Life is Like a Journey – Chapter 117

Volume 3: Transition

Letting Go

“As You Wish”

After receiving the matching results, Fu Lei let out a sigh of relief, “Perfect, it’s completely compatible.”

            

Victor patted his shoulder: “The surgery will remove approximately one-third of your liver [hepatectomy procedure]. Rest well during this period, and you must maintain a regular diet.”

Fu Lei nodded: “Thank you, Vic. Today is Chinese New Year, happy new year.”

“Happy New Year.”

            

The tall Russian doctor smiled, removed his gloves, and walked out of the operating room: “May God bless us.”

“Me too.”

After the training exercise, several team members gathered in YY [online voice chat platform] to talk. Someone mentioned Shangshanruoshui, and Fang Zhiyou lit a cigarette, saying her condition wasn’t good. After a brief silence, several team members in Jinzhou decided to visit her together.

            

Fang Zhiyou felt a warmth in her heart as she extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray: “Thank you all.”

When she finished here, she instinctively reached for her phone and saw Yu Gui’s missed call. When she called back, the line was busy. She slightly furrowed her brow and called the internet café manager to settle the bill.

At 2 AM, with fireworks bursting outside, Yu Gui had just fallen asleep when her phone’s vibration woke her. Seeing it was the hospital calling, she sprang up from bed.

            

“What’s wrong?!”

“Come back quickly! Peipei’s condition has worsened. We’re doing everything to save her. Once her vital signs stabilize, we’ll need to operate by dawn at the latest!”

Yu Gui’s head buzzed as she frantically pulled on her sweater, hung up the phone, fumbled to put on shoes in the dark, stuffed her charger into her bag, and rushed outside with her backpack.

            

The yard dog started barking at the commotion. The main house lights came on, and Father Yu appeared at the door wearing a coat and slippers: “Where are you going so late?”

“A patient’s condition suddenly worsened, I need to get back to the hospital,” Yu Gui said while pulling the courtyard gate’s bolt. The rural path was pitch black, with dim streetlights spaced every dozen meters.

“How will you get there? Are there still any trains?” Father Yu put on his jacket and followed her out.

            

“There’s one morning train to Jinzhou. Dad, you should go back inside—” Before she could finish, her father had already pulled a motorcycle from the woodpile.

“Get on, I’ll take you to the station.”

Yu Gui’s eyes welled up: “Thank you, Dad.”

            

“What’s there to thank? You’ve gotten so polite since going to the city. Treating patients and saving lives is good work, builds karma [accumulating virtue]. I support you.”

She turned her head to look at her, knowing she wasn’t asleep. After crying hard and taking painkillers, she had become much calmer, lying on her side with her seaweed-like hair spread across the pillow.

The long-present hostility in her brow had dissipated, her features softened, and her light eyelashes trembled slightly.

            

“Qingshi,” she called her name softly, running fingers through her hair, drawing closer.

“Hmm?” She opened her eyes, pupils dark and moist.

“What are you thinking about?”

            

“About Lele,” she lowered her eyes again, but didn’t cry, a gentle smile appearing at the corner of her lips.

“I always thought he hated me. I never expected that in the end, he would forgive me. The one trapped in the past all along was me.”

“No child truly hates their mother. Even if there is hatred, it’s mixed with love,” the fire instructor remarked thoughtfully, her tone becoming reflective.

            

Lu Qingshi nestled into her embrace, enjoying the feeling of just quietly talking together.

“What about you? Don’t you hate your mother?”

“I did hate her, but as I grew older, that hatred gradually turned into regret. My adoptive father told me that unless absolutely necessary, no mother who carries a child for ten months would abandon her own flesh and blood. She must have had her unspeakable reasons.”

            

Lu Qingshi considered this perspective. Indeed, no matter how difficult things got, she had never thought of abandoning Lele. This made her heart ache even more for Gu Yanzhi.

At least she had shared some happy times with Lele, while Gu Yanzhi didn’t even know who her mother was from birth until now.

Seeing the doctor’s pained expression, Gu Yanzhi smiled and nuzzled her nose.

            

“I’m grateful she gave birth to me. Without her, I wouldn’t have seen the blue skies and sea, wouldn’t have met you. But her abandonment caused me great hardship during my childhood. I choose to let go, but that doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven her. Do you understand, Qingshi?”

Lu Qingshi froze, her gaze becoming soft and moist.

“For a long time, I had severe self-doubt, wondering why I should live in this world. If my birth parents didn’t want me, what was the point of living?”

            

“It was my father who told me that everyone’s existence has meaning, and sometimes forgiving others is forgiving yourself.”

Looking at her gentle yet strong gaze, it wasn’t hard to imagine what kind of steadfast and generous soldier her adoptive father must have been to raise Gu Yanzhi to be equally optimistic and open-minded.

