novelraw Chapter 245: Publicly Exposing a Fault
Chapter 245: Publicly Exposing a Fault
Guo Ying brought over a cup of warm water, her movements gentle and a concerned smile on her face.
"Sit down and rest for a bit. You look exhausted."
She was wearing a plain-colored, padded cotton house jacket, her hair simply tied in a bun.
Song Qingya took the cup and sipped it. The water was the perfect temperature.
"Guo Ying, don’t keep worrying about my problems," she said, looking up with a smile. "Just live your life as you should. Taking care of your health is the most important thing right now."
She paused, her tone growing slightly more serious.
"This business with Dean Yuan is quite complicated and involves a lot of people. I have a plan. I won’t act rashly."
Guo Ying nodded without asking any more questions.
Then she leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. "Don’t worry, I understand."
"If there’s any movement at home, or if I hear any rumors or gossip, I’ll keep an eye out and let you know right away."
A warmth spread through Song Qingya’s heart.
The words sounded ordinary, but she knew exactly what they meant.
Guo Ying was well-connected and highly respected in the staff’s residential compound; whenever something happened in a family or someone said something, she was always the first to know.
For her to be willing to keep an eye out for news on her behalf now—the gesture carried immense weight.
She blinked, pushing back the bittersweet feeling, and simply smiled as she squeezed Guo Ying’s hand in return.
"Alright, I should get going then."
She stood up as she spoke, placing the empty cup on the table.
"Go on, be careful on your way."
Guo Ying walked her all the way to the door, not forgetting to add a final reminder.
"It gets chilly at night. Don’t stay up too late."
After leaving Guo Ying’s home, Song Qingya didn’t go straight back to the ward. Instead, she turned into a small building with a sign that read "Office."
It was an old, single-story building with peeling plaster on the walls and mottled paint on the doorframe.
The office inside had dim yellow lighting, neat desks and chairs, and files stacked in a corner.
’I’ve spent the whole morning listening to a load of pointless gossip.’
’This is a good chance to head back to the office, catch my breath, and sort through all the jumbled clues in my head.’
’I can also deal with the few patient charts and administrative reports that piled up from yesterday.’
Just as she arrived outside the office, she reached into the left pocket of her white coat to fumble for her keys.
Before she could even pull them all the way out, a deafeningly loud noise erupted beside her.
"BANG!"
The door was yanked open from the inside.
Yang Meiling blocked the entire doorway, her eyes as wide as bronze bells.
"Song Qingya!"
"You’ve got some nerve! Dean Yuan is still in the emergency room, his life hanging in the balance, and you dare to sneak off and wander around? Huh?!"
"Leaving a critically ill patient for Doctor Qi to handle all by herself, while you take it easy, is that it?"
She sneered, her lips twisting.
"Being dean is pretty easy for you, isn’t it? Do you think that just because Dean Yuan is temporarily out of the critical phase, you don’t have to worry anymore? Hmm? That you can just rest easy?"
She advanced, step by step, her finger nearly poking Song Qingya’s face.
Song Qingya’s hand, still reaching for her keys, paused for a fraction of a second, but the motion didn’t stop, nor did it speed up.
She didn’t even lift her eyelids, her calm gaze landing on the other woman’s face as she simply watched her.
’As expected, she couldn’t hold it in.’
’I knew it. In situations like this, if you just stay silent, they’ll inevitably show their true colors.’
Seeing her silence, Yang Meiling grew even more aggressive, as if she had found an outlet for her frustration.
"Now! Immediately! Get the hell back to the ward!"
"Stay by Doctor Qi’s side and don’t you move a single step! Keep your eyes glued on Dean Yuan! Do you hear me?!"
She tilted her chin up, looking at Song Qingya with a smug expression.
"If even the slightest thing goes wrong with Dean Yuan, we’ll see if you can keep your position as dean!"
Her tone was filled with menace.
"When that time comes, forget about keeping your vice dean position—your medical license will be revoked! No one will be able to save you!"
Song Qingya didn’t even furrow her brow. Her expression remained as indifferent as ever.
"Where I go and what I do," she began slowly, "do I need to report to you, Dr. Fang?"
Before Yang Meiling could open her mouth to retort, she added coolly,
"Actually, I was about to ask you: who exactly is in charge of looking after Dean Yuan in the ward right now?"
’But I and Fei Jin personally arranged the duty roster last night.’
’The ones on shift were you, Yang Meiling, and Qi Yuanyuan.’
’So what’s happening now?’
’Dean Yuan’s condition has just barely stabilized, and you’ve already abandoned your post to run over here and yell at me?’
’And now you turn around and try to bite my head off?’
Song Qingya tilted her head slightly, an elegant motion.
"Some people, rather than making a scene by cornering others here, should probably think more about their patients."
She paused, the corner of her mouth lifting into a barely-there smile.
"Lest..."
She deliberately drew out the word, the final sound trailing off lightly.
"...more unseemly trouble occurs."
The face, already flushed with anger, turned an even deeper shade of red in an instant.
’This bitch!’
’Not only does she not apologize, she dares to bite back?’
’She clearly knows what happened that night, yet she still dares to expose my failings in public?’
’Does she think she can do whatever she wants just because she has Fei Jin backing her?’
Yang Meiling’s eyes were bloodshot, her chest heaving violently.
She was completely overcome by a furious rage.
She bit her lip, a vicious glint flashing in her eyes.
Blinded by rage, Yang Meiling’s mind went hot, and she raised her hand to slap Song Qingya across the face!
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
Everyone held their breath, their eyes glued to the scene.
Song Qingya didn’t even blink, nor did her body move.
But just as the other woman’s palm was about to make contact with her face, she lifted her eyes and shot her a cold glance.
The look was exceedingly cold, exceedingly still.
There was no anger in her gaze, nor any fear, only a condescending scrutiny.
The moment that gaze swept over her, Yang Meiling’s wrist trembled violently.
Her arm suddenly gave an uncontrollable shake.
Only then did Song Qingya speak, slowly and clearly, enunciating every word.
"Mr. Yang, open your eyes and see clearly. This is a hospital, not a marketplace."
"Assaulting someone—assaulting your superior, no less. You’d best weigh the consequences of that yourself."
Before her voice had even faded, an intangible pressure filled the air.
A few nurses who had been watching from the sidelines subconsciously took a step back.
As she spoke, she took a small half-step forward, lowered her voice, and dropped a quiet word in Yang Meiling’s ear.
"Oh, I almost forgot to remind you. Those words from Mr. Fei last night... I hope Mr. Yang... still remembers them?"
Yang Meiling shuddered.
The flames of jealousy-fueled rage in her heart were instantly half-extinguished.
Her pupils contracted, and her breath caught in her throat.
It was as if she could hear Fei Jin’s cold words of warning from last night echoing in her ears again.
She finally understood that if she had actually struck Song Qingya, Fei Jin wouldn’t have protected her.
On the contrary, he would have been the first to hold her accountable!
Her fingers clenched abruptly, her nails digging into her palm with a faint, sharp pain.
The hand suspended in mid-air slowly, limply, fell to her side.
She clung to her last shred of dignity, but her voice was already trembling uncontrollably.
"You... You don’t get too arrogant! If Dean Yuan really knew about these things..."
Song Qingya didn’t even raise an eyelid, let alone acknowledge her. She turned and took out her keys.
"CLICK." The sound was crisp and clean as the lock gave way.
The door shut heavily behind her.