PDGUT - 9

Yan Ming remained silent, his lips pressed together. He didn’t ask Yu Tian any questions, simply leading her away from the anniversary celebration and toward Rong Medical University’s most famous romantic spot—”The Edge of Heaven and Earth.”

“The Edge of Heaven and Earth” wasn’t by the sea but rather on the edge of a small freshwater lake in Rong City. Though it was just a modest lake, it still appeared vast and expansive to those who stood before it.

The university had built a walking path along the lakeside, where students could take morning or evening strolls to enjoy the scenery. Some sections of the path were flanked by dense greenery, offering both natural freshness and sufficient privacy. Over time, this area became known as the campus’s “romantic haven,” earning its poetic nickname.

Yan Ming brought Yu Tian to the part of the path that was open and directly facing the lake, without any foliage for cover.

Here, there was no more noise, no prying eyes, no external emotions or gazes.

Only the wind, the sunlight, and faint strains of distant background music drifting over from the gymnasium—but it felt like it came from another world.

Before Yu Tian stretched a sea of green grass, a wide expanse of blue water reflecting golden light, and a wooden walkway underfoot.

And beside her stood Yan Ming—silent, calm, and seemingly unreachable.

He still looked unapproachable.

But Yu Tian felt sunlight spilling over him, softening his silhouette into something serene and luminous. All other sounds and sensations seemed far away.

In Yu Tian’s eyes, Yan Ming was the only source of light, like the sun shining gently in the darkness—not blinding, but warm.

His silence and lack of inquiry made Yu Tian feel compelled to speak.

“That day, it was purely because he kept inviting me. He happened to be on duty at the outpatient clinic and probably wanted me to see him looking professional in his white coat. He insisted I come find him after his morning shift so we could have lunch together.”

Yu Tian took a deep breath: “I didn’t want to go at first, but since I was working on a medical science outreach program, I thought about doing an episode related to pediatrics. Since he was rotating through pediatrics, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to go and learn more about it. So I went.”

“The person who caused the disturbance wasn’t from Rong City—he came from a remote rural area. His family was extremely poor. His daughter was born with a cleft lip and palate, and his wife had left him long ago. He worked tirelessly to raise his child and saved up money to bring her to Rong City for corrective surgery. But during the operation, blood entered her trachea—a simple procedure turned fatal, and the child passed away.”

Yu Tian avoided looking at Yan Ming, instead gazing out at the lake: “That day was the seventh day after his child’s death. He had lost everything. After drinking, he stormed into the hospital and randomly chose a consultation room—the one Zheng Tingfu happened to be in.”

“In fact, the morning consultations had already ended, leaving only one last young patient waiting for their father to return with test results. I initially planned to wait outside the consultation room, but Zheng Tingfu insisted I come in…”

After the accident, in an attempt to escape her trauma, Yu Tian rarely spoke directly about her hand. Song Chunxiang and Qi Sihao had tacitly avoided the topic as well.

Over time, Yu Tian convinced herself she had forgotten. But now, she realized she hadn’t—it wasn’t something that could be so easily erased.

Every detail from that day replayed endlessly in her mind as she lay in the hospital bed after waking from surgery. She tortured herself by reviewing every second, blaming herself obsessively, searching for evidence of how she might have avoided the catastrophe.

The shouting, struggling, crying—all the chaos accompanied by panic and terror—had haunted her ever since.

Yu Tian’s voice began to tremble involuntarily, and her left hand protectively covered her right: “When the troublemaker burst in wielding a knife, I didn’t even register what was happening. But Zheng Tingfu saw the knife almost immediately and fled within seconds. I… I should’ve been able to run too. But the man was completely hysterical. When he saw the child in the consultation room, he nearly attacked them.”

“What if I had left? What would’ve happened to that child?”

Even recalling the moment now sent chills down Yu Tian’s spine.

Her right hand had healed, yet she could still vividly feel the searing pain of the blade slicing through her skin.

“He raised the knife…”

“Yu Tian.”

Yan Ming’s voice cut in—calm and composed. “Stop talking.”

He looked at her with the innate compassion and gentleness of a doctor: “I understand. You don’t need to say anymore.”

“It’s alright now.”

Though his tone carried a cold edge, his words were gentle.

“It’s all in the past.”

Yu Tian hadn’t cried when she was rushed to the hospital after being injured, nor when she woke up in the ICU, nor when she learned her right hand would never perform delicate tasks again. She hadn’t shed tears when she gave up further studies at Rong Medical University or when she was forced to change her dreams and career plans.

