Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

"What are you doing here?" Chen Ping asked.

Lin Xiaoran smiled and said, "I just got off work and saw you getting out of a van. I thought I was seeing things, so I followed you around. It really was you."

Chen Ping smiled and said, "You really have a good coincidence."

Lin Xiaoran didn't respond to that, but patted the car door instead: "Don't just stand there, get in the car. I'll take you to get something to eat. There's a Western restaurant nearby that's pretty good."

Chen Ping gently shook his head: "No need, I'll just eat a bowl of noodles over there."

Lin Xiaoran looked at him and suddenly laughed: "Dr. Chen, you're a grown man, are you afraid I'll eat you up? It's just a meal, you're not paying for it."

Chen Ping did not refuse again.

After getting in the car, Lin Xiaoran turned two streets and parked the car in front of a Western restaurant.

The restaurant wasn't very big, with two rows of green plants at the entrance. The glass doors were polished to a shine, and a blast of cold air hit you as soon as you pushed them open.

The lighting inside was just right, and the guests at several tables were talking in hushed tones, the clinking of cups and plates soft and crisp.

Lin Xiaoran chose a booth further inside, greeted the waiter, and ordered several signature dishes.

While waiting for the food, Lin Xiaoran took off her coat and draped it over the back of the chair, revealing a close-fitting black knit sweater underneath.

She rested her chin on her hand as she looked at Chen Ping, her eyes smiling: "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to Tianhai this time? I was just saying I'd treat you to dinner last time, and it just so happens that we've run into each other today."

Chen Ping said, "I came here with the school on short notice and don't plan to stay long. I'll leave first thing tomorrow morning."

Lin Xiaoran nodded, but didn't ask him what he had come to do.

The dishes arrived; the portions weren't large, but the presentation was exquisite.

Lin Xiaoran pushed the steak toward Chen Ping and said, "Try this, their sauce is very special."

Chen Ping lowered his head and took a few bites; the taste was indeed good.

Lin Xiaoran held a knife and fork, slowly cutting the plate of pasta in front of her, glancing at Chen Ping every now and then.

She speaks tactfully, never asking probing questions or creating awkward silences.

We chatted about the hospital for a while, and then we talked about Li Fang's lawsuit.

Chen Ping gave a perfunctory reply; he didn't dare to have a deep conversation with Lin Xiaoran.

If we talk too deeply and Cui Ying finds out, she'll definitely misunderstand.

Moreover, Cui Ying had already reminded him that Lin Xiaoran seemed to have taken a liking to him, so Chen Ping should be even more careful to avoid suspicion.

Seeing Chen Ping's perfunctory attitude, Lin Xiaoran smiled helplessly: "Besides treating patients, do you have no other hobbies?"

Chen Ping gave a wry smile: "I don't really have time to think about anything else."

Lin Xiaoran took a small sip of wine, her eyes crinkling into a smile: "That's so boring."

"I think it's great!" Chen Ping said.

Lin Xiaoran stopped talking, and the two began to eat seriously.

A dozen minutes later, Chen Ping put down his cutlery and wiped his mouth with a tissue.

Lin Xiaoran also stopped eating, asked the waiter to remove the plates, and brought two more glasses of lemon water.

She held up her cup and said, "It's still early. Where are you staying later? If you haven't decided yet, come sit at my place. I live alone, and I have a guest room. It'll be convenient for you to run errands tomorrow."

Lin Xiaoran's words were too blatant. A man and a woman alone together, she actually invited Chen Ping to stay at her home.

Chen Ping knew what Lin Xiaoran was thinking, and he dared not go.

If Lin Xiaoran forces herself on me tonight, that would be troublesome.

Chen Ping knew he wasn't a saint, and he was in the midst of a period of heightened interest when Lin Xiaoran threw herself into his arms. Chen Ping knew he couldn't resist.

"No, I have something to do later, so I won't bother you." Chen Ping decisively refused, wanting to nip any potential problems in the bud.

