On the way, Yuan Yi did not mention Fang Jing again, as if her arrival had not been within his prior expectations, nor was it within his current or future considerations.
Looking at him, Li Chengping and Jian Yurou also felt that the most important thing at this moment was rest, so they said, “If you’re tired, sleep a little longer. We’ll wake you when we get home.”
Yuan Yi was indeed exhausted. After several days of being in heat combined with extreme tension, he had not been able to rest properly. Upon hearing this, he closed his eyes, and before long, he fell asleep.
When he woke up, Principal Li was no longer there, likely having returned to the laboratory. It was Professor Jian who woke him up and said, “I originally wanted to let you sleep a little longer, but your communicator kept ringing. I was worried it might be something urgent from your friends, so I woke you up.”
Jian Yurou knew that after Yuan Yi changed his communicator and communication code, he had not kept many contacts. Anyone who could reach him at this point must have a relatively close relationship with him.
Yuan Yi checked the time and found that three and a half hours had already passed since he left the hospital. The seats in the aircraft were spacious, and when reclined, they were indeed comfortable for sleeping. But he had not expected to sleep for so long. He got up and said, “Sorry, Professor Jian. Did I delay you for too long?”
Jian Yurou said, “Not really. While you were sleeping, I read a book. It was quite nice. Besides, I took leave as well. Recently, Principal Li has been extremely busy because his research project has made new progress and requires close supervision. Otherwise, he would have taken a few more days off to help me take care of you.”
Yuan Yi was a little caught off guard. He had been used to taking care of himself since childhood. As long as something was within his ability, he would never trouble others. So he said, “I can take care of myself. Don’t worry. Please don’t let me delay your work.”
Jian Yurou said kindly, “Don’t be so distant. From now on, we’re family. Although Li Heng is no longer here, now that you’ve married him, you are just like a child to me and Principal Li. Taking care of you is only natural. Don’t feel burdened. And don’t keep thinking about how Madam Fang didn’t want you to trouble us—family is supposed to look after one another.”
It was the first time Yuan Yi had ever heard someone say this to him. In both his lives, it had never happened before, and he couldn’t help but feel a bit strange.
When he was in the orphanage, he had overheard the staff talking about him. He had been abandoned at the orphanage gate because, as a child, he had almost no reaction to sound. His hearing was indeed impaired, which had caused many difficulties in his studies. This was also the main reason he later became a doctor.
Later, after he earned his own money, he underwent surgery, and his hearing was restored. Throughout his education and career, there had been people who expressed concern for him. But no one had ever spoken to him as family.
Only now did Yuan Yi belatedly react. He said, “Thank you, Professor Jian.”
Jian Yurou said, “That’s what my colleagues and students call me. You shouldn’t call me that anymore—it feels too distant, doesn’t it?”
It really did feel distant. But Yuan Yi had long been accustomed to keeping a certain distance from others and not relying too much on anyone.
Even biological parents could abandon their children—so how could he dare to have too many expectations for people without blood ties?
But Li Chengping and Jian Yuru seemed different. It couldn’t be said that it had nothing to do with their child; in fact, it had a lot to do with their child. But he could feel that, aside from that, Principal Li and Professor Jian were both kind-hearted people who genuinely cared about him.
Yuan Yi opened his mouth, struggling to utter that word he had only ever encountered in textbooks or heard from others “…”
No sound came out.
Jian Yurou didn’t push him. She patted his hand and said, “No rush, no rush. Take your time.”
But Yuan Yi was never someone who couldn’t overcome difficulties. He paused, deliberated for a long moment, and finally said, “Mom.”
Jian Yurou responded with an “Aye,” her eyes turning red, yet her smile was warm and gentle. “Call me that from now on. If you ever have difficulties, talk to us. If you need help, don’t hesitate. Understand?”
Yuan Yi nodded. Then, suddenly, he heard his communicator ring again, reminding him why he had been woken up in the first place. He opened it and saw that the caller was one of the very few contacts he had added after changing to his new communicator.
His friend’s name was Ji Lan. It sounded a bit like a girl’s name, but he was actually a male omega—a rather handsome, small-statured omega who was half a head shorter than him.
