THE SMALL HOSPITAL, THE GREAT DOCTOR 10
Shopping at the Traditional Market
Early in the morning in Shanghai, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, the traditional market was already bustling.
Stalls lined both sides of the narrow streets, one after another. The awnings overhead swayed gently in the morning breeze. The vendors’ calls rose and fell, mingling with the sounds of people talking, cleavers chopping meat, and plastic bags rubbing against one another, creating a strong sense of everyday life.
Lin Xiuling linked her arm through Yang Wen-Hua’s as they made their way through the crowd. She was especially happy today. It was not because the market was particularly enjoyable to browse, but because the man beside her had actually come grocery shopping with her. From time to time, she looked up at Wen-Hua and noticed that he was studying the ingredients at each stall like a serious student.
“Sir, how much is this salted pork?”
“It’s this much per pound.” The vendor cut off a small piece for Wen-Hua to examine.
Wen-Hua took it, studied it carefully, then gently pressed the meat with his finger.
“I’ll take this piece.”
The vendor skillfully wrapped up the meat.
Standing beside him, Lin Xiuling could not help laughing. “Senior, why are you choosing salted pork as if you were choosing a patient?”
Wen-Hua turned to look at her. “Cooking is just like performing surgery. If the materials aren’t good, how can you possibly make something good?”
“Oh?” Xiuling raised an eyebrow. “So Dr. Yang has a medical theory even when he goes grocery shopping.”
“Of course.” Wen-Hua deliberately put on a serious expression. “It’s called quality control.”
Xiuling burst out laughing.
Next, they bought preserved radish, dried shrimp, and a pound of river shrimp.
When they reached the vegetable stall, Wen-Hua stopped. He looked around, then picked water spinach, sweet potato leaves, and a loofah. At the fruit stall, he bought a bunch of spotted bananas and some fresh apples. Finally,
he stopped at a stall in a corner.
“I want this too.”
“What is it?” Xiuling leaned closer.
“Shell ginger leaves.”
She looked at the bundle of leaves with some curiosity. “What are you going to use these for?”
“You’ll find out when the time comes.”
“You’re still keeping me in suspense.” Xiuling deliberately gave his arm a light punch. “Why are you being so mysterious today?”
Wen-Hua smiled without answering. The two of them carried their bags and walked out of the market.
Morning sunlight came around the corner and fell across their shoulders. Wen-Hua looked at the vegetables in his hands but could not help frowning. Standing at the market entrance, he scratched his head.
“This market has everything except what I need. What a headache.”
Xiuling kept her arm linked through his. “Which things do you want but couldn’t find?”
“Cicely, maqaw pepper, Chinese toon, mountain celery, mountain chrysanthemum...” Wen-Hua listed several ingredients in one breath. “These are the flavors of our mountains.”
He looked at the ingredients in his hands, a trace of a bitter smile appearing on his face. “Without these, whatever I cook won’t have an authentic taste.”
Xiuling turned her face toward him. She suddenly heard a faint homesickness in his voice. It was not simply disappointment over missing ingredients. It was longing for Alishan, for home, and for his parents and sisters.
She gently patted his arm. “There’s nothing we can do about that.” She deliberately spoke in a lighthearted tone. “Shanghai isn’t Alishan.”
Wen-Hua smiled. “I’ll just have to make do with what we have.”
“Exactly!” Xiuling shook the shopping bag in her hand. “I’m not a picky eater anyway.”
She paused, then added with a smile, “Besides, as long as you’re the one who cooks it, I’ll eat anything.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she froze. Wen-Hua was also taken aback. Their eyes briefly met in the morning light. Xiuling quickly looked away and pretended to straighten the bags in her hands.
Oh, no! That sounded a little too direct.
She muttered to herself inwardly and secretly glanced at Wen-Hua.
He did not ask anything. There was only a faint smile at the corners of his mouth. Yet her heart inexplicably began beating a little faster.
After walking a few steps, Xiuling suddenly said, “Oh, right.”
“Mm?”
“This afternoon, I’m going to the conference to hear your paper presentation.”
Wen-Hua was startled. “Don’t you have to work this afternoon?”
“I rearranged my afternoon appointments.” She said it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Wen-Hua stopped walking. “You rearranged your appointments?”
“Yeah.”
“Just to hear me present my paper?”
Xiuling stopped as well. She looked up at him without avoiding his gaze.
“Is there anything wrong with that?”
“No...” Wen-Hua suddenly did not know what to say.
To him, this was simply an international medical conference. But to Xiuling, it seemed to be much more than that.
She gently pressed her lips together and said softly, “You don’t come to Shanghai often. I want to see you standing on that stage with my own eyes.”
Her voice was very soft.
Yet the words made Wen-Hua’s heart tremble slightly. He suddenly realized that the junior before him seemed to have been quietly keeping his affairs in her heart all along. And what about him? Could he truly respond to her expectations?
At that thought, a difficult-to-express sense of guilt rose in Wen-Hua’s heart.
Xiuling, I know how you feel. But there’s still someone in my heart who has been waiting for ten years.
The thought passed through his heart like a silent shadow. He did not say it aloud. Xiuling did not press him for an answer either. The two simply resumed walking side by side.
After a while, Xiuling returned to her cheerful tone. “After I finish listening to your paper this afternoon, I’ll come pick you up.”
“And then?”
“Go home.” She shook the grocery bag in her hand. “We’ll cook dinner together.”
Wen-Hua looked at her. “It seems you’ve already planned out my schedule?”
“Of course.” Xiuling smiled with complete confidence. “You’re in Shanghai now, so you have to listen to me.”
Wen-Hua smiled helplessly. “Okay.”
Xiuling’s eyes brightened slightly when she heard that “okay.” She did not say anything more. She simply kept her arm linked through his and continued walking.