Lin Xiaoran didn't press the matter, and simply nodded, "Okay, where are you going? I'll take you."

Chen Ping thought for a moment and said, "Take me to the Municipal People's Hospital. There was a patient who jumped off a building a few days ago and they were in critical condition. I'd like to go and see."

Chen Ping was referring to the girl who was bullied at No. 1 Middle School and then jumped off a building.

Although the girl was out of danger, her vital signs were unstable and she remained unconscious.

Lin Xiaoran said "Oh" and didn't say anything more.

She picked up her phone, scanned the QR code, stood up, and slung her bag over her shoulder: "Let's go then."

Chen Ping followed Lin Xiaoran out of the restaurant.

The night breeze was a bit cooler than before, rustling the leaves of the plane trees lining the street.

Lin Xiaoran walked ahead, her high heels making a light, tinkling sound on the ground.

When she reached the car, she suddenly stopped, turned around and smiled: "Chen Ping, you're sometimes quite boring, your thinking is like that of a seventy or eighty-year-old man."

Chen Ping smiled and said, "That's just how I am."

Lin Xiaoran opened the car door and got in. She waited until Chen Ping was seated before starting the car.

The light and shadows outside the car window slid by one by one, and Lin Xiaoran didn't say anything more.

The black Mercedes came to a smooth stop downstairs at the outpatient building of the Municipal People's Hospital.

The hospital was still brightly lit at night, with people coming and going at the emergency room entrance. The sound of ambulance sirens could be heard intermittently in the distance, and the smell of disinfectant mixed with the night wind wafted over, cold yet familiar.

Lin Xiaoran turned off the engine, grabbed the car keys, and seeing Chen Ping get out of the car, she naturally followed suit.

Chen Ping caught a glimpse of her following him out of the corner of his eye, paused for a moment, but did not say anything to stop her.

She drove me all the way tonight, so there's no need to be distant. Besides, it's just visiting a patient in the hospital, nothing out of line.

The two walked into the inpatient department lobby one after the other, where the warm white lights were dazzling.

Chen Ping walked straight to the nurses' station, where the nurses on night duty were organizing medical records.

"Hello nurse, could you tell me which ward the girl from No. 1 Middle School who jumped to her death a while ago is in now?"

The nurse looked up and sized up Chen Ping, recognizing him. She was very polite: "Director Chen, right? I remember you. That girl has been transferred out of the ICU and is now in bed 608 on the sixth floor of a regular ward."

Upon hearing the words "Director Chen," Chen Ping paused for a moment, as it had been a long time since anyone had addressed him that way.

"Just call me Chen Ping. I'm not a director anymore." Chen Ping smiled awkwardly. "How's the child doing?"

"His vital signs have stabilized, and he's awake, but... he just won't speak and just stares blankly."

The nurse sighed softly, looking somewhat regretful. "We on duty all feel sorry for her. She's so young, only sixteen."

Chen Ping nodded, didn't ask any more questions, turned around and walked to the convenience store next door, where he picked out a box of milk and a basket of fresh fruit.

The patient has just recovered from critical illness and should not take strong tonics; these are the most suitable things for him.

Lin Xiaoran stayed quietly by his side, saying little and not disturbing him at all, just silently accompanying him.

The two took the elevator up to the sixth floor of the inpatient department.

The corridor was quiet and long. Most of the wards had their lights off and patients were resting. Only the overhead lights in the corridor emitted a cold white light, and occasionally a few patients' low coughs could be heard, making the atmosphere particularly oppressive.

As I approached the door of ward 608, two weary figures came into view.

The girl's parents were sitting on the hospital chairs outside the ward, looking down in a daze. In just a few days, they looked like they had aged ten years.

His once jet-black hair was now streaked with white, and his eyes and brows were filled with an unyielding weariness and vicissitude.

His eyes were bloodshot, and his back was hunched over. He looked numb and haggard from the heavy burden of life.