CHAPTER 142: 142 PERSISTENT QIAOQIAO EATING

Since Wang Huan had kept him company for so long today, Liu Banxia invited him to eat together in the cafeteria.

Although Wang Huan was already married, he rarely ate at home, spending most of his meal times grabbing a quick bite in the Second Hospital’s cafeteria. It couldn’t be helped; he never got home at a predictable time, so he couldn’t expect his family to wait for him.

"Brother Wang, working overtime for free again, huh?" Liu Banxia asked with a smile.

"It’s always the same. We all have to get used to it. It’s not just us junior doctors; even the directors can’t guarantee they’ll be home on time," Wang Huan replied.

"Sigh... I try not to think about it. I’ll just tough it out and get through this year first," Liu Banxia said.

"You’re just picking at your vegetables. Didn’t I get you chicken legs? Eat up. We’re doctors; this is physically demanding work. Have some more shrimp to build up that small frame of yours."

Liu Banxia then passed several large shrimp over to Liang Xiaolin.

Is he trying to fatten me up like a pig? Liang Xiaolin grumbled inwardly. He just dumped half the plate over. Doesn’t he know that eating too quickly is bad for digestion?

"Dr. Liang, although you could go directly to Cardiothoracic Surgery, I’d still recommend staying in the Emergency Department. It’s a great place to gain experience. No kidding, we’re all colleagues here," Wang Huan said with a friendly smile.

Liang Xiaolin nodded. "I’m actually leaning towards staying in the Emergency Department. To be honest, I don’t feel quite ready to perform surgeries independently yet."

"Then you should keep an eye on Liu Banxia. He’s highly skilled and bold," Wang Huan teased.

"I’m just average. There’s still a lot for me to learn," Liu Banxia replied with a modest smile.

Liang Xiaolin rolled her eyes. Although she was used to Liu Banxia by now, she still couldn’t fathom the depths of his thick skin.

The meal was quite pleasant. After returning to the Emergency Department, Liu Banxia called the oncology department. After receiving confirmation, he couldn’t help but sigh.

Based on the supplementary tests just done, lymphoma was almost certain. However, the final diagnosis, including whether it was benign or malignant and its specific subtype, would have to wait for the pathology report.

The current test results strongly indicated Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This was relatively good news, as the five-year survival rate is quite high.

"Why aren’t you bragging about it yet? Lymphoma is hard to detect and often overlooked," Liang Xiaolin asked curiously.

"What’s there to brag about? Such a cheerful person now has to endure the pain of chemotherapy," Liu Banxia replied with a bitter smile.

"It would be better if it were Stage I, but that’s incredibly difficult to catch. Lymphoid tissue is spread throughout the body and develops rapidly. If we had done more thorough checks when she first came in, perhaps we could have bought more time."

"Who could have guessed? She looked perfectly healthy back then. Go on, some pretty ladies are here for you. Don’t take too long; Qi Wentai is also on the night shift today," Liang Xiaolin said.

Liu Banxia gave her a helpless look. This girl was such a tease. He turned his head and saw Qiaoqiao, Wang Xiaoyan, and Jiaojiao walking over.

"Did the pathology results come out? Why are you only coming now?" Liu Banxia asked.

"We came this afternoon, but they said you were in surgery. Thank you so much; it really is melanoma," Wang Xiaoyan said.

DING! Special Mole mission completed.

Reward: 500 Experience Points, 400 Diagnostic Skill Proficiency Points.

"What’s the follow-up treatment? Don’t worry too much. As long as it’s properly managed after removal, it shouldn’t be a major issue." Seeing Jiaojiao’s dejected expression and red, swollen eyes, Liu Banxia offered some comfort.

"Ugh, men are the worst! They’re all trash!" Qiaoqiao cursed.

"Hey, Qiaoqiao, what did I do to you?" Liu Banxia asked, exasperated.

"Dr. Liu, don’t mind her; she’s not talking about you. It’s Jiaojiao’s boyfriend. She was going to tell him the good news, but as soon as he heard Jiaojiao had cancer, he got worried about it being hereditary if they had kids and broke up with her," Wang Xiaoyan explained with a bitter smile.

"Damn, that’s seriously low. Do people like that still exist? What an effing scumbag," Liu Banxia cursed as well.

Seriously? Dumping such a beautiful woman just like that? And here I am, single for years! It’s always feast or famine. This world is so unfair! he fumed internally.

"Your name is Jiaojiao, right? I actually think it’s a good thing. Better to get rid of a scumbag now, so a good man can come along. If you actually married a guy like that, you’d be in for a lot of suffering later on," Liu Banxia comforted her again.

"Thank you, Dr. Liu." Jiaojiao wiped away a tear.

"Alright, alright, don’t just stand here. Go sit over there for a while," Liu Banxia said.

"Don’t change the subject. The doctor over there said something about needing a lymph node biopsy. Is that still necessary? Hasn’t it all been removed already?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"According to standard procedure, it still needs to be done. It’s a more thorough approach," Liu Banxia replied.

"Even though the lesion has been removed, it’s impossible to tell visually if there’s been any lymph node metastasis. The only way is through a biopsy. But don’t worry, it’s just a supplementary examination, mainly for future peace of mind."

"Otherwise, why would they have removed it immediately upon discovery instead of doing a biopsy on the mole itself? It’s because they were concerned it might be malignant, and a biopsy could stimulate cell proliferation, accelerating tumor growth."

"As long as you cooperate with the treatment, there shouldn’t be any major problems. Modern medicine is so advanced; getting sick isn’t the scary part, discovering it late is. If you ask me, you should thank this mole. It helped you identify a scumbag."

"Have you scheduled the biopsy? No matter the illness, you have to face it with optimism. Otherwise, your worrying can turn a minor issue into a major one. Why are you staring at me like that?"

Towards the end of his explanation, Liu Banxia noticed Qiaoqiao giving him a strange look.

"Are you hitting on Jiaojiao? You can’t take advantage of someone when they’re vulnerable," Qiaoqiao said, feigning seriousness.

Liu Banxia almost choked from exasperation. "What on earth goes on in that head of yours? I was just trying to console her!"

"Why get angry? If it’s not true, it’s not true. So, when are we all going out to eat?" Qiaoqiao asked nonchalantly.

"My God," Wang Xiaoyan exclaimed, covering her eyes. This is so embarrassing.

"If you’re that eager, you can treat us in the hospital cafeteria when she comes for her biopsy. Otherwise, I really can’t promise a time. Why are you so fixated on this meal anyway?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"Hmm... that’s a very serious question. Well, should we get going now?" Qiaoqiao said, again feigning seriousness.

Wang Xiaoyan couldn’t help but be amused. It was the first time she’d seen Qiaoqiao so flustered. It was all because Qiaoqiao’s mind worked in such convoluted ways; Dr. Liu was genuinely just talking about a meal.

Watching the three girls laughing and joking as they walked away, Liu Banxia shook his head. That was quite a quick turnaround. Jiaojiao was heartbroken just moments ago, and now she was acting as if nothing had happened.

"TSK TSK. Looks like you’re quite the comforting big brother," Liang Xiaolin teased, sidling up to him.

"Get back to work and write up those patient charts," Liu Banxia said, glaring at her.

These girls are all so mischievous. They really need to be kept in line.