Peerless Beauty – Chapter 10

Psychiatry Department

This is the Psychiatry Department!

“I studied acting. How could I have learned medicine? But both my parents are doctors. I grew up in a family building at the hospital, so walking around the hospital is like strolling in my own backyard.”

Still, it is a half-true, half-false explanation.

Lu Yinxi is glad that she is an actress; her acting skills and ability to react on the spot are better than those of ordinary people.

“Which department?”

“Dad used to work in the oncology department, and mom is in cardiothoracic surgery.”

Jian Qing raised an eyebrow lightly: “Used to?”

She is always so keen, able to catch many details.

Lu Yinxi calmly said, “My dad sacrificed his life on the job when I was five. My grandmother and my mom raised me.”

There was not a trace of sorrow in her tone.

Sorrow had long been washed away by time, leaving no room for extra emotions.

Jian Qing nodded and continued to ask, “Why didn’t you study medicine?”

“Advising someone to study medicine is like being struck by lightning.” Lu Yinxi dodged with a cliché.

“It would be easier with your parents paving the way.”

“Probably, as a second-generation doctor, there would be more medical resources around.” Lu Yinxi answered vaguely.

The road would indeed be much easier.

After being admitted to the medical school where her parents worked, Lu Yinxi could intern at the hospital, freely choosing various departments. The directors and head nurses of the departments almost all knew her and would take care of her out of respect for her parents.

While some interns hadn’t even touched the operating table, she was personally taught by the director for a week and then directly sent to the operating room to observe.

If there was something she didn’t understand in class, she could go directly to the staff residence building after class and knock on the director’s door to ask for guidance.

Surgery relies on teamwork, and she is left-handed. She instinctively uses her left hand, which made operations somewhat inconvenient, so she gave up on surgery early and chose internal medicine as her career development direction.

She is extremely familiar with the medical system, always staying ahead of her peers in every step—GPA, mentors, research, career planning… every step was flawless.

If it weren’t for that incident during the summer vacation of sophomore year, the current Jian Qing would almost be her future self.

Lu Yinxi paused her recollection and asked Jian Qing, “What about you? Why did you study medicine, and why did you choose oncology?”

Jian Qing replied calmly, “Studying medicine is stable, oncology pays well, there are fewer medical disputes, and it’s easier to publish papers.”

Her words made Lu Yinxi laugh.

No lofty ideals or beliefs, no sentiment of saving lives and helping the injured; this mundane answer is also the most genuine thought of most doctors.

Malignant tumors (cancer) are colloquially referred to as “terminal illnesses.”

Patients and their families who step into the oncology ward already have certain psychological expectations about the disease, and they won’t be overly demanding. They might even cling to the doctor as their lifesaver.

Therefore, disputes between doctors and patients are relatively fewer in the oncology department.

Moreover, oncology is considered a research hotspot in the medical field, and it’s relatively easier to publish SCI papers.

With more money, fewer issues, and an easier time publishing papers, everyone flocks to this field. Consequently, the entry threshold is high, and top-tier tertiary hospitals in the region require at least a doctorate for oncology department recruitment, along with papers to prove research capability.

Jian Qing asked Lu Yinxi, “Why did you choose to study acting?”

Lu Yinxi tapped her head, trying to recall.

Everyone in her family was quite good-looking.

Her mother, Gu Mingyu, came out of the mountains and was the only college student in the village during that era. She had a sharp mind and a good appearance.

During her college years, talent scouts would hand her business cards on the street, saying they wanted to promote her as a star. But Gu Mingyu firmly held onto her medical books and remained determined to pursue a career in medicine.

Her father, Lu Ming, came from a family of artists. Generations before him were musicians, dancers, and performers, but they were all involved in traditional arts such as opera, dance, and music. None of them studied acting.

In Lu Ming’s generation, he abandoned the arts and pursued a career in medicine, having no connection to the world of art.

When Lu Yinxi was in her freshman year of college, a film crew borrowed the hospital premises to shoot a medical drama. While passing by, the assistant director noticed her outstanding appearance and invited her to make a cameo appearance.

It was a scene where she had to cry, only lasting a few minutes.

Having been accustomed to the tears of patients and their families in the hospital, she effortlessly portrayed the emotions, exuding a strong presence. She was not camera-shy and had a vibrant aura. The director praised her and even asked if she wanted to sign with his company and switch careers to become an actress.

