As the sun climbed higher, Qi Yue stood before the Nanzhai Township Health Center, where the director had been waiting for some time.

"Doctor Qi, Doctor Qi, you've worked so hard, worked so hard," he exclaimed excitedly, extending both hands.

Qi Yue reached out and shook his hand.

"Director Qin, I appreciate your hospitality," she replied with a gentle smile.

Two recently graduated interns and three temporary nurses also emerged from the courtyard, watching Qi Yue with a mixture of shyness and awkwardness. They were all wearing their doctor's scrubs that day, which made them appear even more constrained.

"What are you standing around for!" Director Qin called out. "Quick, quickly move Doctor Qi's luggage to the dormitory."

Only then did they rush forward. Qi Yue politely declined several times, but her luggage was still taken away. Here, she was involved in a lively welcome ceremony with personnel from the Provincial Hospital, the County Hospital, the Provincial Health System, and the County Health System. After the indispensable welcome luncheon, it wasn't until the afternoon that Qi Yue finally stood inside her dormitory room.

"It's actually an apartment suite," Qi Yue laughed, a little surprised.

"It was temporarily renovated. It's inconvenient for Doctor Qi to stay here, so Director Zhang arranged for it to be redone, adding a kitchen and a separate bathroom so Doctor Qi can live more comfortably," Director Qin said cheerfully. "It’s just a bit small..."

"It's not small at all; I'm truly sorry to have caused you trouble," Qi Yue said with a smile as she walked in. She surveyed the surroundings. The room faced south, bathed in the bright and warm light of the autumn day. The furniture was clearly new, and someone had thoughtfully placed a vase holding a bouquet of unknown wildflowers, blooming brilliantly.

Qi Yue couldn't help but smile. She walked over to the window, opened it, and looked out at a mountain ridge directly opposite, currently displaying a riot of color.

"Is that... Hedu Ridge?" Qi Yue asked, pointing her finger.

Director Qin nodded.

"Yes, it's our most famous scenic spot, Doctor Qi. The air is excellent. Doctor Qi can go hiking every day. Don't worry about the tickets; I'll write a note for them," he said enthusiastically, with a hint of eagerness. Facing someone from a big city, this was the only thing he had to boast about.

Qi Yue nodded.

"Then thank you very much. I love hiking the most," she said.

It was a delightful thing when one's good intentions were accepted, and Director Qin rubbed his hands together and smiled.

"Good, good, you rest first. If you need anything, come find me downstairs. Oh, my home isn't far from here either; the gatekeeper and the cook all know. Everyone around here is a villager. If you need anything, just tell them. Doctor Qi, please don't be formal," he said.

Qi Yue thanked him repeatedly and watched as Director Qin closed the door behind him and left.

The mountain town was quiet and peaceful in the afternoon. Qi Yue leaned by the window, gazing at Hedu Ridge opposite, and took out her phone.

"Hello, is that Qi Yue?"

As the call connected, Huang Ying spoke first.

"Sister Huang, that's no fun. Couldn't you play a guessing game?" Qi Yue laughed.

"Guess your head! There's zero intelligence factor here. A phone number from Nanyun Province—who else could it be but you," Huang Ying retorted crossly.

Qi Yue chuckled.

"This is my new number; remember it. Call me whenever you come here to visit," she said.

"What can a doctor in your little backwater town do for me? I'll call you if I end up there," Huang Ying said with a dry laugh.

"Oh my, why is the esteemed Head Nurse of Neurosurgery at Yanjing Hospital paying so much attention to me, a township doctor? Did you know my dormitory was a suite before I did?" Qi Yue teased.

Huang Ying snorted, implicitly confirming it.

"Alright, I won't chatter with you anymore; the phone bill is too expensive," Qi Yue said.

Huang Ying spat out a sound of disdain.

"You flirt who forgets friends," she said, pausing before asking again, "What are you doing now?"

Qi Yue looked out the window.

"Me?" she said slowly, smiling faintly. "I'm guarding the person I want to guard."

For some reason, upon hearing this, Huang Ying's eyes suddenly filled with tears. She hastily wiped them away to hide her breakdown.

This fool...

