Three years later.
The stark glow of the fluorescent lights cast long, sterile shadows across the hospital halls, the steady hum of medical equipment blending with the murmur of quiet conversations.
Among the group of interns gathered for their morning briefing, a woman stood in calm silence.
Her long, wavy dark brown hair was tied into a neat bun, some strands framing her face softly, a striking contrast against the crisp uniform.
She didn't stand out by force, didn't demand attention—yet somehow, she had it.
There was something in the way she carried herself, a quiet elegance that made people take notice without quite knowing why.
Time had softened the sharp edges of her features, but her dark eyes remained the same—steady, unreadable, like a painting layered with stories no one had fully uncovered.
Dr. Luo, their senior physician, skimmed through his clipboard.
"Today, your rotations remain the same, with a few adjustments," he began, eyes scanning the list.
"Wang Jie, cardiology. Chen Lan, neurology."
One by one, names were called, each intern receiving their duties for the day.
"Zhao Yufei, general surgery," Dr. Luo continued without pause.
Zhao Yufei exhaled softly, nodding as she took her assignment.
"Lin Yuhan, orthopedics."
A murmur of acknowledgment.
"There's a patient in Pediatrics who requires closer observation, so we'll be rotating the assigned intern. Wei Shu, you covered the case yesterday. Today, Li Xiyan, you'll be taking over."
Dr. Luo gestured to the patient list. "Pediatrics, immunology ward. Chronic Granulomatous Disease—severe complications. Review her file and monitor her closely."
A few heads turned in her direction, but Li Xiyan merely nodded, expression unreadable.
Dr. Luo continued, listing the rest of the assignments before giving a curt nod. "That's all. Get to work."
The moment he left, Wei Shu turned toward Li Xiyan, leaning in conspiratorially. "Good luck, seriously. That little girl is impossible."
Li Xiyan raised a brow. "She's a child."
Wei Shu let out a dramatic sigh, rubbing her temples. "A stubborn, sharp-tongued little tyrant. She glares at everyone like she's been here longer than we have. But, I mean—her dad is ridiculously handsome, so I guess it's worth it."
Li Xiyan smirked. "If Dr. Luo heard you, he'd have you stuck with an extra shift."
Wei Shu rolled her eyes. "Please, don't jinx me like that. Anyway, did I mention they're in the best private room? They're super wealthy. Like, more money than sense, and it's impossible not to notice."
She shrugged. "The kid's a handful, but at least the family's got some perks."
Li Xiyan didn't respond immediately.
She walked over to the workstation, logging into the hospital's electronic records and quickly scanned through the details.
Patient: Shen Rui, 5 years old.
Diagnosis: Chronic Granulomatous Disease (CGD)—a rare genetic disorder that causes recurrent infections due to a defect in the immune system. Shen Rui was admitted for acute complications, including persistent fever and difficulty breathing.
Room Number: VIP Suite 501
Department: Pediatrics – Immunology and Infectious Disease Ward
Floor: 5th Floor
Primary Guardian: Shen Yuze, father.
Li Xiyan's fingers stilled on the keyboard.
The name hit her like a punch to the gut, and for a brief moment, everything around her seemed to stop.
She hadn't seen it in over three years—not since she'd lived as Yan Xiuran, heir to the Yan family.
The wealth. The power. The rivalry with Shen Yuze.
Her muscles went rigid.
The sterile hospital air, once comforting, now felt like a weight pressing down on her chest.
She had buried that life—buried the rivalry, the anger, the constant battle with him.
Yet, just seeing his name brought it all flooding back.
Shen Yuze.
The man who always stayed two steps ahead, who always managed to outshine her.
He was the one she had to outmaneuver to prove she was worthy—but it was a fight that never truly ended.
Not until she walked away, erased Yan Xiuran from her life, and started fresh.
She had worked so hard to leave that life behind, to become Li Xiyan and escape the weight of Yan Xiuran and everything it represented.
And now, his name appeared once again—in the most unlikely place: a hospital file.
What shocked her even more was the fact that Shen Yuze now had a daughter.
When she left, he was still single. But then again, it wasn't that surprising.
At 26, he had built a life for himself, while she was still in the process of starting over.
"Li Xiyan?"
The voice cut through her thoughts, and she blinked quickly, trying to shake off the wave of panic.
It was Zhao Shufei, her face soft with concern as she looked down at her from the side.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Xiyan froze for a beat, her mind still tangled in memories she couldn't escape.
Slowly, she nodded, taking a breath to steady herself.
"I'm fine," she said, her voice cooler than usual.
She exhaled, trying to clear the storm brewing inside her.
She couldn't afford to get lost in the past, not when a child's life was at stake.
Her eyes skimmed the rest of the details, and she allowed herself to sink into the clinical data, hoping the medical information would provide the distance she so desperately needed.
Medical History:
CGD: Diagnosed at age 2.
Frequent hospitalizations for respiratory infections, skin abscesses, and other complications associated with CGD.
Recent Complications: On Tuesday morning, Shen Rui was rushed in with severe bacterial pneumonia and sepsis. Her white blood cell count was critically low, requiring immediate intervention.
Medications: Long-term use of antibiotics and antifungals to manage infections, with corticosteroid treatments during flare-ups.
Allergies: None reported.
Family History: No history of genetic disorders in Shen family.
Zhao Shufei studied her, clearly not convinced.
Li Xiyan closed the patient file, her fingers lingering over the keys for a moment longer than necessary. With a final, deep breath, she logged out of the system.
She stood up, smoothing her coat, and gave herself one last glance in the reflection of the monitor.
Then stepped out of the workstation, and started walking towards the elevator, with Zhao Shufei walking next to her.