Please Don’t Give Up On Treatment

Only by keeping pace with the aunts and integrating herself into their rhythm can she avoid appearing out of place.

Yet, as she danced fervently to the pulsating beat of the square dance music, perspiration trickling down her brow, she unexpectedly found Yan Ming standing beside her, unbeknownst to her until that moment.

“I’ve thought of you so much that I can’t sleep, I can’t seem to forget you, falling in love with you has left me completely bewildered, do you not know?”

“I can’t sleep for thinking of you, letting you go feels impossible, a single word of love torments me day and night; how can I escape the prison of your affection?”

Amidst the jarring yet hypnotic melody of the square dance,

Yan Ming gazed at Yu Tian with an expressionless demeanor—

“It truly is you.”

Yu Tian desperately wished to convince herself that none of this had transpired.

She had not carelessly donned casual attire to stroll at the hospital’s entrance, and Yan Ming had not seen her.

Perhaps in her fervent desire to pretend she did not recognize Yan Ming, her limbs had taken on a will of their own. Whether out of a wish to alleviate her own awkwardness or perhaps succumbing to the pressure exerted by the dancing aunts, Yu Tian managed to maintain a stoic expression and forced herself to dance for another ten minutes without glancing aside.

If Yan Ming understood social etiquette, he would have left in such an awkward situation.

Alas, Yan Ming did not comprehend.

Just as Yu Tian was growing breathless from her relentless dancing, she heard his infuriating yet composed voice.

“Stop dancing.”

“You’re lagging behind by four beats compared to the others.”

The man stood a short distance away, quietly observing her.

“……”

Yu Tian undertook a mental exercise, considering the positives—at least this was a fortuitous encounter, and since Yan Ming had called out to her, perhaps it was a signal of his desire to forge a connection.

With this thought, her earlier embarrassment dissipated somewhat.

She stepped out of the square dance troupe, and with feigned surprise and enthusiasm, exclaimed, “Yan Ming! What a coincidence! Did you just finish work?”

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

Yu Tian, drenched in sweat from her vigorous dancing, felt a wave of anxiety and trepidation rise within her at Yan Ming’s words.

His statement implied he might intend to give her a ride, didn’t it?

That was why he had deliberately stopped her and was patiently waiting for her.

However, in the dimly lit park, though the shadows obscured her sartorial fiasco, once inside the car, she would be exposed… and after dancing so energetically, she could only imagine how disheveled she appeared.

As she stood there, anxiously weighing whether to seize this opportunity or gracefully decline, she heard Yan Ming’s serene voice—

“It’s getting late; I should head back. Goodbye.”

Having uttered these words, he turned sharply without a second glance at Yu Tian, departing with impressive decisiveness.

??

Yu Tian blinked in disbelief: “Um…”

She called out to Yan Ming, yet suddenly felt at a loss for words, stumbling over her response: “Did you call out to me for some reason?”

Yan Ming paused momentarily before replying nonchalantly, “There’s no particular reason; I just wanted to confirm something.”

Yu Tian began to feel nervous, lowering her gaze, her voice softening: “Confirm what?”

“To confirm my eyes and mind are still functioning properly.”

“Huh?”

“I just completed a surgery, and suddenly saw you dressed quite… unusually, then you darted into the square dance troupe, and I thought I might be hallucinating from fatigue, so I came over to confirm.”

Yan Ming smiled at Yu Tian: “Now that I know it’s you, I’m reassured.”

You are reassured, yet I am left in turmoil…

He glanced at Yu Tian: “Continue dancing; I won’t interrupt you any longer.”

“……”

Yu Tian stood in stunned silence for a second, but by the time she processed his words, she had already dashed after him, calling out once more.

Steeling herself, she feigned nonchalance: “Since it’s such a fortuitous encounter and our parents are on a date, it seems we’re quite fated. Shall we exchange WeChat? Who knows, perhaps our families could gather together in the future, and it would be convenient to keep in touch…”

Since she had already been recognized in her current attire, there was no point in feeling embarrassed without purpose. Recalling her promise to her mother, she summoned her courage.

This was Yu Tian’s second attempt to speak.

However, she had not anticipated that she would only receive another rejection from Yan Ming.

“No, thank you.” He declined her proposal effortlessly and fluidly, “Regarding our parents’ matters, I feel it’s best if the children remain uninvolved.”

He glanced at Yu Tian: “Perhaps another time.”

Yu Tian bit her lip: “Even if our parents don’t work out, we could still get to know each other.”

Not knowing where her newfound determination stemmed from, she firmly pushed for an exchange, reasoning, “Moreover, we graduated from the same school, implying we might belong to the same professional field, and perhaps we could help each other out in the future…”

Regrettably, Yan Ming seemed unmoved, his expression unchanged as he replied, “My high school classmates who sought to add me on WeChat for convenient free consultations have made similar arguments.”

“However, aside from requesting my assistance for everything from their family’s strokes to their own constipation, they have not provided me with any help in return.”

With that, he met Yu Tian’s gaze, succinctly concluding, “I believe I ought to manage just fine without your assistance.”

“……”

“Please continue your dancing. I’ll take my leave; goodbye.”

“……”

By the time Yu Tian regained her senses, Yan Ming had already departed, leaving her with a receding figure that grew smaller with each passing moment.

