PDGUT - 6

Yu Tian desperately wanted to convince herself that none of this had happened.

She hadn’t been taking a casual stroll near the hospital in shabby clothes, and Yan Ming hadn’t seen her.

Perhaps because she was so intent on pretending not to know him, Yu Tian’s limbs seemed to act on their own. Whether to relieve her embarrassment or succumb to the pressure from the dancing aunties around her, she blankly continued dancing—stiff-faced and resolute—for another ten minutes without looking away.

If Yan Ming understood social etiquette, he would have discreetly left in such a situation.

Unfortunately, Yan Ming didn’t.

Because just as Yu Tian began panting from exhaustion, she heard his infuriatingly calm voice.

“Stop dancing.”

“You’re four beats behind everyone else.”

This man still stood nearby, quietly observing Yu Tian.

“...”

Yu Tian tried to rationalize things internally, focusing on the positives. At least this was a successful encounter, and since Yan Ming had called out to her, it might even be a sign that he wanted to improve their relationship.

With this thought, some of Yu Tian’s earlier embarrassment faded.

She stepped out of the square dance group and pretended to notice Yan Ming for the first time, exclaiming with feigned enthusiasm and surprise: “Brother Yan Ming! What a coincidence! Are you just getting off work?”

“Yes, I’m heading to the parking lot.”

Yu Tian was drenched in sweat from dancing, but at Yan Ming’s words, she suddenly felt nervous again.

What Yan Ming said likely implied that he intended to give her a ride.

That must be why he had called out to her and waited patiently by the side.

However, while the dim lighting of the park at night could obscure her embarrassing attire, there would be no hiding once they were inside a car… And after such vigorous dancing, she probably looked utterly disheveled.

Just as Yu Tian hesitated between finding an excuse to decline or seizing the opportunity to grow closer, she heard Yan Ming’s cool voice—

“It’s late. I’ll head back now. Goodbye.”

Without another glance at Yu Tian, he turned around and walked away decisively.

??

Yu Tian was utterly baffled. “…Wait!”

She called out to Yan Ming but then faltered, unsure what to say next, her words coming out stammered: “You stopped me earlier… Did you need something?”

Yan Ming paused briefly before replying calmly, “No, I just wanted to confirm something.”

Yu Tian grew slightly tense. She lowered her head, her voice softening: “Confirm what?”

“To make sure my eyes and brain were functioning properly.”

“Huh?”

“I’d just finished a surgery when I suddenly saw you dressed... unusually, and then you abruptly joined the square dance group. I thought I might be hallucinating from fatigue, so I came over to check.”

Yan Ming gave Yu Tian a faint smile. “Now that I know it’s you, everything’s fine.”

It’s fine for you, but not for me…

He glanced at her. “Keep dancing. I won’t disturb you further. I’m leaving now.”

“...”

Yu Tian only froze for a second before rushing after him, calling out to stop him.

Summoning her courage, she forced a natural tone: “Since we’ve met by chance, and our parents are dating, it shows we have a connection. Why don’t we exchange WeChat? In case our families hang out together in the future, it’ll be convenient to stay in touch…”

Since Yan Ming had already recognized her despite her embarrassing appearance, there was no point in feeling humiliated without purpose. Remembering her bold promise to her mother, Yu Tian mustered her courage.

This was her second attempt.

To her disappointment, Yan Ming rejected her again—smoothly and without hesitation.

“No need,” he said firmly. “Our parents’ romantic issues aren’t something their children should interfere with.”

He glanced at her. “We can talk about it later.”

Yu Tian bit her lip. “Even if our parents don’t end up together, we can still get to know each other.”

Unyielding this time, Yu Tian persisted, determined to add Yan Ming on WeChat. She reasoned earnestly: “Besides, we graduated from the same school and work in related fields. We might be able to help each other in the future…”

But Yan Ming remained unmoved, his expression indifferent. “My high school classmates who want to add me on WeChat for free medical advice always say the same thing.”

“But aside from asking me—an ophthalmologist—to solve everything from their family member’s stroke to their own constipation, they’ve never offered me any help.”

At this, he glanced at Yu Tian and summarized succinctly: “I don’t think I’ll need your help.”

“...”

