novelraw Chapter 223: Closing In
Chapter 223: Closing In
She wanted to act tough, to say she wasn’t tired and could still hold on.
But her body had already betrayed her will.
Her head grew heavy, and her vision started to blur.
She opened her mouth, but ultimately said nothing, only giving a slow nod.
She staggered to the small bed in the corner and lay down without even taking off her coat.
Her breathing gradually steadied, her chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm.
Within minutes, the sound of her even breathing filled the quiet room.
The furrow in her brow finally relaxed.
Fei Jin watched her quietly for a few moments, the tension in his own brow easing slightly.
Only after he saw for himself that she was truly asleep...
...did his taut nerves finally relax a little.
He had promised to protect her.
But now, she was the one weathering the storm for everyone.
He walked softly to the bedside and bent over to check on Dean Yuan’s condition.
He gently placed his fingers on the old man’s pulse, then glanced at the data on the monitor.
Blood pressure was stable, heart rate normal, and blood oxygen saturation was good.
All vitals were within a safe range, showing no abnormal fluctuations.
He felt a small sense of relief but didn’t dare let his guard down.
The old man was sleeping soundly. His breathing was even, and the numbers on the monitors were all normal.
This meant the medication was working; the inflammation in his body was gradually subsiding.
The doctors had said the next forty-eight hours would be critical.
As long as no infection or organ failure developed, there was a chance he would regain consciousness.
But right now, every minute could be a turning point.
「Early the next morning.」
Song Qingya was gently shaken awake.
She groggily opened her eyes, her gaze immediately locking with Fei Jin’s bloodshot ones.
"Qingya, wake up," he called to her, his voice hoarse.
"I just got word that something is happening outside. I need you to deal with it right away."
’This man... he really stayed up all night.’
A pang of sorrow, mixed with a bit of anger, twisted in her heart.
Seeing the deep shadows of exhaustion under his eyes, Song Qingya felt her heart clench painfully.
But that feeling was immediately followed by a surge of anger.
’He could have gone home to rest. Why did he have to be so stubborn?’
"Look at the state you’re in!"
Her eyes scanned his disheveled collar and the stubble emerging on his chin.
"Your hair’s a mess, your clothes are crumpled, and you look like you haven’t slept in days! Do you think you’re made of steel?"
"Go lie down over there! Now! Immediately!"
She pointed a finger at the cot in the corner.
"I’m not negotiating with you, Fei Jin. This is an order! You will lie down and rest right now!"
"I’ll watch over Dean Yuan!"
She straightened her back, her voice dropping slightly.
"I’m here. Leave everything to me. If you collapse, *that* would be the height of irresponsibility to the patient."
Seeing her act this way, Fei Jin’s heart warmed.
For a second, his eyes stung.
She wasn’t scolding him; her heart ached for him.
He was about to say it was fine when a rush of hurried footsteps sounded from outside the door.
"Commander!"
Cheng Peng rushed in, the morning chill still clinging to his shoulders.
He clutched a manila envelope.
"A notice just came in. You need to head over right away!"
He spoke in a rapid-fire burst.
"The higher-ups specifically requested you. It’s an emergency deployment meeting for frontline medical support. Your personal attendance is mandatory! Time is short—the car is already waiting downstairs."
He finished and handed over the document.
Fei Jin took it and scanned it briefly, his brow twitching and then furrowing slightly.
It was an urgent document with a red letterhead, stamped with the crimson seal of the Health Bureau.
Its contents detailed the deployment of personnel and allocation of resources across multiple hospitals.
He knew that a meeting of this level meant the situation had become critical.
Song Qingya’s heart sank.
’We clearly agreed to take shifts last night.’
’But I was so exhausted, I closed my eyes and six or seven hours passed in a flash.’
’And now Fei Jin has to rush off to another battlefield without even a moment’s rest.’
Fei Jin looked up, meeting her worried gaze. He raised a hand and patted her shoulder gently.
"Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon."
"If anything happens here, send someone to find me right away."
"I’m leaving Dean Yuan in your hands. I have complete faith in you."
With that, he didn’t linger, turning to follow Cheng Peng out of the room with long strides.
The door opened and closed, leaving behind a soft CLICK.
Song Qingya watched his retreating figure and sighed silently.
She stood at the door for a long time, unmoving.
Outside the window, the sky was gradually brightening, and the morning light spilled into the empty hallway.
She suddenly felt a pang in her chest, yet at the same time, an inexplicable new strength.
It was because he had entrusted Dean Yuan to her. Because he believed she could handle it.
A few hours later, she had changed into her surgical scrubs.
She was about to go for a final preoperative check of Dean Yuan’s vital signs.
The light-blue sterile scrubs fit her snugly, and a surgical mask obscured most of her face.
She glanced down at her watch. It was exactly 9:17 AM.
The data from the monitors had just finished updating.
His blood pressure, heart rate, and blood oxygen levels were all critically stable, but the situation was still far from optimistic.
Just as she reached the door to the operating room, a group of people suddenly surrounded her.
Before she could even react, seven or eight people had formed a half-circle around her, blocking her path to the OR.
Yang Meiling was at the head of the group, with Qi Yuanyuan at her side. Neither of them looked pleased.
Yang Meiling stood with her arms crossed, doubt written all over her face.
Qi Yuanyuan, meanwhile, kept her eyes downcast, her fingers unconsciously fiddling with the chart in her hands.
Several other doctors and nurses followed them, all wearing complicated expressions, looking as if they wanted to speak but were holding back.
"This is a high-difficulty neurosurgical reconstruction..." someone muttered.
But they were quickly silenced by a tug on their sleeve.
Before Song Qingya could speak, Yang Meiling stepped forward. Her eyes were locked on Qingya, and her voice was sharp and loud.
"Dean Song!"
Her voice was loud enough to startle the entire hallway; even nurses from the adjacent prep room peeked out.
"Dean Yuan’s condition is critical. You’ve only just arrived at the hospital—do you truly understand his situation?"
She advanced on her, her tone aggressive.
"You took over his case just yesterday, and today you’re going to perform a level-four surgery? Has the informed consent been signed? How many contingency plans have you prepared? If his brainstem is damaged during the operation, who will take responsibility?"
"This kind of surgery is extremely high-risk! If something goes wrong, who can bear that responsibility?"
She sneered, glancing at the people around them.
"We are all here watching. We can’t gamble with Dean Yuan’s life!"
She paused, casting a sideways glance at Qi Yuanyuan.
Qi Yuanyuan lifted her head slightly. Her lips moved, but she ultimately said nothing.
"It would be much safer to have Doctor Qi perform the surgery!"
Yang Meiling’s voice rose once more.
"She’s far more experienced! The three skull-base tumor resections she performed last year all received A-grade evaluations, with a zero percent post-operative complication rate! And you? How many similar cases have you handled? Do you dare show us your record?"
’Hah, this old routine again.’
Song Qingya shot her a cold glance.
"Yang Meiling, this is an operating room. It’s a place for saving lives, not a stage for your melodramatics."