Su Jinhui did not make things difficult for her, considering how thoroughly her reputation had been ruined, and let her leave.
“I didn’t expect you to be so protective of your own. I’ll make something good for you tonight as a reward,” she said, looking at someone with newfound respect.
Yan Li’an waved his hand. “There’s a task from higher up. I have to set off soon. You go back first.”
“Is it dangerous?” Su Jinhui asked instinctively.
He paused for a moment. “Just clearing out remaining enemy agents. It’s not dangerous.”
She watched his hurried figure disappear into the distance. The crisp, upright military uniform was eye-catching.
But she never imagined that the man she had stood there to see off would be carried back three days later.
Sister-in-law Liu from next door rushed over as soon as she got the news. “Daughter-in-law of the Yan family, your man is injured! He’s being rescued at the hospital right now!”
A ringing filled Su Jinhui’s ears. She could clearly see Sister-in-law Liu’s mouth opening and closing, yet she couldn’t hear a single word.
When she snapped back to her senses, she didn’t even bother locking the door and rushed straight to the island base hospital.
Seven or eight soldiers were gathered outside the emergency room. Apart from the man sitting silently on a chair, whose emotions were unreadable, all of them looked deeply worried.
“You’re Xiao Yan’s fiancée, right?” the oldest man present walked toward her.
Her gaze swept over his uniform—four pockets on the jacket, clearly a leadership rank. “Yes, sir. How is he now? How did he get so badly injured?”
“During the operation, the enemy agents resisted fiercely and a massive explosion occurred. He shielded a young soldier under him and was struck by shrapnel himself. His condition is not optimistic,” Regiment Commander Lin sighed heavily, full of regret.
As his words fell, the door of the emergency room was pushed open.
The military doctor frowned deeply. “Who is the family member?”
In her previous life, Su Jinhui had been a doctor and was all too familiar with this process. She hurried forward. “I am.”
“All the shrapnel in his back has been removed, but one fatal fragment is embedded too deeply near the heart. We have no confidence. If the surgery continues, you’ll need to sign a critical condition notice.”
“What are your chances?” Su Jinhui pressed.
The military doctor answered honestly, “At most, twenty percent.”
Everyone present was shocked. The soldier who had been sitting silently on the chair suddenly spoke up. “Then how is that any different from waiting to die? In my opinion, we might as well stop. He’ll die anyway—why make him suffer?”
He yawned lazily, clearly just here to watch the drama.
“Comrade Chen Kai, this is not the time for your personal grudges!” Regiment Commander Lin shot him a cold look, signaling him to shut up.
Su Jinhui glanced at him indifferently. She had seen this name in the book—one of Yan Li’an’s few enemies in the army, someone who had caused trouble for the male lead both openly and in secret.
But now was not the time to worry about such matters. She clenched her fists and made up her mind. “I have a sixty percent chance. Let me perform his surgery.”
Everyone stared at her in shock. The military doctor looked at her with undisguised doubt. “You’re quite young. Have you studied medicine?”
“I’ve taught myself,” Su Jinhui answered truthfully.
“Have you performed surgery on people before?”
“I have…” Su Jinhui realized something and quickly corrected herself. “No, but I’ve practiced on animals.”
Chen Kai snorted with laughter. “Your courage is admirable, but you might as well give him a quick stab and be done with it.”
“Comrade Jinhui, I understand your desire to save him. But surgery is no child’s play—human lives are at stake. I do not agree. Doing this would be extremely irresponsible to both yourself and Li’an,” Regiment Commander Lin immediately rejected her proposal, leaving no room for discussion.
Su Jinhui grew increasingly anxious. “Please let me try! I won’t harm him!”
Her plea was met with silence.
The feeling of helplessness at this moment was even more profound than when she had faced medical violence in her previous life—words stuck in her throat, unable to be spoken. In desperation, she could only choose the risky path.
“Regiment Commander Lin, I, Su Jinhui, hereby swear a military oath to you. If I cannot save Comrade Yan Li’an, I am willing to be buried with him,” Su Jinhui said firmly, each word ringing with resolve.
Regiment Commander Lin stared at her in shock. “You truly have sixty percent confidence?”
“Yes. I would never gamble with my own life!” Su Jinhui glanced worriedly toward the operating room. “If you delay any longer, my sixty percent may drop to forty percent.”
They all understood that time was life.
Regiment Commander Lin gritted his teeth. “Fine. Go. Do your utmost!”
“Commander, how can you agree so easily? This is Deputy Regiment Commander Yan’s life at stake. They’re not even married yet—who knows if she’ll play tricks?” Chen Kai scrutinized her with a probing gaze.
Already busy putting on protective gear, Su Jinhui retorted immediately. “That’s easy. You can have the military doctors observe. If I make even a single move that isn’t meant to save him, arrest me on the spot.”
“Do it that way. Chen Kai, say less,” Regiment Commander Lin said unhappily, casting him a glance.
Everyone entered the operating room together. Yan Li’an was still unconscious, his face deathly pale and bloodless, his forehead covered in large beads of sweat.
Su Jinhui picked up the scalpel. Every cut was steady, precise, and ruthless—she dared not make the slightest mistake.
Twenty minutes passed. Maintaining extreme mental focus, Su Jinhui finally succeeded in removing the first piece of shrapnel.
Her technique was precise, her movements seasoned. The military doctor beside her stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
Just as everyone let out a sigh of relief, Su Jinhui suddenly cried out, “Oh no!”
She instinctively looked at the electrocardiogram paper. The waveform had disappeared, turning into a straight line—Yan Li’an’s heart had suddenly stopped!
Without time to think, Su Jinhui immediately began CPR, but there was no response.
Dead?
Was he really dead?
This wasn’t how the plot went in the book.
Su Jinhui’s mind went blank, yet her hands never stopped moving.
“His heart’s stopped—can he still be saved?” Chen Kai quietly walked over to the military doctor.
The doctor replied regretfully, “Prepare for the worst.”
The operating room was tiny, and their conversation was clearly heard by everyone.
Exhausted to the extreme, Su Jinhui still persisted in performing CPR.
This was the second life lost in her hands. She was unwilling to accept it! Yan Li’an could not die!
Chen Kai strode over. “Comrade Su, stop wasting your strength. We need to arrange for someone to prepare Deputy Regiment Commander Yan’s body—”
“He won’t die! He’s not dead!” Su Jinhui murmured.
More than answering Chen Kai, it was as if she were telling herself.
“Comrade Jinhui, you’ve done your best. Leave the rest to us,” Regiment Commander Lin said painfully.
Chen Kai signaled to the soldiers under him. “Hurry and take Comrade Su Jinhui away! Arrange for someone to prepare Comrade Yan Li’an’s remains.”
“I’m not leaving! He won’t die! I can save him!” Su Jinhui shouted hoarsely.
Just as two soldiers stepped forward to forcibly pull Su Jinhui away, the heart monitor suddenly let out a “beep,” and the lines on the paper began to fluctuate again…