Their figures gradually blended into the morning crowd. Behind them, the market remained noisy. Amid the vendors’ calls was the most ordinary daily life of Shanghai.
But for Lin Xiuling, today had an extraordinary meaning. Because she knew—
Tonight, she would personally taste the home-style food from Yang Wen-Hua’s hometown that he had cooked for her.
And what she truly looked forward to might never have been just the meal itself.
- A Clash at the Medical Conference
The afternoon sunlight slanted through the tall glass windows of the international conference hall, falling across the neat rows of seats and long tables. The huge venue was packed with people. Doctors and professors from hospitals and medical schools around the country wore identification badges on their chests and focused intently on the stage. On the enormous projection screen, diagrams of minimally invasive procedures and clinical cases appeared as the presentation slides changed one after another.
Yang Wen-Hua stood at the center of the stage. He wore a light blue suit, his cuffs neatly arranged, and held a presentation remote in his hand. Facing hundreds of pairs of eyes below, he showed no trace of nervousness. Instead, he appeared calm and confident.
At this moment, he was no longer the young doctor buried in the operating room at Guanghua Hospital’s Taitung Branch. He was a surgeon standing on the international medical stage, representing Taiwan and presenting his research findings.
He pressed the remote, and the projection changed to a diagram of a minimally invasive procedure.
“The original purpose of minimally invasive and microsurgery in Europe and the United States was to reduce the size of surgical wounds after an operation, lower and effectively control the risk of postoperative infection, and shorten patients’ recovery time.”
His voice was steady and unhurried, clearly carrying throughout the conference hall.
“However, over the past decade or so, these techniques have gradually come to be widely used in the field of plastic surgery. From a certain perspective, you could say this is... an unexpected development.”
A murmur of discussion arose from the audience.
Lin Xiuling sat in the front row, her eyes never leaving the stage. As she watched the familiar man, a faint smile unconsciously appeared at the corners of her mouth.
Senior is still the same Senior.
Whether facing a complicated operation or an international medical conference, he could always maintain that composure. There was admiration in her eyes, along with a trace of affection she was unwilling to admit.
On the other side, Guo Xin-Mei was listening just as attentively. She took notes while occasionally looking up at Yang Wen-Hua on the stage.
But just as she lowered her head to write, the corner of her eye suddenly caught sight of Zhao Xiaodong in the back rows.
He was not holding a pen, nor was he looking at the projection. He leaned against the back of his chair, arms crossed over his chest, and occasionally a cold smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Guo Xin-Mei frowned slightly.
What exactly is this guy trying to do?
She could not help turning around to look again.
Zhao Xiaodong’s eyes remained fixed on Yang Wen-Hua on the stage. His face, which was normally refined and mild, now concealed an indescribable hostility.
Even he could not explain whether he was truly displeased with Yang Wen-Hua’s paper or simply jealous of the man on the stage.
What troubled him even more was Lin Xiuling sitting in the front row. From beginning to end, she had watched so attentively. The way she looked at Yang Wen-Hua was completely different from the way she looked at him.
Could it be that I really don’t have a chance anymore?
Zhao Xiaodong clenched his fingers. The frustration that had been weighing on his chest for the past two days was becoming increasingly difficult to control.
After Yang Wen-Hua finished his presentation, applause filled the conference hall. Guo Han-Sheng walked onto the stage and took the microphone.
“Thank you, Dr. Yang, for that excellent presentation. We will now move into the question-and-answer session. If anyone has a question, please raise your hand.”
Several hands immediately went up.
Guo Han-Sheng looked around and smiled. “Everyone seems very enthusiastic, but our time is limited, so please keep your questions specific and concise.”
A middle-aged male doctor stood up.
“Dr. Yang, after hearing your presentation, I believe minimally invasive surgery is very likely to become a mainstream approach in clinical surgery in the future.”
He paused before continuing.
“However, you also mentioned an important prerequisite: the necessary supporting equipment must be available. For example, advanced medical equipment such as cardiopulmonary bypass machines and microsurgical catheters cannot be fully equipped in every small or medium-sized hospital. Dr. Yang, under these limited conditions, are there still practical solutions?”
Yang Wen-Hua nodded slightly.
“That is a very practical question.”
He walked to the projection screen and pointed to one of the images.
“At present, many small and medium-sized hospitals already have advanced 3D ultrasound scanning equipment. Before surgery, the operating physician can use these scans to accurately assess the location, size, and distribution of a lesion.”
His tone became even more professional and measured.
“For example, in the case of a malignant liver tumor, if the number, size, and distribution of the tumors are relatively concentrated, minimally invasive treatment can be considered. In some cases, the operating physician only needs to use magnifying loupes and does not necessarily have to use an intracorporeal microsurgical catheter.”
Several people in the audience began nodding.
“In other words, minimally invasive surgery does not necessarily have to depend on having every expensive piece of equipment in place. Instead, the decision should be made according to the individual patient’s condition and the resources currently available at the medical institution.”
When he finished speaking, applause once again filled the conference hall.
Lin Xiuling’s eyes grew even brighter. She knew that this was Yang Wen-Hua. He did not pursue flashy theories. Instead, he was accustomed to starting from practical clinical problems.
Just then, a chair leg suddenly scraped against the floor in the back of the room.
Zhao Xiaodong stood up.
Guo Han-Sheng was preparing to call on the next person, but he saw that Zhao Xiaodong was already walking toward the microphone.
“Dr. Zhao?” Guo Han-Sheng frowned slightly.
Zhao Xiaodong had already taken the microphone handed to him by a staff member.
“Sorry.” He looked at Yang Wen-Hua on the stage. “I have to hurry back for my shift later, so I’d like to ask a question first.”
Lin Xiuling’s expression immediately darkened. She knew Zhao Xiaodong’s tone too well. This was not simply an academic question. It was an emotion that had been suppressed for a long time.
