Chapter 446: A New Home, A New Chapter

A simple level-one surgery sometimes only needs one surgeon and a single surgical nurse to get the job done.

For slightly more complex level-one or level-two surgeries, it’s ideal to have two surgical nurses—one instrument nurse and one Attending Nurse. But if that’s not possible, and the nurse is skilled, one can still handle the surgery.

But in most cases, there’s just no way for the chief surgeon to handle everything alone.

So many procedures need at least one assistant to help out.

Take something as routine as holding retractors to expose the surgical field, not to mention the most common hemostasis procedure. If you accidentally nick a bigger blood vessel and there’s no assistant, the chief surgeon grabs the hemostatic forceps to clamp the vessel—then what? How does he stop the bleeding next?

With larger blood vessel tears like this, spontaneous hemostasis is nearly impossible.

Especially if it’s an artery.

In these moments, you need to ligate or repair the vessel. No assistant? Is the chief supposed to ligate or repair a vessel single-handedly? Clearly not possible.

So, for surgeries just a bit on the complicated side, at least two doctors and one nurse are required.

More often, you’ll find three doctors and two nurses in the operating room.

Zhou Can’s surgical team has been running almost a year now. Most of the time, he ropes in Dr. Xu to be his assistant. But that’s obviously not sustainable in the long run.

Besides, Zhou Can has always been ambitious—he dreams of building an elite surgical team.

But, life just doesn’t always let you have things your way.

Even though the Emergency Department has gradually improved under his leadership, its reputation still precedes it. Recruiting truly skilled surgeons? Nearly impossible.

Surgeons are top-tier talent in any hospital.

It takes years to train them, and the requirements are sky-high.

So, surgeons naturally end up being in short supply.

Even doctors of average talent are reluctant to join the Emergency Department, so don’t even think about attracting the real stars.

Yang Zhi is outstanding in every respect; all he’s missing is a stage to show what he can do.

It’s almost as if fate itself brought him to Zhou Can.

Zhou Can’s team already has excellent surgical nurses. He could take on one more, but he’s in no rush.

Right now, what he needs most is one or two reliable assistants who can work with him long-term.

After his shift, he dragged his tired body out of the emergency operating room.

“Can!”

A sweet voice called out.

Zhou Can looked up, a bit stunned at first, then broke into a huge smile and hurried over.

“Qian Qian, what are you doing at the hospital so late? Are you feeling okay?”

Ever since they moved in together, she hardly ever came to find him at the hospital.

Out of concern for her safety—and her health—Zhou Can never liked her coming by.

“No way, I’m not sick! I came here just to take you to our new home tonight.”

Su Qianqian flashed a mysterious smile.

“New home?”

Zhou Can had mentioned wanting to buy a villa near the hospital a while back. Did she actually go and do it on her own, all hush-hush?

Right now, they kept their finances separate.

But the truth is, they never divided expenses or kept score; neither ever fussed about it.

That’s why it’s important for a woman to have a job. Earning her own money means she never has to beg a man for every little thing. Only then can she live with confidence, stand her ground at home, and have true independence in dealing with life.

Those who think it’s fine to just rely on a pretty face, hold out a hand for cash, and expect it as a given—well, once their looks fade or their man loses interest, that’s when their troubles really begin.

“I know you work so hard every day and drive forty or fifty minutes to get home. That’s really dangerous! Since I had nothing much going on, I took Wei Fang and explored a bit. Imagine my luck—we actually found a house. Without even asking, I just bought it. You’re not mad at me, are you?”

She did everything for him, but now Su Qianqian was actually nervous, scared she’d made him upset.

“Silly girl, how could I be? Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. Thank the heavens for sending me an angel like you. Come on, let’s check out our new place!”

He pulled her into a tight hug, while Wei Fang turned to keep a wary eye on their surroundings.

Not far away, Qiao Yu watched as Zhou Can embraced Su Qianqian. Her eyes brimmed with envy and something more complicated.

