Xue Li thought for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, get in the car."

Although he was also going to Beijing, he and his sister-in-law were still a man and a woman. The train journey would take four or five days, and having another woman present would make it easier to look after his sister-in-law’s emotional well-being.

Yu Qing opened the car door, and after getting in, asked with concern, "How is Mr. Huo doing now?"

"I don’t know. My grandfather has already gone to help."

"And your grandfather is?"

"Xue Jing!"

At the mention of his grandfather, Xue Li’s eyebrows rose, and he lifted his chin proudly. "Doctor Yu, have you ever heard of my grandfather?"

Xue Jing was a giant in the Chinese medical field, a household name for anyone studying medicine. Although Yu Qing hadn’t had formal medical training, even she knew of the great Mr. Xue Sr.

What’s more, Mr. Xue Sr. was the editor-in-chief of a certain medical textbook.

"I have."

After she spoke, Yu Qing looked Xue Li up and down with a peculiar expression and asked curiously, "Then why did you become a soldier? Shouldn’t you be a doctor?"

Xue Li: "..."

He couldn’t help but sigh and rub his forehead. "Why is everyone so stereotypical? Just because my grandfather is a doctor, does that mean I have to be one too?"

Almost everyone who heard that his grandfather was ’Xue Jing’ asked him the same question.

"Your whole family must be doctors, right?"

Xue Li didn’t argue. His family was a dynasty of doctors. From birth, the most common smell was that of medicine, and through constant exposure, he was forced to study it.

But he didn’t like being a doctor.

As the eldest son, he had no choice but to shoulder the heavy responsibility.

Until his biological brother was born when he was fifteen.

From the moment his younger brother could speak, he could identify all sorts of medicinal herbs. He knew which medicine to prescribe for which symptom; he understood everything instantly, a child prodigy born to practice medicine.

When his parents’ focus shifted to his younger brother, Xue Li was liberated!

Having just turned seventeen, he resolutely chose to join the army and serve his country, even going to the farthest reaches of the Northwest!

Yu Qing’s expression turned apologetic. "I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have stereotyped you. Being a soldier is just like being a doctor—both are ways of serving the country."

After a pause, she looked at Xue Li, a little embarrassed, opened her mouth, and asked, "When we get to Beijing, would I be able to visit your grandfather sometime?"

"Visit my grandfather?!"

"Uh-huh!"

As Mr. Xue Sr. was a titan in the national medical community, Yu Qing wanted a chance to meet him in person. Her own medical knowledge was still shallow.

Suddenly, Xue Li remembered something. He was already twenty-four this year, and his family was constantly nagging him to get married and have children. Since the Northwest was so far from Beijing, they couldn’t pester him too often.

But this time, returning to Beijing for Brother Huo, he was bound to be nagged to death!

He blinked and said, "In that case, can I ask you for a favor?"

"What kind of favor?"

"Pretend to be my girlfriend."

’Free love’ was all the rage these days. If he had Doctor Yu pretend to be his girlfriend on his trip back to Beijing, he wouldn’t have to worry about an arranged marriage!

"Uh..."

Yu Qing hesitated, but seeing the sincere look in Xue Li’s eyes, she nodded and agreed. "But after we leave Beijing, you have to come up with an excuse and say we broke up."

"No problem!"

As they were talking, Wen Ci walked out of the courtyard carrying two large suitcases. Seeing this, Xue Li immediately got out of the car and took them from her. "Sister-in-law, let me get that."

"Mm."

Wen Ci had already taken off the sleeveless dress, but she had packed it in her suitcase. She was thinking that when Huo Jingyuan woke up, the first thing he would see was her in that outfit.

·

The atmosphere on the way to Sea City was extremely tense.

Yu Qing didn’t know what to say to comfort her, so she just held Wen Ci’s hand the whole time.

By the time they reached Sea City, it was almost eleven or twelve at night. Xue Li used a letter of introduction to get a room for Wen Ci and Yu Qing at a guesthouse.

He would just sleep in the car.

Another comrade-in-arms would be coming to take the car tomorrow.

「The next morning.」

The three of them boarded the earliest green-skinned train leaving the Northwest.

The sleeper was a four-person cabin, and Wen Ci and Yu Qing took the lower bunks. During the day, Xue Li sat in the corridor of the sleeper car.

Four days wasn’t long, but it wasn’t short either.

It passed in the blink of an eye.

As the Capital City, Beijing’s train station was packed with people. Xue Li carried the luggage and asked, "Sister-in-law, should we go to the hospital first, or...?"

’Usually, not even family can enter the ward of a critical patient,’ Xue Li thought. ’It would be better to go back to the military compound first, drop off our things, and ask about Brother Huo’s current condition.’

"The hospital."

"Alright."

The group walked out of the train station. On the wide road, Xue Li tried to hail a taxi; the municipal hospital was some distance from the station.

"Jiang Ci, over here."

Wen Ci followed the voice and looked across the street. A military SUV was parked there. The driver’s side window slowly rolled down, revealing a handsome face.

It was her biological brother—Jiang Chen.

"Mom and Dad told me to pick you up and take you to the hospital."

Wen Ci’s eyes lowered slightly. "Let’s go."

In the eighties, taxi fares were extremely expensive, costing several yuan for a trip of just a few kilometers. Now that they had a free ride, there was no reason not to take it.

Xue Li sat in the front passenger seat, while Wen Ci and Yu Qing sat in the back.

After getting in the car, Xue Li felt the atmosphere was a bit strange. He glanced at the two women in the back seat through the rearview mirror, then took a sideways look at the man driving.

He was a little confused. ’Aren’t my sister-in-law and him full-blooded siblings?! Why do they seem like strangers?’

After a long moment, Xue Li spoke up, "Brother-in-law, how is Brother Huo doing now?"

Jiang Chen faltered for a second when he heard "Brother-in-law," then replied, "I don’t know the specifics, but his life isn’t in danger right now."

Hearing this, the heavy stone hanging in Wen Ci’s heart finally fell.

’As long as his life isn’t in danger, it’s not a huge deal!’

Xue Li also let out a long sigh of relief. "It’s good that his life isn’t in danger," he said, relieved. "Worst case, he rests for a few months and he’ll be a tough guy again."

After a drive of about ten minutes, they arrived at Beijing Municipal Hospital.

Xue Li had been playing around the municipal hospital since he was a child, so he knew it like the back of his hand. He led Wen Ci and Yu Qing to the inpatient surgery building.

There were security guards stationed at the entrance to the building.

Xue Li walked over, leaned both hands on the window of the security office, and said with a wide grin, "Uncle Zhang, long time no see!"

"Xiao Xue, what are you doing back here?!"

Xue Li: "..."

Hearing the familiar nickname, he felt the urge to facepalm. He couldn’t help but turn to look at Yu Qing. "Don’t get the wrong idea. Uncle Zhang is a true old-timer from Beijing. He’s got an accent!"

It was just that with his accent, it sounded like he was calling him a eunuch.

"How’s the patient my grandfather came out of retirement for?"

"He’s in the quiet period. You’ve already missed visiting hours."

Xue Li blinked. "Come on, bend the rules a little for me, sir."

"Nope. But your younger brother can."

Xue Li: "???"

He looked as if he’d been dealt a heavy blow and asked with existential dread, "My brother is ten at most, right? On what grounds can *he* go into the building?"

Uncle Zhang slowly explained, "Your brother skipped a few grades. He may be young, but he’s been at your grandfather’s side during consultations since he was a kid. With his medical skills now, he could easily be an intern here."

Xue Li fell even more silent.