Morning Longing for Warmth – Chapter 54

Hospital

I’ll give you three years to think about it.

On the day Shiyi left, Wei Hui had a relapse and went to the hospital. Unexpectedly, on their first day of meeting, she almost ended up in the hospital again. After Shiyi gave her medicine, she still wasn’t reassured and insisted on taking her to the hospital for a check-up, but Wei Hui stopped her. In the middle of the night, the two had a disagreement. Wei Hui’s face was still pale, and she looked fatigued, while Shiyi’s face was stern. She sat by the bed and asked, “Are you going or not?”

Wei Hui shook her head, “Shiyi, I’m fine.”

Shiyi insisted, “You’re not a doctor; you nearly fainted just now! How can you be fine? I knew it was too much for you. You took such a long flight, insisted on giving a lecture, and even drank alcohol, and…”

As she continued, her voice had a hint of tears. In the months she hadn’t seen Wei Hui, she hadn’t shed a tear, no matter how much she missed her, she gritted her teeth and continued studying. But what had just happened scared her, and she couldn’t hold back her emotions anymore, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

Seeing her like this, Wei Hui sat up, grabbed her wrist, and pulled her close. Shiyi, still upset, resisted her touch, but Wei Hui gently overpowered her. “How about this, I’ll call Ziyan. You’ll trust his words, right?”

Shiyi bit her lip, bowed her head, and remained silent.

Wei Hui coaxed her gently, “Alright, I’ll make the call.”

As she spoke, she dialed the number. On the other end, Su Ziyan had just walked out of a hospital room when his phone rang. He answered, “What’s wrong?”

“Aren’t you supposed to be with Shiyi?”

Wei Hui sighed, “I’ll let Shiyi talk to you.”

She knew that no matter what she said, Shiyi would still worry, but at least she would listen to Su Ziyan. Shiyi took the phone with her head down and mumbled into it. Wei Hui listened, noting how Shiyi, usually not talkative, became quite verbose when it came to her health. Wei Hui shook her head helplessly, got out of bed, and went to the bathroom. When she came back, Shiyi had already hung up the phone. Wei Hui asked softly, “What did Ziyan say?”

Shiyi handed the phone back to her and said, “Dr. Su said it’s best to get a check-up.”

Wei Hui frowned, “He said that too?”

Shiyi felt a bit guilty. Actually, Su Ziyan had said many comforting words, but she wasn’t reassured. In the end, Su Ziyan relented and mentioned that Dr. Bai was conducting research at a hospital near Weiss, and he could help get in touch with him.

A few minutes later, Su Ziyan sent a message to Shiyi, saying he had made the arrangements and Dr. Bai hadn’t left the hospital yet, so they could go now. Upon receiving the message, Shiyi helped Wei Hui change clothes. Wei Hui’s brow was still furrowed, “Shiyi, I can’t go to the hospital.”

“I know.” Shiyi paused, “We’re going to see Dr. Bai.”

Wei Hui’s brow relaxed a bit, “Dr. Bai is here too?”

Shiyi repeated Su Ziyan’s words and concluded, “Let’s go, Dr. Bai hasn’t left work yet.”

Seeing her determined to not rest until the goal was met, Wei Hui had no choice but to agree, “Alright.”

The car was driven by Pei Tian, and half an hour later, the two arrived at the hospital entrance. Shiyi supported Wei Hui as they entered through the internal passage, heading directly to Dr. Bai’s office. It was past two in the morning, and the entire hospital was very quiet. Dr. Bai’s assistant came out to meet them, a rather young fellow in his twenties, who greeted them warmly with a smile.

“President Wei, you came just in time. Professor Bai is leaving for overseas tomorrow.”

He was Dr. Bai’s capable assistant and had met Wei Hui before, so his manner was naturally familiar. Hearing his words, Shiyi was slightly intrigued and asked, “Does Dr. Bai travel abroad often?”

The assistant smiled, “Yes, he spends only about two months in total here each year.”

