341: Jin! Surname Jin!
Su Chuanjuan served herself some rice, carrying her bowl out, and happened to overhear the conversation between the mother and son.
When he mentioned this, Su Chuanjuan remembered that her younger sister's boyfriend, Jin Chen, had come today. Jin Chen also had the surname Jin, and he said his family was also involved in business. Could it be related to the "Mr. Jin" that Li Baojun mentioned?
"Does the Mr. Jin you're talking about have anyone in his family who's a doctor?" Su Chuanjuan asked.
"Why are you interrupting us?" Li Baojun snapped at her. "You women, you don't understand anything, why ask nonsense?"
"Oh, so I'm a woman! Isn't your mom a woman too?" Su Chuanjuan retorted.
"See that? Look at how your wife talks! Day in and day out, not a single pleasant word! I've been supporting her, taking care of her clothes and food all these years, and not even a child left. Even a hen can lay an egg, what can she do?" Li Baojun's mother was angry, her words sharp and cutting.
"Mom, please don't be angry. Go rest, I'll handle her."
After seeing his mother off, Li Baojun stood with hands on hips and spat on the ground, "Got an itch under your skin, huh? Not satisfied yet? Or should we continue?"
"Continue? Who's afraid of who?" Su Chuanjuan crossed her arms, her eyes rolling skyward. "Let me tell you, Li Baojun, if you lay a finger on me today, I guarantee you'll regret it!"
Seeing her behavior so unusual today, completely different from before, Li Baojun scratched his head, puzzled. "What do you mean by that? Are you asking your third brother to hit me? Or your parents to scold me?"
"That's all your brain can come up with." Su Chuanjuan snorted.
"Are you implying something else?"
"Today, Yan Yan's boyfriend went to my mom's place. Guess what her boyfriend's surname is?"
"What surname? How would I know? What nonsense are you talking about?" Li Baojun thought she was going to say something, but she brought up Su Hanyan's boyfriend. He wasn't interested in this matter.
"You blockhead!" Su Chuanjuan poked his forehead hard. "Use your brain and think properly."
"Don't tease me here, just say it already!" He was getting impatient.
"Jin! His surname is Jin!"
Li Baojun was suddenly stunned. "You said his surname is Jin? Could it be that the Jin you just mentioned is the same Jin?"
"So I'm asking you, does the Mr. Jin have anyone in his family working in a hospital?"
"They do, they do." Li Baojun rubbed his chin, pondering. "Seems like they have quite a few doctors in their family, and some hold positions in the education bureau... quite influential."
"That's it!" Su Chuanjuan slapped her thigh. "It matches! Su Hanyan's boyfriend should be related to the Mr. Jin you mentioned!"
"Really?" Li Baojun seemed to see hope again. "Wife, this is great! God has paved the way for me! This is going to make me prosperous!"
"Hmph! Weren't you going to hit me just now? Come on, hit me! Vent your anger for your mom! Come on!" Su Chuanjuan had been holding in her anger all day, and now it was finally coming out.
"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare." Li Baojun quickly changed his tune, hurriedly pulling Su Chuanjuan into a hug. "Come on, sit down, let's talk properly."
"That's more like it." Su Chuanjuan sat cross-legged on the sofa, looking down at him with a superior attitude. "First, tell me where you went last night?"
"Oh my god, where could I have gone? I went to see Jiang Lei. Isn't it to bring real money home for you!"
"That's more like it." Su Chuanjuan was satisfied, pointing at the bowl of rice. "Finish that, then we can discuss things further."
[lmao jin chen would never give u a single penny just bc of jiang lei. he's a man more petty than hanyan]
342: Serving as the Master
"Alright, alright, alright." Li Baojun picked up his meal with enthusiasm, scooped up a mouthful of noodles, and almost choked on their salty and spicy flavor. "Is this thing meant for humans to eat?"
He spat it out and rushed to the kitchen to pour himself a half-pitcher of cold water.
When he returned, his lips were still burning. "Are you trying to murder your husband?"
"How could I dare?" Su Chuanjuan turned away, deliberately speaking louder for the old lady to hear, "I'm just a useless hen that doesn't lay eggs! Can't even cook a proper meal. Your mother is useful, let her take care of you for a lifetime!"
"No, no, no. You're always the best!" Li Baojun turned her around, hugged her by the neck, and kissed her twice. "Once I earn money, I'll buy you whatever you want, as long as you help me make this connection, I'll serve you as the master!"
