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Qi Sihao’s mouth dropped open, seemingly unable to process the meaning of Yan Ming’s words.
Meanwhile, Yan Ming had already picked up his chopsticks and resumed eating with an air of calm indifference.
Qi Sihao snapped back to reality as if taking a deep breath. He frantically signaled to Yu Tian, who pretended not to notice.
Qi Sihao turned back to Yan Ming: “Senior, did you mean what I think you meant?”
Yan Ming slightly raised his gaze: “What? Are you saying you have an issue because it’s not Du Yilin or Zhang Tianhou, but me?”
“...” Qi Sihao was clearly still in shock. “But doesn’t Yu Tian see you as a brother? Didn’t you almost become her brother-in-law...”
Yan Ming glanced at Qi Sihao coolly, his tone icy: “Have you ever heard of stealing what you’re supposed to guard?”
Qi Sihao dared not object. He laughed awkwardly, trying to find a way out: “I just didn’t think of it that way, since I always saw you as Yu Tian’s older brother. I never thought about it in that direction. I even thought you’d help vet her boyfriends...”
“I did vet them,” Yan Ming said calmly. “None of them measure up to me.”
“...”
Qi Sihao fell silent. After another round of awkward laughter, he hastily ended lunch and scrambled away with an excuse.
Now, only Yu Tian and Yan Ming were left at the table.
If Yan Ming standing up for her earlier had filled Yu Tian with gratitude, security, and excitement, now her heart felt like the shoreline after the tide recedes—empty and bewildered.
She had no real sense of it.
Yan Ming was her boyfriend?
But he hadn’t even said so!
The declaration in the lobby earlier—that he was her boyfriend—Yu Tian assumed was just a temporary tactic to turn the situation around. After all, a relationship requires mutual consent. How could it be one-sided?
And then no explanation? No clarification?
Feelings of injustice, frustration, and intense unease churned within her.
Yu Tian couldn’t describe how she felt, but Yan Ming remained as calm and composed as ever, reverting to his usual demeanor, as if none of this mattered much to him—it was just a minor detail.
As they walked down a quiet corridor in the hospital’s office area after leaving the cafeteria, Yu Tian finally couldn’t hold back anymore: “Don’t you have anything to say?”
To her question, Yan Ming brazenly shook his head: “No.”
If he had nothing to say, then Yu Tian certainly did!
“You claimed to everyone that you’re my boyfriend—are you crazy?”
“I understand you were trying to help, but impulsively declaring to Zhao Xinxin that you’re my boyfriend? Not only did she hear it, but your colleagues passing through the hospital saw it too.”
“And even if your claim to Zhao Xinxin was a mistake made in the heat of the moment to help me, why did you repeat it to Qi Sihao during lunch? Do you think pretending to be my boyfriend is fun?”
Yu Tian had started calmly, but the more she spoke, the more委屈 (grievance) welled up inside her. Her anger bubbled up slowly, like foam rising late but in large quantities.
She grew angrier as she spoke: “Do men think having a few rumored girlfriends is like earning medals of conquest? Have you thought about me? Why should I just randomly have an inexplicable boyfriend? Even if I clarify later, people will still call him my ex-boyfriend...”
Yu Tian’s heart was full of accusations against Yan Ming for his ambiguous behavior. But before she could finish, Yan Ming interrupted her with a shocked tone—
“I’m not your boyfriend?”
Yan Ming looked as though he’d received some unbelievable information. His eyes widened slightly as he repeated: “Yu Tian, are you saying I’m not your boyfriend?”
Yu Tian nodded, ready to continue her tirade, but Yan Ming turned the tables on her instead.
The handsome man frowned slightly, his tone both shocked and dangerous: “Then what do you mean?”
Huh? Shouldn’t that be her question?
Yu Tian grew irritated: “You figure it out yourself.”
Yan Ming’s expression darkened, storm clouds gathering. He stared at Yu Tian’s face for a moment before realization dawned, followed by gritted teeth: “So even after all this, you still don’t intend to formalize our relationship? Are you stringing me along?”
Huh???
The calm and composure that usually characterized Yan Ming vanished—he looked furious.
“Yu Tian, are you really refusing to acknowledge me as your boyfriend? Won’t you give me a legitimate title? Are you still maintaining the image of being single while playing around with me?”
Yan Ming had outright stolen her lines!
Yu Tian was utterly stunned: “When did you become my boyfriend? Just now? By making a unilateral declaration, you’re suddenly my boyfriend? Don’t I need to agree or nod for that to happen?”
This was indeed Yu Tian’s inner confusion, and she couldn’t help but ask.
But Yan Ming looked as if steam might start coming out of his ears. He raised his voice slightly: “‘Just now’?”
“I’m only your boyfriend starting ‘just now’? Then what were we before?”
He pursed his lips: “So in your mind, I wasn’t your boyfriend before?”
Yu Tian was stunned: “...Was I supposed to think you were?”
Yan Ming looked as if his worldview had been shattered. He glared at Yu Tian: “I kissed you.”
“So what?”
Pushed to his limit, Yan Ming rubbed his temples, exasperated: “I kissed you. If I’m not your boyfriend, then what am I? What other identity could there be?”
Of course, there could be other identities.
Yu Tian didn’t even need to think: “A jerk...”
“...”
Yan Ming seemed somewhat helpless, trying to find a counterargument: “After everything we’ve done, how could we not be boyfriend and girlfriend? Besides, you kissed me back later. Are you saying that kisses can happen without confirming a relationship?”
At this, Yu Tian grew angry: “That’s not what I believe, but let me remind you of something—you were the one who made the first move.” She averted her gaze and coughed lightly: “You were the one who kissed me first—twice—and I only reciprocated. You were the one who disregarded socialist male virtues and started things ambiguously!”
“Here’s a hot take: if a man and woman become boyfriend and girlfriend, at least one party must express clear intent, and the other must agree. That’s what establishing a relationship means. At the very least, it requires mutual consent. As for us... have we ever reached any conclusion about our relationship?”