If there was still something he wasn’t quite used to, it was his height. In his past life, he had been 1.83 meters tall. Now, he was only 1.73 meters. While this height was still considered on the taller side within his group, seeing so many betas and alphas who were even taller than him gave him an indescribable sense of frustration.
Jian Yurou motioned for Yuan Yi to take care of his business, then considerately stepped out of the aircraft.
The aircraft was parked on the lawn in the courtyard. Yuan Yi looked at the leaves fluttering in the wind outside, opened the window, and reached out in an attempt to grab a leaf while saying into the communicator, “Sorry, Ji Lan, I just got out of the hospital and fell asleep in the aircraft.”
Ji Lan was also from the Academy of Fine Arts and had even attended the same high school as the original host. The two of them knew each other quite well. Despite his small stature, Ji Lan was quite bold. He was also kind-hearted, incredibly enthusiastic, and had many friends.
Given the original host’s personality, he didn’t have many close friends. But Ji Lan got along with just about everyone. On top of that, perhaps because he came from a family in the prosecutor’s office, he had a strong sense of justice. He particularly despised people like Zhou Xingran, who said one thing but did another and was full of schemes. Because of this, he became a very good friend of the original host.
At school, one was quiet and the other lively, making them quite a sight. It was a pity about the original host.
But Ji Lan had no idea that the person on the other end of the communicator now had a completely different soul. He chattered on, “Yuan Yi, you’re really something! How could you go to school without looking for me? Even if I was out being a pack mule for the teachers, you could’ve at least waited for me! Now I had to hear all the gossip about you from others. You have no idea how many times I’ve called you lately. I heard you took leave—did you really marry General Li?”
Yuan Yi could hear that Ji Lan meant no harm—he just seemed a little distressed for him. So he said, “Mm. We’ve already registered. And I’ve already undergone the pregnancy procedure.”
Ji Lan let out a loud “Pfft—” and exclaimed, “What did you say?! Y-You’re being way too impulsive! Didn’t you think it through? This is a huge decision—it affects your entire life! Have you even considered what you’re going to do in the future?”
Yuan Yi knew exactly what Ji Lan was worried about and smiled as he replied, “Otherwise, what do you think kept me from answering your calls all these days? I was in the hospital, and it wasn’t convenient. Besides, even without an alpha, it’s not a big deal. The military keeps pheromone samples from every stationed alpha soldier. If their family members ever need it, they can apply for an inhibitor with the same scent.”
Generals and soldiers stationed outside couldn’t just come home whenever they wanted. So if their family members experienced a heat period, they either had to go to the base to find them or use inhibitors. Of course, he could also apply for them.
But Ji Lan still felt uneasy. “Of course I know about those! But how could having an alpha around and using inhibitors be the same? If they were really the same, there wouldn’t be so many omegas every year who can’t take it anymore and end up rushing to the bases!”
Yuan Yi fell silent for a moment.
Then, a soft sigh came from the communicator. “Alright, alright. Things are already like this, so we might as well focus on the positives. At least you’ve finally broken free from the Zhou family. You don’t have to deal with that disgusting Zhou Xingran anymore—that’s definitely a good thing. But now that you’re married, when will you be able to come back to school? Can I come visit you?”
Ji Lan was the only one who truly saw through Zhou Xingran’s two-faced nature. He had always disliked him and had been hoping for Yuan Yi to stay far away from him. But when it came to the Li family, he also felt a bit of awe—his father had been Principal Li’s student back in university.
At that time, Principal Li wasn’t a principal yet—he was Professor Li. Back then, Professor Li was twenty-four years old, while his father was twenty.
The vast differences between people, indeed…
Ji Lan mourned for his dad for a second.
Yuan Yi said, “Professor Jian is at home. Though I’m sure she’d be happy to have you over, I actually want to buy some books and was just about to ask you about it. How about we meet outside? When do you have time off?”
Ji Lan said, “The weekend! I’m free all day on Saturday and Sunday. What books are you looking for? I’ll check and see where it’d be most convenient to meet.”
Yuan Yi remembered that the second-hand bookstore outside the school had been closed the last time he went, so he asked Ji Lan, “I want to buy textbooks on clinical medicine and some accompanying workbooks. Do you know if the Chuanliu Shuxiang bookstore near the East Gate is open these days? It was closed when I went before.”
