GREAT DOCTOR 8
29. The Yang Family in Dabang Village
In the afternoon in Dabang Village, mountain wind blew through the half-open window into the Yang family's living room, carrying the mixed scent of fresh grass and earth from the tea plantation. Outside the window, layers of mountains were illuminated by the sunlight, while birdcalls occasionally drifted from the distance, making the entire mountain village seem quiet and leisurely.
In the middle of the living room, an old-fashioned suitcase lay open beside a rattan chair. Yang Wen-Hua squatted on the floor, organizing his clothes one piece at a time. He folded his shirts neatly and placed them in the suitcase. Then he took out several prepared medical research papers and carefully placed them on top.
This trip to Shanghai was an important professional opportunity for him. An international medical conference. Presenting his research paper. Exchanging ideas with medical experts from different countries. These things should have been enough to occupy his mind. Yet whenever he thought of the word “Shanghai,” what appeared in his mind was not the conference, but the face of a woman.
Lin Xiuling.
He stopped what he was doing.
For a moment, even he felt confused.
Two years.
It had been almost two years since they had last seen each other. But why was it that simply because he was about to go to Shanghai, a faint, indescribable sense of anticipation had risen in his heart?
“Wen-Hua.”
A voice pulled him back to reality.
He looked up. His eldest sister, Yang Wen-Ying, came over with a beautifully packaged box of tea, smiling brightly.
“I prepared a box of tea.”
She squatted down and slipped the tea box into his suitcase.
“Xiuling likes our family's tea. Take it to her.”
Yang Wen-Hua froze for a moment.
“Sis, what are you—”
Before he could finish, his younger sister, Yang Wen-Qing, ran out of the room carrying a neatly folded set of clothes.
“Bro!”
She stuffed the clothes into his arms.
“I had this outfit made especially for you. Take it with you as a gift for your reunion.”
Yang Wen-Hua looked down at the clothes in his hands, then at his two sisters. Finally, he could not help laughing.
“What are you two doing?”
He shook his head and set the clothes aside.
“I’m going to Shanghai for a conference, not to go on a date with my junior, Xiuling.”
Yang Wen-Ying crossed her arms and deliberately put on a stern expression.
“The conference isn't important.”
Yang Wen-Hua stared at her in surprise.
His younger sister Wen-Qing immediately followed with a remark that left him both amused and speechless.
“What matters is that you win Xiuling over.”
“Wen-Qing!”
Yang Wen-Hua glared at his sister.
“Don't say things like that.”
But Yang Wen-Qing was not afraid at all. Instead, she smiled even more brightly.
“How am I saying anything wrong?”
Yang Wen-Ying sat down in the rattan chair nearby and laughed along.
“I completely agree with your sister.”
She reached out and patted Yang Wen-Hua on the shoulder.
“As your big sister, I really like Lin Xiuling. On this trip to Shanghai, find a way to bring her back with you.”
Yang Wen-Hua gave a bitter smile.
“Come on, Sis. Give me a break.”
He took the tea box out again and put it back into the suitcase.
“Xiuling has already opened her own clinic in Shanghai. She has her own career.”
“So what?”
Yang Wen-Qing immediately chimed in.
“You're both doctors. You could open a hospital together someday!”
“You little brat...”
Yang Wen-Hua raised his hand as if he were going to tap her on the head.
Yang Wen-Qing quickly dodged behind their mother.
“Mom, look! Brother is bullying me!”
Su Yu-Zhen had been arranging the tea set on the table. Hearing this, she smiled and shook her head.
“All right, stop fooling around.”
She walked over to the suitcase, picked up the box of tea, looked at it, and then looked at her son.
“But Mom really does think that Xiuling is a very good match for you.”
Yang Wen-Hua's smile slowly faded.
Although his mother's tone was casual, her words made something inside his heart sink slightly.
“You're both doctors, and you both love medicine and enjoy studying it.”
As Su Yu-Zhen spoke, a trace of expectation appeared in her eyes.
“If you could open a practice together someday and look after each other, wouldn't that be wonderful?”
Yang Wen-Hua lowered his head and continued organizing his luggage.
“Mom, you're really thinking too far ahead.”
“Thinking too far ahead?”
Yang Wen-Qing laughed beside him.
“I think you're the one who isn't thinking far enough.”
Yang Wen-Hua did not respond.
His hand stopped on a shirt.
But his mind suddenly returned to that morning on the Danaiku suspension bridge.
The thin mist.
The stream.
And Lin Xiuling looking into his eyes.
—“It’s only two years. I can wait for you!”
There had been no hesitation in her eyes then.