Facing Yan Ming’s incredulous eyes, Yu Tian decided to use an analogy: “Yan Ming, it’s not enough for you to unilaterally declare something and make it true. If I see a handsome man on the street, does simply declaring him my boyfriend make him my boyfriend?”
“No.”
Before Yu Tian could continue reasoning, Yan Ming firmly cut her off: “Because your boyfriend is me. You can’t declare someone else as your boyfriend.”
“...”
“As for our mutual agreement to date, of course there was one.” Yan Ming was clearly upset but still tried to maintain his composure. “I said I agreed, so we established our relationship before I kissed you.”
“What did you agree to?”
“To your request to be my girlfriend.” Yan Ming was remarkably calm. “I said it when I kissed you. I haven’t been ambiguous with you—never. The moment I kissed you, you became my girlfriend in my mind. Only you’ve unilaterally refused to acknowledge me as your boyfriend, stringing me along like a flirt, and getting close to Qi Sihao.”
Yu Tian was dumbfounded, watching the usually taciturn Yan Ming speak eloquently and logically, as if in a debate—
“Isn’t Qi Sihao with Gao Mei now? What kind of man is he? Does he have no morals? Back when he wanted to create opportunities to be with Gao Mei, he stole my umbrella. Now he’s chasing Gao Mei while still fussing over you. Doesn’t he know boundaries? Just now, he was saying Du Yilin and Zhang Tianhou suit you. How bad are his eyes, considering he’s in ophthalmology rotation? He shouldn’t be examining patients—let him register for treatment and fix his own eyesight. Wasn’t he the one who dragged you to that rotating doctors’ social event? With so much free time, he could’ve taken two more night shifts...”
If Yan Ming hadn’t brought it up, Yu Tian wouldn’t have realized how much he disliked Qi Sihao...
However, after this rant, it was Yu Tian’s turn to be dumbfounded. Upon reflection, she remembered that after their first kiss, Yan Ming had indeed murmured something about “I agree.”
But now, Yu Tian ignored the other details of Yan Ming’s words and focused solely on one point.
With a stern face, she said: “You said you agreed to my supposed request to be your girlfriend—but when did I ever express such a desire? When did I say I wanted to be your girlfriend? Why are you unilaterally agreeing to something nonexistent?”
Yan Ming argued confidently: “You may not have said it, but all your actions implied it.”
At this point, he began listing matter-of-factly: “Like feeding me, dressing nicely for me, constantly following me with your eyes, cleverly calling me ‘big brother,’ kissing me when drunk, getting jealous over Chen Xi...”
Yu Tian was mortified and couldn’t bear to listen further.
It was true—she had indeed harbored intentions toward Yan Ming—but...
But hearing him say it aloud made her feel both embarrassed and infuriated.
“Who? Who’s pursuing you? Not me!”
Yu Tian was livid: “So what are you agreeing to? I’m not pursuing you! Your agreement means nothing because I don’t agree! You’re not my boyfriend!”
“I’m in high demand—I don’t need to chase men. It’s the men who chase me. You haven’t gone through the proper steps to pursue me, so you’re not qualified to be my boyfriend!”
Yu Tian wanted to leave, but Yan Ming’s towering figure blocked her path.
His face was shadowed, his expression unreadable, but his tone carried hints of anger and frustration.
He asked earnestly: “Why am I not qualified?”
Yan Ming’s gaze briefly swept over Yu Tian’s face before shifting away. His words seemed directed at her but also sounded like self-reflection: “Didn’t you once say you wanted to share a household registration book with me? Didn’t you admire me and hope to have someone like me in your family? And now you’re giving up so easily? Stripping me of my qualifications. Weren’t you nice to me before?”
“...” That was ages ago!
And!
Yu Tian rolled her eyes mentally and shot Yan Ming a defiant glare: “Should I remind you again? My mom and your dad’s blind date failed. Your dad has a new partner now. We won’t be family in the future, so why should I waste effort? Of course, I chose to give up!”
It would have been better if it hadn’t been mentioned. Bringing it up really stirred up some resentment from both old and new grievances.
Yu Tian was both angry and aggrieved. “You were so difficult to deal with, so cold and distant towards me back then. I was trying so hard to be friendly for so long, all for the sake of my mother having a harmonious remarriage in the future! Now, now that’s all in the past! I already explained it last time! The possibility of us being on the same household register is long gone. I could even accept it if you didn’t want to be friends with me, but why are some people still taking it for granted that they can just step in and be my boyfriend?”
“‘You’re so outstanding, I really admire you, I want to be family with you, it’s such a pity we couldn’t become family’—you just listen to words like that. Everyone out in the world has to say some polite things, right?”
Yan Ming was silent for a moment, as if he didn’t know how to respond to Yu Tian’s words.
Just as Yu Tian walked around him, preparing to leave, Yan Ming grabbed her hand from behind.
His voice was low and carried a serious, earnest tone. “Yu Tian. I wasn’t that difficult.”
“You can try again.”
“Also, I think we should still be able to be on the same household register.”
Yu Tian’s first reaction was a head full of question marks. Did Yan Ming’s father also break up? Did both Ms. Song Chunxiang and Yan Wenhua return to being single at the same time? But that didn’t make sense...
Almost subconsciously, Yu Tian replied, “As far as I know, my mother and your father have completely become revolutionary comrades. Although your father did visit my mother when he heard she was injured, their way of getting along is definitely as friends. It seems unlikely that there will be any spark again...”
Yan Ming was expressionless. “I know, but on my household register, there are other more suitable spots left for you.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to be family with me? Although there’s absolutely no hope for our parents, you and I can still be family.”
Yan Ming looked deeply into Yu Tian’s eyes. “Those polite words you said later, about still wanting to be family with me and regretting not becoming family, I’ve taken them seriously. So I’ve already arranged a spot for other family members on my household register for you.”
Yan Ming’s serious, unsmiling appearance was so solemn that Yu Tian didn’t immediately grasp the implied meaning.
However, after a moment of愣神, she realized what Yan Ming’s words meant.
