CHAPTER 324: ABNORMAL QIAOQIAO 324

To Liu Banxia and the others, it seemed the female driver today had experienced a blessing in disguise. There were no issues with her at all; instead, her spinal artery malformation had been diagnosed.

Normally, the next step would be to conduct preoperative examinations and then perform the surgery. However, the patient didn’t think so; if she was fine now, she believed she would continue to be fine.

Upon hearing this news from Zhang Xiao and Qi Wentai, Liu Banxia was stunned for a moment.

"As I understand it, unless you two didn’t explain it clearly, how could a normal patient think this way?" Liu Banxia asked with a wry smile.

"I even thought I’d forgotten something and hadn’t articulated the severity of the problem clearly. But even when we carefully explained it again, she still disagreed," Zhang Xiao said with a wry smile.

"And the patient refuses to contact her family. Initially, we planned to try and persuade her through her parents, but she vehemently rejected the idea and is currently quite upset."

"What’s going on? I’ll go take a look. Is she in the ward with her brother?" Liu Banxia pinched the bridge of his nose.

Zhang Xiao nodded. "She’s quite agitated. You’ll see when you get there."

Upon arriving at the surgical ward, Liu Banxia saw the young woman sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a phone.

"Hello," Liu Banxia said.

"Are you also here to persuade me to have surgery? I’m not in the mood for it right now. Let’s talk about it later," the young woman said, glancing at him.

"That’s part of the reason, but I also wanted to see how you’re doing. It’s quite fortunate that you only sustained minor abrasions in such a car accident. Furthermore, your decision differs somewhat from what most people would choose. Is there something you’re concerned about?" Liu Banxia asked.

"No, I just don’t want to do it now. It’s too risky, and I might suffer complications," the young woman said.

"Those two doctors already told me about the possible outcomes: bleeding, numbness, paralysis of the lower limbs. I don’t want to do it now, nor in the near future. Can I just stay here for a while?"

"Certainly, we must respect the patient’s personal wishes. However, contacting your family is also something we need to do," Liu Banxia nodded.

"Aren’t you just afraid you won’t get paid? I’ll go withdraw money in a bit and pay the medical fees. The insurance company has also contacted me; they need to follow their procedures," the young woman said.

"It’s not about that. It’s about your brother. Although you’re his sister, you’re not his primary guardian, so we need to contact your parents," Liu Banxia stated.

"A long bone fracture can also lead to many complications. Therefore, we need to monitor his condition closely and, naturally, obtain the relevant authorization from your parents."

Hearing Liu Banxia’s words, the young woman fell silent. She lowered her head, staring intently at her phone.

"Is there something on your mind? You can tell us, and we can help you think it through," Liu Banxia suggested after a moment of silence.

"Can’t I, as his sister, make the decision?" the young woman glanced at him.

"It’s not a matter of whether you can or not. With such a severe fracture, we have to inform them. It’s not like a scratch where applying some ointment means there are no further consequences," Liu Banxia said.

Silence fell once more in the hospital room.

"Okay, I’ll contact them now," the young woman said in a subdued voice.

Liu Banxia nodded and led Zhang Xiao and Qi Wentai out of the ward.

"I can tell. Is she worried about being blamed by her parents?" Zhang Xiao asked.

"That’s probably it. When her parents arrive, you two talk to them. Once they’ve calmed down, the surgery still needs to happen," Liu Banxia said.

"It’s my fault too. I was only focused on the surgery and didn’t consider this aspect," Zhang Xiao nodded.

"What’s the big deal? This is perfectly normal. The girl is still young and probably hasn’t fully recovered from the shock of the accident yet," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

Indeed, it was a minor issue. One can’t possibly think of everything. Zhang Xiao and Qi Wentai must have become anxious when they heard the patient refuse surgery.

Actually, even if he were the attending surgeon, he would also feel anxious hearing a patient say that. As a bystander earlier, he could see things a bit more clearly.

He didn’t dwell on the matter. The young woman would need some time to figure out how to explain things to her parents. Then, her parents would have to drop whatever they were doing and rush to the hospital.

For the rest of his shift, Liu Banxia waited to get off work. He also reminded Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa that since he would be away the next day, the two of them would have to keep an eye on Shi Lei.

Qiaoqiao arrived early, bringing Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa a lot of snacks. True to her style, she came with two large bags filled with all sorts of treats.

Whether they liked the snacks or not was their concern; anyway, it was her kind thought, and she had brought them over.

"I’m on duty today, otherwise I would join you guys for barbecue and a bath," Qing Kewa said regretfully.

"That’s no problem. Whenever you’re off duty, just find me," Qiaoqiao said.

"You better not tempt her. She’s already showing the potential to become a foodie. Besides, I have to bring food back for them tomorrow, and taking it on the bus will be a hassle," Liu Banxia said.

"That restaurant’s iron plate dishes are indeed delicious, especially the Pork Belly and squid. By the way, where is Sister Li?" Qiaoqiao asked.

"She’s off today, and she’ll resume her regular work schedule starting tomorrow," Liu Banxia said casually.