Yet he had given her no promise.
Because there was still someone else in his heart.
Xie Ci-En.
That promise from ten years ago was like an invisible rope that had remained tied around his heart all along.
Yang Ming-Da had been sitting quietly by the window, listening to the family's conversation. At that moment, he put down his teacup.
“Wen-Hua.”
Yang Wen-Hua looked up.
His father looked at him calmly.
“The ancients said, ‘First establish a family, then establish a career.’”
He paused.
“You already have your career. It's also time to think about finding a good partner and starting a family.”
Yang Wen-Hua said nothing.
Yang Ming-Da did not pressure his son. He simply said earnestly,
“Your sisters care about you because they don't want you to miss a good marriage.”
“Dad, I know.”
Yang Wen-Hua slowly closed the suitcase.
“I know you're all doing this for my own good.”
He raised his head, but his expression was complicated.
“But I have my own career plans. There are still many things I need to do with my work.”
“As for relationships...”
He paused.
“Let's talk about that later.”
The living room suddenly fell silent.
Su Yu-Zhen looked at her son as if she had suddenly remembered something. She walked over to Yang Wen-Hua and gently tugged at his sleeve.
“Wen-Hua.”
“Hmm?”
His mother gazed at his face.
“You wouldn't happen to still be waiting for Xie Ci-En, would you?”
The words were like a pebble dropped into still water.
Yang Wen-Hua's hand stopped abruptly.
He did not answer.
He simply lowered his head.
The smile that had been on his face disappeared in an instant.
Yang Wen-Qing and Yang Wen-Ying exchanged a glance.
The playful atmosphere from moments earlier suddenly vanished without a trace.
Su Yu-Zhen also realized that she had touched the deepest place in her son's heart.
“Wen-Hua...”
She wanted to say something more, but in the end, she said nothing.
Yang Ming-Da looked at his son.
This child, who had grown up in the mountains and had now become a doctor, was always composed and calm in front of outsiders, as if nothing could truly shake him.
But as his father, he knew.
His son was not without feelings. He had simply hidden them too deeply.
Yang Wen-Hua slowly pulled the zipper of the suitcase closed.
“I’m going to rest for a while first.”
His voice was very soft.
“I still have some materials to organize for the conference in Shanghai.”
After saying this, he picked up the suitcase and turned toward his room.
Yang Wen-Qing watched her brother's back.
Her lips moved, but she did not call out to him.
Yang Wen-Ying also put away her smile.
In the living room, all that remained was the parents exchanging a helpless glance.
Meanwhile, after entering his room and closing the door, Yang Wen-Hua leaned against the door and remained motionless for a long time.
His hand still gripped the handle of the suitcase.
But two women appeared in his mind at the same time.
One was his first love, Xie Ci-En, whom he had waited for eight years.
The other was Lin Xiuling, who had stood on the suspension bridge two years ago and bravely told him, “I can wait for you.”
One was a promise.
The other was a future that was drawing closer.
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
“Is this trip to Shanghai really just for a medical conference?”
For the first time, he was not sure.
And what made him even more uneasy was this—
The ten-year promise was about to reach its end.
Then, when the day came for Xie Ci-En to return, would he still be able to walk toward her without hesitation, just as he had back then?
Yang Wen-Hua opened his eyes.
Outside the window, mountain mist was slowly rising along the valley.
He gazed into the distance.
For the first time, a thought he was unwilling to face appeared in his heart:
Maybe the person who truly needed to wait was not Xie Ci-En.
Maybe it was himself.
30. Shanghai Hongqiao Airport Departure Hall
In the afternoon at Shanghai Hongqiao Airport, the arrivals hall was bustling with people. Passengers hurried past with their luggage, while announcements occasionally came from overhead, providing flight information in alternating Chinese and English. Outside the enormous glass curtain wall, sunlight illuminated the entire parking plaza, while traffic slowly moved in front of the airport.
Lin Xiuling stood at the edge of the crowd, holding her phone in her hand and repeatedly looking toward the arrival passage.
She had arrived especially early today.
Actually, she could have waited for him calmly, just as she did when welcoming other guests.
But she had not slept well since last night.
Thinking that Yang Wen-Hua, whom she had not seen for two years, was about to appear in front of her, she felt like a girl going on her first date. She repeatedly checked her clothes and hair. Even the amount of time she spent putting on makeup that morning was nearly twice as long as usual.
She lowered her head and glanced at the time on her phone.
“He should be here soon...”
Although she whispered the words to herself, she was already beginning to feel nervous.
Suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in the direction of the exit.
