Turning around, Chen Ya reluctantly pushed her cart to go change a patient’s dressings.
She muttered under her breath, “When Doctor Shen is around, they’re all smiles and sweetness, always thinking of her, but behind her back they gossip about her nonstop.”
“They’re all great actors, putting on a show. They say one thing to your face and another behind your back. If they ever went into acting, they’d make a living at it.”
“Hey, let me ask you something—do you have a patient here named Yi Qingzhuo?”
Chen Ya was lost in thought when a man came strolling up from the opposite direction, looking around. Spotting her, he asked directly.
His tone was blatantly disrespectful.
Before Chen Ya could even raise her head at the sound of his voice, the man in front of her seemed already impatient. He kicked the cart with his foot.
The limited-edition sneakers collided with the metal frame of the cart, making a sharp, piercing thump, thump sound.
Chen Ya jolted, flustered, and looked up.
Only then did she get a clear view: a guy about 1.8 meters tall, with dyed yellow hair, a leather jacket, and jeans—the whole reckless, unruly look.
What really stood out, though, was his pockmarked, pitted face—ugly and menacing. One look and you knew he wasn’t someone to be trifled with.
He looked exactly like the thugs you’d see in movies.
Chen Ya shrank back, and almost subconsciously, she pointed toward the direction of Yi Qingzhuo’s ward. “Are you relatives here to visit the patient? What’s your relationship with her?”
The man glared at her impatiently, then followed her finger to look.
He turned back. “I’m her cousin. Heard she’s about to die, so I came to check it out.”
“Oh, it’s the first room on the left over there, Bed 7.” Chen Ya flinched again under his gaze.
What was with this guy? He looked like a demon straight out of a nightmare.
And the way he talked was so nasty.
Yi Qingzhuo’s reputation wasn’t great, sure, but at least she wasn’t as uncouth as this man.
Having gotten the answer he wanted, Yellow Hair pulled his foot back.
He waved at the woman behind him and said in a harsh tone, “Mom, let’s go. I want to see what that woman’s got. How dare she sue you and the others? She hasn’t been beaten enough, huh? I’ll show her a thing or two.”
When the man said that, Chen Ya finally noticed.
Behind Yellow Hair stood a short, chubby middle-aged woman, dressed in a trendy auntie style. She carried a crocodile bag, and her hair was dyed a deep red that was popular among middle-aged women.
Her face was a mass of flesh, and every time she looked at someone, she glared sideways, making people want to back off.
From his address, they must be mother and son.
With their hair colors and outfits, at first glance, they looked like something straight out of a cheap hair salon from the last century.
Chen Ya couldn’t help but wonder: did they just walk out of a retro barbershop?
Her mind wandering far away, Chen Ya watched helplessly as the mother and son entered Yi Qingzhuo’s ward. Only then did she snap back to reality.
Wait—what were they here for?
This looked like they were coming to settle a score with Yi Qingzhuo.
Something big was about to happen.
And Yi Qingzhuo was still badly injured—how could she possibly handle these two?
Realizing what she had just done and what was about to happen, Chen Ya’s crisis instinct kicked in. She scrambled over to the workstation.
Frantically, she dialed Security’s number and explained the situation in a few rushed sentences.
Then she sprinted toward Yi Qingzhuo’s ward. But before she even reached it, she saw the man shove the ward door open with brute force.
The door was just a wooden plank. He pushed it hard.
It slammed into the wall, then rebounded, nearly hitting the man in the face.
He dodged with a tilt of his head, his whole body radiating a don’t-mess-with-me aura.
“Yi Qingzhuo!” With a bellow full of menace, the ward door slammed shut again.
Chen Ya was so startled she nearly tripped over herself, frozen for two seconds.
She clutched her racing heart and took a couple of deep breaths.
Wasn’t it as clear as day they’d come to pick a fight?
At that moment, Chen Ya completely forgot what Wang Shiye had told her earlier.
She didn’t dare go into Yi Qingzhuo’s ward alone. After a quick mental reset, she was about to run to Shen Chaoyi’s office.
But then she realized she should find the highest authority in the Emergency Department first—Zhou Jinglong. He’d be the one to control the situation.
So Chen Ya, already sweating profusely, changed direction and ran off again.
She dashed all the way to Zhou Jinglong’s office door. Without even catching her breath, she knocked urgently.
“Come in…”
Before Zhou Jinglong could finish his word, Chen Ya pushed the door open.
