Chapter 90
The debridement room was blindingly bright. The stark white light poured down, throwing the wound in Wen Yan’s palm into sharp relief.
It ran all the way from the web between her thumb and index finger deep into the lines of her hand; the flesh had split open, and blood was still beading at the surface.
The head nurse’s hand trembled around the iodine-soaked cotton swab.
Looking at the cut, her eyes reddened with distress. “Good heavens, that’s so deep. It’s already down to the fat layer.”
“When you restrained him just now, didn’t you feel any pain at all?”
Wen Yan sat in the treatment chair, her left hand resting on the armrest, her right hand held straight out. Her face was calm, as if the injured hand didn’t belong to her.
She didn’t even frown; she only said flatly, “Adrenaline was surging. I didn’t have time to notice.”
“You—” The head nurse let out a long sigh and gentled her movements even more, cleaning the debris from the wound bit by bit. “We were all terrified by what happened just now.”
“That scissors was already pressed against a major artery. How did you dare rush up and switch with the hostage directly?”
“If anything had gone wrong, our entire department would’ve collapsed.”
That was an exaggeration. The department was full of talent; it would not fall apart just because one Wen Yan was missing.
Wen Yan only smiled and said nothing.
The resident standing nearby had red-rimmed eyes, holding sterile gauze in her hands. Her voice still trembled. “Yes, Dr. Wen. My legs went weak just now.”
“When he grabbed your collar, my heart nearly jumped out of my chest. I was afraid that scissors would stab down.”
A crowd had gathered at the doorway.
There were doctors and nurses from the department, security guards from the scene, and a few family members of patients who had rushed over after hearing the news.
Everyone looked shaken, but they still couldn’t help talking over one another:
“Dr. Wen, you’re amazing!”
“That man was three hundred jin, and you brought him down in just a few moves. I couldn’t even see what you did!”
“Exactly. That was an armed hostage situation. Anyone else would’ve panicked.”
“Dr. Wen didn’t even let her voice tremble the whole time. Your nerves are incredible.”
“If it hadn’t been for Dr. Wen today, Nurse Lin would’ve been in real danger. That scissors had already broken the skin; if it had gone even a little farther, it would’ve hit the major artery!”
Nurse Lin Xiao, the one who had been rescued, stood in the debridement room with red eyes. She was still holding tissues, looking at Wen Yan’s back, her voice choked with tears. “Dr. Wen, thank you… really, thank you.”
“If not for you, today I…”
Wen Yan turned her head and gave her a reassuring smile.
Her voice was steady, as if the person who had just walked a line between life and death was someone else. “It’s fine now. Don’t dwell on it. It’s good you weren’t hurt.”
“Alright, alright, stop crowding around here and let Dr. Wen deal with her wound properly.” The head nurse waved everyone out.
She picked up the suture needle and looked at Wen Yan, her expression serious. “The wound is too deep. It needs two stitches, otherwise it’ll heal slowly and leave a scar.”
“These hands of yours are for holding a scalpel. You can’t be careless.”
Wen Yan nodded, her tone as calm as if she were talking about the weather. “Okay. Go ahead.”
When the needle tip passed through her skin, the head nurse’s hands trembled a little from distress.
But Wen Yan’s expression remained unchanged; she didn’t even blink, as if the needle weren’t piercing her own hand.
The whole process took only a few minutes. The wound was stitched up, and a thick layer of sterile gauze was wrapped over it, leaving only a section of pink fingers exposed; she looked almost as if she hadn’t been injured at all.
“All right. Remember, don’t let the wound get wet. Come back every day for dressing changes, and take the anti-inflammatory medicine on time.”
The head nurse repeated the instructions over and over, wishing she could carve every precaution into Wen Yan’s forehead. “And absolutely do not use this hand for any forceful activity. Don’t even think about going on the operating table.”
“I’ll speak to the department head about your work. For the next few days, you’ll just do outpatient clinics and ward rounds. You are absolutely not to enter the operating room, understand?”
“Got it. Thank you, Sister Li.” Wen Yan curved her lips and stood up, bracing herself on the treatment chair with her uninjured left hand.
——————
The moment she stepped out of the debridement room, the corridor’s bustle hit her full in the face.
Today was the Lantern Festival, and many family members had come to visit patients, carrying insulated food containers in their hands.
A warm, glutinous tangyuan fragrance drifted out. Wen Yan’s steps paused, and she immediately thought of the container of black sesame tangyuan Jin Zijin had mentioned on the phone.
Had she waited too long?
As she was thinking, a few patients and family members walking toward her spotted her, and their eyes lit up at once.
“Dr. Wen! It’s Dr. Wen!”
“Dr. Wen, you’re amazing!”
“Thank you, Dr. Wen! We just heard about what happened, you were incredible!”
Someone even started clapping, drawing more people in the corridor to stop and give her thumbs-up one after another.
Wen Yan nodded in acknowledgment to each of them, but her feet never stopped as she headed toward the doctors’ lounge.
She was preoccupied with something else, hoping she hadn’t kept Jin Zijin waiting too long.
——————
The instant she pushed open the lounge door, Wen Yan smelled a familiar citrus scent mixed with a sweet glutinous rice aroma.
Jin Zijin was sitting on the sofa, and an insulated container sat on the coffee table in front of her.
At the sound of the door opening, she immediately looked up, a smile still lingering on her face, her eyes bright with light.
She was just about to say something when her gaze landed on Wen Yan’s right hand, wrapped in thick gauze.
In that instant, the smile on Jin Zijin’s face vanished completely.
She shot to her feet and hurried over, then stopped abruptly half a step away from Wen Yan.
She didn’t dare touch her hand; she could only stare fixedly at that glaring white bandage, her voice changing pitch. “What happened to your hand?”
Jin Zijin’s face had gone frighteningly pale, panic and distress surging in her eyes; even her breathing had gone uneven.
She reached out, then stopped again, afraid of hurting Wen Yan. Her fingertips hovered in midair, trembling slightly.
Seeing her like this, Wen Yan felt heat spread through her chest.
“It’s nothing, just a small injury.” Using her left hand, she took Jin Zijin’s suspended hand and led her toward the sofa.
The woman’s voice was very soft, as if coaxing a frightened little animal. “Don’t panic. It was just a cut; it’s already been stitched and bandaged. As long as I rest and it doesn’t get infected, I’ll be fine.”
“What do you mean, a small injury?” Jin Zijin’s voice rose half a notch, her eyes instantly turning red. “You had stitches and you’re still calling it a small injury?”
She sat down beside Wen Yan, clasping Wen Yan’s left hand tightly, her gaze never leaving the injured right hand.
Those eyes, usually full of gentle laughter, were now filled with uncontrollable fear over what might have happened. “What exactly happened? I only didn’t see you for one morning, and you got hurt?”
Wen Yan didn’t hide it from her. She told her everything that had happened at the nurses’ station just now.
From the fact that the assailant was a crazed fan of Lin Weiwei, to him taking a nurse hostage, to her exchanging herself for the hostage, and then subduing him.
She spoke lightly, deliberately skipping over the most dangerous moment.
Even so, Jin Zijin’s expression darkened more and more.
Her brows were tightly furrowed, and she gripped Wen Yan’s hand harder and harder, her fingertips turning cold.
After hearing everything, Jin Zijin said nothing.
She only lowered her head and looked at Wen Yan’s bandaged hand, silent for several seconds.
After a while, Jin Zijin lifted her head. Still saying nothing, she reached out and carefully supported Wen Yan’s injured right wrist, then bent her head and blew gently on the gauze.
Her movements were as careful as if she were handling fragile porcelain. Her voice was light and soft, thick with undisguised distress. “Does it hurt? Why didn’t you call me when you got stitches?”
“It doesn’t hurt at all. They gave me anesthesia.” Wen Yan looked at the red veins in her eyes, and her heart softened completely.
She reached out and pinched Jin Zijin’s cheek, her tone carrying a hint of coaxing, like she was comforting a child. “See? I’m fine, aren’t I? Don’t worry.”
“How can I not worry?” Jin Zijin looked up at her, her eyes slightly reddened. “With such a sharp tool, if you’d been even a little slower, if he’d reacted in time… I can’t even think about it.”
Wen Yan didn’t want her to worry too much, so she hurriedly changed the subject. “It’s fine, really, but I’m a little hungry. Can I eat something first?”
She asked softly. Seeing that Wen Yan didn’t want to talk more, Jin Zijin sighed and said, “All right.”
Then she picked up the insulated container on the table. When she opened the lid, a sweet fragrance instantly filled the entire lounge.
She scooped up a tangyuan, blew it cool, and brought it to Wen Yan’s lips. “I’ll feed you.”
“Open up. Ah…”
Seeing her like that, Wen Yan couldn’t help curling her lips and obediently opening her mouth.
The sweet molten filling dissolved on her tongue, and warmth slid down her throat into her stomach; even the pain in her palm seemed to lessen a little.
“It’s very good.” Wen Yan nodded, looking at her with eyes so soft they seemed to melt. “Feed me a few more.”
Jin Zijin huffed, but the corners of her mouth still rose slightly. “Fine, fine. I’ll feed you.”
She fed her one spoonful after another, asking Wen Yan what precautions she needed to take.
Wen Yan told her everything: don’t use the right hand for force, don’t let it get wet, don’t go into the operating room…
After hearing that, Jin Zijin could only sigh. “Since you’re injured, just treat it like a vacation.”
“There’s no helping it. We’ll just have to make the best of a bad situation.”
Wen Yan let her feed her half a bowl of tangyuan and couldn’t help laughing when she heard that. “Okay, okay, I know.”
“In short, you have to rest properly and be good. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Manager Jin.” She hooked her uninjured left hand around Jin Zijin’s finger, her voice soft. “I’ll listen to you, all right?”
Jin Zijin pinched her fingertip, but the distress in her eyes didn’t fade in the least. “That’s more like it. I’ll stay here with you this afternoon, and I’ll pick you up after work. I won’t leave your side at all.”
——————
The news spread faster than anyone had expected.
That same night, a video taken at the scene by a patient was posted to a local lifestyle account. The headline read: “Hospital Hostage Incident on the Lantern Festival; Beautiful Orthopedic Doctor Stays Calm Under Pressure, Subdues Knife-Wielding Criminal Barehanded.”
The video clearly captured the entire process of Wen Yan calmly negotiating, exchanging hostages, and bringing down the assailant in three moves.
In just over ten seconds, it instantly flooded local feeds.
Less than two hours later, the hashtag #OrthopedicFemaleDoctorSubduesKnifeWieldingCriminalBarehanded# shot onto the trending list.
Right after that, hashtags like #DrWenYanIsSoCool# and #WhatDoesItFeelLikeToCauseTroubleInFrontOfAnOrthopedicDoctor# climbed the rankings one after another, directly occupying the top of the trending charts.
In the video, Wen Yan wore a white coat. Lean and slender, she faced a burly man with a knife and didn’t let her voice tremble once.
Her negotiation was logically clear, and her takedown was clean and decisive; the contrast with her usual gentle, cool doctor image was extreme.
The comments section exploded.
“My God! She’s way too cool! Calm under pressure and even took the initiative to switch hostages—what kind of god-tier doctor is this?”
“Orthopedic doctors really do have an incredible grasp of human anatomy. Three moves and she stripped him of force and took him down. Amazing!”
“LOL, the criminal was unlucky. He took a hostage and ran into a provincial martial arts champion plus a top orthopedic surgeon. He really walked straight into the muzzle of a gun.”
“Wait! I know this Dr. Wen! She was the surgeon who handled that national team athlete’s spinal surgery before!”
“Beautiful, kind, highly skilled, and she can fight too! What kind of novel heroine is this?”
“Today’s the Lantern Festival! Doctors still had to deal with this kind of thing on a holiday. That’s really not easy. Happy Lantern Festival, Dr. Wen; hope you recover soon!”
With deliberate guidance from someone behind the scenes, Wen Yan’s personal background was dug up again.
From a prodigy with a doctorate at a top medical school, to the youngest orthopedic associate department director at the Peking University Affiliated Hospital, to the attending surgeon for multiple difficult operations.
Even the experience of being attacked online before was dug up. Looking at everything she had gone through, netizens felt even more heartache and admiration.
A tidal wave of goodwill and praise surged toward her.
Within a single day, the department’s phone lines were blown up with media outlets all wanting to schedule interviews.
At noon the next day, even the department head joked with Wen Yan with a smile, “Wen Yan, you’re our hospital’s living signboard now!”
But Wen Yan remained calm as ever. She continued with her ward rounds and consultations, and politely declined every interview invitation from the media.
She only said that this was what she was supposed to do, and there was nothing to make a fuss about.
Only occasionally, when she looked down and saw the thick gauze on her right hand, she couldn’t help furrowing her brows.
This was too unusual.
So unusual that it made her feel a strong sense of unease and danger.
When the tree wishes for stillness, the wind does not stop; when would this ever end?
——————
On the other side, in the living room of Wen Yan’s house.
Jin Zijin sat on the sofa, looking at the flood of headlines on her tablet, her fingertips slowly sliding across the screen.