It was just casual chit-chat, but Liu Banxia noticed a small problem. Qiaoqiao seemed a bit reluctant to talk to him, which left him somewhat confused. He hadn’t offended this big sister, so why did she suddenly have an attitude?

He couldn’t possibly figure this out. Qiaoqiao was, in fact, extremely flustered internally.

Finally, it was six o’clock, and Liu Banxia could leave work without any worries.

It was also thanks to the current situation at the emergency center—more staff and fewer patients—otherwise, he couldn’t have hoped to leave on time.

"You drive," Qiaoqiao suggested as they reached the parking lot.

"Alright. After all, I’m treating you tonight, even if the place is a bit modest," Liu Banxia nodded.

Once they were in the car, Qiaoqiao maintained a serious silence.

"What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well today?" Liu Banxia asked curiously.

"No. Just focus on driving," Qiaoqiao managed to say.

"Alright, you look pretty energetic, not like you’re sick at all," Liu Banxia casually commented.

Qiaoqiao gave herself a mental pep talk. Today, I just need to treat Liu Banxia like a normal person.

Since it was rush hour, the roads were slightly congested. Even taking the ring road expressway wasn’t very smooth. Now that people’s income levels had risen, there were truly a lot of cars on the road.

Following the navigation, they finally arrived at Wang Mingxing’s restaurant.

Unlike the last time when there were more people and the weather was good, making it perfect to sit outside, today it was just the two of them, so Wang Dashan had directly reserved a private room for them.

"I know you won’t take money, so I brought two bottles of wine for you to keep," Liu Banxia said, handing the wine to Wang Dashan after they entered the private room.

"Dr. Liu, you’re putting me on the spot! I can’t accept this. You and Qiaoqiao should drink it," Wang Dashan quickly replied.

"This is a return gift; you have to accept it. Next time I come to eat, just give me a 20% discount, and we’ll call it even. Otherwise, I’ll have to bring you wine every time, which is too troublesome," Liu Banxia said with a laugh.

Wang Dashan glanced at the wine. "Sigh, alright then. But don’t say anything about money today. If you mention it again, I’ll be too embarrassed to face you."

"That’s more like it. Your food is really good; Qiaoqiao specifically requested it. One leg of lamb, one grilled fish, two pork trotters, two skewers of chicken feet, and then add a platter of peanuts and edamame, and some cucumber with sesame paste. That should do it," Liu Banxia ordered.

"Alright, wait a moment. It will be ready soon," Wang Dashan responded.

"Are you sure you’re okay?" Liu Banxia asked Qiaoqiao after they sat down.

"I’m fine, I’m fine! What could possibly be wrong with me? Why do you keep hoping something’s wrong with me?" Qiaoqiao said, flustered.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Now this is the genuine Qiaoqiao. What was with the Qiaoqiao from just now? She looked downright scary."

Qiaoqiao glared at him and pulled out another bottle of Wuliangye Fifth from her bag.

"I can’t drink; I have several surgeries tomorrow," Liu Banxia quickly said.

"I’ll drink," Qiaoqiao glared at him.

Liu Banxia was even more puzzled. What on earth is wrong with Qiaoqiao today? Everything about her seems so off.

Liu Banxia was an honored guest at the restaurant, so the dishes for his table were served with top priority. It wasn’t just what he ordered; many complimentary dishes were also included.

This was also why Liu Banxia hadn’t ordered much earlier; he knew Wang Dashan would definitely send over extra dishes. If he ordered too much, even with his considerable appetite, there would be times he couldn’t manage it all.

"Qiaoqiao, thank you. My mom video-called me after she got home and told me I had to thank you properly. For the food and entertainment these past two days, you really put in a lot of effort," Liu Banxia said, personally pouring Qiaoqiao a glass of wine.

"Alright. You’re welcome," Qiaoqiao responded, then picked up her glass and downed the wine in one gulp.

"Why chug it like that? Have some food to line your stomach first. Did something upsetting happen?" Liu Banxia quickly asked.

"No, I just felt like drinking," Qiaoqiao said, then picked up some grilled leeks with her chopsticks.

Liu Banxia was at a loss for words. Just then, a waiter brought over the grilled chicken feet, and Liu Banxia immediately placed them in front of Qiaoqiao.

And Qiaoqiao? Without a second thought, she grabbed the entire skewer of chicken feet without even looking up.

"Hmm... you can wait for the next skewer. I’m hungry," Qiaoqiao said, perhaps also feeling that her actions were a bit odd.

"Looks like you’re really hungry. Eat more of the lamb leg when it’s ready," Liu Banxia said with a smile.

He figured it might be Qiaoqiao’s time of the month. Isn’t it said that women can be a bit erratic during this period? Anyway, it didn’t seem to affect her appetite, and that was good enough.

As long as he wasn’t the cause, it was fine. Otherwise, if his well-intentioned dinner invitation ended up making her angry, that wouldn’t be good at all.

Little did he know, the culprit behind Qiaoqiao’s abnormal behavior was none other than himself. Even though Qiaoqiao was usually quite bold, this wasn’t exactly the time for her to be so daring.

Perhaps it was due to the wine, but Qiaoqiao finally recovered some semblance of "normalcy." At the very least, her way of speaking wasn’t as harsh anymore.