The man wore a simple dark-colored jacket. He pulled a suitcase with one hand and carried a briefcase in the other as he slowly walked out of the customs area with the crowd.
Lin Xiuling froze for a moment.
Two years apart.
He seemed not to have changed very much.
He still had that composed, quiet manner.
He was simply a little more mature than she remembered, with the steady air of someone who had spent years working in a hospital and undergone the demands of clinical practice.
Her heart suddenly beat faster.
The next second, she raised her hand and waved vigorously.
“Senior Wen-Hua!”
Yang Wen-Hua looked in the direction of her voice.
The moment their eyes met, he froze as well.
Amid the crowd, that familiar face suddenly became clear.
Lin Xiuling was wearing a sharply tailored pink dress, her long hair naturally falling over her shoulders, a bright smile on her face.
She was still the junior he remembered, yet she was no longer the same girl she had been two years ago.
Yang Wen-Hua pulled his suitcase toward her.
“Xiuling.”
“Senior.”
The two stood facing each other, but for a moment, neither said a word.
Only two short years had passed, yet it felt like they had been separated by an entire season.
Finally, Yang Wen-Hua smiled first.
“How long have you been waiting?”
“I just got here not long ago.”
Lin Xiuling deliberately acted as if it were no big deal and reached out to take his briefcase.
“But...”
She raised an eyebrow.
“Senior, if Mingzhu hadn't told me you were coming, you probably wouldn't have contacted me yourself, would you?”
Yang Wen-Hua gave an awkward smile.
“Of course I would have.”
“Would you really?”
Lin Xiuling deliberately tilted her head and looked at him.
“Didn't the organizers originally arrange a hotel for you?”
“Yes.”
“So you were planning to stay at the hotel?”
Yang Wen-Hua nodded.
“That was the original arrangement.”
He paused before adding,
“I thought... I shouldn't trouble you.”
Lin Xiuling could not help laughing after hearing that.
“Trouble me?”
She gently patted him on the arm.
“Senior, you're a guest in Shanghai. Besides, you took such good care of all of us when we were in Alishan. Now it's my turn to be a good host. What's there to trouble me about?”
Yang Wen-Hua looked at her.
Her tone was still as natural as it had been before.
But a subtle feeling stirred inside him.
The words she had spoken on the suspension bridge two years ago suddenly surfaced from the depths of his memory.
—“It’s only two years. I can wait for you.”
He had not given her a promise then.
Now the two years had truly passed, and she was still standing in front of him.
Suddenly, he did not know what kind of feelings he should have as he faced her.
Lin Xiuling, however, did not notice his hesitation.
She took the handle of his suitcase.
“Let's go.”
“Where?”
“My place.”
“No need. I think it would be more convenient for me to stay at the hotel.”
Lin Xiuling stopped and turned to look at him.
“Senior.”
She deliberately put on a stern expression.
“You came to Shanghai to attend a conference, not to be polite with me.”
Yang Wen-Hua looked at her and finally smiled.
“Okay. I'll listen to you.”
The two walked side by side toward the side entrance.
After taking a few steps, Lin Xiuling suddenly turned her face toward him.
“Oh, right.”
“Hmm?”
“Senior, you've changed.”
Yang Wen-Hua touched his face.
“Have I gotten older?”
“No.”
She tried to hold back her laughter.
“You've become more mature.”
Yang Wen-Hua did not answer.
Lin Xiuling secretly glanced at him.
But inside, she wondered:
“I wonder if, when he sees the woman I am now, he'll also think that I've changed.”
The two reached the parking area.
A brand-new black sedan was parked by the roadside.
Lin Xiuling pressed the remote control, unlocking the doors.
She walked around to the rear of the car and pressed the trunk-release button.
“Give me the luggage.”
“I can do it myself.”
Yang Wen-Hua put the suitcase into the trunk.
Lin Xiuling stood beside him watching, then suddenly smiled.
“Senior.”
“Hmm?”
She stared at his face.
“You know something?”
“What?”
“You've become more handsome.”
Yang Wen-Hua froze.
Lin Xiuling smiled even more brightly.
“I thought you were very handsome before, too. You just didn't know it yourself back then.”
Yang Wen-Hua laughed.
“You're pretty good at complimenting people now.”
“Of course.”
She closed the trunk.
“I'm the owner of my own clinic now. Of course I've learned how to say nice things.”
The two got into the car.
The moment the doors closed, the noise outside was completely shut out.
Inside the car, the only sound was the faint hum of the air conditioner.
Lin Xiuling sat in the driver's seat and turned her face toward him.
“Senior.”
“Hmm?”
“Let's go to my place and rest first.”