Qi Yue was unaware of Huang Ying's lapse on her end. After finishing the call, she tidied the room, hung her clothes in the closet, placed her computer on the desk, boiled water for tea, checked the time, and changed into sportswear before heading out.

Because it was autumn, the number of tourists at Hedu Ridge Scenic Area had increased slightly, especially with city work units organizing outings for mountain climbing and autumn excursions. However, this hustle only lasted until noon, and afterward, the area reverted to its usual quietude.

The scenic area management staff were leaning by the entrance, chatting and laughing.

"...And they call that tiring? It's just a few more tourists, and the cleaning is a bit more troublesome. Think about last month..."

"...Right, right. Cleaning is nothing. That lunatic last month was truly tiring..."

"...Oh, tell me about it. Those few days exhausted me to death..."

"...Exhausted? We were terrified too! Those days, I heard crying from the tomb every single day, even when I was trying to sleep at night. Couldn't sleep for days and nights..."

They were chatting animatedly when they noticed someone had approached the ticket booth without them realizing.

"Hey, someone's here," the staff members alerted each other, straightening up as they watched the woman in casual attire approach.

"Miss, don't wander too far up the mountain this late. It gets dark soon... Ah... It's you again!" The attendant reached out to check the ticket while reminding her, but then startled, dropping the ticket and tearing it in half.

Qi Yue smiled slightly.

"I said I would be back," she said, tucking the remaining half of the ticket into the attendant's hand. "I'm going in then."

The attendant snapped back to attention and hurriedly tried to stop her.

"Oh, right, I'm staff here in the township now. I won't cause trouble. Here is my work ID," Qi Yue added, tossing the ID over.

One attendant caught it.

"Hold onto this as collateral; I'll take it when I leave," Qi Yue said with a smile, waving dismissively as she entered.

The attendants gathered around and opened the ID.

Qi Yue, Physician, Nanzhai Township Health Center.

The steel seal from the Health Bureau was unmistakable—it couldn't be faked.

It's real?

They looked up and saw the woman already standing at the entrance to the tomb path.

Oh dear, does this mean we'll have to hear crying every day from now on?

We're doomed...

The accompanying attendant didn't hear any crying. He only saw the woman stop outside the glass casing, silently gazing at the skeletal remains for a moment, before looking around. Due to the increase in visitors, there was more plastic trash inside the tomb chamber, which the staff hadn't yet managed to clear.

"You're such a fastidious person, you must be angry, right?" Qi Yue shook her head and said. She bent down and began picking up sausage wrappers and drink bottles one by one. "Let me tell you, I've moved in, not far from the foot of the mountain, at the Health Center. Why don't you come with me and formally introduce yourself?"

She finished speaking and turned to leave.

A gust of wind swept past, leaving the attendant standing nearby with a chill down his spine.

Formally introduce yourself...

Oh God, I'm going to be scared to death...

From then on, this woman visited every day, sometimes in the morning, sometimes in the afternoon, rain or shine. Although there was no further destruction of cultural relics or displays of distress, this behavior was so bizarre that it sparked much discussion.

"This won't do! How can we let someone like that stay here..." The scenic area's investor finally heard the rumors and became furious.

He hadn't been making much money to begin with, and this ghostly haunting by the woman was threatening to cause him financial losses!

"But she is indeed a doctor, with an official posting from the Health Bureau, and they said she was sent down from higher up," someone whispered.

"A doctor! What decent doctor comes to this run-down township health center! She must be a wandering quack looking for free food and lodging!" the investor scoffed. "You people lack perspective; as soon as you hear 'from Yanjing,' you treat her like royalty. You'd accept some forged certificates as sacred relics. Don't you know the world is full of scammers nowadays? They exploit the local government's desire for political achievements!"

The investor grew angrier the more he spoke; he even suspected a rival deliberately sent her to sabotage his business!

"Come on, I'm going to see this strange doctor," he declared. "I'll show you how I expose her! She dares to try and trick me!"

Hearing that there was excitement to witness, a large crowd followed along noisily. Several cars stopped outside the township health center, and surrounding residents—children, the elderly, and women—all looked over curiously.

The investor stepped out of his car with a swagger. Before he could even take a step toward the health center, he was nearly knocked unconscious by a foul stench.

