The Prime Minister’s Darling - Chapter 1437

Chapter 1437: 702 Success Chapter 1437: 702 Success Had Gu Yan not been struck by that palm from Nangong Li, there might have been a slight chance for a transcatheter closure — it would only require an extremely thin sheath to be inserted from the leg to the heart, delivering the occluder right to the defect, easily blocking the gap.

But now, the area of defect was too large, too big for the tiny occlusion umbrella to handle, which made an invasive cardiac surgery necessary.

Watching the spot Gu Jiao was disinfecting, the National Master asked, “You’re not performing a standard thoracotomy?”

A standard thoracotomy entails cutting open the sternum from above the heart. It’s a straightforward procedure with a large exposure area that doesn’t require extraordinarily high precision from the physician.

However, Gu Jiao opted to make a small incision under Gu Yan’s right armpit, significantly elevating the difficulty level.

“A standard thoracotomy leaves too long of a wound, and the probability of complications like pericardial effusion after surgery is also higher.”

She didn’t want to leave such an unsightly scar on Gu Yan’s chest, nor did she want to cause greater damage to his body.

A right-sided incision meant less trauma, spared the bones and muscles, and although it made the operation much trickier for her, the recovery and potential complications post-surgery would be substantially reduced. Moreover, such a small incision could be treated with Scar Ointment from the Research Institute.

Gu Yan still cared about his appearances, after all.

Gu Jiao inserted the cannula into the incision, establishing external circulation, and that’s when the real surgery began.

…

Inside the side room, Elder Master Meng sat shaking his leg.

Ya He, seeing even the always composed and calm Chess Sage of the Six Nations beginning to shake his leg, couldn’t help but offer words of comfort, “Elder Master Meng, you needn’t be too nervous. With the National Master here, the surgery is sure to go smoothly.”

Ya He was unaware that the actual lead surgeon was Gu Jiao. All disciples in the National Master Hall treated the National Master as a deity, their belief in him unwavering, whether in terms of medical skills or divination, the National Master was seen by everyone as always capable of creating miracles.

“I’m not nervous,” Elder Master Meng said.

“Then your leg…” Ya He pointed to Elder Master Meng’s right leg, which was shaking vigorously.

Elder Master Meng surreptitiously pressed down on his right leg and asked in a deep voice, “What’s wrong with my leg?”

Ya He glanced at the leg he had pressed down and then at his left leg, which had started shaking involuntarily.

Ya He: “…”

…

At Tianqiong Academy, Gu Xiaoshun went to Mingxin Hall to ask for leave from the teacher who had classes that day.

A couple of days ago, Master Jiang had rescheduled his classes; today was all Master Gao’s Arithmetic classes.

“Why is Xiao Liulang absent again?” Master Gao asked.

This was a very troubling issue. The student not only had a record of being frequently disciplined but also often asked for leave.

“What illness has he contracted this time?”

Gu Xiaoshun replied, “It’s not Xiao Liulang who’s ill, it’s Gu Yan. Xiao Liulang has taken Gu Yan to the National Master Hall for surgery.”

Master Gao said nothing more.

He wouldn’t care about a student who never listened in class and only ever copied his homework!

“Class begins,” Master Gao, sitting at the lecture podium, stated indifferently, “Bring out the homework assigned yesterday, and we’ll start by looking at how to solve the first surgery question.”

Students: “…”

Master Gao: “…”

…

In the mansion, Nanny Nan fed Black Wind King and Horse King while expressing her feeling of unease, “My heart’s all in a flutter, I just feel like something’s about to happen.”

Black Wind King, used to eating fine edibles, found it difficult to even start on the plain grass and vegetable leaves they provided.

Horse King, on the other hand, munched away noisily.

Master Lu said, “You’re overthinking it. That’s the National Master Hall you’re talking about; I’ve never heard of anyone who couldn’t be cured there.”

Nanny Nan glared at him, “And how much do you know about the National Master Hall?”

“I…” Master Lu choked, muttering softly, “I was just trying to comfort you.”

“Sigh.” Nanny Nan let out a heavy sigh and turned her gaze toward the door.

Just as Black Wind King mustered up the courage to take a nibble of the leaf, Nanny Nan moved the dustpan away in a daze.

Black Wind King: “…”

…

Halfway through the surgery, the blood plasma provided by the first-aid kit was running out, and Gu Yan’s blood pressure plummeted drastically. If it continued like this, he would die on the operating table from excessive blood loss.

