Chapter 34

"Qin Chuan, Qin Chuan, are you done with the work?" Gao Zhan Ting said.

At noon, Gao Zhan Ting called Qin Chuan to have lunch.

"Um, almost done." Qin Chuan checked today's medical records and then wrote a lot in his document.

Gao Zhan Ting stood behind Qin Chuan for a while and said with a sigh, "I finally understand why you, who have only been here for a few months, are more capable than us old-timers. Hard work pays off."

He Xue Dong, who was standing nearby, mumbled, "I've been working hard for several years, why haven't I seen any results?"

He Xue Dong was referring to the fact that he and his wife had been married for several years, but his wife had not conceived.

Gao Zhan Ting smiled and said, "That's a matter of personal conditions. If your land were tilled by Qin Chuan, it would definitely yield several harvests."

"My conditions are not bad. I've been checked by Director Wang several times, and there's absolutely no problem," He Xue Dong said.

Director Wang was Wang Song Min, the head of the Reproductive and Genetic Center at Tan Shan Hospital. He Xue Dong had been checked by Wang Song Min several times, and no issues were found.

"Then it must be the land's problem," Gao Zhan Ting said.

"She refuses to get checked, saying there's nothing wrong with her," He Xue Dong said.

"You need to communicate with your wife about this. You're both in your thirties now, which is considered a high-risk age for childbirth. If you wait until you're forty, it will be even more difficult," Gao Zhan Ting said.

"I understand the logic. But you know my wife, she's very career-oriented," He Xue Dong said, looking worried.

Even a fair judge finds it hard to resolve family matters. Gao Zhan Ting didn't want to pry into He Xue Dong's affairs and quickly changed the subject, "Qin Chuan, go and call Ling Ling later."

"I thought it was just the two of us having a private date. Why do we need to call Ling Ling?" Qin Chuan smiled.

"Hey, you naughty boy, how dare you tease your sister. Go and call Ling Ling, or that girl will bring your meal to the cafeteria," Gao Zhan Ting said.

"Zhan Ting Sister, why don't you add another set of chopsticks and a bowl and invite me too?" He Xiao Kang said, thick-skinned.

"Get lost. You're already old, yet you still call me sister, making me feel old," Gao Zhan Ting said bluntly.

"Is a sister younger than an old lady?" He Xiao Kang laughed.

Gao Zhan Ting realized her slip of the tongue and couldn't help but laugh, "It's not that I don't want to invite you. We're planning to treat my brother to a good meal. I have a voucher for Yu Hu Restaurant, but it's not enough for many people. Besides, it's far away, and we need to leave a few people in the department in case patients come. I'll treat you all to a meal at Jin Yu Restaurant another day."

Jiang Ling Ling always went to the cafeteria on time to get her meal. The young girl, who was just beginning to experience love, took getting her meal very seriously. However, she was also diligent in her nursing work. If she didn't love her job, she wouldn't have come to the hospital to be a nurse given her family's conditions.

Just as she was about to go to the cafeteria, she ran into Qin Chuan.

"Doctor Qin, are you done? I was just about to go to the cafeteria to get my meal. You can come later," Jiang Ling Ling said.

"Don't rush. Zhan Ting Sister said she's treating us to lunch and asked me to come and call you," Qin Chuan said.

Jiang Ling Ling blushed but was very happy, "Zhan Ting Sister is treating you to lunch, why does she want to call me too?"

The emergency department was not large, and any news spread quickly among the doctors and nurses. The news that Gao Zhan Ting was called to the director's office for a scolding soon spread throughout the department. The nurse's station, being mostly women, was the most gossipy place in the hospital. Any news spread quickly there.

"Zhan Ting Sister asked me to come and call you. Are you done here?" Qin Chuan asked.

"I'm done. Sister Fang can take over for the afternoon," Jiang Ling Ling said quickly. She was naturally willing to go out to eat with Qin Chuan.

Gao Zhan Ting owned a car, a white BMW, which showed that her family's financial situation was very good.

"Qin Chuan, can you drive?" Gao Zhan Ting asked.

"I got my driver's license in school, but I haven't had the chance to drive. I probably can't afford a car right now. Besides, my home is close by, and having a car would be more of a hassle. My neighborhood is old, and finding a parking spot is difficult. The traffic is always congested during rush hour," Qin Chuan said.

"When you get married, you'll need a new house, and it won't be close by. You'll definitely need a car then. Why don't you come up and practice?" Gao Zhan Ting said.

"No, no. Your car is so nice, I wouldn't dare use it to practice," Qin Chuan said.

"It's not that nice," Gao Zhan Ting said.