"What—what is this smell?" he cried, turning back to see a chaotic crowd rushing towards them.

"Doctor, Doctor..."

A group of men shouted disorderly, carrying a door panel. As they approached, the stench spread everywhere, causing bystanders to cover their noses, and some people fled in panic.

"What happened? Did they fall into a cesspit?"

The investor forgot about entering the health center and frantically tried to get back into his car, but someone called out to him.

"Boss Dong!" they shrieked. "We were just looking for you! Something happened at the construction site!"

Boss Dong froze. Construction site? Something happened?

Something happened! That was the phrase every investor dreaded hearing!

That meant money! My money!

He abruptly turned around, ignoring the stench.

"What's going on?" he yelled.

People from the hospital also emerged. The scenic area was undertaking afforestation and landscaping for 'natural green farming.' The investor had arranged for large amounts of manure to fertilize the fields. During the plowing, a farmer's left leg was severely cut by the plow, resulting in heavy bleeding. Simultaneously, the entire body was covered in filth, causing severe contamination.

A young nurse took one look at the wound and immediately ran to the side to vomit.

"This won't do, the wound contamination is too severe. Hurry and send him to the County Hospital," an intern said, standing by and observing the injury. "If this wound isn't treated properly, someone could die."

Die! If someone died, it meant endless trouble! The situation report alone for the superiors could be fatal! And regardless of fault, a public unit would have to find a scapegoat!

The health center director instantly realized. Death! At current rates, one death would cost at least six or seven hundred thousand in compensation, not to mention the money needed to deal with media, appraisals, and agitators!

The investor rapidly calculated the figures in his head.

"Quickly, quickly, send him to the County Hospital," they all shouted.

"What happened?"

Qi Yue’s voice came from the doorway. She and another doctor had just returned from a door-to-door distribution of epidemic prevention leaflets printed by the Health Bureau and conducting a free clinic. Seeing the chaotic scene, she quickly asked.

The director quickly explained the situation.

"Let me take a look," Qi Yue said immediately, stepping up to stand before the injured man and reaching out to examine the wound.

"Doctor Qi, it's just a wound on his calf; let's send him quickly..." the doctor who had checked him before whispered quietly.

This must be that eccentric Doctor Qi? Boss Dong frowned.

"Hey, you, don't delay the treatment..." he called out.

Before he could finish speaking, Qi Yue raised her hand to interrupt him.

"No, there's more than just a wound on the calf," she said, pulling apart the man's already tattered trousers. Her hand pressed against his thigh. "There's one here too."

The two doctors covered their noses and looked; amidst the filth, they indeed spotted another wound.

"And this... might be a through-and-through injury," Qi Yue stated, extending her hand to explore the wound edges.

The injured man let out a louder howl, and everyone watching couldn't help but feel their legs go weak.

"We should still send him to the County Hospital..." the director urged.

"No, if the femoral artery is bleeding, there isn't enough time," Qi Yue said, raising her hand. "Prepare for emergency surgery: debridement and suture."

Huh?

Everyone present was stunned.

"But... but we have no facilities here..." one intern whispered.

Qi Yue glanced at him.

"Do you have an operating room?" she asked.

The director and the intern nodded.

"Do you have anesthetic?" Qi Yue asked.

The director and the intern nodded again.

"Anti-inflammatory drugs, a sterilizer, surgical instruments?" Qi Yue continued to ask.

Everyone nodded.

"Then what do you mean you have nothing?" Qi Yue laughed, standing up. "You haven't seen what truly 'having nothing' looks like..."

What was 'truly having nothing'? Everyone was momentarily confused.

"Hey, hey, if you treat him and he dies, that’s on you," Boss Dong interrupted, ignoring the irrelevant chatter. "Hurry up and send him!"

Qi Yue turned to look at him.

"How much is this man's life worth?" she suddenly asked.

Surprised by the question, Boss Dong, who was calculating his losses, answered offhandedly.

"About seven hundred and eighty thousand, give or take..." he said, immediately covering his mouth.

Qi Yue smiled.

"Very well, if I cure him, remember to give me seven hundred and eighty thousand," she said.

Huh? Boss Dong was also momentarily slow to process.

