Chapter 34

On New Year’s Eve, Youyi had a quarrel with her family.

Over the years, Youyi had never really argued with them.

This was the first time.

She remembered writing an essay as a child about what home meant.

Youyi would sit at her desk with a pencil and write earnestly.

— Home was always her favorite place.

As she grew older, such simple questions didn’t seem so straightforward.

In fact, simple questions might be the most complex.

For a long time, Youyi couldn’t understand why they seemed to suffocate her like boundless sea waves, yet still hoped she could breathe freely.

The argument started because her mother wanted Fu Cheng’s help. She hoped Fu Cheng could assist her cousin, who was about to join the military, to advance faster.

Youyi told her mother that it was the military, not some small company or shop. Even if Fu Cheng were still there, it would be impossible for him to help in that way.

Her cousin chose to enlist. That was his own path to take. Why should she, as his aunt, have to interfere?

When Youyi said this, the dark aura from the other end of the line was palpable.

Youyi, why have you become like this now?

How can you be so indifferent to the family now that you’re out?

Youyi was baffled by how the conversation shifted from her cousin to herself. Her mother said she had put in so much effort raising her, endured so many hardships, and now that Youyi was married and had her own path, she had begun to neglect her family.

“Your father’s health isn’t good, he’s always coughing. The last checkup cost two thousand yuan. But Youyi, I’m not talking about the money. You’re grown up now, tell me, what do you have to complain about us?”

When her mother got angry, she spoke incoherently, saying whatever came to her mind.

She believed she had raised her daughter well—good character, obedient, good grades, studying a profession they were all satisfied with. It was the perfect path, so why did it seem to veer off course?

Yes, Youyi herself couldn’t understand either.

She didn’t mention this to Fu Cheng, not wanting him to know about the conflict with her family.

It felt pointless.

Life’s path is woven into a vast net. We always think the end of the net is smooth sailing, but it’s not. The net itself is complex.

Youyi had just completed an assignment. Recently, she was practicing tying surgical knots. Her hands were clumsy, and the thread kept tangling.

Has she really liked this field for nearly three years?

In fact, she didn’t.

She was just studying it for the sake of fulfilling a task.

Before the college entrance exam, Youyi wanted to study computer science, but her parents said that playing with computers had no future and that being a doctor was more respectable.

Youyi briefly resisted but eventually agreed.

The more she tied, the messier it became. She threw the tangled thread aside, unable to even find the end. She cut it with a blade and threw it all in the trash.

Let it all go into the bin.

The more, the better.

After a long time, Youyi emerged from the study.

Fu Cheng had a meeting to attend today. He said he would come home late and told Youyi to go to bed first.

In December, Shengli City was always battered by fierce cold winds. At night, it was as if a child was crying hoarsely, chilling and eerie.

Youyi made a sandwich, ate half, wrapped the other half, and put it in the fridge.

Her phone on the table kept flashing with messages. The chat box was filled with long voice messages. Youyi turned the phone over.

Out of sight, out of mind.

*

Fu Cheng didn’t actually have a meeting today.

He was in the car when a friend from the hospital called him.

“Such tumors are generally benign. Malignant cases are rare. I’ve only seen one in all these years, so you can rest assured.”

Fu Cheng placed his right hand on his lap, holding the phone in his left hand, and replied, “Got it.”

“Compared to the tumor, your previous injuries are more serious. Before those two major surgeries, we clearly discussed the risks and benefits. You should come in for a comprehensive checkup as soon as you can. If there are adhesions or other complications, another surgery might be necessary.”

When Fu Cheng was injured, it was to save his team members. In harsh conditions, serious wounds could only be treated simply. Delaying treatment made the injuries worse over time.

Fu Cheng: “I’ll wait. I’ll go when I have the time.”

The person on the other end was surprised, almost shouting.

“Not just any time! As soon as possible!”

He was the doctor, and Fu Cheng was the patient. It was as if he was the one who was anxious, while Fu Cheng was completely unconcerned.

“You know,” Fu Cheng said, “I just got married.”

As his good friend, of course, he knew Fu Cheng was married. They had registered their marriage but not held a wedding yet since his spouse was still a junior in college.

“So?”

“I can’t just make her accompany me to the hospital right after we’ve married.”

He had been through those surgeries before and knew how brutal they were. He didn’t want her to experience such cruelty, and it should have ended long ago.

The doctor on the other end was at a loss for words.

“When will you delay it until?”

