Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting

Chapter 228: Pushover

Mrs. Yuan, who had been waiting anxiously by the door, was the first to notice the movement.

She shot up from her chair and rushed forward, her hands gripping the hospital bed’s guardrail tightly, her eyes fixed on her husband’s face.

Then, Song Qingya took off her mask and walked out, her face etched with exhaustion.

The hours-long surgery had drained much of her physical and mental stamina.

Right now, all she wanted to do was complete the post-op handover and make sure the patient was safely in the observation period.

Mrs. Yuan’s gaze suddenly shifted from her husband to Song Qingya.

In that instant, the look in her eyes changed.

Any trace of the anxiety and gratitude that had been there before completely vanished.

It was replaced by an icy coldness.

Song Qingya faltered, her heart skipping a beat.

She froze for a second. Her eyes met Mrs. Yuan’s for a fleeting moment, only to see rage roiling within them.

’When did I offend her?’

The question flashed through her mind, but it was quickly pushed aside by a profound exhaustion.

She was utterly exhausted. The hours of intense concentration had drained nearly all of her strength.

The most important thing right now was to get the patient settled and ensure there were no sudden post-op complications.

While the family’s emotions were important, she didn’t want to cause any trouble right now.

She simply nodded at Old Liu and reminded him in a low voice, "Push steadily. Watch the IV tube."

Then, she silently followed behind the bed, head down, walking briskly toward the intensive care unit.

The hem of her white coat swung gently, and her footsteps were almost silent on the tiled floor.

As for Mrs. Yuan’s cold expression...

’This isn’t the time to worry about such things.’

The moment the door to the patient room closed, the room fell silent, leaving only the rhythmic beeps of the medical instruments.

Dean Yuan was slowly helped onto the hospital bed, and a nurse skillfully connected him to various monitoring devices.

Each line was connected, emitting soft clicks as they settled into place.

Song Qingya was about to step forward and give Mrs. Yuan some post-operative instructions.

But before she could even speak, the other woman cut her off icily.

"Get out!"

Mrs. Yuan suddenly raised her hand, her finger pointing straight at the door.

"There’s nothing for you to do here! Get out right now!"

Song Qingya opened her mouth, her lips trembling slightly.

She stood frozen in place, her eyes filled with disbelief.

But she didn’t want to start an argument at such a sensitive moment.

Even though she was in turmoil, she remained outwardly calm.

"Dean Yuan just got out of surgery. He’s very weak and needs absolute quiet and plenty of rest. You need to closely monitor his breathing and complexion. If you notice anything unusual, like his face turning bluish, shortness of breath, or confusion, press the call button at the head of the bed immediately to alert the nurse on duty. I’ll be back later to check on him."

After saying this, she didn’t linger for another second. She reached for the doorknob and gave it a soft turn.

She then pulled the door open and walked out without a backward glance.

The hallway was dimly lit, and the faint smell of disinfectant hung in the air.

Old Liu had been leaning against the wall waiting, his hands in his white coat pockets.

When he saw Song Qingya emerge from the room so quickly with a cold expression on her face, he immediately sensed something was wrong and hurried over to meet her.

"Dean Song, what gives her the right to treat you like that? You just snatched Dean Yuan back from death’s door! Forget gratitude, she didn’t even say thank you. Instead, she’s all cold and sarcastic to you. What’s the deal with that? Does that make any sense? It’s outrageous!"

He was genuinely outraged on Song Qingya’s behalf.

Any doctor with a bit of a temper would have found it hard to stomach that.

Saving lives is hard enough without having to endure a family’s baseless resentment. Who could put up with that?

Song Qingya kept walking without stopping.

She only gave him a passing glance as she walked by.

"It’s fine, Old Liu."

She’d seen this kind of thing far too many times.

Some families were eternally grateful after a patient’s recovery, but just as many met her with cold stares and sarcastic remarks.

"Mrs. Yuan is probably just overly worried about her husband’s condition and lost control of her emotions for a moment. After all, he just had major surgery; it’s only natural for her to be anxious. Once she’s had more time to interact with us and understand the situation, her attitude might improve."

But Old Liu just shook his head.

"You’re just too soft-hearted! Too tolerant! With ungrateful people like her who can’t see reason, you have to be firm! If she dares to give you a sour look or get passive-aggressive again, you need to put her in her place right then and there! Otherwise, she’ll think you’re a total pushover!"

’Sigh, this Dean Song... Her medical skills are superb, her technique is exquisite, and she’s already well-respected throughout the industry.’

’But she’s just too mild-mannered, too willing to back down.’

’Her first instinct is always to be understanding, never to argue.’

’Even when people walk all over her, she still makes excuses for them.’

Hearing Old Liu’s indignant tirade, Song Qingya’s pace slowed for a moment.

She lowered her gaze. A sense of helplessness washed over her, but it was accompanied by a quiet warmth.

She suddenly understood.

Fei Jin’s father must have privately asked Old Liu, before he retired, to look out for her.

Otherwise, why would a veteran employee like Old Liu, with his seniority and experience with hospital politics, be so concerned about a young, new dean who’d been "parachuted in"?

She didn’t look back or offer any further explanation, just gave a slight nod.

Then she quickened her pace, heading toward her office.

The high-intensity surgery had sapped all her strength.

She felt completely hollowed out, her limbs heavy and her head throbbing.

All she wanted to do right now was find a place to sit and close her eyes, even just for a few minutes.

Pushing open the door, she walked into the office, her steps slightly unsteady.

She walked behind her desk and sank into the large armchair.

Then, she slowly closed her eyes.

The world in front of her blurred as her thoughts began to drift.

She fell into a half-conscious state, hovering between sleep and wakefulness.

The low hum of the air conditioner was the only sound she could hear.

The office was silent.

She was completely unaware that in the shadows of a cluttered corner of the room, a pair of eyes was staring intently at her!

Song Chenglu crouched in the dark corner, tightly gripping the metal rod in her hand.

She watched Song Qingya doze off, completely unguarded, her head tilted to one side, her breathing soft and even.

In that instant, Song Chenglu’s face slowly twisted, her lips pulling back into a bone-chilling sneer.

She had waited for this moment for so, so long...

And today, it had finally come!

She crept out from the shadows.

The floor was cool beneath her feet. The soles of her shoes made almost no sound as they glided across the floor.

She closed in on the desk step by step, her own heart pounding faster and faster.

She tightly gripped a metal rod she’d picked up from who-knows-where.

One end had been repeatedly ground down with grit and stone until it was wickedly sharp.

’Kill her!’

’Even if I can’t kill her, I’ll cripple her!’