13 Grandchild

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Qiao Yuyan coaxed Aunt Liu into the treatment room. "Aunt Liu, you should take care of the injury on your hand first. Professor Shen is still undergoing emergency treatment. Once he’s out, there will be a lot for you to handle."

The nurse followed up with gentle persuasion, "Auntie, it’s hot outside, and your hand is seriously injured. It needs proper treatment; otherwise, an infection could be very dangerous."

Aunt Liu hesitated with trembling lips, wanting to argue but knowing deep down their advice was sensible. She sat down in the treatment room chair and let the nurse tend to the burn on her hand.

After a moment, as if suddenly coming back to herself, she looked up at Qiao Yuyan, who stood quietly nearby. "Xiao Qiao, thank you."

Qiao Yuyan smiled. "Aunt Liu, don’t be so formal. We’re neighbors; it’s only right to look out for each other."

Aunt Liu forced a stiff smile but said nothing more, her eyes fixed intently on the emergency room.

Seeing the nurse pull out bandages to dress Aunt Liu’s hand, Qiao Yuyan diverted her attention back to the emergency room.

As she turned, Aunt Liu noticed the sleeve of Qiao Yuyan’s sports T-shirt was disheveled, revealing a red abrasion on her right shoulder. Against her fair skin, it was strikingly obvious.

"Aunt Liu asked anxiously, "Xiao Qiao, what happened to your right shoulder?"

Qiao Yuyan heard the question and glanced at the injury. It was red and swollen, likely from bumping into a cabinet last night.

She moved her shoulder slightly; a sharp pain made her frown, but it was clearly not serious.

She sighed inwardly—being so light sometimes meant others could easily lift and toss her around.

Quietly straightening her sleeve to cover the wound, she replied casually, "It’s nothing. I slipped on the stairs this morning. It’ll be fine soon."

"That won’t do..." Aunt Liu disagreed and was about to ask the nurse to check it when the emergency room door suddenly opened.

A doctor hurried out, his face tense. "Is a family member of Shen Wenqian here?"

"Yes, yes!" Aunt Liu jumped up, ignoring the nurse’s bandages still wrapped around her hand, and stumbled toward the doctor, deaf to the nurse’s calls.

"The patient’s condition is critical. We must perform coronary artery bypass surgery immediately, but we need family consent," the doctor explained patiently, slowing his tone seeing Aunt Liu’s anxiety. "In simple terms, it’s what people call heart bypass surgery."

"I know, I know," Aunt Liu said, having attended basic elderly care training before starting work. She understood some medical basics but this was too serious to decide on her own.

Frantically fumbling in her pocket, she finally pulled out her phone, her voice trembling as she said, "Please wait a moment. I’ll call the elder’s grandson right now."

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Her fingers trembled as she opened the contacts, but before she could dial, hurried footsteps approached rapidly.

Soon, a young man arrived, "Aunt Liu, how is Grandpa?"

Aunt Liu grasped his arm like a lifeline. "Mr. Shen, you’re just in time. The doctor says Professor Shen needs emergency heart bypass surgery. You must come see."

Without hesitation, the young man told the doctor, "Do whatever treatment is necessary. I’ll sign the consent."

Hearing this, the nurse quickly brought over the already prepared surgery consent form and explained the possible risks.

The young man took the pen, his fingers instinctively tightening, shaking as he signed his name in a crooked scrawl.

The doctor immediately took back the form and returned to the emergency room, while nurses hurriedly wheeled out the transfer bed.

The three of them followed the wheeled stretcher briskly toward the operating room.

The wheels rumbled steadily as they pushed it forward. The door to the operating room slowly closed behind them, the indicator light blinking on.

— Surgery in progress.

Outside the door, the young man stood with tightly pressed lips and rapid breaths. He took several deep breaths to steady himself.

His gaze fell on Aunt Liu’s still untreated blistered hand. Softly, he said, "Aunt Liu, you should go treat your hand. I’ll stay here."

"I’ll go right away," Aunt Liu replied but did not move.

She turned sideways and pointed to Qiao Yuyan, who had been quietly standing nearby. "Mr. Shen, this is Xiao Qiao, niece of Sister Yu. Thanks to her, Professor Shen was found in time and an ambulance was called."

Only then did the young man notice Qiao Yuyan. He stepped forward and said solemnly, "Miss Qiao, I’m Shen Xiyuan, Professor Shen’s grandson. Thank you for your timely help today."

His voice was hoarse from running.

Qiao Yuyan looked up at him. Perhaps from panic and the rush, his face was slightly pale.

He was tall, about 185 cm, slender, wearing a crisp white short-sleeve shirt, neat and fresh.

His gold-rimmed glasses framed deep, clear eyes that resembled Professor Shen’s, with an air of scholarly elegance in his movements.

Qiao Yuyan shook her head lightly and said softly, "Mr. Shen, no need to thank me. I’ve been abroad all these years. Professor Shen took great care of my aunt, so helping out today was only natural. You don’t have to worry about it."

Behind his glasses, Shen Xiyuan’s eyes were serious. "It’s different, Miss Qiao. You saved my grandfather’s life in a critical moment. That gratitude is far greater than ordinary care."

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Qiao Yuyan wasn’t interested in continuing this discussion. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and yawned sleepily. "Since you’re here, Mr. Shen, there’s nothing more I can do. I’ll leave now."

"Miss Qiao, thank you for your efforts. Let me see you out."

"No trouble," Qiao Yuyan replied gently. "It’s not far from the Institute of Technology. I’ll just walk a few steps. You all stay here and wait for Professor Shen."

Without waiting for his reply, she turned and left directly.

Shen Xiyuan watched her leave until her figure disappeared completely. Then he shifted his gaze to the closed operating room door.

After a moment of silence, he said to Aunt Liu, "Aunt Liu, go get your hand treated again. If that injury gets infected, it’ll cause a lot of trouble."

With that, he slowly sat down on a bench by the corridor, exhaustedly supporting his forehead.

Aunt Liu followed his advice and returned to the treatment room to redress her wound.

Once the burn was treated, she hesitated before approaching Shen Xiyuan. "I’m sorry, Mr. Shen, I..."

He raised his hand, signaling her not to say more.

He already understood the situation. Aunt Liu wasn’t a personal caretaker and didn’t need to be by the elder’s side all day. The old man usually walked around campus alone. Nobody expected such an accident.

This sudden event left no point in assigning blame. The priority now was the elder’s safe recovery.

Aunt Liu felt even more guilty and sat beside Shen Xiyuan, looking at his left leg. She softly asked, "Mr. Shen, is your left leg hurt?"

She had noticed earlier that although he tried to hide it, his left leg was clearly not steady when he walked.

Shen Xiyuan instinctively straightened his leg and said calmly, "It’s nothing. I slipped on the stairs just now."

Aunt Liu didn’t press further but sighed inwardly. Young people these days, how careless they all seemed.