Just as Yu Tian finished nodding, Jiang Yuming finally ended his phone call and walked back toward them with a smile.

Jiang Yuming felt tonight’s dinner invitation was extremely worthwhile.

When he returned after finishing his call, he had originally been somewhat anxious, but to his surprise, Yu Tian was very enthusiastic toward him.

The two made some plans for orthopedic science education content, outlined several possible directions for health education, and agreed that Jiang Yuming would go back and create an educational outline for each feasible branch topic, then discuss and refine details later to make five episodes of orthopedic science education content.

After finishing professional and work-related matters, Jiang Yuming was worrying about how to shift the conversation to personal life when Yu Tian thoughtfully opened up the situation first—

“Dr. Jiang, what hobbies do you have in your spare time?”

“Do you prefer outdoor or indoor activities? For outdoor activities, do you like running or mountain climbing, and such? What about indoor activities?”

Yu Tian not only inquired about Jiang Yuming’s hobbies in great detail, but even asked about his birth year, month, and day. She was very direct, openly and generously asking Jiang Yuming about his preferred personality type in women.

Although Jiang Yuming was the one planning to pursue someone, he ended up being the one feeling embarrassed by Yu Tian’s questions.

“As for the type of woman I like, I’ve never dated before, but as long as she has a simple personality, can understand my work, and doesn’t mind that I’m busy…”

Jiang Yuming was satisfied with his answer. It both highlighted that he was a pure man who had never dated, and indirectly indicated he wasn’t the playboy type. Being able to understand a doctor’s busy work perfectly corresponded to Yu Tian.

He looked somewhat shyly at Yu Tian: “Actually, it would be best if it’s someone close by, keeping it within our circle—someone we know well…”

After listening, Yu Tian indeed nodded seriously.

However, during this meal, it seemed only Jiang Yuming was nervous. Even when Yu Tian asked him personal questions, she appeared composed and natural. Meanwhile, Yan Ming remained calm throughout, drinking tea on the side, looking relaxed and at ease, but apparently in a good mood, because the usually unsmiling Yan Ming now had his lips slightly curved upward in a subtle smile.

Jiang Yuming was even more moved. He hadn’t expected that while Yan Ming wasn’t anxious about finding himself a partner, he was so concerned about his friend finding one. Seeing his friend with hopes of ending his single status, he even showed genuine happiness—this must be the legendary feeling of being happy as long as your friend is doing better than yourself!

Jiang Yuming felt he had made the right friend in Yan Ming!

Jiang Yuming was very satisfied with this dinner, and so was Yu Tian.

Just by introducing someone to Jiang Yuming, she could get five episodes of Yan Ming making programs with her, plus a bonus of five episodes of orthopedic science education content from Jiang Yuming—what a profit!

But where would she find this candidate to introduce to Jiang Yuming?

Among Yu Tian’s close female friends who were still single, they were all her medical school classmates, or senior and junior students—all studying medicine, which didn’t meet Jiang Yuming’s requirements. And Jiang Yuming had also mentioned preferring someone Yu Tian knew well…

Someone single and wanting to date…

Just as Yu Tian was racking her brains, her phone rang. The caller was Ren Yali.

Since last seeing Yan Ming, Ren Yali had pestered Yu Tian several times for Yan Ming’s contact information, but Yu Tian never gave it to her. Ren Yali didn’t get angry, though, and instead chatted with Yu Tian daily, sharing food, news, and gossip. Through these interactions, the two had become friends.

After really talking with her, Yu Tian discovered that although Ren Yali had a somewhat willful and spoiled temper, she was straightforward. Having never dated before, she had read too many novels about persistent women winning over men and truly believed that as long as a woman was enthusiastic enough and persistent enough in pursuing a man, she would succeed.

Looking back now, Ren Yali was quite ashamed of her behavior when pursuing Qi Sihao, and had previously apologized to both Yu Tian and Qi Sihao. Even after learning that Yu Tian wasn’t Qi Sihao’s girlfriend and that Qi Sihao was still single, she no longer pestered him.

At this moment, on the other end of the phone, Ren Yali was again complaining about her mother’s authoritarian policies: “My mom wants me to work at a TV station or radio station, but I don’t want to at all. The atmosphere there is too oppressive, and all the colleagues are so much older.”

“Many of my classmates do live streaming and social media, and I see they’re doing quite well. Some have gone directly into hosting or voice acting for audio dramas. There are so many different lifestyle options. I also really want to try social media entrepreneurship and become a host. My voice conditions could be utilized too. But my mom thinks those product-promoting hosts aren’t classy enough and strongly opposes it…”

However, although Ren Yali’s mother hoped she would focus on her career, Ren Yali herself longed for love.

