Cannon Fodder in an Era Drama — I Survive with Acting

Chapter 238: I’ll Fight You to the Death

Yang Meiling was taken aback by the question. Her heart lurched, and the expression on her face faltered.

She had just been making things up according to her script, without checking any of the actual data.

"I... I was in such a hurry, I didn’t have time to look at the data closely... I just saw the numbers on the screen dropping... they were dropping so fast..."

She stammered as she tried to explain.

"Mrs. Yuan kept rushing me, saying it would be too late if I didn’t come get you right away... I didn’t dare to delay, so I rushed over immediately..."

Before she could finish, a rustling sound came from inside the room.

Fei Jin, dressed in black trousers and a dark jacket, looked sharp and clean-cut.

He walked out of the room, his gaze sweeping over Yang Meiling.

"Qingya, don’t listen to her rambling."

"This is an emergency. Get dressed, and let’s go right now."

As he spoke, he stepped forward and casually took Song Qingya’s long wool coat off its hanger.

Then, with a practiced motion, he gently shook it out and draped it over her shoulders.

Yang Meiling stood to the side, watching Fei Jin’s considerate gesture toward Song Qingya, and a sour feeling welled up inside her.

Fei Jin paid her no mind, murmuring in a low voice, "Be careful not to catch a cold."

Then, he raised his hand and firmly took her by the wrist.

"Let’s go. We can talk on the way."

With that, he led Song Qingya toward the stairs.

Yang Meiling stood frozen in place, watching their retreating figures, her face going from pale to ashen.

She gritted her teeth and, unwilling to be left behind, chased after them. She stumbled a few steps in the cold wind before managing to catch up.

The night wind blew, making the leaves rustle.

On the way, still not giving up, she forced her way next to Song Qingya.

"Dean Song, actually, when I was passing the ICU just now, I happened to hear a nurse calling a code... Even though I didn’t see the specific data, I got the feeling it was really serious... Dean Yuan hasn’t been well lately, and with his emotional fluctuations, his heart probably couldn’t take it..."

"Dean Song, it was terrifying. We turned him over and adjusted his IV drip rate, but less than a few minutes later, the monitor started alarming... Xiao Qin said his heart rate was plummeting. We immediately performed emergency procedures, but the patient still fell into a coma..."

Song Qingya didn’t break her stride, her gaze fixed straight ahead.

"Once we get to the hospital, see the patient, and run the tests, the truth will become clear."

She paused for a moment, her steps slowing as her eyes swept over Yang Meiling’s face.

"But let me make one thing clear. If I find out who’s behind this—whether it’s delaying treatment or using something they shouldn’t have, even if it’s just moving an IV tube or swapping a medicine bottle cap—I, Song Qingya, will not let it go."

With that, she started walking again, leaving behind a suffocating silence.

A shiver ran through Yang Meiling, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on her back.

’She... She couldn’t have noticed, could she?’

’But then again, no, I can’t lose my composure.’

’Impossible. It’s absolutely impossible.’

’Everything was done so cleanly, I even accounted for the surveillance blind spots. How could I have come under suspicion so quickly?’

The three of them hurried on. The corridor lights were stark white, and their footsteps echoed in the empty passage like a death knell.

They soon reached the door to the hospital room. The smell of disinfectant hit them, mixed with a faint, anxious energy.

Before they even pushed the door open, they could hear Mrs. Yuan’s crying from inside.

Fei Jin reached out and pushed the door open. The metal handle made a soft CLICK that was jarring in the silence.

Mrs. Yuan, who was beside the bed, heard the noise and whipped her head around. Her eyes were red, her face was streaked with tears, and strands of hair were stuck messily to her cheeks.

The moment she saw Song Qingya, she charged over with red-rimmed eyes, stumbling but not stopping.

"Song Qingya! Why are you only just getting here? Where have you been all this time? Old Yuan was conscious just a moment ago, he was even talking! How could he suddenly become unresponsive in the blink of an eye? The doctor said he went into cardiac arrest, and they’re trying to resuscitate him! If anything happens to Old Yuan, I’ll kill you! I’ll make you pay!"

Yang Meiling hurried over and pretended to support her out of concern.

"Mrs. Yuan, please don’t get so agitated. Dean Song came as soon as she could. There were delays on the way, after all..."

While she spoke comforting words, her eyes subtly darted to her belly.

"Oh? Do you think I was slow to arrive, or that I’m not professional enough?"

Song Qingya slowly turned, finally looking Yang Meiling straight in the eye.

"Or perhaps, you’re trying to imply something? That I delayed his treatment for personal reasons? That I’m emotionally unstable and unfit for my duties?"

Tiny beads of sweat broke out on Yang Meiling’s forehead.

Mrs. Yuan grew even angrier, jabbing a finger in her face as she cursed, "You have the gall to stand here and put on a show? If you hadn’t insisted yesterday that Old Yuan’s condition was stable and that the monitoring frequency could be reduced, the nurses wouldn’t have been so careless! If you hadn’t adjusted his medication on your own authority, would Old Yuan have suddenly taken a turn for the worse? If I find out you had a hand in this, I’ll skin you alive!"

"Song Qingya! Don’t you dare put on airs as the dean! This is an absolute emergency, and you’re still posturing! The patient could die at any moment, and you just saunter in here! I’m filing a complaint tomorrow! I’ll let the leadership judge for themselves what kind of ’good work’ you’ve done as the new dean! You just wait!"

Fei Jin took a step forward, standing beside Song Qingya.

"Mrs. Yuan, the most important thing right now is Dean Yuan’s life."

He then turned to Yang Meiling, his voice chilling to the bone.

"And you. You’ve been fanning the flames ever since we walked in. Chiming in here and there—have you ever considered how that might affect a doctor’s judgment? We will find out whether you had anything to do with Dean Yuan’s sudden decline. But right now, if you dare say one more word that could influence Dean Song’s judgment, get the hell out!"

Yang Meiling trembled, and her face instantly turned deathly pale.

She instinctively took half a step back, leaning against the wall.

By this time, Song Qingya was already standing by the bed and had begun to check the patient’s condition.

Without raising her head, she spoke calmly.

"Mrs. Yuan, whether or not I can be the dean isn’t up to you. It was an organizational appointment, complete with official documents and formal procedures. If you have an objection, you can report it through the proper channels. But right now, I need to examine the patient’s condition and decide on a treatment plan as quickly as possible. Every minute is critical."

Fei Jin walked over to Mrs. Yuan and spoke sincerely.

"Please, trust Qingya. She’s a doctor and the dean; she would never harm Dean Yuan. She wants him to be safe more than anyone. Let her save him first. Once his condition stabilizes, we can discuss anything. But if the rescue effort is delayed because of an emotional outburst, no one can bear that responsibility."

Mrs. Yuan was seething with anger, her eyes red as she dug her nails into her palms.

But looking at her unconscious husband on the bed, his breathing faint and the monitors continuously alarming, she finally suppressed her overwhelming rage.

In the end, she could only let out a heavy huff before spinning around and plopping down hard into a chair.

Song Qingya paid no attention to the atmosphere in the room, her entire focus fixed on the patient.

Her fingers rested lightly on Dean Yuan’s wrist, feeling for his pulse, as she quickly glanced at the monitor.