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Su Qianqian’s charm wasn’t just in her beauty; her remarkable aura and elegance left Qiao Yu feeling overshadowed. Honestly, with Zhou Can’s unwavering support and love, Su Qianqian’s fate had taken an entirely new direction.

Gone was the third-tier singer always at the mercy of others.

They say the outside reveals the inside.

With a better life and exposure to the world, she now chased her own dreams and passions with ease. She was fulfilled in every way—materially and emotionally.

So really, Qiao Yu could never compete with her at this moment.

Still, even if life doesn’t treat everyone fairly, it leaves everyone a chance.

As long as Qiao Yu kept working hard, she might one day become one of the elite herself.

……

Zhou Can walked out with Su Qianqian, not caring at all about the curious glances from his colleagues. He was nothing if not open.

Honestly, there’s no point hiding your marriage status unless you’re looking to have an affair in the hospital.

Unless you’re secretly wanting a mistress at work, there’s really no reason to hide your girlfriend.

“Qian Qian, when did you come to the hospital? It’s so late—next time, don’t run around after dark. It’s dangerous!”

“I came earlier and heard you were still in surgery, so I just waited outside. There are security guards here all night, and Wei Fang’s here to protect me, too, so I felt safe. Plus, I wanted to give you a surprise!”

“Did you buy the house today? You didn’t get scammed, did you?”

“Please, I’m no fresh-faced rookie. The seller was an old professor, and turns out she’s also from the music circle. Her husband recently passed away, and her son lives abroad. She’s selling the house to move in with her son.”

After that explanation, Zhou Can’s worries disappeared.

It’s just how it is—when you care, you overthink.

Truth is, she’s already plenty street smart and experienced.

And she’s clever. Just anyone trying to fool her? Forget it—it isn’t easy.

Wei Fang had already gone to bring the car around.

Zhou Can planned to leave his own car at the hospital.

The BMW rolled out of the hospital lot and headed into a little alley to the west.

“How much did you pay? Was your money enough?”

“She was asking eleven million two hundred eighty thousand, but after we talked—a fellow music lover, just like me—she gave me a million off.”

Su Qianqian looked pretty pleased with herself.

Villas around here are rare; it’s not just about money, you have to wait until one comes up.

It’s all about timing and opportunity.

“She dropped the price by a million just like that?”

Zhou Can found this a bit baffling. Real sellers usually check market prices before listing, setting a fair tag.

Dropping ten or twenty thousand is possible.

After all, it’s a huge deal.

But slicing a million off the price? That just sounded fishy.

“Actually, Miss Su played a song for her. The professor was so taken that she slashed a million off the price. At first, she wouldn’t budge at all.” Wei Fang chimed in from the driver’s seat.

She rarely spoke up.

But Zhou Can and Su Qianqian always treated her well—her salary came on time, and the bonuses were generous.

They’d even pay for her grandma’s checkups and get her health supplements, so her loyalty to Zhou Can and Su Qianqian ran deep.

Push come to shove, she’d really take a bullet for Su Qianqian.

“So that’s what happened! My wife is amazing—saved us a million with a song! Tell you what, tomorrow I’ll give you ten million, so you can say this villa is my gift to you.” Zhou Can said generously.

Even though she made plenty herself these last few years, Zhou Can loved doting on her like this.

“I don’t need your money! I bought this villa with my own. If you ever get tired of me or I fall ill… if you don’t want me anymore, at least I’ll have someplace to go.”

She refused outright.

“It’s all the same if I give it to you, isn’t it? The house would still be yours.”

“Doesn’t matter, I’m not agreeing!”

Once she made up her mind, there was nothing Zhou Can could say to change it.

So he just let her be.

The car came to a halt.

“Wei Fang, what’s up?” Zhou Can asked.

They’d only just left the hospital a couple minutes ago.

“Boss, we’re here already.”

As soon as she said it, Wei Fang pressed a remote and the villa gates swung open. She drove them straight into the yard.