She started the engine.
“Tonight, I'll take you out for Shanghai cuisine.”
“Okay.”
The car slowly pulled away from the airport. Lin Xiuling kept both hands on the steering wheel, a faint smile lingering on her lips. After a while, she suddenly seemed to remember something.
“By the way, Senior, I’ll take you to a men’s clothing store first.”
Yang Wen-Hua froze.
“A men’s clothing store?”
“Of course.”
“Is that really necessary?”
He looked down at the clothes he was wearing.
“I already brought two outfits.”
Lin Xiuling glanced at him.
“How could two outfits possibly be enough?”
“I’m only here for a few days for the conference.”
“There are formal events at the conference, right?”
“Yes.”
“What about the banquet?”
Yang Wen-Hua was silent for a moment.
“...There probably is one.”
Lin Xiuling smiled triumphantly.
“Then there you go.”
Yang Wen-Hua shook his head helplessly.
“You’re still the same as you were before.”
“How am I the same?”
“You’re very opinionated.”
Lin Xiuling kept her eyes on the road ahead, but a smile quietly appeared at the corners of her eyes.
“It’s not that I’m opinionated.”
She deliberately paused.
“It’s that once we’re in Shanghai, I call the shots.”
Yang Wen-Hua laughed.
“Okay. You call the shots.”
The car entered the bustling downtown area of Shanghai. High-rises, neon lights, and streams of traffic flashed past the car windows.
Lin Xiuling concentrated on driving. On the surface, she seemed calm, but inside, her emotions had already begun to ripple.
She had waited two years for this day.
Now Wen-Hua had really come to Shanghai.
But she knew better than anyone—
The answer she truly needed to wait for had not yet come.
And Yang Wen-Hua, sitting in the passenger seat and looking at the unfamiliar yet bustling streets of Shanghai outside the window, was also thinking about the same question.
Two years ago, he had not given her an answer.
Two years later, was he really ready?
The car continued forward.
Neither of them said it aloud.
But two hearts that had remained silent for two years had already begun to draw close again in this unfamiliar city.
31. Xiuling’s Feelings
As night began to fall, the neon lights along Shanghai’s shopping streets lit up one after another, and colorful signs cast their glow across the sidewalks. Crowds flowed continuously along the streets, while the air was filled with the aroma of grilled food, the honking of car horns, and the sounds of pedestrians chatting and laughing.
Lin Xiuling linked her arm through Yang Wen-Hua’s, and the two walked side by side through the crowd.
To Xiuling, such an intimate gesture seemed completely natural.
Every so often, she turned her face toward Wen-Hua, an undisguised smile on her lips. Wen-Hua, however, was somewhat unaccustomed to it. He lowered his head and glanced at the arm linked through his, wanting to pull away but feeling that doing so would seem too deliberate, so he simply let her keep holding onto him.
“Senior, what do you usually wear in Taiwan?”
“My white coat at the hospital.”
“I mean after work.”
“Jeans and shirts. Whatever is convenient.”
Lin Xiuling could not help laughing.
“Just as I thought.”
“What do you mean, ‘just as you thought’?”
“Dr. Yang, who doesn’t know how to dress himself up.”
“Hey, I have good taste.”
“Really?”
Xiuling deliberately looked him up and down.
“How come I can’t see it?”
Wen-Hua laughed and lightly touched his nose.
“You haven’t seen me for two years, but your tongue has certainly gotten sharper.”
“People have to improve, right?”
As Xiuling spoke, she moved even closer and linked her arm more tightly around his.
She actually loved the feeling of this moment.
Two years.
On so many nights, she had imagined what it would be like to have Wen-Hua standing beside her.
Now he had really come to Shanghai, and he was walking right beside her.
But she knew very clearly—
This man did not truly belong to her yet.
At that thought, the smile on her face briefly faded.
She did not want to let those unresolved questions about their feelings ruin this precious reunion.
“We’re here.”
She raised her head and pointed toward an elegantly decorated men’s clothing store ahead.
“Tonight, I’m going to give you a complete makeover.”
“Makeover?”
Wen-Hua froze.
“I’m not a product.”
“In my eyes, you’re a product that needs to be redesigned.”
“Xiuling...”
“Come on!”
Xiuling pulled him into the store.
The men’s clothing store was brightly lit, with all kinds of suits, shirts, and jackets hanging along the walls. Several customers were trying on clothes. When the salesclerks saw the two of them enter, one immediately came forward to greet them.
Xiuling did not rush to speak.
Like an experienced buyer, she crossed her arms and quickly surveyed the entire store.
Gray.
Black.