“Go back to dancing. I’m leaving now. Goodbye.”

“...”

By the time Yu Tian snapped out of her daze, Yan Ming had already left, leaving her with a shrinking figure retreating into the distance.

“He’s too cold-hearted! Don’t you think he’s completely unapproachable? This is why idols lose their luster when you get close to them!”

After hearing about Yu Tian’s little mishap tonight, Qi Sihao put on an exaggerated air of judgment before launching into self-praise: “That’s why, though I’m not an idol, I’m approachable, gentle, and polite…”

“What do you know?!” Yu Tian shot him a glare. “Is Brother Yan Ming being cold-hearted? No—he’s just disciplined and principled. Think about it: as a doctor who also happens to be incredibly attractive, how many patients must ask him for his WeChat every day? If he didn’t know how to refuse, wouldn’t he end up turning into a free online clinic?”

She rolled her eyes at Qi Sihao. “Imagine if he responded to every inquiry without knowing the patient’s full condition—he might give incorrect advice and harm someone. But if he doesn’t respond, patients might think he’s a bad doctor and hold it against him in the future!”

Though she felt embarrassed about being rejected, Yu Tian still firmly believed Yan Ming had done nothing wrong.

She glanced at Qi Sihao. “You’ll start your rotation at the First Affiliated Hospital next Monday. When that happens, you’ll understand—everything Brother Yan Ming does makes sense!”

“Yes, yes, yes! Keep praising him once you’ve added him on WeChat!”

Both Yu Tian and her mother were excellent cooks, and because they were neighbors, Qi Sihao had often shamelessly invited himself over for meals since childhood.

Before Yu Tian could react, he swiftly snatched the last pork chop from the plate and fled back to his house before she could hit him.

After the square dance incident, Yu Tian dressed neatly and went for several more walks near the First Affiliated Hospital, but unfortunately, she never ran into Yan Ming again.

However, she soon became busy with her own projects.

The live-streamed session on making diabetic-friendly pastries had been so well-received that Yu Tian followed up with several more episodes focused on therapeutic cooking. The results were quite impressive.

Although Yu Tian hadn’t managed to win Yan Ming over yet, Song Chunxiang and Yan Wenhua were growing closer.

Every evening, they spent over an hour chatting on the phone.

Yu Tian noticed that her mother smiled more often these days, even humming tunes while doing household chores.

But tonight’s call brought a worried look to Song Chunxiang’s face—

“Yan Ming is sick? Is it serious? Don’t panic. Didn’t you say you were traveling for a big contract bidding? The bidding is tomorrow—how can you abandon it at this critical moment and come back?”

“If you don’t mind, send me his address. I’ll go check on him for you. You can rest assured; I’m here to help.”

Yan Ming is sick?!

Almost as soon as Song Chunxiang hung up, Yu Tian jumped up: “Mom, what’s going on?”

“Yan Wenhua’s son fell ill after several surgeries and night shifts. It’s acute gastroenteritis, and he’s lying at home. Stubbornly insisting he’s a doctor, he refuses to listen to his father and won’t go to the hospital.”

Song Chunxiang shook her head repeatedly. “You kids are always like this, giving your parents endless worries.”

As she spoke, she began changing her clothes.

“So you’re going to take care of Yan Wenhua’s son for him?”

“Yes. He just called Yan Ming, but Yan Ming hasn’t answered for an hour. Since he lives alone with no one around, Yan Wenhua is worried something might happen. I’ll go check on him. Do we have any gastrointestinal medication at home? Hurry and bring it to me—I’ll take it over.”

For reasons she couldn’t explain, Yu Tian instinctively grabbed her mother’s bag.

“Mom, let me go instead!”

Yu Tian reasoned confidently: “You barely know him—it’d be awkward for you.”

Song Chunxiang gave her a skeptical look. “And do you know him well?”

“I may not know him well either, but I’m younger and graduated from the same school. I’ll definitely have more topics to talk about with him than you would. Let me go instead.”

“And if he hasn’t answered the phone for an hour, who knows—he might have passed out. Acute gastroenteritis can even lead to complications like myocarditis, which can be life-threatening. As a medical school graduate, I’m better equipped to handle emergencies than you. Taking care of a patient won’t be a problem for me!”

