However, his first assistant for surgeries was still rotated among the various interns.

The intern in front of him immediately replied upon hearing this: "Dr. Julian, I am willing to be your first assistant."

This made Julian pause for a brief moment.

But only for a few seconds before he regained his composure and nodded: "Fine, go ahead and arrange it."

With that, he closed the medical file and handed it back.

However, the intern didn't move.

Julian looked up in confusion, only to see the intern suddenly blush. Her resolute expression suggested she had made a firm decision: "Dr. Julian, what I meant was... I am willing to be your permanent first assistant."

Julian’s gaze turned icy in an instant: "Reason."

The intern lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes: "I... I feel that by being your first assistant, I can learn a lot."

Julian’s tone didn't soften in the slightest: "You can learn from all the doctors here. You are hardworking and will soon be off probation. If you perform well, other doctors can support you, and you might get a chance to be the lead surgeon."

"If you insist on always being my first assistant, you will lose that opportunity."

The intern looked up abruptly: "I am willing to give up the opportunity to be the lead surgeon!"

Chapter 29

The intern’s declaration was firm and resonant, as if she had made up her mind.

And these words...

Julian couldn't help but think of Clara Ke.

But his expression grew even colder and more somber: "I don't care who you heard these things from. Put these thoughts away. If you don't want to be a good cardiac surgeon, I will have you transferred to another department."

Having said that, he lowered his eyes back to his work notes and issued his final dismissal: "Get out."

The intern’s face turned ghastly pale; having just graduated, she couldn't handle such a rejection.

Her eyes reddened immediately, and she ran out.

The door had barely been closed for a moment when it was pushed open again.

"Dr. Julian, how many interns is that who have run out of your office like that this year?"

A man walked in, his tone flippant and his face wearing a look of amusement.

Zhan Hongling, who had voluntarily transferred from the Capital Hospital to Qiming Hospital the year before last.

Many people couldn't understand why he would give up a promising future to be a minor doctor at Qiming Hospital.

His given reason was: "I’d long heard of a brilliant cardiac surgeon, and I was determined to become friends with him. Besides, who says Qiming Hospital isn't as good as the Capital's? With Dr. Julian and me working together, the cardiac surgery department at Qiming will be invincible!"

Julian was cold by nature and a man of few words.

Zhan Hongling was the complete opposite.

Everyone in the hospital thought they could never be friends. After all, for so many years, the only friend Julian had was his childhood sweetheart, Clara Ke.

And ever since Clara Ke died, everyone in the hospital felt that Julian had become a different person.

Although he hadn't been talkative before, there had been a sense of vitality about him.

Later, that was gone; he was like a cold, living sculpture—walking, breathing, and eating, but radiating a sense of aloofness that kept everyone at a distance.

This situation persisted until Zhan Hongling arrived.

To everyone's surprise, he had actually become Julian’s friend.

Though most of the time, he was just pestering Julian, insisting on chatting with him.

Hearing Zhan Hongling’s voice, Julian didn't even lift his head: "Plenty of them run out of your office like that, too."

Zhan Hongling raised an eyebrow: "Oh, you’re hitting back at me now? That’s real progress."

"But you seem particularly angry this time. Did that girl say something she shouldn't have?"

Sometimes, Julian truly admired Zhan Hongling.

Even though he knew nothing, he somehow seemed to know everything.

"No." Julian closed his notes, capped his fountain pen, and got up to walk out.

Zhan Hongling immediately followed: "Going to eat, right? Let's go together. Can I use your meal card today? I forgot mine."

Julian put his hands in his pockets: "I saw it in your pocket. Stop freeloading off me."

"Fine, fine, your eyesight is truly good. Tomorrow I'll just leave it at home so I can trick you." Zhan Hongling waved his hand helplessly and threw an arm around Julian’s shoulder.

Julian sidestepped to avoid his hand and continued walking forward: "Since you told me, that trick won't work anymore."

Zhan Hongling chuckled: "I really don't know what to do with you. Can't you just pretend you didn't hear it?"

Talking, the two arrived at the cafeteria.

The others were long used to seeing them together.

However, ever since Clara Ke left, rumors had begun circulating in the hospital that Julian had been in love with her.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have been so heartbroken, pouring all his focus into the hospital and his patients.

He was at the hospital almost every day, yet he went home every single night.

Later, some thought Julian was secretly married, hiding his beloved at home.

Julian had never liked gossip, so he openly stated that he went home every day to take care of his cat.

Over these five years, the "Little Bad" at home had grown into "Big Bad" and "Fat Bad."

Julian found it a companion, and the two cats kept having litters, which Julian would carefully raise before giving them away one by one.

The cats had found their pairs, yet Julian himself remained single.

Many had expressed their feelings to Julian, both directly and indirectly, and without exception, they were all rejected.

Seniors at the hospital had tried to set Julian up on blind dates, which he also declined.

Later, when Zhan Hongling appeared and the two started being inseparable, some couldn't help but speculate: Could it be that Julian liked men?

Chapter 30

This rumor was quickly debunked by Zhan Hongling himself. Upon hearing people whispering about it, he stepped forward and righteously emphasized that he liked women—and pretty ones at that.

His friendship with Julian was purely platonic, like the legendary bond between Boya and Ziqi.

Julian couldn't have cared less.

But judging by Julian’s expression at the time, it seemed he really wanted to say: That’s not it.

Julian ate a light meal, while Zhan Hongling’s plate was piled high with meat and fish.

As they sat across from each other, halfway through the meal, Zhan Hongling suddenly spoke: "By the way, have you heard? Several cardiac surgeons from the United States are coming to our hospital for an exchange this afternoon."

Zhan Hongling was full of excitement: "I hope there are a few pretty female doctors; I can engage in some international exchanges with them."

Julian gave a noncommittal "Mm," but showed little interest.

Zhan Hongling had long been used to his monk-like face.

Zhan Hongling let out a scoff and took out his phone, flashing a photo in front of Julian: "I specifically asked for a photo, you know."

Julian glanced at it subconsciously, then tried to look away.

But in that one glance, he thought he caught a familiar face among those Caucasian features.

He grabbed Zhan Hongling’s hand almost instinctively: "Wait!"

Zhan Hongling pressed the screen off: "Heh, you didn't want to look. Now you want to? I'm not showing you."

Julian looked up at him; his expression was cold, yet his eyes were strangely slightly red.

Zhan Hongling was taken aback: "It shouldn't be that serious... I know it looks a bit like that person, but you don't have to be this emotional..."

Julian stayed cold-faced and silent.

"I’m really afraid of you." Zhan Hongling quickly unlocked his phone and held it up to Julian: "Look then."

Julian hurriedly lowered his eyes to look.

Among the white doctors in the photo stood a Chinese woman.

It wasn't a hallucination...

Julian felt a stinging in his eyes; his heart, which had been silent for five years, began to pound at this moment.

That person... she looked exactly like Clara Ke!

If it were only a resemblance, it was far too close.

But Clara Ke was clearly...

Julian stared fixedly at that face, trying to find a single feature that was different from Clara Ke’s.

It was impossible; Clara Ke was clearly dead.

He had watched the surveillance and footage from the skydiving base; Clara Ke had not opened her parachute even after passing the minimum deployment altitude. Although the later footage was obscured by the mountain, it was impossible to survive a fall from a thousand meters.

Even if they hadn't found her body, and even if there was a one-in-a-thousand chance she had fallen into that river... she had a brain tumor.

And most importantly, there was a system back then...

Julian’s typically calm brain felt as though it had burned out.