What a gentle person the little girl was.

Even when she first arrived here, unable to sleep or eat well for days on end, breaking down in tears every day, there were no complaints or lamentations in her diary. She remained positive throughout, those words merely propping her up so not give up.

Jiang Wang’s hands holding the notebook trembled slightly. He smiled, but the corners of his eyes stung, and his lips quickly straightened again.

He slowly closed the notebook, putting it back in its original place on the bookshelf. When he turned around, Shi Zhe was sitting on the other side of the bed, looking up at him with a dazed expression.

“Your sister, did she cry often before?” he asked softly, his voice very gentle.

Shi Zhe naturally wouldn’t answer him. After staring at him for a while, he lowered his head again and continued playing with the small wind chime in his hand.

Jiang Wang lowered his head, the heel of his palm pressing against his eyes as he murmured, “But she hardly ever cries in front of me.”

They didn’t stay long. After dinner, they prepared to visit Shi Niannian’s university together.

Shi Niannian’s undergraduate university had a better global ranking than B University, especially with its clinical medicine being a flagship program. Walking inside, one could immediately feel the rich academic atmosphere. People sunbathed on the lawn, chatting with books in hand, and students carrying books or laptops in the crook of their arms could be seen everywhere. Most discussions were about professional knowledge or views on recent events.

In such an environment, one could more clearly and directly sense just how excellent Shi Niannian truly was.

“I didn’t expect telling her about our marriage would be so easy,” Shi Niannian said, holding his hand.

Her mother’s reaction wasn’t much different from what she had anticipated—there was shock, of course, but in the end, she calmly accepted the reality.

During university, she had participated in many projects and competitions, many requiring collaboration, and thus met many people—juniors, seniors several years ahead of her—giving her a stronger presence than in high school.

As they walked along, they encountered some people who greeted Shi Niannian.

“Our Niannian is impressive,” Jiang Wang smiled, ruffling her hair.

He felt an indescribable pride.

“Not really,” Shi Niannian felt a bit embarrassed at his praise. “Just a few classmates I knew before.”

Just as she finished speaking, an excited male voice suddenly called from behind: “Senior!”

The two turned toward the voice. Jiang Wang silently narrowed his eyes, instantly feeling displeased. The man before them was also Chinese, with hair dyed a blue-black color that shimmered under the sunlight, attracting glances from many girls around.

“Ah.” Shi Niannian quickly recalled his name. “Song Jiachu, what a coincidence.”

“Senior, I heard from your friend that you went back to China for graduate school. Why are you back here? Are you planning to return to study?!” Song Jiachu spoke excitedly, not even noticing Jiang Wang beside her.

“No, I just came back for a visit. I’m returning to China tomorrow,” Shi Niannian said with a smile.

Song Jiachu’s expression drooped, looking quite disappointed. His gaze fell, and he noticed her holding someone’s hand. He looked up again, finally seeing Jiang Wang.

It was the first time Jiang Wang had been ignored like this.

“Who is he?” Song Jiachu asked.

“Hello, I’m Shi Niannian’s husband, Jiang Wang.” He reached out to the young man in front of him, introducing himself seriously with a straight face.

Shi Niannian turned her head to look at him, wanting to laugh, knowing he was jealous.

“What?” Song Jiachu’s eyes suddenly widened, extremely shocked. “Husband? You’re married?”

Shi Niannian nodded: “Yes, we’re married.”

“Senior, didn’t you just return to China a few months ago? How did you suddenly get married? Didn’t you say you’d wait for me to graduate?” Song Jiachu said with a dejected face.

After hearing this, Jiang Wang felt his temple throb. His temper had improved over the years; in the past, he might have punched someone directly.

Shi Niannian was also stunned. She had never promised Song Jiachu anything about waiting for him to graduate. Thinking back, when he had confessed to her before, Shi Niannian had only said she had no plans to date at that time, and Song Jiachu had said he could wait until graduation for her decision.

Shi Niannian didn’t understand how he had interpreted it that way.

Seeing her silence, Song Jiachu added: “Senior, I’ve been waiting for you for two years.”

Jiang Wang let out a cold snort. He was slightly taller than Song Jiachu, and when he looked down at someone with an expressionless face, his impatience became more apparent. He lightly gritted his teeth: “I’ve been waiting for her half my life.”

After sending Song Jiachu away, the two came to the lawn in front of the teaching building. It was evening, and many people were sitting around chatting.

Shi Niannian couldn’t stop laughing. When the little girl laughed, her eyes curved into crescents, shining brightly. It was rare for her to laugh so heartily, her whole body trembling with each laugh, her lips red and teeth white.

