Chapter 49
Chapter 49
A sense of guilt rose in Shen Qingyuan's heart for not greeting him for so long, and she didn't know what to say for a moment.
Because they know how natural aging and illness are, they can't comfort others as easily as ordinary people.
“When I was young, I was full of energy and felt like I had inexhaustible strength.” Dai Ying said self-deprecatingly, her tone suddenly turning melancholy. “Alas, before I could leave a significant mark on the history of world medicine, I got old, all sorts of minor ailments started to appear, and my energy was not what it used to be.”
“You look exactly the same as you did five years ago. You’re still as radiant as ever!” Shen Qingyuan said.
Dai Ying has retired but has been rehired by universities and remains active in academia. While physical aging is inevitable, the light in her eyes is still as dazzling as it was when she was Shen Qingyuan's mentor.
"Xiao Shen, take advantage of your youth to learn more and work harder. Time is so precious. You can't afford not to seize it!"
The earnest teachings were right beside her ears. Shen Qingyuan lowered her head and listened quietly. Before she knew it, her eyes were wet with tears, and an indescribable emotion slowly eroded her.
"Okay, I will try my best, Professor Dai."
Shen Qingyuan took a bite of the dessert, unable to say whether it was delicious or not. She didn't have any particular food preferences, and for the sake of health, she could habitually eat some unpalatable foods.
Dai Ying said, "Xiao Shen, you are a student I greatly admire. You are smart and eager to learn. You have a strong drive, a clear goal, and you are single-minded. It's rare for someone so young to know what they want."
Shen Qingyuan gave a wry smile: "Professor Dai, you overestimate me."
Professor Dai wasn't exactly the kind of encouraging mentor. Every student under her tutelage had been disciplined by her; the old lady was quite terrifying when she got strict. Shen Qingyuan was relatively the least scolded.
Jicheng University's medical school is teeming with talent; those who are admitted are among the brightest children in the country. But selecting the best of the best isn't enough; they also undergo rigorous professional training.
The glory of being the top science student in high school had long faded for Shen Qingyuan. Some of her classmates got up at four or five in the morning to study, day after day, year after year. She had also long realized that she was by no means one of the few people with the highest IQ.
In such an environment, people are actually very repressed. During my student days, several classmates in the department took a leave of absence, and some even changed their majors, mostly out of desperation due to the unbearable pressure. Eight years of combined bachelor's and master's studies, followed by three years of residency training, make the path to becoming a licensed physician long and arduous.
Not everyone has the perseverance to complete their studies. Back then, those young medical students with dreams couldn't have become independent without going through countless hardships.
After more than a year apart, Dai Ying's eyes revealed a motherly tenderness as she slowly said, "Xiao Shen, you're so smart, why don't you ask your teacher for help when you encounter problems? A while ago at the alumni reunion, some classmates from your major came, and when I talked to them about you, I learned that you've encountered trouble at work."
The circle is only so big, and Shen Qingyuan had also thought that her teachers and classmates would find out sooner or later.
"Encountering trouble"—such a mild expression. Perhaps in Professor Dai's eyes, what happened to Shen Qingyuan could only be considered trouble.
Upon hearing this, tears welled up in Shen Qingyuan's eyes, her throat tightened, her nose stung, and tears instantly streamed down her face.
"teacher……"
Suddenly, emotions overwhelmed her composure; unspeakable and inexplicable grievances surged into her heart like a tidal wave.
“Good children, I see you as my own children. Who is without fault? When children make mistakes, how can teachers not forgive and help them?”
Dai Ying leaned over and patted her shoulder, "Tell me in detail what exactly happened?"
...
-
Ye Chuyang left home at ten o'clock. A friend of his, an actor, was having a birthday party at his home in Shanghai and had invited him to come over.
In public settings, celebrities greet each other warmly in front of the camera, as if they know each other very well, but that's not actually the case.
Too busy with work, Ye Chuyang has little social life and not many friends in the industry. He had worked with Xie Xinglan, the birthday celebrant today, on a previous film, spending three or four months together and developing a good relationship.
Since it was a rare coincidence that both of them were in Shanghai and happened to have some free time, he agreed.
"Brother Liao, you're finally here! I thought you were going to stand me up!" Xie Xinglan smiled, revealing his bright white teeth, and rushed over to give Ye Chuyang a tight bear hug. He himself had striking features and was a rising star in the entertainment circle.
"When have I ever stood you up?" Ye Chuyang puffed out his chest and presented the gift. "I always keep my word! Happy birthday, birthday boy!"
"Of course! It's mainly because you're so popular right now, Liao-ge, I was worried you wouldn't have time to come." Xie Xinglan accepted the gift and thanked him. "Come on, let me introduce you to my friends. Everyone was so happy to hear you were coming!"
At first glance, there are mostly handsome men and beautiful women, including models and actors, all in their prime and dressed very fashionably.
"Hey guys, thanks for taking the time to celebrate my birthday. Have a great time eating, drinking, and playing! I hope you all have a wonderful time!"
Xie Xinglan's friends included well-known actors and others whom Ye Chuyang didn't recognize. Xie Xinglan pulled Ye Chuyang aside and introduced her to everyone, but as for Ye Chuyang himself, there was no need for an introduction—who didn't know him?
A young man I didn't recognize said, "Brother Liao, my cousin is a fan of yours. Could you arrange an autographed photo for her? I would be extremely grateful!"
"Absolutely!" Ye Chuyang said with a good-natured smile. "Give me your address, and I'll send it to my cousin as soon as possible!"
"Brother, you're so kind, even more handsome than on TV..."
