Chapter 21: The Sister Who Stops Trying

Chapter 21: Chapter 21: The Sister Who Stops Trying

The wedding, led by the emcee, was lively and touching.

The bride was very beautiful.

Although the groom was nearly forty, he was still a dashing, successful man.

The newlyweds were, by all accounts, a perfect match.

After the wedding ceremony, minor celebrities periodically took the stage to perform and liven up the celebration.

Yan Ziruo was thoroughly enjoying herself.

But to Yan Feifan, none of it was as appealing as the feast laid out on the table before him.

At the same time, he couldn’t resist sneaking occasional glances at the graceful, elegant woman across the aisle...

"Feifan, so you’re into older women?"

The question, spoken suddenly right next to his ear, made Yan Feifan jump.

He turned to his sister, who had leaned in close, and explained, "Older or younger, I’m not interested!"

"Then why do you keep stealing glances at her?"

Yan Ziruo had a triumphant look on her face. She patted Yan Feifan’s shoulder a few times and said with a sigh, "I finally get it now. I see why you weren’t interested in Yu Suye, even though she’s so brilliant and beautiful."

"I’ve been the one taking care of you since we were kids. It’s understandable if you have a bit of a sister complex."

"Feifan, I’m very open-minded. And the one you’ve picked out has great looks and a good figure. She’s very classy, too."

"As long as she’s not married, you have my full support to go after her!"

Yan Feifan scoffed. "Sis, you really have a wild imagination. I do not have a sister complex."

"I just noticed that the curve on the left side of her neck looks a little unnatural. I suspect there’s a lump, so I was just taking a closer look."

"And as for you taking care of me since we were kids?"

Yan Feifan retorted, "Didn’t you spend most of the money I earned from tutoring?"

"When we came home and there was nothing to eat, wasn’t I always the one who cooked?"

The questions seemed to have hit a nerve. Yan Ziruo said angrily, "You little brat! Every time you got bullied by your classmates, wasn’t I the one who stood up for you?"

"And what about when you were in a coma and after you woke up? Wasn’t I the one taking care of you that whole time?"

Yan Feifan muttered, "I’m not denying any of that."

"I just think saying you took care of me our *whole* lives is a bit of an exaggeration."

Yan Ziruo gave him a disdainful look. "Yan Feifan, why do you have to split hairs over everything? Can’t you be a little more magnanimous?"

"Haven’t you realized that I’m there for you when it really counts?"

"True friends show up in times of trouble, and a person’s true character is revealed in critical moments. You should at least understand that, right?"

Yan Feifan nodded, but he still felt something was off. Just as he was about to argue his point, his sister slung an arm around his shoulders.

"Feifan, that woman..."

She glanced toward the beautiful woman across the aisle and whispered, "Are you sure there’s really something wrong with her neck?"

Yan Feifan nodded. "I’ve been watching for a while. I’m positive there’s a lump there."

"I just can’t be sure if it’s a lymph node or her thyroid."

"It would be great if I could just examine it by hand."

Yan Ziruo knew her brother’s medical skills well enough to trust his judgment. He was almost certainly right.

"Feifan, is it serious?"

Yan Feifan glanced at the woman again and said quietly, "I have a bad feeling about it."

Yan Ziruo thought for a moment. "Feifan, with something like this, we should let her know, just in case."

"But it wouldn’t be right for you to just go over there so bluntly. When the bride and groom come around to toast us, I’ll have a quiet word with Yin Yue..."

Halfway through the reception, Yan Ziruo ran off to another table to laugh and chat with a few of her close friends.

When Yan Feifan glanced toward the beautiful woman again, he locked eyes with her.

Not only that, but the few people at her table also turned to look at Yan Feifan in unison, letting out a few knowing chuckles.

This left Yan Feifan feeling a bit awkward, and he quickly looked away.

He saw the beautiful woman, goaded on by her friends, stand up, pick up a glass of red wine, and walk over to his table.

Noticing her approach from the corner of his eye, Yan Feifan quickly stood up as well.