Holding the microphone, Zhao Xiaodong fixed his eyes on Yang Wen-Hua.
“Dr. Yang, you just mentioned that minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery have been applied to the field of plastic surgery, calling it an ‘unexpected development.’”
He deliberately emphasized the final four words.
“But from the perspective of a plastic surgeon, the way I hear it, you seem to have some preconceived bias against plastic surgery.”
The conference hall gradually fell silent.
Yang Wen-Hua stood on the stage, his expression still calm.
But Zhao Xiaodong became increasingly agitated.
“I don’t know how much Dr. Yang actually knows about plastic surgery, but I strongly disagree with your dismissive attitude toward it.”
He raised his hand and pointed directly at the stage.
“So I would like to ask Dr. Yang: shouldn’t you publicly apologize here to all our colleagues in the field of plastic surgery for that inappropriate statement?”
In an instant, the entire conference hall fell silent.
Almost everyone’s eyes focused on Yang Wen-Hua.
Lin Xiuling pressed her lips tightly together, her fingers unconsciously tightening.
Zhao Xiaodong, what exactly are you trying to do?
She knew Zhao Xiaodong was jealous. But she had never expected him to bring his personal emotions into a setting like this.
Yang Wen-Hua did not answer immediately. He simply looked at Zhao Xiaodong.
There was no anger in those calm eyes, only a trace of confusion.
He did not know what he had done to cause the doctor before him to show such intense hostility toward him.
Just then, a clear voice suddenly came from the audience.
“Zhao Xiaodong!”
Guo Xin-Mei stood up. One hand was on her hip, while the other pointed toward Zhao Xiaodong. Her face had completely darkened.
“Do you even know what kind of occasion this is?”
Zhao Xiaodong turned around and glared at her.
Guo Xin-Mei did not back down.
“This is an international medical conference, not a place for you to vent your personal emotions!”
The conference hall immediately erupted into a commotion.
“Which part of what Dr. Yang just said implied that he looks down on plastic surgery?” Guo Xin-Mei became increasingly agitated. “‘An unexpected development’ simply describes how a technique has extended from its original application into other areas of medicine. How exactly did you interpret it?”
Zhao Xiaodong gave a cold laugh. “Guo Xin-Mei, I’m just expressing my opinion.”
“Your opinion?” Guo Xin-Mei angrily stepped forward. “I think you came here just to pick a fight!”
Zhao Xiaodong’s expression became even darker. “I’m simply expressing how I feel. Is that not allowed?”
“It is!” Guo Xin-Mei said bluntly. “But you cannot force your own emotions onto someone else’s words!”
Zhao Xiaodong’s eyes suddenly turned toward Lin Xiuling.
“I think he’s not the only one with a problem.”
Lin Xiuling’s heart jolted.
Zhao Xiaodong gritted his teeth.
“He doesn’t just seem to look down on plastic surgery. To put it more bluntly—isn’t he actually looking down on modern Chinese medicine?”
As soon as those words were spoken, the atmosphere throughout the entire conference hall instantly froze.
Yang Wen-Hua’s brow finally furrowed slightly. He had never expected an academic presentation to be dragged into such a sensitive direction.
Guo Xin-Mei’s face turned pale with anger.
“Zhao Xiaodong, you’re just twisting words to make your argument!”
“I’m just saying what I really think!”
“What kind of ‘what you really think’ is that? That’s a personal attack!”
“Why do you keep defending him?”
“Because you’re completely in the wrong!”
The two of them traded words, their voices growing louder and louder. Whispers began spreading through the conference hall.
Lin Xiuling watched the scene, both anxious and angry.
Zhao Xiaodong, how far are you going to take this?
She turned toward Yang Wen-Hua on the stage.
He was still standing straight, but a helpless expression had already appeared on his otherwise calm face.
“Enough!”
A heavy voice suddenly rang out. Guo Han-Sheng stood up. He picked up the microphone, his face grim.
“Both of you!”
The entire conference hall fell silent in an instant. Guo Han-Sheng looked at the two of them. “This is an international medical conference, not a place for a private argument.” His voice turned cold. “The two of you have seriously disrupted the proceedings.” He raised his hand and pointed toward the exit. “Please leave the conference hall immediately.”
Zhao Xiaodong looked grim. Guo Xin-Mei also took a deep breath. In the end, neither of them dared say anything more. Before turning around, Guo Xin-Mei looked up at Lin Xiuling. Lin Xiuling gave her a gentle thumbs-up. Guo Xin-Mei froze for a moment, then broke into a knowing smile.
Zhao Xiaodong saw the entire scene, and his heart ached even more. So even she is on Yang Wen-Hua’s side. He lowered his head and said nothing more before turning and walking out of the conference hall. Guo Xin-Mei also left shortly afterward. The two figures disappeared through the main entrance.
The conference hall gradually fell silent again. Everyone’s attention returned to the stage. Yang Wen-Hua stood in front of the projection screen and remained silent for several seconds. He picked up the microphone and gently exhaled.
“Distinguished colleagues, I’m sorry. There was a minor unexpected incident just now.”
He did not blame Zhao Xiaodong, nor did he defend himself. Instead, he turned around and switched the projected image back to the diagram of “minimally invasive surgery.”
“However, I still need to clarify what I meant when I said ‘an unexpected development.’”
Guo Xin-Mei quietly slipped back into the conference hall and took a seat in a corner along the side.
Everyone in the hall fell silent. Yang Wen-Hua’s eyes swept across the audience and finally stopped on Lin Xiuling. Their eyes met briefly. Xiuling saw the determination in his eyes, as well as the persistence she knew so well.
He spoke slowly.
“When I said ‘an unexpected development,’ I absolutely did not mean that I was biased against plastic surgery.”
“On the contrary, I believe that when a medical technology crosses beyond its original specialty and is applied to different clinical needs, that in itself is proof of medical progress.”
