Chapter 1

On the last day of July, at the break of dawn, the horizon was tinged with faint orange. Gentle light surged into the clouds like a tide, waking all things in turn.

In Nanping International Community, Shatan District, Shujiang City, on the eighth floor of an ordinary residential building, the third room from the left lit up first, just as usual. Tang Anhua, who had just finished his tasks, pushed open the kitchen door, wiped his hands on his apron, and walked toward the bedroom. He met Jiang Junli, already washed and dressed, and gestured toward the inner room. “Not up yet?”

“Just heard some stirring,” Jiang Junli said with a smile.

Tang Anhua frowned almost imperceptibly. “First day of work and you want to be late?”

“Has she ever made us worry about her studies or work?” Jiang Junli said.

“That’s because you don’t worry. I worry plenty.” Tang Anhua’s tall, thin figure moved forward, adding, “No, I have to go hurry her along.” He walked to the bedroom door and raised his hand to knock when it opened from inside.

“Dad?” The speaker, Tang Feiwan, was already fully dressed: white cigarette pants and a light blue short-sleeved shirt. At 168 cm, her hair tied mid-length past her shoulders, high brow bones, deep eye sockets, a pair of half-rim glasses on her straight nose. When silent, she often gave off an air of keeping people at arm’s length.

Tang Anhua froze for two seconds, then caught himself. “Breakfast is ready.”

“Oh, okay.” Tang Feiwan, still a bit dazed from sleep, moved to the dining area, greeted Jiang Junli, sat down in the chair opposite her, and began to eat unhurriedly.

“I’ll drop your mom off first, then you.” Tang Anhua was a middle school geography teacher at Shatan No. 1 Middle School. Compared to Jiang Junli, who worked in the thoracic surgery department at the First Affiliated Hospital of Shujiang University Medical School, he naturally had a lot more free time. During holidays, he had developed the unshakeable habit of driving his family to work every day.

“No need, Dad.” Tang Feiwan swallowed half a steamed roll. “I’ll ride to the hospital.”

“The motorcycle you bought last week?”

Tang Feiwan nodded.

Tang Anhua knew her temperament. Once she decided something, she wouldn’t easily change it. Still, he couldn’t help advising, “Riding a motorcycle is dangerous. Flesh wrapped around iron. You’re a doctor; how can you not understand?”

“Danger depends on the rider. Teacher Tang, I’ll drive safely.”

Jiang Junli set down her chopsticks and chimed in, “Old Zhao from respiratory medicine has ridden for 23 years with zero accidents. Little Li from radiology for 11 years, zero accidents, and…”

“Enough. You’re playing good cop again, spoiling her.” Tang Anhua bit into his bun and stopped arguing.

“Thanks, Mom.” Tang Feiwan’s brow relaxed, and she placed a just-shelled boiled egg into her mother’s bowl.

Tang Anhua pretended to be jealous. “No playing favorites.”

“I have one for you too.” As soon as Tang Feiwan finished, her father continued nagging, “Lili, why does our daughter, who majored in cardiac medicine abroad, come back and run to the emergency department with the dirtiest and most exhausting work?”

“Emergency and cardiac surgery doctors both need courage and meticulousness. She can gain experience in emergency first, and Director Fang from the cardiac and vascular surgery department at the Second Hospital is also watching.” The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shujiang University Medical School and the First Affiliated Hospital where Jiang Junli worked were both affiliated with Shujiang University Medical School. Among them, the Second Hospital’s emergency medicine and cardiac and vascular surgery departments were flagship departments, so when Tang Feiwan was assigned to the Second Hospital, Tang Anhua had no objections. In fact, he fully supported it.

“Oh, so you two had already discussed this. I was worried she couldn’t handle the emergency department.”

Tang Feiwan handed him another shelled egg and added, “I spent over half a year in the emergency center, so I’m used to the pace.”

“Can it be the same? What’s the daily emergency volume at a foreign hospital? What about at a domestic hospital?” He realized he was being too long-winded and quickly found an out. “But it’s good for young people to suffer a bit. Consider it tempering your spirit.”

Jiang Junli watched the father-daughter interaction, the smile lines at her eyes deepening, and teased, “You’ve said it all yourself.”

Across from the two, Tang Feiwan, whose ears had been stuffed full since early morning, stood up, ready to escape. “Dad, remember to take Tomato out for a walk. I’m heading off.” Last March, Tang Feiwan had adopted a Shiba Inu in Germany and named him Tomato. Two weeks ago, he had traveled across the ocean back to Shujiang with her.

Tang Anhua started to say something, wanting to add more advice, but the figure at the entrance had already disappeared with a helmet in hand, leaving only the sound of the elevator doors opening.

In the second of the dog days, even early morning offered no coolness. Tang Feiwan steered her motorcycle out of the outdoor parking lot onto the asphalt road. Helmet on, she was gradually wrapped in heat. But she liked this state, unobstructed, unrestrained, every pore breathing freely. As a doctor, especially a surgeon, she had to spend years in a cramped confined space, the lab or the operating room. Only during the few dozen minutes commuting to and from work could she embrace the wind from all directions.

