With that, she went straight to her room and closed the door, shutting out Jiang Yichen’s furious shout. “Shi Yu!” She chose to ignore him, swallowing down the surge of bitterness that rose in her chest. One thing had troubled her for years: had her mother and Jiang Yichen’s father truly had an affair, or were they simply childhood sweethearts? If it was the latter, why had it driven his parents to divorce? She had been too young at the time to understand any of it. Could it really be as Jiang Yichen believed—that her dying mother had manipulated everything to secure her daughter’s future? It seemed horribly plausible, a thought she never dared to entertain for long. Now, the three people involved were long gone. Even if clues remained, she had no way of uncovering the truth. And that truth, whatever it was, remained a raw wound in Jiang Yichen’s heart—one she dared not touch. When Shi Yu arrived at Qin Feng’s house that afternoon, she found him at home, just as he had been the day before. After they exchanged greetings, she got right to work, patiently teaching the little girl piano. The girl’s name, coincidentally, was also Yu, though her family name was different. Qin Feng sat quietly to the side, watching as she taught. His presence made her a little self-conscious, but she told herself she was overthinking things. Why would someone as exceptional as him be interested in her? What happened back then was just youthful foolishness. During a break, Qin Feng handed her a glass of orange juice. “I remember you used to drink this all the time back in college,” he said. “Figured your taste hadn’t changed. It’s freshly squeezed.” A long-forgotten chord was struck in Shi Yu’s heart. It was the first time anyone had remembered something so small about her after so many years. She took the glass, her expression carefully neutral, and set it aside. “Thank you.” Qin Feng smiled. “Back in college, my father cut me off financially to build my character. I paid my own way with scholarships and part-time jobs. I thought you might ask about what I’ve been up to, but I guess you’re not the curious type.” Shi Yu offered a faint smile. “Sometimes, not prying is its own form of respect. I’ll go get Yu; it’s time to resume the lesson.” The words had barely left her mouth when her phone buzzed. It was the hospital. With an apologetic glance at Qin Feng, she stepped aside to take the call. “Hello?” On the other end, her chief’s voice was strained with urgency. “Shi Yu, where are you? We’re slammed today. We’ve got an emergency case going into surgery. We need you here, now!” Shi Yu was conflicted. The sudden call-in was unexpected, but a life was on the line. After hanging up, she turned to Qin Feng, hesitating. Before she could even get a word out, he said, “Go. If it’s important, just go. We can make up the time later. Don’t worry about it.” Shi Yu let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding, relieved by his understanding. “Thank you,” she said, her voice filled with gratitude. “There’s an urgent surgery at the hospital. I have to go.” His eyes filled with genuine admiration. “So you really did become a doctor. I wasn’t as fortunate; I ended up on the path my father chose for me. Come on, I’ll drive you.” She quickly waved him off. “No, really, you don’t have to. I feel bad enough for leaving in the middle of the lesson. I’ll just get a cab.” Qin Feng just smiled, gently steering her toward the door. “What’s all this formality for? We’re old classmates. And we both studied medicine—you know better than anyone what ‘life and death’ means. Now, let’s go.” The firm, warm hand on her shoulder was surprisingly reassuring, and she relented. That was just part of his charm, she supposed. He had a way of making people feel completely at ease. At the hospital, Shi Yu jumped out of the car with a hurried thanks and rushed to her department, only to learn that the patient had been taken into surgery ten minutes earlier. Someone else had taken her place as the lead surgeon. A wave of relief washed over her, quickly followed by confusion. Her chief wouldn’t have called unless they were desperately short-staffed, so where had a last-minute replacement come from? A young nurse hurried over, knocking on the doorframe. “Dr. Shi, you’re here! Get to the OR, quickly. The new transfer, Dr. He, isn’t familiar with our equipment, and he needs an assisting hand! The chief told me to keep an eye out for you!” Shi Yu nodded and followed the nurse out. As they rounded the corner, she nearly collided with a familiar figure. “You…”