“And I want to date! I especially want to find a doctor boyfriend. I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was little. I think doctors are so handsome, saving lives, so great. Unfortunately, my grades weren’t good enough. Now I just hope to have a doctor boyfriend. I don’t mind if he’s busy; I’m willing to be a supportive wife…”

Yu Tian was about to comfort Ren Yali when she suddenly paused.

Wait, she had an epiphany—wasn’t this the most suitable blind date candidate for Jiang Yuming?

Ren Yali was good-looking, had a simple personality, and had improved her spoiled nature quite a bit. She wholeheartedly wanted to find a doctor boyfriend and was full of admiration and reverence for the medical profession. Wasn’t she the most suitable candidate?

Yu Tian immediately had an idea: “Would you like to come help me as an assistant for social media science education for a while? What I do is different from product-promoting hosts—I do medical knowledge education. Even if you tell your mom about it, it’s a respectable and meaningful job.”

The more Yu Tian talked, the more suitable it seemed. She had many science education topics she wanted to do recently, but her energy as one person was limited, and she was looking for a reliable helper.

“I happen to have several themed science education topics coming up. I need to coordinate with ophthalmology myself. If you’re willing, could you help me coordinate with orthopedics? The doctor I’m working with is from the First Affiliated Hospital—a nice person, my senior, good-looking, and single!”

Speaking of this, Yu Tian became excited: “You could also use my work to practice and get a feel for doing social media, applying your major, and seeing if it’s the kind of work you want.”

Ren Yali was indeed interested and immediately set a time with Yu Tian.

With Ren Yali handling the orthopedic content coordination with Jiang Yuming, Yu Tian had much more bandwidth to coordinate with Yan Ming on the ophthalmology side herself.

Since Yan Ming mentioned that medical aesthetic hyaluronic acid injections could cause blindness, such severe side effects—Yu Tian had been paying attention. She searched several social media and sharing platforms using relevant keywords and found more than ten similar medical aesthetic accidents in Rong City alone in the past three months.

Similarly, patients coming to Yan Ming’s clinic for medical aesthetic complications were also increasing, with ages trending even younger.

Yu Tian began privately messaging victims on social media platforms who were seeking justice or exposing bad medical aesthetic institutions.

Although Yan Ming was busy, he still made time the next evening to meet Yu Tian at a coffee shop.

Yan Ming was puzzled by Yu Tian’s behavior of contacting patients: “As an ophthalmologist from a top-tier hospital, I can appear on camera and explain the key points the general public should pay attention to regarding such cases, as well as the potential risks medical aesthetic procedures pose to the eyes. Wouldn’t that be sufficient? Why do you still need to contact patients?”

Yu Tian knew Yan Ming made sense.

Actually, for social media medical knowledge education short videos, explaining the risks, pathology, how to avoid and handle issues, editing the material well, and preferably making it educational and entertaining—light and humorous for easy sharing—would make a very qualified video. But Yu Tian felt they shouldn’t stop there.

She also knew that some medical science education videos, especially about rare diseases, had content creators who found corresponding cases to film. These videos had higher view counts than regular serious science education videos because of their sensational nature.

Before meeting with Yan Ming, Yu Tian had called Dai Xin to discuss the topic she wanted to cover. Dai Xin, as a high-traffic content creator, had suggested she could find some girls who went blind from failed cosmetic surgery to speak from personal experience.

Yu Tian could still recall Dai Xin’s words—

“From a communication studies perspective, others’ misfortune naturally creates a voyeuristic desire.”

“These girls already need to expose themselves online to seek help anyway, so they wouldn’t mind you using your social media account to help them expand their influence for rights protection. Moreover, with their testimonies, your science education becomes more convincing, your advice more intimidating, and your video’s authenticity more reliable…”

“Before and after cosmetic surgery photos, especially failed ones—put mosaics over the eyes and other sensitive areas, but expose the rest. That strong contrast can immediately capture public attention.”

But now, discussing the same topic, Yan Ming was uncompromising. His lips were almost pressed into a straight line, and his expression became serious.

“Based on professional ethics, I will not disclose private information about my patients to anyone. If you contact some patients through social networks, that’s your ability, but I still strongly advise against persuading these patients to disclose their failed medical aesthetic experiences on camera.”