“Draw from me,” Gu Jiao said.

“The surgery isn’t over,” the National Master reminded.

“I know.” Gu Jiao rolled up her sleeves, “Leukocyte filtration device.”

The National Master looked deeply at Gu Jiao and said, “Do you realize that what you’re doing now is both insane and dangerous? I’ve never seen a physician draw their own blood for a patient on the operating table.”

Gu Jiao extended her arm, “Draw it quickly.”

The National Master attached the leukocyte filtration device to the IV line, “How much do we take?”

Gu Jiao said, “As much as he needs.”

Stream after stream of fresh blood was pulled from Gu Jiao’s body, flowing through the leukocyte filter directly into Gu Yan’s body.

Gu Yan had never experienced such a sensation before. Suffering from heart disease, he never slept as peacefully as others. Each moment, he endured the torment that the disease brought, yet just now, he had fallen into a deep sleep, without a hint of pain.

But as he slept, his body grew cold, as if he had come upon a glacier, or as though he had fallen into an ice cellar.

He felt he was close to not making it through.

Then suddenly, a warm current gently poured into him, bringing with it a long-missed warmth, and it felt as though all his blood was surging anew.

He weakly opened his eyes, “Sister…”

Gu Jiao stood by his side, holding his hand, bent down, and gently rested her forehead against his.

“Gu Yan, hang in there.”

I don’t know why I have come to this time and space, if I have been burdened with some mission, then one of them must be to cure you.

“We can’t draw any more.” The National Master said, “Six hundred milliliters already, normally a maximum of four hundred.”

Without a second thought, Gu Jiao said, “Continue.”

Gu Yan, pressing his forehead against hers, shut his eyes trembling, as his scalding tears slid down, “Sister… don’t…”

…

“Why hasn’t anyone come out yet? It’s already dark!”

Mr. Meng had no idea how many times this made it that he had paced to the doorway.

Ya He patiently said, “Don’t worry just yet, no news is good news. If something bad had happened to the patient, if the surgery had failed, the National Master would have come out long ago.”

That was true, but the continued absence was worrisome. If the surgery had truly been successful, then he should have come out by now, right?

Perhaps there had been some dangerous complication during the surgery, and they were still attempting to save him?

…

Gu Jiao’s eyelids felt heavy, and it took several attempts before she could finally lift them.

Blinding light greeted her, but she soon adapted to it.

She found herself lying on another operating table.

The National Master came over, glanced at her, and said, “How do you feel? You passed out from losing too much blood just now, and it was a close call.”

Gu Jiao recalled for a moment, then dredged up a fragment of memory from the blankness of her mind, “I’ve completed the surgery.”

The National Master nodded, his eyes filled with profound spirit as he looked at her, “Yes, you did.”

Despite severe blood loss, she had perseveringly completed the entire surgery before collapsing to the ground.

Gu Jiao asked, “How’s Gu Yan?”

The National Master raised his hand and pointed, “Right beside you.”

The extracorporeal circulation had stopped. Gu Yan lay quietly on another operating table, his heart beating robustly.

The surgery had ended perfectly, but whether he could survive the critical period still depended on whether he could wake up successfully.

Gu Jiao got off the operating table and went to his side, holding his hand and touching his forehead.

“Ayan.”

She called him softly.

Gu Yan didn’t respond.

She called him again, “Ayan.”

Gu Yan’s eyelids twitched.

He heard Gu Jiao’s voice.

Gu Jiao continued to call him, “Ayan, Ayan.”

Gu Yan slowly opened his eyes, looking up at the face above him, pale and devoid of color, and said weakly, “I heard someone calling me, was it you?”

Gu Jiao nodded, steadily meeting his gaze, “Yes, it’s me.”

Confusion and bewilderment glimmered in the depths of Gu Yan’s eyes, “You… who are you? Why are you calling me?”

Gu Jiao was shocked.

Was this a postoperative complication? Had something gone wrong during the surgery causing intracranial hypertension, resulting in brain damage?

She had never seen such a case. But if it were true, then amnesia was just an external manifestation, and he could have more severe brain pathologies internally.

Gu Jiao said, “Wait, I will check on you.”

Gu Yan grasped her hand with his remaining strength, looking at her very seriously, “You are so beautiful… do you lack a brother?”

Gu Jiao paused again, a tuft of her hair sticking up atop her head, resembling a small, confused rabbit.

Gu Yan weakly smiled and said, “If you lack one, take me home.”

The rest of our lives is long, please take care of me, sister.