Some people in the audience began nodding. Yang Wen-Hua continued.
“But to me, the reason I was initially drawn to techniques such as minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery was that, at the most critical moments for a patient, they can give a human life a better chance.”
His voice became deeper and more sincere.
“So I have always believed that when these cutting-edge technologies are used in life-saving clinical surgery, that is when I can truly see their core value.”
He paused for a moment.
“That is also the original reason I have spent so many years studying these techniques.”
The conference hall fell silent for a moment.
Then applause broke out from the front rows. Soon, the applause spread throughout the entire hall like a wave.
Lin Xiuling looked at Yang Wen-Hua on the stage, and her eyes unexpectedly grew slightly moist. She knew this was the real reason she admired him. Not because of his appearance, nor simply because of his medical skills.
It was because while everyone else was focused on reputation, status, and winning or losing, he still remembered one thing—the most important job of a physician is to save lives.
Yang Wen-Hua stood amid the applause without showing any expression of triumph. He simply lowered his head slightly and bowed to the audience.
But at that moment, he did not know that this unexpected conflict had caused more people in the medical community to remember his name. It had also sparked an even stronger interest in him in another woman sitting in the front row.
As Guo Xin-Mei left the conference hall, she looked back at the stage.
A thought quietly surfaced in her mind:
This Yang Wen-Hua really is not an ordinary young physician.
38. Guo Han-Sheng’s Plans
During the break at the international conference, the voices in the hallway gradually faded away. A faint aroma of coffee filled the lounge. Outside the window, the afternoon sunlight passed through the blinds, casting alternating bands of light and shadow across the floor. Several half-finished cups of coffee sat on the table, along with the materials used during the conference.
Yang Wen-Hua sat at one end of the sofa, a cup of coffee in his hand. Sitting across from him, Guo Xin-Mei looked much more relaxed than she had in the conference hall.
“Big Brother Yang, that was really impressive just now.” She leaned slightly forward, her eyes filled with obvious curiosity and admiration. “Especially what you said at the end. I completely agree with you.”
Yang Wen-Hua smiled faintly.
“Thank you.”
He lowered his head and took a small sip of coffee, his tone still modest.
“Actually, I just said what I truly want to do.”
Guo Xin-Mei looked at him. This man was even more composed than she had originally imagined. Despite being young, he had none of the arrogance that young physicians often displayed. Instead, he possessed a sense of stability that usually came only after experiencing many things in life.
She was about to continue speaking when the lounge door suddenly opened.
Guo Han-Sheng walked in. Seeing his daughter chatting happily with Yang Wen-Hua, he was startled at first, then smiled.
“So the two of you have already started talking.”
Yang Wen-Hua quickly stood up. Guo Xin-Mei also stood.
Guo Han-Sheng walked quickly over to Yang Wen-Hua and extended both hands, warmly shaking his hand.
“Dr. Yang, I’m truly sorry.”
His tone was sincere, with a hint of apology on his face.
“Dr. Zhao from our hospital suddenly behaved inappropriately just now. I’m sorry that he caused you such trouble during the conference.”
Yang Wen-Hua quickly shook his head.
“President Guo, you’re too kind. Academic discussions naturally involve different opinions. I didn’t take it to heart.”
Although he said this, he was still somewhat puzzled inside. Why exactly did Zhao Xiaodong harbor such intense hostility toward him? It was clearly their first formal meeting. There was no history of conflict between them at all.
Unless...
Lin Xiuling’s image suddenly flashed through Yang Wen-Hua’s mind. He quickly pushed the thought aside.
I’m probably just overthinking it.
Guo Xin-Mei, standing nearby, could not help speaking up.
“Dad, what do you mean by ‘suddenly behaved inappropriately’?”
She pursed her lips.
“Zhao Xiaodong was obviously causing trouble on purpose.”
Guo Han-Sheng turned and looked at his daughter.
“Xin-Mei, we still don’t know all the facts. Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Do we really need to figure it out?” Guo Xin-Mei folded her arms, still angry. “He was obviously jealous. He just couldn’t stand seeing someone better than him.”
Guo Han-Sheng frowned slightly.
“Xiaodong wasn’t like this before.”
He was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “I’ll talk to him later and find out exactly what happened.”
“That’s good.”
Guo Xin-Mei snorted.
“Otherwise, he really made our Fudan Hospital lose face today.”
“Xin-Mei.”
Guo Han-Sheng gently reminded her.
But his daughter did not back down.
“Dad, you can’t let him off just because he’s one of our hospital’s doctors.”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at his daughter.
“I’ll handle it.”
His tone became serious.
Then he turned toward Yang Wen-Hua, his expression becoming warm again.
“Dr. Yang, after listening to your presentation just now, I thought of something.”
Yang Wen-Hua raised his head.
“Please go ahead, President Guo.”
Guo Han-Sheng sat down beside the sofa and gestured for the two of them to sit as well.
“Since you have such deep expertise in minimally invasive surgery and microsurgery, why not consider developing your career here in Shanghai?”
He leaned slightly forward.
“Our plastic surgery department at Fudan Hospital is currently in urgent need of someone with advanced technical expertise like yours.”
There was an unmistakable recruiting tone in Guo Han-Sheng’s voice.
“If you’re willing to stay, I can arrange the best possible research conditions for you, and I can also have you participate in international-level clinical research.”
Yang Wen-Hua fell silent.
Of course, he understood the weight of the offer. Shanghai. An international medical platform. Better research equipment. Greater opportunities for professional development.
If he looked at it solely from the perspective of a physician’s career, this was indeed a rare opportunity.
But what appeared in his mind were the patients in those remote mountain areas of Taitung. Patients who had to travel long distances to seek medical treatment because of inconvenient transportation and insufficient medical resources.
He had seen far too many such eyes.
They were the eyes of people placing their last hope in the hands of a physician.
