Chapter 500 - 500: I Miss You

The messages from the past two days had been asking how he had gotten into a conflict with Kawashima Haruhiro, wondering if he would be in trouble now that things had blown up, and offering help. But the messages that came in after five o'clock this afternoon were uniformly congratulatory!

Clearly, they had also been following the competition.

Not only because Zhao Yuan was one of the competitors, but because the duel had escalated to the level of a battle of traditions—a clash between nations.

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment, then composed a message to send as a group reply to all the concerned classmates, teachers, and friends. He first thanked them for their congratulations, then briefly explained that his phone had been confiscated during the competition and he had only just gotten it back. That was why he hadn't seen any of their earlier calls or messages and was replying late, so he hoped they wouldn't mind.

After sending the group message, Zhao Yuan found Lin Xue's phone number.

Lin Xue had sent him several messages every day over the past few days.

When no one else believed in him, Lin Xue had sent messages to cheer him on, her words filled with trust and encouragement.

When Liu Lili's condition started to improve, the content of Lin Xue's messages shifted to reminders. She told him to be cautious and careful, and not to get complacent and make a mistake just because the patient was getting better. There were also plenty of messages reminding him to rest well, eat on time, and so on.

Reading these messages, Zhao Yuan couldn't help but smile, his heart feeling as sweet as honey.

Lin Xue's last message had arrived after his victory: "You were so handsome today! I miss you…"

Seeing this, Zhao Yuan couldn't hold back any longer and immediately called Lin Xue.

Meanwhile, Lin Xue was at home, watching the news on TV with her parents and grandfather.

Ever since the duel between Zhao Yuan and Kawashima Haruhiro had escalated to a battle of traditions and a matter of national pride, the local Rongcheng City television station had been covering it on the eight o'clock news. And today, after Zhao Yuan's victory, Rongcheng TV had gone even further, producing a special feature that walked viewers through the entire sequence of events from beginning to end.

When the TV showed the scene of Zhao Yuan declaring the end of the duel and Genji Doju collapsing in a faint, cheers erupted throughout the Lin Family's villa.

"Haha, what a win, what a win! That boy Zhao Yuan did a beautiful job!" Lin Liangzhe slapped his thigh, overcome with excitement.

Lin Liqiang jumped in surprise and quickly said, "Dad, take it easy. Don't get too worked up."

Then he couldn't help but add his own praise, "Zhao Yuan has brought honor to our country! I dare say, with this victory, his career in the domestic medical world will take off like a rocket! Even the relevant government departments will start to see him in a new light! His future development is sure to reach astonishing heights!"

Xue Wanyun was also thrilled. She pulled Lin Xue aside and asked in a low voice, "Have you been able to contact Zhao Yuan?"

Lin Xue shook her head. "I sent him a message earlier."

Xue Wanyun said, "Why just send a message? You should call him. The duel is over; he's definitely got his phone back by now."

Lin Xue thought for a moment. "Maybe I shouldn't. He must be really busy right now. It might not be a good time for me to call."

"What's not a good time?" Xue Wanyun said. "You're his girlfriend! How can you not be the first one to call and congratulate him after such an important victory?"

Ever since meeting Zhao Yuan at Lin Xue's birthday party, Xue Wanyun had been very pleased with him.

It was a classic case of a mother-in-law growing fonder and fonder of her prospective son-in-law.

Xue Wanyun was no exception, especially since Zhao Yuan was an excellent choice in terms of character, ability, and looks. Thus, she didn't oppose Lin Xue's relationship with Zhao Yuan; in fact, she was even a little encouraging. And her approval had only grown stronger after seeing his outstanding performance today.

Lin Xue hesitated for a moment and pulled out her phone. Just as she was about to make the call, it started ringing. A look at the caller ID made her light up with excitement. "It's Zhao Yuan!"

Xue Wanyun quickly urged her, "Well, what are you waiting for? Answer it!"

"I'll take it in my room." Lin Xue was too embarrassed to let her parents and grandfather hear her conversation with Zhao Yuan, so she grabbed her phone and ran upstairs.

Xue Wanyun chuckled, amused. "Oh, you silly girl. Your mother's been around the block; what is there that I haven't heard?" Then, she called out, "Congratulate Zhao Yuan for us! And tell him to come over when he gets back to Rongcheng City. I'll cook a family dinner for him myself."

Lin Xue had already reached the second floor. She turned back and called out, "Okay!"

Watching this, Lin Liqiang sighed softly and said with a hint of mock sadness, "You can't keep a grown daughter at home forever, can you?"

Xue Wanyun shot him a look and said, exasperated, "Oh, stop being so sentimental. Just watch the TV."

"Yes, yes, of course." Lin Liqiang was clearly a bit scared of his wife, so he didn't say any more and went back to watching TV.

As he watched Zhao Yuan on the news, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride, as if sharing in the glory himself.

Back in her room, Lin Xue immediately hit the answer button and heard the voice of the man who occupied her every thought.

"Xiaoxue."

"Mhm."

Zhao Yuan said, "I just got my phone back. I saw your messages and missed calls, so I called you back right away."

Leaning against the door with a smile, Lin Xue said, "I figured your phone must have been confiscated. But you were amazing! Even my parents and grandpa can't stop singing your praises for today's victory! My mom also said that when you get back to Rongcheng City, you have to come over for dinner. She's going to cook for you herself."

Zhao Yuan asked with a laugh, "What about you? Are you going to cook?"

Lin Xue replied, "What, you think I'm some pampered princess who's never stepped into a kitchen? My cooking is amazing, thank you very much! I'll make a few of my signature dishes, and I guarantee you'll be blown away."

Zhao Yuan blurted out, "So, you're trying to win me over through my stomach?"

"I am. Are you willing to be won over?" As Lin Xue said this, her cheeks flushed bright red, and her heart pounded in her chest.

"Of course," Zhao Yuan answered without hesitation. Then, his voice dropped to a gentle tone. "I missed you."

"I missed you too." Lin Xue blew a soft kiss into the phone, wondering if Zhao Yuan could hear it on the other end. Then she asked, "When are you coming back?"

"If there are no surprises, it should be tomorrow or the day after," Zhao Yuan replied. "As soon as I get back, I'll come visit your parents and Grandpa Lin."

The two of them spoke tenderly for a long time, sharing all sorts of sweet nothings, before finally hanging up.

They had been on the phone for over forty minutes, but to the two of them, it felt like only a few.

People in love truly have no concept of time.