Apart from conducting research, Dr. Bai is mostly flying around the world. When he’s doing research, he doesn’t allow anyone to disturb him, so those seeking medical advice have to wait for him to come out of the research room. Because of this, the line of patients grows long. He’s an authority in his field, a top expert, and many people with difficult and complicated illnesses can find solutions through him. The more renowned he becomes, the busier he gets, and now it’s almost impossible to see him. Initially, he didn’t intend to take Wei Hui’s case because he had previously reviewed her medical records. Surviving this long was already a great challenge, and another surgery could risk her not coming off the operating table. However, unable to resist Su Ziyan’s persistent pleas, he finally agreed to take a look. Once he did, his interest was piqued, but Wei Hui was not interested; she refused to undergo surgery.

There are patients who wouldn’t want him to treat them or perform surgery?

Heart disease patients worldwide eagerly await his response, even if just to review their case and provide a treatment approach. Yet, Wei Hui pushed him away, rejecting not just a doctor but the last hope for life itself, which made Dr. Bai quite curious about her.

This curiosity broke his usual rules. He never met patients while conducting research, but this time he wanted to have a meeting.

Ten minutes later, the assistant led Wei Hui and Shiyi into Dr. Bai’s office. It was quite large, with two or three rows of bookshelves. Dr. Bai stood at the front row of the bookshelves, reading a book. Wearing black-framed glasses, he had a scholarly and elegant demeanor. The assistant softly said, “Professor.”

The night outside grew deeper, yet the office was brightly lit. Dr. Bai turned his head, and upon seeing Wei Hui, he smiled, “President Wei.”

After speaking, he looked at Shiyi, his gaze pausing on their clasped hands, “And this is?”

Wei Hui introduced, “This is my partner, Shiyi.”

Dr. Bai nodded slightly, “Hello.”

Shiyi quickly replied, “Hello.”

The assistant couldn’t help but chuckle at their politeness, but one glance from Dr. Bai made him stand properly to the side. Dr. Bai asked, “What’s the situation tonight?”

Wei Hui’s face was still pale, and her palms were cold. Despite Shiyi warming them for a long time, they showed no signs of warmth, which was why she insisted on coming to the hospital. After hearing her explanation, Dr. Bai pondered for a few seconds, “Let’s do an examination first.”

Shiyi watched anxiously as Wei Hui followed Dr. Bai into the examination room.

The assistant stood by her side and, seeing her pretty face full of worry, couldn’t help but offer reassurance, “Don’t worry, the professor is very skilled. President Wei will be fine.”

He didn’t have the clearance to view Wei Hui’s medical records, so he never knew what kind of illness she had. But seeing her earlier able to walk and act just like a regular person, he assumed it wasn’t anything too serious, hence his casual reassurance. After hearing this, Shiyi’s expression became even more somber. She had been in Weiss for half a year, contacting Su Ziyan a few times and secretly reading many medical books. Each search left her more alarmed.

Incurable, low probability, miracle, no hope of survival—these words alone were enough to unsettle her, let alone all of them appearing together. This illness was incredibly difficult to cure.

It wasn’t surprising that Wei Hui would choose ten years. Putting herself in her place, she thought, if it were her, perhaps she would also choose ten years.

But she just couldn’t bear it.

Four percent.

Even with a one percent chance, she wanted to try. Such a wonderful Third Miss should experience a miracle!

The assistant, having spent quite some time quietly comforting her, noticed her expression was still heavy. He then said, “It’ll definitely be fine, don’t worry.”

Shiyi then turned her head, speaking softly, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” The assistant thought for a moment, “Would you like a glass of water?”

Shiyi waved her hand, “No, thank you.”

The assistant scratched his head, smiled, and continued to sit beside Shiyi, both of them looking towards the examination room.

Inside, Dr. Bai was conducting the examination and asked, “Is that the person who is the reason you don’t want to have surgery?”

Wei Hui felt the machine pass over her body and replied, “Yes.”

Dr. Bai was slightly surprised by her honesty but quickly regained his composure, “Dr. Su should have told you that the longer you wait, the lower your chances of a successful surgery will be. In a few years, even I might be helpless.”

Wei Hui coughed softly, “I know.”

Dr. Bai glanced at the printed report and looked at Wei Hui, using a sincere tone for the first time, “Although it’s your right to make whatever decision you choose, as your doctor, I must say that your condition hasn’t worsened. Right now, there’s still a four percent chance with surgery. It’s very low, but…”

“But I choose ten years.” Wei Hui looked up seriously at Dr. Bai, speaking with difficulty after coughing, “Ziyan should have told you about my situation; four percent is too low, I can’t take that risk.”

