Chapter 350: Chapter 350: The Enthusiastic Cousin
"I’ve always been someone who does things low-key," he said. "So even when I had them locked in that room, I was just waiting for the right time to send you all to where you were supposed to go. I won’t mention it again, and I certainly don’t want others treating them like monsters and subjecting them to endless research. It would definitely have a profound impact on their lives."
"Well, if you put it that way, it does make sense," she conceded. "To each their own, and since that’s the case, and Dr. Liu, since you can tell me all this so frankly, I’ll keep it to myself. I’ll act like none of this ever happened. With the tales of ghosts and spirits in your village, I suppose they’ll fade quietly into the background and eventually be forgotten."
"Exactly. That’s my ultimate goal and thought," he affirmed. "Well, in that case, with your cardiology department taking care of them, I believe your niece should be fine. Moreover, it’s fortunate that we identified the issue in time; there should be value in trying to save her."
"Dr. Liu, I can’t thank you enough," she said gratefully. "After several of us doctors examined her, we couldn’t come to a conclusion and were considering procedures like a lumbar puncture or bone marrow biopsy. We even suspected the problem could be in the brain. But I never imagined that you would see it right away—that the heart was the root of the problem."
"Perhaps it’s all fate," he reflected. "Anyway, it was just a small effort on my part. Now there’s nothing more to do, and since my clinic is empty, I need to hurry back."
"Dr. Liu, with you running back and forth so often, and considering you frequently encounter difficult and complicated cases here, you really should consider if there’s a way to familiarize yourself with them. Maybe we could discuss a different kind of cooperation," she suggested.
"Don’t worry about our cooperation—I’ll give it some thought once things settle down with these two patients," he assured her. "Director Xiao, rest assured, I won’t turn away so many patients. If there are any difficult cases, just send them to me. If I can’t make it, I can always come over for a consultation."
"It’s true that having you constantly travel here and there isn’t convenient," she admitted. "I’ll request a car from the hospital director specifically to bring you here. That way, you can save some travel time. Didn’t you say it yourself before? A minute can be the golden time for a rescue."
"That’s a good idea. We’ll talk about it later. For now, I should go. Director Xiao, if there’s anything you need, we can always keep in touch."
After bidding farewell to Director Xiao, Liu Zheng stood up and left. As he reached the hospital entrance, he saw the woman standing off to the side, pacing back and forth.
He had thought he was leaving for good, but who knew that he hadn’t actually gone anywhere. Why was he still here? Was he waiting for her, or was there some other business?
Liu Zheng pretended not to see her and made to slip away, but to his surprise, the woman spotted him and hurried over, blocking his path.
"Oh hello, I thought you had already left. Why are you still here?" she asked.
"Dr. Liu, I was waiting for you," the woman said.
"What? Waiting for me? For what? Besides, isn’t the child still in the ICU? And didn’t the head of cardiology say everything was fine? So you don’t need to worry. Moreover, if you were looking for me, now is not the time. Wait until the child’s condition has stabilized, then come find me," he advised.
"Dr. Liu, I don’t know how to express my deep gratitude. How about this? If you have time today, I’d like to invite you for a meal so we can talk," she proposed.
Liu Zheng failed to comprehend; with the child still lying in the ICU, how could she be in the mood to have dinner with him? It seemed that what Director Xiao had told him was not without basis—it probably just reflected her nature.
"There’s no need for dinner," he declined. "I have many, many patients waiting for me to take care of them, so don’t worry about it. If you have any issues, you can ask Director Xiao to contact me."
"Then, Dr. Liu, would you mind giving me your phone number? If there’s really a problem after the child is discharged, wouldn’t it be too roundabout and inconvenient to go through Director Xiao? Why don’t you leave me a contact number, and I’ll get in touch with you directly when the time comes?" she persisted.
Although Liu Zheng hesitated, there was no helping it. Since she made the request, which wasn’t unreasonable, and considering his relationship with Director Xiao, he gave her his contact information.
For some reason, Liu Zheng vaguely sensed that the woman had a special feeling towards him, but he didn’t understand what that feeling signified.
And with such an eager woman, Liu Zheng wasn’t sure that he would be able to resist if it came down to it.
Upon returning to the village, Liu Zheng reopened his clinic and began operating there once more. However, the issue with the mushroom toxin had still not been resolved at its source.
He felt like a kite with its string cut—he had no clue where to start his investigation or how to deal with the findings. He hadn’t thought it all through.
In the midst of his pondering, he suddenly heard a knock at the door. When he looked up, he was surprised to see Li Yanling standing there.
