Yan Qing had been in the middle of a dream. In the dream, she was in her city — running urgently into a hospital, purchasing an IV drip set and streptomycin.

By the time she hurried back home, she found no one there at all. Only her stuffed bear lay alone on the bed.

She ran frantically everywhere searching, but could not find her father.

When she finally calmed herself, she realized she was in the modern era, not in Xin Guo. She had the streptomycin — but her father was not here, and she still could not save him.

Then the dream shifted: she saw her father walking toward her from far away, his smile radiant, his body strong and healthy, striding with vigorous steps.

She went gladly to meet him. “Father, has your illness gotten better?”

“Yan Qing, Yan Qing!”

Yan Qing opened her eyes to find Shi Ting standing beside her.

She sat up, feeling as though the “we succeeded” she had heard was a dream, so when she faced Shi Ting, she was momentarily unable to tell dream from reality.

“Sister-in-law, we succeeded.” Gu Zhen’s voice was far louder than Shi Ting’s; by now he had rolled over like a round ball, his face flushed with excitement. “We succeeded, we really succeeded.”

Yan Qing first froze in surprise, then jumped out of bed. Before she had even taken a step forward, she was pulled right back.

“Put your shoes on.”

Yan Qing was too excited and tried to haphazardly cram her shoes on her feet — but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t get them on.

Shi Ting crouched down, held her foot with one hand and picked up her shoe with the other. “Hold still.”

Yan Qing looked down to see the man crouching before her, putting her shoes on for her. She saw the back of his head, saw his neatly trimmed hair, saw everything about him.

“There — go on in.” Shi Ting finished putting on her shoes, then still couldn’t help reminding her: “One step at a time — the result won’t run away. Watch where you’re going.”

Yan Qing smiled and gave a soft sound of assent, then followed Gu Zhen to the laboratory.

Gu Zhen was right. After all those days of failure after failure — with no precision equipment, no ideal environment, no elite technical resources — they had nonetheless succeeded in cultivating streptomycin bacteria.

With streptomycin bacteria, they could extract streptomycin from it. For Yan Qing, this was an explosively good piece of news.

Though true success had not yet come, they had taken the most solid step forward.

Yan Qing couldn’t help throwing her arms around Shi Ting, jumping up with joy: “Shi Ting, do you see this? We really did cultivate streptomycin bacteria — Father has a chance now, he won’t die.”

Shi Ting held her firmly by the waist, keeping her from tumbling over in her excitement. It was the first time he had seen her jump and cheer like a child.

As long as she was happy, his own heart soared.

Gu Zhen stood to the side, grinning as well. Before all of this, failure upon failure had nearly brought him to the point of giving up — but seeing Yan Qing still press on with such unwavering determination, he had gritted his teeth and held on alongside her. And now, against all odds, under these conditions, they had truly achieved success.

But success was only a beginning. They still needed to extract the streptomycin and then conduct a series of experiments — first animal trials, and then clinical trials.

Though the process ahead would be even more arduous, Gu Zhen had confidence: because Yan Qing was here.

Just as their Military Police Division had Shi Ting as its steadying anchor, for him, Yan Qing was his steadying anchor.

But before their joy had even had a chance to fade, a police officer suddenly came rushing in: “Commander, there’s someone outside looking for sister-in-law — it seems urgent.”

Yan Qing couldn’t imagine who would come looking for her at the Military Police Division. When she went out, she saw Liu Shu from the Yan Mansion.

“Sixth Miss.” Liu Shu was sweating all over, his expression barely concealing his agitation. “Sixth Miss, the Master suddenly began coughing up blood severely just a moment ago. The eldest young master has taken him to the hospital — please go and see, Sixth Miss.”

Hearing this, Yan Qing’s heart plummeted in an instant. Her legs nearly gave way beneath her.

“I’ll go with you.” Shi Ting stepped forward and gripped Yan Qing’s arm, then turned to Liu Shu: “Is there a car?”

“The car is right outside.”

Liu Shu led the way; Shi Ting took Yan Qing’s arm and followed close behind. By the time they got into the car, Yan Qing had gradually come back to herself. She couldn’t stop herself from gripping Shi Ting’s hand tightly, looking at him with an expression of helplessness, tears like crystal beads rolling gently in her eyes.

“It will be all right. Father-in-law will be fine.” Shi Ting draped his arm around her shoulder and let her lean against him, his palm tapping gently on her back in slow, steady strokes. “He’s already been taken to the hospital, and the doctors will know what to do.”

Yan Qing pressed her face into his chest and gripped his hand even more tightly.

“If something truly happens to Father…”

Scalding tears fell against Shi Ting’s chest, soaking through in a spreading patch.

He lowered his head and used a handkerchief to wipe her face. “Trust me — nothing will happen. You always trust what I say, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Yan Qing sniffled and gave a firm nod. “I trust you.”