But now, Yu Tian felt like a slow-reacting child who had ignored warnings and punishments due to stubbornness and shortsightedness, only realizing the consequences later. The delayed pain hit her hard.

She tried to hold back, but before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face uncontrollably.

Embarrassed, Yu Tian coughed awkwardly and attempted to explain in a slightly hoarse, tear-filled voice:

“There’s a lot of wind by the lake—it must be making my eyes water.”

“If your eyes are watering, it could be viral or bacterial conjunctivitis, corneal abrasion, or even an ulcer on the cornea or conjunctiva…”

“...”

Yan Ming shifted his gaze toward the lake: “If you need it, you can make an appointment with me.”

“...”

“But my appointments aren’t easy to get, and I won’t prioritize you. You’ll have to wake up early to grab one.”

“...”

Yu Tian had been feeling melancholic, but now she grew puzzled.

“Brother Yan Ming, isn’t this usually how people comfort others? Or if you don’t want to comfort me, you could just follow my lead and change the subject…”

Yan Ming paused, his expression turning serious and troubled: “I’m not very good at this.”

“But you’re a doctor. Don’t you instinctively offer some comforting words to your patients?”

Yan Ming pursed his lips: “I’m very skilled at comforting patients. But are you sure you need that kind of comfort?”

Yan Ming didn’t seem like someone who should be consoling her, especially since he still had to give a speech as a distinguished guest at the anniversary event.

Yu Tian couldn’t quite describe her emotions. It felt like a fire smoldering inside her chest.

Biting her lip, she looked at Yan Ming and nodded: “Okay, then that kind of comfort will do.”

“I usually tell my patients: ‘Don’t worry, your eyesight isn’t gone, and it won’t go.’” Yan Ming paused. “But somehow, I feel like saying that to you wouldn’t be appropriate.”

“?”

“Don’t you think your judgment… is somewhat flawed?”

“...”

Yan Ming pursed his lips: “Your boyfriend—regardless of character—don’t you think, at least in terms of appearance, he’s nothing special? He’s younger than me, yet his hairline is already receding. Don’t you think balding is a significant genetic disadvantage for someone in medicine?”

“How am I supposed to know about his thinning hair?” Yu Tian exclaimed, exasperated. “I’m shorter than him—I can’t see the top of his head!”

Suddenly forgetting her earlier sadness, Yu Tian puffed up indignantly: “And let me clarify—I never said Zheng Tingfu was my boyfriend!”

Yan Ming corrected himself smoothly: “Oh, sorry, I forgot. He’s your ex-boyfriend. Your current boyfriend is Qi Sihao.”

“...”

Yu Tian rubbed her temples: “Let me clarify again—Zheng Tingfu is not my ex-boyfriend, and Qi Sihao is not my boyfriend!”

Yan Ming blinked: “You switch boyfriends so quickly? Has Qi Sihao already been replaced?”

“...”

Yu Tian felt utterly defeated: “Have you considered that neither of them has ever been my boyfriend—or ex-boyfriend?”

She muttered under her breath: “My taste isn’t that bad. If I were to introduce someone else, I’d at least pair them with you. There’s no way I’d settle for someone inferior for myself.”

“Zheng Tingfu was deluding himself. As for Qi Sihao, he’s just a friend and neighbor. Last time, I pretended to be his girlfriend to help him reject a persistent admirer. If you asked me to date Qi Sihao, I’d refuse even if you paid me. He eats like a bottomless pit and mooches off my family constantly…”

“...”

“But just now, thank you so much—for everything.”

Yu Tian’s gratitude was heartfelt. Then, cautiously, she glanced at Yan Ming: “By the way, can I call you Brother Yan Ming again? Calling you ‘Senior’ makes me associate the term with scumbags like Zheng Tingfu…”

Yan Ming frowned: “What does ‘scumbag’ have to do with me?”

Yu Tian carefully phrased her response: “Do you want the truth or a lie?”

Just by looking at her, Yan Ming already guessed she wouldn’t say anything nice.

He calmly replied: “You’d better not say anything.”

Yu Tian protested: “But I haven’t said anything yet!”

Yan Ming remained expressionless: “Knowing you, you were about to say I look like a scumbag.”

“...”

Yu Tian flushed awkwardly and struggled to defend herself: “That’s indirect praise for your looks! Would you prefer I call you honest? In modern society, ‘honest’ isn’t exactly a compliment!”

Yu Tian tugged at the hem of her shirt: “Besides, if you had to choose between being an honest person or a scumbag, wouldn’t you rather be the scumbag?”