Yu Tian’s face flushed instantly.
She stared at Yan Ming, almost dumbfounded, feeling in a daze that it was unbelievable to hear such words come from his mouth.
Some men are truly remarkable. Unilaterally declaring someone their girlfriend wasn’t enough; now they were unilaterally declaring them their legal spouse?
Yu Tian was both annoyed and amused, mixed with a huge surge of emotion and an unspeakable complexity. Her heart felt like a series of huge fireworks suddenly exploding in a quiet night sky without any warning.
So that’s what Yan Ming had been thinking in his heart.
And at this moment, the culprit was still completely unaware. He lowered his gaze, his tone very insistent. “So, you shouldn’t disqualify me.”
His voice was slightly unnatural as he said, “Actually, if you had tried harder back then, it would have been almost enough. You could have become my girlfriend.”
“‘Back then’? Which ‘back then’? When was ‘back then’?”
Yan Ming looked away. “Before, quite a while ago, if you had made an effort, it wouldn’t have been impossible.”
As he said this, he glanced at Yu Tian, then became somewhat resentful and grumbled, “But I didn’t expect you to have no plan to make any effort at all, not even a token gesture.”
Yan Ming’s meaning... he had actually felt something for her a long time ago...
This realization hit Yu Tian with a sense of bewilderment.
But the sense of superiority in Yan Ming’s words still made Yu Tian a little angry.
“What do you mean, ‘if I had tried harder, I could have become your girlfriend’? Why should I be the one trying? Couldn’t it be, ‘if you tried harder, you could compete to become my boyfriend’? If I have to try hard to be your girlfriend, then I won’t do it. It’s too tiring. I’m a city slacker. I’m leaving. I declare that your unilateral declaration is invalid. Yan Ming, you still don’t have a girlfriend.”
After Yu Tian finished speaking, she glared at Yan Ming angrily, then stormed off in a huff.
What kind of person was he!
Yu Tian was furious. She ran off a short distance, and when she stood in front of the elevator waiting for it, her rapidly beating heart became somewhat uneasy and apprehensive again.
Being Yan Ming’s girlfriend... it did seem very tempting.
Yu Tian was indeed very moved.
But she was still angry.
Yan Ming didn’t intend to be ambiguous, which was good, but Yan Ming was also too presumptuous.
Why?
Could he just unilaterally have a girlfriend?
Dream on.
Yu Tian felt like a greedy child who had been granted three wishes. Originally, she only hoped for even one wish to come true. However, the nature of humans is to be unsatisfied. One begets two, two begets three, and three begets infinity. Once she had the first wish, she wanted more.
Originally, she only thought that it would be great if Yan Ming could be her boyfriend, but when Yan Ming actually said those words himself, she began to feel that he came too easily. She wanted more attention and more love.
But when she actually stood at the elevator entrance, Yu Tian nervously twisted her hair again.
A man like Yan Ming had always had girls chasing after him. If she threw a tantrum, would he follow?
Would he... would he just give up directly?
Yu Tian’s original intention was to test Yan Ming’s feelings, but at this moment, she became afraid of the answer.
She was afraid that in Yan Ming’s heart, she was nothing special.
Maybe he would just leave without even trying to coax her, without even giving her a way to back down gracefully.
And soon, in this unspeakable and inexpressible entanglement and contradiction, the elevator arrived.
Perhaps it was lunchtime, and this elevator, which was always full, had no one else in it except Yu Tian herself.
Yan Ming hadn’t come.
Yu Tian bit her lip, deciding not to fantasize or wait for anything anymore, and walked straight into the elevator.
However, just as she turned around to face the front and watched the elevator door slowly close, she finally saw Yan Ming in her sight.
He was running from the end of the hallway.
In the last second before the elevator doors closed completely, the man pressed the stop button again.
Yan Ming was slightly out of breath from running. He used one hand to block the closing elevator door, and in Yu Tian’s astonished gaze, he looked back at her intently.
“Yu Tian, is this kind of chasing okay? I’m already chasing you by running.”
“Sorry to take up a minute of your time.” He glanced at Yu Tian, then calmly corrected himself, “Even a minute is too long, ten seconds. I’ll give you ten seconds to consider.”
Yu Tian’s heart pounded rapidly as if losing gravity. She suppressed the fluttering in her chest and stared at Yan Ming with wide eyes. “Why only ten seconds?”
“Because I have an emergency surgery in half an hour.”
Yu Tian was almost exasperated. She lowered her voice and said, “Then there’s still enough time to prepare! Why only give me ten seconds!”
Yan Ming’s expression was calm, looking at Yu Tian with the earnestness of explaining medical knowledge.
“Because kissing you will make me nervous, and I need more time to calm down and get into the surgical state.”
“I’m a doctor, and my patient urgently needs me now. For the sake of the patient’s health, I can only give you ten seconds to decide whether or not to be my girlfriend. Because if you reject me, I’ll need time to get over the sadness; if you agree, I’ll also need time to process the excitement. And if you don’t give me an answer, I might not be able to concentrate on the surgery at all.”
Yan Ming looked at the currently empty elevator behind Yu Tian. “Although there’s no one else in the elevator now, normally, there might be patients or their family members waiting to use the elevator at any time on the floors above and below. Time is very precious to them, so you only have ten seconds.”
Yan Ming’s voice was low. “Of course, the one who can’t wait even more than them is me.”
He smiled at Yu Tian. “What do you say?”
Yu Tian was so angry she almost stomped her foot.
How, how could there be such a shameless person!
Yan Ming was definitely, absolutely doing this on purpose!
“If you don’t object after ten seconds, it means you’ve tacitly agreed. Ten, nine, eight, seven...”
Yu Tian had no time to respond. She became flustered, like a poor butterfly trapped in a glass jar. No matter how she fluttered her wings, no matter how close and real the scenery outside the glass looked, she had nowhere to escape.
It seemed like there was no way to resist.
Whenever she encountered Yan Ming, Yu Tian couldn’t truly calm down.