“He’s far too cold! Don’t you find him too unapproachable? Indeed, the illusion shattered the closer one gets to an idol!”

Regarding Yu Tian’s somewhat comical encounter, Qi Sihao made a mock assessment before pivoting to boast about himself: “Even though I’m not an idol, I pride myself on being approachable and civil…”

“What do you know?! Yan Ming’s demeanor isn’t cold and heartless; it reflects a balance of restraint and principle. Just think—being a doctor with his striking appearance, how few patients must request his WeChat? If he doesn’t learn to decline, wouldn’t he genuinely have to become a free consultation service?”

Yu Tian shot Qi Sihao a pointed look: “And what if you do respond? You may offer guidance on matters you’re unfamiliar with and potentially endanger a patient; if you don’t respond, the patient might regard you as a subpar doctor and leave with lingering dissatisfaction!”

Though embarrassed by the rejection, Yu Tian remained steadfast in her belief that Yan Ming had done nothing wrong.

She glanced at Qi Sihao: “You’ll be rotating at First Affiliated Hospital next Monday; then you’ll understand—everything Yan Ming does is justifiable!”

“Of course! Once you manage to add him on WeChat, you can sing his praises to his face!”

Both Yu Tian and her mother possessed culinary skills, and due to their proximity, Qi Sihao had shamelessly been inviting himself over for meals since childhood.

In a flash, he snatched the last large piece of pork chop from the plate, narrowly escaping back to his home before Yu Tian could register his act.

After the square dance incident, Yu Tian dressed neatly and returned to the entrance of the First Affiliated Hospital multiple times, but unfortunately, she did not see Yan Ming again.

However, she gradually became busy once more.

Following the success of her previous live-stream on how to prepare snacks suitable for diabetics, she forged ahead with several episodes of therapeutic cooking, all receiving positive feedback.

Though Yu Tian had yet to resolve matters with Yan Ming, Mrs. Song Chunxiang and Yan Wenhua were steadily making progress.

The two engaged in long phone conversations every evening, exceeding an hour each.

Yu Tian could visibly see her mother’s smile broaden, her demeanor buoyant, even humming soft tunes while undertaking household chores.

However, a phone call that evening unveiled a shadow of concern on Mrs. Song Chunxiang’s face—

“Yan Ming is ill? Is it serious? Don’t panic; didn’t you say you were out of town for a major contract bid? The bidding is tomorrow! How can he abandon it at a critical moment?”

“If you don’t mind, send me his address. I’ll go check on him. You can rest assured; I’ll be there.”

Yan Ming is ill?!

As soon as Mrs. Song Chunxiang hung up, Yu Tian jumped up: “Mom, what’s happening?”

“The son of Yan Wenhua has been struggling with old ailments after consecutive surgeries and night shifts; he’s down with acute gastroenteritis and is lying at home, stubbornly refusing to go to the hospital despite being a doctor himself, even disregarding his father’s advice.”

Mrs. Song Chunxiang shook her head repeatedly: “You children are always like this, endlessly worrying your parents.”

As she spoke, she began changing clothes.

“So now you’re going to care for Uncle Yan’s son?”

“Mhm. He just called Yan Ming, but Yan Ming hasn’t answered in over an hour. He lives alone, and with nobody to check on him, Uncle Yan is worried something might have happened, so I’m going to check. Do we have any gastrointestinal medication at home? Hurry, grab it; I’ll take it with me.”

Yu Tian didn’t know what spurred her action, but impulsively, she had snatched her mother’s bag.

“Mom, let me go!”

Yu Tian argued reasonably: “You aren’t familiar with him; it’d be awkward.”

Mrs. Song Chunxiang shot her daughter a look: “And you are familiar with him?”

“While I might not know him well, I’m younger and graduated from the same school, meaning we surely have more topics to discuss than you do. Let me go!”

“Given he’s ignored his phone for an hour, he could very well be unconscious; acute gastroenteritis might even trigger myocarditis. That could be life-threatening. As a medical school graduate, I could handle any on-site issues better than you. Caring for a patient isn’t a problem for me!”

Mrs. Song Chunxiang hesitated, considering her daughter’s points. Addressing the matter had its complexities; being an almost-mother figure to Yan Ming perhaps would complicate things further. Yu Tian’s presence seemed indeed like the more appropriate choice.

Armed with her mother’s repeated exhortations and the necessary medications, Yu Tian set off, following the address to Yan Ming’s residence.

It was an upscale neighborhood in Rong City, characterized by spacious garden apartments with scenic views, low density, and situated against a mountain, appealingly near a serene lake. The lush foliage and expansive greenery led to a view of the endless lake’s surface, making the entire community resemble a vast garden.

It seemed that Yan Ming’s family was indeed well-off, just as her mother had suggested.

However, hearing that Yan Ming was suffering from acute gastroenteritis and had already been unreachable for nearly an hour, Yu Tian lost her inclination to appreciate the surrounding landscape or contemplate Yan Ming’s privileged background.

The compound was expansive; her hurried footsteps had transformed nearly into a jog as she strove to ascertain Yan Ming’s safety.

Yet, upon reaching Yan Ming’s door after a breathless elevator ride, she rang the doorbell and knocked, only to be met with a silence that persisted inside.

Could something truly have gone wrong?