No matter how fierce the wind and rain outside, none of it could reach the operating room—and even if it did, Serena Feng wouldn’t care at all right now.
As Serena herself put it: even if the sky were to collapse, as the chief surgeon, she could not leave the operating room or abandon her patient.
The operating room is a battlefield for doctors. Once you step onto it, you must honor your responsibilities and the lives entrusted to you. Serena Feng would rather die than become a deserter or abandon her patient.
Inside the operating room, master and apprentice worked in perfect sync. Simon Sun silently marveled at Serena’s exquisite technique and precise incisions; her treatment methods were bold, innovative, and unheard of, turning what he thought was only theoretically possible into reality.
He watched the entire operation intently, not missing a single detail. Combining it with the surgical steps and principles Serena had given him beforehand, he understood more than eighty percent. The rest he memorized to ask her about later when she had time.
If Serena knew that Simon Sun could grasp seventy percent of it just by watching, she’d probably want to bang her head against the wall. Back then, even when she was hailed as a medical prodigy, she could only understand about seventy percent after following a surgery. Simon was practically here to humble her—she had the title of genius doctor, but not the reality, while he truly lived up to it.
Don’t be fooled by Simon Sun’s obedient-student act. The moment Serena stepped away from the table and let him take her place, it became clear that this seemingly innocent boy had already grown up.
Gripping the scalpel and standing before the operating table, Simon already showed the bearing of a master physician—a true national-level talent. The moment he held the knife, he transformed from a green youth into a calm, shrewd doctor. No one could doubt his skill.
Although Serena was no longer the lead surgeon, she didn’t let her guard down. She knew Simon’s abilities well, but that didn’t mean she could just hand everything over to him. She still followed every step of the surgery, taking on the role of assistant and guiding Simon with his cuts to prevent any mistakes.
It had to be said—Serena was truly bold. To let Simon, a rookie with little practical experience, handle such a critical surgery was daring indeed. Of course, it also showed just how confident she was.
The most critical part had already been handled by Serena. She trusted her student to competently manage the remainder of the surgery. Back in her own training, her mentor had also broken the rules and let her operate early; Serena herself refused to stick to tradition, insisting that a student need not watch countless surgeries before picking up the scalpel.
Genius students are simply different from ordinary ones!
Simon Sun did not disappoint Serena. His grip on the scalpel was steady and strong, his incisions swift and decisive, without a hint of hesitation. He didn’t give Serena a single chance to correct him—Simon didn’t make a single mistake.
When Simon finished the final step and sutured the incision, even the usually composed Serena couldn’t help but smile, giving him a thumbs-up: “Excellent!”
With Simon’s current skill level, he could easily perform this surgery independently, as long as Serena explained the procedure clearly beforehand.
Simon was meticulous and bold, with solid medical knowledge and an extraordinary ability to grasp medical concepts—he was born to be a doctor.
The calm, capable chief surgeon Simon, upon hearing Serena’s praise, blushed in embarrassment, instantly reverting from master physician back to a shy youth.
Serena didn’t say much more. She stepped up to examine Holden Cui. After a stick of incense’s time, Serena finally removed her mask and, beaming, announced, “The surgery was a complete success!”
Standing tense from morning till night was exhausting, but hearing those words made it all worthwhile. All that effort had saved a life!
The surgery was a complete success!
“Wonderful, Master! The surgery was a success!” Simon Sun nearly burst out cheering. Whether from a political or medical standpoint, this operation was hugely significant for them both.
Ever since Serena saved William Wang Jinling, she had kept a low profile. Though she cured several tricky cases, all involved princes or noblewomen and couldn’t be publicized. Now, with the news of healing Holden Cui, Serena’s reputation could rise to new heights.
“Even though the surgery succeeded, that doesn’t mean we can relax. Holden Cui still needs monitoring, and as for Owen Yuan, have someone escort him back to his room.” Serena quickly shook off the thrill of success and, while tidying up the instruments, began giving orders.
A successful surgery is only what’s expected—there’s nothing to celebrate. Success is just the beginning, not the end; postoperative recovery is just as important.
“Simon, I know you’re skilled at post-op care. I’ll leave Holden Cui’s recovery to you. I’ll do daily rounds myself.” With the operation complete, she didn’t intend to devote all her energy to Holden; she had many other matters to handle.
Once she stepped out of the operating room, she could no longer avoid the storms outside.
As long as there’s no rejection after surgery, Holden Cui’s recovery is only a matter of time. Letting Simon Sun spend more time with Holden is also a good thing—building ties with powerful heirs will greatly benefit Simon’s future medical career.
Someone as complicated as Holden Cui would only drop his guard around a pure-hearted youth like Simon. If Simon could befriend Holden, it would be all gain and no harm.
Of course, Serena would never tell Simon any of this. She preferred to let things happen naturally. Holden was too shrewd—if Simon tried to force a friendship, Holden would notice immediately, and Simon himself would feel awkward.
A child as pure as Simon deserved to be protected; seeing him was like glimpsing the last untouched patch of clean soil in the world.
Simon Sun didn’t think twice. Hearing Serena’s instructions, he obediently replied, “Don’t worry, Master—I’ll take good care of Young Master Holden. I won’t let your efforts go to waste.”
Although the surgery went smoothly and there were no outside disruptions, Simon knew Serena had been under immense pressure.
For a doctor, losing a patient is a huge blow. If Holden Cui had died on the table, Serena’s reputation would have been ruined, her medical career over. No one would ever trust her skills again, much less seek her help.
Doctors have to be careful by nature. Faced with difficult cases, many would rather not treat than risk it—losing a patient can destroy your reputation.
Master and apprentice spent some time restoring the operating room to its original state before wheeling Owen Yuan and Holden Cui out and letting the servants take them away.
Owen was sent back to his room and would wake up soon enough. Holden was transferred to a nearby recovery ward. Serena followed to settle him in, instructed Simon to watch over him, and said she’d be staying in the area for the next few days—if anything came up, Simon should send for her. Then she left.
Just as she stepped out of the ward, Serena saw Jada Tang and Mira Tang waiting for her. She quickened her pace. “What is it?”
“Miss, we found something.” Jada and Mira’s faces showed little joy as they spoke.
“That fast?” Serena’s brow furrowed. “Come, let’s talk back inside.”
This was not the place for conversation. Jada and Mira nodded and quietly followed her...