20 Encouragement to Study

With the combined efforts of the traffic police and firefighters, the driver's cabin was quickly dismantled. The driver suffered multiple fractures, his clothes soaked in blood. The firefighters carefully laid him on a nearby patch of open ground.

The metal rod that had pierced the mother in the back seat was also successfully cut away. As they lifted her from the vehicle, everyone present gasped in shock.

That piece of metal had been lodged in her ribs; had she not thrown herself forward to shield the child, it would have been the crying little girl who was pierced by the jagged metal.

The traffic officer gently carried the unharmed little girl, about three years old, from the car, shielding her eyes and leading her aside. Her beautiful princess dress was stained red with her mother's blood.

A kind-hearted auntie immediately stepped forward to help, and a group of women and elderly ladies gathered around to soothe the frightened child.

Both the husband and wife continued to bleed steadily from their wounds. Nearby passengers quickly retrieved medical gauze from their own vehicles.

The driver's injuries were more severe than his wife's, and his condition was critical. Jiang Yunxi knelt on the ground, pressing gauze tightly against his wounds. She frowned as she glanced at the woman on the other side, knowing her injuries could not be ignored.

Seeing her sister in distress, Qiao Yuyan came over, picked up several pieces of gauze, and knelt beside the unconscious woman, applying pressure to her wounds.

Jiang Yunxi looked up at Qiao Yuyan. “Yan Yan, why did you come down here?”

“Sister, I’m here to help you.” Qiao Yuyan smiled softly and continued tending to the woman’s injuries.

Jiang Yunxi responded quietly and turned her anxious gaze toward the road, which had been cleared to allow passage.

The couple’s conditions were deteriorating rapidly; their breathing grew faint, and they were slipping into shock.

Everyone present was filled with worry when finally, the ambulance arrived.

Paramedics jumped out and hurried over with a stretcher.

Jiang Yunxi scrambled to her feet to make room, but after kneeling on the cement for so long, her legs had gone numb. Her knees buckled, and her body lost control, beginning to fall sideways.

Qiao Yuyan, crouching nearby, immediately stood to support her, but was a moment too late.

A tall paramedic swiftly stepped forward and steadied Jiang Yunxi.

As she looked up to thank him, their eyes met, and they both froze.

“Senior brother?”

“Junior sister?”

The tall man behind the mask quickly regained his composure and released her. “Junior sister, be careful.”

Once steady on her feet, Jiang Yunxi smiled at the doctor. Though they had not seen each other for years, there was no time for pleasantries now.

She swiftly explained the injuries of the two patients and the emergency measures she had taken.

The doctor listened intently and, after the patients were loaded onto the ambulance, he hurriedly said, “Thank you for your hard work, junior sister. I must leave now.”

With that, he climbed into the ambulance, which sped away with its siren blaring toward the hospital.

Qiao Yuyan then approached and supported Jiang Yunxi.

Her entire body felt weak; she nearly leaned all her weight on her sister, letting out a self-deprecating laugh. “I haven’t been this exhausted in a long time. My strength has really faded.”

After all, a typical surgery for a surgeon could last four or five hours, and complex cases might stretch to ten or more. Physical endurance was crucial for surgeons.

But she had spent four years living the pampered life of Mrs. Huo, and her stamina had greatly diminished.

Qiao Yuyan pressed her lips together, saying nothing as she guided her sister to the roadside.

Their car had been rear-ended earlier; the bumper was torn off, and the body badly damaged, making it undriveable. The driver needed to stay and cooperate with the police on the accident investigation, then arrange for repairs.

He intended to report the incident to Mr. Huo and have someone pick Jiang Yunxi up.

But Jiang Yunxi didn’t want to trouble Huo Lingchen and planned to take a taxi home herself. However, they couldn’t hail a cab atop the overpass, so they had no choice but to walk down the ramp and figure something out.

As they walked, a police car approached from behind and stopped beside them.

The window rolled down, and the officer poked his head out. “Doctor, where are you headed? There’s a lot of traffic on this road, it’s unsafe. We’ll give you a ride.”

Jiang Yunxi was taken aback for a moment and responded softly, “Wouldn’t that be too much trouble?”

“Not at all. Helping the public is our duty,” the officer driving smiled warmly. “Besides, you helped save lives at the accident scene today. It’s only right we return the favor.”

“Thank you, then.” Hearing this, Jiang Yunxi no longer refused. With Qiao Yuyan’s support, she got into the police car.

When they arrived home, Jiang Yunxi’s bloodstained, disheveled appearance startled the household staff.

She quickly smiled reassuringly. “It’s nothing, the blood isn’t mine. I’m not hurt. I’ll just wash up. Please don’t tell Lingchen; there’s no need for him to worry.”

The servants said nothing, silently gathering her clothes.

Qiao Yuyan caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a servant quietly slipping away to inform Huo Lingchen, though she was not surprised.

By the time Jiang Yunxi finished tidying herself and came to the dining room, she had just ended a call with Huo Lingchen.

Qiao Yuyan sat across from her and, noticing her sister’s pale expression, asked softly, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Yunxi sighed. “Lingchen thinks I took too many risks today. After all, I haven’t dealt with medical matters for years. What if something had gone wrong while I was helping?”

Qiao Yuyan frowned. Lingchen wasn’t even at the scene; how could he so quickly dismiss her professional judgment? From what she had seen, Jiang Yunxi’s assessments were precise, and her wound care skillful and confident—a clear sign of solid training.

She looked up at Jiang Yunxi, now restored to her elegant, refined appearance, and suddenly recalled the sister she had been five years ago, still a medical intern.

Back then, she wore no makeup, her face marked by mask lines, her hair tied back with a disposable elastic band.

Though she now lived a life of luxury, Qiao Yuyan felt that while her sister’s internship had been grueling, it was also a time of genuine happiness and purity.

Glancing at the busy servants nearby, Qiao Yuyan lowered her voice. “Sister, I remember you passed the entrance exam for your doctoral program before. Why didn’t you continue?”

“At that time, Lingchen’s company ran into trouble, and I had my own difficulties, so I had to give up the doctorate,” Jiang Yunxi pursed her lips, recalling the vows she made when she first entered university, a hint of regret in her voice. “A year later, when Lingchen’s company recovered, he was extremely busy and needed someone to care for him. That delay... has lasted until now.”

Qiao Yuyan wanted to know what had happened but saw the sadness on Jiang Yunxi’s face and swallowed her question.

She changed the subject. “Have you thought about returning to your studies?”

Jiang Yunxi was caught off guard by the question. “I... haven’t touched a book in four years. I’m afraid I won’t be able to keep up.”

“How do you know if you don’t try?” Qiao Yuyan squeezed her sister’s hand firmly. “You’re so smart. You graduated with straight A’s and earned scholarships every year. Even if you start over now, you’ll have no problem.”

“But...” Jiang Yunxi bit her lip, hesitating.

Qiao Yuyan, who knew her sister best, recognized the spark of hope and urged her on. “Sister, just give it a try! The doctoral exam isn’t until April next year. You have nine whole months to prepare. It won’t interfere with anything.”

Jiang Yunxi considered it quietly. Now that Huo Lingchen’s company was stable and she spent her days as a wealthy housewife, she did feel a certain boredom. Perhaps it was time to reclaim her studies.

A smile blossomed on her face. “I’ll discuss it with your brother-in-law tonight.”