She suddenly understood the purpose behind today’s conversation, and her heart filled with nothing but gratitude.

            

Gu Yanzhi had always respected her, never preaching. Instead, she used her gentle nature to wrap around her sharp edges, smoothing them away imperceptibly like silent rain nourishing the earth.

“Have you ever thought about finding your birth parents?”

Gu Yanzhi shook her head: “No, the name on my household registry belongs to my true father, the one I’ll spend my lifetime honoring.”

            

“However,” she smiled again as fireworks outside illuminated her amber-colored eyes.

“I hope they’re doing well, with longevity, good health, and many descendants.”

Lu Qingshi’s tears flowed unconsciously.

            

Was Lele her angel, and Gu Yanzhi sent to accompany her in his place?

Though they were two different kinds of love, both had the power to heal.

On this cold New Year’s Eve, lying in the old bed of this old house.

            

Lu Qingshi’s heart was deeply moved by the two most important people in her life.

Gu Yanzhi knew what she wanted to say; this was the first time she’d mentioned Fu Lei since his appearance.

“I know what you want to say. Some things aren’t easily let go of, but just this once, I hope you’ll be the bad guy.”

            

Lu Qingshi covered her eyes and laughed, though tears leaked through her fingers.

“What should I do? You’re terrifying – how do you understand me so well?”

Gu Yanzhi laughed too, pulling her into an embrace and kissing away her tears: “Because I know that even if Peipei were just an ordinary child, you would still do everything to save her, right?”

            

“Yes,” Lu Qingshi kissed her back, her nimble tongue slipped between her teeth, intertwining with hers in a passionate embrace.

The fire instructor felt dizzy from the sudden passion, warmth spreading through her chest as she held her neck tightly, drawing closer.

Lu Qingshi turned over, her smooth hair falling to one side, eyes moist, a blush rising on her pale face.

            

“Can you give yourself to me?”

Gu Yanzhi looked at her with a shy yet satisfied smile, reaching up to pull her down, prolonging their tender kiss.

“As you wish.”

            

Barefoot, she stepped into the last traces of darkness and left the bed. A gentle breeze stirred the light curtains. The woman lay sleeping peacefully wrapped in blankets, marks still visible on her neck.

Lu Qingshi felt for her ring in the darkness of the bedside table, put it on, and quietly closed the door.

The morning star [Venus] rose on the horizon as massive wings disappeared into the clouds. Lu Qingshi pulled up the airplane window and closed her eyes slightly.

            

“How is everything now?” Yu Gui ran into the hospital, talking as she walked. With the elevator too crowded, she went straight to the fire escape.

“Peipei just entered the operating room, and Dr. Fu is making final preparations before the liver resection.”

She bounded up the stairs two or three at a time, panting: “Get my surgical gown ready, I’ll be there right away!”

            

The first team originally had three members: Fu Lei as lead surgeon, senior resident as first assistant, and she as second assistant. But now, since Fu Lei needed to have part of his liver removed for Peipei’s transplant, he couldn’t participate in today’s surgery.

Dr. Victor would control the da Vinci to oversee everything. The three of them had long mastered their surgical protocol through extensive practice. Adding new people at this critical moment wasn’t feasible.

White water streams ran down her arms as she scrubbed repeatedly with the brush. Taking a deep breath, she thought: Come on, today’s battle cannot be lost!

            

“Surgical gown.”

She ran into the operating room as Hao Renjie helped her dress: “Why are you only arriving now?”

Yu Gui rolled her eyes: “You think I’m Sun Wukong who can travel 80,000 li on a somersault cloud?”

            

She tied her own straps and took her position, ready for battle.

In the spacious operating theater, seven teams were assembled. At the center was the da Vinci robot with its mechanical arms, and beside it at the console sat Dr. Victor, wearing a patterned surgical cap. Since he wouldn’t have direct patient contact, he only wore a mask and green scrubs.

Further out, six operating stations were arranged in sequence. All doctors stood fully equipped, arms crossed – their battlefield.

            

The anesthesia team stood at the front near the young patient. Various precise instruments were connected to Fu Peipei, with the external circulation [ECMO] ready at any moment.

Outstanding students from three major hospitals stood around the periphery observing. Yu Gui looked up to see the operating room’s central camera glowing red – everything happening here today would be recorded in medical history.

In the large conference room with strong heating, Liu Changsheng kept drinking water as junior doctors made several trips to refill tea. Other hospital leaders and University of Toronto professors sat nearby.

            

Real-time images were clearly projected onto the large screen, showing every movement of the da Vinci’s robotic arms in detail.

Everyone’s hands froze holding their teacups, then relaxed after a moment.