Xiao Mi Tang was curled up by her legs, lazily swishing its tail.
There was not a trace of pride in her eyes; only growing vigilance and coldness.
The heat was rising too fast, fast enough to be abnormal.
From the local video’s spread to the whole internet’s trending lists, it took less than twenty-four hours. More than a dozen related topics climbed the charts in succession; there was clearly someone pushing things from behind.
Last time with Zhang Sheng, someone had used public opinion to try to ruin Wen Yan.
This time, it looked like praise from the entire internet, but in truth it was just putting Wen Yan on the fire to roast.
The more famous a person became, the more trouble they attracted; and the higher someone was lifted, the harder they would fall at the first mistake.
These people still weren’t willing to give up.
Again.
A cold glint flashed through Jin Zijin’s eyes. She tapped her fingertips on the screen and directly dialed Grandma Jin, Jin Shuangye’s number.
The call was picked up quickly, and Grandma Jin’s gentle voice came through, with the lively sounds of the living room faintly audible in the background.
“Zijin? What is it? Is something wrong?”
In the first month of the lunar year, several retired elders in the family had returned to the old residence; right now they were playing mahjong.
“Grandma, I’m calling to tell you something.” Jin Zijin’s tone was calm, but especially serious. “Something happened at the hospital yesterday. Yan Yan subdued a knife-wielding criminal. Now the internet’s making a huge fuss; there are all kinds of news stories about it.”
Grandma Jin’s voice immediately turned grave. “What? Is Yan Yan all right? Was she hurt?”
“She injured her hand a little, nothing serious.” Jin Zijin answered, then continued, “The reason I’m calling is to ask you to make sure every branch-relative and child in the family gets the message.”
“For this period, keep your words and actions in check. Whether online or in private, no one is allowed to mention Yan Yan even once, and no one is allowed to accept any media interviews.”
“If anyone dares to talk nonsense and ride this wave of attention, they’ll be removed from the Jin family. They’ll bear the consequences themselves.”
Grandma Jin was silent for a second, then gave a heavy “Mm.” “Don’t worry, Grandma knows what matters.”
“You don’t need to be too anxious either. Handle things however they should be handled.”
“Thank you, Grandma.” Jin Zijin let out a breath of relief, then added, “I’ve already had my assistant investigate the source of this incident, to see whether someone deliberately let that man into the hospital.”
“And during this period, tighten security at the old residence too. Don’t let anything go wrong.”
“All right, Grandma will take care of everything.” Grandma Jin’s voice softened again, taking on the loving tone unique to an elder. “It’s the start of the new year; don’t spend all your time dealing with these awful things.”
“If necessary, take Yan Yan to Qingyun Temple and get rid of the bad luck.”
Jin Zijin felt warmth in her heart, and her voice softened too. “Okay, I know. Grandma, don’t worry too much either.”
“How could I not worry?” Grandma Jin sighed. “In any case, keep an eye on things first. If anything gets stuck at a critical point, don’t be afraid.”
“You still have Grandma. Grandma will help you.”
Jin Zijin smiled faintly. “Thank you, Grandma.”
The two of them said a few more words. After the old lady comforted Jin Zijin, the call finally ended.
Holding the phone, Jin Zijin looked out at the sky, which was gradually darkening, and suddenly remembered something. She dialed her assistant’s number again.
Her voice was chilly, her instructions clear. “First, repeat the investigation. Find out exactly who that fan was who slipped into the hospital today: all his social accounts, his financial transactions, and how he got a companion pass for the inpatient ward. Don’t miss a single detail.”
“Second, send people to keep watch on the movements of everyone in the Wang family for twenty-four hours, especially Wang Jinyu and Wen Xinjian. See who they’ve been contacting recently and whether there’s anything unusual.”
“Third, suppress the trending topics online. Don’t let the heat rise any further. Push back every media outlet that wants to dig into Yan Yan’s privacy.”
“Understood, President Jin. I’ll handle it immediately.” The assistant answered at once.
After hanging up, the living room fell completely silent.
Jin Zijin leaned back against the sofa, her fingertips lightly brushing over the phone screen, over Wen Yan’s photo.
In the picture, Wen Yan wore a white coat and sat in her office with rimless glasses on, her brows and eyes cool and reserved, looking very sharp.
Jin Zijin stared at that photo, her brows still tightly knit, her vigilance not easing in the slightest.
She wasn’t afraid of direct confrontation; what she feared were these hidden tricks lurking in the dark, impossible to guard against.
