CHAPTER 19: CHAPTER 19 FALLING BEHIND_1

The patient was a petite and adorable girl, about 160 cm tall, dressed in a green skirt.

She pushed open the door and whispered, "Tea-teacher, I’m a freshman, and my stomach feels uncomfortable..."

"Your stomach?" Liu Nanwei put down her magazine. "Fill out the basic information, then come over. I’ll take your pulse."

The girl in the green dress hesitated for a moment, wrote down her name, class, and phone number, then extended her arm.

Xu Lai shook his head. He could tell at a glance that this girl, Zhao Xixi, was faking it.

Liu Nanwei was a practitioner of traditional Chinese medicine. After five minutes of examination, she stated with a cold expression, "There’s nothing seriously wrong with you. Just go back and get some rest."

"Huh?"

How can I not be sick? I have to be sick, Zhao Xixi agonized. Otherwise, what am I going to do about the half-month military training that starts the day after tomorrow? I heard from a senior that it’s exhausting, and the sun will bake you as black as a lump of coal.

"But Teacher, my stomach still feels uncomfortable," Zhao Xixi insisted, steeling herself.

"Drink more hot water," Liu Nanwei said.

"..."

Zhao Xixi looked weakly at Xu Lai, who also nodded. "Drink more hot water."

Zhao Xixi left, muttering to herself, her eyes red with grievance. Didn’t that reliable senior say the school doctor was really easy to talk to? What a liar.

The door clicked shut.

Liu Nanwei said flatly, "Probably a student trying to fake an illness to skip military training. We had a few last year, too."

"Mhm." Xu Lai nodded.

After that, the two of them exchanged no more words. Liu Nanwei focused on her medical journal. She felt neither fondness nor prejudice toward Xu Lai. Whether he was there to slack off or to use the position of clinic director as a stepping stone to pad his résumé, it had little to do with her. As for his rivalry with Zhou Feng for the directorship, she had no intention of getting involved. The hint she’d given him earlier was already going above and beyond.

Xu Lai, for his part, made no effort to get friendly with his new colleague. He simply sat back in his office chair and rested his eyes.

Should I go check on my sister-in-law, Ruan Lan? he pondered. My wife’s family is a constant source of worry for her. It’s a wound that needs healing.

After some thought, Xu Lai decided to ask, "Dr. Liu, do you know Ruan Lan from the Chinese Department? She should be a sophomore now."

"I know of her." Liu Nanwei’s brow furrowed slightly. With her wealthy family, great figure, and beautiful face, Ruan Lan was a major figure at Dongli University.

"I’d like to know a little about her, if possible..."

"I’m not familiar with her, so I can’t comment."

Liu Nanwei refused him outright. She was now deeply disappointed in Xu Lai. So he used his connection with the university president to get into the clinic just to chase after the campus belle.

The clinic used to be filled with all sorts of scum—men who took advantage of female students and others who secretly accepted bribes. The misconduct was rampant, which was why the school had finally decided to restructure, firing a large number of people and leaving only her and Zhou Feng. To think the new director was just like the others. Zhou Feng would have been a better choice for director. He might be an unpleasant person, but at least his medical skills are genuine.

Xu Lai was unaware of Liu Nanwei’s prejudice against him, and even if he knew, he wouldn’t bother to explain. He had never cared for the opinions of irrelevant people.

He spent the entire day in the clinic, but Zhou Feng never showed up. Only a handful of students came in for treatment, mostly for minor scrapes that just needed a bandage.

Xu Lai understood. Who would dare come here for a serious illness? They would go straight to a hospital.

So, this job was very relaxing. It suited him perfectly.

At five in the afternoon, Xu Lai clocked out, ready to pick up Yiyi and head home.

"Director Xu, who is on the night shift?" Liu Nanwei suddenly asked.

"Hmm?" Xu Lai raised an eyebrow.

"The clinic needs someone to stay on duty. We had a night-shift doctor before, but he was fired."

"Let Zhou Feng do it," Xu Lai said after a moment’s thought. "He skipped work all day."

"Well..." Liu Nanwei hesitated, then said, "Okay, I’ll call and inform him now."

She dialed Zhou Feng’s number, and his drunken voice came through the line. "What do you want?"

"You skipped work today. Director Xu has assigned you to the night shift."

SMASH!

The sound of a bottle shattering echoed through the phone.

"I’ve been at Dongli University for five years, and this damn newbie thinks he can order me around on his first day?" Zhou Feng cursed. "Tell him to get lost!"

"Okay." Liu Nanwei hung up and turned to Xu Lai. "He told you to get lost."

Xu Lai nodded. "I understand. Can you cover for a little while? I’m going to pick up my daughter, take her home, and make her dinner. I’ll be back after."

"You’re married?" Liu Nanwei asked, surprised.

"Mhm." A happy smile spread across Xu Lai’s face. "My daughter is five years old."

Liu Nanwei’s expression turned even fouler.

Scumbag!

He has a family and he’s still trying to chase women at the university. He absolutely cannot be allowed to stay for the night shift. What if some poor girl falls into his clutches? It’s happened before!

She snorted coldly and sat back down in her chair. "Go home to your wife and child. I will inform the logistics department that I’ll be covering the night shift until a replacement is hired."

Did I offend her somehow? Xu Lai was puzzled. But he didn’t press the matter and left, completely confused.

To his surprise, he saw a missed call from Ruan Tang from ten minutes ago. His phone had been on silent, so he hadn’t heard it. Ruan Tang had then sent a text, telling him she had already picked Yiyi up and taken her home.

Xu Lai took the bus straight back to Baiyun Community.

As he unlocked the door, he heard Yiyi’s bright giggles coming from the living room.

"Auntie, stop tickling me! It’s so itchy! Giggle, giggle."

Hearing the door open, Xu Yiyi, who had been lying on the sofa, scrambled up with wide, bright eyes and rushed over. "Daddy!"

Xu Lai swept her up into his arms.

Then he looked at the other woman on the sofa.

Her height and appearance were about seventy percent similar to Ruan Tang’s, but she lacked a certain mature poise, possessing a more whimsical air instead. Compared to Ruan Tang’s majestic, mountainous physique, hers was less impressive, though her pair of long legs was particularly eye-catching.

The vibrant smile on the woman’s face slowly faded into a look of indignation. "Sister, that heartless man is back."

Ruan Lan! Xu Lai hadn’t expected to see his sister-in-law under these circumstances.

"Hello," he said, taking the initiative to greet her.

"Not hello!" Ruan Lan huffed.

"Have some manners. That’s your brother-in-law." Ruan Tang emerged from the kitchen carrying a bowl of scrambled eggs with tomato. Her cooking skills were clearly average; parts of it were scorched.

With a stern face, she said, "Call him Brother-in-law."

"I won’t." Ruan Lan turned her head away, sulking. "I’m going back to the university."

"I’ve already made one dish. At least eat before you go," Ruan Tang said with a frown. After finishing work and picking up Yiyi, she had found her sister, Ruan Lan, lingering at the community entrance. She’d hurried her inside and personally started cooking.

Ruan Lan stared at the bowl of scrambled eggs and tomato, then mumbled after a long pause, "Sister, why don’t we go out to eat instead?"

"Are you saying my cooking tastes bad?" Ruan Tang asked, half-annoyed and half-amused.

"No, no, no," Ruan Lan said cautiously. "It doesn’t matter if it tastes bad or if it’s burnt. I’m just afraid you’ll blow up the kitchen again like last time..."

Xu Lai glanced over, his look full of meaning.

"That was an accident!" Ruan Tang’s face darkened. "Xu Lai, what are you standing there for? Get in here and cook!"