The Young Urban Doctor

Luo Ziling’s last name was Luo, which was the same as the person Ling Ruonan was fond of, and his name even had ‘Ling’ in it. Yang Qingyin suddenly understood something.

“We actually share the same surname,” Luo Ziling said, his expression somewhat panicked, and his smile seemed very forced.

Yang Qingyin also smiled, but her smile was equally peculiar.

Luo Ziling felt uneasy under Yang Qingyin’s gaze and didn’t know what to say.

“Let’s go,” Yang Qingyin took the initiative to reach for Luo Ziling’s hand. After grabbing his hand, she revealed a smile that was no different from usual, “Should we go back now, or continue to walk around?”

“How about we just stroll around?” Luo Ziling took a deep breath, held Yang Qingyin’s hand tightly, and turned his head to give her what he believed was his most brilliant smile, “Where would you like to go?”

“Wherever you lead, I’ll follow,” Yang Qingyin’s expression had returned to normal.

Yet, behind her radiant smile, Luo Ziling could still see a hint of hesitance.

“Senior sister, I’m not at all familiar with this area, and you’ve been keen to be my guide, so you should lead the way.” Luo Ziling spread his fingers, hoping to interlock them with Yang Qingyin’s.

Yang Qingyin hesitated for a moment, but eventually did not refuse and intertwined her fingers with Luo Ziling’s.

“Let’s just wander wherever, without a set destination,” Yang Qingyin said with a grin, looking at Luo Ziling, “and if we get tired, you can carry me back.”

“Okay, I’ll listen to you; I completely don’t understand city nightlife,” Luo Ziling agreed readily.

“What did you usually do at night?” Yang Qingyin asked quietly, and hurriedly added, “I mean before you came to Yanjing.”

“Our little mountain village has only a dozen or so households, and Grandpa didn’t allow me to socialize with them too much. I didn’t go door-to-door during the day, let alone at night, so I mostly stayed at home in the evenings. We had satellite TV at home, and there was a solar power plant nearby, all set up by my grandfather. But there was no internet, so at night, other than watching TV, I just read books.”

Luo Ziling didn’t know why Yang Qingyin was asking these questions, but he honestly confessed, “My grandfather often went out to treat people, and I would follow him. The places we went to were mostly normal villages and towns; we seldom visited big cities.”

Yang Qingyin didn’t interject, listening intently.

“Usually, almost every day, Grandpa would take me herb picking. When he wasn’t there, I’d go up the mountain to pick herbs too. I’ve climbed all over the nearby mountains. I’ve also been to the great peaks of Tianshan, where the scenery is truly beautiful, like a paradise on earth. Compared to the Capital, I prefer the beauty and tranquility there.” Luo Ziling said, wistfully, “There are beautiful grasslands and canyons, majestic cedar forests, and glaciers. The sky is so blue and low, halfway up the mountain, it feels like you can almost touch the sky.”

While speaking, Luo Ziling proudly turned to look at Yang Qingyin, “When I went up the mountain to pick herbs, I encountered all sorts of wild animals, and several times I almost got eaten by snow leopards or wolves. My grandfather is very skilled in martial arts, in order not to get eaten by wild animals, he started teaching me martial arts from young. I remember, at the age of four, my grandfather forced me to stand in the horse stance for an hour at a time, and I cried from exhaustion, but Grandpa still wouldn’t let me be lazy.”

Yang Qingyin was deeply moved by Luo Ziling’s words; she seemed immersed in his storytelling, profoundly touched.

“By the age of six, I could already run around Tianshan, and at eight, I could fight adults. By twelve, two or three adults weren’t a match for me,” Luo Ziling boasted proudly, “My grandfather has always been very strict with me, in every aspect. He taught me martial arts, as well as music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and the knowledge of astronomy and geography. He, however, had no exposure to the internet, electronics, or foreign languages, so I am practically ignorant in these areas. What little I know, I’ve learned through TV.”

Yang Qingyin did not interrupt with questions, just quietly listened to Luo Ziling’s narrative.

Luo Ziling seemed to be touched by something, and he talked non-stop about the past, not only sharing his previous life but also recounting some interesting encounters to Yang Qingyin.

“Your past life really was different from others,” Yang Qingyin finally interjected after listening for a while, “It’s somewhat hard to imagine.”

“Indeed, it is hard to imagine,” Luo Ziling nodded, “In my heart, my grandfather is the dearest relative, combining the roles of both parents.”

Luo Ziling’s words struck Yang Qingyin’s heart like a heavy hammer, filling her with an unbearable sorrow. She couldn’t fathom Luo Ziling’s past life, nor did she dare think about how Luo Ziling grew up slowly without his parents by his side. For some reason, she really wanted to meet Luo Ziling’s grandfather, the old man who raised Luo Ziling since he was young and shaped him into the person he became.

No matter from what standpoint, she had great respect for this grand old man.

Yes, “great” was how she described Luo Ziling’s grandfather.

But she dared not ask Luo Ziling about things related to his grandfather, and she was even less able to broach questions about his parents.

She also understood that the root of all these situations lay in the karma of the previous generation.

No matter who was right or wrong, Luo Ziling was innocent. He didn’t and couldn’t have been involved in any disputes when he came into this world, yet he was forced into that cruel family feud and became a sacrifice. Thinking about this, Yang Qingyin felt the urge to cry.

But she also knew her family’s attitude towards that matter and was aware of the reason why Luo Ziling hadn’t been able to meet his parents to this day.

Therefore, she felt extremely conflicted and didn’t know how to deal with the situation.

If Luo Ziling wasn’t the Ling Family’s grandson, wasn’t the son of the enemy who killed her uncle, even if he were just an ordinary person, she wouldn’t be afraid.

She believed that as long as she stood firm, everything would go as she wished, because her parents had promised her that they would respect all her choices.

But because of Luo Ziling’s special identity, she knew that no matter how persistent she was, nothing could be achieved because no one would support her.

“Why did I have to meet him of all people?”

As she slowly walked forward with her fingers interlocked with Luo Ziling’s, Yang Qingyin asked herself with a hint of self-mockery.

What decision should she make next?

She didn’t know.

“During the National Day holiday, are we still going on a trip?” Luo Ziling asked softly after a moment of silence.

Yang Qingyin suddenly looked up, staring earnestly at Luo Ziling for a few seconds before nodding solemnly, “You promised to take me horseback riding on the grasslands, you can’t break your word.”

“I definitely won’t break my word!”