Did That Doctor Successfully Remarry Today?
Chapter 23 - 22: No Regrets

Chapter 23: Chapter 22: No Regrets

The following day, as dawn broke and a pale light filled the sky, Jiang An woke up from her slumber to find the space beside her empty. Sleepily, the girl sat up in bed, staring blankly ahead as usual, a small tuft of her hair sticking up. It took her a while to come to her senses, and when Gao Chuan finished washing up and came out of the bathroom, he saw her sitting dazedly on the edge of the bed.

The man remembered how, after they ended their conversation yesterday, Jiang An had fallen into a carefree and deep sleep, while he, who always maintained a regular routine, suffered from insomnia, staying awake until two in the morning, watching the sleeping girl before finally losing consciousness.

Gao Chuan collected his thoughts, his gaze falling on the figure sitting still on the bed. The girl’s fair and flawless skin complimented by the sexy lace nightgown; her dark hair draping over her shoulders, the strap on the left side slightly slipped off, and it wasn’t until Jiang An turned to look at him that the man quickly turned away and cleared his throat, saying, "If you’re awake, quickly wash up and come down for breakfast."

The icy words reached Jiang An’s ears, and she thought she had woken up late. She immediately flung off the covers and rushed into the bathroom, staring at her messy hair in the mirror and the faint exposure of her chest, brushing her teeth with the thought of wanting to die.

In summary, she had shared a bed with Dr. Gao last night and seemed to have disturbed him. Jiang An shyly watched the water spiraling clockwise in the sink and slowly disappear, her thoughts drifting.

Already seated in the dining room having breakfast, Shen Mei saw Gao Chuan coming out first, promptly standing up and setting two slices of bread for him. When Dr. Gao sat down, she leaned forward and asked, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Gao Chuan thought about his insomnia from the previous night, took a bite of the bread, and replied half-heartedly, paying it no further mind.

While they were chatting, Jiang An, now dressed, came out of the bedroom and quickly sat down when she realized everyone had started breakfast. Shen Mei warmly asked what flavor of jam she liked and personally spread it on the bread for her daughter-in-law, then repeated the same question to Jiang An.

The girl took a sip of milk on hand and replied meekly, "Very well."

Gao Chuan next to her recalled how Jiang An had fallen asleep immediately yesterday, and thought to himself, "The little girl did sleep well."

"That’s good. I was afraid you two wouldn’t be used to it. Feel free to stay here often, it’s quite close to your university too," said Shen Mei, pleased by Jiang An’s affirmative answer, naturally wanting Jiang An to stay close by now that she had finally gotten a daughter-in-law.

"I heard from Gao Chuan that you’re almost graduating. There’s no rule against staying at home, so just live here. I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up and drop you off every day," Shen Mei continued, before Jiang An could reply, Gao Chuan had already finished eating, stood up, and patted Jiang An’s shoulder, "Finished eating? I’ll take you back to the university."

Jiang An, who was biting into a slice of bread, knew Gao Chuan was covering for her. She immediately stood up too and turned back to say goodbye to Shen Mei with a smile.

Shen Mei watched the two leave one after the other and somehow felt they were well-matched. Although she failed to persuade them, she was not disheartened. After all, the two were married, and the daughter-in-law wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon.

Jiang An chewed the remaining bread in her mouth and followed Gao Chuan to the elevator. Standing one behind the other, Jiang An felt a little choked up and gently patted her chest. When she saw Dr. Gao turned around and said, "Don’t take what Ms. Shen said to heart; just do what you need to do."

Jiang An nodded obediently, and when the elevator doors opened, she finally swallowed the food in her mouth and took a long breath of relief.

The early morning sunlight at seven or eight o’clock was gentle and not scorching. Gao Chuan drove to University A, where there were few people around the campus gate. The black Phaeton stopped at the entrance. Jiang An got out of the car, bent down to say goodbye to Gao Chuan, and stepped into the campus.

Life had been full of uncertainties recently, with her mother’s unexpected death followed by a shotgun wedding with Gao Chuan, completely disrupting her original life plans. Walking on the campus path scattered with fallen leaves, Jiang An began to ponder her next steps.

As she had expected, upon returning to campus, her mentor, Professor Chen, summoned her immediately. The moment she entered the office, she was met with a barrage of scolding. Jiang An just bowed her head in front of her respected teacher. After the scolding session, the elderly Professor Chen finally calmed down and sat down in his chair, looking down at the unresponsive Jiang An, and uttered in disappointment, "Well, that’s that. It’s your academic future; it’s up to you. You missed your chance and if you regret it later, don’t come to me."

Professor Chen, who had high hopes for Jiang An, always encouraged her to study abroad for further education, but when the day came to submit the application materials, she was nowhere to be found, and another student snatched the opportunity. Thinking about the unreliable Jiang An, Professor Chen was filled with rage.

Jiang An understood that her mentor was disappointed, but now that she had made her choice, she would not look back.

After a long time, Professor Chen let out a deep sigh and leaned back heavily in his chair, asking solemnly, "Have you thought it through?"

Jiang An, who had been silent with her head bowed, nodded and said, "Yes, I have."

"Sigh, I can’t control you anymore. Do what you will," said Professor Chen, not hiding his regret, knowing what Jiang An had been going through and that her decision was already made, realizing that his own regret was futile.

"Thank you, Professor Chen."

Professor Chen’s favoritism towards Jiang An was obvious to the whole department. Initially, everyone assumed Jiang An was guaranteed the spot for studying abroad in the United Kingdom. When the list was announced, everyone was shocked. Her dorm mates watched her miss the opportunity, and they too were filled with regret, offering their comfort.

But Jiang An did not dwell on it and focused wholeheartedly on her thesis, preparing for the hospital internship next month with everyone else.

Likewise, Gao Chuan, who had been busy at the hospital all day, finally got a chance to rest in the evening. Taking out the phone that had been lying untouched in his drawer, he found a barrage of messages from Song Li. He clicked open their conversation to see the latest two messages displayed before him.

Song Li: That’s not cool, getting married without so much as a peep.

Song Li: How about meeting at the usual place tonight?

Gao Chuan indifferently closed his phone and set it down on the desk, rubbing his temples. Shortly after, a new message arrived, and he checked to find it was from Jiang An.

Jiang An: Dr. Gao, there’s something going on at school, so I won’t be coming home.

The man glanced over it briefly, his eyes drooping, as he leaned back in his chair, exhausted, and began to rest with his eyes closed.

Gone home, eh? The thought echoed in his mind.