Startled, Lin Feng quickly withdrew his hand and tried to cover it up. "It's nothing, Sister Yan. You fainted just now…"
That reminder brought Jiang Yan back to herself.In a fluster, she pushed up her upper body.
"Ah!"Her gaze fell on her gaping blouse—her chest laid bare, spring light spilling everywhere.By reflex, she crossed both hands over what a bra should have been covering…But it was useless—small hands, large target; mostly in vain.
She lifted her head and fixed Lin Feng with a wounded look, voice trembling:"I… you…"
"Sister Yan, your heart rate dropped to thirty. I used an ancient TCM emergency method to relax your myocardium, so… without your permission, I unbuttoned your clothes."
Knowing his "sin" was heavy, Lin Feng kept his head down, picked up the bra by the bed, handed it to Jiang Yan, then turned to the window to look outside.
Jiang Yan hurriedly put on her bra and clothes.When she reached for the belt, she froze.
Below her waist, the skin was smooth and clear. The mole—black and round, the one that had been with her since birth—was gone.
Her face burned. Holding her belt, she glanced at Lin Feng's back.
This kid… what did he do?Such skill?Could it be… he can not only resuscitate a heart, but also remove blemishes?
While I was unconscious, he must have done quite a bit on me!Heavens, how shameful, he must have seen everything.
She grabbed a pillow, wanting to throw it at him—Then thought better of it and quietly set it down. After all, that mole's location was… unsightly. She'd meant to have it burned off at a salon several times but backed out for fear of pain.Now that he'd removed it, it was a good thing.As for whether he looked and where he looked—what did it matter now? If we marry in the future, am I not going to let him look? Not only look—this belly will bear his child! What's there to be shy about?
Catching her breath, she smiled lightly:"Xiaofeng, when I was little, I had an episode just like this—pressure in the chest, fainted, very dangerous. If not for you today, I might not have woken up!"
Lin Feng had braced himself for a scolding. He hadn't expected a "general amnesty," and let out a long breath. He slowly turned around. "Sister Yan, I didn't mean anything by it. I actually didn't do anything…"
Jiang Yan smiled, her slender brows like twin new moons, her voice three parts reproach and seven parts affection:"Don't explain—the more you explain, the darker it gets."
Just then, her phone rang.The caller ID: the HR manager!
"Jiang Yan, official notice: you're dismissed."
"Dismissed?"
"Right," the HR manager said smugly. "I've already had your personal items tossed into the gatehouse. Go pick them up."
"And my wages?"
"Heh. Today is the fourteenth—you haven't completed half a month. No wages!"
He hung up.
Lin Feng and Jiang Yan stared at each other.She couldn't report for the night shift now.Which meant the two of them would have to stay home overnight… together.
Before she could speak, Lin Feng jumped in: "Sister Yan, maybe I should go."
He picked up his bag.
"You're staying put!" Jiang Yan snatched the bag, stuffed it in the cabinet, shut the door, and scolded him. "Where would you go? Where can you go?"
She was right. Where could he go? He slowly sat down.
Jiang Yan came over and gently laid a hand on his head, her voice soft as an autumn chrysanthemum in the wind:"You take that bedroom, I'll take this one. This is your home. I'm your real sister."
—
The next morning, Lin Feng accompanied Jiang Yan to the Baikang Hospital gatehouse to retrieve her belongings.No sooner had they driven out the hospital gate than Lin Feng asked her to stop.
"What for?"
"Sister Yan, you drive home. I—" He pointed at a row of shopfronts along the road. "I'm going to look for a job."
"You? To do day labor?"
"I've got strength. Bussing tables, washing dishes, cleaning, loading—anything."
Jiang Yan eyed him for a moment, then said meaningfully, "Lin Feng, I warn you: once you sink to the bottom, it's hard to float back up."
"But I—"
"I know your family needs money. But you're a top graduate of a medical university. If you go wash dishes and carry plates, that isn't 'I can endure any hardship'; it's waste."
Lin Feng gave a bitter smile. "It's not that I want to waste it. No one is giving me the chance to save it."
"If you really want to labor, then get out now and fulfil your great life in the back kitchen—and don't ever come see me again."
She pulled over, tapped the door unlock. "Please get out, my master chef."
Lin Feng hesitated.He didn't reach for the door.
"This money is for your father's medicine. Don't pay me back—consider it what I owed you in a past life."
With a mock scold, she transferred him a sum.He checked his phone—five thousand yuan.
