical student too. Getting into medical school is hard, the coursework is long and difficult, and raising a doctor is no small feat for an ordinary family. Such a pity…”

“So it was that pregnant woman’s husband who caused this? That man is truly despicable.”

“Think about it—why would anyone cling to someone who abandons them in dangerous situations? The boyfriend by her side now is clearly more handsome and gives off a stronger sense of security!”

Seeing the tide of public opinion turn against her, Zhao Xinxin’s face reddened with embarrassment. But even at this stage, she still refused to believe that Yu Tian wasn’t the mistress.

If not her, then who?

Zhao Xinxin had originally stormed into the First Affiliated Hospital with a stack of flyers, driven by impulse.

Zheng Tingfu had been avoiding her, unilaterally blocking all her contact information. After changing her phone number, Zhao Xinxin had sent him several threatening messages, trying to coerce him into continuing their relationship and taking responsibility. However, all her messages had gone unanswered, like stones sinking into the ocean.

With no other options, Zhao Xinxin decided to confront Zheng Tingfu at his workplace. If he wouldn’t meet her, she planned to escalate the issue, appealing to his superiors to pressure him into coming back to his senses.

But Zheng Tingfu hadn’t shown up to deal with the situation. Instead, Zhao Xinxin had accidentally learned that Yu Tian was at the hospital, which only reinforced her belief—Yu Tian must be the mistress! Otherwise, what were the chances of running into her here?

Unable to find Zheng Tingfu’s grievances and helplessness, but only the anger and resentment of being betrayed, Zhao Xinxin decided to vent her frustrations on Yu Tian.

But now, everyone was saying she wasn’t the other woman?

Zhao Xinxin didn’t want to think too deeply about it. She preferred to believe that Yu Tian was the home-wrecker. After all, Yu Tian had indeed been injured because of Zheng Tingfu, and Zheng Tingfu felt some guilt or other emotions, which she had used to climb up. This was still something she could barely accept.

She didn’t believe that Zheng Tingfu could have met some other woman and cheated so easily...

She stopped thinking about it.

Zhao Xinxin decided to go all the way down this dark path.

Her eyes red, she stared intently at Yu Tian: “It’s her, I won’t be mistaken!”

Zhao Xinxin argued, “Tingfu ran away to call the police that time because he was scared. It’s because he’s too kind that he’s always felt guilty about this and always thought about compensating her. She must have tasted the sweetness of getting money from Tingfu, asking him for money every now and then, making it so Tingfu doesn’t even have money to buy things for me and our unborn child...”

Yu Tian gradually recovered from her initial shock and panic. Yan Ming’s presence gave her the strength to calm down. She rubbed her temples, unable to listen to Zhao Xinxin’s nonsense any longer. “I have never used a single cent of your ‘good’ boyfriend’s money. He even borrowed a few yuan from me when he didn’t have his card or cash on the bus, and he still hasn’t paid me back. I hope he can return the money to me quickly. My money doesn’t grow on trees, and thinking about a few yuan wasted on someone like him really disgusts me.”

“As for whether your boyfriend is kind or not, I don’t know, but he’s definitely a fast runner. When those people causing trouble at the hospital came, he was as fast as a sprinter, without any hesitation. In the blink of an eye, he left behind a gust of wind and was gone. His surgical skills, however, are quite average. I suggest he doesn’t become a doctor and might be more suitable as a track and field athlete.”

“So you see, I really didn’t get anything good from your boyfriend, except for losing a few yuan and being left with this injured hand. Even the cost of my surgery, your boyfriend didn’t even mention sharing a single cent out of humanitarianism. A man like that, I, Yu Tian, can’t stand. I couldn’t stand him before, I can’t stand him now, and I definitely won’t be able to stand him in the future.”

“This kind of man is not my ex-boyfriend, not someone I’m ambiguous with, and doesn’t even deserve to be my friend. It’s even more impossible for me to want to develop anything with him. So, stop projecting your own thoughts onto others. Don’t always think that everyone sees him as some desirable treasure that everyone wants to fight over.”

After Yu Tian finished speaking, Yan Ming responded almost immediately, nodding his head with clear approval. “Indeed, a dung beetle likes to roll dung balls and always thinks others want to snatch its dung ball, forgetting that not everyone is a dung beetle.”

If she hadn’t experienced it herself, Yu Tian would have found it hard to imagine Yan Ming could be so cutting.

But at this moment, she still couldn’t help but almost laugh inappropriately.

That’s right, who would want a dung ball like Zheng Tingfu?