Though Song Chunxiang hesitated for a moment, she eventually agreed that Yu Tian was right. Her own position was awkward—she was someone who might become Yan Ming’s stepmother in the future. If she showed up, she might unintentionally add stress to the sick man. It really would be more appropriate for Yu Tian to go instead.

With her mother’s repeated instructions ringing in her ears, Yu Tian took the spare medication and followed the address to Yan Ming’s residential complex.

This was one of the most luxurious real estate developments in Rong City, featuring large, spacious garden apartments with an extremely low plot ratio. Backed by mountains and facing a lake, lush greenery stretched endlessly into the distance, merging seamlessly with the vast expanse of water. The entire neighborhood resembled a giant green garden.

It seemed Yan Ming’s family background truly lived up to what her mother had described—it was undoubtedly affluent.

But hearing that Yan Ming had acute gastroenteritis and hadn’t been reachable for nearly an hour, Yu Tian had no time to admire the landscaping or reflect on Yan Ming’s privileged circumstances.

The community was enormous, and her steps were so hurried they almost turned into a jog. All she wanted was to confirm Yan Ming’s safety as soon as possible.

When Yu Tian finally arrived at Yan Ming’s door, breathless after taking the elevator, she rang the doorbell and knocked repeatedly—but there was no response from inside.

Could something serious have happened?

Yu Tian tried calling Yan Ming again.

The result was the same as Yan Wenhua’s experience—no one answered.

She waited a little longer at the door, but still, there was no reaction from inside.

At this point, Yu Tian began to feel genuinely anxious.

She quickly pulled out her phone. Fortunately, Yan Ming’s front door was equipped with a fingerprint and password electronic lock. Yan Wenhua, worried about his son, had already sent the password to Yu Tian’s mother in advance.

Trembling slightly, Yu Tian entered the code. When she heard the lock click open, she didn’t hesitate for a second and rushed inside—

“Brother Yan Ming! Are you alri—”

Yu Tian’s words caught in her throat before she could finish. The instant she looked up, she was stunned speechless by the scene before her. The word “right” completely died on her lips.

Instead of the life-threatening fainting victim she had imagined, Yan Ming stood there shirtless, wrapped in a bath towel, drying his still-damp hair with another towel.

He appeared to have just come out of the shower. He stared at Yu Tian at the door for a full minute before snapping back to reality.

“Yu Tian?”

Yan Ming frowned slightly. His freshly washed hair hung straight down, some strands falling messily over his face, softening his usually sharp and aloof gaze. This gave him an illusion of warmth.

In the moment Yu Tian realized what she was seeing, she instinctively closed her eyes, adhering to the principle of not looking at what shouldn’t be seen .

She knew she shouldn’t look.

But it was hard to erase the vivid impression left by such a strong visual impact.

And once her eyes were closed, her imagination seemed to take flight.

Images flashed through Yu Tian’s mind: socialist core values, Yan Ming’s chest muscles, abs, and V-cut lines, socialist core values, then Yan Ming’s chest muscles, abs, and V-cut lines, repeating endlessly until her thoughts were consumed entirely by Yan Ming’s physique.

Underneath his clothes, he appeared perfectly normal, but now Yu Tian realized just how incredible his body was.

Her face grew hotter with every runaway thought, and she felt like a prisoner guilty of a capital crime, having desecrated her idol.

Without sight, her other senses became heightened.

Yu Tian heard Yan Ming turn and retreat into his room. A short while later, she heard him walking back in slippers.

She forced herself to stay calm and natural. “Can I open my eyes now?”

“Yes.”

Yu Tian opened her eyes again.

Yan Ming had changed into casual loungewear. He sat on the sofa, holding a bottle of soda water in one hand, drinking from it, while the other hand rested loosely by his side. His fingers were long and pale, yet the subtle texture hinted at strength. As he swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbed, making Yu Tian unconsciously feel parched.

She instinctively averted her gaze.

The heat of the situation made her increasingly restless and uneasy. Lowering her head, she focused on the floor.

Clearing her throat, she reassured Yan Ming, “You can rest assured—I’ve already forgotten everything I just saw! I’m known for having a terrible memory!”