He always had a way of making her heart race and feel nervous, like a sudden storm hitting the sea.
However, this time, Yan Ming also didn’t seem to be able to maintain his usual calmness.
When he counted down to five, he suddenly stopped.
“I’ve changed my mind.” The man said calmly, his face thick with audacity. “I can’t wait until five.”
“If you don’t like it, push me away.”
Yan Ming seemed to be very reasonable, but his subsequent addition revealed his bad nature.
“But if you push me away, this old elevator will close automatically without someone holding it, so it will pinch me. Based on our current standing position, it should pinch my hand exactly.”
“So, what to do is up to you.”
“The decision of my hands is in your hands.”
Yan Ming didn’t give Yu Tian a chance to protest or question, because almost the next second, he used both hands to cup Yu Tian’s face and leaned down to kiss her.
And as he said, because he had moved his hand away from blocking the elevator, the old hospital elevator door, clearly dilapidated with age, began to close automatically again.
Yan Ming stood outside the elevator, his hands reaching over the elevator door to cup Yu Tian’s face and kiss her lips.
Yu Tian had no way to push Yan Ming away.
Because her hands had to take over to block the elevator door to prevent it from closing and injuring Yan Ming’s hands or arms.
Yu Tian couldn’t bear the risk of even the slightest injury to the hands of an excellent surgeon.
Especially since these were Yan Ming’s hands.
That hateful Yan Ming hadn’t even listened to her suggestion to buy insurance!
He was doing this on purpose! He was definitely doing this on purpose!
Yu Tian had no way to push him away.
She was like a pitiful victim, not only unable to resist but even having to facilitate the perpetrator, helping the person who had sold her to count the money, even though she wouldn’t get a single cent of it.
Yan Ming seemingly gave her the right to choose democratically and fairly, but in reality, Yu Tian only had one path she could take.
He had made up his mind not to allow Yu Tian to refuse.
It seemed like he was determined to completely implement his unilateral declaration and was set on making her his girlfriend.
However, soon, Yu Tian couldn’t think wildly about anything else.
All her blood and senses seemed to have gone numb. The only things she could still perceive were her own two lips and Yan Ming’s lips and tongue delicately tracing hers.
This kiss only lasted a short while, but Yu Tian felt like it lasted a century.
Her face flushed, and she felt flustered and helpless.
Yu Tian felt like a lonely island surrounded by the ocean, unable to resist or protect herself, forced to allow the tide to repeatedly wash over her secret beaches, gradually eroding her already not vast coastline.
Yan Ming had already let go of her, but his scent still surrounded her.
He gently rested his forehead against Yu Tian’s. “I was wrong. In the future, you won’t need to try hard anymore. I should be the one trying.”
“I will be the one trying hard to compete for the position of your boyfriend, trying so hard that you won’t see anyone else around you and will have no choice but to pick me.”
He had been as calm and rational as a saint before, but now, with a few simple words of confession, Yan Ming became shy and flustered like a primary school student.
His face was slightly flushed, and his voice was a little unnatural due to his nervousness. However, to try to appear calm, he composed his expression, cleared his throat, and tried to return to the appearance of a professional doctor.
“Alright, then I’ll go prepare for the surgery now.”
However, even so, compared to Yu Tian, Yan Ming didn’t look much better.
Perhaps to hide his nervousness, Yan Ming didn’t linger. He turned around directly, as if planning to prepare for the surgery properly first.
Yu Tian endured her nervousness and flushed face, lowering her head to frantically press the button to close the elevator door.
However, that hateful elevator, when it really should close, refused to close.
Yu Tian pressed the button twice in frustration, but it still didn’t close. As a result, when she looked up slightly, she could see Yan Ming’s white coat disappearing from view.
She felt a little unbalanced again. Her own heart was beating so fast it was almost ridiculous, but Yan Ming looked, at least on the surface, so calm.
He had said that being her boyfriend would make him so happy that he would need time to calm down.
Yu Tian felt that she couldn’t see any excitement in Yan Ming at all.
Wasn’t he quite composed?
Clearly not very happy.
Yu Tian fought with the elevator button while muttering to herself. However, when she looked up, she saw Yan Ming, who had just left, returning with a serious and solemn expression, walking towards her.
Was there something else?
Did he also need to go downstairs?
Before Yu Tian could ask anything, Yan Ming walked up to her, cupped her face, and, in Yu Tian’s incredulous gaze, kissed her fiercely again.
“Anyway, the elevator hasn’t closed yet, and there’s still time before the surgery.”
After stopping his domineering behavior, this man was surprisingly assertive.
And at this moment, Yu Tian’s hands subconsciously rested on Yan Ming’s chest. She could finally feel the man’s agitation—hidden beneath his overly calm exterior and his matter-of-fact tone.
He was also experiencing a strong heartbeat, just like Yu Tian.
Because Yan Ming’s heart was also beating too fast.
But he still pretended to be very calm and composed, as a steady surgeon should be.
He glanced at Yu Tian, then looked away. “Alright, this time I’m really leaving.”
“Tonight at six thirty, let’s have dinner together. I’ll text you the location later.”
After speaking, Yan Ming turned and left in a very natural manner. However, his slightly red ears and his previously wildly beating heart had already betrayed his emotions.
The elevator door finally recovered, and soon, after the doors closed, the elevator slowly descended.
It was almost the afternoon working hours at the hospital, and the outpatient hall was already crowded again with people preparing for their appointments, bustling with noise. But Yu Tian seemed unable to hear any of it.
She felt as if she had been sealed in another space by Yan Ming’s kiss, even doubting the reality of it all.
Until the notification sound of her phone pulled Yu Tian back to reality.
【Qi Sihao is a really nice guy】: WTF!!!!
【Qi Sihao is a really nice guy】: WTF WTF WTF!!!!
【Qi Sihao is a really nice guy】: Yu Tian, how can you be so unethical!!! Didn’t you say you treated Yan Ming as an idol and an older brother? Didn’t you say you wanted to be family? But how did it turn into this kind of family where you’ll be sleeping in the same bed?! Do you know your feelings have deteriorated?!
