White walls, white ceiling, white sheets, white quilt, white hospital gown—when Ye Qiu opened his eyes, everything he saw was white.
Sunlight streamed in through the window, somewhat dazzling. Just moments before, he had been trapped in a nightmare again. He hadn't cried out; his face and body were simply covered in cold sweat.
He was not from this world in the first place!
Originally, he was the son of Ye Zhen, the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical Bureau. At the mere age of eighteen, he had become the top Imperial Physician, the top Alchemist, the top Pill Master of the younger generation in Heaven, and had combined the essence of medical skills from the Imperial Physician Faction, Academic Faction, and Master-Apprenticeship Faction into one.
It could be said that he was the most impressive among the younger generation of Imperial Physicians. He was destined to take over his father's position and become the overseer of the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical Bureau.
Unexpectedly, just as he was about to become the foremost figure in the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical Bureau, he met his demise at the hands of his childhood friend, Su Luoluo.
Su Luoluo, the daughter of Su Wen, the Chief Dean of the Heavenly Court Academy Faction, who was known as the Medicine King in the medical circles of Heaven. However, with the Imperial Physician Mansion currently under the control of the Imperial Physician Faction, Su Wen was only the second-in-command.
Su Luoluo was clever and lovely, and capable of bringing nations to their knees. As Ye Zhen and Su Wen were well-acquainted and good friends, Ye Qiu and Su Luoluo were promised to each other since childhood, which meant they grew up together and studied medicine together.
Yet, Ye Qiu could never have imagined that Su Luoluo could be so merciless, attacking him with lethal intent!
That night, Ye Qiu laid in Su Luoluo's arms, drinking the poison she had brewed herself. When he awoke, he found himself here in this hospital.
Ye Qiu couldn't understand why. He had been completely open-hearted toward Su Luoluo, yet she had treated him in such a way!
After coming to this world, ever since waking up in this hospital ward, Ye Qiu had been haunted by the recurring nightmare in which Su Luoluo poisoned him—and he even dreamed of another Ye Qiu, bearing his same name and surname, who died in a car accident.
As Ye Qiu gazed out the window, a middle-aged woman dressed in plain clothes pushed open the door from the hall outside the premium ward and walked in. With a look of concern, she asked the Ye Qiu standing by the window, "Ye Qiu, did you have a nightmare again?"
This plain-looking, middle-aged woman was none other than Ye Qiu's mother, Chen Fang.
When Ye Qiu first woke up, he wasn't very fond of her. After all, in Ye Qiu's eyes, Chen Fang was just a stranger in this world.
But after a month of interaction, Ye Qiu gradually realized that Chen Fang truly cared for him deeply. She would sit by his bed whenever he woke up frightened from a nightmare, even if it was in the middle of the night, staying until dawn to comfort him gently.
During his time at the Heavenly Court Imperial Medical Bureau, Ye Qiu had never seen his birth mother. It was said that she was not in that world when he was born!
Who would have thought that after being killed by Su Luoluo, being reborn in this body unexpectedly allowed him to gain a mother and experience the warmth of a mother's love?
Ye Qiu looked at the woman before him, his gaze softening. He gave a slight smile and said, "Mom, don't worry about me. It's just a dream, that's all."
Chen Fang helped Ye Qiu to the bed and sat next to him, touching his forehead with concern, and said, "It's been a month now. Every time, you wake up frightened by nightmares, and every time, you call out Su Luoluo's name. Who exactly is she?"
Ye Qiu said, "It's nothing, Mom. You must have heard wrong!"
Chen Fang sighed and continued, "Ye Qiu, could it be that the name you're calling out belongs to that beautiful girl who shares a desk with you at school? That night, on the way back from class, you chose to push her out of harm's way, getting hit by a car yourself to ensure her safety. Yet, aside from the Su family paying fifty thousand yuan in medical and compensation fees, that girl hasn't visited you once. Do you think such a girl is worth your affection?"
Ye Qiu nodded helplessly. He knew the name he called out didn't belong to the beauty from his class in this body's original owner's memories but to the Su Luoluo of the Heavenly Court Academy Faction.
Who could have expected their fates to be so strikingly similar, falling in love with those they shouldn't have loved.
But now, as a mere mortal, can Ye Qiu ever return to Heaven?
If he could return to Heaven, Ye Qiu knew for certain he would seek answers. He would ask why Su Luoluo was so heartless and, undoubtedly, he would seek his vengeance!
Chen Fang looked at the frail and pale Ye Qiu, let out a gentle sigh, but felt utterly helpless.
Although the Ye Family wasn't very wealthy, they were never so poor as to be unable to afford meals. Yet Ye Qiu had been frail and sickly since childhood. At eighteen, he was often bullied, timid, weak, and beset by an inferiority complex, fearing that his life would always remain this way!
Suddenly, a series of disordered footsteps sounded outside the door of the high-level ward.