“Dir… Director Zhou, something’s wrong…”
Zhou Jinglong frowned, looking at Chen Ya who was panting heavily. “Why are you in such a panic? What happened? What’s the big deal?”
Chen Ya looked up and noticed Shen Chaoyi was also there.
Shen Chaoyi was holding a medical record, staring in surprise at Chen Ya, whom she had parted ways with just ten minutes ago.
Back then, Chen Ya had time to gossip.
Now, only a moment later, she looked as if she were facing a major crisis.
“Chen Ya, don’t rush. Take your time.” Seeing that she could barely breathe, Shen Chaoyi spoke up.
Chen Ya braced her hands on her knees and blinked in distress. “It’s bad, Director Zhou, Doctor Shen. Just now two people came to the ER. They looked like they were not to be messed with.”
“They stormed in, looking for Yi Qingzhuo in Bed 7. They were furious, uncouth, and said they’d ‘show her a thing or two.’ And Yi Qingzhuo is all alone—she probably can’t handle them. I already called Security…”
Before she could finish, Chen Ya felt a flash of white streak past her, and a breeze lifted the stray hairs on her forehead.
Did… did someone just fly by?
She looked up again, and Shen Chaoyi had already left Zhou Jinglong’s office.
Shen Chaoyi reacted instantly. As soon as she understood, she dropped her medical record and ran straight for the ward.
Chen Ya blinked, unable to believe that was Shen Chaoyi.
Zhou Jinglong, without waiting for Chen Ya to finish, glanced at Shen Chaoyi’s anxious back as she hurried away.
He stood up. “Immediately contact Security Section. Isolate the area around that ward. Don’t let anyone record audio or video.”
“Director Zhou, I already contacted Security Section,” Chen Ya said.
She had already mentioned that.
In the Emergency Department, where emergencies could happen at any moment, the medical staff had developed a crisis mindset. The moment something goes wrong, the first call is to Security.
After all, medical disputes were rampant, and the hospital took the safety of its staff very seriously.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t have time to think. She didn’t dare waste a second. She ran straight toward Yi Qingzhuo’s ward.
It was just one floor, a distance of about two hundred meters.
But to Shen Chaoyi, it felt impossibly far. She wished she could teleport there.
Her heart was in her throat as she rushed forward.
Her neatly pinned-up long hair, loosened by her frantic movements, began to fall. But Shen Chaoyi didn’t slow down; the hem of her white coat fluttered behind her.
At that moment, she was only glad she had worn casual white sneakers today.
By the time she finally reached Yi Qingzhuo’s ward, Security had also arrived.
Maybe because the ward door was closed, there were no onlookers outside. Everything looked normal.
Shen Chaoyi didn’t pause to catch her breath. She pushed open the door directly.
The door wasn’t locked—the mother and son pair probably hadn’t expected anyone to interfere.
Despite being mentally prepared, the scene inside still shocked Shen Chaoyi.
The man and woman each held one of Yi Qingzhuo’s arms, pressing them down. In front of Yi Qingzhuo lay a sheet of A4 paper, its contents unclear, but they were forcing her to press her fingerprint on it.
Disheveled black hair covered Yi Qingzhuo’s expression as she bowed her head.
A pang of heartache made Shen Chaoyi forget to blink.
The elegant and graceful Yi Qingzhuo shouldn’t have been reduced to such a miserable state.
“Stop!” Shen Chaoyi shouted.
At that moment, Shen Chaoyi was completely unaware of how uncharacteristically agitated she looked.
Gone was her usual warmth and gentleness. Her eyes were cold as frost as she stared at the man and woman, full of vigilance.
She stepped aside to make room for the Security officers behind her. Instantly, a group of burly guards filed in, making the already cramped space feel even more suffocating.
“Who the hell are you? This is family business. Mind your own business!” Zhou You, held down by the guards, shouted at Shen Chaoyi when he saw the situation was turning against him.
Shen Chaoyi took two steps inside and finally saw clearly: on Yi Qingzhuo’s lowered cheek, half-hidden by her hair, there was a distinct red handprint.
The IV line that had been in her arm had been ripped out violently, hanging limply to one side, with tiny drops of liquid still falling.
And Yi Qingzhuo’s hands were clenched into fists, trembling slightly.
A streak of red was clearly visible on the back of her hand.
It was blood oozing from where the IV had been brutally pulled out.