Dark blue.
Then her eyes landed on a sky-blue suit displayed in the center of the wall.
Her eyes lit up.
“That one.”
She raised her hand and pointed toward the wall.
“That sky-blue suit. Take it down and let me see it.”
“Certainly, ma’am.”
The salesclerk stood on tiptoe, took down the suit, and handed it to Yang Wen-Hua with both hands.
Wen-Hua took the suit, looked at the cut, and touched the fabric.
“This one... looks pretty good.”
“Not ‘pretty good.’”
Xiuling stood in front of him and held her hand near his shoulder to gauge the fit.
“It looks great.”
Wen-Hua lowered his head and looked at the price tag. His brows immediately furrowed slightly.
“But it’s not cheap.”
Xiuling glanced at the price without changing her expression.
“Price isn’t a problem.”
“But—”
“If you like it, buy it.”
She said it decisively, leaving no room for discussion.
Wen-Hua smiled helplessly.
“You’re making so much money now that you own a medical aesthetics clinic?”
“I worked hard to earn my money, so of course I should spend it on someone worth it.”
The moment the words left her mouth, Xiuling herself froze.
Wen-Hua also fell silent.
The two looked into each other’s eyes.
For a moment, the noise around them seemed to fade away.
Xiuling looked away first, pretending nothing had happened as she turned toward the salesclerk.
“By the way, does this style come in one size larger?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Bring it out and let this...”
She deliberately paused.
“Let this gentleman try it on.”
“Certainly. Please wait a moment.”
The salesclerk turned and walked toward the back of the store.
Xiuling continued browsing through the clothing racks.
Her fingers moved across one suit after another. On the surface, she seemed to be choosing clothes, but her thoughts were already in complete disarray.
“Someone worth it.”
How had those words just slipped out?
She had clearly told herself to let things take their natural course.
She clearly knew that Wen-Hua still had Xie Ci-En in his heart.
Yet the moment she saw him, all the psychological defenses she had carefully built beforehand seemed to melt away like snow.
She secretly looked up.
Wen-Hua was standing in front of the mirror, looking at the suit in his hands.
He was still the same as before—quiet, focused, and never showy.
But to her, that was precisely the kind of man who was hardest to let go of.
“Ma’am, how about this one?”
The salesclerk’s voice pulled her back to reality.
“Hmm?”
“What do you think of this suit?”
Xiuling lowered her head and looked at it.
“Not bad.”
Then she turned toward Wen-Hua.
“Do you have any other colors?”
“Yes. We also have dark blue and silver-gray over here.”
“Bring them all out.”
“Certainly.”
Before long, the salesclerk came over carrying several suits.
Xiuling seemed to have suddenly found a reason to keep herself busy. She began choosing suits for Wen-Hua one after another.
“Try this one.”
“And this one.”
“Bring that one over, too.”
Wen-Hua was both amused and helpless.
“Xiuling, I’m only here in Shanghai for a conference. We really don’t need to buy this many, do we?”
“Who says you’re only here for a conference?”
Xiuling looked up at him.
“Aren’t you attending an international medical conference?”
“Yes.”
“Then you need to dress more formally.”
She picked up a suit and stuffed it into his arms.
“Go try it on.”
Wen-Hua stood there holding the clothes.
“Now?”
“Now.”
“What if the size doesn’t fit?”
“We’ll have it altered immediately.”
“What if I don’t like it?”
Xiuling raised an eyebrow.
“Then we’ll change it.”
Wen-Hua looked at her assertive manner and could only nod helplessly.
“Okay, okay...”
He turned and walked toward the fitting room.
After taking a few steps, he looked back.
Xiuling was standing beside the clothing rack, looking down as she arranged another suit for him.
The light fell across the side of her face, making her look especially gentle.
Wen-Hua looked at her, and an indescribable emotion suddenly passed through his heart.
What if Ci-En really comes back?
The thought had barely surfaced when his heart sank slightly.
The ten-year promise.
He had promised her.
It was a promise he had always kept deep in his heart and had never truly let go of.
But at this moment, looking at the junior who was choosing clothes for him and arranging his life for him, he felt something clearly for the first time—
Maybe some forms of waiting are quietly changing a person’s heart.
“Senior.”
Xiuling suddenly looked up.
“What are you still standing there for? Go change!”
Wen-Hua came back to himself and quickly nodded.
“Coming.”
He walked into the fitting room.
Xiuling watched his back, and a faint smile slowly appeared on her lips.
She did not think about it anymore.
At least tonight, she wanted to let herself fully enjoy this long-awaited happiness.
Even if it was only temporary.