Yang Wen-Hua gently set down his coffee cup.
“Thank you, President Guo, for thinking so highly of me.”
He raised his head, his expression calm and firm.
“But when I was studying medicine, my greatest wish was to stay in places where medical resources were scarce and serve those who truly needed medical care.”
Guo Han-Sheng was slightly taken aback.
Yang Wen-Hua continued.
“So I have never seriously thought about my own career prospects.”
He said it very calmly, but Guo Han-Sheng could hear the determination behind his words.
He could not help sighing.
“That really is a shame.”
Guo Han-Sheng leaned back in his chair.
“But I can understand. Young people tend to have a little romanticism in their thinking.”
He smiled.
“Still, Dr. Yang, sometimes being more practical can actually create a win-win situation—not only for your own future, but also for more patients.”
Yang Wen-Hua did not answer immediately. He knew that Guo Han-Sheng’s words were not without reason. If he had better equipment and a larger platform, he could indeed help more people.
But...
Was staying in a place with limited medical resources not another kind of value?
Both choices had their own reasons. What he truly found difficult to give up was that he did not want the identity of “physician” to become merely a ladder toward personal fame and fortune.
Just then, Guo Xin-Mei suddenly spoke.
“Dad.”
Guo Han-Sheng turned toward her.
“What is it?”
Guo Xin-Mei looked at Yang Wen-Hua, a greater seriousness in her eyes.
“Actually, I already talked with Big Brother Yang about this just now.”
She paused.
“I actually think that his commitment to practicing medicine and saving lives deserves great respect.”
Yang Wen-Hua was slightly startled. He had not expected Guo Xin-Mei to speak up for him.
Guo Xin-Mei continued.
“Nowadays, many young physicians want to move to major cities in pursuit of better income, better equipment, and greater recognition.”
She looked at her father.
“But if every physician thought that way, what would happen to places where medical resources are inadequate?”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at his daughter, and the smile on his face gradually became somewhat helpless.
“Girl...”
But Guo Xin-Mei did not stop.
“So I think that since Big Brother Yang has already made his choice, we should respect it.”
She turned to Yang Wen-Hua and smiled.
“And I think people who can remain true to their convictions deserve more respect than people who only know how to chase fame and fortune.”
Yang Wen-Hua looked at her, his heart stirring slightly.
“Xin-Mei, thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me.”
Guo Xin-Mei smiled openly.
“I’m just saying what I really think.”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at his daughter, who seemed to be singing in harmony with Yang Wen-Hua, and could not help shaking his head with a wry smile. He raised his hand and pointed at Guo Xin-Mei.
“You little girl, you’ve always been strong-minded.”
Guo Xin-Mei stuck out her tongue.
“Isn’t that a good thing?”
“Good, yes.”
Guo Han-Sheng shook his head helplessly.
“You just love contradicting me.”
He turned toward Yang Wen-Hua.
“Sorry you had to witness this.”
Yang Wen-Hua smiled and shook his head.
“Not at all.”
Looking at the father and daughter before him, he suddenly felt that the atmosphere in the lounge had become much more relaxed.
However, he did not notice that the look in Guo Xin-Mei’s eyes had become slightly different from before.
It was no longer simply admiration for a senior physician.
It was the kind of curiosity that gradually arose after meeting someone for the first time.
She suddenly wanted to know—
How many stories did this man who was willing to give up the generous conditions of a major Shanghai hospital still have that no one knew about?
And another question quietly surfaced in her heart.
What position, exactly, did that Lin Xiuling occupy in his heart?
39. Xin-Mei’s Romantic Feelings
The afternoon sunlight streamed through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows of the president’s office and fell across the dark wooden floor. Outside the window, high-rises stood one after another, while the traffic moved like a slowly flowing river through the city.
Guo Han-Sheng stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with his hands clasped behind his back, remaining silent for a long time.
The commotion at the international medical conference just now was still turning over in his mind. Yang Wen-Hua’s presentation had originally been highly successful, but Zhao Xiaodong’s sudden provocation had disrupted it.
What surprised him even more was that his own daughter had actually spoken up for Yang Wen-Hua in public.
This girl...
A helpless smile appeared at the corners of Guo Han-Sheng’s mouth.
Just then, there were two light knocks on the door.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Guo Xin-Mei walked in carrying a tray of fruit juice. She placed the juice on the desk and casually picked up one of the glasses, handing it to her father.
“Dad, take a break.”
Guo Han-Sheng turned around and accepted the glass, but he did not drink it immediately. He looked at his daughter, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
“Girl, you just ruined your old man’s plan.”
Guo Xin-Mei froze.
“Huh?”
Her eyes widened.
“What plan?”
Guo Han-Sheng did not answer. Instead, he walked behind the desk and sat down. He took a sip of juice before slowly saying,
“Do you know why I kept trying to persuade Yang Wen-Hua to come to Shanghai just now?”
Guo Xin-Mei pulled out a chair and sat down.
“I know.”
She shrugged.
“But Big Brother Yang isn’t interested.”
Guo Han-Sheng put down his glass and folded his hands on the desk.
“In another ten years, I’ll be old enough to retire.”
His tone suddenly became serious.
“Before then, I have to find someone reliable with real potential to take over as president of the hospital.”
He raised his head.
“Yang Wen-Hua is the best candidate in my mind.”
Guo Xin-Mei blinked.
“So... Dad wants him to take over for you?”
“That’s right.”
Guo Han-Sheng nodded.
“His clinical ability, research ability, and most importantly, his ethics and vision as a physician all meet my standards.”
He paused.
“You don’t find talent like this just anywhere.”
Leaning back in her chair, Guo Xin-Mei smiled.
“When one person has feelings and the other doesn’t, there’s not much you can do!”
“That’s why I said you ruined my plan.”
Guo Xin-Mei was startled.