"I want a Rolex watch," she said.
"No problem! As long as you make the connection for me."
Su Chuanjuan took a deep breath and thought for a moment. "Alright, I'll make the connection for you. But you have to let me think about how to do it properly."
"Okay, wife, take your time to think about it," Li Baojun lowered his tone. "As long as you figure it out, I'll take good care of you every day!"
"That's more like it."
...
Jin Chen woke up.
The sun was high in the sky, and sunlight filtered through the poplar leaves outside his window, casting light on his bedside. It had been a long time since he slept so soundly, and waking up refreshed felt invigorating.
He got up, stretched with a big yawn, and went downstairs after getting dressed and washed up.
"Chen Chen, come and have breakfast." Jin Yan brought over some clear porridge and pickled vegetables, her face full of maternal love. "Eat more of Grandma's cooking while you can. Once you get married in the future, you won't taste Grandma's cooking anymore."
Jin Chen's lips curled up. "Maybe."
He thought of Su Hanyan's clumsy cooking and felt that he might spend more days eating here in the future.
"Good, you look energetic." Jin Shujing had been worried that he might feel unwell in the morning after drinking too much the day before.
After all, Jin Chen's constitution was somewhat different from others', and his recurring illness had no clear cause. It always seemed to flare up with excessive fatigue or poor rest.
"I slept really well yesterday," Jin Chen calculated for himself. "I think I slept intermittently for about eighteen or nineteen hours! It's a miracle!"
"Good, good. You usually work too hard!" Jin Yan handed a piece of steamed bun to Jin Chen. "Rest well at home today. I'll go to the market and buy two fish. We'll have fish stew for lunch today."
"I don't need him to keep me company," Jin Shujing said, "I have to sit at the Chinese Medicine Hospital for half a morning. I'll have lunch with my old friend. You two can eat by yourselves."
"That works out perfectly, as I was planning to go out for a while."
After breakfast, Jin Chen changed into sportswear and went to the medical university's playground for a few laps, playing basketball with some students for a while. After sweating profusely from the intense exercise, he felt his muscles and bones relax.
By noon, Jin Chen walked home with his jacket slung over his shoulder, covered in sweat.
As soon as he entered, he heard voices coming from the kitchen. Curious, he approached and saw Yan Yi there, wearing an apron around her waist, chopping vegetables and cooking. His grandmother sat beside her, chatting about daily life.
Jin Chen didn't say anything, turning to head upstairs.
"Jin Chen." A soft voice came from behind him. "You're back!"
He stopped and turned around. "Yeah. Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at work?"
"I don't have classes today." Yan Yi's eyes were filled with a smile. "Since returning to China, I come to visit Grandma Jin every now and then. But I've never run into you before."
"Work keeps me busy." He replied.
"That's true." Since returning to China, this was the first time Yan Yi had seen Jin Chen. His face was exactly as she remembered, but with an added sense of maturity.
343: Unable to Restrain
WARNING:
At this moment, she was wearing only a short-sleeved white shirt, soaked with sweat and clinging tightly to his body, outlining the contours of his muscles. It looked both masculine and incredibly charming.
Yan Yi's breath hitched, wanting to sneak a few more glances but feeling embarrassed to do so.
She looked away, gazing at Jin Chen's face. "You've sweated a lot. It's easy to get dehydrated in summer. Why don't you go drink some water and rest for a while? I bought some beef. I'll stew it for you at noon."
Jin Chen casually wiped off some sweat from his hair, the faint expression between his eyebrows becoming clearer. He pursed his lips. "No need, I won't be home for lunch. You two can eat together."
"Not home?" Jin Yan asked, "Where are you going to eat if not at home?"
"I'm going out. I'll have lunch with Yan Yan." With that, he left the kitchen without looking back at Yan Yi.
A hint of hurt flashed in Yan Yi's eyes. Jin Chen had always been indifferent to her, as she remembered.
Now that he had a girlfriend, he avoided her even more.
"Look, having a girlfriend changes people. They're all for her in their eyes and hearts. He's truly fallen for her. I've never seen him so attentive to any other girl!" Jin Yan chuckled.
Yan Yi's complexion grew even worse at her words.
One's feelings for another couldn't be hidden. Even if she tried to restrain herself, it would still show. Besides, Yan Yi didn't intend to hide her feelings deliberately.
Jin Yan noticed Yan Yi's change in expression and understood what was going on.
"Yan Yan, are you upset?" she asked.
