Chapter 55: An Old Acquaintance

Qin Lang felt that the relationship between Dan Ye and Qiong Hua was complicated. Dan Ye had liked Qiong Hua in the past, but now they were just comrades. Whether anyone left, it would make everyone feel sad, especially for those who had always held them dear in their hearts.

While it seemed that Dan Ye had let go of his feelings for Qiong Hua, it was unlikely that he had completely moved on. After all, human emotions are complex. Yet, since Dan Ye had decided to marry Nurse Deng, it meant that there was no future for him and Qiong Hua. Qin Lang thought it was natural for a man to have a bit of nostalgia, as long as he was present in the here and now nothing else really mattered.

These were Qin Lang’s own thoughts, which he dared not share with Lin You, keeping them bottled up. Men and women tend to focus on different things after all.

The next day at work, Lin You noticed that Nurse Deng no longer appeared sad, seeming calm and composed. She wondered if this meant she had let it go or if they had reconciled.

Xiao Bei came over quietly and whispered, “The head nurse announced their breakup yesterday.”

Lin You was surprised by the nurse’s decisiveness. She quickly pulled Xiao Bei into the on call room, where Xiao Nan and Dr. Liu were already there.

The four exchanged knowing looks and began discussing it in whispers.

“Nurse Deng is amazing. She knows when to hold on and when to let go.”

“Exactly! Don’t let men think they can walk all over us women.”

“Dan Ye may look tall and handsome, but what he did is infuriating.”

Lin You suddenly asked, “But did Dan Ye agree to the breakup?”

Xiao Nan answered angrily, “Who cares if he agrees or not? The head nurse agrees, and that’s what matters.”

A voice came from behind them, “So, did he agree or not?”

The four quickly turned around and saluted. “Captain!”

Captain Song, noticing their gossip, wasn’t angry but rather amused. “So, did he agree or not?”

Xiao Nan burst out laughing and explained to him, “Apparently, he didn’t.”

Captain Song straightened up and offered his view, “Well then, there’s still a chance. Couples often break up one day and make up the next.”

Lin You nodded in agreement.

A voice came from behind them again, “There’s no chance. I won’t like him again.”

They turned to see Nurse Deng standing at the door.

Xiao Nan was the first to react, “Nurse Deng, you’re back?”

Lin You and the others lowered their heads, not daring to look at her.

Nurse Deng approached them and explained, “For years, I stood behind him, waiting for him to turn around and see me. But I forgot, I belong at the front too; I don’t need to be behind him. If there’s still a place in his heart for Qionghua, let him do what he wants. This time, I won’t be waiting for him.”

Xiao Nan and Dr. Liu nodded approvingly, agreeing that she was absolutely right.

Although Nurse Deng didn’t come from a privileged family like Qionghua, she had other qualities that were in no way inferior. With her kindness and good nature, they thought Dan Ye would surely regret his choices one day.

Captain Song sighed, gently patted her shoulder in support, and quietly walked out.

Lin You greatly admired Nurse Deng’s decisive action, though she also knew that only Nurse Deng could truly understand the bittersweetness behind it. While Dan Ye hadn’t explicitly agreed to the breakup, who knew what the future held? Perhaps anything was possible.

In the following days, Dan Ye visited the medical unit frequently, always standing at the door but not coming in. When Nurse Deng came out, he’d approach her, but she simply went about her work without acknowledging him.

This amused the medical team, who watched with interest. Sometimes, Lin You also kept an eye on the door, intrigued.

The group stood by the window, laughing at Dan Ye’s awkward attempts to make amends.

Xiao Bei commented, “He looks so pitiful now. Maybe the head nurse should forgive him. It’s been over a week.”

Dr. Liu disagreed, “Why forgive him? Let him feel the sting, otherwise, he won’t learn his lesson and might make the same mistake again.”

Xiao Nan agreed, adding, “The ‘first love’ can be dangerous sometimes, it’s best to nip it in the bud.”

But Lin You was worried, “If this goes on for too long, Dan Ye might be distracted from his duties. Wouldn’t that affect his performance in missions?”

Xiao Bei agreed, thinking it unwise to let Dan Ye be constantly troubled.

“Why don’t we help him out?” she suggested.

But Xiao Nan replied, “There’s no need. He won’t be going on missions anytime soon. Every year around this time, the navy, air force, and special forces train together. Dan Ye is always in charge of the event.”

Lin You looked puzzled, unaware of this tradition.

Dr. Liu explained, “They train together in the mountains near our base every year and stay here too.”

Xiao Nan added excitedly, “You don’t know, Lin You they’re all so handsome.”

Lin You chuckled. “Our base soldiers are handsome too.”

Xiao Bei laughed, “We see them so often we’re immune now! And there’ll be so many young officers.”

Lin You shared a knowing smile with Xiao Nan.

Sure enough, a few days later, many soldiers in white and blue uniforms showed up around the base.

That day, Xiao Nan sneaked up to Lin You. “Dr. Lin, I heard the navy brought a super handsome doctor with them!”

Xiao Bei couldn’t help but chime in, “I saw him he’s really handsome!”

Lin You raised her eyebrow in curiosity, “How handsome? More so than Dan Ye or Lu Li?”

Dr. Liu joined them, looking excited. “It’s different. He has both the rugged charm of a soldier and the refined elegance of a gentleman.”

Xiao Dong scoffed, “No way. People like that don’t exist.”

Lin You thought of someone but remembered they’d lost contact some time ago.

Just then, Xiao Nan said, “It’s almost mealtime, they’ll be heading to the cafeteria soon. If we stand by the medical unit’s entrance, we’ll be able to see him.”

So they all went to the entrance to wait. Soon, groups of soldiers were approaching the cafeteria.

Xiao Nan’s eyes lit up as she pointed at a figure in the crowd, “It’s him! It’s him!”

Lin You followed her gaze and saw a man in a white uniform walking with confidence. She felt he looked familiar, and as he walked toward the medical unit, the air became tense.

As he got closer, Lin You finally recognized him, and they both called out each other’s names in surprise.

“Lin Shimei!” (Junior Sister Lin)

“Wang Shige!” (Senior Brother Wang)

They asked in unison, “What are you doing here?”