Ji Lan replied, “Oh, I know about that. It’s open today. The day you went, it was closed because Senior Datou’s wife went into labor early and had a baby. But why are you buying clinical medicine books? That has nothing to do with our major at all.”
Yuan Yi told him about his plan to switch departments.
Ji Lan was immediately dumbfounded. “Are you crazy? You’re giving up design to tackle such a tough field! Is this because you’re afraid you won’t be able to take care of your kid in the future, so you’re trying to learn it now? Let me tell you, you really don’t have to worry. Someone will definitely take good care of you. Just think about your husband’s status—who would dare neglect you?”
Yuan Yi said, “It’s not because of that. But it’s not something that can be explained in just a few words—I’ll tell you more about it later. Anyway, I have to buy these books. Should we meet at Chuanliu Shuxiang1T/N: That’s the name of bookstore. It feels weird to translate some names. So, I’ll leave it in pinyin or go to another bookstore first?”
Previously, he had looked up professional information online. Since he still didn’t have a thorough understanding of the medical system here, he wanted to check it out as soon as possible. But personally, he preferred studying with physical books, so if possible, he still wanted to buy the print editions.
Ji Lan saw that he was determined and arranged to meet him at the entrance of Chuanliu Shuxiang on Saturday.
Just as it happened, the next day was Saturday. Yuan Yi informed Professor Jian, and she handed him a cup of freshly squeezed juice to take with him.
“It’s a bit hot outside. Drink this if you get thirsty on the way.”
“Thank you, Prof… Thank you, Mom.”
Jian Yurou patted his head, and Yuan Yi once again experienced that strange feeling before heading out.
Chuanliu Shuxiang was a bookstore located outside the east gate of Jihua University. It sold new books as well as second-hand books used by students. Yuan Yi landed his aircraft on the public docking pad across from the store, then signaled it to find a long-term parking spot on its own. This was a short-term docking area, so he couldn’t leave it there for too long.
Ji Lan, who lived nearby, had already arrived. He waved and called out, “Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi! Over here, over here!”
Yuan Yi saw that besides Ji Lan, there were two other people. One was Ji Lan’s boyfriend, Cheng Siming. The other was someone he had never seen before, but at a glance, he could tell he was an alpha.
Ji Lan said, “You said you wanted to buy books related to medicine, but neither Siming nor I are in that field. Luckily, one of his basketball teammates has a friend in the medical program, so I asked him to bring this senior along. Let me introduce you—this is my close buddy, Yuan Yi. And this is Senior Liang Xu.”
Yuan Yi nodded. “Hello, Senior Liang. Sorry to trouble you for this trip.”
Liang Xu was tall and wore black-framed glasses, which gave him a scholarly look. After nodding in acknowledgment, he said, “Tell me what you’re looking for, and I can recommend some books. But are you just trying to learn some medical knowledge on your own, or…?”
Yuan Yi said, “I want to take the transfer exam to switch to the medical school and study clinical medicine.”
Cheng Siming and Liang Xu: “???”
When Ji Lan first heard about it, he was afraid he had misheard and didn’t dare confirm, only mentioning that Yuan Yi wanted to buy medical books. But hearing it again now, he was still shocked.
The three of them stared blankly at Yuan Yi. Ji Lan, being the most familiar with him, directly blurted out, “Bro, did they feed you bear gall every meal while you were in the hospital?! H-How do you even dare to think about this?!”
It wasn’t that he looked down on his buddy! But they had all gotten in through the art program, and he remembered that in their cohort, the highest total score was only around 540. Meanwhile, Jihua University’s medical school was its top program—you didn’t even need to bother thinking about it if your score was below 670!
This wasn’t just a gap between diligence and laziness—it was an intellectual divide!
Ji Lan wasn’t even trying to put himself down; it was simply a matter of specialization. Just like medical students didn’t have the artistic mind of art students, art students also didn’t have the analytical mind of medical students!
Liang Xu also said, “This… is nearly impossible.”
Saying “nearly” was already being polite—this junior was outright delusional!
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1
🥰❣️
Thanks for reading❤