Yan Yi forced a smile. "No, Grandma Jin, I'm fine."
"Really?"
"Really."
"I don't think so." Jin Yan stood up and came over, lightly patting Yan Yi's shoulder. "Yan Yan, before you went abroad, everyone thought you and Jin Chen would become a couple. But now that you're back and he has a girlfriend, it must be hard on you, right?"
Yan Yi wanted to nod, but she held back, denying, "No. Grandma, I admit I like him. But there are different kinds of liking in this world. It doesn't have to be romantic love! He has a girlfriend now, but I can still be his friend, right? Even if I can't be friends with him, I still have my relationship with you! How could I forget you? I'm just afraid that once Jin Chen has a wife, you won't want me around anymore!"
"That won't happen." Jin Yan laughed heartily. "Oh, you're such a dear! Don't worry, Yan Yan, if Yan Yan becomes his wife, I'll treat you like my granddaughter!"
"That's good, thank you, Grandma Jin!" Yan Yi hugged Jin Yan affectionately. "You should take a rest outside. I'll start stewing the meat now! Later, I'll prepare the fish, and we can have dinner together."
"Alright!"
Jin Yan left the kitchen. Yan Yi's heart ached, and her eyes stung with tears.
Yesterday, she heard that Jin Chen had visited Su Hanyan's parents. Apparently, they were already at the stage of discussing marriage, and she...
Tears streamed down her face. Yan Yi wiped them away absentmindedly.
Leaning on the kitchen counter, she recalled the past. The best time was when she was sick, and Jin Chen took care of her for a while. That period of time remained unforgettable to her.
Footsteps echoed from the stairs, and Jin Chen came down from upstairs.
He showered, changed into clean clothes, and was about to leave. "Grandma, I'm going out! I'm not sure when I'll be back tonight, so don't wait for me for dinner."
Upon hearing this, Yan Yi tightened her grip on the kitchen knife and closed her eyes, fiercely slashing it down towards her thigh.
344: Avoiding Suspicion
"Ahh—" a cry of pain came from the kitchen, followed by a clatter of metal hitting the floor.
Jin Yan was startled and urged Jin Chen anxiously, "Quick, go see what happened in the kitchen!"
"Alright!" Jin Chen hurried into the kitchen and saw Yan Yi standing in front of the cutting board, clutching her thigh. Fresh blood was oozing through her fingers, staining the floor, while the knife lay fallen nearby, its white blade now tainted with a vivid color.
"Are you hurt?" He frowned.
Yan Yi raised her head, sweat beads rolling down her forehead, tears pooling in her eyes. "Yes. When I was scaling the fish just now, I exerted too much force, and the knife flew out accidentally... it hurts, really hurts..."
"Let me see, move your hand away," Jin Chen said.
Yan Yi bit her lower lip and slowly released her grip.
Jin Chen saw that her skirt was torn, revealing a deep wound on her thigh. Fresh red flesh was exposed, and blood continued to trickle down, winding its way down her leg.
"Oh my, how did it get so serious!" Jin Yan came in and happened to see the wound. "Chen Chen, quickly take her to the hospital!"
"Forget it, let's handle it at home." Yan Yi said, "There's no need to go to the hospital. Jin Chen has a date to attend to, let's not delay him."
"This wound can't be handled at home," Jin Chen pursed his lips and stood up. "Wait here, I'll give you first aid and then take you to the hospital."
"Thank you for this trouble," Yan Yi said painfully.
Jin Chen went upstairs to get the medicine box. As a doctor, he kept these things at home for emergencies.
Soon, he brought alcohol and gauze. Jin Yan had already helped Yan Yi sit on the sofa. Her face was tense; obviously, the pain made her entire body tense.
Jin Chen directly removed the rubber stopper from the alcohol bottle and said to her, "I'm going to rinse the wound. It might hurt a bit, bear with me."
Before his words had fallen, he poured the alcohol directly onto the open wound.
"Ah—" Yan Yi cried out in pain, tears instantly streaming down her face. She raised her hand and tightly gripped Jin Chen's arm, her grip so strong that her fingernails almost dug into his flesh. "It hurts, Jin Chen, go slow... I can't bear it..."
How could delicate flesh withstand the sting of alcohol? Yan Yi was in so much pain that sweat covered her body. She regretted being too forceful just now, but if she hadn't been forceful, how could she have kept Jin Chen?
Jin Chen was pinched painfully, his eyebrows furrowed. "Let go of me. Now I'm taking you to the hospital!"