That year, Lu Yinxi, like Gu Mingyu, was resolute in pursuing a career in medicine and remained unwavering, smiling and waving her hand to refuse.

Later on, she could no longer continue her medical studies and dropped out. Carrying her luggage, she traveled alone to the north and visited the company multiple times before finally signing a contract. However, she was put on hold for two years before she got her lucky break.

Lu Yinxi never mentioned the hardships she had experienced in the past, only smiling and answering simply, “Because life is short, and I hope to leave something behind in this world. Whether it’s through songs, TV shows, or movies, I want to prove that I have been here.”

Jian Qing, holding an ice leaf, commented, “You artists have a poetic way of speaking.”

Lu Yinxi smiled gently, “Dr. Jian, you contribute to the world through your scientific research, so we share something in common.”

After spending more than half a month together, it was only today that she was willing to open up and treat the person in front of her as a newfound friend, seeking to explore and share their respective life experiences, searching for common ground.

Jian Qing didn’t want to talk too much about herself and changed the topic, saying, “Tell me about your mother.”

“She is an excellent surgeon.”

“Is that all?”

“That’s it.”

Gu Mingyu is an excellent surgeon.

However, the field of surgery is predominantly male, and for a woman to stay in surgery and reach the pinnacle, she is destined to face more challenges and doubts, to pay a higher price, and to sacrifice more.

Lu Yinxi is one of those who have been abandoned.

When her father, Lu Ming, was alive, Lu Ming was responsible for taking care of her daily needs. But after Lu Ming passed away, she was sent to the countryside to be raised by her grandmother.

When she was ten years old, her grandmother also passed away, and Gu Mingyu reluctantly brought her back to live with her.

Gu Mingyu is hardly ever at home, and Lu Yinxi doesn’t care about her either.

Lu Yinxi: “I could tell you about my grandmother.”

Jian Qing: “Go ahead.”

Lu Yinxi: “It’s quite ironic, and it’s related to your profession. She passed away from lung cancer. She had been coughing for a while, and I cried, asking her to go to the hospital for a check-up, but she refused. She thought it was a minor issue, nothing to worry about, and that it would pass. I told my mother on the phone to come back and take Grandma to see a doctor, but she was too busy with work and didn’t come back. In the end, it was dragged on until the late stage before seeking treatment.”

On the day Grandma passed away, Lu Yinxi sat paralyzed in the muddy yard, holding a jar of pocket money that she had saved up to use for Grandma’s medical expenses, and cried uncontrollably. Gu Mingyu arrived late and didn’t even get to see her own mother for the last time.

Since then, there has been a rift between Lu Yinxi and Gu Mingyu, and their mother-daughter relationship has become very cold.

Lu Yinxi suddenly frowned, “Hey, didn’t you say you were going to be late?”

Jian Qing lowered her head and kicked the snow at her feet, without saying a word.

In fact, there were still twenty minutes before class.

“Are you playing tricks on me again?”

Realizing she had been deceived after the fact, Lu Yinxi grumbled twice, grabbed Jian Qing’s hand, snatched the ice leaf from her hand, and stuffed it into her own mouth, chewing it crisply.

“I’m eating it and not giving it to you.”

“Don’t you mind the cold?” Jian Qing pinched Lu Yinxi’s chin, wanting to pry it open and take a look, but Lu Yinxi laughed and broke free.

Laughing and teasing, Lu Yinxi suddenly realized that this was very much like a scene of a young couple strolling and chatting on campus, engaging in playful banter.

An awkward and cheesy feeling welled up in her heart, a strange sensation. Lu Yinxi pursed her lips, suppressing her smile, and awkwardly averted her gaze, her ears hidden beneath her black hair, faintly blushing.

The students were still in class, and the large campus was covered in a vast expanse of white, with few people to be seen.

She and Jian Qing strolled through the silent campus, whispering softly to each other. Jian Qing remained silent most of the time, as quiet as the thin snow on the branches, forming a beautiful picture in harmony with the heavens and earth.

At a certain moment, Lu Yinxi turned her head to glance at Jian Qing, and Jian Qing happened to turn her head to look at her as well.

Their gazes intertwined, silently locking eyes for two seconds, and then instinctively looking away simultaneously.

In this moment, silence prevailed, surpassing any sound.

Lu Yinxi quietly savored the memory of their eye contact deep in her heart.

In this world of ice and glass, where no snow had fallen yet, she felt as if she held a small red clay stove, radiating warmth from the inside out, melting a pool of frosty snow.

