Chapter 6: Opposed to the Marriage

The next morning, Su He arrived at the hospital early.

She had slept poorly for the last two nights, mainly because Jiang Yan kept appearing in her dreams.

What had actually happened in those dreams, she couldn’t remember.

She shook her head. Enough thinking about him.

Ella, Lan Yan, and the rest of the team were already waiting to operate. She had better get to work.

Inside the sterile operating room, everyone except the patient on the table belonged to her team.

Lan Yan nodded to her.

“Let’s begin,” Su He said coolly.

“Scalpel.”

“Suture scissors…”

“Tissue scissors…”

“Straight forceps…”

“Gauze…”

…

“Blood pressure and heart rate?”

“Normal.”

…

Apart from the sound of the equipment, the room was quiet except for the nurses’ occasional reports on the patient’s readings.

Meanwhile, in the VIP waiting lounge, Long Bingyan greeted Jiang Yan.

“Ah Yan, what are you doing here? I told you, you’ve only just returned. You have plenty to deal with in the Jiang family. We’re here for my father. There’s no need for you to keep running back and forth.”

“Uncle Long, he’s my mentor. How could I stay away while he’s having surgery?”

After greeting the Long family, Jiang Yan turned to Su Tianyi, who seemed distracted.

“Uncle.”

Su Tianyi had frozen at the sight of him.

Why was he back too?

And at the hospital, of all places. What if Susu came out and ran into him?

The girl had told him repeatedly: she would see the Long family and no one else.

Surely “no one else” included this suddenly materialized Jiang Yan.

Good heavens. Was someone up there playing a joke on him?

What an enormous headache.

Being addressed as “Uncle” sent his heart into a flutter.

Only then did the Long family remember that the Jiangs and Sus were related by marriage.

Neither family had held an extravagant wedding. They had invited only relatives and a few close family friends, including the Longs.

But after all these years without the couple ever appearing together, people had almost forgotten Jiang Yan had a wife.

“Ah? Oh, Ah Yan…” Su Tianyi managed, looking startled. “It’s been so long, I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“I apologize,” Jiang Yan said. “I should have visited you and Grandfather and Grandmother as soon as I returned.”

He used those family titles so smoothly that an outsider might think they were very close.

In fact, the two Su elders had opposed the marriage. Their family had no need to secure a powerful backer through an alliance.

But they doted on their granddaughter and had left the decision to her. Who could have guessed she would agree?

Well, she had married him.

But anyone with eyes could see there was no affection between them. The day after the wedding, both had gone abroad without a word.

And stayed away for four years.

Jiang Yan was exceedingly perceptive. He had noticed that, along with surprise, Su Tianyi’s first look held a trace of panic.

Why panic?

“By the way, Ah Yan, where’s your wife?” Long Bingyan asked. “The two of you practically disappeared after the wedding.”

“She’s been studying abroad these past few years, Uncle Long. That’s why she’s rarely been seen.” Jiang Yan paused. “She’s back now too. She’s working at the hospital.”

“Oh? At the hospital?” Long Bingyan looked surprised. “She studied medicine as well?”

Jiang Yan nodded.

Su Tianyi was puzzled. Jiang Yan had only been back a few days. How did he already know Su He worked here?

Had they met?

Why hadn’t that girl told him?

Long Bingyan clapped him on the shoulder. “The Su family really does live up to its name as a medical dynasty. All of you study medicine!”

Su Tianyi exchanged a few polite remarks without adding much. He was trying to work out how to warn Su He that Jiang Yan was here.

But Jiang Yan kept drawing him into conversation. He even volunteered that he and Su He had already met.

…

Four hours later, Su He finished operating.

“Lan Yan,” she said, her voice quiet and clear, “take him to the ICU. You’ll monitor him for the next few days. Message me if there’s a problem. Don’t come looking for me in person.”

“All right.”

Lan Yan knew her habits. Su He didn’t want her identity discovered.

Su He changed clothes. As agreed, she would speak with the patient’s family in the VIP lounge.

But when she reached the corridor leading there, she spotted two men outside the door. One looked familiar.

She stopped and thought for a moment.

Then she turned and left without hesitation.

She didn’t know Jiang Feng had seen her as she turned.

He had caught only her profile, but his employer had previously ordered an investigation into Madam. After looking at so many photographs, he could recognize her at a glance.

Once she was away, Su He pulled her phone from her pocket and called.

“Ella, where are you? … All right. Go and see the patient’s family for me… No. Tell them you’re Nil.”

Although Ella was her assistant, she seldom appeared in public either. Bai Yang usually handled that.

Ella soon arrived at the VIP lounge.

“Sorry to keep you all waiting.”

The people inside stared for a moment.

Ella was of mixed heritage, with deep-set eyes and a high nose that gave her fine features a striking definition. Her skin was fair as snow, her figure tall and graceful, her long blond hair tied back. Her pale violet eyes had an almost mesmerizing quality.

“I’m Nil. The operation was successful. He’s been transferred to the ICU for forty-eight hours of observation. If he develops no postoperative complications in the first twenty-four hours, we’ll observe him for another day before moving him to a regular ward.”

Of everyone present, only Su Tianyi had ever met the real Nil.

None of the others had expected the renowned surgeon to be such a young, beautiful woman of mixed heritage.

Nil’s true identity had never been revealed. All anyone knew was that she was a woman.

The moment Ella introduced herself as Nil, Su Tianyi understood.

He had sent Su He a text and worried she might not see it.

She hadn’t. She had spotted the danger herself.

She had seen Jiang Feng twice before. He worked for Jiang Yan. If he was here, Jiang Yan must be here too.

She had no desire to let Jiang Yan discover this identity.

“Yes, Bingyan,” Su Tianyi said. “This is the celebrated surgeon Nil.”

Ella explained the essentials simply and clearly, then left without lingering.

Su He was already back in her own office.

She had been scrolling on her phone for a short while when Ella’s message arrived.

[Done.]

[Take the team back first. Lan Yan will stay a few days,] Su He replied.

[OK.]

Putting her phone down, Su He stretched out on the sofa and closed her eyes for a brief rest.

Before long, the door opened.