Stuck in traffic for a long time, Leyao and I finally arrived at the hospital where Jianwei was staying. I stood outside the ward but did not go in immediately. I was afraid of seeing Jianwei’s increasingly emaciated face. Leyao looked through the glass on the door and said to me, “Zhaoyang, there are quite a few people inside. It seems like the two doctors from last time are both here.” Saying this, she pushed open the ward door.
Finally, I followed her inside. Indeed, both Mo Zishi and Dr. Carter were there. Approaching them, I asked, “Has Jianwei still not shown any sign of waking up?”
Mo Zishi answered me, shaking his head. After a moment of silence, he said, “No, but there is still slight consciousness in her brain. We’ve tried many methods to stimulate her brain nerves, but none have achieved very good results. We will continue with the conventional treatments, and can only wait for time to give us the result.”
I looked at Jianwei again. She had been sleeping so quietly for two months now. I really wanted to ask her if she wasn’t bored being this silent, or if she was still afraid of this imperfect world, so she kept avoiding it like this…
Mo Zishi continued, “Dr. Carter has many patients waiting for him at the Mayo Clinic. He has already stayed in China for two months and must return now. However, he will continue to communicate with us via video conferencing.”
Upon hearing this news, both Yan Yan in the ward and I changed expressions. Although we could understand Dr. Carter’s departure, this kind of partial abandonment made the hope in front of us seem even more distant.
Dr. Carter apologized to us again, repeatedly stating that he would return to China when needed or transfer Jianwei to the Mayo Clinic for further treatment when the timing was right.
In our extreme disappointment, Yan Yan and I respected Dr. Carter’s decision. At this moment, the only doctor still striving for Jianwei was Mo Zishi. No one could be sure when he would also return to the United States, since he was only back in China to assist with the medical research project, and his nationality was American. China was not his home!
Dr. Carter looked at Jianwei with some regret, then said goodbye and left the ward. His back appeared somewhat dejected because the efforts of the past two months had not achieved any breakthrough results. His disappointment made us feel even more hopeless, and soon a heavy atmosphere filled the ward.
This time, I took the initiative to pull Mo Zishi outside the ward and asked him, “The medical research project you’re assisting with in China is almost over, right?”
“Next week.”
“If you’re going back to the U.S., I hope you can help arrange a replacement doctor who must be the best in this field. Money is not an issue!”
Mo Zishi looked at me in surprise and asked, “Did I ever tell you that I would return to the U.S. after finishing the medical research project?”
Even more surprised, I retorted, “Don’t you have plans to go back?”
“I definitely will go back to the U.S., but I will also fulfill my promise to Xiaocai. Jianwei’s current condition hasn’t deteriorated to the point where I would completely give up. As long as there is slight consciousness, there is still hope for her to wake up! During the treatment, I really feel she is a woman with strong willpower. Otherwise, that limited slight consciousness would have disappeared quickly! We’ve encountered too many similar cases.”
I thought again of what Jianwei had done before. Indeed, she had the strongest willpower. Even with such a big family crisis, she still persistently managed her advertising company, which was on the brink of collapse, and pursued her artistic path. Remember, she was just a woman under 30 years old!
With a soft sigh, I then asked, “You staying in China indefinitely, won’t that affect your work in the U.S.?”
“Don’t worry about that. I can terminate my employment with the hospital I’m currently working at anytime and start preparing for my own hospital. My positioning for my hospital is clear: to establish the best neurological hospital in the world, helping more patients like Jianwei. Having worked with these patients for so long, their conditions are really heart-wrenching!”
Actually, as long as Mo Zishi didn’t mention setting me up on blind dates, I didn’t really dislike him at all. In fact, I deeply respected his medical ethics. Finally, I sincerely said to him, “Then thank you for staying in China. You are a doctor with great medical ethics, and I personally hold you in high esteem!”
Mo Zishi smiled and brought up the old topic again, “Zhaoyang, gratitude also needs to be shown with sincerity… If you’re free this weekend, I’ll arrange a blind date with a girl doctor at our hospital. Her character and family background are beyond reproach… It’s up to you whether you’re willing to fall for her or not!”
“You’re at it again, this is already the sixth time you’ve mentioned this. Are you really that eager to ruin my relationship with Mi Cai?”
“Wrong, not ruin, but help you both choose more suitable lives… I really want to ask you, at your age, don’t you ever want a family you can rely on, a wife and children by your side?”
“Dr. Mo, are you really that much younger than me? I don’t see you having a wife and children either!”
“Uh… I’m pretty particular about relationships. Without a woman who really moves me, I won’t even think about marriage.”
“Oh, so only you are entitled to have principles, and we commoners aren’t?”
