“Run! The fire’s spreading this way.”
“Don’t pull me! Get away from me!”
“What do we do…”
“Stop pushing…”
“Ah…”
Amid the chaotic footsteps and the crowd fleeing in every direction, Zhong Yu looked around in a daze, completely at a loss. Her head spun, nausea rising in waves from her chest, while large beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Someone shoved her hard from behind, sending her stumbling forward despite herself.
A piercing pain shot through her knee, and tears spilled uncontrollably from her eyes.
Through the blur of tears, she saw mottled walls, old doors and windows, and a long, dim corridor.
This place seemed strangely familiar.
Before her memories could fall into place, a young nurse called out anxiously from nearby:
“Doctor Zhong, are you all right? The fire is spreading fast, and the walls have already collapsed. The patients are evacuating. You need to get out too—quickly!”
Zhong Yu stiffened at the sound of that voice. It had been many years since anyone had called her Doctor Zhong.
Seeing her still standing there in a daze, the nurse stamped her foot anxiously, picked her way around the debris, and ran over to pull Zhong Yu up with all her strength.
“Doctor Zhong, you can’t just stand around in a daze at a time like this!”
She looked slender and frail, but she had quite a lot of strength in her hands.
That tug seemed to snap Zhong Yu back to reality, and her distant memories finally began to awaken.
The signs and posters pasted across the walls were far too conspicuous. This was where she had completed three years of standardized medical training after university—the Capital Medical University Affiliated Hospital.
Here, she had gained extensive clinical experience and had even stood at the operating table as the primary surgeon, clearly determining the direction of her future career.
But it was also here that a nightmarish fire had injured her hand, leaving her with no chance of ever standing at an operating table again.
And yet, although this place was so familiar to her, why did she still feel that something was wrong?
Nurse Xiaolin had always been brisk and energetic. Seeing that Zhong Yu was still standing there in a daze, she simply grabbed her and ran.
Zhong Yu followed instinctively, her mind a blank as though she were still trapped in a dream.
Her steps faltered. Just as they were about to run out of the corridor, a faint, childish voice reached her through the haze.
She turned her head toward the sound and saw a little girl of seven or eight standing helplessly in the doorway of a pediatric ward.
There was no adult accompanying her. Her right leg had been amputated, her face was deathly pale, and she wore an oversized hospital gown. Alone and helpless, she was frozen with terror.
Her frail figure looked utterly helpless. She could barely remain standing even while holding on to the door.
The wall was collapsing before her eyes, and the roof beam was about to come crashing down. The girl was in imminent danger!
Zhong Yu’s body went rigid for an instant, and her breathing quickened. Her palm began to grow faintly hot.
She remembered that the little girl was named Xu Qingqing. She had helped debride her wound.
Reality left her no time to hesitate or be afraid. She had no idea where she found the courage, but she clenched her fists and ran toward the girl.
Fearlessly, she charged into the firelight and scooped the little girl into her arms.
One second before the roof beam collapsed, she found the right spot and quickly rolled away.
A thunderous crash followed. The place where they had been standing became a heap of rubble. The onlookers were frightened pale, while Zhong Yu’s body trembled faintly, belated fear flooding through her.
Nurse Xiaolin rushed over, her voice shaking.
“Doctor Zhong, are you all right? Your hands are covered in blood!”
Zhong Yu came back to herself and instinctively moved her wrist.
Although the back of her hand was smeared with blood, the injuries were only abrasions. Her tendons and bones were unharmed.
After the lesson she had learned in her previous life, she knew how to protect herself.
The little girl in her arms had already fainted. Zhong Yu had shielded her carefully, and she had suffered no secondary injuries.
With some difficulty, Zhong Yu handed the girl over to Nurse Xiaolin. When she saw police officers rushing in at the end of the corridor, she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Once her mind relaxed, the discomfort in her body became even more pronounced. At last, she could no longer withstand the intense dizziness, and she lost consciousness.
Nurse Xiaolin had been watching her condition closely. Seeing that she was about to faint, she hurriedly caught her.
Fortunately, the fire had been brought under control by then, and help had arrived. The two of them were immediately sent to the inpatient department in the building ahead.