Last time Wen Yan was drowned in online abuse and nearly dragged into a multi-sided slaughter. Just thinking of it still made her break out in a cold sweat.
And now it was happening again…
If she could ward off the first time, then what about this time?
Even if this time could be blocked, what about the second and third?
There was no logic in guarding against thieves every thousand days.
So becoming her wife was actually such a dangerous thing?
Clearly, when they got married, she had already decided to protect her well; yet somehow Jin Zijin felt that the one dragging Wen Yan down was herself.
If not for marrying her, if not for becoming her wife, could Wen Yan’s life have returned to its original peace…
As if sensing her emotions, Xiao Mi Tang jumped from beside her legs onto her knees and curled up in her arms, meowing softly.
While she was still thinking, the sound of the lock opening came from the entryway.
Jin Zijin immediately gathered up every trace of confusion and helplessness in her eyes, stood, and walked quickly toward the door.
Xiao Mi Tang also jumped down from the sofa and padded toward the entryway.
——————
Just as Wen Yan opened the front door and changed her shoes, she looked up to see Jin Zijin walking toward her in a hurry.
The woman’s brows hadn’t fully relaxed yet, and a trace of lingering gloom still remained in her eyes. But the instant she saw Wen Yan, that gloom lightened a little.
“You’re back?” Jin Zijin stopped in front of her. Instead of hugging her right away, she first lowered her head to check Wen Yan’s injured right hand.
After confirming that the gauze was still wrapped the same way as in the morning and there was no bleeding, she gently took Wen Yan’s left hand and led her toward the living room. “Hungry? Auntie made chicken cutlets. Let’s have dinner first.”
Wen Yan let herself be led and sat down at the dining table.
Xiao Mi Tang trailed after them all the way, trotting over in tiny steps to her feet and rubbing its head against her leg, meowing for a hug.
Wen Yan bent down, scooped it up with her left hand, and set it on her lap.
The little thing narrowed its eyes in comfort, purring softly, its tail swishing back and forth.
Jin Zijin brought out the finished dishes one by one and set them on the table.
She sat down beside her and picked up a bowl, beginning to feed Wen Yan at a slow, unhurried pace.
Wen Yan’s hand wasn’t convenient, so she obediently waited for her to feed her.
Bite after bite, it gave Jin Zijin a strong sense of accomplishment. The two of them ate while feeding each other, and after half an hour they were finally about sixty or seventy percent full.
Only then did Wen Yan raise her hand to stop Jin Zijin’s bowl, politely refusing. “No more feeding. I’m full. If I keep eating, I’ll be stuffed.”
Jin Zijin smiled, put down her chopsticks and bowl, and rested her chin on one hand as she looked at her tenderly. “Really full?”
Wen Yan nodded. “Mm. Full.”
Jin Zijin gazed at her face for a long moment, then let out a soft laugh.
The laugh was oddly meaningful, and Wen Yan felt a little embarrassed. “What are you laughing at?”
Jin Zijin lifted a hand to tuck the hair at her temple behind her ear, then said softly, “Yan Yan.”
“Mm?”
“You’ve been working for so many years, and all your annual leave has been piled up without taking it, right?”
Wen Yan froze for a moment, then nodded. “Mm, I’ve saved up quite a lot. Why?”
“Then perfect.” Jin Zijin looked at her, light shining in her eyes, the gaze deep and unreadable. “Since your hand is injured and you can’t operate anyway, let’s use this chance to take your annual leave.”
Wen Yan blinked, surprised. “Take leave? Where to?”
“To Qingyun Temple in the suburbs.” Jin Zijin said it very seriously, with not a trace of joking. “It’s a thousand-year-old Taoist temple; it’s very quiet.”
“We’ll stay there for half a month, rest our minds, and help you clear away the bad luck.”
The last two months had been one mess after another. She really felt they should go dispel the gloom and keep safe.
Wen Yan was completely stunned.
She blinked and looked at Jin Zijin’s earnest expression, unable to come back to herself for quite a while.
She reached out, touched Jin Zijin’s forehead with the back of her hand, then touched her own.
After confirming that the other woman didn’t have a fever, she finally spoke in disbelief, “Jin Zijin, you believe in this too?”
Jin Zijin looked at her and sighed helplessly. “It’s not that I believe in it.”
“I just hope you can be a little safer.”
If even I can’t protect you, then please, let the gods take pity on you and bless you with peace and safety.
If there really are gods in this world.