Jiang Wang had just read her diary, where those forced brave words had worn his heart so painfully it almost bled. Now, seeing her laugh so joyfully, his heart softened again.

He sighed, somewhat helplessly: “Stop laughing.”

She tried to hold back her laughter while rubbing the corner of her eye, making an “oh” sound. After looking at Jiang Wang for a moment, she couldn’t help but laugh again, her hands supporting her from behind, her crisp laughter rippling outward.

There wasn’t anything that funny, but once she started laughing, she couldn’t seem to stop, probably because she was in such a good mood today.

Jiang Wang clicked his tongue, reaching out to touch her ear, lowering his voice: “Aren’t you going to explain that boy to your husband?”

Shi Niannian felt ticklish and moved away from his hand: “You already said he was a boy.” She hooked her index finger with his pinky. “Are you upset about a boy?”

Jiang Wang pinched the pad of her index finger, looking at her without speaking.

Shi Niannian sighed and said slowly: “He’s two years my junior. He confessed his feelings to me before, but I didn’t accept him. I never said anything about waiting for him.”

Jiang Wang asked: “Do many people like you?”

“It’s okay, not that many.”

“That boy just now, I knew about him before,” he suddenly said.

Shi Niannian paused, turning her head to look at him. Jiang Wang continued, “I told you before, I had people check on you later. I saw his picture.”

Shi Niannian blinked: “Huh?”

Jiang Wang pinched her cheek: “You’ve already made me jealous for so many years, and now you want to make me jealous again?”

She laughed: “Are you jealous?”

“Yes.”

“I didn’t know him before, but the first time I saw him, just from behind, I suddenly thought he looked very much like you, and I thought of you.”

Jiang Wang frowned as he listened to her continue, “I hadn’t seen you for so long by then. Suddenly seeing such a silhouette, I felt a bit…”

Before she could finish, her mouth was sealed. Jiang Wang held her chin and leaned down to kiss her, his teeth lightly biting and tugging at her lips. Whether it was her imagination or not, Shi Niannian felt this kiss came with urgency and anxiety, as if desperately trying to comfort something.

Jiang Wang finally pulled back slightly: “You mistook someone else for your husband?”

Shi Niannian blushed, pushing against his chest with both hands: “There are so many people around, don’t.”

Jiang Wang obediently backed off a bit, supporting himself with his arms behind him, but his gaze on her didn’t waver at all. It was different from when they were chatting earlier—serious and intense.

Shi Niannian noticed and gradually stopped smiling: “What’s wrong?”

He said in a deep voice, “Shi Niannian, no matter who you meet in the future, you can only see me in your eyes. No matter how much time passes, you must be mine and only mine. I won’t let you leave again.”

After telling Xu Shu about getting their marriage certificate, they naturally couldn’t hide it from her aunt. Not long after returning to China, her aunt called angrily, telling Shi Niannian to bring Jiang Wang over for dinner that evening, and scolding her for not saying a word about such a major event.

Her aunt rarely scolded Shi Niannian, making her quite nervous, even more so than when she went to see her mother.

But when they arrived at her uncle’s house, her aunt warmly pulled Jiang Wang inside, showing no signs of her earlier anger about the sudden marriage. At the dining table, she kept putting food on Jiang Wang’s plate.

Xu Ningqing also came home for dinner, unusually. Beside him sat the girl called Chang Li, whom Shi Niannian had seen at his house before, noisily pulling at him and saying something.

“Eat more, Jiang Wang,” her aunt said while serving food. “I’ve known about you for quite a long time. It’s wonderful that you and Niannian finally ended up together.”

Xu Ningqing pushed away Chang Li’s extended hand, glanced up, and sighed helplessly.

After dinner, Jiang Wang sat with her uncle discussing company matters, while Shi Niannian was called into her aunt’s room. She stood watching as her aunt crouched beside a cabinet, rummaging through it.

Finally, she took out a box from the very back, wrapped in velvet fabric. The box was exquisite, looking somewhat vintage.

“This, I prepared it long ago to give you when you got married. Who knew you’d be so obedient normally but not even say a word about something as important as marriage.” Her aunt looked at her reproachfully, took her hand, and placed the box in her palm.

Shi Niannian was stunned, not knowing whether to hold it: “…What is this?”

Her aunt opened the box.

On the black velvet lay a necklace with an arc-shaped leaf pendant, inlaid with clear, transparent jade, polished smooth and bright, set in the center of a silver-gold leaf. There were nine pieces altogether, clearly priceless.

“Back then, I couldn’t help you, and our Niannian suffered so much. I was truly afraid then. Our Niannian loved someone so much—what if you couldn’t be together in the future?”

