Little Miss Witch: Revenge of the Tainted Angel

Five years later…

"Dr. Shen, that was amazing! You managed to stop the bleeding on time!" One of the interns who attended Dr. Iris Shen's most recent surgery exclaimed in admiration. 

Li Chuntao shook her head and removed her coat. Here, she was known as Iris Shen, one of the best surgeons in town, along with her husband, who took the name Alexis Shen after they decided to migrate here.

The surgery took more than twelve hours, a bit longer than she expected. Ever since she returned to North Star Medical Center with her husband, she pursued cardiothoracic surgery and finished her residency. 

"It's nothing. I was just doing my job." She smiled at her interns. 

Aside from finishing her residency, she was taken as an apprentice by Dr. Benitez. Dr. Benitez was considered one of the best cardiovascular surgeons the world had ever seen. However, being in his late seventies, he couldn't personally perform surgeries anymore. He'd taken an interest in Li Chuntao's precise ability to operate on her patients.

Li Chuntao, who was known for taking pride in her skills, was honored that the old doctor had taken her in, showing and allowing her to learn the procedures and techniques only few people knew. He was willing to share the craft he had mastered throughout his whole career with her.

Just as she was about to start her paperwork, her phone buzzed with a text message. 

'Picked up Yuan Yuan from the nursery school. We'll be there for you in an hour. 😘'

Li Chuntao let out a low chuckle and shook her head. For someone who was always serious, her husband was surprisingly affectionate to her, even in his short messages. They have been married for almost six years now but it still seems surreal to her that their love had managed to overcome the obstacles life had thrown their way. 

Two years after they moved here, Li Chuntao had gotten pregnant for the third time and gave birth to their son, who they named Shen Yuan. Despite their hectic and busy schedules, she and Shen Zichen were still able to take care of their Xiulin, who was now an overactive preschooler, and Yuan, an odd toddler who rarely talked to his parents and was only curious about the people around him. 

'Awesome', Li Chuntao typed back. 'Don't forget to pick up Xiulin on time or else she will throw a tantrum about how you spend more time with Yuan Yuan than her.' She smiled inwardly. 

'I will!' Shen Zichen messaged back. Their Little Xiulin was truly a daddy's girl. Before they had Yuan, Xiulin had been completely pampered and spoiled by Shen Zichen, something that he wasn't able to do for Shen Zirui, their firstborn. Though he still pampered her, she seems a little dissatisfied that he had to balance his affections between her and her younger brother. 

Shen Zichen was also a surgeon, but he was working at a different hospital from his wife. He chose to work in a smaller hospital, where his expertise was more needed. 

Their marriage life went through several challenges and obstacles but they were proud to say that they managed to get through everything together, as a team. Whenever Li Chuntao felt vulnerable and weak or whenever she had too much on her plate, Shen Zichen was always ready to do his part in lessening her burden. 

Shen Zichen had been patient with her. He had never chastised her or even complained about anything like Li Chuntao thought he would. Instead, he explained how important it was for him that she would be able to reach her dreams, as long as she didn't stray away for too long from him and their children. 

During her residency, she had almost no time for her family and Li Chuntao couldn't help but feel guilty about it. She only sighed in relief once she was done with it. Her workload now was more manageable compared to the last few years. 

After finishing her paperwork, Li Chuntao grabbed her bag and coat, nodding to her fellow doctors on her way out of the hospital and trekked towards the entrance where her husband usually picks her up. 

"Mommy's just in time!" 

She turned around and saw her family already waiting for her there. Shen Zichen was leaning against the door of his car while holding Yuan in one arm. Little Xiulin was standing next to him, curiously looking around. People and bystanders had been looking at them with interest. No doubt that Shen Zichen's handsome face and their children's adorable charms were enough to make a few heads turn. 

The moment Xiulin saw her mother, a huge smile bloomed on her cute face. 

"Mommy!" She exclaimed before running towards Li Chuntao, wrapping her chubby small arms around her leg. "Mommy isn't late today. Are you going to stay with us tonight?"

Li Chuntao laughed and picked her daughter up while trying to balance her bag and coat with her other arm. She'd left before dawnbreak for today's surgery, so her daughter and Yuan weren't able to see her when they woke up that morning. 

"Yes. Mommy will be spending the night at home today. She doesn't have work for tomorrow."

"Yay!" The girl cheered.

"Did you make any friends at school?" She asked before kissing the tip of Shen Xiulin's nose. Today was her first day at kindergarten and Li Chuntao was worried that she would cause trouble for her teachers and classmates like what she did last year. 

"En! I've met new friends and playmates. Teacher Anne is also really nice. She helped me tie my shoelaces when I tripped!"

Li Chuntao let out a dramatic gasp and looked at her daughter's leg, sighing in relief when she only saw a few scratches on Xiulin's knee. 

'"Are you hurt?" When Xiulin shook her head, she continued. "Don't run too fast next time. Mommy will be worried if you hurt yourself again. You wouldn't like it if Mommy has to stitch your wound, right?" 

It was Shen Xiulin's turn to gasp. 

"No, Mommy! Lin Lin promises to behave next time. No more running in the hallway!"