Volume One, Chapter Five: The Reserved and Abstinent Professor Huo

"Shengsheng, you must visit me often. Dad is always busy, and I get so bored staying alone in the chess room."
Huo Xiaobei had an apple-flavored lollipop in his mouth—a gift from Ye Sheng. The little one was fair and beautiful, exuding the scent of candy, sweet and sugary.

Huo Lintong corrected him, "What Shengsheng? Call her Auntie."

"Auntie? No way," Huo Xiaobei retorted, "She's obviously a sister."

Ye Sheng was instantly delighted and couldn't help pinching his soft cheek.

Some children are born angels.

"Thank you, Professor Huo," Ye Sheng said as she took the bag of medicine. It was lent to her by Huo Lintong in a personal capacity. More precisely, he had taken a few boxes from his own son's medicine kit to help her in an emergency; his son also suffered from leukemia.

Leukemia is a disaster for any family.

Huo Lintong was a giant in the medical and research world, universally recognized as a genius among geniuses. By the time he became a renowned specialist in blood diseases, Ye Sheng was still in college—she had practically grown up hearing his name.

And he was only in his early thirties!

They both graduated from Einstein Medical College. In terms of seniority, Huo Lintong was an alumnus of Ye Sheng's mentor's generation, but they had a more personal connection. Ye Sheng's older brother, Ye Zhun, was a close friend of Huo Lintong.

Otherwise, Ye Sheng would never have been able to ask such a favor from him today.

"Thank you for making a special trip," Ye Sheng said, embarrassed.

Huo Lintong replied, "It's nothing. I know your hospital is doing charity work in Meishan. It's a good cause. If you need anything, call me anytime."

His words carried great weight. If not for the inconvenience of holding an umbrella, Ye Sheng would have bowed to him.

Huo Lintong walked away, umbrella in hand and son in his arms, as Huo Xiaobei waved goodbye to Ye Sheng. "Remember to come often, beautiful lady!"

Ye Sheng couldn't help laughing; she was now a beautiful lady again.

She wondered how such a calm, reserved, and low-key professor could raise such a lively, bright, and friendly child—like a beam of warm sunlight.

Ye Sheng stared at Huo Lintong's tall figure, lost in thought.

Indeed, to medical students and patients with blood diseases, Professor Huo was a radiant and warm presence, like the sun itself.

Her smile vanished the moment she turned and saw Huo Mingtian.

Gone without a trace.

Huo Mingtian had grown restless in the car. He wanted to get out and see what that man looked like, but the umbrella blocked his view and the distance was too great; he could see nothing but the man's white coat.

Was he a researcher here?

When he saw Ye Sheng's face change, Huo Mingtian felt a surge of irritation.

Heartless woman—finding someone new and forgetting the old.

Ye Sheng ignored her ex-husband, got into the car, and as Huo Mingtian tried to catch up and ask questions, the spinning tires splashed water all over his pants. "...Damn!"

He brought his anger back with him. The rain was heavy, so Ye Sheng drove more steadily, and Huo Mingtian finally managed to catch up.

As soon as he got out of the car, Huo Mingtian blocked Ye Sheng's way. "You've married again?"

Ye Sheng moved left, he blocked left.

"And you had another child?" His tone was rising.

Ye Sheng stepped right, and Huo Mingtian took a big step to block her again. Ye Sheng glared at him, and Huo Mingtian frowned. "That kid looks pretty big—Ye Sheng, did you cheat on me while we were still married?"

Looking at his cold and annoying face, Ye Sheng couldn't understand why she had ever been blind enough to fall for him.

That tangled, rainy night in youth—a moment of passion paid for with her life.

Ye Sheng stepped back, putting distance between herself and her ex-husband.

"A filthy heart sees filth everywhere. Huo Mingtian, you cheated; don't try to pin your mess on me."

Huo Mingtian was stunned by the insult. "When did I ever—"

"Dad."

Huo Cong's voice rang out from the entrance to the clinic.

Both Ye Sheng and Huo Mingtian turned to look.

Huo Cong had just finished his IV drip and woken up not long ago. The fever had subsided, but his face was still pale and sickly.

Huo Mingtian walked over and touched his forehead, asking a few questions. Huo Cong didn't respond; he just pressed his lips together and stared at Ye Sheng, speaking coldly: "Why have you come back?"

The icy, disgusted tone made all the medical staff around them pause and look at Ye Sheng.

Standing in the drizzle, Ye Sheng's face was even paler than the sick child’s.

Huo Cong said coldly, "Aunt Minshu will soon be my mother. You don't want me, but plenty of people are eager to love me, care for me, and be my mother. Aunt Minshu is smarter than you, gentler than you. She is a doctor; she understands everything. And you—you are nothing."