A man’s urgent voice immediately came through the phone.
“Boss, Xiao Guang is injured, critically. Jun Nan is performing emergency surgery.”
Since they were close together, Gu Ran also heard the conversation. She instantly guessed who the caller was, and a flicker of guilt passed through her eyes.
Zuo Yanchen, like Li Junnan, was one of Fu Sijue’s most trusted friends. Currently serving as the Chief Commander of Z Country Alliance Base, District One, he was essentially Fu Sijue’s subordinate.
However, Gu Ran had no impression of the Xiao Guang mentioned in the call.
Suddenly, memories from her previous life surged forth. In her past life, after she woke up from this fever, Fu Sijue had let her go. But she had heard about events that happened to Fu Sijue around this time—apparently, one of his close friends had died in an accident.
If the timeline matched, then the Xiao Guang Zuo Yanchen mentioned was likely that person.
At this realization, Gu Ran grew even more anxious than Fu Sijue. She remembered that this friend’s death had caused Fu Sijue’s position in the Alliance organization to become unstable.
Now it seemed this was all part of someone’s scheme.
Han Muze, Fu Sijue’s biggest rival within the Alliance organization and the person who had ultimately caused both their deaths in her previous life—how much was he involved in this matter?
By now, Fu Sijue had already put on his scattered coat from the floor. Noticing Gu Ran’s dazed expression, he leaned down and spoke gently.
“Ranran, I need to go out for something. Rest early, be good.”
After speaking, Fu Sijue turned to leave, but before he could move, the hem of his clothes was tugged by Gu Ran.
“Ranran?”
“I’m coming with you.”
As she spoke, Gu Ran picked up the down jacket that had fallen nearby and walked toward the door, saying while moving,
“Wait a moment, I need to get something.”
Fu Sijue watched as Gu Ran hurried to the study across the hall. When she emerged, she carried a velvet pouch—Fu Sijue knew it was the case for her silver needles.
Countless questions filled Fu Sijue’s mind, but given the urgent situation, now wasn’t the time to ask. He hurried downstairs with Gu Ran.
Dan Zuo must have received the news too, as he was already waiting in the living room when they descended.
“Milord, the car is at the entrance. Is Miss Gu coming along?”
Dan Zuo asked curiously, since Gu Ran hadn’t left Tan Palace since her arrival, except for several failed escape attempts.
Fu Sijue simply nodded, and Dan Zuo followed them out of the main building.
With Dan Zuo personally driving, the three of them disappeared into the pitch-black night.
Gu Ran watched the iron gate gradually receding through the car window, feeling somewhat dazed. Suddenly, she felt warmth spreading from her palm. Turning, she met Fu Sijue’s questioning gaze.
Gu Ran smiled faintly and murmured,
“Well, this is the first time I’m leaving through the main gate so openly.”
Though Gu Ran’s words held a hint of jest, Fu Sijue detected deeper meaning in them. He tightened his grip on her hand.
“Ranran, I never meant to confine you. I… I was just afraid you’d leave.”
Sensing Fu Sijue’s caution, Gu Ran covered his hand with her other one, smiled again, and softly replied.
“I know, but I won’t be that foolish anymore. When I, Gu Ran, give my word, I never take it back. Since I’ve said I’ll be with you for a lifetime, then it will be a lifetime.”
Dan Zuo, who was driving in the front seat, saw the affectionate couple in the back through the rearview mirror and felt happy for his master. Milord had finally persevered through hardship to see the light—Miss Gu had finally recognized Milord’s goodness.
Tan Palace was far from the bustling city, and their destination appeared to be one of Li Junnan’s private villas.
Dan Zuo sped along the road. Fortunately, it was already late at night, and there were few vehicles. In half an hour, the three of them arrived at a private villa located in the eastern part of Nan City.
The surroundings were pitch black, with only this villa brightly lit. From a distance, they could see people moving in and out.
As soon as their car stopped at the entrance, several people hurried over.
“Milord, Captain Zuo.”
They greeted respectfully, though their current state was somewhat disheveled—almost everyone was stained with blood.
Fu Sijue, standing nearby, instinctively glanced at the girl beside him. However, upon seeing the calmness in Gu Ran’s eyes and the serene expression on her face, his brow furrowed slightly.
Most people would likely show fear in such a situation, but Gu Ran’s demeanor suggested she was accustomed to it.
The others also noticed Gu Ran beside Fu Sijue, but they refrained from commenting and instead cleared a path.
“How is Xiao Guang’s condition?”