The building where the fire had started was old and in disrepair. It housed only the pediatrics and plastic surgery departments, while the newer building in front had escaped the fire.
The moment Zhong Yu was brought into the ward, Director Ni received the news.
He entered wearing a white coat stained with blood, his expression dark.
The moment Nurse Xiaolin saw him, she hurriedly vacated the space beside the bed and stood off to one side, as silent as a frightened cicada.
He was Zhong Yu’s supervising teacher as well as the hospital’s chief physician.
No one knew better than he did how precious Zhong Yu’s hands were. He carefully examined them first.
Only after confirming that she had not suffered any serious injury did he relax. He looked up at Nurse Xiaolin.
“Her family isn’t here. I’ll trouble you to keep an eye on her.”
Nurse Xiaolin nodded repeatedly. “Don’t worry, Director Ni. I understand.”
Ni Hui still had many patients to attend to. As the head of the plastic surgery department, he had a mountain of matters waiting for him and could not stay long.
Only after watching Director Ni leave did Nurse Xiaolin close the door.
She was also a nurse in the plastic surgery department. Director Ni had told the hospital long ago that their building was unsafe and should not be used, but their department was not valued as highly as the others, and no one had paid attention to him.
Now that something had really happened, there would be plenty of wrangling to come. Neither the injured patients nor Director Ni would be easy to placate.
At that moment, Zhong Yu could no longer distinguish dream from reality. She only remembered that one of her students had invited her to a museum exhibition, saying that many calligraphy works and paintings had recently been unearthed.
Aside from her work and research, painting was her only hobby, so she had been very interested.
After wandering around the museum, however, the calligraphy and paintings did not attract much of her attention.
Instead, the Rebirth Vine sitting quietly on display aroused her curiosity. The guide had explained that the tomb owner had placed the vine inside jade, where it had remained unchanged for a thousand years.
It looked as though it had only just been picked, still lush and glistening with life. Two vines were tightly entwined, possessing a magical quality that made it impossible to look away.
Zhong Yu could not resist its attraction and walked toward it of her own accord.
Just as she drew close and leaned in for a better look, the Rebirth Vine moved.
It flew toward her strangely, coiling tightly around her hand. It constricted harder and harder, piercing into her flesh and bone…
Remembering what had happened, Zhong Yu awoke drenched in sweat and still shaken. The pain in her hand seemed to linger, and she hurriedly looked around.
She was in a half-renovated hospital room decorated in the style of the 1980s or 1990s. There were no other patients.
Everything that had happened before was real. Zhong Yu raised her hand, certain that the Rebirth Vine was responsible for it all.
She could feel the vine parasitizing her hand. Carefully, she peeled back the gauze.
The back of her hand, which had originally been covered in abrasions, had completely healed. It looked as though she had never been injured at all.
Zhong Yu’s pupils contracted. She quickly rewrapped the gauze. She could not let anyone see her hand now.
In the 1980s and 1990s, very few people managed to get into university. Every one of them was an exceptional figure in their field, with an extraordinary mind, and Zhong Yu was no exception.
Although she did not know what the Rebirth Vine intended, since it had taken root inside her body, it surely would not let her die easily.
Returning to her youth could not be a bad thing.
Zhong Yu continued comforting herself. When she suddenly saw her young and beautiful reflection in the mirror, she was dazed for a moment.
She had always been beautiful, with a small face and large features—the striking beauty of someone with a strong visual presence.
Her eyes seemed to hold the waters of spring, and when she smiled, her expression was gentle and tender.
She had copied countless paintings of beautiful women. It might sound immodest to say so, but her face could easily serve as a model for plastic surgery.
Unfortunately, she had never devoted much thought to her clothes or appearance.
After washing her face and calming down, Zhong Yu gathered her spirits and walked out of the ward.
If she remembered correctly, this should be the final year of her standardized medical training.
She had enrolled in an eight-year direct doctoral program, then spent the final three years in standardized training at the Capital Medical University Affiliated Hospital. She had already passed the required physician licensing examination.
Once she communicated with her supervising teacher, Teacher Ni, and passed the attending physician assessment, she would be able to graduate.
