It was Wednesday. After lunch, Yan Feifan returned to the Trauma Surgery department.
As he walked in, he found that Chen Yu wasn’t doing yoga. Instead, she was busy at her desk.
Yan Feifan waited quietly for a few minutes. Just as Chen Yu finished her work and he was about to speak, she held up a hand and beat him to it. "You don’t have to say anything. I know. You have a very important surgery tonight."
"I’ll adjust your schedule for this afternoon."
Chen Yu quickly tidied up the documents on her desk before looking up at Yan Feifan.
"You’re really something else, kid. Just like that, you’ve jumped into the most difficult specialty of them all—neurosurgery."
Yan Feifan explained, "Chief, it’s just an expanded application of the Puncture Injection Skill. I’m only assisting Dr. Qiu."
"My role in the brain surgery is quite small."
Chen Yu chuckled. "You’re really getting a lot of mileage out of that one trick."
After a pause, she changed the subject. "Feifan, I heard Mr. Wang took on another resident?"
Yan Feifan hummed in agreement and elaborated, "It’s mainly for the collaborative research project with Mr. Lo. They didn’t have anyone to oversee it, so Mr. Wang just went ahead and hired someone."
Chen Yu sighed softly. "In all these years, that guy has only ever taken on two students: Tang Zheng and you."
"And we all know why he took you two on."
"But now, he’s gone and hired an ordinary resident, which is completely out of character for him. It’s suddenly giving a lot of people ideas."
Chen Yu rubbed her face, her voice tinged with frustration. "I’ve already had people approach me, asking me to put in a good word so Wang Chuan will take their kid on."
"Feifan, could you do me a favor and sound him out in the next day or two? Find out if he actually plans on taking more people."
Yan Feifan let out an "Oh," then asked curiously, "Chief, you and Mr. Wang know each other pretty well, right? Couldn’t you just give him a call and ask?"
"Why do I have to be the go-between?"
Chen Yu shot him a look. "Our relationship isn’t as close as you think."
"If I ask him directly and he flat-out refuses, it’ll be awkward to bring it up again. You sound him out first so I know how to handle it."
Yan Feifan nodded, not quite grasping the subtlety. "Okay, I’ll do my best to gauge Mr. Wang’s attitude on the matter."
Chen Yu couldn’t help but smile. "High pay, easy work... Plastic Surgery is the top choice for a specialty in many people’s eyes."
"And Wang Chuan himself is a nationally renowned plastic surgeon. I bet there’ll be no shortage of people trying to get in his good graces this time."
"Now we’ll just have to see if he rejects all of them or takes them all on."
Chen Yu smirked, clearly enjoying the thought of his dilemma, before changing the subject. "That patient who had the full hand-bone replacement surgery... so far, there have been no severe signs of rejection, no allergic reactions, and no neuropathic pain."
"It’s safe to say the surgery was a success."
"Feifan, are you interested in writing a paper on this surgery?"
Yan Feifan understood what she was offering. He shook his head and said, "Thank you, Chief, but I only played a supporting role in the surgery. I haven’t been involved in the post-op follow-up or recovery therapy either."
"I don’t feel right taking the credit."
Chen Yu stood up from her chair and moved to an open area in the office. She started to stretch, twisting at the waist, kicking her legs, and swinging her arms.
"In that case, I’ll let someone else write the paper. With your talent, you won’t be short on opportunities to publish in the future."
Yan Feifan gave a modest smile.
Then, another thought occurred to him. "Chief, right now, Yu Suye is only handling muscle trauma cases and some minor procedures in the ER."
"Um... you know what she’s capable of, Chief."
"Is there any way you could get her more surgical experience?"
Chen Yu gave Yan Feifan a sidelong glance and reminded him, "Yu Suye is just training here. Eventually, she has to go back to Baining Hospital."
"Tell me something, kid... have you thought about your future with her?"
"Is she going to stay here?"
"Are you going to go with her?
"Or are you going to have a long-distance relationship?"
Well...
Yan Feifan hesitated for a moment before saying, "Chief, I honestly haven’t given it any serious thought."
"Our relationship... it was..."
Yan Feifan had wanted to say they were pushed into it, but that sounded a bit crude, so he changed his wording.
"...somewhat sudden. Unexpected, even."
Then he declared, "In any case, Chief, I’m not leaving Affiliated Hospital. This place is my home."
Chen Yu didn’t seem to pay much mind to his declaration.
She said slowly, "For now, Affiliated Hospital is the best place for you. It offers countless opportunities to learn and practice."
"But one day, if you feel this place is holding you back and hindering your growth, then even if it’s your home, you’ll have to leave it."
Chen Yu looked at Yan Feifan and continued, "Yu Suye is a promising talent, too. She’s worth nurturing."