"What are you doing? Ye Qiu is resting!" The door to the high-level ward was abruptly pushed open, and Chen Fang came out of the ward, walked out into the lounge, and saw a middle-aged man in a white coat, sporting gold-rimmed glasses, entering with four security guards.
Chen Fang knew that this middle-aged man was named Zhou Peng, a Deputy Director of Jinling Hospital. A month ago, when Ye Qiu was hit by a car and then brought over by the Su Family's steward, Zhou Peng had appeared very enthusiastic.
But since then, after the Su steward had Ye Qiu brought over to Jinling Hospital for emergency treatment, and then arranged for him to stay in a high-level private ward, other than paying that initial fee of 500,000, he had not shown his face again, and had not even visited Ye Qiu once.
Zhou Peng had already investigated and knew that Ye Qiu's family was just an ordinary one, without any significant ties to the Su Family. The only reason the Su steward personally delivered Ye Qiu was because Ye Qiu had saved the young Miss of the Su Family.
Now, Ye Qiu's expenses in the hospital—initially surgery costs of over 300,000, followed by the daily costs for his hospital stay, nursing care, and medication, which nearly reached 10,000—had completely outstripped what the Su steward had paid.
Zhou Peng had already spoken to Ye Qiu's parents about this, since, after all, the hospital was not a charity. Ye Qiu's stay had accumulated a debt of over a hundred thousand yuan, while his parents had only been able to pay fifty to sixty thousand, leaving a debt of nearly a hundred thousand yuan.
Zhou Peng hoped that Ye Qiu's parents would quickly pay off that sum and then leave this private high-level ward, either to be discharged or to move to a common ward.
Zhou Peng looked at Chen Fang coldly and said, "An ordinary person who now can't even afford medical fees. If it weren't for the Su family bringing your son here in the first place, we wouldn't have accepted him even for a common ward. Now that you've accumulated so much debt, move out immediately."
Following Zhou Peng were four burly security officers in uniform, tall and strong, carrying batons, clearly capable of handling any trouble at the hospital.
Chen Fang, upon hearing Zhou Peng's voice, felt scared and embarrassed, helpless as she went back into the room to soothe Ye Qiu's emotions. She then shut the door and walked out.
Chen Fang stared at Zhou Peng standing in the doorway, furrowed her brow, and said, "Deputy Director Zhou, this is a ward. Even if you are the Deputy Director of this hospital, you can't just barge in with security guards, can you? What if you scare my son!"
Deputy Director Zhou looked at Chen Fang expressionless and said, "It's the hospital's policy. You quickly move to another common ward and pay the overdue fees. This private high-level ward is reserved for Vice Mayor Li's daughter who will move in this afternoon."
Chen Fang's face slightly changed; she had foreseen this day coming, but she hadn't expected it to come so soon.
Chen Fang pleaded, "Since the hospital is moving us to a common ward, fine! Deputy Director Zhou, please accommodate us, and tomorrow, I will move Ye Qiu to the common ward."
Zhou Peng said, "Sorry! I told you, Vice Mayor Li's daughter will move into this high-level ward this afternoon. You must move to a common ward immediately, or don't blame me and the security for being impolite!"
Knowing that Ye Qiu could not withstand such stress after surgery, Chen Fang still spoke with a pleading tone, "Deputy Director Zhou, as you know, Ye Qiu had surgery less than a month ago, and he really shouldn't be moving around yet. What if he suffers complications…"
Deputy Director Zhou gave a cold smile and said uncompromisingly, "Miss Chen Fang, there are too many pitiable people in this world, but, hmph! Your family is just an ordinary one. If you can't afford the costs, you shouldn't occupy this room."
"But he's a patient too! Also, my husband mortgaged our apartment to the bank half a month ago. We'll soon have the money to pay off the debt!"
Chen Fang was about to say more when suddenly, the door behind her was pushed open.
At first, Ye Qiu seemed a bit unsteady, appearing in pain, using the door for support to barely stand, yet fixing Deputy Director Zhou with a disdainful gaze from not far away. His seemingly weak body was resolute as he said, "Mom, don't beg them. We'll be discharged right now."
"Ye Qiu, how did you get out of bed? Your limbs were just operated on; you can't move around." Chen Fang hurried forward to support Ye Qiu, afraid he would succumb to complications, which would only add to their troubles.
Ye Qiu stubbornly shook his head and said, "Mom, we don't need to beg anyone. Soon, ...they will be the ones begging to keep me!"
Seeing the determination in Ye Qiu's eyes, Chen Fang seemed to be infected by his emotion and nodded.
Deputy Director Zhou watched the ordinary mother and son with a sneering laugh.
Chen Fang supported Ye Qiu, step by step, descending from the ward to the ground floor, preparing to handle the discharge procedures, when Zhou Peng again called the security guards to block them in front of many patients, saying, "You can't leave yet. With a debt of tens of thousands, if you don't pay up, where are we going to find you?"