A doctor who had undergone rigorous clinical training would take off their white coat and stand on the podium with a calm and unhurried aura. They had become accustomed to restraining their emotions, which gave off a faint sense of detachment.

Sitting in the back row, Lu Yinxi propped up her head to watch Jian Qing on the stage, finding her increasingly pleasing to the eye.

However, there was just one thing she couldn’t quite understand – the lecture Jian Qing was giving.

The English class had all English textbooks and PowerPoint presentations, and the teacher conducted the class in English as well.

Lu Yinxi had decent listening, speaking, and comprehension skills in English, but she had lost quite a bit of her medical knowledge. While she recognized every word, she found it challenging to understand when they were combined into sentences.

She could only rely on admiring the beauty of the teacher on the stage to stay awake and overcome her drowsiness.

Many students in the back row shared the same thoughts as her. They were feeling tired and yawning, yet they had to prop up their heads to watch the teacher. Some even took out their phones to secretly take pictures.

After class, the students rushed up to surround Jian Qing, blinking their eyes, acting cute, and trying to get attention from her.

“Teacher, please draw us some key points.”

“Teacher, can you give us the scope of the main topic?”

It was already the end of the semester, and it was the last class of the semester. As usual, the students were pestering the teacher for the key points.

Jian Qing took a sip of warm water and replied calmly, “Can patients get sick according to key points?”

The students all called out in unison, “Teacher, teacher, teacher!”

Jian Qing: “I have emphasized the key points in class, and students who listen attentively should know.” After saying this, she ignored them and took her lecture notes, leaving the classroom.

Lu Yinxi stood at the doorway, staring blankly at the trees in the flower bed.

Jian Qing walked over and lightly tapped her on the head, saying, “Go back to the hospital.”

Why would she go back to the hospital? What’s the point of knocking her head?

Lu Yinxi rubbed her head and, with a good temper, didn’t curse anyone in her heart.

The hospital and the new campus of the school are just separated by a wall. After walking out of the teaching building, it only takes a few hundred meters and passing through a gate to reach the hospital.

Instead of taking her to the oncology department, Jian Qing took her to the electrocardiogram room, electroencephalogram room, and imaging department for some tests.

During off-duty hours, there weren’t many patients. Jian Qing made a phone call, and the test results quickly came out.

Everything was normal.

Lu Yinxi was a bit puzzled: “I haven’t been feeling unwell lately… It’s almost Chinese New Year. Are you arranging an annual physical examination for me?”

Is it the welfare benefits of the canary position?

Jian Qing rubbed her head, comforting her unease, then held her hand and took the staff elevator to the 16th floor of the internal medicine building.

There was no floor department sign in the staff elevator, and Lu Yinxi didn’t know which department was on the 16th floor. She became even more anxious, feeling like a monster being taken by an exorcist to a demon-sealing tower.

“Dr. Jian, where are you taking me?”

Jian Qing held her hand and calmly said, “To seek some advice.”

Lu Yinxi lowered her head and glanced at their intertwined fingers, feeling a subtle mix of emotions, but she didn’t ask further.

Their fingers intertwined, palms pressed together.

The unfamiliar sensation disrupted Lu Yinxi’s thoughts. She couldn’t help but recall the feeling of holding hands with family and friends in the past, comparing it to the current sensation, and sensing a subtle difference.

When holding hands with loved ones, she wouldn’t think too much. But when her fingers were intertwined with Jian Qing’s, her thoughts became like a tangled knot, twisting and turning, unable to be deciphered.

She took the opportunity to “eat some tofu” – secretly touching the back of Jian Qing’s hand.

Not as smooth as her own, there were a few small frozen cracks before, but now they were slightly better, although still a bit rough to the touch. Cool and chilly, it would definitely be comfortable to hold in the summer.

They walked out of the elevator, turned a few corners, and arrived at an office.

Jian Qing pulled Lu Yinxi inside and motioned for her to sit down.

“Director, as I mentioned on the phone, the acquaintances you referred to earlier have undergone some examinations, and everything appears normal. We can basically rule out any organic abnormalities.”

The director in front of them had a kind and gentle appearance. Lu Yinxi politely smiled and nodded, observing him for a few seconds, then her gaze shifted downward, noticing the words on his name tag. Her smile froze on her lips as she finally realized the problem.

She stood up, almost wanting to slam the table.

For heaven’s sake, this is the Psychiatry Department!

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