"Hey there, handsome!"

Seeing the beautiful woman approach, raise her glass, and greet him so proactively, Yan Feifan hurriedly responded, "Hello, miss."

He raised his own glass of water and explained, "I don’t drink alcohol. And other beverages have all sorts of additives—they’re unhealthy, so I don’t drink those either!"

The woman smiled gently, switched her wine glass to her left hand, and extended her right. "Xiao Man," she introduced herself. "I’m a reporter with the Social News Department at Binhai Satellite TV."

As a doctor, Yan Feifan wasn’t particularly fond of shaking hands with people.

However, he knew that some social niceties had to be observed.

Yan Feifan’s handshake was as brief as a dragonfly touching water—a light touch and it was over. He then introduced himself.

"Yan Feifan. I’m a doctor at Binhai University Affiliated Hospital."

"Oh! You look so young. I never would have guessed you were a doctor at the renowned Affiliated Hospital. That’s amazing."

Xiao Man, still looking surprised, added, "I sometimes host live news reports on TV."

"Is that how you recognized me?"

Yan Feifan shook his head and said frankly, "This is the first time I’ve ever seen you."

He put down his glass of water and pointed to the left side of Xiao Man’s neck. "There’s a high probability you have a lump here. Can I examine it?"

Xiao Man’s expression changed instantly.

She had thought she’d run into a captivated fan or an admirer drawn in by her charm.

It turned out to be neither. She’d simply been overthinking things.

Xiao Man resisted the urge to curse him out and replied coldly, "That’s inappropriate."

With that, she turned and walked away.

But after only two steps, Xiao Man turned back around.

"I remember, almost two years ago, I reported on a news story. A medical team from Binhai University Affiliated Hospital was providing earthquake relief in Chuanzhong, and one of their doctors was accidentally injured and ended up in a coma."

"That doctor... I think his surname was also... Yan?"

Yan Feifan nodded. "That was me. I woke up last December."

He pointed to the left side of Xiao Man’s neck again. "You might have a lump there. I’m being serious."

"Please, go to a hospital and get it checked as soon as possible, just in case."

Xiao Man couldn’t help but touch her own neck. It didn’t hurt or itch, and she couldn’t feel anything out of the ordinary, but she took Yan Feifan’s words to heart.

To run into someone she’d reported on, only for him to give her such a direct warning... Xiao Man felt it must be some kind of fate, a karmic connection.

She said politely, "Mr. Yan, thank you for the warning. I’ll go to the hospital to get checked as soon as I can..."

The moment Xiao Man left, Yan Ziruo popped up again, slinging her arm around Yan Feifan’s neck.

"Feifan, did you tell her?"

Yan Feifan nodded. "Yeah, Sis. Turns out she’s a reporter. She even reported on my coma back then."

"What a coincidence!"

Yan Ziruo exclaimed in surprise, then sat down in her seat. "Feifan, speaking of that news report, I have to tell you something!"

"After that report came out, we received some donations—money and goods."

"Since your injury was work-related, the hospital covered all your medical expenses. So, I took all that money and those items and donated them in your name to the hospital’s patient assistance foundation."

Yan Feifan let out a soft "Oh," and said, "I see."

"Sis, I’m going to use my own talent and hard work to make a lot of money and give us a good life."

"Now *that’s* my good little brother!"

Yan Ziruo clapped Yan Feifan hard on the shoulder and cheered, "I’ve been waiting to hear you say that for a long time!"

"My dear brother, keep up the good work! Your big sister’s future happiness is all depending on you now."

Yan Feifan was mortified. He hastily backtracked, "Sis, I was just speaking impulsively. It just slipped out."

"You’re able-bodied, and you graduated from a good university. You can’t just give up on being self-sufficient and expect to mooch off your little brother."

Yan Ziruo said with shameless confidence, "With a brother as capable as you, I’m giving up. I’ll just coast at the hospital until I retire."

"Feifan, are you trying to disown your big sister?"