“Young patients who undergo medical aesthetics are generally more beauty-conscious and prone to appearance anxiety than average people, or they choose medical aesthetics due to a lack of confidence in their appearance. Regardless of which category, they’re probably unwilling to appear on camera and expose their wounds.”

Yan Ming paused: “Of course, although some, after exhausting their ability to seek justice, are forced to use social media and publicize their painful experiences to attract attention for rights protection, even these women who stand up to share their cosmetic surgery complications may not know what they’ll face once their experiences receive large-scale dissemination.”

“When they post on their accounts, most won’t receive particularly large attention. Even if they do, their social media accounts mostly include friends and family who are sympathetic and supportive. But if posted on other accounts, the effect is different.”

Yan Ming looked at Yu Tian: “Especially your social media account, which already has considerable traffic and broad reach. These patients are all very young women. Even if they initially agree to appear on camera, once they do and face overwhelming public opinion, they won’t be able to handle it.”

“Public opinion toward failed medical aesthetic victims sometimes picks fault and mocks them. Why did you get cosmetic surgery? Why didn’t you spend money on improving your grades or professional abilities instead of cosmetic surgery? Would you die without cosmetic surgery? You got surgery, so you deserve it. Others can barely afford food, yet you have money for cosmetic surgery—if not you, then who should be unlucky?”

Yan Ming’s tone was calm, but his detailed and thoughtful analysis continued: “Medical aesthetics has already caused major complications for these young people, and they’re already suffering physically. If they then have to face online violence, these young children might not be able to handle it at all—it’s unfair to such patients.”

“Failed cosmetic surgery already leaves patients in a very fragile mental state. They might treat your social media account as a rights protection channel in desperation, or agree to appear on camera impulsively. Indeed, it could help expose medical aesthetic institutions’ misconduct and assist their rights protection to some extent, but they might not be clear about the negative effects such exposure could bring them.”

When Yu Tian received Dai Xin’s suggestion, she was tempted. Since these patients were already standing up and publicly seeking justice on their social media, they shouldn’t mind appearing on Yu Tian’s account. With real cases, the science education would be more impactful. But she hadn’t thought as far ahead as Yan Ming.

But now, with Yan Ming’s guidance, Yu Tian realized the implications.

Although she didn’t want to admit it, beneath Yan Ming’s cold exterior was meticulous care and thoughtful consideration for patients.

He was a very, very good doctor.

Yes, many of these patients were just adolescents—mentally immature and unstable, which led them to be swept up by appearance anxiety and impulsively undergo medical aesthetics.

At their age, many children couldn’t take responsibility for their decisions. If she interviewed them for social media, even with mosaics, their information would quickly be doxxed.

Yu Tian would never try to use patients’ suffering to attract public attention.

But regarding contacting patients, after thinking it over, Yu Tian decided to continue.

“Rather than exposing victims and putting their tragic experiences in the spotlight for public consumption, what should be done is to expose the perpetrators. I want to contact patients to find out what kind of monsters these illegal medical aesthetic operations are behind the scenes, and expose all these illegal medical aesthetic institutions.”

“With so many young female victims appearing in Rong City at once, if these non-compliant medical aesthetic institutions don’t close, there will only be more victims. Besides educating people on my social media about risk prevention, I think I should also do my part to expose these bad institutions and help everyone avoid these traps.”

The messages she had sent to victims were finally getting responses.

Yu Tian looked up at her phone, and after reading some feedback from private messages, her expression became more serious: “I feel these irregular medical aesthetic institutions must be part of an industry chain.”

She handed her phone screen to Yan Ming: “Look at this girl’s feedback. She says not only does she face blindness risk from medical aesthetic complications, but she was also tricked into applying for ‘beauty loans’ and is now being harassed by debt collection calls, exhausted physically and mentally…”

Yan Ming knew about beauty loans. These predatory loan apps were profit-linked to irregular medical aesthetic institutions. The institutions first attracted young women with little savings but high appearance consciousness using “free cosmetic experience” and “low-price medical aesthetics,” then through coaxing and inducement, got them to consume projects they couldn’t afford, taking the opportunity to sell so-called beauty loans with naturally extremely high interest rates that many girls couldn’t repay.

As Yu Tian scrolled through victims’ private message replies, she felt nothing but anger.

“No wonder a bunch of medical aesthetic victims suddenly appeared. Their routine is first getting these students to fall for ‘beauty loan’ traps, then when victims can’t repay the high interest, they ‘mercifully’ tell victims that as long as they introduce a certain number of customers each month and meet quotas, the clinic will pay that month’s interest.”

Young girls had no idea this was a trap tailor-made for them. After being pulled into the quagmire, under realistic pressure, they had to transform from victims into accomplices.