“That’s not what I meant. The key is, I’m always searching in the vast sea of people, while you’re implementing a policy of isolation. Actually, if you just cooperate a little, once you find a woman who really moves you, whether it’s with Xiaocai or not won’t matter so much. The key is that feeling of being moved. Once you feel that, it doesn’t make much difference which woman you live with!”
I scoffed, then unwilling to continue discussing love views with him. This person was clearly the kind who talks easily without feeling the burden, making me feel he had never truly loved any woman seriously. In fact, it should be so: imagine, as a top graduate from a prestigious university with a superior family background, he had too many choices when it came to women. Probably over the years, he had already indulged himself too much, although he still insisted on talking about the principle of being moved by love. I really didn’t believe in his words! He, Mo Zishi, should be similar to Cao Jinfei… skilled at perfect expression, but unable to do anything substantial in relationships!
…
Back in the ward, Leyao was holding an apple that Yan Yan had peeled for her, both of them somewhat somber. After the top neurologist from the Mayo Clinic was also at a loss, we could no longer rely on any professional neurologists for conventional medical treatment. No one knew when Jianwei would wake up, or if she would remain in a coma forever until everyone gave up hope. This scenario was too cruel to even imagine.
Qin Yan was truly a devoted and loyal man. At this moment, he had once again brought carefully prepared late-night snacks for Yan Yan. By now, he and Yan Yan had already rented a house near the hospital to take care of Jianwei. Regarding this commitment, he was no less dedicated than Yan Yan. Therefore, time had already proven that he was a good man worthy of lifelong trust! If there was a bit of gain from Jianwei’s incident, it was that their feelings had been catalyzed and elevated.
Knowing that Leyao and I hadn’t had dinner yet, Qin Yan went back to prepare dinner for us. While Yan Yan was eating her late-night snack, I finally said to her, “I know you and Qin Yan both care about Jianwei as family, but it’s really not necessary to base your marriage on whether Jianwei wakes up or not. If your feelings are truly there, you should get married as soon as possible. I think Jianwei wouldn’t want you both to delay your relationship because of her, because that’s not a wise decision!”
Yan Yan was silent…
Leyao then took over my words, saying, “Zhaoyang is right, but I understand your feelings… You probably still haven’t gotten over your relationship with that scumbag Fangyuan, right?”
Yan Yan remained silent, but silence itself was an answer.
Leyao sighed again and said, “Yan Yan, if you torment another man who truly loves you because of a man who made a mistake, then you are the biggest fool in the world. Remember, when Fangyuan abandoned you, he didn’t hesitate at all—not even sparing Zhaoyang, his brother who would take a knife for him. Such a man doesn’t deserve even a shred of your affection… Honestly, if I were you, I would marry Qin Yan without any psychological burden, just to let that scumbag Fangyuan see that without him, you can still live a happier life than he ever will. When that time comes, the one who’ll be filled with regret is him… I refuse to believe that Mi Lan, that fox-like woman, is more suitable for him than you, Yan Yan. Aside from driving luxury cars and obsessing over high-end goods, does she even have any other taste for life?”
This time Yan Yan finally spoke, softly replying, “I understand what you’re saying, but I always feel that marrying Qin Yan with an impure self would be unfair to him!”
“Your hesitation is the greatest unfairness to him… Don’t keep desecrating a good man’s sincere heart anymore. Marry him. Perhaps, right now Jianwei can hear our conversation and is anxious about your indecision.”
Yan Yan looked back at Jianwei, tears suddenly flowing again. Leyao and I exchanged glances, knowing that her heart had already wavered, and Qin Yan was indeed a good man who could move her heart. I once again sincerely said to her, “Yan Yan, if you agree, I’ll secretly find an opportunity to let Qin Yan bravely propose to you… Really, don’t make someone who loves you wait too long… You’ve seen my situation with Mi Cai, how painful our distance is. And now Qin Yan stays by your side without leaving, yet you cannot cherish this happiness right in front of you. You probably don’t even know how envious I am of you and Qin Yan! And I feel even more anxious for you two!”
Yan Yan remained silent for a long time. She wiped away her tears and finally smiled happily, nodding at me…
Leyao and I also exchanged smiles, sincerely blessing this couple about to get married. Leyao happily said, “Then we’ll wish you both a happy marriage in advance… I have a strong feeling that maybe Jianwei will really wake up after your marriage, and then it will truly be a happy ending!”
I didn’t know what basis Leyao had for predicting Jianwei would wake up. If I had to find a reason, it was probably Yan Yan’s decision to get married, which served as a good example for her, allowing her to no longer be overly attached to the past, and thus bid farewell to this behavior of escape!
Yes! At this moment, I was willing to believe what Leyao said: the reason Jianwei was unwilling to wake up was simply because she had not found a way to resolve the past!
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