They Hated Me in My First Life, But Now I Have the Love System

Chapter 639: Patience and Empathy

For a moment, she wondered if all the rumors about Carl adoring his sister were exaggerated. Maybe they were wrong after all.

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Carl confirmed calmly, not looking her way.

“You’re setting her up to fail?” she pressed, stunned. “The toughest case I have might take even an attending physician weeks to solve! Anyone who gets it would have to be the unluckiest student here, and you want me to hand it to your sister? The least qualified student in this hall? Do you hate her that much?” she blurted out before realizing who she was talking to. The words slipped out, too shocking to hold back.

Carl didn’t respond. He didn’t need to. He saw no reason to defend himself or explain what he felt for Nnenna to someone who clearly wouldn’t understand.

His gaze remained fixed on Nnenna, her calm expression, the way her brow didn’t crease even once, her hand steady as she wrote. There was something peaceful, almost mesmerizing, about it.

It had been weeks since he had last spent any real time with her. Someone was always hovering around, Arthur, Ava, Emily, Darius, someone. It was starting to irritate him more than he cared to admit.

And now, finally, when he could at least watch her in silence, someone had to start buzzing in his ear with ridiculous talk. Her first words, though bootlicking, were far better than this nonsense. Too bad she had ruined her chance by treating him like everyone else, someone desperate enough to cheat for success.

Carl, however, was completely confident in the girl he had raised. The woman’s earlier suggestion was insulting, infuriating, even. If not for his legendary self control, he might have already had her thrown out of the hall and stripped of whatever position gave her power over the clinical exams.

Who knew how many desperate parents or guardians she had already taken money or favors from to “make things easier” for their wards? The thought disgusted him. Silently, he made a note to investigate her later.

His eyes returned to Nnenna. She was no longer bent over her paper, now she sat upright, scanning through her work. Revising before submission, he thought, a faint smile tugging at his lips. “That’s my girl,” he murmured under his breath as she stood and walked toward the front to submit, more than an hour before time.

“She’s definitely going to fail,” the woman muttered, her tone laced with smugness. “She didn’t even bother to delete or rewrite any answer. And now that I have to hand her the toughest case, she’s done for. What a pity.”

She scoffed softly, adding under her breath, “I guess the rumors about you two being close were wrong after all.”

Her bitterness slipped through, part anger at Nnenna’s supposed arrogance, part frustration that all her bootlicking had clearly been a waste of time.

Her voice was low but just loud enough for Carl to hear.

Carl didn’t respond. He simply sat there, quiet, composed, his demeanor gentle as usual, but the faint chill that swept through the hall a moment later made the woman instinctively rub her arms, unsure why the air suddenly felt colder.

The second part of the exam began after a short break. One by one, students were assigned their cases.

True to Carl’s warning, the invigilator made sure Nnenna got the toughest one on the list. As she handed the tablet to her, she sighed softly, pity flickering across her face. Maybe she would have made it if I had given her an easier case… too bad.

Nnenna accepted the tablet, puzzled by the woman’s sympathetic expression. “Good luck in there,” George said with a quick smile before heading toward the observation room.

Linda trailed behind him, throwing Nnenna a sideways glance full of sarcasm, as if mocking her for daring to compete on the same level as them, the “big leagues.” She didn’t speak though; she still had her own turn to prepare for and knew better than to stir trouble openly. Still, that didn’t stop her from feeding little rumors in the background whenever she got the chance.

straight to the treatment room, her face calm, her steps steady. Whatever

was

the soft beeping of a monitor broke the stillness. Nnenna stepped inside, her white coat crisp, her

eyes, sat upright on the bed. Her arms were crossed.

trained. “My name is Nnenna White.

one of you students,” she muttered. “The last one couldn’t even take my blood pressure

sorry to hear that, ma’am. I’ll do

“Mrs. Tasha.”

Mrs. Tasha.

gave a slow,

—

students watched through the transparent wall and live broadcast feed. Carl sat quietly in the center, his arms folded, his face unreadable but

of the senior

a nightmare. She doesn’t talk unless she

a sharp look. “You would be surprised what

for the live session

a difficult person? This case might

girl. She’s

skipping years? Interesting. Let’s see what she’s

—

treatment room were getting

to start documenting. “What brings you to the

shifted slightly, adjusting her head

asked, her tone patient and steady.

before speaking. “About two weeks ago.

you describe the pain for me? Is it sharp, dull, or

something pressing on my

down. “Does it spread

to my

slightly, glancing up, her eyes thoughtful. “Any shortness of

I walk

of

the woman said

was building a picture in her head, angina? Myocardial ischemia? Possibly heart failure?