Speaking of the matter, Yang Bin clicked his tongue. "It’s not that I don’t want to help you check, but the information you provided is just too abstract! A gentle voice, pretty face, long black hair—you could find a dozen people like that on any street. Besides, that stretch of road doesn't have any surveillance cameras. With just those few words, how do you expect me to find her?"
Failing to find his ideal sister-in-law left Lu Jingming feeling quite depressed, but he knew that with such limited information, it was truly difficult to track her down. He couldn't blame Yang Bin.
"Fine, fine. I’ll treat you to a meal another time. I’ll figure out another way myself."
***
After receiving the medical records sent by Lu Jingyan, Gu Qing had been burying herself in research for the past few days, hoping to find the optimal treatment plan for him. Finally, after several nights of analysis, she found a suitable approach.
Gu Qing lifted her head from a pile of medical books, rubbing her temple with one hand while flipping open the phone resting on her desk with the other. She opened her chat window with Lu Jingyan; the conversation was still stuck where they had last discussed his condition.
She sent him a message: "Are you free?"
Suddenly receiving a message from Gu Qing, Lu Jingyan gripped his phone and fell into a silence. Since they had talked that day, she hadn't taken the initiative to contact him again, and he hadn't pressed for anything either. He had simply been waiting aimlessly for news that seemed hopeless. He had assumed that the promise made that day was just a flash in the pan—that after seeing his medical records, she had given up.
Seeing her message again, an indescribable emotion welled up in Lu Jingyan’s heart. He replied with three words: "What is it?"
Gu Qing waited for quite a while before receiving Lu Jingyan's reply. *What is it...* In those three short words, Gu Qing seemed to see the coldness and detachment in his manner.
Gu Qing swiveled in her chair, pondering, and typed: "I have fully grasped your condition during this time. Due to the specific nature of your leg injury, the surgery is highly complex, and I don't feel I am in the best position to perform it right now. However, I can begin by treating you with traditional Chinese medicine."
Lu Jingyan: "Chinese medicine?"
He was surprised that she was also skilled in traditional medicine.
Gu Qing, however, assumed he was worried. She quickly added: "Don't worry. My skills in Chinese medicine are actually better than my Western medical practice. Your condition is well-suited for a Chinese medicine regimen before eventually undergoing surgery. I guarantee that under my care, your legs have a seventy percent chance of a successful recovery."
Seventy percent?
Lu Jingyan’s pupils contracted sharply. Did she realize what seventy percent meant? Doctors usually liked to remain cautious; a seventy percent success rate meant that the chances of failure were essentially minimal. Before this, every doctor he had consulted had defined his surgical success rate as only twenty or thirty percent. She was the only one who dared to say seventy percent. Suddenly, Lu Jingyan felt a mix of absurdity and anticipation. He didn't know if she was just a fearless novice or if she truly possessed such ability.
His fingers trembling, he replied: "Alright. Whenever you are convenient, just reach out to me."
Gu Qing: "OK."
After sending the message, Gu Qing suddenly remembered something very important. "By the way, I haven't been back in the country long and haven't taken a position at a hospital yet. When the time comes for surgery, regarding the hospital..."
Lu Jingyan replied quickly: "Don't worry. I will arrange the hospital."
Gu Qing sat before her desk. A side window had not been closed tightly, and night had already shrouded the world outside, the howling wind whistling through the gap. She was wearing only a thin knit sweater, and as the breeze brushed against her, she shivered and stood up to latch the window shut.
The scene reminded her of the time Lu Jingyan would gently embrace her from behind and say, with cautious tenderness, "Qing'er, it’s so cold; don't push me away. Let me warm you." There had been a touch of shamelessness hidden within that caution.
Times had changed, and people had moved on. After she had been moved by him, they lost contact, and he had suffered an accident that nearly changed the trajectory of his life. If she hadn't returned to the country because of her grandmother’s incident and seen the news about him, she would never have known that the reason he lost touch was because of a car accident.
After a moment of thought, Gu Qing sent him a message, teasing him deliberately: "My fiancé, the weather has turned cold recently, remember to stay warm. Especially your legs—you can use hot towels for damp compresses often. Massage them frequently to keep the muscles active. Don't make me worry."
When Lu Jingyan received the message, his hand slipped, and his fountain pen dropped onto the table, rolled a few times, and clattered to the floor.
Since the accident, his family had intentionally avoided the topic of his disabled legs; it was a taboo subject. Even his previous private doctor had been instructed by Madam Lu to avoid mentioning the word "legs" in front of him, deliberately trying not to pick at his scars. Yet, the more they walked on eggshells, the more it made him realize how different he was now—like a fragile porcelain doll that couldn't be bumped or touched.
She was the only one who treated him like a normal person, giving him instructions on how to care for his legs. In her presence, he felt as if there were no difference between him and a healthy person. However, was she not adapting a bit too well to their status as fiancé and fiancée?
Lu Jingyan’s eyes were deep as his gaze lingered on the word "fiancé." He remained silent for a long moment.
"Alright, I will remember," he typed.
He began to worry if his attitude might be too cold, so his slender thumb tapped on the phone again: "You should stay warm too."
After sending her final message, Gu Qing went to the bathroom to shower. She hadn't expected a reply, but when she came out, she saw two unread messages on her phone. Both were from Lu Jingyan.
As Gu Qing read his reply, the corners of her lips curled upward. Images of Lu Jingyan before he lost his memory surfaced in her mind again. Outsiders always said he was reticent and unapproachable, but in front of her, he had been as obedient as a child. He was always afraid of making her unhappy; whenever he upset her, he would immediately lower his head and say, "Alright, I'll remember. I won't make you angry again."
Gu Qing pulled back her thoughts. Her primary task now was to heal Lu Jingyan's legs. As for anything else, she couldn't afford to be impatient.
***
The day of Gu Ruo's birthday banquet arrived.
The Gu Family Villa was decorated with extreme grandeur. Gu Ruo had invited numerous children of wealthy families, and the guests were gathered in the first-floor hall. The intermittent sounds of laughter drifted up to the third floor. Gu Qing had no intention of joining in the festivities; she changed her clothes, went down through the side door of the villa, and headed to the garage to retrieve her car.
This car had been a gift from Gu Yunfei. Neither Gu Yunfei nor Ye Zhixue had any real affection for her. However, compared to Ye Zhixue’s exploitation and resentment, Gu Yunfei felt mostly guilt toward her.
Within minutes, Gu Qing drove a black sedan out of the villa's main gate.
On the road leading to the Gu residence, Lu Jingming was driving a silver Cayenne toward her. If it weren't for the need to stop the marriage alliance between the two families, he wouldn't have bothered attending Gu Ruo’s birthday party. He held the steering wheel, driving quite slowly.
Catching sight of an oncoming car, Lu Jingming glanced at it casually. As they passed each other, he froze for a split second. The window of the car opposite was halfway down, and a stunningly beautiful woman was sitting in the driver’s seat.
That woman was...
"Sister-in-law!"
Lu Jingming shouted, swerving his car sharply and slamming his foot onto the accelerator, following closely behind her.
Gu Qing keenly sensed the tail behind her. In her memory, she didn't recall offending anyone. Glancing at the silver sedan in her rearview mirror, she found it incredibly annoying. She turned the steering wheel with one hand, and her car suddenly changed direction.