In March, Beicheng was rocked by a series of seismic news stories.
First, Lu Jingyan, the eldest son of the wealthiest family in Beicheng, the Lu family, was in a car accident that left him paralyzed from the waist down.
Second, the prestigious Lu family chose to marry into the nouveau riche Gu family.
Third, the couple at the center of this arranged marriage was highly controversial.
The groom was the now-paralyzed Lu Jingyan.
The bride was the eldest daughter of the Gu family, who had been raised in the countryside.
At this moment, Gu Qing, the subject of everyone’s gossip, was still in the countryside. Sitting in her living room, she felt her phone vibrate with a text message. She glanced at the screen; it was a message from her assistant.
"Evelyn, there is a patient here with a rather unique case. They have been trying to book an appointment with you for six months now. When would you be free to come and take a look?"
Gu Qing pressed the power button with her fair, slender fingers. She lowered her head, her clear eyes reflecting an indescribable sorrow.
What was the point of being a "Ghost Doctor Saint Hand," a world-renowned physician? She couldn't even save her own grandmother; the moment she picked up the scalpel, her grandmother had already reached her limit and passed away.
Behind her, the sounds of an argument drifted from her parents' bedroom. The walls of the rural house offered no soundproofing.
"Ye Zhixue, don't go too far! My mother just passed away, and the funeral only just finished—yet you're already clamoring to go back!"
"Gu Yunfei, there are a mountain of things at the company waiting for us to deal with, not to mention Ruoruo’s coming-of-age ceremony. Which of these is less important than a dead person? We have to bring Gu Qing back and teach her the rules of the city. Otherwise, if a country bumpkin like her marries into the Lu family, it’s our Gu family that will lose face!"
"Ye Zhixue, can you stop saying 'country bumpkin' every other sentence? She is your biological daughter too!"
"If she weren't my biological daughter, why would I have come to get her?" Ye Zhixue scoffed.
"..."
Gu Qing gave a faint, mocking smile. So, these were her biological parents.
They had started as ordinary workers and climbed their way to success step by step. Naturally, they had no time to raise her while they were busy building their career, so she had lived with her grandmother since she was a month old. Though they had been busy back then, they used to think of her often.
When had it all changed? It began when their business grew, they incorporated, and then, when she was seven, they had a younger sister. From then on, their concern for her dwindled as the Gu family's business flourished and climbed into the ranks of the elite. When her mother called, she would always proudly boast about her younger sister being the "lucky star" of the family, never once asking how Gu Qing was doing in school or if she was healthy. It was as if she only called to tell everyone they had a daughter who brought them good fortune.
When her sister was three, they returned once. Her father suggested bringing her grandmother and her to live in Beicheng, but Gu Qing noticed that her mother’s smile was forced. She didn't know what her mother said to her father afterward, but in the end, her father didn't take them with him. After they returned, her mother became pregnant again and gave birth to a son.
From then on, the couple focused all their attention on those two children. Aside from sending money, they didn't come back once for fifteen years. If it weren't for her grandmother's death, they probably would have forgotten they even had a mother and a daughter.
***
After settling her grandmother’s affairs, Gu Qing followed her parents to Beicheng. They had insisted she come, their words sincere, as if they loved her dearly. Gu Qing knew exactly what their motive was; after all, the news in Beicheng was easily found online.
As they neared the house in Beicheng, Ye Zhixue struck up a conversation with Gu Qing.
"Qingqing, remember this: if anyone asks where you go to college, tell them you are a master’s student at Jingcheng Medical University, just about to start your internship..."
Ye Zhixue had always assumed her daughter was just a doctor at a small clinic, considering Qingcheng was just a tiny county town nestled in the hills. Since she hadn't even finished college, she likely only knew some superficial medical knowledge learned from local practitioners. Having heard the old lady mention something about Gu Qing learning medicine, she had subconsciously pigeonholed her. Jingcheng Medical University was ranked number one in the country for medical studies; she told her to say this to save herself from embarrassment. If word got out that her daughter was just a doctor from a backwater clinic, she would be a laughingstock.
Gu Qing sneered. Ye Zhixue was as vain as ever, yet she had never once been willing to understand her daughter. A month ago, Jingcheng Medical University had actually invited her to give a lecture to their students. As a mother, she had never asked about her studies; because Gu Qing had once missed two major exams due to illness, her parents had seen her low total score and assumed she couldn't get into a university. Even when her grandmother tried to call and share the good news that she had been accepted into a prestigious school, they hung up the phone, claiming they were too busy with business. They weren't interested in caring, so her grandmother and she had stopped sharing things with them.
Gu Qing glanced at her and replied coldly, "I am not a student at Jingcheng Medical University."
Her blunt response annoyed Ye Zhixue. She was like a block of wood, completely unable to adapt. Of course she knew she wasn't! If she were actually a student there, would she have to ask her to lie? She had no talent and yet was stubbornly thick-headed; just thinking about it made her feel like she had no face. She was nothing like Ruoruo—who, though not as striking as Gu Qing, was truly outstanding.
Just as she was about to lecture her, she heard Gu Yunfei cough from the front, and Ye Zhixue finally shut her mouth. Avoiding the topic of work, Ye Zhixue thought of her pampered younger daughter, Ruoruo, her tone softening with affection.
"By the way, your sister has been spoiled a bit. Try to be patient with her and don’t upset her. The girl won't eat if she gets angry."
Gu Qing found it ridiculous. Someone about to turn eighteen who still didn't know how to act—she was indeed spoiled beyond measure.
No sooner had she finished speaking than the car pulled up in front of a luxurious villa. Gu Qing stepped out first. A girl in a JK uniform ran over; it was Gu Ruo.
"Dad, Mom, you’re finally back."
When she saw Gu Qing, Gu Ruo noticeably paused, her eyes scanning her. Gu Qing was dressed in a simple beige sweatshirt and lemon-yellow casual pants, with white sneakers on her feet. It was a very plain outfit, but she was stunning, with exquisite features and beautiful skin, giving off an air of cold, quiet elegance. She looked nothing like someone who had lived in the countryside for long.
Gu Ruo knew this was Gu Qing—her older sister, born of the same parents, whom she had never lived with. In Beicheng, Gu Ruo had always been the pampered young lady of the house. Gu Qing’s sudden return made her feel inexplicably uneasy.
"Oh, Ruoruo, you careless girl, why are you out here wearing so little? Aren't you afraid of the cold?"
Seeing Gu Ruo in only a thin T-shirt, Ye Zhixue hurried to take off her own coat and wrap it around her. Gu Ruo snuggled happily into Ye Zhixue’s arms. "Hehe, Mom, I'm not cold at all."
The scene of a doting mother and an affectionate child was very sweet, but it was one Gu Qing had never experienced. The two of them walked into the house, laughing and talking, Ye Zhixue having completely forgotten she had another daughter who had just arrived at the house. During this, Gu Ruo looked back at Gu Qing once, her expression unreadable.
Seeing his younger daughter, Gu Yunfei felt happy too and couldn't help but chime in, introducing her to Gu Qing:
"That is your sister, Gu Ruo. Ruoruo is very accomplished; she did very well on her college entrance exams and has already received her admission notice from Jingcheng Medical University..."