She held Shi Niannian’s hands in both of hers, patting the back of her hand. “Thankfully, you are both good children. With such a good outcome, your aunt can rest easy.”

Tears kept falling down Shi Niannian’s face.

She had never thought herself unlucky, even when she was abroad. Although she sometimes felt resentful, she always believed she was an extremely fortunate person.

She had met many, many wonderful people—her uncle and aunt who treated her like their own daughter, her brother who had always been good to her, along with Jiang Wang, and her classmates. Everyone had been good to her.

“Why are you crying?” Her aunt said with a smile, unable to hold back her tears. She wiped her eyes and laughed, “I can’t cry now. I should save it for your wedding. Now I understand the feeling of marrying off a daughter.”

Shi Niannian also wiped her tears. One tear fell on the jade of the necklace, and she wiped it away with her finger. Her voice was still thick with emotion: “This is too precious. It could be given to my brother and his future wife when they get married.”

“You keep it. This is meant for you,” her aunt said, squeezing her hand, closing her fingers over it. “I’ve already prepared something for Xu Ningqing, too. I was just waiting for news from you two children. I didn’t expect you’d be the quicker one.”

When they returned home, her eyes were still red. She wasn’t crying anymore, but she couldn’t help feeling a tightness in her nose, and her eyes were hot and uncomfortable.

She clutched the box in her hand, intermittently telling Jiang Wang how good her aunt had been to her.

She still remembers when she finished her high school entrance exam and decided to come here to study. She had flown here alone, to a bustling metropolis where she couldn’t tell north from south. She was young then and panicked as soon as she got off the plane.

But just as she walked out of the airport, she heard an excited voice from not far away: “Niannian!”

Her aunt stood ahead, waving at her enthusiastically, rushing over to hug her tightly, with a warmth that almost instantly melted away all the reservations and shyness in Shi Niannian’s heart.

Her thumb kept rubbing the velvet box, her voice very soft: “She’s wonderful.”

“Mm.” Jiang Wang held her.

“She often jokes that I’m her daughter. Actually, in my heart, I’ve placed her in the same position as ‘mom’.” She suddenly smiled, her voice so soft it was almost like talking to herself. “When I was little, I used to think, if only she were my mother.”

Jiang Wang kissed her hair, patting her back one stroke at a time.

Shi Niannian turned her head and kissed his neck.

By now, she had become quite adept at such gestures.

Jiang Wang paused, then heard her say: “Fortunately, our future children won’t be like us.”

Jiang Wang felt his heart soften immediately, as if squeezed repeatedly by a hand. He said in a deep voice: “Mm, our children will have the best of everything.”

Shi Niannian disliked winter, not just because she was sensitive to cold, but also because she had left during winter. It was like a subconscious feeling—winter gave her a sense of oppression.

B University’s graduate school semester schedule differed from most schools. Final exams were a month earlier than other schools, followed immediately by a three-week mini-semester, during which Shi Niannian would intern with her advisor.

Chen Qing was a very capricious professor who only had Shi Niannian as his graduate student. These days, she had been following him around, conducting various examinations on patients.

Shi Niannian had a good temperament and always spoke gently, quickly gaining the affection of many children.

“Shi Niannian.” Chen Qing walked into the ward, knocking twice on the door panel. “Come with me for a moment.”

“Okay.”

She waved to the chubby little boy in front of her, took a candy from her pocket for him, and followed Chen Qing out.

Walking into Chen Qing’s office, he picked up a stack of reports from the desk and handed them to Shi Niannian: “Take a look at this.”

She took them and examined each page carefully, gradually furrowing her brow: “This eardrum damage is very severe. Is there significant hearing loss?”

Chen Qing nodded: “Caused by a heavy impact. Only 17 years old. The parents are preparing for surgery.”

Shi Niannian’s heart skipped a beat as she suddenly thought of Jiang Wang from before. Her fingers unconsciously tightened, gripping the report firmly.

Chen Qing looked up at her: “The surgery is tomorrow. You’ll assist me in the operating room.”

She was startled, then replied seriously: “Okay.”

Shi Niannian was extremely nervous about the surgery the next day. Although she wasn’t the lead surgeon, she was still very anxious, worried that the surgery wouldn’t go well or that the patient wouldn’t recover properly.

A 17-year-old teenager might have their dreams and passions, with so much life and time ahead of them. They couldn’t lose their hearing.

After putting on her surgical gown, she was responsible for disinfecting the patient.

Unexpectedly, the patient was a 17-year-old girl who had already put on a surgical isolation gown, lying on the bed with her head turned to allow Shi Niannian to disinfect.