Yu Tian clenched the leaflets that Zhao Xinxin and her group had just thrown at her. “You’ve now run to the hospital and distributed so many leaflets, without putting up your boyfriend’s photo, but you’ve put up my photo and personal information. That’s fine too. Now these leaflets are evidence, in black and white. I will have a lawyer secure the evidence and have it notarized if necessary. You can go home and wait to receive a court summons.”

Zhao Xinxin clearly still intended to entangle herself in the situation, but at this very moment, her “dung ball” arrived late.

Zheng Tingfu, looking like he was there to interrogate someone, had clearly just come off the operating table and rushed over as soon as he heard the news. He forcefully pulled Zhao Xinxin from behind, showing no pity. “Are you crazy?! What are you doing? Making a fool of yourself in front of so many people!”

When Zhao Xinxin saw Zheng Tingfu, tears immediately welled up in her eyes. “Husband...”

Unfortunately, Zheng Tingfu avoided Zhao Xinxin as if she were a venomous snake. “Who is your husband? We haven’t even registered our marriage, and I made it clear to you half a month ago that we broke up!”

Zhao Xinxin touched her stomach. “But our child...”

Zheng Tingfu’s expression could only be described as gritted teeth. “I told you to get rid of the child a long time ago! Zhao Xinxin, this child is your scheme. I told you long ago that there was no possibility between us! Your temper is too bad! Everything has to go your way! I couldn’t stand you anymore!”

Zhao Xinxin’s eyes turned red. Even at this point, she hadn’t given up on Zheng Tingfu. “But you used to say you loved me forever. You used to coax me when I lost my temper, saying you just loved my little quirks. Your job was also thanks to my father...”

“Don’t mention these irrelevant things. Get out of here and stop embarrassing yourself! There’s no question of cheating between us because I broke up with you and then started dating a new girlfriend normally.”

Zheng Tingfu glanced at Yu Tian, then awkwardly looked away. “It has nothing to do with Yu Tian either.”

Zhao Xinxin suddenly transformed from the wronged original partner to a persistent and haunting ex-girlfriend after the breakup. Now, not only was there no empathy, but most people even withdrew their initial sympathy.

Unfortunately, the more he denied it was Yu Tian, the more Zhao Xinxin seemed to believe it was her. “You’re still protecting this slut even now?!”

Zheng Tingfu didn’t dare to look at Yu Tian and Yan Ming much while speaking, but he didn’t give Zhao Xinxin any more time either. He simply grabbed her and roughly took her out of the hospital, clearly intending to communicate and resolve things privately.

At this time, after Yu Tian called the police, the police also arrived at the scene. They took Zheng Tingfu and Zhao Xinxin aside, asking them to communicate, and arranged to take a statement from Yu Tian later.

Without Zhao Xinxin, her several girlfriends also scattered into the crowd. The hospital lobby returned to peace and order.

Yan Ming looked at his watch. “I have something to do later, I’ll go first. I’ll contact you on my phone later, let’s have lunch together. I just sent a message to Qi Sihao, asking him to come and keep you company earlier.”

He said this, but he didn’t let go of Yu Tian’s hand.

The hospital had returned to calm, but Yu Tian’s heart was still beating erratically. She didn’t dare to look Yan Ming in the eyes.

After a moment, Yu Tian gave in first. She looked at the ground and coughed. “Then let go and go take care of your business.”

But Yan Ming didn’t let go. “Why do you seem so eager for me to leave?”

The man stated calmly, “You were holding onto me so tightly when you were scared just now, but now that you don’t need me, you’re telling me to let go quickly.”

“...” Yu Tian didn’t know what to say.

“Alright, don’t be afraid.” Yan Ming awkwardly patted Yu Tian’s head. “Be good, I’ll be at the hospital all day. If anything happens, just call me, I’ll be here.”

As soon as he finished speaking, his phone rang.

Yan Ming had no outpatient appointments or surgeries scheduled today, but he had some research meetings. He glanced at Yu Tian again, confirmed that Qi Sihao would arrive soon, and then walked away while answering his phone.

Not long after Yan Ming left, Qi Sihao indeed rushed over with a worried and hurried expression.

He was out of breath. “I couldn’t leave because I was measuring eye pressure for several patients in the outpatient clinic. I heard Zhao Xinxin came to cause trouble. Are you alright, Xiao Yu?”

Yu Tian waved her hand. “I’m fine.”

It was lunchtime, so Qi Sihao enthusiastically invited Yu Tian to go to the cafeteria for a meal to calm her nerves.

“I... I’m waiting for Yan Ming...”