“He has multiple injuries, including a penetrating wound to the abdomen. The most severe is in his chest—the injury is too close to the heart. Doctor Li is still in the operating room.”
The man at the forefront briefly explained Xiao Guang’s condition. Judging by his appearance, his left arm was bandaged, indicating he was also injured.
Hearing this, Fu Sijue’s expression grew even more somber. He looked at the men before him and said, “You all go rest for now. I’ll keep an eye on Xiao Guang.”
But the men didn’t move. The one who had spoken earlier had red-rimmed eyes, his voice choked with emotion. “Milord, the captain got injured saving me. He could have escaped. I need to wait here until he comes out of the operating room.”
“Yes, Milord, we all want to wait for the captain to come out.”
Without hesitation, Fu Sijue nodded, and the group headed toward the temporary operating room in the villa.
Just as they reached the operating room door, someone rushed out, looking panicked—a sign that the situation inside was not good.
“Lao Jia, how is the captain?”
It was the same man who had spoken earlier, rushing up to Lao Jia.
Seeing Fu Sijue, Lao Jia immediately reported, “Milord, the captain has lost too much blood and urgently needs type A blood. The reserve supply here is almost used up. Also, the shrapnel in his chest is difficult to remove. Doctor Li doesn’t seem very confident either.”
“We’re all type A. Take our blood, Lao Jia. Everyone in our squad has the same blood type.”
As the men clamored for Lao Jia to draw their blood, Gu Ran gently tugged at Fu Sijue’s sleeve.
“Ranran?”
“Ah Jue, let me go in. I promise to return a healthy person to you.”
At this moment, Gu Ran’s expression was especially serious, devoid of any other emotion.
Fu Sijue was taken aback. His dark eyes met Gu Ran’s resolute and clear gaze, and he instinctively believed her words. He only said one thing: “I’ll go in with you.”
Her tone was firm and brooked no argument.
Gu Ran thought for a moment and felt that having Fu Sijue accompany her inside would facilitate her treatment of the person called Xiao Guang, so she nodded in agreement.
Immediately, Fu Sijue called out to Lao Jia, while the others had already been arranged to take turns donating blood.
“Lao Jia, prepare two sets of sterile surgical gowns.”
Lao Jia didn’t hesitate. Their group had always unconditionally obeyed Fu Sijue’s commands.
Ten minutes later, Fu Sijue and Gu Ran, dressed in sterile surgical attire, entered the operating room.
Upon entering, Gu Ran was still astonished by the comprehensive equipment inside. The facilities in this operating room were more advanced than those in some ordinary hospitals.
There were three other people in the operating room. The one in the lead surgeon’s position was Li Junnan. Although he wore a mask, the tension in his eyes was still evident.
Beside him, an anesthesiologist kept a close watch on the nearby instruments, also looking very tense. Clearly, Xiao Guang on the operating table was in critical condition.
“Has the blood bag not arrived yet?”
Li Junnan spoke up just as Lao Jia walked in.
“Wait another ten minutes. How is the situation now?”
“Blood pressure is dropping further. Doctor Li, the patient’s heartbeat is almost gone,” the anesthesiologist nervously reported the current condition.
At that moment, a clear voice rang out in the operating room.
“I’m taking over this surgery.”
Everyone in the operating room except Fu Sijue was stunned, especially Lao Jia, who had just brought the two in. He had assumed they only wanted to check on Xiao Guang’s condition.
Li Junnan, the lead surgeon, looked up, about to question who was causing trouble, when he met Fu Sijue’s pitch-black eyes and saw the determination in them. Still, he couldn’t hold back.
He had already recognized who the person beside Fu Sijue was. He thought Fu Sijue had gone mad, bringing that madwoman who had thrown Tan Palace into chaos here and even allowing her to act so recklessly.
“Brother Fu?”
“Jun Nan, I trust Ranran. I’ll take full responsibility for any consequences.”
With Fu Sijue’s words, no one in the operating room dared to object, though they were extremely curious about the identity of the woman beside him.
Ignoring them, Gu Ran had already moved to Li Junnan’s side, placing the set of silver needles she had prepared nearby.
Seeing that Li Junnan showed no intention of stepping aside, she calmly said, “Don’t delay me from saving a life.”
Li Junnan was instantly furious, but before he could speak, Fu Sijue pulled him away.
“Milord, who is this…?”
Lao Jia had just seen Gu Ran’s face. She looked almost like a minor, but he felt that Milord wasn’t the type to act irresponsibly.