“Gastric tissue retrieval complete. Second surgical team to begin tumor separation immediately.”

            

Victor manipulated the robotic arms to place the diseased stomach tissue in the large tray. Liu Qingyun immediately lifted it, with the second surgical team standing behind him. They took over, with the senior gastric surgery professor leading the separation procedure.

He moved his eyes away from the 3D image: “Notify Operating Room Three, they can begin the resection.”

The circulating nurse picked up the wall phone, and the adjacent operating room’s phone rang.

            

“Understood, roger that.”

The anesthesiologist moved his chair closer: “Mr. Fu, we’re ready to begin.”

Fu Lei closed his eyes: “Alright, thank you.”

            

The oxygen mask was placed over his nose and mouth. As the machine started working, the anesthetic began flowing through his blood. Fu Lei quickly fell into sleep, the small figure in his mind growing fainter.

‘Baby, stay strong. Daddy is with you.’

“Really?! Daddy will go into the operating room with me?!” The small child with a nasogastric tube [feeding tube through nose] widened her eyes excitedly.

            

Fu Lei patted her head, smiling kindly: “Of course it’s true. When has daddy ever lied to you? Not only will I go in with you, but I’ll also be there when you wake up.”

“Wow! Daddy is the best!!!”

“Dr. Victor, when do we begin?” Seeing the second surgical team already at work and the liver resection ongoing next door, Yu Gui asked anxiously in English.

            

Victor’s forehead beaded with light sweat: “My beautiful lady, please wait a moment. We’ll start immediately after the pancreas extraction.”

In the abdomen held open by the chest retractor, several organs were entangled with the tumor, making even their removal challenging.

Yu Gui ignored his teasing: “The situation is more complex than expected. I’m worried about time.”

            

Victor finally took his eyes off the computer for a moment: “What do you suggest?”

“While you extract the other organs, I’ll separate the cardiac tumor.”

Liu Qingyun spoke to her quietly: “Although we’ve simulated this procedure, Dr. Fu isn’t at the table. Are you confident?”

            

Yu Gui, aware of the recording cameras, kept her voice low but maintained a resolute expression.

“We’ve simulated this situation too. If we follow the procedure and coordinate properly, it should be possible.”

Liu Qingyun froze.

            

Three days ago, after the routine surgical simulation ended, he was preparing to leave when Yu Gui called him back.

“Senior, practice one more round with me?”

“Practice what?”

            

Yu Gui sat at the operating console looking at her, and in that moment, he saw another person’s shadow in her.

“Practice simulations for extreme situations.”

These were also words Lu Qingshi had once said to her.

            

Yu Gui spoke clearly and deliberately: “If Dr. Fu can’t participate in surgery, or if anesthesia time is insufficient and we need to race against time, or if unexpected major bleeding occurs, or if the da Vinci system fails.”

She paused: “I need to simulate all of these scenarios first.”

“Oh well, what can I say – I’m always such a gentleman. Go ahead, beautiful lady, but be careful not to damage our little angel’s delicate vessels.”

            

Victor turned his face back to the screen: “After all, you know, if the heart stops, retrieving organs becomes meaningless.”

Hao Renjie handed her the pediatric-sized instruments [smaller surgical tools]: “Don’t you think this Victor speaks in a strange, sarcastic way?”

“You can detect sarcasm even in English?” Liu Qingyun didn’t look up, carefully manipulating the electrocautery with two fingers.

            

“He’s brilliant,” Yu Gui placed the electrocautery in the tray. “Vascular clamp.”

“How so?” Hao Renjie listened intently.

“Like Dr. Lu, he’s from a Canadian medical family dynasty, studied at top institutions in America and Japan. Both Johns Hopkins Hospital and Tokyo University Hospital wanted him to stay as faculty. Impressive, right?”

            

“Tsk tsk, quite the big shot,” Hao Renjie commented while continuing his work.

But Yu Gui knew his most impressive feat wasn’t just that – at barely forty, he could lead such a massive joint surgery, showing not only exceptional skill but remarkable courage.

“This… it’s too reckless, letting…” The officials seated below whispered among themselves as Liu Changsheng put down his teacup.

            

“They won’t be reckless.”

“Director…” He waved his hand, cutting off the speaker.

“At this point, let’s trust these young people.”

            

Finally, time ticked by minute by minute. As the wall clock passed six hours, some people grew restless, getting up to eat or use the bathroom. But on the display screen, the doctors remained focused, not daring to blink.

Sweat dripped into her eyes, and a nurse wiped it away.

“Thanks.”

            

Victor finally extracted the last section of large and small intestines intact, letting out a sigh of relief.

He looked away from the 3D image and nodded at the camera.

The atmosphere instantly became tense as everyone knew the real battle was just beginning.

            

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