The surgery took more than four hours from start to finish.
When the elderly doctor assisting her saw the tiny foreign object removed from the heart,
his admiration for Song Ning's medical skill knew no bounds.
Most impressive of all, the critically ill Xu Changyi had not deteriorated further during the open-chest surgery.
It was yet another testament to Song Ning's extraordinary ability.
By the time she left the operating room, it was the early hours of the morning.
Standing for so long had left Song Ning's legs aching, and a nurse had to help her out.
Gu Zheng's heart tightened at the sight, and he hurried over.
As he took her from the nurse, he noticed that despite the weather, the hair at her temples was soaked with sweat, and her face was very pale.
Clearly, the surgery had taken an enormous toll on her.
His heart ached for her. Ignoring everyone around them, he bent down, scooped her into his arms, and headed out.
"Gu Zheng!"
Song Ning called him back.
"Just find an empty hospital room where I can rest. I can't go far until Xu Changyi wakes up!"
Although the surgery had succeeded, too much time had been lost beforehand. Whether Xu Changyi's body could pull through remained uncertain.
Besides, heart surgery carried a particularly high risk of complications. He needed to get through at least three days of observation before he could be considered out of danger.
Song Ning would not be staying in Shizhuang for long.
But her duty as the lead surgeon required her to stay at least until he regained consciousness.
Gu Zheng had no objection and immediately asked the hospital to free up a room.
He specifically instructed them to add two extra layers of bedding before carrying Song Ning over