“Until she gets busy and doesn’t have time.”

“Maybe not even recently?”

“Perhaps.”

The person on the other end sighed helplessly.

“I advise you to get it done as soon as possible. If there are any problems, delaying them will only make things worse and harder to treat later.”

With that, he hung up the phone, saying he would wait for the test results.

As soon as the call ended, Youyi’s number came through.

Fu Cheng answered.

“Are you busy?” Her voice was soft, afraid of disturbing him, and she cautiously asked.

“No, I’m about to head home.”

Youyi’s voice grew louder.

“Fu Cheng, there’s no hot water at home. I only managed to wash halfway.”

She sounded a bit aggrieved, even though she knew it was just a small matter.

But if it was something she couldn’t solve, she had to trouble him.

Fu Cheng: “I’ll be back right away.”

He drove home and, within twenty minutes of arriving, saw Youyi wrapped in a blanket sitting on the sofa.

Her hair was wrapped in a towel, still covered in foam that hadn’t been rinsed out yet. She had only wiped herself down with a towel, and her neck was exposed to the cold air.

“Why didn’t you put on some clothes?” he asked, holding her hand.

“I haven’t rinsed off the shower gel yet, so I didn’t want to put on clothes.”

Youyi wrapped the blanket tighter around herself, like a non-ventilated rice dumpling.

The weather was getting colder, and even with the air conditioning on at home, it wasn’t particularly warm. Just this short while, her fingers had already gone cold.

Fu Cheng didn’t change his clothes and went straight to the bathroom.

Youyi followed him and watched.

Fu Cheng had a clear goal. He turned on the water to check the temperature, confirming there was indeed no hot water. Then he tried other faucets.

The other faucets had hot water.

He went to get some tools.

He unscrewed the connection between the showerhead and the hose, confirming it was a problem with the rubber ring. He worked swiftly, reassembling it and then turning on the water valve.

Hot water flowed out.

“Come in and take a shower,” Fu Cheng called as he tidied up, then paused and said, “Have you been crying?”

Her eyes were red, though not very noticeable.

Youyi answered honestly, “I had a quarrel with my family.”

Fu Cheng asked, “About what?”

Youyi avoided eye contact and said, “Nothing, just some old grievances.”

Fu Cheng didn’t press further.

After Youyi finished her shower, Fu Cheng was on the balcony talking on the phone. Youyi watched for a while, sensing his expression was a bit tense.

She went to the room and brought out a hand warmer.

When Fu Cheng finished his call and came inside, Youyi went over and held his hand.

Her hands were still warm from the hot shower, and while his palms were warm, the cold had seeped into his fingers. Youyi put the hand warmer into his hand.

He always cared for her, and Youyi noticed and remembered his concern, so she tried to care for him in return.

“Thank you,” Fu Cheng said.

Although he wasn’t afraid of the cold, seeing her attention to detail and care for him made him feel good.

Youyi smiled and shook her head, saying earnestly, “No need to thank me.”

One day, two people seeking warmth leaned into each other, discovering a new world within each other’s eyes.

“Why did you choose to study medicine?” Fu Cheng asked her.

“Huh?” Youyi was surprised by the sudden topic.

“It was my parents. They thought studying medicine was good.”

“Actually, I didn’t like it that much.”

Even though she didn’t like it, her grades were high, and she earned scholarships. Youyi was just that kind of person—she took everything seriously.

“Do you find it cruel, after studying so much?”

Cruel?

Why use that word?

Youyi frowned, thought for a moment, then shook her head.

Then she nodded.

“The first time I attended an anatomy class, the teacher told us to hit the rabbit with a stick to kill it quickly and precisely to minimize its suffering. At that time, I thought it was cruel.”

Youyi continued, “But after attending more classes and performing dissections myself, I didn’t feel that way anymore. I only focused on how to better separate the blood vessels, how to stitch, and how to handle each step of the procedure.”

If the rabbit were replaced with a human, it would be the same.

In essence, Youyi was more rational than emotional.

After Youyi finished speaking, she looked up at him and asked, “Why the sudden question?”

Fu Cheng shook his head. “I’m just curious about your field.”

Youyi replied, “Then next time during our anatomy class, you can come and observe secretly.”

“It’s quite interesting.”

Fu Cheng held her hand, squeezing her fingers. There was a subtle, almost imperceptible emotion between his cold brows—a faint sense of reluctance.

“Okay, I’ll come when I get a chance.”