Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting

Chapter 235: I’m Here

"It doesn’t matter what anyone on the outside is saying. When the truth comes out, everything will be clear. What I need right now is time, and this news will help me buy some."

She slowly turned her head, her gaze locking directly onto Fei Jin’s.

"Don’t you see? Every minute is crucial right now. Whether or not Dean Yuan wakes up affects the interests of too many people. Some are just waiting for me to fall, so I can’t let them see my hand."

She turned around, her eyes resting on Fei Jin’s face as her tone softened.

"Besides, I still have you."

Hearing this, Fei Jin’s heart warmed. He walked over in a few steps and gently wrapped his arms around her from behind.

He rested his chin lightly on the crook of her shoulder, feeling the rhythm of her breathing.

"That’s right. You have me."

He promised in a low voice, enunciating every word.

"No matter what happens, I’ll never leave you."

"Then what’s your plan with what you said before, about assigning Yang Meiling a ’helper’?"

He still couldn’t feel completely at ease.

Thinking of the person who was about to be sent to the special care unit, his brow furrowed again.

He knew Song Qingya never made a pointless move.

But this arrangement was just too risky.

The slightest misstep could lead to irreversible consequences.

Song Qingya leaned back in his arms, the corners of her lips curling up slightly.

"I’m planning to send Qi Yuanyuan to the ward to take care of Dean Yuan with Yang Meiling."

Fei Jin froze, his brows instantly knitting together.

"Qi Yuanyuan? Isn’t she thick as thieves with Yang Meiling?"

The words practically flew out of his mouth.

"She may have covered for you last time, but that woman is a total opportunist—you can’t trust her! Everyone knows she’s a master at playing both sides. Putting the two of them together now, isn’t that just like throwing Dean Yuan to the wolves?"

The more he spoke, the more agitated he became, his arms tightening around her unconsciously.

"If they team up and cause trouble... have you even thought about the consequences?"

Song Qingya shook her head, turning in his embrace to face him.

"You think I can’t see her true nature? It’s precisely because I know she can’t be trusted that I’m sending her."

"On the surface, they’re partners, but in reality, they’ve been secretly competing for a long time."

"What’s Yang Meiling after? She’d love for Dean Yuan to stay in his coma, or even better, to pass away. That way, she’d have no rivals, she could keep pestering you, and she could even pin all the blame on me, saying my surgery was what caused this."

It wasn’t hard to guess what Yang Meiling was scheming.

She had never coveted the position itself, but rather the spot by Fei Jin’s side.

As long as Dean Yuan remained unconscious, she would have a reason to appear before him frequently, feigning concern for a colleague.

And if Dean Yuan were to actually pass away...

...not only could she conveniently eliminate her competition, but she could also shift all the responsibility onto Song Qingya.

After all, it was the surgery she had performed that went wrong.

When the public pressure mounted, she could play the part of an innocent victim.

"But Qi Yuanyuan is different."

She poked Fei Jin’s chest.

"She has her eyes on the dean’s position. It’s in her best interest for Dean Yuan to be alive but slow to wake up, or to recover very slowly, requiring someone to provide constant care. She needs a long-term patient to prove her competence, use the opportunity to win people over, and climb the ladder step by step."

Qi Yuanyuan’s ambitions ran deeper.

Unlike Yang Meiling, she wasn’t mired in emotional drama or interested in personal entanglements.

Her goal was clear: power.

Every day the dean’s position remained vacant was another opportunity for her to shine.

"Think about it. If Dean Yuan were to suddenly pass away during this time, who would be in the worst position? Yang Meiling might be able to get by on Mrs. Yuan’s good graces, but what about Qi Yuanyuan?"

If Dean Yuan were to unfortunately pass away, the hospital would inevitably undergo a major shake-up.

Although Yang Meiling’s methods weren’t exactly honorable, she had old connections and a network she could rely on.

She might even be able to muddle through by relying on Mrs. Yuan’s forgiveness.

But Qi Yuanyuan was different. She had slowly established her foothold by building a persona of being "loyal and devoted," "watching over him day and night."

If the patient died, the outside world would inevitably question her competence.

The reputation she had worked so hard to build would collapse in an instant.

When she finished speaking, she pulled back a step from his embrace, her smile exceptionally bright.

"So, by putting the two of them together, Qi Yuanyuan, for the sake of her own future, will care more about Dean Yuan’s life than anyone. She’ll watch Yang Meiling like a hawk and prevent her from doing anything that could cause trouble. After all, if something happens, she won’t be able to escape the blame either."

Qi Yuanyuan knew that if something happened to Dean Yuan on her watch, even if she wasn’t the cause, she would be blamed for "dereliction of duty."

Therefore, she would never allow Yang Meiling to cross any lines.

Fei Jin’s eyes widened, his initial worry slowly melting into admiration.

He had thought this was just a simple dispute between two women, never imagining that Song Qingya had seen through the entire situation so clearly.

"So that’s how it is... You’re making them keep each other in check!"

Fei Jin murmured to himself.

He finally understood the brilliance of her plan.

No direct action, no need for a confrontation.

With just a gentle push, she could turn two potential threats into each other’s watchdogs.

This method was far more sophisticated and safer than a direct crackdown.

"Qingya, your brain... it’s incredible! I was worried you’d be schemed against, but it turns out you’ve already seen right through everyone else!"

"Being able to marry you... I, Fei Jin, must have done something amazing in my past life!"

He squeezed her hand, his eyes shimmering with tenderness.

"Ahem."

Just as the atmosphere reached its most tender moment, the abrupt cough broke the silence.

Liu Li walked in from the doorway with a cheerful smile, setting down a fruit platter.

Her steps were light. With a flick of her wrist, she placed the glass platter securely on the edge of the coffee table.

The neatly cut fruit gave off a faint, fresh aroma.

She glanced at the two of them in the room as she arranged the platter.

"I’ve always said it, our Qingya is so smart and capable. Ajin, you must have some seriously good karma to marry her! I’m so happy for you!"

For once, Song Qingya felt her cheeks grow warm, and she quickly turned her head away.

She lowered her head, pretending to focus on the fruit on the table.

"Mom, what are you doing here?"

Fei Jin, ever shameless, kept his arm around Song Qingya’s shoulder with a smug look on his face.

Liu Li shot him a glare before turning to Song Qingya, her eyes filled with affection.

The glare was just for show, gone in an instant.

Her real concern was always Song Qingya’s well-being.

Seeing her calm expression and the smile playing on her lips, Liu Li felt her heart settle.

"I just came to see you two. I overheard you talking about scheming and plots... Is there trouble at the hospital again?"

She said it casually, but her eyes grew a little more serious.

Although she hadn’t heard the full conversation, the word "scheming" had still made her heart clench.

As someone with more life experience, she knew all too well how deep the waters ran in a place like a hospital.

Especially since her son and daughter-in-law were in key positions, a single misstep could pull them into a storm.

Song Qingya glanced at Fei Jin, a hint of contemplation in her eyes.