“Me?”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at her and suddenly gave her a meaningful smile.
“Everyone has their own selfish motives.”
“Dad, what are you plotting now?”
Guo Han-Sheng did not answer directly. He leaned slightly forward, looking straight at his daughter.
“If Yang Wen-Hua becomes my son-in-law someday...”
Guo Xin-Mei’s eyes slowly widened.
“Then wouldn’t both my career and your marriage have the best possible successor?”
“Dad!”
Guo Xin-Mei’s face immediately turned red. She could not help slapping the desk.
“You’re thinking way too far ahead!”
Guo Han-Sheng laughed heartily.
“Only ten years. It’ll pass quickly.”
He looked at his daughter meaningfully.
“Your old man wants to ask you something first.”
Guo Xin-Mei gradually stopped smiling.
“What?”
“How do you feel about Yang Wen-Hua?”
Guo Xin-Mei thought for a moment.
The image of Yang Wen-Hua standing on the stage appeared in her mind. Calm and confident, yet without the slightest trace of arrogance.
She could not help smiling.
“Yang Wen-Hua... Very nice!”
Guo Han-Sheng raised an eyebrow.
“Very nice?”
“Mm.”
Guo Xin-Mei nodded.
“He’s very modest and very down-to-earth.”
But Guo Han-Sheng did not smile. He stared into his daughter’s eyes.
“Girl, I’m not asking whether he’s suitable to be a physician.”
Guo Xin-Mei froze.
“Then what are you asking?”
Guo Han-Sheng asked slowly, word by word.
“Do you like Yang Wen-Hua?”
The air suddenly became still.
The relaxed expression on Guo Xin-Mei’s face slowly disappeared. She lowered her head, unconsciously rubbing the rim of her glass with her fingers.
After several seconds, she finally said softly,
“I do.”
Then she added,
“But...”
Guo Han-Sheng waited for her.
“But his heart is in Taiwan.”
The words made Guo Xin-Mei’s heart ache slightly. She herself did not know why, even though this was only her first formal meeting with Yang Wen-Hua, she had already become so concerned about his romantic situation.
Perhaps it was because she admired him.
Perhaps it was because she was curious.
Or perhaps...
It was because she had already vaguely sensed that there was a woman who had long occupied a place in Yang Wen-Hua’s heart.
But Guo Han-Sheng did not back down because of this.
“That’s easy enough to deal with.”
Guo Xin-Mei raised her head.
“What?”
Guo Han-Sheng leaned back in his chair, his tone relaxed.
“If you like Yang Wen-Hua, then find a way to win him over.”
“Dad!”
Guo Xin-Mei was both amused and exasperated.
“Who teaches his daughter to pursue a relationship like this?”
“I’m not forcing you.”
Guo Han-Sheng raised his hand.
“I’m just giving you an opportunity.”
Guo Xin-Mei looked at her father.
“What opportunity?”
“Go to Taiwan.”
She froze.
“Taiwan?”
“That’s right.”
Guo Han-Sheng gave her a confident smile.
“The one who lives closest to the water gets the moon first.”
“I want to send you to Taiwan. On the one hand, you can learn cutting-edge surgical techniques from Yang Wen-Hua, and on the other...”
He deliberately paused.
“Develop a relationship with him.”
Guo Xin-Mei was completely speechless.
“Dad, but...”
“But what?”
“I’m worried that Big Brother Yang doesn’t like me at all.”
Guo Han-Sheng laughed.
“You haven’t even tried. How do you know he won’t accept you?”
Guo Xin-Mei fell silent.
She knew her father had a point, but love was not medical research. There were no experimental data and no success rate.
She could analyze a medical case, but she could not analyze a man’s heart.
“All right.”
She finally raised her head.
“I’ll do my best.”
Guo Han-Sheng smiled with satisfaction.
But Guo Xin-Mei suddenly remembered something, and her expression darkened.
“Oh, right!”
She slapped the desk.
“That Zhao Xiaodong—you have to deal with him.”
Guo Han-Sheng put away his smile.
“I know what I’m doing.”
“Dad, he really went too far today.”
“I know.”
“Good.”
Guo Xin-Mei stood up.
“I’ll go back to work.”
Just then—
“Knock, knock.”
There was another knock on the door.
Guo Han-Sheng raised his head.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Zhao Xiaodong stood in the doorway.
“President, it’s Xiaodong.”
Guo Xin-Mei and he looked directly at each other. Her expression immediately turned cold.
Zhao Xiaodong forced a faint smile.
“Xin-Mei.”
Guo Xin-Mei did not even respond. She merely gave him a cold glance before turning and walking away.
As she passed him, she did not even pause.
The door closed.
The smile disappeared from Zhao Xiaodong’s face instantly.
That spoiled rich girl...
He clenched his teeth inwardly.
She must have already complained about me to her father.
Guo Han-Sheng pointed to the chair opposite him.
“Sit.”
Zhao Xiaodong sat down. He had already mentally prepared himself. Guo Han-Sheng did not beat around the bush.
“Xiaodong, do you know why I asked you to come here?”
Zhao Xiaodong lowered his head and smiled bitterly.
“I know.”
“Then you tell me.”
Zhao Xiaodong was silent for a moment.
“I... I just couldn’t stand it.”
Guo Han-Sheng frowned.
“Couldn’t stand what?”
“Yeah.”
“Did Dr. Yang offend you before?”
“No.”
“Then why did you target him like that at the international conference?”
Zhao Xiaodong’s lips moved several times.
Finally, as if he had made up his mind, he said,
“Because... he stole my girlfriend.”
Guo Han-Sheng was stunned.
“Your girlfriend?”
“Mm.”
“Who?”
Zhao Xiaodong raised his head.
“Lin Xiuling.”
Guo Han-Sheng froze for several seconds, then a meaningful expression appeared on his face.