Ye Chuyang is actually socially awkward. When she started participating in activities after gaining some fame, she felt quite uncomfortable. She gradually forced herself to adapt and deliberately learned some polite phrases.
Without cameras pointing at him, it's more comfortable to be together in this private setting. He usually celebrates his birthday by going live to interact with fans, having a meal with his staff, and cutting the cake. He rarely organizes these kinds of gatherings.
It feels good to reconnect with friends I haven't seen in a long time in person. Work can be stressful, and humans are social animals who need social activities.
Someone handed him a glass of champagne, which Ye Chuyang accepted.
As we were talking, a woman's voice came from behind us.
"Xie Xinglan, the renovation of your bathroom is nice. Could you give me the WeChat contact of the renovation company? I want to renovate my house in Jicheng. The previous renovation is too outdated."
Ye Chuyang was slightly taken aback. The voice sounded too familiar. He turned his head and saw Ning Xin walking over gracefully.
“Sure, no problem,” Xie Xinglan said, taking out her phone. “I’ll send it to you right now.”
This was the first time Ye Chuyang had seen Ning Xin since the harassment incident. She was radiant and showed no signs of distress.
"Thank you," Ning Xin said with a smile, her gaze already shifting to Ye Chuyang's face. "Su Liao, hello there, thank you for what happened last time!"
Xie Xinglan said, "I don't need to introduce you two. Anyway, your new drama is about to start filming, and I will definitely visit the set when I have time."
Unexpectedly, Ning Xin was also in Xie Xinglan's WeChat Moments. Ye Chuyang nodded, "It's nothing."
It's rare for the parties involved in a trending topic to be present; it would be a disservice to them if the onlookers didn't witness the drama unfold.
“Sister Ning Xin,” a handsome male model said, “with fame comes trouble. We have to allow some toads in this world who want to eat swan meat to exist.”
Two girls who were fairly familiar with Ning Xin gathered around and sighed.
"You bet you were! I was so scared when I saw the news that I cried. Seriously, I'm not kidding!"
"How can someone be so insane!"
A girl patted Ning Xin on the back and hugged her.
"I had finally forgotten about it, and you guys have brought it up again." Ning Xin said with a nonchalant smile. "Forget it, let's not talk about these disgusting things. Today's protagonist is Xie Xinglan. Let's wish him a happy birthday and hope he becomes a movie star soon."
Everyone raised their glasses and said a few auspicious words together.
Xie Xinglan comes from a wealthy family and loves to have fun and eat. This time, she invited a chef from a five-star hotel to her home to prepare delicious food on the spot.
After lunch, the guests chatted in twos and threes, played mahjong, or played murder mystery games, each finding their own enjoyment.
Ye Chuyang stayed for a short while before taking his leave. He was a very busy man, and it was already quite remarkable that he could spare this much time. Xie Xinglan didn't dare to try to keep him any longer and let him go.
No sooner had Ye Chuyang left than Ning Xin briefly greeted Xie Xinglan and said goodbye.
To her surprise, the elevator had already gone down when she went out, so Ning Xin had to take the next one. She anxiously looked up at the elevator's electronic display screen.
Xie Xinglan lives on a high floor. Ning Xin waited for more than five minutes for the next elevator because she had injured her foot a few days ago and couldn't walk fast.
She rushed to the underground parking garage, but still couldn't catch up. Ning Xin saw a car drive away in the distance, a familiar figure flashing by. The driver should be Ye Chuyang. He didn't bring Xiao Chao today; he drove himself.
Ning Xin stamped her foot, quickly found her red Ferrari, opened the door, and chased after it.
Fortunately, Ye Chuyang was driving very slowly, and Ning Xin followed behind him at a leisurely pace, managing to keep the sports car moving at a snail's pace.
She followed him all the way to the underground parking lot of the hotel where Ye Chuyang was staying, and finally called out to him just as he pressed the elevator button: "Ye Chuyang, wait a minute—"
She called him by his real name.
When Ye Chuyang first debuted, he used his original name. Later, he signed with a small company. The boss believed in feng shui and changed his stage name to Su Liao.
"Su" is Ye Chuyang's mother's surname, and "Liao" means a spark that ignites a prairie fire; the master said this was a name that would bring great success. And indeed it did.
Although many of his friends in the industry know his real name, they mostly call him by his stage name, such as Su Liao, Brother Liao, or Brother Su.
Xiao Chao is his distant cousin, and he has called him Brother Yang since he was a child, a habit he can't break.
Ye Chuyang turned his head, and frowned slightly when he saw who it was. Being photographed by paparazzi would be very troublesome. That was his first thought.
"Why did you follow me here?" He quickly turned his head and stared at the numbers on the elevator display screen.
He didn't expect Ning Xin to chase after him and follow him all the way here.
"Can we chat for a bit, just ten minutes?" Ning Xin put on a mask, perhaps realizing that her unauthorized following was inappropriate, and only then did she come to her senses.
"Let's communicate via WeChat. It'll be troublesome if we get photographed." Ye Chuyang looked around, wondering if any paparazzi were lurking nearby. He wore a hat and mask, but still felt uneasy.
Being photographed in public is a little better, since everyone quickly becomes colleagues in the group, and excuses like "we're good friends, we'll have dinner together" come easily to mind.
"Just ten minutes." Ning Xin refused to give up. Her beautiful eyes were bright and clear, filled with expectation and caution, making her look pitiful.
Ye Chuyang sighed softly, "There's a coffee shop on the fifth floor. I'll go up first, and you can come up later."
"good."
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