Chapter 4

"Mom!"

The moment Li Yi saw his mother, he couldn't help but rush into her arms and burst into tears.

It had been thirty million years, and he thought the longing had long faded. But at this moment of reunion, he realized the pain was still as deep as ever.

"That's more like it!" Tang Yun muttered from the side, then said, "You two take your time. I'll just take Shanshan and Lingling for a check-up."

Li Yi's mother, Lin Ruyu, was a doctor at the City People's Hospital. The hospital was far from Li Yi's rented apartment, but it didn't take long to drive there, so Li Yi didn't object when Tang Yun brought him.

There was much to say upon their reunion. After catching up with his mother, Li Yi turned his attention to the cat in his arms.

At a large hospital like the City People's Hospital, no doctor would treat a cat. Patients were still waiting in line; who would care about a cat's life or death? Animals should be taken to a pet hospital.

But since Li Yi's mother was a doctor, it was a different story. She could make an exception for a cat.

"Mom, this cat is dehydrated from hunger and needs an IV. It also has some old injuries, so it should get some antibiotics. Oh, and it's very wild, so it needs an anesthetic too, or it will scratch when it wakes up!"

"You, where did you get this little wild cat? Why can't you ever let me have a moment's peace?" Lin Ruyu's tone was scolding, but her eyes were full of affection.

"Mom, from now on, I won't make you worry anymore." Li Yi hugged his mother's shoulders. "I will be your pride, and you'll realize you have an outstanding son!"

"You brat, if you don't cause trouble, I'll be grateful!" Lin Ruyu clearly knew what her son was like.

"That was in the past, not now. Mom, make a wish. Whatever you wish for in the future, your son will make it come true!"

"Big talk!" Lin Ruyu gently pinched Li Yi's ear. "I research cancer, an incurable disease. Terminal cancer patients have no hope. Every day, I hear the cries of their families, and my heart breaks. You're so capable, why don't you cure cancer for me?"

"Oh, that's easy. Just develop a special drug. I'll write a paper for you when I get back, and you can take a look."

"Ha, look at you bragging. A guy who always takes the wrong cold medicine, now wants to cure cancer?"

"Sure, my son is different now! Although the formula is simple, once it's published, it should at least win a Nobel Prize in Medicine. Ha, I just sent a Nobel Prize in Physics, and now a Nobel Prize in Medicine. I think in the future, we'll just sweep all the awards!"

"Stop dreaming and go cool off!" Lin Ruyu poked Li Yi's forehead with her delicate fingers.

"Mom, how about we make a bet? If I can cure cancer, from now on, everything at home will be decided by me, and you'll have to listen to me." Li Yi said with a smile.

When her husband was alive, Lin Ruyu was the undisputed head of the family. Now, as the only elder, her word was law. Li Yi, who had returned from the past, didn't want to be constrained by his mother anymore, so he proposed the condition.

"Fine, fine, my head of the family, you're so capable. We'll see how I deal with you when we get home tonight!" Lin Ruyu's small, fair hand was on Li Yi's ear again.

Li Yi felt a bit helpless: "I'm being serious. Don't twist my ear. We need to stick to our word."

After discussing the terms with his mother, Li Yi placed the poor "cat" on her desk and administered glucose, antibiotics, and anesthetic.

Since the "cat" wouldn't wake up for a while, Li Yi decided to check the high-end VIP ward at the back. He knew a special patient was staying there.

Just as he turned the corner from the stairs, Li Yi saw a young couple standing in the stairwell, whispering sweet nothings. The boy had sharp eyebrows and tiger-like eyes, quite handsome, while the girl had phoenix eyes, clear and charming.

"Hu Jiangbo, Gu Xiaoyan?"

Seeing this couple, Li Yi felt a wave of unpleasant memories.

Although Tang Yun often joked about marrying her daughter to Li Yi, it was just a joke. Li Yi treated her two daughters like younger sisters, as Shanshan and Lingling were too young.

At school, Li Yi had pursued a girl, and that girl was Gu Xiaoyan.

Gu Xiaoyan rejected Li Yi, but soon after, she and Hu Jiangbo became a couple. Losing his crush to someone else was the most humiliating thing for Li Yi in his youth.

