"Yeah, I want to go to medical school," Lou Yu said quietly.
"Oh, I remember now, you did tell me you wanted to be a doctor," Ji Yun said, looking suddenly enlightened.
Alright, during their childhood playtimes, Lou Yu indeed played the role of a little doctor.
It seemed that fate had ordained...
My old life now depends on you, Sister Lou Yu!
"I heard that medical studies are tough, I'm afraid I won't do well," Lou Yu said.
"It suits you well, I think you were born for medicine. When we played house back then, you used two hard buns to give me CPR, and I still remember your very professional technique!" Ji Yun said.
Upon hearing this, Lou Yu's cheeks turned red.
Why bring up such a minor thing now!
"Lou Yu, it's time for us to rehearse," the fair-skinned girl said at that moment.
Ji Yun couldn't quite remember the girl's name and was somewhat annoyed that she was interrupting his reminiscing with Lou Yu about their childhood days, but he said nothing.
"That... Qiu Mo is waiting for you, aren't you going over?" Lou Yu suddenly whispered to Ji Yun, pointing at Qiu Mo under the banyan tree.
"Qiu Mo? Don't know him, not familiar!" Ji Yun said, with an unwavering sense of righteousness.
"Huh? But I heard them say that you had agreed..." Lou Yu's voice trailed off.
"Lou Yu, let's go, the others will get upset if we don't hurry!" the fair-skinned girl urged a bit impatiently.
"Oh, okay." Lou Yu responded, saying to Ji Yun, "I have to go rehearse, it's not good to keep others waiting."
"Mm-hmm, go ahead, and stick to your little goal. Also, brother has another small suggestion for you, if you really become a doctor, remember to get to the hospital early to get familiar with the work environment. Try to participate less in those media interviews out there," Ji Yun said.
Lou Yu was already a bit dazed during her girlhood, and upon hearing Ji Yun's words, her face expressed an even more dumbfounded innocence.
Ji Yun maintained a smile, as if he were a beacon guiding someone through life, as time brewed in the rain, allowing fate to ferment.
He glanced back at the time, it was 10:06 AM.
He would probably be too late to have an attack in front of Qiu Mo.
Just wait then!
This time, his death in the hospital was at 10:08 AM.
So, the time he could stay on campus...
At that moment, a melodious musical intro started playing over the school's PA system, followed by a sound like someone gently tapping the microphone.
8 minutes!
As expected!!
That meant the length of time he could stay in the past depended on how long he could last during the resuscitation process!
In the hospital, if there was no sign of life at 10:07 AM, that meant he had 7 minutes of experience time when he returned to the past.
In the hospital, if there was no sign of life at 10:08 AM, that meant he had 8 minutes of experience time when he returned to the past.
"So, if what I do in the past during this limited time affects the emergency medical treatment in the hospital ten years later, I could survive!"
"I could save myself ten years in the future!"
Yes, Lou Yu is key!
"Because I escorted a heart donor, most of the doctors in the cardiology department were performing a heart transplant surgery."
"On the normal timeline, I'd already be dead."
"But now, here I am, ten years in the past, and the situation on the resuscitation table ten years in the future hasn't happened yet."
As long as Lou Yu becomes a doctor in the future.
When she returns to her hometown after ten years, she'll probably be working at Lanyang Hospital.
It's highly likely that I could be rescued.
Even, save on medical expenses!!
As the classroom's minute hand pointed to the number 8, Ji Yun's consciousness began to drift again, flying toward a sun that was missing a corner.
Ji Yun already knew where he would wake up this time.
Heh, two solar eclipse anomalies ten years apart?
Is fate presenting me with a time travel riddle?
Watch me solve this and eventually be reborn, to marry a beauty, live in a luxury house, and become that lonely yet wealthy old classmate at gatherings, as they spread the legend of my life!
…
A familiar sensation of dazzling brightness enveloped him.
How many times has this been?
Was this the fourth time?
It felt like his eyes had even gotten used to the hospital's spotlights.
As his body lay limp in the cold hospital, Ji Yun realized that several people had passed by him, but all kept a respectful distance.
Until Vice Principal Wang slowly approached; unlike others, he leaned down to inquire about Ji Yun's condition.
As an educator, that moral character was admirable indeed.
Without him, I likely would have only lasted a few minutes on this ground before kicking the bucket!
"Young man..."
The ground is indeed cool; I know that.
But do you realize how much colder my heart is!
The usual procedures were followed.
After all, Ji Yun hadn't made too many changes when he returned to the past ten years earlier; he merely planted a seed in Sister Lou Yu's heart, tick-tock, tick-tock.
Sure enough, this time Vice Principal Wang was slightly overweight but looked healthy, and his medical record that he carried only showed hyperlipidemia – no hypertension!
No hypertension this time??
What, was it really because he was so angered by the sight of Qiu Mo and me kissing under the bright daylight that he developed hypertension?
Was it worth it!
"Uncle, you don't recognize this patient?"