When she had first learned that Master Yan was ill, she had been utterly despairing, utterly helpless. And at that time, Shi Ting had not been by her side.

All those feelings of fear, panic, and distress — she had done her best to bury them and digest them alone. But now he was with her, sharing her joys and sorrows, and she felt that nothing was as terrible as before.

She knew she had long been unable to do without him. From some moment she could not identify, she and he had become one — inseparable, unable to be apart.

When the two arrived at the hospital, Master Yan was in the midst of emergency treatment. Yan Qi was waiting outside, pacing anxiously back and forth.

At the sight of Yan Qing, he was like a man who had caught sight of a thread of light. It had always been Yan Qing who attended to Master Yan — and Yan Qing understood medicine.

“Elder Brother, how is Father?”

“These past few days, his condition has not been good — he’s been coughing so badly he couldn’t sleep. Yesterday he coughed up blood, not a lot, and I wanted to bring him to the hospital, but he said there was no need. Today at midday, just after drinking a little cow’s milk, he started coughing up blood without stopping — I was frightened out of my wits and rushed him to the hospital, and then sent Liu Shu to notify you.” Yan Qi’s tone was filled with grief. “Yan Qing, you should also prepare yourself for the worst. Father’s illness, I’m afraid…”

“Elder Brother, it is not yet time to prepare for the worst outcome,” Shi Ting said, unable to bear seeing Yan Qing grieve. “Let’s wait and see what the doctor has to say.”

Yan Qi let out a long sigh and shook his head: “Father is only an ordinary person. An ordinary person with an illness like this — ah!”

They did not have to wait long before the doctor came out.

This doctor had been arranged by Shi Ting — he was considered an expert in treating lung consumption in the country. But even an expert, faced with a disease like lung consumption, remained at a loss. All they could do was try their utmost to ease the patient’s suffering and prolong the patient’s life.

“Doctor, how is my father?” Yan Qi asked, tense and anxious.

The doctor said: “The condition is not optimistic. Since the last time I examined him, the illness has been continuously worsening.”

“Then — then what can be done?”

“I can only first administer some basic treatment. As you are well aware, the likelihood of curing this illness is extremely low. All I can do is my utmost. Beyond that, it is up to the patient’s own fortune.” Doctors generally did not declare a verdict outright — partly to avoid taking on responsibility, and partly not to deliver too heavy a blow to the family. “There are also those who have recovered from this illness in the end. You should — you should make preparations on both fronts.”

Making preparations on both fronts meant it was time to begin putting affairs in order. As for the other front — that meant waiting for a miracle, a miracle that would almost certainly never come.

After delivering his instructions, the doctor left with the nurses. Master Yan was moved into a ward.

Master Yan was still mentally clear, but he was far weaker in spirit than he had been just days before; his entire body was wrapped in a sickly pallor of frailty.

Yan Qing spoke a few words with him and then let him rest.

After she walked out of the ward, she stood to one side and wiped her eyes.

A pair of solid arms wrapped around her shoulders and drew her gently into an embrace. Feeling that familiar scent around her, Yan Qing’s nose stung, and her voice came out a little hoarse: “I am so afraid — afraid that before my medicine is ready, Father will not be able to wait.”

“He will certainly wait.” Shi Ting consoled her. “He has such an outstanding and capable daughter. I believe he will absolutely hold on.”

“Ting.” Yan Qing lifted her face from his embrace. Her steadfast gaze met his gaze full of tender concern. “I have made peace with it. Even if my medicine cannot come in time to cure Father, it can still go on to save many more people. If Father truly cannot wait — then his death will not be without meaning. It was because of him that I began researching this medicine. This is a merit he leaves behind.”

“Qing Qing, you must also believe in him — believe he will hold on.” Shi Ting gently dried her tears. “The last time you were away, he quietly asked me when I would give him a grandchild.”

Yan Qing gave a pained smile: “He’s that eager, is he?”

“I told him he had to take care of himself — that as long as he held on, he would very soon get to see his grandchild. He promised me.”

Yan Qing buried her face in his chest again: “I hope he will keep his word.”

“I believe Father-in-law is a man of his word.”

Under Shi Ting’s gentle consolation, Yan Qing’s spirits gradually lifted. By the time evening came, Master Yan’s condition had truly stabilized, and he seemed in somewhat better spirits — which made Yan Qing even happier.

She was just about to go and share this good news with Shi Ting when she found he was nowhere in the ward. He had gone out at some point without a sound.

Yan Qing asked Yan Qi to stay with Master Yan while she went out to look for Shi Ting.

Just as she pushed open the door, she saw that familiar silhouette walking toward her from the far end of the corridor, carrying two bags in his hands — inside them, presumably, was dinner.

Outside it was bitterly cold, and the chill had turned his face a faint red; the wind had tousled his hair — but in her eyes, he was like a divine figure descending from above.

Without a second thought, she strode toward him and flung open her arms, pulling him into a firm, wholehearted embrace.