However, when Li Tingxuan mentioned that his comrade was in a faraway place, Gu Jianing could only express her helplessness.
If it were in Beijing, she could still treat him, but for someone in a distant location, there really was no way—especially since she was heavily pregnant.
“How about this: I’m currently writing a lesson plan on how to treat PTSD. Once I finish it, I’ll make a copy for you. You can give it to the doctor treating your comrade and have them follow the plan. Even if it doesn’t lead to a full recovery, it should still help by 60 or 70 percent.” Since it was a comrade, that meant they were a soldier.
Those who defend the country deserve proper treatment.
Even though Gu Jianing was now far away in Beijing and couldn’t personally attend to them, there were still ways to help.
It just wouldn’t be the same as her direct treatment, and there would be no spiritual spring water.
Achieving a 100% rapid recovery like Hua Zhenrong’s might not be possible.
Li Tingxuan hadn’t expected that a fabricated “comrade” of his would garner such concern from Gu Jianing. She was even willing to share her techniques openly, without holding anything back.
After a brief moment of surprise, Li Tingxuan came to terms with it.
Of course—this was exactly the kind of beautiful and kind-hearted girl she was.
Despite her advanced pregnancy and her ongoing treatment of Hua Zhenrong, she was still thinking of writing a lesson plan to share this knowledge widely.
Li Tingxuan understood her intentions: she wanted more people like Hua Zhenrong to benefit.
She was just that kind and wonderful—no wonder he had fallen for her.
It was just… too late now.
Still, Li Tingxuan’s mind was a mess, and for the moment, he didn’t know what to do next.
What he desperately wanted to know was: Who had she married? Was it out of genuine affection? Did she love that man deeply?
But these were questions he couldn’t ask Gu Jianing directly. He’d have to investigate later.
Li Tingxuan didn’t linger any longer and reluctantly left.
He tried his best to suppress his emotions, so neither Madam Hua nor Gu Jianing noticed anything amiss.
However, Hua Zhenrong, a former scout, had keenly sensed something.
That Li Tingxuan—did he think he was dead?
The way his eyes were practically glued to his sister-in-law…
That was Zexi’s wife—the woman he had spent over twenty years searching for!
Though Gu Jianing had stayed behind to treat him, Sheng Zexi had entrusted her to his care before leaving. He had repeatedly emphasized that he wanted her to be safe and well while she stayed at the Hua residence for his treatment.
She was the woman Sheng Zexi cherished above all else.
And now…
Li Tingxuan, that brat, actually dared to covet her.
Though Li Tingxuan thought he had concealed it well, Hua Zhenrong saw right through him.
Fortunately, his sister-in-law didn’t seem to have noticed anything.
Hua Zhenrong pondered whether he should tell Sheng Ze Xi about this.
But after some thought, he decided to hold off for now.
He’d wait and see.
Li Tingxuan was, after all, a gentleman. No matter how much he liked his sister-in-law, seeing her heavily pregnant and knowing she was married, he probably wouldn’t dare to cross any lines.
Perhaps after this meeting, they’d have no further contact.
In that case, there was no need to mention it to Zexi and risk affecting the couple’s relationship.
…
Li Tingxuan returned home in a daze.
In the living room, Grandpa Li, who was reading the newspaper, already knew that his eldest grandson had gone to the Hua family in the same compound.
But…
Why did he leave looking so excited and eager, only to come back looking utterly dejected?
“Tingxuan, what’s wrong? Did you just go to the Hua residence?” Unable to hold back, Grandpa Li expressed his concern for his grandson.
Li Tingxuan snapped out of his thoughts, quickly composed himself, and briefly explained the situation to his grandfather.
“Grandpa, I’m going to my room first.”
Li Tingxuan urgently needed to be alone. After speaking to his grandfather, he immediately retreated to his room.
As soon as he entered and closed the door, his hand instinctively clutched his chest. A dull, suffocating pain surged through him, and a metallic, coppery taste filled his throat.
The next second, he spat out a mouthful of blood.
Then, as if all strength had left his body, he slumped weakly to the floor.
That afternoon, Li Tingxuan developed a high fever, throwing the entire Li household into chaos…
…
Gu Jianing knew nothing about Li Tingxuan’s condition.
After returning home that day, she continued working on her lesson plan.
Since she had a lecture scheduled for the next day, she didn’t stay up late and went to bed early.
Meanwhile, over at the Sheng residence…
Sheng Xinhào received a call from an old friend in the northwest.
The friend mentioned that the doctor named Gu Jianing happened to be in Beijing at the moment and was even planning to give a lecture the next day at Beijing Middle School on how to treat tuberculosis.
“Old Sheng, your luck is truly remarkable! The moment you wanted to find this doctor, she just happens to be in Beijing. Perfect timing—once her lecture is over, you can invite her to examine you.”
“Haha, my luck really is something.” Sheng Xinhào felt that the name “Gu Jianing” sounded somewhat familiar, but he didn’t pay it much mind.
In this day and age, not only were similar names common, but identical names were nothing unusual.
For example, in any given school, you’d find countless students named Jianguo, Jianjun, Hongxing, or Long.
“Old Sheng, I heard that because this Dr. Gu developed the tuberculosis treatment, she’s caught the attention of higher-ups. Rumor has it they’re planning to award her a professorship and even give her some kind of commendation.”
“Is that so? Then her medical skills must really be impressive.” The more skilled the doctor, the happier Sheng Xinhào was—it meant she was more likely to cure his arm.
After chatting for a while, Sheng Xinhào finally hung up.
Just then, Fang Wanrong walked over, and Sheng Xinhào told her the news.
Fang Wanrong was delighted. “That’s wonderful! In that case, I’ll go to Beijing Middle School tomorrow and invite this Dr. Gu over.”
Fang Wanrong and her children—a family of three—relied entirely on Sheng Xinhào.
Naturally, she wanted him to stay in good health.
So, she would personally go and invite this Dr. Gu.
If she succeeded in bringing her over and Sheng Xinhào recovered, he certainly wouldn’t treat her poorly in return.
Sheng Xinhào: “Alright, I’ll leave this matter to you, Wanrong. I trust you’ll handle it well.”
Sheng Xinhào would never personally go to invite Dr. Gu. Though the doctor was highly skilled and held a respectable position, Sheng Xinhào believed his own status was far superior—he couldn’t possibly go in person.
Fang Wanrong going was much more appropriate.
At that moment, Sheng Xinhào suddenly remembered why the name “Gu Jianing” sounded so familiar.
It seemed to be the same name as that country bumpkin his eldest son, that unruly brat, had married.
But Sheng Xinhào refused to believe they could be the same person.
A rural peasant girl probably couldn’t even read much—how could she possibly be such a highly skilled doctor?
Ah, if only the woman who could cure tuberculosis and was the sole disciple of Elder Chen had been the one his eldest son married—then he wouldn’t have objected.
With that kind of status, she wouldn’t be any worse than the Li family’s Li Shuyao.
Leave a Reply