Meanwhile, Qi Yue called for people to prepare for the surgery.

"This is a minor operation; don't be nervous," Qi Yue instructed, watching the two interns as she deftly administered the anesthetic and then began cleaning and debriding the patient's wound.

She was methodically doing the work of three or four people, which slowly calmed the two interns who were in surgery for the first time.

"What did they teach you in your clinical practice class?" Qi Yue continued speaking without pausing her work.

The two interns seemed transported back to their classrooms.

"Calm, steady, thorough," Qi Yue recited. "For this patient, your initial physical examination was incomplete; you overlooked the wound on his thigh."

She pointed at the patient's injury. The two interns nodded.

"That was a lack of composure, fear of difficulty," Qi Yue stated, enlarging the wound with her hand. "Second, after I showed you the wound, you still didn't take it seriously, assuming it was a minor cut that wouldn't affect a major vessel..."

The two interns looked down, embarrassed.

"Therefore, as doctors, we cannot view matters one-sidedly," Qi Yue said. "Alright, who wants to explore the wound?"

She actually agreed to let us explore it? After we made such mistakes?

The two interns hesitated, then one bravely stepped forward.

Qi Yue nodded and stepped aside.

"Teacher! It really is a through-and-through injury! The femoral artery is ruptured!"

The intern's surprised shout echoed from the operating room.

The families waiting outside shuddered.

The femoral artery ruptured—is that something to celebrate? Arteries—even though they were farmers, they knew a ruptured artery meant massive hemorrhage, a matter of minutes before death! Why were they celebrating inside like it was New Year’s? Was this really appropriate?

Outside, the director also started clapping his hands with a cry of dismay.

The families couldn't bear it and grabbed him, demanding an explanation.

"What does it mean? It means if Doctor Qi hadn't stopped you from rushing the man to the city, he would be dead by now," the director explained.

Only then did everyone realize the danger. They felt a surge of post-fear, mixed with admiration and gratitude. Boss Dong heard this, clasped his hands repeatedly, murmuring thanks to the gods for preserving his seven hundred thousand...

The commotion outside could be clearly heard in the simple operating room, but the surgical team remained undisturbed; in fact, they were even more uplifted and encouraged.

Qi Yue, however, was momentarily stunned by the intern's address: Teacher...

Master, is this the right way to do this?

Master, is this really okay? Why is it done this way?

In her mind's eye, a series of simple, earnest, ancient faces floated up.

"Ah, Doctor Qi, I'm sorry, I... I'm still not used to it. I keep calling you 'Teacher,'" the intern said sheepishly at this moment.

Qi Yue snapped back to attention and smiled.

"To be called 'Teacher' by others is an honor," she replied with a smile. "Come, you two are responsible for debridement and suturing the calf wound. I will handle the vascular repair of the femoral artery."

Two hours later, the surgery concluded.

"The patient's condition is stable, and the surgery was successful," Qi Yue announced.

A chorus of thanks rose around them. Looking at the patient being wheeled out by the nurse, he was still conscious due to the local anesthetic and kept thanking them profusely. Boss Dong, standing in the crowd, was beaming like a flower in bloom.

"Rest well, we'll cover all the medical expenses," he boomed loudly.

This statement drew another wave of gratitude.

"Boss Dong is truly a good boss; he rushed over immediately upon hearing about the accident," Qi Yue commented from the side, with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

This comment made the assembled people even more emotional, and they were deeply moved by the benevolence and virtue of Boss Dong. Boss Dong accepted all the praise without modesty.

"Call the reporters later to interview this," he quietly instructed his secretary. "Remember to mention our company name several times, and also, secretly slip in a few more photos of the scenic area..."

The secretary nodded in agreement.

After giving his instructions, Boss Dong turned and saw Qi Yue watching him with a half-smile.

"Oh my, oh my, Doctor Qi, I truly owe you so much. I will definitely send you a commemorative plaque," he said, stretching out his hand with a practiced, eager smile.

Qi Yue returned his smile—a half-smile that didn't quite reach her eyes—as they shook hands.

"I heard someone say that Boss Dong seems to have some issues with me..." she said.

Boss Dong immediately cut her off.

"Of course! I've had issues with Doctor Qi for a long time!" he declared loudly. "Doctor Qi, you are from Yanjing, and so am I! Since we are from the same hometown, why did you still have to buy a ticket to visit my scenic area! That’s showing no respect at all!"

Qi Yue burst out laughing.

"I won't buy one in the future," she chuckled. "I'll just use the seventy-plus-thousand that Boss Dong saved on buying human lives to buy tickets instead."

Recalling their earlier conversation, Boss Dong let out a nervous chuckle. Whether this doctor was mentally sound or not, this was a rare opportunity for positive publicity. He didn't want to create new complications; he needed to placate this doctor first.

"Just kidding, just kidding," Boss Dong said, laughing and brushing the topic aside.

After seeing Boss Dong and his entourage off, she went to the patient's room to check on him.

"I live on the second floor here. Call me anytime if you need anything," Qi Yue said.

The patient and his family thanked her repeatedly.

"Doctor Qi, you should go rest now," they urged.

Qi Yue didn't offer further pleasantries. After instructing the nurse on changing the dressing, she went upstairs.

As she entered her room, the sound of a mobile phone ringing could be heard. Qi Yue instinctively patted her pocket—her new phone was still there; the ringing was coming from her old phone.

She hurried over to check; it was a call from home.

"...Mom, why are you calling this number again? This one is about to be suspended due to non-payment; stop using it... Yes, the new phone... Uh-huh, didn't my brother tell you?... Okay, write down the number again..."

As she said this, the phone indicated another incoming call. She picked it up and saw it was an unknown number from Yanjing. Her mother was shouting something unintelligible in the receiver, so Qi Yue continued listening to the ongoing call.

After finishing that conversation, she checked her missed calls and dialed the unknown number back, but it was already switched off.

Qi Yue shook her head, closed the old phone, and tossed it aside. She picked up her new phone and began mass-texting her new number.

This way, people who knew her would naturally call the new number if they needed her. As for those who didn't know her—she had been unconscious for a year; those who hadn't contacted her then wouldn't bother now.

Chang Yuncheng turned his old phone over and over in his hand, then tapped it; the screen remained black...

He pulled open the door and walked out.

He was still staying at the elder's house. He went to check the gate as usual every day, and after finishing, he returned leisurely. The elder didn't find this strange, and he certainly didn't find it strange either. The only person who found it strange but lacked the standing to speak up was currently sitting on the sofa downstairs, eating a pomegranate peeled by the housekeeper.

"Wenjun," he called out.

Cao Wenjun looked up.

"My phone is broken; come and take a look," Chang Yuncheng said, shaking the phone in his hand.

Cao Wenjun pursed his lips.

"It doesn't affect me; it's not my phone," he retorted, grabbing another handful of pomegranate seeds and stuffing them into his mouth.

"Your grandfather said you should keep me company, that's why he let you move in," Chang Yuncheng said slowly.

Cao Wenjun choked on the pomegranate seeds, coughing violently.

The grandson, daring to threaten him!

"This is my house," he roared, his eyes blazing. "My house! I'll live where I please! What business is it of yours!"

Chang Yuncheng remained silent, merely allowing the corner of his mouth to curve slightly.

It was that very smile! That infuriatingly smug smile!

Cao Wenjun reached out and pointed at Chang Yuncheng, demanding he stand up.

Damn grandson!

This grandson was clearly unbalanced; he actually dared to report him. If Grandpa truly kicked him out, wouldn't all the prestige he’d managed to build up among his friends over the last few days vanish instantly?

Cao Wenjun cursed viciously in his mind, then stomped up the stairs.

He snatched up his phone and erupted in frustration again.

"It’s dead!" he yelled. "Charge it! Both batteries are dead and you didn't charge them! How can you not even know that!"

Chang Yuncheng let out a soft "Oh," observing the strange device trembling in Cao Wenjun's hand.

Charge...

He nodded slowly.

"I know now," he said, pushing the phone toward him. "Go ahead and charge it."

Tsk! Cao Wenjun felt an overwhelming urge to bow and kneel.

What the hell! Where did this brat crawl out from? When would he finally just leave! How was he supposed to live like this anymore!