Their social circles mostly consisted of classmates, friends, and relatives. So, relying on the trust people have in acquaintances in familiar social networks, they dragged more and more young people into the water.

Yu Tian searched online again and found not only frequent retinal artery occlusions, but also large numbers of failed nose jobs and even simple double eyelid surgery failures—truly shocking…

“We can’t not expose these bad beauty clinics!” Yu Tian was indignant. “Brother Yan Ming, let’s make an episode exposing their operations!”

While Yu Tian was emotionally agitated, Yan Ming remained calm. He just quietly looked at Yu Tian: “I remember I’ve already been dismissed from your brother list.”

“…”

In her urgency just now, Yu Tian hadn’t paid attention to her wording. When she realized, she discovered she had already called out “Brother Yan Ming.”

She pursed her lips and couldn’t help muttering under her breath: “So petty…”

Previously, when she still thought they might become family in the future, Yu Tian had maintained some pretense. Now that they were strangers anyway, Yu Tian was too lazy to even put on an act.

“Did I say anything wrong? I dismissed you because you were too mean to me. Can you say scolding me was for my good?”

She didn’t think Yan Ming would pay her any attention—after all, he seemed uninterested in and too lazy to deal with anyone except his patients and friends.

However, to Yu Tian’s surprise, Yan Ming lifted his eyelids and quickly counterattacked: “When was I mean to you? You simply unilaterally attacked me, then dismissed me.”

His expression was candid, and he seemed to genuinely feel he was innocent.

Yu Tian couldn’t help bringing up old grievances: “That day, during the free clinic, I made the right judgment and tried to save someone, but you scolded me with a very harsh attitude.” Yu Tian still felt very wronged when recalling this: “Just because I’m not a doctor…”

Yan Ming was stunned, then he looked away: “I wasn’t scolding you. And I wasn’t being harsh.”

Yan Ming pressed his lips together, losing his earlier self-righteousness, his tone becoming unnatural: “Yu Tian, are you stupid?”

“You know that even licensed doctors should be very careful when facing patients, always watching their words, and avoiding any private contact with patients as much as possible. Because you face too many patients daily—indeed, most patients are simple and kind, just wanting to get better, full of trust and gratitude toward doctors.”

“But there are also a few patients who are hostile toward doctors, always thinking doctors want to cheat them out of money. Some are ungrateful—before their illness is cured, they’re obedient to doctors, but after recovery, they settle scores, wishing they could renege on medical fees by turning hostile, or extort money.”

“And you’re not even a licensed doctor. CPR is emergency aid behavior, so as a medical school graduate, even if problems arise after you provide emergency care, you don’t bear responsibility, and it doesn’t constitute illegal medical practice.”

“Your pneumothorax diagnosis was fine, but you’re neither a licensed doctor nor making this diagnosis within a hospital. Directly providing emergency treatment for pneumothorax already involves suspected illegal medical practice. Did you consider that if this elderly man still didn’t improve after your treatment and eventually died, would his family sue you?”

“Our free clinic was registered, and all participating doctors have medical licenses. Having us handle it is safer for you.”

So…

Yu Tian’s heart couldn’t help beating rapidly: “So when you yelled at me so harshly then, it was to prevent me from directly providing treatment that would put me at risk?”

Yan Ming avoided her gaze, his tone returning to its usual coldness: “I didn’t yell at you harshly. I just raised my voice in an emergency to stop you.”

Yu Tian’s voice lowered, and she couldn’t help muttering: “Then couldn’t you have explained nicely? Your attitude just causes misunderstandings.”

“When people are too urgent, it’s very difficult to consider attitude and approach comprehensively.” Yan Ming turned his head toward the window. “I had no time to think of anything else then. You moved too fast. I was afraid I’d be too late.”

Yu Tian recalled the scenes from the free clinic and finally belatedly realized what Yan Ming’s unusual urgency had been about.

He was afraid she would do something risky for herself.

It was then that Yu Tian felt embarrassed about her previous misunderstanding: “I’m sorry, I didn’t know… I thought you felt that because I wasn’t a doctor…”

Yu Tian’s feelings were complicated as she nervously fidgeted with her fingers: “You know, because of my hand situation, I might be overly sensitive about not being able to become a doctor, so I had some preconceived misunderstandings about your behavior then…”

At this moment, Yu Tian also felt guilty and regretful. She glanced at Yan Ming: “But you never came to explain to me…”

“How would I have had a chance to explain?” Yan Ming’s expression remained indifferent, his tone calm, but his words were full of accusation: “I was already dismissed. If you call for me to defend my rights, where would I go to defend them?”