“A doctor. Just cooperate with her.”
Fu Sijue’s answer left everyone present speechless. Wasn’t that stating the obvious? Since she was taking over Li Junnan’s position as lead surgeon, she had to be a doctor.
Just as Lao Jia was about to ask more, he saw Gu Ran swiftly take out six silver needles and, with a speed so fast it created afterimages, insert them into six acupoints on Xiao Guang’s body.
Li Junnan was about to shout that this was reckless when the anesthesiologist beside him suddenly exclaimed excitedly, “Heart rate is rising! Blood pressure is coming up too!”
At that, Li Junnan immediately fell silent. Lao Jia and a surgical assistant also quieted down.
All eyes were fixed on Gu Ran.
Gu Ran paid no mind, her gaze fixed on the life monitor beside her. After about ten seconds, she finally took the next step.
“Surgery begins. Removing the shrapnel from the patient’s chest. Scalpel.”
Her tone was cool, yet carried an undeniable authority.
For some reason, those who had been skeptical moments ago now moved in unison to the operating table. Li Junnan, in particular, cooperatively positioned himself beside Gu Ran as the lead surgeon’s assistant.
“The wound is too close to the heart and aorta… This will be quite challenging…”
Li Junnan kindly explained the patient’s current condition. Just as he wondered whether to switch positions with Gu Ran, he saw her scalpel already cutting into Xiao Guang’s wound.
The speed of her movements and the proficiency of her technique suggested years of surgical experience—hundreds of operations, perhaps. Even Li Junnan, hailed as a surgical prodigy, felt outmatched.
“This… Miss Gu, you…”
Li Junnan was so astonished he lost the ability to form coherent sentences, stammering fragmented words.
Fu Sijue, who had been observing the entire procedure from a distance, transitioned from initial tension to surprise, and finally to complete calm—or perhaps numbness.
With a crisp “clink,” the shrapnel landed on the metal tray, signaling the approaching end of the surgery. The entire process had taken less than ten minutes.
“Patient’s vital signs?”
Gu Ran did not rush to suture, instead asking in a light, calm voice.
“All stable. Blood pressure has normalized, and heart rate is nearly stable.”
The anesthesiologist didn’t even notice the tremor in her own voice. Her words visibly eased the tension in the operating room.
“Suturing is yours to handle. Notify me when it’s done.”
With that, Gu Ran stepped away from the lead surgeon’s position and walked directly to a chair in the corner.
Though the surgery lasted only about ten minutes, it was mentally draining. Gu Ran could feel her back damp with sweat.
“Tired? Should we step out first?”
Seeing Gu Ran leave the operating table, Fu Sijue immediately approached. Noticing the fine beads of sweat on her forehead, he gently wiped them away.
Gu Ran leaned softly into Fu Sijue’s embrace, allowing him to hold her, and shook her head.
“I still need to remove the silver needles later. Don’t worry, he’s not in life-threatening danger. After 24 hours of observation, as long as there’s no fever, he’ll just need bed rest. I’ll prescribe a traditional Chinese medicine formula—one week of conditioning, and I guarantee he’ll be lively again.”
“Mm, I trust you.”
Hearing this, Gu Ran smiled beneath her mask. How blind she had been in her past life—this man was so wonderful, yet she had never noticed.
Li Junnan sutured quickly as well. About ten minutes later, he yielded the position back to Gu Ran.
Gu Ran did not rush to remove the needles. Instead, she first took Xiao Guang’s pulse, then applied needles to several of his acupoints. After waiting another ten minutes or so, she began withdrawing the needles.
Throughout the process, everyone watched Gu Ran with intense curiosity.
Though Li Junnan specialized in Western medicine, he had some knowledge of traditional Chinese medicine. Witnessing Gu Ran’s masterful needle technique, his eyes filled with fascination.
“Miss Gu, if I’m not mistaken, the needles you initially used on Xiao Guang were Hemostatic Needles, correct?”
Gu Ran didn’t conceal anything either, nodding as she continued with her movements.
Seeing this, Li Junnan asked again.
“But I noticed your Hemostatic Needles are quite different from those used by other traditional Chinese medicine practitioners? Please don’t misunderstand, I’m not doubting you, just curious.”
“They are indeed somewhat different. This particular needle technique not only stops bleeding but also protects the patient’s heart meridian.”
Hearing this, a glint flashed in Li Junnan’s eyes, and his gaze fell upon Gu Ran once more. This time, however, his look carried an additional layer of scrutiny and astonishment.