Five thousand!Not much, not little—exactly what he had to scrape together even if he sold blood or a kidney.With this, his father could be saved!
Jiang Yan snatched his phone, tapped to recieve the funds for him, tossed the phone back onto his lap, gripped the wheel, and hit the gas, merging back into traffic.
"Stop the car! Stop the car!"
"What, you want out now?" Jiang Yan's pretty face carried a teasing smirk. "Too late!"
"No, Sister Yan—stop. I saw a hiring notice!"
"Notice, my foot! You must work in your field, or you'll destroy yourself."
"Sister Yan, it's hiring a physician!"
"Eh?" She blinked, smiled, then eased off the gas, made a sharp (illegal) U-turn, and headed back.
"There it is!"Lin Feng pointed.
Jiang Yan parked. They got out together.
"Jiangnan Clinic!"
A large antique-style signboard—black panel with red characters.It was a respectable-sized clinic. In front stood a small blackboard with chalk writing:
Sincerely hiring a resident physician.
Lin Feng looked at it, confidence surging: if he could land this resident post, that would be his first solid step—a platform to use both his x-ray sight and golden finger.
"Sister Yan, I like this place," he said."I like it if you like it," she answered with a sweet smile.
They entered the clinic hand in hand.Facing the entrance stood an offering table, upon which sat a gilded statue of Bian Que.Couplets hung to either side, black ground with green characters:
Left: The Immortal Physician's eye sees the world; how could he sell common herbs?Right: The apricot grove has no mind to gather wealth; it has always produced secret prescriptions.
Lin Feng felt a jolt of respect.The lines were naturally paired, concise yet profound—rooted in the classics yet creative. Surely the work of a master.
At the consultation desk sat a middle-aged man.His eyes were dull, his face tinged with sorrow. Seeing them, he nodded politely. "We're not seeing patients right now. Do you two need medicine?"
"Hiring a physician, right? What are the requirements?" Lin Feng asked.
"Secondary medical school or above is fine. We don't do big clinical cases—mostly colds and fevers, write prescriptions, IV drips. The only requirement is prudence—absolutely no malpractice. Are you interested, sir?"
Lin Feng introduced himself and pulled up his university transcript on his phone.The man brightened."A 211 university! And such high marks! With grades like these, you're a top student, real talent. Why on earth come to our small clinic? It's beneath you, really."
Lin Feng laughed to himself: you don't understand—job hunting is full of tricks these days. Must I really explain?
"You flatter me," Lin Feng said, with a hint of sadness—and a trace of inexplicable resentment. "Anyway, my fall to this point isn't becuase I did anything wrong. You can rest easy."
"Good, good. If you don't mind stepping down, I don't mind reaching up. I'm Jiang Jianxin—surname Jiang. Just call me Old Jiang."
Lin Feng forced a few laughs and simply said, "Uncle Jiang."
Facing the elite graduate, Old Jiang felt a bit apologetic. "My father passed last week, and business has been poor. To be frank, I'm not sure I can pay a salary. How about you contract the place—six thousand yuan a month?"
"Six thousand?" Jiang Yan frowned. "In this condition, making two hundred a day will be hard, won't it?"
"It'll improve with a resident doctor. And don't worry about the fee. You can try for a few days. If you're satisfied, we'll sign a contract in half a month."
That was a good offer.
"Sister Yan, then I'll give it a try?" Lin Feng said.Jiang Yan nodded sweetly, eyes smiling. She nudged his shoulder with her fragrant one. "Xiaofeng, you stay and work. I'll take the things home and bring you lunch at noon."
She took her leave.
Old Jiang stared after her for a long moment."What are you looking at, Uncle Jiang?" Lin Feng teased.
Old Jiang snapped out of it and sighed. "Your girlfriend is stunning! I've lived half my life in Bincheng and never seen a girl that beautiful."
"So-so."
"So-so?" Old Jiang fumed and tapped Lin Feng's shoulder. "You've already achieved one-third of a man's success, you know that?"
"What do you mean?"
"Money, beauty, and awesomeness—the three essentials. You already have a peerless beauty; isn't that definately one-third of success?"
"You've got a point. But money is the premise. Without it, the other two are water without a source—no long-term future."
Old Jiang paused, then sighed. "Still thinking one level higher—true of a top-school grad."
After that, Old Jiang and Lin Feng checked inventory, completed the handover, and Old Jiang hurried off.