What made Li Yi even more depressed was that Hu Jiangbo had another girlfriend, which Gu Xiaoyan didn't know. When Li Yi excitedly told her this news, she didn't believe him and accused him of jealousy and slander. From then on, Hu Jiangbo considered him an enemy.

"Hey, isn't this the class truant? I heard you were missing for days, and your parents and teachers were going crazy? Ha, impressive!"

"Thanks for your concern." Li Yi smiled faintly. After thirty million years, he no longer cared about past grudges and had no time to argue with a teenager.

Gu Xiaoyan, seeing Li Yi's attitude, looked disappointed and sighed, "Li Yi, if you keep acting like this, you'll never have a girlfriend. To win a girl's heart, you need to give her a sense of security!"

"Exactly, and you still want to pursue our Xiaoyan? You're a toad dreaming of eating a swan!" Hu Jiangbo demonstratively hugged Gu Xiaoyan.

Gu Xiaoyan pushed Hu Jiangbo away, embarrassed, "Don't do that, I don't want him to chase me either!"

Seeing the couple's affectionate display, Li Yi said to Gu Xiaoyan, "Pursuing you was a mistake I made in my youth. But to be honest, your choice is really poor. I believe you'll regret it."

"Bullshit!" Hu Jiangbo's eyes widened. "What? You still have feelings for my Xiaoyan?"

Li Yi shook his head and said calmly, "How could I? We are no longer in the same world."

Indeed, Gu Xiaoyan had missed her chance. She couldn't become Li Yi's friend, and Li Yi wouldn't give her any special treatment. In Li Yi's eyes, these low-level carbon-based life forms could die by the millions in a single battle, not even worth the attention of an ant. Why would he pursue her?

"You understand, you don't deserve our Xiaoyan!" Hu Jiangbo gloated.

"Does my boyfriend need to match your girlfriend? What a joke!"

A petite girl suddenly darted out from the corridor, grabbing Li Yi's hand. It was Shen Shanshan.

Li Yi couldn't help but smile.

He had noticed Shen Shanshan hiding nearby, watching the couple's affectionate display. Perhaps children were curious about such things. But after being mocked, for Shen Shanshan to stand up for him was unexpected.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Hu Jiangbo asked.

"Of course!" Shen Shanshan nodded.

Hu Jiangbo quickly sized up Shen Shanshan. Kids these days mature early. Although Shen Shanshan was small, she had a well-developed figure and a beautiful face. She could be described as a national beauty. Compared to her, Gu Xiaoyan seemed dull and unremarkable.

Li Yi actually had a girlfriend, and such a top-tier beauty at that?

How could this be!

Hu Jiangbo felt as if the sun had risen in the west.

"Finished your check-up? Don't be silly!" Li Yi pinched Shen Shanshan's cheek.

Although the two families often joked about marriage, it was only in private. For Shen Shanshan to publicly admit she was his girlfriend in front of his classmates was inappropriate.

Shen Shanshan angrily swatted Li Yi's hand away and then looked at Gu Xiaoyan, saying rudely, "You actually chase after such a guy? Do you have any taste? I warn you, don't come to my bed tonight!"

"Where did this kid learn such things? She even knows about beds!" Li Yi thought, feeling a bit bitter.

On the other side, Hu Jiangbo's eyes nearly popped out. This Li Yi was too much, already sleeping with his girlfriend? From the tone, it wasn't just once or twice. All the good girls were taken by pigs!

"Come, follow me home to kneel on the washboard!" Shen Shanshan, unwilling to talk more, pulled Li Yi away, leaving Hu Jiangbo and Gu Xiaoyan in shock.

...

"That girl's mother has cancer and can't afford treatment!" In another corridor, Shen Shanshan immediately revealed a mischievous smile, telling Li Yi what she had overheard and whispering in his ear, "If they ask you what your girlfriend's name is, say Shen Lingling! We look the same anyway!"

Li Yi couldn't help but laugh. This kid was really something, trying to trick her sister!

"Shanshan, how can you do something and not take responsibility? We agreed that you and Lingling would marry me, and your mother agreed too!" Li Yi teased her.

"Shame on you! I helped you, and you act like this!" Shen Shanshan's face turned red, and her lips pouted. "Besides, we can only marry you after you win the Nobel Prize. Oh, and my mother doesn't want me to talk to you, so we've never spoken!"

The girl suddenly turned and skipped away.

...