"Alright." Yan Yi released him and collapsed on the sofa.
Jin Chen briefly stopped the bleeding and covered the wound with gauze. Then he stood up and said, "Let's go, come with me to the hospital."
"I... am in pain." Yan Yi looked at him with difficulty. "Can you... carry me?"
"No," Jin Chen refused.
Yan Yi thought she had misheard, looking at Jin Chen incredulously. "What did you say?"
"I said no."
"Chen Chen... you..." Jin Yan understood that Jin Chen was avoiding suspicion, but the situation was different now. Could he really be this cautious?
"Grandma, you don't have to say anything," Jin Chen looked down at Yan Yi. "You can hop on one leg, it's fine, you don't need to be unable to walk on both legs."
Upon hearing this, Yan Yi gritted her teeth, stood up abruptly, and walked out on her two legs.
As she walked, blood continued to flow, and tears flowed like a bursting river.
345: Feeling Wronged
Jin Chen followed her out and opened the car door.
Yan Yi got into the car, tears of grievance streaming down her face, her chest soaked through with wet clothes.
"Is it hurting that badly?" Jin Chen glanced at her sideways. "I remember when you broke your bones during school, the pain was worse than this, yet I never saw you shed a tear."
Yan Yi looked at him and pointed to her chest. "Back then, my heart didn't ache. Now it does."
Jin Chen turned his face away and started the car. "Yan Yi, there's no need."
"Jin Chen, you know, you've always been in my heart. Even though you have a girlfriend now, I still think we can be friends, not strangers. The way you're treating me now really hurts me." Yan Yi closed her eyes, feeling a lump in her throat.
"Then you should ask yourself whether you truly see me as a friend," Jin Chen drove out of the neighborhood. "Let's not discuss this. Endure a bit, we'll be at the hospital soon."
Jin Chen took Yan Yi to the hospital and directly handed her over to the doctor in the outpatient surgery department.
It was just a small wound, easily stitched up.
"Jin Chen." Yan Yi grabbed his sleeve. "Don't leave! Help me with the stitching, I don't trust anyone else's skills."
"Miss, saying that hurts our feelings," the doctor who was preparing to stitch her up smiled. "Our Dr. Jin's skills are good, and others are not bad either."
"I still need to wear skirts. I'm afraid of leaving scars." Yan Yi's tearful eyes revealed hope as she looked at him. "Could you do it, please?"
"I can do the stitching just the same," Jin Chen said.
"Not the same."
"Dr. Jin, I can see what's going on here. The young lady has a good impression of you! Otherwise, why would she ask for you?" the doctor teased.
"I have a girlfriend," Jin Chen said, patting the doctor's shoulder. "Moreover, I'm off duty today. Even if I see a patient, I won't get paid. Don't try to trick me."
"..."
After saying that, Jin Chen took out two banknotes from his pocket and placed them beside Yan Yi. "I have something else to attend to. Use this money to take a taxi back."
Watching Jin Chen leave, Yan Yi clenched the white bedsheet beneath her.
"Miss, don't be so nervous, relax!"
---
Meanwhile, the time until the exam was getting closer. Su Hanyan seized every available moment to study. She even skipped lunch in the cafeteria, opting to eat in the office while studying.
"I can't go on like this. I really can't focus anymore," Zhu Lin closed her book and began eating attentively. "The college entrance exam is approaching, and I feel like I can't do many of the problems. How about you?"
"There's just too much to memorize. I can manage exercises, though. As long as I understand the formulas and theorems, I can apply them," Su Hanyan paused with her chopsticks and looked up at Zhu Lin. "Lin Lin, I'm running out of time. I'm thinking of asking for leave."
"Leave? Don't joke around. Everyone knows you're shouldering a lot of responsibilities in the Propaganda Department. That's impossible. Just focus on your work! I think you should take a break from that tutoring class."
"I can't really stop that," she said, shaking her head. She had already collected fees from students, and they needed her help for the exam preparations, so she couldn't stop.
"Well, there's nothing else we can do. We'll just have to burn the midnight oil," Zhu Lin finished her last bite of food and got up to wash her lunchbox. As soon as she opened the door, she froze in place.
Hearing Zhu Lin's silence, Su Hanyan asked without raising her head, "What's wrong? Why are you standing there without moving?"
"Yanyan, it seems like someone's looking for you..." Zhu Lin smiled politely and asked, "Excuse me, are you Dr. Jin?"
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