In the end, Gao Zhan Ting drove, with Jiang Ling Ling in the front passenger seat and Qin Chuan in the back. Jiang Ling Ling glanced at the back seat but didn't feel comfortable sitting there. Gao Zhan Ting was amused by Jiang Ling Ling's expression.

"Ling Ling, you should seize every opportunity. Good men are rarer than pandas. If you don't seize the opportunity, a bunch of girls will be after him. I heard that two beautiful teachers from Tan Shan University were flirting with Qin Chuan yesterday," Gao Zhan Ting laughed.

Qin Chuan laughed, "Zhan Ting Sister, don't spread rumors. Those two teachers, I met them when I went to Tan Shan University with a classmate. They ate wild mushrooms and got food poisoning, and I treated them. They were sent to our hospital. Luckily, they tested the poison, or my classmate and I might have been sent to the emergency department."

"Be careful when you eat out these days," Gao Zhan Ting said, not intending to tease Qin Chuan and Jiang Ling Ling further.

"Ling Ling Sister, what does your husband do? He really takes good care of you. He drives such a nice car to work every day. I think your car is one of the best in the hospital parking lot," Qin Chuan said.

"He's just a businessman. If you talk about the car, it's not that great. It's just a mid-to-low-end car. I know several people in our hospital who drive Land Rovers," Gao Zhan Ting said.

"That's too showy. How many years would it take for us doctors to earn a Land Rover?" Qin Chuan said.

"Our department definitely can't afford it. But other departments might. Some don't earn it from the hospital. The old doctors in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department, they just go through the motions at the hospital, but they earn as much as any regular doctor. They earn their money after work. One consultation can earn them several months' salary. But they have the skills to earn that much. They've worked hard for many years to build their reputation. The young doctors in the Traditional Chinese Medicine department are even worse off than us. But they have a leisurely life. One guy, a few years ago, specialized in real estate. He bought a house, mortgaged it, and then bought another. He did this cycle for dozens of houses. In recent years, when the housing prices were at their peak, he sold them and made several times the original investment. You two seem very compatible. You're in the same profession, have common interests, and can understand each other in life. In our profession, if you want to do well, you don't have time to slowly date. It's hard for ordinary people to tolerate," Gao Zhan Ting said, seemingly reflecting on her own experiences.

By the time they arrived at Tan Shan Restaurant, Gao Zhan Ting saw a familiar car in the parking lot. After parking, she looked at the car several times.

"Zhan Ting Sister, what's wrong?" Qin Chuan asked.

"Nothing. I just saw a familiar car. Let's go eat," but after a few steps, Gao Zhan Ting looked back several times.

Qin Chuan noticed that Gao Zhan Ting seemed off, but since she didn't want him to know, he pretended not to notice.

Jiang Ling Ling was a simple girl and didn't notice anything. However, the young girl seemed familiar with Tan Shan Restaurant.

Gao Zhan Ting booked a private room and ordered the dishes. After that, she went to the restroom.

In the restroom, Gao Zhan Ting took out her phone and made a call.

"Dear, have you had lunch yet?" The voice on the phone was her husband, Jia Chun Peng.

"I'm about to eat. Where are you?" Gao Zhan Ting said casually.

"I'm at the office, working overtime. I'll get a boxed meal later. Dear, I'm busy here. I'll call you back later," Jia Chun Peng seemed eager to hang up.

Gao Zhan Ting frowned. A woman's intuition is extremely sensitive, and she had already noticed that Jia Chun Peng had been acting strange lately. She had just seen his car in the underground parking lot, but he said he was still at the office.

Gao Zhan Ting didn't say anything for a long time, and Jia Chun Peng seemed impatient, "That's it. I'm busy here. I'll talk to you when I get home tonight."

Gao Zhan Ting stood there, holding the phone with the beeping sound, tears streaming down her face. She had long anticipated this day, but when it finally came, it was still hard to bear.

Gao Zhan Ting washed her face with cold water at the sink, dried it with a paper towel, and reapplied her makeup. She looked at herself in the mirror for a while before leaving the restroom.

Jiang Ling Ling was very happy when she was with Qin Chuan and was slow to react to external affairs. She didn't notice any change in Gao Zhan Ting.

Qin Chuan, however, noticed and asked with concern, "Zhan Ting Sister, are you feeling unwell?"

"I'm fine. Just a bit of stomach discomfort, an old problem," Gao Zhan Ting said.

"You should be careful. Stomach problems can be very troublesome," Jiang Ling Ling genuinely thought Gao Zhan Ting was uncomfortable due to a stomach issue.

"Um," Gao Zhan Ting carefully concealed her emotions.

The food arrived, and the dishes were well-balanced, as expected from a high-end restaurant.

Gao Zhan Ting seemed distracted, often speaking incoherently. Qin Chuan knew that something significant must have happened to her. He tried to tell some interesting stories to distract her.