Indeed, Su Ziyan had told him about her situation but only mentioned that she refused surgery and opted for an artificial heart transplant in a few years, so he didn’t know the real reason. He hadn’t anticipated it would be like this. As a doctor with many years of experience, he had seen all sorts of people. In the face of illness, he had witnessed many ugly behaviors. People would go to extreme lengths to get treatment, and someone like Wei Hui, who voluntarily gave up, was rare.

He never imposed his thoughts on patients, and saying so much to Wei Hui was already outside his usual way of doing things. Holding the report, he said to Wei Hui, “Rest for a while. I’ll call Dr. Su to confirm the situation.”

Wei Hui’s gaze remained calm, her voice cool, “Thank you.”

Dr. Bai opened the door and walked out. Seeing him come out, Shiyi immediately prepared to follow him, but the assistant stopped her, “If the professor has something to say, he’ll come over.”

Shiyi, full of anxiety, was held back, and her face unconsciously turned cold. The assistant, seeing her from the side, quickly released his hand and scratched his head. She looked gentle, but how was she so fierce!

Her unintentional fierceness made the assistant work more diligently. He immediately ran to Dr. Bai’s office, and a moment later, he came out and said to Shiyi, “Dr. Bai wants you to come in.”

Shiyi’s heart raced, and after taking a deep breath, she walked in.

“No deterioration, no complications, and the situation is relatively stable…” Upon hearing these words, Shiyi let out a breath, her previously anxious heart finally at ease. Tears of relief welled up in her eyes, and her voice choked, “Thank you, thank you.”

Dr. Bai said, “In fifteen minutes, you can go in and see her. It’s best to observe her for one night before leaving.”

Shiyi nodded repeatedly, “Okay, okay, I understand.”

After the two finished speaking, the assistant asked, “Professor, are you going back to rest now?”

Hearing this, Shiyi bit her lip and called out, “Dr. Bai, I have some questions to ask you.”

Dr. Bai glanced at the assistant behind him and said, “Wait outside.”

The assistant respectfully complied.

The door closed, and it remained silent inside for a long time. The assistant waited outside for about half an hour before the door opened again. Shiyi emerged with her head down, her eyes red at the corners. Behind her, Dr. Bai looked regretful. The assistant stood up and heard Shiyi say, “Thank you, Dr. Bai. I’m going to the restroom.”

Her voice was low, hoarse, and choked with emotion.

After she left, the assistant asked, “Professor, is President Wei’s illness very serious?”

Dr. Bai glanced at him and shook his head, “Do you know what illness is the hardest to cure?”

Assistant: “Cancer?”

Dr. Bai tapped his head, “It’s a heartache.”

The assistant rubbed the spot where he was hit and mumbled, as they walked out. When they almost reached the end of the corridor, Dr. Bai suddenly stopped, and a few seconds later, he turned back quickly. The assistant followed him, “Professor?”

Dr. Bai walked straight to the examination room door, telling the assistant to wait outside. He pushed the door open and went in. Wei Hui was staring out the window, thinking it was Shiyi, her voice softened, “I already told you…”

She stopped mid-sentence upon realizing it was Dr. Bai. She swallowed her words as he approached her and said, “I confirmed with Dr. Su and prescribed you some new medication.” As he said this, his expression changed, remembering what Shiyi had just told him. He added, “You should know that seeing you tonight was a special exception. So I’ll make another exception today: within three years, if you ever decide you want surgery, contact my assistant.”

After saying this, he turned to leave, but Wei Hui called out, “Dr. Bai.”

“Aren’t you afraid of ruining your reputation?”

As a scholar of his stature, each patient he takes on is considered with great care. Though not guaranteeing absolute success, at least a thirty percent chance is expected. The more esteemed he is, the more people watch him, and even the slightest misstep can cause a storm.

Dr. Bai, with his back to her, smiled, “A doctor doesn’t have the right to choose patients. Since you’ve become my patient, my responsibility is to cure your illness.”

He turned to look at Wei Hui and added, “Besides, what’s reputation compared to a life?”

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