【Qi Sihao is a really nice guy】: Why the hell didn’t you tell me earlier!!! So in the future, do I have to call Yan Ming “brother” too? Can this be considered nepotism in the future? Can you get Yan Ming to give me more days off so I have time to date?
【Qi Sihao is a really nice guy】: You’re too brave, how did you even manage to get Yan Ming... My mood is still fluctuating and unsettled...
Not to mention Qi Sihao, Yu Tian stared at her phone, her heart also unable to calm down for a long time.
Did she really, really get Yan Ming?
Yu Tian touched her chest, feeling like she had to press down hard to stop her heart from escaping her ribcage.
Chapter 51
Yan Ming had a surgery that could calm him down, and Yu Tian also felt that she shouldn’t wallow in it. She should do something to cool her head.
She first went to the police station to give her statement, then returned home.
Regarding Zhao Xinxin’s slander against her at the hospital, accusing her of纠缠 (harassing) her, Yu Tian didn’t plan to let it go. She decided to take her time to plan, find a reliable lawyer, obtain the hospital’s surveillance footage, compile the evidence, and file a lawsuit.
However, before doing so, she couldn’t allow Zhao Xinxin’s interference to disrupt her work plans.
Yu Tian returned to her studio, turned on her computer, and uploaded the newly edited ophthalmology science videos of Yan Ming to her account.
But as soon as Yu Tian logged into her UP account and started uploading the video while intending to handle some private messages, she was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of comments and private messages.
Had another one of her science videos suddenly gone viral?
The traffic was alarming.
Unfortunately, Yu Tian’s surprise didn’t last long. After opening the comment section and private messages, she realized that things weren’t going as she had hoped.
Her account was flooded with insults and personal attacks—
“Scumbag mistress, get out of Earth!”
“What? On one hand, you’re deceiving us online, pretending to be this entrepreneurial independent persona, even claiming you graduated from a medical school, so you got acquainted with many doctors to make these science programs. In reality, you used your job convenience to interfere in a doctor’s relationship and became a mistress. Have some shame!”
“This UP host never shows her face, probably because she isn’t attractive. But damn, she’s quite the flirt. Look at those explicit chat records—it’s shocking!”
“I’ve already reported all her videos. You’re welcome!”
“Can anyone dox her real information? This kind of person deserves to be socially dead in real life too.”
In tandem with the flood of abusive comments and private messages, Yu Tian’s previously uploaded videos were hit with a wave of malicious reports.
It didn’t take much thought for Yu Tian to realize she was under attack orchestrated by Zhao Xinxin.
Yu Tian had planned to finish her work on social media before starting to look for a lawyer to address Zhao Xinxin’s slander and defamation at the hospital. However, she hadn’t expected the old saying to hold true—”The villain always strikes first.” Zhao Xinxin, the main culprit, had already made her move against Yu Tian earlier.
Judging by the timing of the mass abuse, it was clear Zhao Xinxin had been multitasking—causing a scene at the hospital while finding out Yu Tian’s social media account. Not only did she want Yu Tian humiliated in real life, but she also wasn’t letting her off in the virtual world either.
Now, after being ambushed and verbally attacked at the hospital entrance by Zheng Tingfu’s new lover, she might finally realize she had targeted the wrong person. But rumors and scandals spread faster than any clarification. Even if Zhao Xinxin were willing to step forward now and defend Yu Tian, it wouldn’t make much difference. Moreover, Zhao Xinxin herself was in no position to help, given her own troubles, and she harbored hostility towards Yu Tian. Yu Tian couldn’t count on her to take responsibility for her mistakes.
True enough, shortly after Yu Tian uploaded Yan Ming’s video, she found herself under a new wave of attacks—
“She definitely isn’t a professional medical student, and the doctors she claims to know are definitely not professionals either. When have you ever seen doctors this good-looking? Eighty percent chance they’re just hired models or actors. Look at this eye doctor—how is he legal?”
“The male doctor in this eye program could debut as an idol anytime. There was another handsome male doctor in one of her previous science videos too.”
“Doesn’t this woman hook up everywhere? Remember that big UP ‘Paid Leave’ from the neighboring district who promoted her relentlessly? Later, I saw she unfollowed ‘Paid Leave’ after crossing the bridge. After ‘Paid Leave’ promoted her, she never interacted with them again.”
“What an ungrateful wretch!”
“The more you talk about it, the more I suspect this woman has a ‘collector’s complex.’ Just look at those exposed chat records—so explicit!”
With a tight-lipped frown, Yu Tian was scrolling through the comments when she received a call from her platform liaison assistant.
“Little Yu, our platform will host a UP Master awards ceremony this weekend—a small gathering. We’d like to invite you. The entire event will be live-streamed, and there will be some fun icebreaker games where you can meet many top UPs, our platform executives, and some of our partners and suppliers. We’ll also announce a few major strategic partnership signings during the event. All attending UPs will receive traffic support packages for the next year.”
Yu Tian wasn’t keen on showing her face and was about to decline when the assistant seemed to anticipate her response—
“Don’t rush to refuse. I noticed someone recently exposed your real-life identity. This has happened frequently to other UPs on our platform. Last year, a beauty sector UP was falsely accused by her ex-boyfriend of cheating, suffered online exposure, and eventually developed depression due to the pressure. Other signed UPs on our platform have encountered similar situations. Some UPs indeed acted improperly and were exposed, but we’ve found that over half of the UPs didn’t commit the acts they were accused of online, or there were extenuating circumstances, or they were taken out of context.”
“And online trends are always about striking first. People easily form preconceived notions. Frequent exposure not only severely impacts a UP’s account value but also affects the platform’s reputation, which is closely tied to our interests. Therefore, this live-streamed UP gathering will include a segment addressing personal reputation. Big UPs from our legal zone will be present, including several law firm partners. They’ll create a win-win program.”
“A few UPs who have been severely slandered or maliciously exposed recently will attend. Since you’ve also been targeted recently, I wanted to ask if you’d be interested in clarifying the situation.”