“Let me send him a message. Let’s meet at the cafeteria later, we’ll go reserve a table first!”

Without allowing any argument, Qi Sihao pulled Yu Tian away.

As someone with good connections, he had clearly gathered and integrated information quickly in a short period and was now very clear about the inside story. As soon as they sat down, he started gossiping with Yu Tian.

“I saw in our little group chat that Zhao Xinxin is completely crazy now. Didn’t Zheng Tingfu get transferred to the First Affiliated Hospital because of his father-in-law’s connections? Zhao Xinxin had her father arrange everything for him. They were originally planning to get married in half a year, but not long ago, something happened to Zhao Xinxin’s father and he was suspended from his position for investigation. Zheng Tingfu is disgusting enough to immediately postpone the wedding and preparations, clearly not wanting to get married.”

“Later, he probably hooked up with someone new, looking for a better option while still with the old one. Then he quickly broke up with Zhao Xinxin. How could Zhao Xinxin agree to break up? She pestered him for a while, and then she found out she was pregnant, making it even more impossible for her to let go.”

“Her family is in chaos right now, and she’s pregnant with Zheng Tingfu’s child, treating Zheng Tingfu as her future lifeline and long-term meal ticket.”

As Qi Sihao spoke, he glanced at his phone, and his eyes immediately widened. “Speak of the devil, Zheng Tingfu’s new girlfriend is a young rich second generation. She just heard that Zhao Xinxin was causing trouble at the hospital and quickly drove her supercar over. My friend said she just blocked Zhao Xinxin at the hospital gate and is now cursing her as the real other woman and pulling her hair.”

Qi Sihao shook his head with lingering fear. “Truly, evil people have their own kind to deal with them. What kind of person, what kind of fate.”

“It’s a pity I was late, otherwise I would have definitely helped you point at Zhao Xinxin’s nose and scold her. It’s truly speechless. You see people of my quality every day, who would be able to stand someone like Zheng Tingfu!”

“However,” Qi Sihao’s eyes rolled as he looked curiously at Yu Tian, “I just heard a busybody auntie who came to watch say that although you were at a disadvantage at the time, the situation immediately reversed as soon as your boyfriend arrived.”

He looked at Yu Tian expressionlessly. “So where did your boyfriend come from? When did you get a boyfriend?”

“Did you meet at a rotation doctor gathering? Did you establish a relationship so quickly?” Qi Sihao seemed very confident in his guess. “Definitely! I heard that auntie say he’s a doctor! Among the rotation doctors in our hospital who attended that gathering, was it Du Yilin? Or Zhang Tianhou?”

“Both of them feel very likely. Du Yilin asked me for your contact information a long time ago, hinting for me to set you two up. Zhang Tianhou also praised your beauty to me at least five times.”

As Qi Sihao was talking to himself, he looked up and saw Yan Ming walking towards them. He immediately waved enthusiastically. “Senior! Over here!”

Yan Ming’s expression was normal as he sat down directly beside Yu Tian.

He glanced at Qi Sihao. “What are you talking about, so happily?”

Qi Sihao was quite cheerful. “Talking about Yu Tian’s boyfriend.”

“Oh—”

Yan Ming drawled out the sound, glancing at Yu Tian.

Yu Tian suddenly became nervous. She started frantically gesturing to Qi Sihao with her eyes, but Qi Sihao completely ignored Yu Tian and continued talking animatedly.

“Senior, you probably don’t know who Yu Tian’s boyfriend is, right? I’m still guessing. I think she’s with either Du Yilin or Zhang Tianhou from our hospital. Personally, I support Du Yilin because he’s taller and looks more compatible standing next to Xiao Yu. Du Yilin’s personality is also gentler, he’s the big warm type, feels like a better boyfriend.”

“Do you support Du Yilin?” Qi Sihao said casually, “You’re both Yu Tian’s senior and like a half-brother to her, why don’t you help us, Xiao Yu, vet him together?”

Yan Ming, who had just prepared to eat his food, actually stopped when he heard Qi Sihao’s words. He put down his chopsticks, looked at Qi Sihao, and said in a deep voice, “I don’t support Du Yilin.”

Qi Sihao was a little surprised. “Then do you support Zhang Tianhou? Zhang Tianhou is also good, seems like an honest person, and his family background is quite good...”

“I don’t support Zhang Tianhou either.”

Qi Sihao was stunned. “Ah...” He glanced at Yu Tian.

Yu Tian covered her face with her hand, no longer wanting to be friends with the oblivious Qi Sihao.

“I’m more supportive of myself.”