“Wait, we’re already here? Let me check the GPS!”

Zhou Can pulled out his phone in disbelief to check the map.

“My God, it’s just over a hundred meters as the crow flies—under three hundred meters by foot. From now on, my commute will take just a few minutes.”

Staring at the villa ahead, Zhou Can could hardly contain his joy.

The front yard was beautiful, clearly the previous owner had a real eye for art and enjoyed quality living.

“All the time you save on commuting from now on, you’ll spend with me, okay? No more working overtime. You’re not made of iron, you know—I don’t want you to wear yourself out.”

She met his gaze as she said it.

“Alright! I promise!”

Zhou Can truly felt blessed to have a fiancée like her.

Inside, the villa was all European elegance.

People in music often studied abroad and leaned toward that refined, grand, comfortable style.

Chinese interiors always felt too solemn, sacrificing comfort for a touch of tradition and authority.

“What about the previous owner?”

“She only took her personal things. The rest—the antiques, the art, everything in the villa—she left for us.”

“What a whirlwind! She sold the house and left for her son just like that.”

Zhou Can shook his head with a smile.

“She’s not gone just yet. Supposedly she has some things to take care of at her college. She probably won’t leave for another week.”

Move-in ready, fully furnished.

Just swap out the bedding and you’re good to go. Buying a secondhand, well-decorated villa is the best—so little hassle.

That night, Zhou Can spent his first night in the villa.

With plans to stay long-term, Su Qianqian asked Wei Fang to bring her grandma over to live with them.

After all, there were plenty of spare rooms.

If her grandmother ever felt uncomfortable living together, they could always rent her a place nearby.

With the house sorted out, Zhou Can was over the moon. No more midnight drives crossing dozens of kilometers just to get home. If the Emergency Department or Cardiothoracic Surgery needed urgent rescue, he’d always be close at hand.

The next day, he enjoyed a four-minute commute to the hospital. It was perfect.

He spent the extra time reading and studying.

Now it was time to start working on top-quality research papers. They’d pave the way for his promotion to attending, and higher academic positions. Pursuing further education meant he had to keep learning.

Saving two hours a day gave him plenty more time to study.

“Someone died at Tuyu Hospital!”

“Give me back my son!”

Relatives crowded outside the emergency resuscitation room, waving banners and burning funeral paper. From the scene, you’d think you’d wandered into a mourning hall by mistake.

A couple of security guards stood by, making it clear that as long as nobody trashed the place, they wouldn’t intervene.

Zhou Can took a good look. The woman wailing the loudest was the same one who’d stopped him yesterday, begging for help pulling strings.

Did her son not make it through after all?

“Hey, Ting, what’s the story with them?” Zhou Can had worked late last night and hadn’t heard about any deaths in the resuscitation room.

But then again, things change fast.

Emergency resuscitation rooms see deaths all the time. Most families are reasonable and don’t cause a scene.

Unless the hospital genuinely made a mistake.

“Yesterday, a nine-year-old boy fell off his bike and fractured his arm. His mother took him to Pediatrics here, but refused to let them do a head CT. Then she took him to the Provincial Children’s Hospital—same recommendation: head and chest CTs. She agreed this time, but in the middle of the scans, the boy had a seizure and his eyes rolled back…”

Ye Tingting quickly filled him in.

By the time the child was transferred back from the Provincial Children’s Hospital, it was already too late. Tuyu’s Emergency Department couldn’t refuse him—they tried everything. But he didn’t make it.

There was really no reason for this to blow up like it did.

If anyone was at fault, it was the family for ignoring the doctor’s advice and delaying treatment.

“So why are the family making such a huge fuss now? What do they want?”

Zhou Can felt genuinely sorry after hearing what happened. Poor little boy, only nine. If his mom hadn’t made things so difficult, maybe he would’ve had a better chance.

Especially since Zhou Can was incredibly skilled at endoscopic and interventional procedures.

He was fully capable of doing an emergency cranial endoscopic hemostasis procedure if needed.