The assistant’s wording was careful: “If it’s not true, it’s better to clarify. Our platform has strategic partnerships with the law firms of several legal zone UPs. If you’re willing to participate, we’ll cover the costs of having these law firms handle the infringing statements online. You won’t need to pay anything.”
“If you agree, we’ll provide free legal aid for filing lawsuits against the defamers.”
Yu Tian had no interest in showing her face, partly to protect her privacy. But now, thanks to Zhao Xinxin’s drama, her photos and personal information had already been exposed. At this point, stepping forward bravely to clarify and using legal means to protect her rights might be better than staying silent and handling it discreetly.
Moreover, even without the platform’s help, Yu Tian knew she couldn’t just ignore the situation. She still needed to defend her reputation. Rather than finding a lawyer on her own, it made sense to collaborate with the platform.
After much deliberation, Yu Tian finally nodded.
Although a few netizens who knew the full story or were her former classmates stood up to defend her in the comments, their voices were quickly drowned out by negative information.
If she didn’t stand up for herself and relied solely on others to clarify, it would be even less realistic.
In the end, Yu Tian decided to attend the UP Master awards ceremony hosted by the platform.
Most of the time, staying low-key is a virtue. But sometimes, continuing to stay low-key and not stepping forward to clarify can actually harm oneself.
Even though she agreed to attend the platform’s offline event, her mind wasn’t focused on the ceremony itself. Before that, she was more concerned about her date with Yan Ming tonight.
Unable to resist convention, Yu Tian dressed up nicely, wearing a more eye-catching dress paired with stiletto heels.
The girl in the mirror looked almost妖艳 (seductive).
Yu Tian rarely dressed up like this. After a glance, she regretted it slightly, but there was no time to change.
Not wanting to be late for their first date, Yu Tian braced herself and headed out.
The restaurant Yan Ming chose was the same one where Yu Tian had photoshopped their fake couple picture. Yu Tian arrived early and sat alone, intending to quietly browse the latest menu updates. However, she kept being interrupted.
When Yan Ming arrived, this was the scene he witnessed—
Yu Tian appeared to be politely refusing a man asking for her number, likely for the nth time.
She looked radiant, her long hair styled with playful curls at the ends. Her strikingly beautiful face was balanced with an aura of intellectual elegance. When surprised, her eyes widened like a cat’s—similar to a British Shorthair Yan Ming once owned. Beautiful, but somewhat clueless, lacking the arrogance and aloofness often associated with beauties, and instead appearing rather innocent.
A woman of her caliber was hard to resist based on looks and figure alone.
Sure enough, the man Yu Tian politely declined didn’t give up easily. By the time Yan Ming approached, he could hear the man say—
“Beauty, I don’t mind if you have a boyfriend. I just want to add your contact info and start as friends. If you ever feel your boyfriend isn’t right for you, let me be on your list.”
This was getting intolerable.
Yan Ming walked toward the man, his face stern as he prepared to assert his claim and chase away this clueless man. But before he could speak, Yu Tian instinctively called out to him in surprise—
“Brother Yan Ming!”
Clearly, she hadn’t yet fully broken the habit of calling him “brother.”
But the joy on Yu Tian’s radiant face pleased Yan Ming immensely.
He was about to open his mouth to dismiss the man when the other beat him to it, trying to strike up a conversation—
“Oh? Are you this beauty’s brother? No wonder the whole family has great genes. Brother, you’re really handsome. Are you her biological brother, cousin, or what? Should we share a table?”
“No blood relation, but the kind of ‘brother’ who holds hands, kisses, and hugs. So sharing a table isn’t appropriate.”
The exchange happened in an instant. Before Yu Tian could even open her mouth, Yan Ming calmly and deliberately spoke to the man who had approached them, his dark, calm eyes fixed on him.
The man’s expression turned incredulous. He looked at Yan Ming, then at Yu Tian, seeking confirmation.
Wanting him to leave quickly, Yu Tian simply nodded along with Yan Ming’s words: “Yes, exactly what you’re thinking—a ‘brother’ who sleeps together but has no blood relation.”
The man was utterly stunned. This response was indeed highly effective. He completely stopped pestering and, looking embarrassed, touched his nose and left in defeat.
Only Yu Tian and Yan Ming remained at the table.
Though the earlier comment had been bold, after the man left, Yu Tian grew somewhat awkward. She coughed and started gulping sparkling water.
Unfortunately, Yan Ming didn’t intend to let her off the hook. After ordering their meal and waiting for the dishes to arrive, he sipped his tea and coolly asked, “Sleeping together? Have we slept together? When?”
“…” Yu Tian regretted her earlier bravado.
Blushing, she muttered softly, “What’s the harm in saying it? I just didn’t want to rely on you to rescue me every time. I can handle situations like this on my own.”
Yan Ming glanced at her. “So I’m supposed to be your convenient excuse whenever you need me? Am I getting paid for appearances?”
“Stingy!”
As a result, faced with Yu Tian’s accusations, Yan Ming became quite serious: “You think I’m stingy?”
The disbelief on his face was so obvious that it might as well have been written across his forehead—”I am the most generous man in the universe.”
“You’re not stingy? Then how exactly are you generous?”
Yan Ming seemed to have prepared extensively for this question. Without hesitation, he smoothly replied, “When you bought pajamas for Qi Sihao, I accompanied you, but you only picked something for him and didn’t even think of me. The movie I wanted to see—you didn’t give it a second thought to watch it with me. You’ve already established a relationship with me, kissed me, yet you were still exchanging flirtatious glances with Qi Sihao.”
Yan Ming looked at Yu Tian. “Just by casually thinking about it, I can list so many examples like these. And yet, I’ve been very generous about all of them—no jealousy, no questioning, not even throwing a tantrum. Have I ever complained?”
“...” Isn’t that exactly what you’re doing right now?
However, Yu Tian’s silence clearly failed to bring Yan Ming back to reason. Suddenly recalling something, his expression darkened again, and his tone turned dangerous.