Yan Ming calmly looked at her: “I’d choose to be a normal person.”

After saying that, he glanced at the time: “It’s almost my turn to go on stage. I’ll head over now.”

“I’ll walk with you, Brother Yan Ming!”

Yu Tian decided not to hold back anymore. She shamelessly trailed after him, step by step: “Actually, ever since I was little, I’ve dreamed of having an older brother.”

This was genuinely how Yu Tian felt.

For some reason, whenever she was around Yan Ming, she always acted somewhat reserved.

But perhaps it was because Yan Ming bending down to tie her shoelaces had unlocked something deep inside her—like the key to a safe.

Yu Tian suddenly realized that even someone as otherworldly as Yan Ming was still a real person who existed in her life. He wasn’t untouchable; they could truly become friends—or even siblings.

Yu Tian was naturally lively, and with this subtle shift in her mindset, her entire attitude toward Yan Ming became more familiar and bold. She loosened up significantly during their conversation—

“When I was younger, I used to think: if I had an older brother, my mom would definitely hit him first. While she was busy scolding him, I could run away. If I ever did something wrong and Mom wanted to yell at me, I could sell out my brother’s secrets—like if he secretly dated someone—to divert her attention. If I ran out of pocket money, I could ask him for some. If he needed errands run, I could charge him for it. And if I couldn’t solve a problem, he could tutor me…”

Yan Ming hadn’t intended to listen seriously, but Yu Tian kept chattering like a little magpie right next to his ear.

He initially ignored her, but eventually, he couldn’t help himself—

“You get so much out of this. What does your hypothetical older brother gain from it?”

“He gets a loyal flatterer!”

Yu Tian proudly declared: “I’d blindly praise him! Support him! Encourage him spiritually! Make him confident and strong enough to withstand any setback in society! My brother would be the king of mental fortitude, ready to face any storm!”

“...” Yan Ming was nearly speechless. “So, is he supposed to thank you for all this?”

“No need for thanks. Between siblings, we don’t dwell on such formalities. We’re family—these small favors mean nothing.”

After finishing, Yu Tian looked at Yan Ming with an ingratiating smile: “But, Brother Yan Ming, if you were my brother, I wouldn’t treat you like that. I wouldn’t take your pocket money, frame you so Mom beats you, or report your secrets. I’d faithfully follow you around…”

“And I’ll definitely repay you for today’s kindness!”

Yu Tian said earnestly: “In short, from now on, I’ll treat you as my real brother to respect and care for! Even though I can’t become a doctor anymore and have a disability certificate, I’m still a very useful person!”

Yan Ming was about to console her, telling her that no one with proper values would look down on her just because of her injury, and that she shouldn’t be overly sensitive about the disability certificate.

But then Yu Tian proudly continued: “Boyfriends are fake, but the disability certificate is real. So, Brother Yan Ming, if you ever need parking and it’s hard to find a spot, you can bring me along. Since I have a disability certificate, I can park in designated disabled parking spaces! Every parking lot in Rong City has special spots for people with disabilities!”

“...”

“Also, I really, really want an older brother!”

Yu Tian shifted gears and began showering him with flattery: “I’ve been yearning for an older brother for years. I’ve even built an image of him in my mind.”

“The brother in my heart works in a noble profession saving lives, is tall and handsome, has a slow-to-warm-up personality—but that’s precisely what makes him principled. He’s definitely not one of those overly friendly ‘central air conditioner’ types. My brother is firm, a bit aloof, and hard to approach, but once you truly get to know him, you’ll be completely captivated by his charm.”

As she spoke, Yu Tian sneakily glanced at Yan Ming, hoping for some reaction.

“In short, this has always been my ideal image of a brother.”

Unfortunately, Yan Ming appeared unmoved.

With no choice, Yu Tian pressed on despite feeling parched: “It’s also the only type of brother I’ve envisioned. If it’s not this kind of brother, I honestly can’t accept anyone else as my sibling. At my age, other types would just feel like acquaintances. But if it’s the kind of brother I’ve described, I’d naturally want to get close to him.”

She finished speaking and noticed that while Yan Ming nodded along, pretending to listen attentively, his expression was filled with amusement.

While flattering him, she hadn’t noticed how exaggerated it sounded. Now that she’d stopped, even Yu Tian thought it was a bit over-the-top.

She cleared her throat: “I know others might not believe me when I say these things, but this really comes from the bottom of my heart…”

“You already said others wouldn’t believe you,” Yan Ming chuckled. “So why keep talking?”

“...”