“Lin Xiuling?”
He leaned back in his chair.
“You have good taste.”
Zhao Xiaodong was in no mood for jokes.
“She wasn’t like this with me before.”
His voice dropped.
“But as soon as Yang Wen-Hua came to Shanghai, she started distancing herself from me.”
Guo Han-Sheng looked thoughtful.
“So you think Yang Wen-Hua stole her from you?”
“Yes.”
“Are you sure Lin Xiuling and Yang Wen-Hua are already a couple?”
Zhao Xiaodong hesitated.
“I think so.”
“You think so?”
“They were senior and junior at National Taiwan University’s College of Medicine, and they’ve always been very close.”
Zhao Xiaodong gritted his teeth.
“And this time, when Yang Wen-Hua came to Shanghai, he even stayed at Lin Xiuling’s home.”
A flicker passed through Guo Han-Sheng’s eyes.
“So you regard him as a love rival?”
“Yes.”
“Did you deliberately embarrass him at the conference?”
Zhao Xiaodong lowered his head.
“Mm.”
He took a deep breath.
“If the hospital wants to punish me, I’ll accept it.”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at this student whom he had once valued greatly, and his eyes gradually softened.
“Xiaodong.”
“Teacher.”
“You’re a student I’ve always valued highly.”
Guo Han-Sheng’s tone was heavy.
“Our relationship is more than simply that of a hospital president and a physician.”
Zhao Xiaodong’s eyes became slightly red. He lowered his head.
“Teacher, I’m sorry.”
Guo Han-Sheng remained silent for a while.
“Your words and actions at the conference today did indeed make the hospital look bad.”
He paused.
“So you must accept whatever disciplinary action is necessary.”
Zhao Xiaodong nodded.
“I understand.”
However, Guo Han-Sheng suddenly changed his tone.
“But I can understand why you were jealous.”
Zhao Xiaodong raised his head.
“Teacher...”
“I even encourage you to pursue Lin Xiuling.”
Zhao Xiaodong froze.
Guo Han-Sheng smiled faintly.
“She’s an excellent physician. If she becomes your partner someday, she could also be a great help to your career.”
A glimmer of hope returned to Zhao Xiaodong’s eyes.
“Teacher...”
“But.”
Guo Han-Sheng’s voice suddenly became stern.
“I have one condition.”
Zhao Xiaodong’s smile disappeared.
“What?”
“Do not provoke Yang Wen-Hua again.”
“But—”
“No buts.”
Guo Han-Sheng interrupted him.
“Don’t throw an egg at a rock and bring trouble upon yourself.”
Zhao Xiaodong slowly clenched his fists.
“But I just can’t accept it.”
“I know.”
Guo Han-Sheng looked at him.
“But Yang Wen-Hua will be returning to Taiwan in a couple of days.”
He deliberately slowed his tone.
“What you need to do most right now is keep your composure.”
Zhao Xiaodong remained silent for a long time. Finally, he lowered his head.
“All right.”
“Go back to work.”
“Yes.”
Zhao Xiaodong stood up and walked toward the door. When his hand grasped the doorknob, he paused, but he did not turn around.
“Teacher, thank you.”
“Go.”
The door gently closed.
Guo Han-Sheng sat alone behind his desk.
He did not immediately pick up the documents. Instead, he stared at the closed door, his expression gradually becoming more thoughtful.
Zhao Xiaodong’s problem had been temporarily brought under control.
But there was another matter...
He turned and looked out the window.
Yang Wen-Hua’s image surfaced in his mind once again.
Yang Wen-Hua. Xin-Mei. Lin Xiuling.
The three young people seemed to have already formed a subtle web of romantic relationships.
And what he truly wanted to do went far beyond simply finding a successor for the hospital.
Guo Han-Sheng picked up his fruit juice, and a meaningful smile slowly appeared at the corners of his mouth.
Ten years. Ten years is enough time to change many things.
It was also enough time for a young man to become the true core figure of the next generation at Fudan Hospital.
As for his daughter’s happiness...
He had no intention of letting go of that so easily.
40. Guo Han-Sheng’s Plans
By evening, the sky over Shanghai had gradually darkened. Traffic flowed steadily outside the hospital, while the plane trees along the roadside were tinged with a layer of golden light from the setting sun. Pedestrians hurried across the crosswalk as the noise of the city mingled with the solemn atmosphere of the hospital.
A dark-colored sedan slowly approached the hospital entrance.
From the driver’s seat, Lin Xiuling saw Yang Wen-Hua walking out of the hospital lobby through the windshield. She immediately raised her hand and gently waved to him.
“Wen-Hua, over here!”
Yang Wen-Hua looked toward her voice, a smile appearing on his face. He opened the front passenger door and got in, casually placing his briefcase by his feet.
“Have I kept you waiting?”
“No, I just got here.”
Lin Xiuling stepped on the accelerator. The sedan smoothly pulled away from the hospital entrance and merged into the evening rush-hour traffic.
Soft music played quietly inside the car. Lin Xiuling held the steering wheel with one hand and picked up a drink from the center console with the other, handing it to Yang Wen-Hua.
“Here. I bought this especially for you.”
Yang Wen-Hua took it and looked at the cup.
“Grass jelly tea?”
“Yep!”
He could not help laughing.
“They sell grass jelly tea in Shanghai too?”
“Of course.”
Lin Xiuling raised her eyebrows proudly.
“I found a Taiwanese-owned drink shop online. I knew you’d been busy all day, so I guessed you’d want to drink this.”
Yang Wen-Hua inserted the straw and took a sip. The familiar sweetness spread across his tongue, and he narrowed his eyes slightly.
“It really tastes pretty good.”
“I knew you’d like it.”
A smile appeared at the corners of Lin Xiuling’s mouth, but it lasted only a moment before gradually fading.
