"They say longing can make one ill. You've been thinking about her for five years; did you mishear her?"

The words died down, and Julian hadn't yet answered.

The president stood up and introduced the doctors from Lenoir Hospital one by one, arriving finally at me.

"I probably don't need to introduce this one. She was an excellent doctor in our cardiac surgery department—Clara Ke. I recall she used to be Dr. Julian’s best partner."

Zhan Hongling stood there, utterly paralyzed.

Julian looked straight at me, his heart feeling as though it were about to leap out of his throat.

At that moment, a Caucasian male doctor beside me smiled and spoke: "That’s in the past. Now, I am Dr. Ke’s best partner."

Chapter 33

The man’s tone sounded like a joke, but in this context, it carried an unmistakable edge of provocation.

Everyone looked toward him, and then some turned back to look at Julian.

Julian also looked at the male doctor.

Cassius, also a cardiac surgeon.

He and Clara Ke were currently the best partners?

Julian narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze turning icy.

There was no need to compete at a time like this, but he couldn't help himself. He spoke in a cold voice: "I have known Clara for over twenty years; that kind of bond isn't something anyone else can compare to."

Cassius smiled faintly: "At Lenoir Hospital, Dr. Ke is the lead surgeon, and I am her assistant."

"I must say, Dr. Ke is a truly outstanding physician. I heard she never served as a lead surgeon during her time at Qiming Hospital; that was quite a loss for many patients."

The remark was thinly veiled sarcasm.

What did he mean by that? It was clearly Clara Ke’s own choice to serve as a first assistant back then; why did he make it sound as if the hospital hadn't recognized her talent?

But no one said a word.

Everyone could sense the undercurrents of tension between Cassius and Julian.

It looked like a clash between the old partner and the new.

But the atmosphere... why did it feel as if they were jealous, fighting over a girlfriend?

Hearing Cassius’s words, Julian’s emotions—which he had been struggling to suppress—nearly broke through.

Ever since Clara Ke left, Julian had realized, far too late, what she had given up for his sake all those years.

Not everyone could be a lead surgeon; Clara had worked so hard for so many years, yet she had been content to be an assistant.

And while she had accompanied him in silence, he hadn't sensed her love in the slightest.

Julian had lived in regret for all these years.

Regardless of Cassius’s intentions, his words had undoubtedly provoked Julian.

Seeing his expression grow increasingly grim, Clara Ke spoke calmly: "There is no need to bring up the past. Everyone makes different choices at different stages of life."

The awkward atmosphere slowly eased under the weight of her words.

The president continued the introductions and proceeded to outline the exchange process between the two hospitals.

A total of fifteen doctors from Lenoir Hospital had come, assigned to corresponding departments, with an exchange period of three months.

After three months, Qiming Hospital would send fifteen doctors abroad to Lenoir Hospital for training.

Julian was stunned.

Three months. That meant Clara Ke would be staying for three months.

He couldn't help but look at me again.

We were sitting opposite each other. I didn't need to look away; I could see out of the corner of my eye that Julian had been staring at me from start to finish.

I understood his confusion, yet I also felt his gaze was far too intense.

In the memories of the ninety-nine lifetimes, Julian had never looked at me like this.

Why?

Though I didn't understand, I didn't dwell on it.

Once the three months passed, I would return to the United States, to Lenoir Hospital.

And in these three months, the relationship between Julian and me would not change.

The meeting soon ended.

Cassius stood two steps behind me, his body half-turned to talk to me as we walked out together.

Zhan Hongling had originally wanted to ask a few more questions, but when he turned around, Julian was already gone.

He would swear, this was the first time since he had known Julian that he had seen him move with such agility.

On the other side, Julian had already stepped out of the conference room.

He watched my retreating back and called out: "Clara, can we talk?"

Everyone around us stopped to watch.

In truth, they were incredibly curious. Her life had been deemed beyond saving; everyone had believed she was dead.

Yet, five years later, she had reappeared, perfectly unharmed.

Even her best "friend," Julian, hadn't known. Who wouldn't be curious?

And this time, my attitude toward Julian upon my return was clearly the exact opposite of what it had been five years ago.

They were all waiting for my answer.

Under the gaze of everyone present, I looked back at Julian, my voice flat: "Sure."

Chapter 34

Clara Ke seemed like a different person.

As Julian watched her back while they walked up to the rooftop, that was what he thought.

Everything looked exactly the same, yet her entire aura had changed.

What had changed most noticeably was her attitude toward him.

It was April, and the sun was bright.

I turned to face Julian, against the light: "What did you want to talk about?"

Julian was the one stunned.

What else was there to talk about?

Five years ago, these past five years, and the present.

Julian’s throat felt as if a knife were stuck in it. There were so many things he wanted to ask, yet he didn't know where to begin.

He looked into my dark, calm eyes, which held not a flicker of emotion, and his restless, agitated heart slowly quieted at that moment.

"You didn't die... what on earth happened?"

I raised an eyebrow: "I didn't die, are you disappointed?"

Julian’s heart skipped a beat: "Of course not! How could you think that?"

"I just want to know the truth... I want to know why you didn't tell me, even though you didn't die."

His voice grew lower and lower, his heart aching as if pierced by a blade.

It wasn't that he couldn't guess the reason for my departure—who would be willing to stay by someone's side forever as a mere background character?

Julian’s heart ached so much he could hardly speak.

I looked at him, not answering: "What do you think?"

"You knew I liked you, but you didn't like me back. If I didn't die, why would I come back to you? To do what? Continue watching you be with someone else?"

"Julian, do you have to be so cruel to me?"

No... that wasn't it.

Julian wanted to reach out and grab my hand: "Clara, listen to me, things aren't the way you think they are."

"I know this might sound absurd, but there was a system inside Nina's body, and that system made me develop feelings for her..."

"And after you went missing, Nina also used that system to erase my memories of you."

I frowned slightly, my hand at my side trembling almost imperceptibly.

So, that was what had happened back then?

And the system had said Nina failed; why would she have failed?

When Julian reached out, I subconsciously took a step back.

"Clara..." Julian’s breath hitched, his pupils trembling, but he ultimately lowered his hand. "Clara, believe me. After Nina appeared, my heartbeat no longer belonged to me."

"It wasn't until that system disappeared that I could feel there was no one manipulating me anymore."

Manipulating.

I couldn't help but think about the ninety-nine lifetimes I had experienced.

Could it be that in every single one, Julian’s emotions had been manipulated?

The system... did it treat itself, Julian, and every innocent person pulled into this, as nothing more than pawns to be toyed with?

I didn't have time to think, so I asked first: "Since you forgot me, how do you remember me now?"

Julian’s memory returned to that day five years ago.

"I dreamt of you... I dreamt that you told me I had to forget you. At the time, I couldn't see your face clearly, and I wouldn't have been able to remember."

"But the more you emphasized it in the dream, the more I subconsciously didn't want to forget."

"I struggled for a long time before I finally remembered you. And it was also from that moment on that my heart began to suffer from abnormal, excruciating pain. Later, I had a high fever, and when I woke up, that abnormal feeling was gone."

It was because the system had disappeared at that time.

In all the time I’d known Julian, this was the first time I’d heard him say so much in one breath.

But I didn't understand.