After settling matters, Liu Banxia slipped into the break room and called Xu Chengjun.

"Dr. Liu, do you have the results?" