Peerless Beauty – Chapter 99
by Little PandaHell (1)
Descent into Hell
Evening, the sun was setting in the west.
“Ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling…” Lu Yinxi pedaled a bicycle, weaving through the crowd at the hospital, arriving at the base of the Comprehensive Tumor Treatment Building.
No need for overtime, Jian Qing took off her work uniform, picked up the printed literature, grabbed her bag, and took the elevator down.
With someone in her heart, even getting off work became more anticipated.
Life seemed to become more colorful, no longer just black and white, bland as water.
Just as she stepped out of the main entrance of the Tumor Building, Jian Qing saw Lu Yinxi on the bicycle.
She was wearing casual sportswear, a pair of white sneakers on her feet, without makeup, radiating youth. She rode the bicycle around to face Jian Qing, took Jian Qing’s bag, and broke into a sweet smile: “Teacher Jian, I’ve come to pick you up from work and take you home.”
The surrounding patients, family members, colleagues, and classmates all looked over. Jian Qing hopped onto the soft-cushioned rear seat of the bicycle and put her arms around Lu Yinxi’s waist: “Student Lu, have you memorized 《Ode to the Red Cliff》 yet?”
“Yes, yes, I’ll recite it for you when we get back. Now, let’s go to the sports field together to exercise.”
Lu Yinxi carried Jian Qing away from the hospital, riding into the campus just a wall away.
Green shade surrounded the campus. She played a little trick, deliberately riding the bicycle unsteadily. Jian Qing on the rear seat held tightly to her waist.
Jian Qing teased in a mild tone: “Can’t even ride a bicycle well, have your hands lost their strength?”
Lu Yinxi’s face reddened, and she no longer dared to deliberately sway the handlebars crookedly, riding properly towards the sports field.
Finally, she muttered into the wind: “Hmph… whether I have strength or not, you know best…”
The evening summer breeze carried this mutter to Jian Qing’s ears. Jian Qing smiled slightly, the tips of her ears turning pink.
The setting sun gradually retracted its dazzling rays, and the sunset glow filled the sky.
As usual, Lu Yinxi was jogging on the sports field, while Jian Qing walked along the inner lane of the track, watching the sunset.
When they crossed paths, Lu Yinxi ran past her like the wind, bringing a cool breeze.
During one such encounter, the wind carried another question—
“Teacher Jian, do you have someone you like now?”
The last time this was asked was during the New Year.
Jian Qing no longer chose to remain silent. Looking at the person asking the question before her, she nodded, her gaze serious, and responded with one word: “Yes.”
Lu Yinxi was startled, then ran away smiling. When they crossed paths on the next lap, she asked excitedly: “When did this happen?”
When did she start to confirm her feelings?
Jian Qing, with her hands behind her back, kicked away a small pebble at her feet, slightly lowered her head, and answered: “When she asked me this question last time.”
“Oh…” Lu Yinxi got her answer, the smile in her eyes growing increasingly uncontrollable, and she sped away in a flash.
So it was that early…
Jian Qing watched her retreating figure and also smiled.
After the jog ended, the two ate at a restaurant outside.
After dinner, holding hands, they wandered the streets.
Passing by a store, there was a claw machine at the entrance. Jian Qing pulled Lu Yinxi to stop, scanning the code to purchase tokens.
Lu Yinxi, remembering that last time neither of them managed to grab anything and ended up buying with money, tugged at Jian Qing’s clothes, advising: “Don’t waste money. Which one do you like? I’ll go in and buy it from the shop owner.”
Jian Qing ignored her and asked Lu Yinxi: “Which one do you like?”
Seeing her insistence, Lu Yinxi casually pointed at a blue little bear.
Just for the fun of trying, it didn’t matter whether they won or not.
Jian Qing inserted a coin, operated the control lever, and the machine claw swayed left and right. She adjusted the angle and position, not aiming straight, and quickly pressed the button.
The claw grabbed the little bear’s right arm, but as it rose, sure enough, it slipped off, and the bear fell.
Lu Yinxi muttered: “I said not to waste money. Ah, it fell out!”
Before she finished speaking, the blue little bear was flung into the chute.
Jian Qing bent down to pick up the little bear that had fallen to the outlet and handed it to Lu Yinxi: “They all come loose, so you either find a point on the doll that can catch, hook it up; or adjust the hook position well, use the hook’s swinging force to fling it into the chute; there’s another type where the hook shakes a bit at the chute position, don’t play those, they’ve adjusted the parameters in the backend, deliberately not letting people grab anything.”
Lu Yinxi hugged the little bear, smiling at her: “When did you secretly do homework on this behind my back?”
Jian Qing casually remarked, inserting another coin: “I occasionally come to try, and just learned it.”
Actually, after admitting defeat in front of her last time, she felt unsatisfied and often went to the mall to practice on claw machines after work. As she practiced, she summarized many techniques.
Jian Qing spent ten yuan and grabbed six dolls.
Lu Yinxi, hugging an armful of little animals, couldn’t stop smiling.
The shop owner lit a cigarette dejectedly.
A little kid nearby looked at them with envy.
Jian Qing grabbed a little deer plush toy and turned to give it to the child.
The child, seeing her cold expression, didn’t dare to accept it and ran away.
Jian Qing didn’t mind and stuffed the little deer plush toy into Lu Yinxi’s arms.
Other children were afraid of her, only this little one wasn’t afraid of her.
After grabbing seven plush toys, the two saw the shop owner’s expression, exchanged smiles, and decided to quit while they were ahead.
The seven little plush toys were sunbathed for a day and neatly arranged on the sofa.
Jian Qing also brought out the rabbit bought from the claw machine the first time, from the bedroom, and put it together with them, saying: “Eight, an even number, no one is left out.”
Everyone has someone to accompany them.
During cancer treatment, not only do doctors, patients, and family members help each other, but patients also help one another.
Everyone is struggling in the same sea of suffering; they can better understand each other’s experiences.
Director Yan from the Medical Education Department had been receiving treatment in the Radiotherapy Department for some time. His wife, Aunt Xu, mindful of Lu Yinxi’s life-saving kindness, often brought delicious food for Jian Qing to pass on.
It was August, and school hadn’t started yet.
Lu Yinxi would do some part-time modeling work to earn pocket money.
During the summer vacation, as medical school student volunteers hadn’t returned to school yet, she would occasionally go to the piano room in Oncology Ward Two to serve as a volunteer pianist.
She was a late starter and didn’t know many pieces. The one she played most often was still 《Amazing Grace》, which Teacher Zhou had taught her initially.
Every time she came, she would meet a very young cancer patient who looked to be just in her early thirties.
Upon inquiry, she learned that the patient’s surname was Li, she had lung cancer, was 31 years old this year, and had a child just over one year old at home.
She was often alone; her husband was busy with work and taking care of the child, only occasionally coming to accompany her.
《Amazing Grace》 carried some religious overtones of redemption, which she enjoyed listening to.
The Radiotherapy Department was on the second floor of the Tumor Building. Aunt Xu would come up to Oncology Ward Two to chat with Lu Yinxi. Seeing this female patient surnamed Li often alone, she couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. Gradually, she started helping by bringing meals and accompanying her for check-ups.
After Sangsang left, Lu Yinxi also learned not to form too deep emotional connections with cancer patients.
The more she loved Jian Qing, the less she thought about this being a virtual world, and the more she felt regret for these real patients.
After a month of targeted therapy, Ms. Li’s condition wasn’t controlled, and the evaluation results showed that the disease had progressed again.
Her husband squatted on the stairs in the hallway, smoking one cigarette after another.
She said with reddened eyes: “Let’s give up, save the money for the child…”
Her husband hugged her shoulders and comforted her: “Let’s try again, see if there are any other drugs we can use?”
“In the future, you must buy insurance for the child. If there’s any discomfort, get it checked early, don’t delay.”
She spoke as if giving final instructions. Her husband, unable to hold back, also reddened his eyes: “I’ve failed you. Since we got married, I haven’t given you a single good day. If I had known it would be like this, we shouldn’t have had a child!”
“What nonsense are you talking? If you raise him well, you’ll have done right by me.”
The two embraced and cried together.
After Jian Qing returned home from work, she was still in the study, constantly checking literature, comparing data, looking for any other usable drugs.
The patient was really too young, and she was unwilling to give up.
Searching and searching, she found data from an international clinical trial. A new immunotherapy drug, Tibolo, had completed Phase III trials abroad and had been approved by the FDA for market, but in China, it was still in Phase II clinical trials and not yet on the market.
This drug, with the code name HE-114 in China, was part of a research collaboration between their department and an international pharmaceutical company. She also had several patients currently using the drug.
Now, although Ms. Li had met the requirements for second-line treatment and above, the domestic Phase II trial had already passed the enrollment deadline and was no longer accepting new subjects.
The next day, Jian Qing explained the situation to the couple and wrote “Tibolo” on the prescription: “I recommend this drug, but it’s not available in China yet. It’s still in the trial phase and can’t be purchased here. You’ll need to buy it from abroad.”
Mr. He asked: “How are the trial results for this drug in China?”
Jian Qing: “Currently, the few patients I have on it are doing alright.” She pointed to Uncle Chen waiting for consultation outside the office, “For example, he is currently in a very stable condition, with symptoms like coughing and pain greatly reduced.”
Ms. Li looked at the prescription, saying with difficulty: “Doctor, I can go from store to store to find drugs available in pharmacies, but this one is abroad. How am I supposed to find it? Do you have any purchasing channels?”
Jian Qing shook her head: “No.”
Even if she did, her position prevented her from recommending any.
The couple looked at each other, unable to decide.
Jian Qing suggested: “You can ask other patients. Some people also buy medicines from abroad.”
After returning to the ward, the couple inquired about purchasing channels for this drug, but without results. They then went back to the office to plead with Jian Qing.
The husband fell to his knees with a thud, pleading: “Doctor, please save my wife, help us make some connections! You’re about this age, you must have a loved one too. If it were your loved one who was sick, you’d understand how we feel!”
Lu Yinxi had become Jian Qing’s soft spot. Jian Qing put herself in their shoes, sighed slightly, helped the man up, and further hinted: “There’s an Aunt Xu who occasionally comes to our ward. Your wife knows her, you can ask her.”
Aunt Xu had a cousin who worked for a multinational company. Director Yan’s post-surgery immunotherapy drugs were brought back from abroad by her cousin.
The couple expressed their profound gratitude and hurriedly found Aunt Xu, begging her to help buy the medicine.
Aunt Xu, being kindhearted, readily agreed and had her cousin buy and send the medicine back.
After taking it, Ms. Li’s symptoms improved significantly, but she developed some skin rashes.
She came to Jian Qing to inquire about the situation. After examination, Jian Qing said: “It’s a common adverse reaction to immunotherapy drugs. We’ve encountered this during trials too. It’s not serious, I’ll prescribe you some medicine.”
After half a month of medication, her condition improved considerably.
Jian Qing also temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.
Little did she know, this was the beginning of her descent into hell.
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