Shen Chaoyi swept her gaze over Yi Qingzhuo briefly, then looked back at the restrained Zhou You, her voice icy. “Get away from her immediately! I am Yi Qingzhuo’s attending physician. She’s hospitalized under my care. Your actions are endangering her life—that is not my business, it is my responsibility.”
“I don’t care who her doctor is! This is family business. I’m warning you, stay out of it, or I’ll complain to your boss!” A shrill female voice cut in. Xu Jiangqin, on the other side, was being blocked by two guards at the window, unable to get close to Yi Qingzhuo. She issued a sharp warning.
Neither mother nor son had expected anyone to stand up for Yi Qingzhuo.
And it looked like the commotion was getting bigger.
Shen Chaoyi turned her head, her voice clear and cold. “Feel free. My name is Shen Chaoyi. Please do as you wish.”
She said they could go ahead and complain about her.
But she was going to protect Yi Qingzhuo.
For a moment, Xu Jiangqin was shocked by the look in Shen Chaoyi’s eyes.
Clearly she was a gentle person, but now, with her cold face, she was still frightening.
Hearing this, Yi Qingzhuo, who had been hanging her head, lifted her chin slightly.
Her hand, hanging by her side, moved a little. The cold aura around her kept people at bay.
Her cheek had gone numb, but Yi Qingzhuo seemed to no longer feel the pain.
In her eyes, reflected that white figure—delicate and beautiful, typically gentle and tender, now frowning with a biting, soul-chilling frost.
This was the first time Yi Qingzhuo had seen Shen Chaoyi unleash her full presence.
She stood by her bedside, burning with the heat of defending her.
Yi Qingzhuo lowered her eyelids and smiled.
Shen Chaoyi’s fearless demeanor made Xu Jiangqin realize she was a tough nut to crack. And Xu Jiangqin was the type who sizes people up and acts accordingly.
Seeing Shen Chaoyi unmoved, she redirected her target back to Yi Qingzhuo, who hadn’t spoken a word since Shen Chaoyi entered.
Her face twisted with malice, her expression hideous, her voice sharp to the point of piercing. “Yi Qingzhuo! How dare a cold-blooded scumbag like you live in this world? You killed your own father, and now you’re not satisfied—you want to sue your aunt and uncle? Do you even have a heart? Why don’t you just die already?”
“A thing like you—why weren’t you beaten to death? Heaven won’t allow it! And someone is still treating you? What a waste of resources!”
“Yi Qingzhuo, why weren’t you gang-raped by those thugs in prison and died of disease? Didn’t your mother tell you? That’s how you came into this world. It was because of you that your mother was forced into marriage! You never should have existed from the start! You’ve been nothing but a burden to everyone! A thorn in their side!”
“If it weren’t for you, your mother would have handed over that house long ago. We wouldn’t have to come here time and again, humiliating ourselves because of you! Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me?”
“You’ve never been part of our family! So why are you still holding on to that house?!”
Xu Jiangqin was throwing a full tantrum, rolling and howling.
Zhou You, too, was struggling to break free, his messy yellow hair dangling messily. He glared at Shen Chaoyi. “Shen Chaoyi, right? I’ll complain about you in a minute! Let me go! Or I’ll call the cops! I don’t believe it—in full view of everyone, we’re handling our own family affairs. Which hospital rule says we can’t?”
Shen Chaoyi’s serene brows furrowed at the noise, especially Xu Jiangqin’s words, which turned her stomach.
How could another woman use such language?
And that person was her own niece.
Shen Chaoyi’s eyes flickered with deep displeasure. She stepped forward, placing herself between Yi Qingzhuo and Xu Jiangqin, blocking the latter’s line of sight, though she couldn’t block the harpy’s voice.
“You! Yi Qingzhuo, sign the papers right now, or I’ll make sure you end up back in…”
“Madam, watch your language!” Shen Chaoyi’s expression sharply changed as she cut off Xu Jiangqin.
Yi Qingzhuo lifted her eyes, seeing only Shen Chaoyi’s tall, slender back.
All she could see was that fragile figure standing in front of her, giving her a sliver of safety.
Her eyes, which had been still and lifeless for so long, flickered.
The darkness in them seemed to brighten a little.
Yi Qingzhuo parted her dry, cracked lips, as if wanting to say something.
But Zhou You’s two slaps had been brutal. They had left her ears ringing for several minutes before she could hear the outside world again.
At the slightest movement, pain shot through her.
