Leaving the hospital, Qin He drove back to the Qin family home.
Along the way, the corners of her lips curved upwards, her eyes brimming with a smile.
Her heart, which had felt heavy for so long, suddenly felt as if a window had been opened, a sense of vastness filling her chest.
The surgery was a success.
Qin He was in good spirits and her vigilance had relaxed considerably.
A gray car slowly followed her car, only stopping a short distance from the Qin family's gate—
The man in the car held professional photography equipment and quietly captured Qin He getting out of her car and closing the door.
Upon returning home, Qin He was cornered by Ming Yuzhu and grilled.
"You took your brother to the airport, from yesterday morning until now! Do you owe me an explanation?"
Qin He looked helpless. "Mom, when I took Brother to the airport yesterday, Wanwan also came along. She said she was bored at home, so she asked me to go out with her."
Ming Yuzhu eyed Qin He suspiciously. "Really? Then why didn't you call and let us know? Do you know how worried I was at home?"
Qin He put on a show of having done something wrong, smiling sheepishly.
"Yesterday, Wanwan and I were chatting happily. We had a bit to drink during dinner, and I forgot."
"You drank again?!" Ming Yuzhu glared.
Qin He quickly fled upstairs. "Mom, I'm an adult. What's wrong with having a little drink?"
Watching Qin He flee like a child who had misbehaved, Ming Yuzhu's suspicion finally dissipated.
It seemed like He'er had truly stayed at Xu Wanwan's place last night.
For the next few days, Qin He left early and returned late, the reason she gave being simple.
She was now the director of a new perfume brand to be established by Gu's Group, and considered a partner in the brand.
With the brand about to launch, she naturally had to go in every day to prepare.
Ming Yuzhu didn't doubt her at all.
Qin He commuted between the Qin family home and the hospital every day, and Qin Yun's condition improved with each passing day.
As for Qin Corporation, with Zhou Yang in charge, Qin He was at ease.
Ten days passed.
It was the weekend.
When Qin He arrived at Qin Yun's ward, she saw Lu Mingxi standing in the room, holding a bouquet of flowers.
"Qin Yun, you didn't tell me about something this big. You're not a very good brother!" Lu Mingxi complained.
He turned and saw Qin He, his face immediately breaking into a bright smile. "He'er is here."
Qin He nodded, taking the flowers from Lu Mingxi.
"Lu Mingxi, what kind of patient visits a sick person with red roses? Anyone who didn't know might think you're here to confess to my brother."
As she spoke, Qin He placed the flowers in the vase by the bedside.
Lu Mingxi raised an eyebrow. "I think red roses look better."
The three chatted for a while. Xu Wanwan also brought breakfast, a soup she had personally brewed.
Qin He and Lu Mingxi watched Xu Wanwan, who looked like a virtuous wife and loving mother, serving the soup, feeding Qin Yun, and finally wiping his lips with a tissue.
"Holy crap, love is terrifying," Lu Mingxi exclaimed. "Xu Wanwan seems like a changed person."
Xu Wanwan's sharp ears caught Lu Mingxi's comment. She narrowed her eyes and turned to him. "Lu Mingxi, are you looking to die?"
Lu Mingxi chuckled. "It seems you haven't changed. That puts my mind at ease."
"Glad you're at ease," Qin Yun said, throwing a pillow at him from the bed.
Qin He watched the three of them chatting and laughing, then stood up. "Brother, since you have company, I'll go see Dean Shen to check on your latest test results."
"Okay."
Leaving the recuperation building, Qin He headed towards the administrative building.
The administrative building of Qingcheng First Hospital was some distance from the recuperation building, and Shen Bin's office was on the top floor.
Qin He reviewed Qin Yun's recent examination reports. All the figures were normal; that one-in-ten-thousand dangerous possibility had not materialized.
In the office, Shen Bin was beaming. "There are no problems. Your brother can be discharged in three days."
Qin He also felt relieved. "That's wonderful. I must thank Dean Shen again this time."
Shen Bin waved his hand and put the documents back into the drawer, smiling. "I should be thanking you, Professor Harlan. I never expected to perform the first surgery for this condition in the country."
For a doctor, there was no greater sense of accomplishment.
Qin He chatted with Shen Bin for a while before leaving the administrative building. When she reached the ground floor, the administrative building was very close to the main gate of Qingcheng First Hospital.
Qin He saw a large crowd gathered at the entrance from a distance.
"What's going on? A medical dispute?" Qin He wondered, walking a few steps in that direction.
As she got closer, she realized that the several vans parked at the entrance were all reporter vehicles.
The crowd at the entrance consisted of both photographers and reporters.
Qin He frowned, feeling a sense of unease, and turned to leave.
But it was too late. A reporter in the crowd spotted her and shouted, "Miss Qin! Miss Qin!"
Qin He quickened her pace. Why were these reporters looking for her at the hospital?
Her brother's condition was supposed to be confidential!
"Professor Harlan!" Seeing that Qin He didn't respond, the person shouted loudly.
Qin He's face turned pale, but her steps did not falter.
"Miss Qin, we already know you are Professor Harlan. Can you give us an interview?!"
Qin He returned to Shen Bin's office with a cold expression. Shen Bin's face changed, and he immediately ordered security to drive the reporters away from the building.
"How was your identity exposed?" Shen Bin asked Qin He with concern. "The security guards downstairs said that although the reporters are willing to leave the hospital gate, they are still blocking the intersection half a street away."
The intersection that had to be passed to leave Qingcheng First Hospital.
Qin He's face was ice-cold. "Dean Shen, please wait a moment."
She picked up her phone. A message from Ming Xue had just popped up.
Ming Xue: [Sister! You've been exposed!]
Qin He clicked on the link Ming Xue had sent. On a well-known forum, a sensational post was prominently displayed.
[The true identity of Professor Harlan! Look quickly!]
Qin He clicked on it. The photos inside showed her from the day she performed surgery on her brother and left, to photos of her returning to the Qin family home.
The poster was a reporter whose wife worked in the medical field.
He had received news from his wife about a new drug about to be released, and also learned that Professor Harlan's research lab was involved in its development.
Professor Harlan's identity had always been a mystery, and the man soon realized he faced a great opportunity in his career!
He used his wife's professional position to obtain Qin He's contact number with the drug administration bureau from the bureau.
Then, he found the location of the studio from the information, checked surveillance cameras, and so on. These were all minor tricks, but they were all details worth digging into.
Comparable to online doxing!