The hospital had also vaguely hinted that she might have the opportunity to stay and work there.
In her previous life, her injured hand had left her with no choice but to remain at the university as a teacher. This time, she should not make the same choice.
After all, she was completing her training at a hospital, and a minor injury would not prevent her from working.
The hospital was short-staffed after the fire.
She hurried to the outpatient hall, where she could hear Teacher Ni’s roar from a distance. His anger had reached its peak.
The moment she approached, Nurse Xiaolin stopped her.
“Doctor Zhong, why did you come out too? You’re still injured. You need to get more rest.”
Zhong Yu could no longer clearly remember her—or perhaps she had never met her at all. But the nurse was wearing a name badge, and when Zhong Yu saw the name, a vague impression surfaced.
“Sister Xiaolin, I heard Teacher Ni’s voice. What happened to him?”
Nurse Xiaolin said indignantly:
“The director is trying to shirk responsibility. We just heard that a patient died because of the fire. A death is no small matter, and our department absolutely cannot take the blame.
“Don’t worry. Director Ni isn’t someone they can push around, especially with so many eyes watching.”
Plastic surgery had little status at the time. The department mostly treated burn scars or performed reconstructive procedures for physical deformities.
Since it could not generate revenue for the hospital, it naturally had little say in anything.
But Teacher Ni had been among the earliest people in the country to go abroad to study plastic surgery techniques. His academic standing was beyond question. Even the hospital director did not dare manipulate him lightly.
Sure enough, Teacher Ni pressed forward aggressively and refused to yield an inch, leaving the director to retreat step by step.
A doctor’s job was not merely to treat illnesses and save lives; handling interpersonal relationships was equally important.
Ni Hui was not the sort to bury his nose in books. Taking advantage of the situation, he put forward a demand and secured the office area at the easternmost end of the new building.
Standing outside the crowd, Zhong Yu watched the spectacle with an unconscious smile.
Her teacher was still just as crafty. When she had studied under him, she had suffered no shortage of losses and hardships at his hands.
Still, watching him debate an entire crowd was rather entertaining.
Then something suddenly occurred to her, and her pupils contracted.
Wait—Teacher Ni’s age was wrong.
When Zhong Yu had been completing her training, Teacher Ni’s hair had already been completely white. He could not possibly look like a man in his forties or fifties.
Cold sweat ran down Zhong Yu’s body. Although she had returned, it seemed she had returned to another parallel world.
Zhong Yu searched through the memories in her mind. Although the timeline was different, all the familiar people were still there.
She worked hard to steady her emotions. In this life, her teacher would not have to grieve over her again, would he?
Ni Hui settled the matter quickly and withdrew once he had secured what he wanted. The moment he turned around, he saw Zhong Yu standing there.
He immediately wiped the smile from his face, frowned, and pointed at her irritably.
“Do you think you have a death wish? You’re injured that badly and you’re still trying to act tough. Go back and rest!”
Zhong Yu knew that he was protecting her and smiled faintly.
“Teacher, my external injuries aren’t serious. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
Ni Hui was only half convinced. He guessed that she had been under too much pressure recently.
As they walked, he comforted her.
“Don’t worry too much about the attending physician assessment. I know exactly what level you’re at. Even if the hospital leadership only gives you a passing grade, I can still get you a position here.”
Zhong Yu was an exceptionally cold-hearted person, and there were very few people she allowed into her heart. Teacher Ni was one of them.
“I know. I just haven’t decided whether I want to stay.”
Director Ni stopped in his tracks, his face clouding with displeasure.
“So you’re planning to cross the river and tear down the bridge?”
Zhong Yu quickly waved her hands.
“You’ve misunderstood, Teacher. You know my mother is still in Hai City. She’s my only relative, and after so many years of studying away from home, I haven’t been by her side to fulfill my filial duty. I still need to hear what she thinks.”
That was the truth. As a parent himself, Director Ni understood her feelings.
“You just need to think it through. Hai City is also an international metropolis, and its prospects are no worse than those of the capital.”
Zhong Yu nodded in agreement. She understood the direction future development would take and had continued studying without interruption.
No matter where she worked in the future, there would always be a place for her.