Chapter 267 So Picky It’s Harder Than Choosing a Concubine

The operating room at Kangren Hospital.

The shadowless surgical lights blazed harshly, illuminating the operating table as bright as day.

The air was filled with the smell of disinfectant and blood. The only sounds were the steady, urgent beeping of the monitors and the occasional cold clink of surgical instruments colliding.

The patient was a construction worker in his thirties.

A site collapse had crushed both his legs into comminuted fractures, and a sharp wooden beam had pierced through his waist.

More fatally, a flying piece of debris had struck his head, causing an open cranial injury.

On the operating table, a multi-front battle against death was underway.

Neurosurgeons were handling the brain injuries and bleeding points. General surgery and vascular surgery worked together on the penetrating waist injury, carefully avoiding vital organs and major blood vessels.

Orthopedics had the difficult task of trying to save the patient’s mangled legs, performing complex debridement, reduction, and internal fixation.

Song Jingmo stood at the primary surgeon’s position, his fingers terrifyingly steady. Every movement was clean, precise, without the slightest redundancy.

Fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, quickly wiped away by the circulating nurse beside him.

As the first assistant, Yin Siyao understood Song Jingmo’s surgical style and rhythm perfectly. There was no need for many words—passing instruments, suction, exposing the surgical field, assisting with retraction…

Every action was perfectly timed. The tacit understanding between them had been honed through countless operations.

The surgery had been going on for over five hours. The most dangerous cranial debridement and hematoma removal had been completed by the head of neurosurgery.

The wooden splinter had been carefully removed by general surgery, and the damaged intestines repaired.

When it came time for orthopedics to handle the most complex and time-consuming part—the legs—everyone finally relaxed a little.

But at that moment, the monitor let out a sharp alarm.

The patient’s blood pressure plummeted, and his heart rate spiked.

“Blood pressure 70/40, heart rate 140!”

“Possible delayed abdominal bleeding.”

Yin Siyao reacted instantly. “Prepare vascular clamps and sutures. Get another 800 ml of type O blood from the blood bank.”

Song Jingmo’s gaze sharpened, but his hands remained steady. “Electrocautery for hemostasis. Small vascular clamp. Siyao, press here.”

At the same moment Song Jingmo spoke, Yin Siyao’s fingers were already pressing precisely above the bleeding point.

Rapid transfusion, vasopressors, fluid resuscitation…

A series of emergency measures were carried out in an orderly manner.

With Yin Siyao’s coordination, Song Jingmo quickly located the source of the bleeding.

A small artery, which had spasmed shut during earlier exploration, had ruptured again as blood pressure rose.

It was clamped precisely and sutured swiftly.

Only then did everyone secretly breathe a sigh of relief—their surgical gowns already soaked with sweat.

By the time the final complex internal fixation plate was implanted and they began suturing the muscles and skin, more than five hours had passed.

The remaining routine wound closure and dressing were handed over to Dr. Zhang.

Song Jingmo stepped back, rolling his stiff neck and shoulders after maintaining the same posture for so long.

His eyes still focused on the surgical field, but the tension around him had noticeably eased.

Once the patient’s condition was confirmed stable, the atmosphere in the operating room finally relaxed.

Standing opposite Song Jingmo, Yin Siyao watched Dr. Zhang suture skillfully while asking, “Saw your post—looks like things went well with Lu Er’s mom?”

Song Jingmo lifted his eyelids slightly, warmth showing in his eyes above the mask. “Yeah. She gave me a red envelope and even asked me to bring gifts to Grandpa.”

“Congratulations.”

Yin Siyao’s blessing was brief. “Clouds have finally parted to reveal the moon.”

Song Jingmo glanced at him and nodded. “Thanks.”

Then, as if making casual conversation, he naturally asked, “What about you? Did you go back home with Keyan for the New Year? How are your parents?”

“Didn’t go back this year.”

Yin Siyao sounded both helpless and amused. “My mom’s fine—she didn’t object much when I brought him home last year. My dad’s a bit like Lu Er’s mom—sharp tongue, soft heart, and cares a lot about appearances.”

“Why didn’t you go back this year?” Song Jingmo asked, curious.

Despite his busy schedule, Yin Siyao had always been devoted to his family and rarely skipped going home for the holidays.

At this, Yin Siyao sounded even more exasperated, almost complaining:

“It’s that kid. No idea what got into him—he insisted on changing apartments.”

“He’s been saying since before the New Year that the current place is too small and doesn’t get enough sunlight. He’s been house-hunting nonstop, before and after the New Year—so picky it’s harder than choosing a concubine. It’s been absolute chaos. I’ve had no time or energy to go home.”

“Changing apartments?” Song Jingmo was surprised. “Isn’t your current place pretty good?”

Though not large, Yin Siyao’s home was cozy and not too far from the hospital.

“I think it’s fine too,” Yin Siyao said, a hint of complaint in his tone. “It’s enough space and convenient. But that stubborn kid wouldn’t listen—insists on getting something bigger. We’ve argued a lot over it.”

He was already exhausted from work every day—he really didn’t want to keep arguing over housing.

The worst part was, after every argument, the kid would go silent with that pitiful, wronged expression… and he’d end up coaxing him.

Soft laughter spread through the operating room. Everyone knew Leng Keyan was Lu Er’s nephew and came from a well-off family.

Yin Siyao’s complaints clearly carried a mix of indulgence and sweet burden.

“Looks like Keyan’s building a nest to attract a phoenix—getting ready to settle down?” Dr. Zhang teased with a grin. “I’ll prepare a wedding gift as soon as I’m off duty.”

Yin Siyao’s ears turned slightly red, and he didn’t respond.

As they chatted casually, their hands continued efficiently wrapping up the final steps.

When the last stitch was placed and the dressing secured, the clock had already reached 7 p.m.

This marathon surgery, lasting nearly ten hours, finally came to an end.

The patient was transferred steadily to the ICU.

Song Jingmo and Yin Siyao removed their heavy lead aprons and surgical gowns, walking to the sink to scrub up.

Hot water ran over their exhausted hands and arms. Neither spoke—only the sound of rushing water filled the space, washing away the blood and fatigue.

“Good work,” Song Jingmo said.

“Same to you,” Yin Siyao replied, rubbing his brow. “Your President Lu must be getting impatient waiting.”

Song Jingmo nodded, and the two parted ways at the hospital entrance.

Yin Siyao drove toward the new home.

Even though he had seen it before, the moment he opened the door and stepped inside, he still froze in surprise.

The place… was huge.

The entryway was spacious and bright. The living room alone was at least five times larger than the one in his old apartment.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the city lights glittered brilliantly. The furniture was all brand new, in a modern minimalist style.

Leng Keyan, wearing an apron, was just bringing the last dish of soup from the open kitchen to the dining table.

Hearing the door, he turned around, his face instantly lighting up with a bright smile:

“Teacher Yin, you’re back! Did the surgery go well? Come eat.”