"Don't know him, no. I just arrived at the hospital and saw this young man lying here," replied Principal Wang.
Alright, it seems Principal Wang is mostly concerned with students dating early.
"Did any interns from the cardiology department come to report for duty today?" the male doctor asked solemnly.
An intern doctor?
Isn't it supposed to be the attending physician?
"How could I forget about this, I'll call them over right now!"
Don't call that intern, that college graduate looks even more panicked than the patient themselves, hurry and go to Craftsman Street to ask for Dr. Lou Yu!
"Beep——————————————"
"10:07 am."
"The patient shows no vital signs."
...
"Bang!"
With a kick, Ji Yun sent the soccer ball flying out of the window, swallowing down a breath of foul air.
What's going on, Sister Lou Yu!
We agreed you'd come back after studying medicine, to serve your brother!
"Sister Lou Yu, still reading medical books?" Ji Yun, who had just died again, displayed an innocent expression.
Lou Yu initially thought her brother Ji Yun, who helped her out of a jam, was cool, but for some reason, she felt that his gaze carried a hint of fresh resentment from beyond the grave.
"Yes," Lou Yu nodded her head.
"Then you must stay true to your goals, don't get charmed by the outside world. Lan City is where our roots are. If one day you can save someone you know with your medical skills, how proud and happy that would make you." Ji Yun began to furiously instill his ideology.
"Mm... mm... I think so too," Lou Yu seriously replied.
Then why didn't you do it?!
Why, after ten years, when I was practically dying in the emergency room, I still hadn't seen you?!
Moreover, because I didn't catch Principal Wang's attention, the hospital didn't even know my name, robbing me of that extra minute to live.
This time it's a seven-minute experience card.
With just a mere seven minutes, how can I make the tiny seed in Lou Yu's heart grow into a grand desire to practice medicine?
"Lou Yu, we need to go rehearse, don't make them wait any longer," the fair-skinned girl came over, urging her.
"Rehearsal can wait these few minutes, let me talk to my sister a little longer," Ji Yun said.
"Your sister??" the fair-skinned girl asked skeptically.
"We grew up together on Craftsman Street, childhood sweethearts," Ji Yun said.
"Really? But I heard from others that just a few days ago, you confessed your feelings to Qiu Mo," said the fair-skinned girl.
This remark turned Ji Yun's face the color of liver!
Was I an idiot ten years ago?
To confess your love and make it public knowledge, stupid high school student!
"Qiu Mo seems to be waiting for you... I'll go ahead then," Lou Yu said, head down, as she quickly followed the fair-skinned girl and left.
"Don't forget your dream!" Ji Yun hurriedly called after her.
Lou Yu and the fair-skinned girl didn't dare linger in the classroom for a moment, probably thinking Ji Yun had either heatstroke or was possessed!
With only seven minutes, there really wasn't much one could do.
But fortunately, there was plenty of time to think.
"I need to sort this out!"
"Why, in the third loop, did Lou Yu become the attending physician?"
"I remember the first time, I also said those things to Qiu Mo and was caught by Vice Principal Wang, but it was the intern who came to the emergency room."
"Thinking back carefully, uh, I blocked the soccer ball for Lou Yu, then I still went under the tree for my tryst, tricked Qiu Mo into a kiss, and got caught by Vice Principal Wang on the spot... ten years later, Vice Principal Wang had both diabetes and hypertension, looked emaciated, and Lou Yu had become the celebrated attending physician at Lanyang Hospital."
"What exactly happened in between??"
"Wow, my head is so itchy!"
Ji Yun felt like his brain wasn't up to the task.
Soon, the seven-minute experience card expired.
Ji Yun cycled back to the hospital.
The script was still the same.
Principal Wang didn't recognize me since I hadn't harassed Qiu Mo.
The equipment was still outdated, and the intern rushed in.
Poor me, I still didn't make it past 10:07 am!
The morning sunlight fell on Ji Yun's thick hair on his forehead as he took a deep breath of the campus air.
He started a brainstorming session!
Which link in the chain had gone wrong?
Why didn't Lou Yu become a doctor?
Why didn't she return to Lanyang?
Ji Yun lay on the desk, raising his head to look at Lou Yu hiding in a corner reading a book, watching as the soccer ball smashed into her head.
"Let's sort this out again!"
"I must have overlooked a key detail!"
"Starting from the third loop..."
"No, that's not right, in the original version, Lou Yu didn't attend the ten-year class reunion!"
Why didn't she attend the reunion?
Their class was unique; they had advanced together from elementary to middle school, and then from middle school to freshman year of high school.
A ten-year-long journey as classmates!
And last night's reunion was precisely the ten years since everyone had parted ways!
Yesterday Lou Yu was clearly in Lanyang; Wu Kai even said he saw her filming on Craftsman Street.
This significant ten-year reunion, which most people attended, she couldn't have skipped for no reason even if she had filming to do!
Did something special happen?
——————————————————
(Everyone is welcome to join in the discussion and brainstorm together!!)