The operating room was very quiet. The girl’s hands couldn’t stop trembling. Shi Niannian set aside the disinfectant and held her hand: “Don’t be afraid. Once the anesthesia takes effect, you won’t feel any pain.”

The girl nodded, her eyes a bit red.

Chen Qing and the others were still preparing in another room behind glass.

The girl called out, “Doctor sister.”

“Hmm? What is it?” Shi Niannian lowered her head, bringing her ear closer.

Afraid the girl couldn’t hear clearly, she raised her voice a bit.

“Will my ear get better? I’m so afraid it won’t.”

“It definitely will. The doctor performing your surgery is extremely skilled. He’ll heal you.” After a pause, she added, “I knew a brother before who also had hearing problems, worse than yours, and now he’s completely fine.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

As the surgery began, despite all her earlier reassurances to the girl, Shi Niannian was extremely nervous, concentrating all her attention.

Chen Qing operated with his extensive experience, and the surgery proceeded smoothly.

The operating room lights dimmed, and Chen Qing finished the closing procedures while Shi Niannian went out to inform the family.

As soon as the door opened, the girl’s parents rushed over. Shi Niannian announced that the surgery had been very successful.

Maintaining high concentration throughout the surgery was exhausting. She changed out of her surgical gown and sat down, closing her eyes for a moment.

In her mind, she recalled when Jiang Wang’s surgery ended and the doctor told them “the surgery was very successful.”

Now she was the one telling others.

“Not leaving yet?” Chen Qing walked in carrying a cup of hot water.

“I’ll rest a bit before going.”

Chen Qing glanced at her: “If you’re tired after just a small surgery like this, what will you do in the future?”

His tone was quite harsh, with a hint of criticism.

Shi Niannian didn’t speak, lowering her eyes.

Then she heard him say, “But you were quite steady in the operating room. If you want to be a lead surgeon in the future, you’ll need to build up your courage more.”

She curved her lips: “Okay.”

Jiang Wang seemed quite busy lately. That day, he didn’t pick her up from work but sent someone from the company to take Shi Niannian home.

He returned home at eight, pulling off his tie and tossing it on the sofa as he entered. Shi Niannian wasn’t in the living room, so he went upstairs and found her in the study, as expected.

The desk lamp was on, a book open on the table as she bent her head reading intently, still wearing her white coat.

“Still studying?” He walked to her side.

Shi Niannian looked up, smiled when she saw him: “Have you eaten?”

“Yes.” Jiang Wang sat on the armrest of her chair. “Did you perform surgery today? Are you tired?”

“Yes, I’m tired, but it felt really good. The surgery was very successful. As long as the recovery goes well, there shouldn’t be any impact on hearing.” She was quite excited talking about it.

“Impressive,” he ruffled her hair, “Dr. Shi.”

“By the way, your company has been so busy lately. Does your ear hurt at all?”

“My ear is fine, but there’s a place that does feel uncomfortable.” He deliberately dragged out his words, with a half-smile, waiting until Shi Niannian asked what, then pulled her wrist downward. “It hurts here. I wonder if Dr. Shi treats this area.”

The last sentence was intentionally lowered in volume, tinged with a slight smile, both mischievous and naughty, evoking an intimate ambiguity.

For a long time, Jiang Wang had wanted to do it while Shi Niannian was wearing her white coat.

Shi Niannian was aware of this quirk of his, but she was shy. No matter how Jiang Wang coaxed her, she had never agreed to put on the medical coat before doing it. Today was just right—she had forgotten to take it off after coming home, and now she was wearing it.

Jiang Wang’s arm exerted force, lifting her to sit on the desk.

“Not here… the books will get dirty,” Shi Niannian said softly.

Jiang Wang leaned down to bite her earlobe, one hand deftly unbuckling his belt with a crisp sound: “It has to be here.”

They had been intimate for some time, and Jiang Wang knew Shi Niannian’s body thoroughly. He deliberately teased the little girl until she bit his shoulder, whimpering incessantly, her beautiful, fair toes straightening in tension.

She made soft, fragmented sounds, her voice as soft as a kitten’s.

Jiang Wang pulled out several tissues, simply cleaning up the mess on the desk.

Shi Niannian still sat on the edge of the desk, her legs too weak to gather any strength, the corners of her eyes red, her whole person still in a dazed state.

Until suddenly something cool slipped onto her ring finger, encircling it.

She lifted her heavy eyelids to see a diamond ring circling her ring finger.

Jiang Wang lowered his head and bit the tip of her ring finger: “I love you.”