“You once said that when you kissed me, it was purely because your principle is that if someone makes a move on you, you respond in kind. So, if someone kisses you, you kiss back. But at that time, in your mind, I wasn’t your boyfriend. So does that mean that even if the person isn’t your boyfriend, you’d still kiss back?”
Yan Ming paused here, his gaze drifting past Yu Tian as if looking at something else. His tone became casual again. “So, Yu Tian, who else have you kissed?”
He pursed his lips briefly before adding, “I’m just asking casually—I’m not saying I disapprove of you having other relationships before me.”
Yu Tian felt that all her recent unease and uncertainty about Yan Ming—the unspoken fluttering, the indescribable frustration, the lack of confidence and hesitation—all suddenly crumbled away.
Because it was obvious—Yan Ming was jealous.
Resting her chin on her hands, Yu Tian fixed her sparkling eyes on Yan Ming. “Am I pretty?”
Yan Ming was taken aback, clearly not expecting Yu Tian to change the subject so abruptly. He looked a bit uncomfortable, but eventually, under Yu Tian’s steady gaze, he gave in and nodded awkwardly after averting his eyes. “Not bad.”
“Not bad means not pretty,” Yu Tian scolded, grabbing Yan Ming’s head and forcing him to look directly into her eyes. “So do you think I’m not pretty?”
It was as if he had been bewitched; by the time he realized it, the truth had already slipped out.
“Pretty.”
“So when you first saw me, did you feel something unforgettable?”
This time, Yu Tian loosened her grip, allowing him to finally look away. “Hmm.”
“So, don’t you think someone as pretty as me would have had people chasing after me? Would I lack boyfriends?”
Yan Ming pressed his lips together, gazing at Yu Tian.
Yu Tian put on an indifferent expression and said naturally, “So of course I’ve kissed others. Kissed a lot of people.”
She rolled her eyes playfully and looked back at Yan Ming. “I don’t even remember how many people I’ve kissed. You’re not bothered, right?”
“Not bothered. That’s all part of your past relationships. As long as there’s no flirting around while we’re together, I have no right to object.”
But despite his words, Yan Ming’s expression clearly showed he was dying of jealousy. His voice and demeanor became extremely awkward and unnatural.
Yu Tian beckoned him closer with her finger. “Come closer, I’ll tell you a secret.”
Yan Ming pursed his lips and leaned closer.
Fighting the nervousness that made her heart race like a startled deer, Yu Tian quickly leaned in and kissed Yan Ming lightly on the cheek.
Then she moved close to his ear and whispered, “Just kidding.”
Yan Ming froze momentarily.
“I haven’t kissed many people.” Yu Tian blushed and avoided his gaze. “I’ve only kissed you.”
“Only you, from start to finish.”
Yan Ming came to his senses, his face showing some discomfort. He cleared his throat and calmly stated, “There’s no need to explain. I already said I don’t mind.”
Resting her chin on her hands, Yu Tian muttered, “What do you mean, ‘don’t mind’? Your face clearly says you’re dying of jealousy and overthinking.”
She glanced at Yan Ming. “Can’t you be honest?”
“I don’t mind because I respect your past relationships, but I can’t help being jealous. It’s hard to be generous when you really like someone, so maybe I’ve become a little stingy.”
He looked at Yu Tian. “But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“Who told you to be such a cunning little ingrate?”
After saying that, he glanced at Yu Tian again and whispered, “Come closer, I’ll tell you a secret too.”
The restaurant’s lighting deepened the shadows in Yan Ming’s eyes, making them shimmer faintly with star-like brilliance, as if they held the mysteries of the cosmos, drawing one in unconsciously.
Almost instinctively, Yu Tian leaned closer.
And then she saw Yan Ming’s prominent nose bridge approaching her, along with his soft lips.
Without hesitation, Yan Ming cupped her face and gave her a long, deep kiss.
Lips brushed against lips, tongues entwined.
This was what it meant to connect through a kiss.
Yu Tian’s brain went blank, her body going limp and warm.
Still, Yan Ming pushed further, claiming more territory with each passing moment, kissing deeper and deeper.
When he finally released her, he leaned in again to peck her twice.
With a low, satisfied laugh, Yan Ming murmured, “All those before were just kisses. This... this is a real kiss.”
Their eyes met, each seeing their reflection in the other’s gaze. Yu Tian couldn’t help but glance at Yan Ming’s lips, but quickly looked away.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that after the kiss, Yan Ming’s lips seemed fuller, redder, and glossier than usual, as if marking the evidence of her misdeeds.
Even though the air conditioning was on in the restaurant, Yu Tian still felt a bit hot.
She raised her eyes to look at Yan Ming. “How could you do that here? What if someone saw us?”
Although the restaurant wasn’t crowded, and their table wasn’t particularly noticeable, Yu Tian’s heart still raced.
“When I kiss you, I don’t think about those things.”
Yan Ming picked up his glass of water as if to cover his embarrassment. “Because I like you too much. Sometimes, my thoughts aren’t thorough. It’s like liking you makes me stupid and impulsive.”
He looked up at Yu Tian, his tone resigned. “But I guess there’s no better way.”
Yu Tian rested her chin on her hands. “You like me that much, huh?”
Yan Ming averted his gaze, looking both embarrassed and reluctant to answer. But eventually, Yu Tian heard his deep voice murmur, “Mm.”
It sounded like resignation, but Yu Tian found it sweet.
After a moment of thought, she couldn’t resist asking, “Tell me, did you... have inappropriate thoughts about me a long time ago?”
Yan Ming paused, then answered seriously, “Probably you were the one who started it.”
Yan Ming continued, “You’re beautiful, and you know how to charm men. I’m just an ordinary person without much dating experience. It’s only natural that you charmed me.”
Yu Tian had asked casually, but Yan Ming’s response made her take it more seriously. “When did I ever charm you? Clearly, you were the one who made the first move! Spending so much money at the auction to win a ride with me—you were the one doing all the flirting, weren’t you?”