“…”

This tone…

Yu Tian tentatively asked: “Then can I continue calling you ‘Brother Yan Ming’ in the future? There’s no dismissal or anything like that—I was just afraid you’d mind…”

Yan Ming had seemed to mind before…

Faced with Yu Tian’s suggestion, Yan Ming pressed his lips and didn’t speak, but looked like he accepted it.

Yu Tian breathed a sigh of relief and took the opportunity to flatter him: “Actually, you’ve always been a big brother in my heart. My previous… previous comments during that dinner weren’t sincere. I was just misunderstanding and angry then, so I said things in anger. But actually, both you and Dai Xin are big brothers in my mind…”

Yu Tian wanted to continue with compliments, trying to be fair to both, but she heard Yan Ming, whose expression had just softened, directly interrupt her—

“You’d better not call me big brother. I don’t deserve it. Besides, old is not as good as new—it’s normal.”

“…”

Yan Ming cleared his throat, his ears slightly red, and quickly changed the subject.

“Anyway, I know you’re eager to save people, but no matter what profession you’re in, protecting yourself comes first. Including what you want to do now—exposing irregular medical aesthetic institutions—you should know that they’re an interest group. As soon as you name names, you’ll receive lawyer letters from them suing you for defamation, and your videos will likely be reported and deleted, possibly affecting your entire social media account.”

He glanced at Yu Tian: “Besides protecting patients, considering your situation, I also don’t recommend you directly expose them. You could go through complaint and reporting channels, complaining to regulatory agencies and demanding thorough investigation.”

Yan Ming thought that after this speech, Yu Tian would give up the idea of exposing them, but unexpectedly, she didn’t hesitate at all and just smiled.

“If everyone stays silent because speaking up might bring trouble, then when you encounter injustice yourself, no one will speak up for you either.”

Yu Tian’s eyes were bright and spirited. Her porcelain-white face, paired with rosy lips, carried a rose-like aura, yet without any of the fragility and delicateness of her refined appearance—instead, she was full of thorns.

Her tone was firm: “I’ll try to avoid legal risks as much as possible. I won’t actively cause trouble, but I’m not afraid of trouble finding me. These illegal institutions can certainly play tricks and report my videos, but for every takedown, I’ll reupload once.”

“Although reporting to regulatory agencies is the proper feedback channel, and I’ll do that too, before the process is completed and these illegal medical aesthetic operations are eliminated, if I don’t expose them, how many new victims will there be?”

“Some things are risky, but someone has to do them.”

Yu Tian’s tone was relaxed, her face smiling, her charming eyes looking seriously at Yan Ming: “I can’t be a doctor anymore, but my wish to help patients and reduce suffering hasn’t changed. Medical school was so hard—if I don’t do something, I feel sorry for all the hair I lost during those college years.”

Obviously risky and troublesome work that would bring a whole mess of problems, but in Yu Tian’s mouth, it sounded as casual as ordering a cup of milk tea.

Yan Ming couldn’t help staring at Yu Tian’s face.

He didn’t know many complex literary words and sentences, but at this moment, using a very clichéd description, Yu Tian’s face seemed to truly be glowing, beautiful, and dazzling.

The girl in front of him craftily rolled her round, bright eyes and looked at Yan Ming: “You lecture me very smoothly, but when it comes to yourself, in this kind of scenario, could you remain coldly indifferent?”

Yan Ming was stunned.

But before he could answer, Yu Tian pretended to be serious: “I won’t randomly dismiss people, but if you remain coldly indifferent to this kind of thing, I really will dismiss someone.”

She was bluffing and putting on a brave front, saying harsh words as if threatening to break off their relationship, but her tone was awkward, and her face and ears turned somewhat red from nervousness.

Yan Ming suddenly couldn’t help laughing.

He had never considered this question, but putting himself in that position, indeed, he couldn’t.

But now he suddenly wanted to tease Yu Tian a bit. He said calmly, “Then I indeed would remain indifferent. You should dismiss me.”

Yu Tian hadn’t expected Yan Ming to answer this way. She was stunned, then stamped her foot, showing some exasperated expression, made an “ai” sound, then glared at Yan Ming with her beautiful round eyes.

“That won’t do. You can’t be like that.”

Yan Ming was in a very good mood, his voice light: “Then what if I insist on being like that? What can you do?”

He smiled: “There’s nothing to be afraid of anyway—I’ve already been dismissed.”

“…”