Chapter 166 Finally Willing to Come Back?

Monday morning, the Orthopedics Department held its routine morning meeting.

Sunlight filtered through the blinds of the conference room. Seated at the head of the table, Song Jingmo slowly flipped through the medical records in his hands with his long, slender fingers.

Yin Siyao walked in carrying a stack of documents. The dark circles under his eyes were strikingly obvious against his fair skin.

His steps were slightly unsteady—clearly a sign of severe sleep deprivation.

“Finally willing to come back?”

Without even looking up, Song Jingmo spoke in a calm, even tone, though the teasing in his voice was unmistakable in the quiet room.

“I thought you were planning to transfer to Emergency and never come back.”

A few suppressed chuckles rippled through the room.

Everyone present—doctors and nurses alike—knew that Yin Siyao had been covering shifts in Emergency over the weekend. Seeing his exhausted state now, they couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Yin Siyao took the empty seat beside Song Jingmo, tossed the documents onto the table, and let out a huge yawn.

A faint sheen of physiological tears glistened in his almond-shaped eyes, the corners slightly reddened.

Paired with his utterly fatigued expression, he somehow looked a little pitiful.

“Director Song, you’re really taking advantage and still acting innocent.”

Yin Siyao rubbed his temples, his voice thick with exhaustion.

“I worked myself to death helping you supervise students. Didn’t even get the weekend off—pulled a full 36-hour rotation in Emergency.”

“And instead of thanking me, you’re here making fun of me. Where’s the justice in that?”

Song Jingmo finally looked up and glanced at him sideways. “How did Leng Keyan perform?”

“Not bad. He handled the debridement and suturing for those car accident patients in Emergency. His technique was fairly steady.”

After a pause, he added, “Just lacks experience. He tends to panic in sudden situations.”

“Experience comes with time.”

Song Jingmo lowered his gaze back to the records and turned a page. “With you watching over him, I’m at ease.”

The morning meeting was as dull and lengthy as ever.

First came each group’s report on last week’s work, followed by discussions of surgical plans for several complex cases in the coming week, and then analysis of a few recently admitted difficult cases.

Fighting off his fatigue, Yin Siyao took notes when his phone vibrated in his pocket.

Taking advantage of a moment when Song Jingmo was looking down at his materials, Yin Siyao quickly pulled out his phone and glanced at it.

It was a message from Leng Keyan:

[Dr. Yin, are you free tonight? I know a newly opened Cantonese restaurant—I’d like to treat you to dinner!]

At the end was a wagging puppy emoji, a fluffy corgi happily wiggling its little butt.

Yin Siyao stared at the message for a few seconds, his fingers hovering above the screen.

He was scheduled for outpatient clinic in the afternoon and could get off work at five sharp.

Logically, he should go straight home, take a hot shower, and collapse into bed.

After all, the nonstop Emergency shifts over the weekend had truly worn him out.

But…

He thought of the sparkle in Leng Keyan’s eyes, and that completely undisguised admiration.

His fingers fell, typing a single word:

[Okay.]

Almost instantly, a reply came:

[That’s great!!! I’ll wait for you after work.]

Followed by a string of cheerful emojis—

A spinning puppy, a flower-throwing kitten, a bouncing rabbit…

So lively they practically leapt off the screen.

Looking at those animated emojis, the corner of Yin Siyao’s lips lifted into the faintest of smiles—

Like a dragonfly skimming the surface of water, leaving only the briefest ripple before vanishing.

He quickly locked the screen and slipped the phone back into his pocket. When he looked up again, he met Song Jingmo’s half-smiling gaze.

By the time the meeting ended, it was already past eleven.

Yin Siyao packed up and headed for the outpatient clinic. Just as he stepped out of the conference room, Song Jingmo’s voice came from behind:

“Siyao, wait a moment.”

Yin Siyao paused and turned around.

In the corridor, Song Jingmo stood against the light.

His expression was unclear, but his voice was steady: “That kid Keyan—he’s simple-minded and sincere.”

“If you’re serious, treat him well. If you’re still unsure… don’t give him unrealistic hope.”

After a brief silence, Yin Siyao replied softly but earnestly, “I know what I’m doing.”

Song Jingmo studied him for a few seconds, then nodded. “Good.”

The afternoon clinic was busy as usual.

From 1:30 p.m. onward, Yin Siyao saw patients nonstop. By 5:10, when he finally sent off the last patient, he had already seen twenty-three cases.

Some needed plaster removal after fracture surgery, some required hyaluronic acid injections for joint pain, others needed rehabilitation guidance for sports injuries…

After seeing off the last elderly lady who repeatedly thanked him, Yin Siyao removed his mask and let out a long breath.

He rolled his stiff neck and reached for his phone.

Unlocking the screen—5:12.

Opening his chat with Leng Keyan, he was just about to type “Almost done” when a call suddenly came in.

Caller ID: Zhao Jingshu.

Yin Siyao froze for a moment.

He had already made things clear that night—why was she calling again now?

He picked up, his voice carrying the fatigue of a long clinic shift: “Hello?”

“Siyao… sob… Siyao…”

On the other end, Zhao Jingshu was crying, her voice broken and uneven.

“I… I got into a car accident… what should I do…”

Yin Siyao’s brows immediately furrowed. His professional instincts snapped him fully awake.

“Where are you? Are you hurt? Did you call emergency services?”

“I’m at… Wansheng Plaza… near the underground parking entrance…”

She was sobbing so hard she could barely speak. “I’m not hurt, but… but the car hit the barrier…”

“They’re saying I have to pay… a lot of money… I… I…”

In the background, a man’s rough, angry voice could be heard even through the phone:

“I’m telling you—if you don’t pay today, don’t think about leaving!”

“Eight thousand. Not a cent less! Otherwise I’m calling the police!”

Zhao Jingshu broke down even harder, her words incoherent. “Siyao… could you… come over…”

“I’m alone… I’m scared… they’re so fierce…”

Yin Siyao glanced at the time.

5:15.

He was supposed to meet Leng Keyan at 5:30.

Taking a deep breath, he steadied his voice: “Send me your location on WeChat. I’ll head over right now.”

“Don’t panic, and don’t argue with them. Keep yourself safe—I’ll handle it when I get there.”

He hung up. Immediately, a location popped up—Wansheng Plaza, underground parking entrance B.

His fingers quickly typed:

[Sorry, something came up. Zhao Jingshu was in a car accident—I need to go check on her. I’ll make it up to you another day, okay?]

After sending the message, he hurriedly took off his white coat, grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, and rushed out.