Yan Ming widened his eyes slightly. “Didn’t you almost get hit by a motorcycle because of me? A woman willing to do that for you doesn’t just walk away saying she has no feelings for you. Can you honestly believe that? Don’t tell me you didn’t fantasize about it. Back then, did you really have no feelings for me?”
“Even if the photoshopped couple picture was just for a discount at the restaurant, and even if bringing me meals was because you thought my mom and your dad hadn’t broken up yet, risking your life for me can’t simply be explained by parental connections, right?”
Yu Tian spoke with righteous indignation. “No, I didn’t!”
Heaven and earth could attest—Yu Tian truly hadn’t!
“At that time, I just instinctively wanted to protect your hand! You’re such a great doctor—I couldn’t bear to see your hand injured, especially since your surgery patients were all queued up waiting for you! Even if it had been another male doctor, like Dr. Jiang Yuming, I would’ve done the same thing! After all, if I get injured, I can recover easily since I can’t perform surgeries anyway, but your injury would greatly affect your patients! And you still refused to listen to me about getting hand insurance!”
“So you risked your life just for my hand?”
Yan Ming sounded incredulous, his voice tinged with frustration. “Yu Tian, are you saying you didn’t charm me, and I was the one imagining things?”
“Well... I guess you could say that...”
Yu Tian thought Yan Ming might get a little upset, but instead, he just chuckled softly.
“The value of my hand and Jiang Yuming’s hand isn’t the same. There are plenty of doctors who can replace Jiang Yuming in orthopedic surgeries, but for such delicate eye surgeries, there are hardly any substitutes for me in Rong City. Plus, I’m younger than doctors of the same skill level.”
“So, my hand is worth more, right?”
As he spoke, Yan Ming captured Yu Tian’s hand on the table, slowly interlacing his fingers with hers in a ten-finger clasp.
“You’ll have to make sure I take good care of my hand,” Yan Ming said earnestly. “After all, I’m a busy doctor, and sometimes I can be careless. Having someone around to remind me constantly will help me use my hands to better serve my patients.”
Yan Ming was full of tricks, one after another.
But Yu Tian couldn’t deny that she willingly fell for every single one of them.
“Sorry to interrupt, but we recently launched a couple’s flower promotion. Just leave a romantic message in this notebook, and you can pick a bouquet for free...”
The waiter pushed a small flower cart forward but paused upon recognizing Yu Tian and Yan Ming. “Oh? You two?” She immediately grew flustered. “I’m sorry for interrupting.”
Given the extraordinary attractiveness of the two protagonists, the waiter vividly remembered the previous mix-up, nearly recalling the photoshopped couple incident at the mere sight of their faces.
“I originally wanted to recommend tonight’s couple’s set menu, but if you’re not a couple, we also have family or friendship dessert sets with discounts, 20% off!”
“No need for the family or friendship sets.”
The waiter was about to detail the menu options when Yan Ming interrupted her first. “We’re a couple.”
He lifted their intertwined hands. “This time, we’re officially a couple.”
The waiter paused, then smiled and offered her blessings. “You two make such a perfect match! Sir, leave a romantic message in our notebook, and you can choose a bouquet for the lady—it’s free!”
The flowers on the cart were fresh, including a single red rose. Yu Tian shyly waited for Yan Ming to choose the rose for her.
To her surprise, Yan Ming bypassed the rose and selected a sunflower bouquet instead.
Yu Tian stared blankly as she accepted the sunflowers.
Why not a rose?
Who gives sunflowers to their girlfriend?
Unheard of!
By the time she snapped out of it, Yan Ming had already signed the message, and the waiter had left after offering another blessing.
Soon, the red rose was chosen by a man at another table for his girlfriend.
Yu Tian looked at the sunflowers, feeling a bit dejected. Who wouldn’t want to be a vibrant red rose?
Aren’t red roses the standard gift for girlfriends?
But seeing Yan Ming’s oblivious expression, she didn’t dare to complain.
Staring at the bright yellow flower heads in her arms, Yu Tian fell into self-doubt.
Did he give her sunflowers because he thought her mind was filled with dirty thoughts?
Though she had indeed stolen glances at Yan Ming several times and vividly recalled his appearance after stepping out of the shower... but... but it was just imagination!
And now that Yan Ming was officially her boyfriend, what was illegal about that?
Besides, Yan Ming’s physique was excellent—well-proportioned, tall, healthy, muscular but not exaggerated. The glimpse of his abs earlier was incredibly sexy and alluring, paired with his aloof, cold demeanor, creating an irresistible illusion...
Yu Tian decided she needed to stop.
Thinking further would be dangerous.
She couldn’t let herself spiral into mental chaos just because Yan Ming gave her yellow sunflowers!
Perhaps Yan Ming simply preferred sunflowers? After all, during her last stay at his place, there was a sunflower bouquet in the guest room.
Fortunately, by the time they began eating, Yu Tian had adjusted her mood and was cheerful again.
She had already won Yan Ming over—what more could she ask for?
The restaurant’s atmosphere was lovely. Recalling the earlier mix-up here, Yu Tian couldn’t help but chuckle. When Yan Ming went to the cashier in the center of the restaurant to pay, she stood near the entrance, waiting.
The couple’s flower event had clearly ended, and the notebook for romantic messages had returned to the front desk.
Though it was meant for romantic notes, Yu Tian knew most entries were casual. When she had flipped through it last time, most were either funny like hers or simple and universal phrases like “I love you.”
She didn’t expect Yan Ming to write anything profound in such a short time. Somehow, his personality didn’t seem suited to crafting moving love phrases.
She flipped through the pages absentmindedly, not expecting any surprises.
Thus, when Yan Ming’s familiar handwriting caught her eye, Yu Tian froze completely.
Like a summer breeze rustling through a forest, stirring every branch and leaf, her heart trembled like leaves touched by the wind at the sight of that line.
Suddenly, she understood why Yan Ming had chosen sunflowers for her.
Because he wrote—
“You are my sun, and I am your sunflower. The moment you appeared, I promised to never take my eyes off you.”
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