The ride took 28 minutes. At 7:35 a.m., just 50 meters from the parking lot behind the Second Affiliated Hospital’s emergency building, the foot traffic grew heavier, and Tang Feiwan slowed down. Suddenly, five meters away, a middle-aged man carrying a plastic bag stumbled violently, then collapsed straight to the ground.

People nearby immediately shouted. Tang Feiwan squeezed the handbrake, pulled the foot brake, took off her helmet, and dismounted deftly. She ran over, bent down, and crouched beside the man, patting his shoulder. “Hey, wake up, wake up! Can you hear me?” No response.

Realizing the emergency and racing against time, Tang Feiwan pressed her left index and middle fingers to the man’s carotid artery, observed the rise and fall of his chest out of the corner of her eye, determined there was no heartbeat or breathing, and immediately shifted position, kneeling beside him to begin chest compressions. At the same time, she turned to a long-haired girl on her right who wanted to help. “Cardiac arrest. Get a gurney.”

“What?”

“Aren’t you an intern?” Tang Feiwan was good at picking up details and had spotted the medical review materials in the girl’s arms.

“R-resident… residency training.” The girl didn’t dare delay and turned to run toward the emergency building.

A few minutes later, emergency personnel loaded the patient, who had regained spontaneous breathing, onto a transport gurney. Tang Feiwan, not bothering to wipe the sweat from her forehead, stepped forward to follow. “Suspected myocardial infarction. He could develop ventricular fibrillation at any moment. Get an ECG first.”

“Oh, okay.” The male doctor casually asked, “Which department are you from?”

Tang Feiwan didn’t answer. The male doctor, busy checking the patient’s condition, didn’t mind. By the time he thought to thank her, no one was behind him.

A nurse suddenly warned, “Doctor Liu, the patient’s breathing and heartbeat have stopped again.”

“Quick! Hurry! Push him to Bed 3 in the resuscitation room.” With that, he jumped onto the gurney, knelt in front of the patient, and began CPR.

At 7:53 a.m., Tang Feiwan knocked on the director’s office door.

“Come in.”

“Director Gao.” The first time Tang Feiwan met Gao Zongxiang was ten days ago, when she was brought to this office after signing her contract. Director Gao knew her abilities well and let her choose any group. He recommended Group 1 of emergency surgery, where she could learn from the old chief of general surgery and even take on some simple emergency surgeries as the primary surgeon. Who would have thought she ultimately chose Lin Ye’s Group 2 for critical care and severe trauma, a team that had been formed less than three months and whose members still needed to gel.

Director Gao praised her good judgment, saying she had picked a rising star of their emergency department. “Our Director Lin went to the University of California at age 30 to visit the critical care and emergency departments, went to aid Xinjiang at 32, passed the associate senior rank exam last year, and was formally appointed deputy director this May. Her future is limitless.”

“I’ve long heard of Director Lin’s reputation.” At that time, Tang Feiwan appeared calm on the surface but was already churning inside. She and Lin Ye had been broken up for five years, and hadn’t seen each other in eight.

Her thoughts pulled back as Director Gao’s gaze landed lightly on her. “Ah! It’s Xiao Tang. Long story short, I’ll have someone take you to change clothes first, then call Director Lin over so you can get acquainted.”

“Thank you, Director Gao.” Tang Feiwan followed a resident doctor to the changing rooms. At the end of the corridor were two changing rooms; theirs was on the right.

The resident went in, swiped her card, and handed Tang Feiwan the scrubs she retrieved. “Doctor Tang, this is a smart uniform cabinet. We swipe our cards to get scrubs. Medium size. Should fit you.”

“Thanks.” Tang Feiwan took the scrubs, which were the same color as her shirt.

“I’m Wang Can, a resident in Group 2 for critical care and severe trauma. Our group’s lockers are in the second row. Yours is 204; your white coat is in the locker too.” Wang Can wasn’t naturally outgoing, and it took some effort to get out a full sentence.

Tang Feiwan nodded with a warm smile. “Tang Feiwan.”

Seeing her slightly curved lips, Wang Can relaxed. “Doctor Tang, our group originally had four men and three women. With you, it’s balanced.”

“I’ve done some research. Two attending physicians, four resident doctors.”

Wang Can cut in, “Right, and our Director Lin.” Realizing she shouldn’t hold others up during work hours, she pressed her lips together and apologized. “I just finished my shift and find you easy to talk to, so I’ve been chatty.”

Tang Feiwan’s smile deepened. “It’s fine.”

“Doctor Tang, go ahead and change. I’ll be outside. Call me if you need anything.”

“Okay.”

Three minutes later, Tang Feiwan had changed and clipped on her badge.

Emergency Medicine, Attending Physician, Tang Feiwan.

She returned to the director’s office with Wang Can. Director Gao had just hung up the phone, and the two chatted briefly.

“Director Lin just took on an acute myocardial infarction patient with frequent ventricular fibrillation. The patient only stabilized five minutes ago. Now she’s notifying cardiology to prepare for emergency PCI.” Just as Director Gao finished, the door was knocked on again.

“Is that Xiao Lin? Come in, come in.” Director Gao stood up with a smile.

Lin Ye greeted Director Gao, seemingly not noticing Tang Feiwan. She turned to close the door. When Tang Feiwan saw her back, her heart skipped a beat. Though her expression remained calm, her gaze was already glued to the woman.

Long time no see, she thought.