Yan Ming said nothing, only glancing at Yu Tian briefly. Then he finished his soda water in one gulp and lazily tossed the empty can toward the corner trash bin.

The can landed perfectly in the bin with a clean arc.

At the same time, Yan Ming’s calm voice echoed—

“A girl, 18 years old. Her right foot sole was punctured by a nail. After debridement, the wound healed. Six days later, she developed fever, cough, difficulty chewing, excessive phlegm, localized muscle tension, followed by frequent limb convulsions unresponsive to sedatives. What immediate treatment should be taken to ensure the patient’s safety?”

Without hesitation, Yu Tian blurted out, “Tracheotomy.”

“What are the normal reference values for red blood cells and hemoglobin in adult males?”

“4.0-5.5×10¹²/L, 120-160g/L.”

Yu Tian answered instinctively, but afterward, she couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Was Yan Ming testing her medical knowledge? These were all high-frequency questions from clinical medicine final exams!

Before she could say anything, Yan Ming glanced at her. “So how can I believe you’ll forget?”

His tone remained level. “No one who graduated from our medical school has a bad memory.”

“...”

Yu Tian raised her head, glaring at Yan Ming, though she dared not speak.

This guy actually used tricks against her!

Yan Ming seemed to sense Yu Tian’s glare. His voice was indifferent. “Learning from the enemy to counter them. Isn’t that what you said? Be honest, and I won’t need to use the tricks I learned from you.”

Yu Tian gritted her teeth and stared at the carpet. “As medical students, whether male or female bodies, we don’t find them mysterious or exciting to look at. Even though I saw you, it was as calm as looking at a cadaver teacher.”

Though Yu Tian believed she was speaking the truth, her ears and face burned uncontrollably, as if she were telling a whopper.

Yan Ming was indeed an excellent medical student, observant to the smallest details.

“If your heart is so tranquil, why are your ears so red?”

Yu Tian wanted to compliment Yan Ming on his keen observation but hoped he wouldn’t continue scrutinizing her.

She argued weakly, “It’s because it’s quite warm here. The ambient temperature is high, causing capillary congestion in my ears, which makes them red.”

Yu Tian dryly added, “It’s mainly due to the temperature difference.”

To validate her explanation, she had to pretend to fan her ears.

Yan Ming didn’t comment on Yu Tian’s excuse. He merely furrowed his brow slightly and shifted his gaze, calmly advising in his deep voice, “Regardless, forget what you saw earlier.”

Yan Ming’s voice was cold, but Yu Tian noticed his ears were also red.

Almost involuntarily, Yu Tian heard herself foolishly say, “Your ears are red too...”

Yan Ming pressed his lips together and glared at Yu Tian, succinctly uttering two words, “Temperature difference.”

Yes, yes, temperature difference, definitely the temperature difference.

Soon, Yan Ming changed the subject, “Why are you here?”

“Uncle Yan said you were very ill and couldn’t reach you. He’s out of town and worried about you, so he gave me the door code and asked me to check on you. I didn’t mean to barge in like that.”

Yu Tian stammered through her explanation, “It’s just that calling you, knocking on the door, and ringing the bell didn’t work, so I got worried that you might have fainted...”

She cautiously glanced at Yan Ming a few times, “But now I see your stomach seems fine, and you’re even drinking cold soda water...”

Yan Ming lowered his gaze and spoke in a calm voice, “I’m fine. Please apologize to my father for troubling you to come over.”

Yu Tian observed Yan Ming carefully. He indeed didn’t seem sick, and judging from his physique, he wasn’t frail. Moreover, a doctor capable of enduring lengthy surgeries and over thirty hours of shifts surely couldn’t be physically weak.

So why did he claim to have acute gastroenteritis?

Yu Tian probed gently, “So you’re not sick? You lied?”

Yan Ming’s expression momentarily faltered but quickly regained composure. He didn’t want to elaborate further but tacitly admitted to lying, ending the topic succinctly and ambiguously.

“There were some special reasons.”

Lying for special reasons?

Upon hearing this, Yu Tian suddenly had an epiphany.

Perhaps Yan Ming pretended to be sick to make Yan Wenhua anxious, much like children feign illness to attract their parents’ attention!

