The Surgeon's Studio

Chapter 382: Just A Matter of Time

A moment later, Zheng Ren saw Xie Yiren walking with her head down.

Her hair was styled in a double ponytail today and bounced with every step she took. Zheng Ren’s heart melted at the sight. She was typing on her phone as she walked.

[Basement parking, Zone D. I’m here.]

The message notification popped up on his phone.

Zheng Ren smiled and spread his arms, welcoming Xie Yiren into his embrace.

Xie Yiren pocketed her phone and looked up.

Zheng Ren was standing a few meters away with his arms open wide. Wide-eyed and red-faced, Xie Yiren looked around nervously.

When she was sure the car park was empty, she ran toward Zheng Ren and into his welcoming embrace.

Click! Click!

There was a sudden noise and lights flashed.

Zheng Ren’s muscles were tense from the start as he treated the hug like a holy ritual.

The sound startled him and his flinching startled Xie Yiren.

The lovely moment was shattered, just like that.

Zheng Ren scanned their surroundings and found the culprit. It was Xie Yiren’s Volvo. He could not help but resent the car at that moment.

The Volvo had intelligent sensing abilities. Whenever Xie Yiren was within range, the car would automatically start up.

Why was he startled? He had sat in that car many times before.

“Come on, or else we’ll be late,” Xie Yiren said with a smile, pulling away from Zheng Ren. She got into the driver’s seat.

Zheng Ren sighed. If only he had held her tighter.

With a mind full of regrets, Zheng Ren climbed into the passenger seat and buckled up. The car pulled out of the basement parking.

As they cruised along the road, Xie Yiren asked, “What happened to the patient who was stabbed in the heart?”

“He’s stable now. Su Yun says he should be off the ventilator tomorrow and transferred to the emergency wards.”

“So soon? Wasn’t his injury quite severe?” Xie Yiren was surprised by the patient’s speedy recovery.

“Yeah. As long as the patient is given emergency care in time and no other complication like cerebral edema arises, it’s an open and shut case. We’ll still have to monitor him for possible infection,” Zheng Ren replied.

“When Yanran transported the patient, the family dogpiled her. Do you know how the patient was wounded?” Xie Yiren asked with a sliver of amusement on her face.

“No, I didn’t ask,” Zheng Ren said, curious.

“He was attending a lunch gathering with some ex-classmates. They drank a bit,” Xie Yiren began telling the story.

Xie Yiren was usually not one for gossip; that role was reserved for Chu Yanzhi. Little Yiren was only interested if food was involved.

However, a silent car ride would have been awkward, so she kept the conversation going.

She was slightly embarrassed by the hug in the car park and her face was still warm from all the blushing. Her first instinct was to rush into Zheng Ren’s arms when she spotted him.

Xie Yiren could not tolerate an awkward silence throughout the journey.

“And?” Zheng Ren asked.

“When it was time to pay, they were fighting over who would pay and the patient managed to snatch the bill. One of his friends got upset and they got into a row.”

Zheng Ren frowned.

It was not uncommon to see drunken brawls break out among men when they were fighting for the bill. Incidents like these were very memorable in the hospital.

There would be a few incidents a year without fail.

In this incident, the offender and the victim were extremely fortunate. If it were not for the emergency response team, two families would be ruined by this mistake.

“Yanran said when the attacker sobered up, he almost went into shock. His face was pale as a sheet. His blood pressure was probably through the roof,” Xie Yiren said.

“It was a successful rescue, so everything is fine now. If no one presses charge, the police won’t look into the matter. The two families can come to an agreement, maybe cover his medical expenses. They’re good friends after all,” Zheng Ren commented.

“Yanran says it’ll cost around a few hundred thousand.”

“Her estimates are right. They should be glad the patient is still alive. Otherwise, the attacker will have to go to jail.”

“Zheng Ren, you’re so brave,” Xie Yiren complimented. She pursed her lips, a proud look on her face.

“Hm?”

“Sister Yanran said there are few doctors who would dare to perform a pericardiotomy in the emergency response room with so many witnesses around. She said most doctors would just perform the standard CPR and tell the family they had tried their best, maybe some would attempt the procedure, but only if the patient was in the operating room. By then, the window would have passed.”

“I was just doing my duty.”

“No. You’re confident in your abilities, that’s why you could do it without hesitation,” Xie Yiren said.

The praise made Zheng Ren’s heart flutter. It was a nice feeling, having Xie Yiren be proud of him. Zheng Ren saw how her face lit up when she spoke of his courage.

He let out a chuckle.

“Hopefully there won’t be any emergency cases tonight,” Xie Yiren prayed.

“Don’t worry. Su Yun will cover for me if something comes in. As long as it’s not a major surgery, we’re safe,” Zheng Ren said reassuringly.

“His surgery techniques are quite good.”

“Su Yun’s known as the rising star of the cardiothoracic department in Imperial Capital.”

As they chatted, the car entered the basement parking of the cinema. Xie Yiren parked the car nearby the elevators and they quickly made their way upstairs.

Xie Yiren exited on the third floor to buy her ice cream while Zheng Ren went one floor up to retrieve their movie tickets.

He checked the time; the movie was just about to start.

The lights would be off when they enter the hall.

Zheng Ren’s heart was racing as he recounted his plan to inconspicuously put his arm around Xie Yiren’s shoulders.

Failure was not acceptable.

Just like before each surgery, Zheng Ren would review each scan and visualize the procedure. He ran through all the steps he had to make later.

It was nerve-wracking.

A few minutes, Xie Yiren came up the elevator with two ice cream cones in hand. She made a small wave to get Zheng Ren’s attention.

Zheng Ren relieved her of a cone and they made their way to the IMAX theater.

As he predicted, the hall was pitch black. The floor and seats were partially illuminated by the shifting display on screen.

Everything was going according to plan. Zheng Ren tried to calm his heart as he made one cautious step after another.

“Ah!” A shriek behind Zheng Ren. Xie Yiren missed a step and fell forward.

Zheng Ren quickly caught hold of her and asked in a low voice, “Did you sprain your ankle?”

“N-no...” Xie Yiren’s voice trembled. She spoke so softly, only Zheng Ren could hear.

Zheng Ren breathed a sigh of relief. He released her arm and just as he turned, a soft, warm hand clutched at his.