Chapter 16: Saving the Old Woman

Chapter 16: Saving The Old Woman

The day was sunny but busy as usual. After leaving Mu Zhenyu's company, Li Xinyue walked toward the main road to hail a taxi. She had barely gone a few meters when she noticed a large crowd gathered near the sidewalk.

Li Xinyue usually minded her own business, but the crowd blocked her path. She had no choice but to approach.

"What's going on here?" she murmured as she got closer.

In the center of the group was an older woman lying unconscious on the ground. A young girl, no older than fifteen, was crouching beside her, panic etched across her face.

"Someone, please call an ambulance!" the girl pleaded desperately. "My grandmother… she fainted!"

The crowd was buzzing with murmurs, but no one stepped forward to help. Some took out their phones to record the scene, but none made an effort to assist.

Li Xinyue's brows furrowed. As a doctor in her past life, she couldn't just stand by and watch. Saving lives was her duty, no matter the situation. She took a deep breath and squeezed through the crowd until she was beside the young girl.

"Step back! She needs air to breathe," Li Xinyue instructed firmly, waving her hand to make the crowd move away.

The girl looked up, her tear-filled eyes landing on Li Xinyue. "Are you a doctor?" she asked with suspicion.

"Yes," Li Xinyue replied without hesitation. Her tone was calm but confident.

The girl's gaze swept over Li Xinyue's simple black shirt and shorts. She frowned. "You're too young to be a real doctor," she said doubtfully, her voice trembling. "If anything happens to my grandmother because of you, I won't let you off!"

Li Xinyue couldn't help but smile slightly. The girl's attempt to be fierce was more cute than threatening. "Don't worry," she assured her. "Your grandmother will be fine. I won't let anything happen to her."

Without waiting for the girl's permission, Li Xinyue knelt beside the old woman. She checked her pulse and quickly diagnosed the problem. Heart failure.

Reaching into her small crossbody bag, Li Xinyue pulled out a slim case. Inside was a set of silver needles, something she always carried with her.

"What are you doing?!" the girl exclaimed, her eyes widening when she saw the needles.

"I'm saving her life," Li Xinyue said simply.

"You're going to stab her with those? Are you crazy?!" The girl's voice grew louder, drawing the crowd's attention.

Li Xinyue ignored her. Her fingers moved quickly, inserting the needles into specific acupoints: Neiguan, Shanzhong, and Hegu.

"You'll thank me later," she muttered under her breath.

As the last needle was placed, the girl grabbed Li Xinyue's wrist. "Stop! You'll kill her!" she shouted.

Li Xinyue looked up, her eyes cold and unwavering. "Do you want her to live or not?"

The girl froze, her grip loosening. She didn't want to believe this strange young woman, but what other choice did she have?

"Fine," she said reluctantly, stepping back. "But if anything happens, I'll…"

Before she could finish her threat, someone in the crowd yelled, "She's a fake doctor! Call the police!"

"That's right!" another voice joined in. "She's pretending to know what she's doing!"

Li Xinyue remained calm, her focus entirely on the old woman. She didn't flinch at their accusations or the crowd's angry murmurs.

Minutes passed, and the tension grew. The old woman still hadn't woken up.

"See? She made it worse!" someone shouted.

The girl's eyes filled with tears as she stared at her grandmother's still form. "Grandma…" she whispered, her voice breaking.

Just then, a faint voice cut through the noise.

"Why is it so noisy?"

The girl's head snapped up. "Grandma?" she gasped.

The old woman's eyes fluttered open, her gaze hazy but alert. The girl immediately knelt beside her, holding her hand.

"Grandma! You're awake! Do you feel pain anywhere?"

The old woman shook her head weakly. "No… I'm fine," she said softly.

The crowd fell silent, their earlier accusations forgotten.

The old woman turned her head slightly. "Who saved me?"

"It was her," the girl said, pointing to Li Xinyue.

The old woman's eyes landed on Li Xinyue. Despite her pale face, she managed a faint smile. "Thank you… for saving me."

Li Xinyue shook her head. "It's what I should do."

The old woman looked like she wanted to say more, but her strength was fading. Her eyes slowly closed as she drifted into a peaceful sleep.

Just then, the ambulance arrived. The paramedics rushed over, carefully placing the old woman on a stretcher.

Li Xinyue spoke to one of the paramedics. "Remove the needles after fifteen minutes. They're stabilizing her condition for now."

The paramedic nodded. "Understood. Thank you for your help."

The young girl, still holding her grandmother's hand, turned to Li Xinyue. Her face was red with embarrassment, but she tried to appear serious. "Give me your number," she demanded.

Li Xinyue raised an eyebrow, amused by the girl's attempt to look intimidating. "Why?"

"In case anything happens to my grandma," the girl replied, her voice firm.

Li Xinyue chuckled softly. "Alright." She took out her phone and shared her number.

The girl gave her a quick nod before climbing into the ambulance. As the vehicle drove away, the crowd that had accused Li Xinyue earlier now began praising her.

"She's amazing!"

"I didn't expect her to actually save that woman."

But before they could approach her, Li Xinyue had already slipped away, blending into the bustling street like a shadow.

Her figure disappeared just as the ambulance turned the corner, leaving the crowd wondering who the mysterious young woman really was.