Chapter 322 - 183: What Are You Doing, Sneaking Around
Inside the exam room, Li Zhi grew even more worried.
The doctor held up the diagnostic report and explained to Shen Yuan and Li Zhi:
"Naonao is in great shape, no issues there. As for San Geng, he has a slight mitral valve regurgitation, but it’s not a major problem. It’s likely because he’s still young and hasn’t fully developed. It should clear up on its own later."
Shen Yuan nodded. "So, surgery in a little while?"
The doctor nodded. "Yes, we’re going to start prepping now. Once we’re ready, we can perform the surgery. You can go up to the second floor. There’s an observation room where you can watch the entire procedure."
"Okay!"
With that, the doctor left once more.
Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi and said reassuringly, "Come on, let’s go upstairs and wait."
After a soft murmur of agreement, Li Zhi followed Shen Yuan out of the exam room.
After saying a word to his parents, who were waiting outside, Shen Yuan and Li Zhi went to the hospital’s second floor.
The moment they got to the second floor, Li Zhi’s eyes landed on a large glass window.
"That must be the observation room, right?"
Shen Yuan nodded. "It must be."
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Zhi took his hand and led him to the observation room window.
Through the massive, transparent glass window, the scene inside the operating room was laid bare.
Inside was a small, clean, and bright operating room. In the center stood a stainless steel operating table of a moderate height, surrounded by various medical instruments.
A bright, shadowless lamp hung from the ceiling, casting a soft yet concentrated light that made the area around the operating table clearly visible.
Inside the operating room, a doctor was performing surgery on a small animal. Its body was covered with a sterile surgical drape, leaving only its abdominal area exposed.
"That’s probably not either of them. It’s too soon."
Hearing Shen Yuan’s voice, Li Zhi turned to look at a nearby table. Another young couple was sitting there, the girl’s face also full of worry.
’Wait a minute...’
Li Zhi paused. ’Why did I think ’also’?’
However, her anxiety quickly washed that thought away.
Li Zhi stared into the operating room, her anxiety becoming more palpable.
"Go sit for a while. I’ll keep watch."
Shen Yuan took Li Zhi by the hand and led her to a table by the floor-to-ceiling window, where they sat down.
Looking out at the scenery, Shen Yuan breathed a small sigh.
Not far away, Old Shen watched the faint worry on the childhood sweethearts’ faces, and a smile crept onto his lips.
Old Shen walked over to Shen Yuan, patted his shoulder, then looked at his wife and couldn’t resist teasing:
"Look at how worked up these two are. It reminds me of when you were having our boy, Shen Yuan. I was exactly like this, waiting outside the delivery room."
"The look on his face—he’s a spitting image of me back then!"
Hearing this, Li Zhi immediately ducked her head, a blush creeping onto her cheeks.
Shen Yuan, however, just shook his head in resignation and gave Old Shen a light shove.
"Alright, alright, just have a seat. I estimate we won’t get home until seven or eight tonight."
Hearing this, Zhang Yuyan pulled out her phone to check the time, then said to Shen Yuan, "It’s already almost four o’clock. Are you two hungry?"
Shen Yuan and Li Zhi shook their heads in unison.
"In that case, your father and I will go get you two some dinner later. Judging by the looks of you, you’re not going anywhere."
Zhang Yuyan then asked, "What do you feel like eating?"
"Just grab something like KFC or whatever."
After answering, Shen Yuan looked at Li Zhi. "Is there anything you’re craving in particular?"
Li Zhi shook her head. "I’ll have whatever you’re having."
After about another half an hour, Shen Yuan spotted a familiar figure in the operating room.
"Li Zhi!"
Shen Yuan waved her over.
Hearing her name, Li Zhi immediately stood up and hurried over to the observation window.
Li Zhi’s gaze eagerly pierced the glass, landing on the bright, sterile operating room.
This time, the form on the operating table was incredibly familiar. It was San Geng.
But San Geng had clearly been anesthetized by now, lying quietly on the stainless steel operating table, his limbs gently secured in place.
You could see his little tongue pulled out to the corner of his mouth, and the fur on his lower abdomen had been shaved clean, revealing the smooth, pink skin underneath.
The vets were methodically making their final pre-operative preparations.
After attaching various instruments to San Geng, one of the vets picked up a disinfectant bottle and carefully and evenly sprayed iodine onto the newly exposed skin.
After finishing this, the vet quickly unfolded a green sterile drape, carefully covering San Geng’s body with it before using scissors to cut a circular hole.
Watching this unfold, especially when she saw San Geng covered by the sterile drape, her anxiety suddenly spiked.
Her hand subconsciously tightened on the hem of Shen Yuan’s shirt. Her breathing hitched, her eyes a mix of worry and heartache.
Sensing her tension, Shen Yuan naturally rested his hand on her shoulder, a gesture of both support and comfort.
"It’ll be okay."
Li Zhi’s nerves eased slightly at his comforting words.
She subconsciously turned to look at the young man beside her.
She meant to nod in response, but in the instant their eyes met, she caught the deep worry hidden in his.
’Shen Yuan had been comforting her this whole time, but he was just as worried about little San Geng, wasn’t he?’
’He just wasn’t showing it in front of her.’
Li Zhi’s heart suddenly softened. The hand tightly gripping his shirt slowly loosened, instead moving to gently cover the back of the hand he had on her shoulder, as if to transfer her own warmth and strength to him.