She looked at the road ahead and remained silent for a while before suddenly asking,
“Wen-Hua, after staying in Shanghai these past few days, have you felt like this place is your second home?”
“Why are you suddenly asking that?”
“Because I...”
She paused before changing what she was about to say.
“Because you asked me today whether I’ve already started thinking of myself as a Shanghainese.”
Yang Wen-Hua turned to look at her. Lin Xiuling remained focused on the road ahead.
“You grew up in Shanghai. I always thought you considered yourself a Shanghainese.”
“Shanghai is where I grew up.”
Lin Xiuling gently tapped her fingers against the steering wheel.
“But Taiwan is my root.”
Her voice was soft, yet carried an unusual seriousness.
“No matter how long I stay in Shanghai, how much Shanghai food I eat, or how much Shanghainese I speak, I always know where my roots are.”
Yang Wen-Hua did not respond. He simply listened quietly.
Lin Xiuling took a deep breath, as if she had finally found someone she could confide in.
“Actually, I was very moved at the conference today.”
“Because of me?”
“Mm.”
She turned her face toward him for a glance, then quickly returned her eyes to the road.
“I heard everything you said in response to Zhao Xiaodong. You weren’t trying to defend yourself. You were explaining why you chose to study medicine.”
She paused.
“You said those cutting-edge technologies should be used in life-saving clinical surgery.”
A bitter smile appeared at the corners of Lin Xiuling’s mouth.
“At that moment, I suddenly felt... compared with you, I seem so small and worldly.”
“Xiuling.”
“I know what you’re going to say.”
She smiled first, interrupting him.
“You’re going to say again that everyone has their own choices.”
Yang Wen-Hua smiled too.
“Then why did you say it?”
“I just wanted to tell you.”
She spoke as if she were trying to make light of it, but a hint of complexity remained in her eyes.
She liked this man.
Not because he was a physician, nor because he had received such enthusiastic applause at the international medical conference that day.
It was because, for the first time, she had felt so clearly that this man carried a world inside him that was larger than herself.
And precisely because of that, she became even more afraid.
Afraid that even if she reached out her hand, she might still be unable to enter that world.
The car reached an intersection.
The light turned red.
Lin Xiuling stepped on the brake, and the sedan slowly stopped before the stop line.
The cabin suddenly became quiet.
After a moment, as if she had finally summoned enough courage, she asked softly,
“Oh, by the way...”
“Hmm?”
“The ten-year promise you made with your first love... is it this year?”
Yang Wen-Hua’s hand tightened slightly around the cup of grass jelly tea. His gaze passed through the windshield and settled on the blinking red light ahead.
“Mm.”
“When?”
“November this year, at the Life Bean Festival.”
Lin Xiuling fell silent. She had known for a long time that this day would come. Yet when the date was actually spoken by Yang Wen-Hua, she still felt as though something had gently struck her in the chest.
Ten years. An entire ten years.
A man was willing to spend ten years of his youth waiting for a woman. How deep must such love be for someone to willingly wait until this day?
She struggled to maintain her smile.
“Then... I’ll go back too.”
Yang Wen-Hua turned his head.
“You?”
“Mm.” Lin Xiuling looked at him seriously. “I want to meet her.”
Yang Wen-Hua was startled.
“You want to meet Ci-En?”
“Is that okay?”
Yang Wen-Hua was silent for several seconds before finally giving a bitter smile.
“Okay.”
Lin Xiuling nodded.
But what she truly wanted to confirm was not what kind of woman Xie Ci-En was.
What she wanted to know was—
After the ten-year promise came to an end, would Yang Wen-Hua’s heart still remain where it had been?
The traffic light was still red.
Lin Xiuling held the steering wheel and remained silent for a while. In the end, she finally asked the question she had kept buried in her heart for a long time.
“Wen-Hua, if...”
She stopped.
“If what?”
“I mean, if she doesn’t show up in the end.”
Yang Wen-Hua said nothing.
“Or...” Her voice became even softer. “Or what if she no longer wants to keep that ten-year promise?”
Silence filled the car.
Yang Wen-Hua lowered his head and looked at the grass jelly tea in his hand.
How could he possibly not know what Lin Xiuling was really asking?
It was just that this was an answer he could not give her yet.
“Xiuling, I know what you want to say.”
Lin Xiuling turned her face toward him.
Their eyes met in the small space of the car. She did not look away. There was expectation in her eyes, along with a hint of uneasiness.
“Then...” she asked softly, “are you willing to open a window in your heart for me?”
Yang Wen-Hua looked at her, and his heart suddenly became confused.
The Lin Xiuling before him was no longer the younger schoolmate who had followed him around years ago, calling him “Senior.”
She was mature, beautiful, confident, and completely unafraid to express her feelings.
But there was still a name in his heart.
A name he had guarded for ten years.
He could not make a promise to another woman before the ten-year promise had come to an end.
At least, not yet.
“That question...” he slowly began, “is hypothetical.”
Lin Xiuling looked at him.
“So?”
“I’m not in a position to answer you right now.”
Lin Xiuling was stunned.
A moment later, she actually smiled.
It was not a disappointed smile, but a sense of relief that came from finally receiving an answer.
“I understand.”
The red light turned green.
A car behind them gave a light honk.
Lin Xiuling stepped on the accelerator again. The sedan moved forward.
She looked ahead, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.
“Let’s cook dinner together tonight.”
Yang Wen-Hua was startled, then smiled.
“Didn’t you say you were going to let me show you what I can do?”
“Exactly!”
Lin Xiuling’s smile brightened again.
“Tonight, I’ll see what you’ve got. I’ll be your assistant.”
Outside the car windows, the lights of Shanghai gradually came on, one after another.
And the hearts of the two people also quietly drew a little closer in this unfamiliar yet familiar city.
But neither of them said it aloud—
Some feelings, the closer they come, the more they need to wait for an answer.