Especially at this critical juncture, with Yan Wenhua and her mother hitting it off, Yan Ming, who had always relied solely on his father, must have harbored concerns about the future. Fearing he’d become an outsider in a new family if his father remarried, he resorted to seeking attention in various ways.

Yu Tian, having grown up in a single-parent household, could somewhat understand Yan Ming’s complicated and indescribable mindset.

Suddenly, it felt as if the distance between her and Yan Ming had narrowed.

And almost as if to confirm Yu Tian’s current thoughts, Yan Ming stood up and glanced at the time. “It’s about dinner time. Since you’ve come all this way, let me order takeout, and we can have a meal together.”

“No need,” Yu Tian politely declined. “It’s peak delivery time now—ordering takeout would be slower than making a simple meal at home.”

She was just about to suggest that she could prepare something when Yan Ming spoke.

“The only thing I can make at home is a very simple lunch...”

“I don’t mind! Simple is fine!”

Her idol personally cooking for her! How could she possibly object?

She was thrilled!

Besides, sharing a meal was an important way to build rapport.

However, Yu Tian didn’t want to burden Yan Ming entirely, so she offered, “Do you need any help? I can assist with some tasks.”

Yan Ming replied succinctly, “No need.”

Yu Tian smiled sheepishly. “Then I’ll bother you.”

After saying that, Yan Ming quickly walked into the kitchen.

Suppressing her excitement, Yu Tian immediately pulled out her phone to start bragging to Qi Sihao—

“My idol is personally making me lunch! Look how considerate Yan Ming is! Not only does he excel academically, but he’s also someone who knows how to live well and has domestic skills. And then there are some people who can’t cook but still eat every day, always mooching off others without ever reciprocating or showing gratitude by cooking a meal for me!”

Yu Tian had a plethora of glowing adjectives and phrases ready to praise Yan Ming, but before she could put these one-upping remarks to use, Yan Ming emerged from the kitchen.

“It’s ready.” He glanced at Yu Tian. “It’s quite simple.”

So fast?!

No wonder he was such an accomplished doctor—his actions were incredibly efficient!

Yu Tian expressed her admiration: “It’s no problem at all! I usually eat simply too. You’re amazing—how did you manage to whip up a simple lunch so quickly? Your movements are so swift! No wonder our teachers always praised you, saying your experiments were both precise and highly efficient…”

However, Yu Tian’s words trailed off as soon as she saw the two bowls of instant noodles Yan Ming brought out.

When Yan Ming said “simple meal,” Yu Tian had imagined something like scrambled eggs with tomatoes...

But what was before her eyes…was perhaps a bit too simple, wasn’t it?

Yan Ming, however, seemed perfectly justified. “Beef noodle soup—I fried an egg, boiled some greens, and added the beef bits from the seasoning packet. It’s quite balanced nutritionally.”

Indeed, on top of the red broth of Master Kong Beef Noodle Soup floated a few strands of green vegetables and a poached egg.

It could be considered a mix of meat and vegetables.

Yu Tian believed in being content—it was still instant noodles prepared by her idol.

But just after finishing the noodles, Yu Tian heard the sound of the doorbell ringing—

“Yan Ming, are you home?”

Accompanying the doorbell was a female voice—gentle yet crisp, tinged with anxiety.

Yu Tian’s eyes widened as she looked at Yan Ming. “Who is it? Did you have a visitor scheduled for today?”

Yan Ming’s lips pressed into a thin line.

“She’s the person I was supposed to meet today for a blind date.”

He glanced at Yu Tian. “This lunch was supposed to be with her.”

Calmly and deliberately, he continued, “But I fell ill with acute gastroenteritis.”

Yan Ming’s handsome eyes fixed on Yu Tian. “You know, right? The kind that’s severe enough to prevent me from leaving the house.”

“...”

“So you, as my…sister, came to check on me.”

“...”

Yan Ming coolly glanced at the bucket of instant noodles in front of him and then at the one in front of Yu Tian, both of which were now left with only red broth and some scallions.

“People with acute gastroenteritis need to fast and replenish electrolytes, so if these two bowls are discovered, they’ll assume someone with a big appetite—you—ate them.”

“...”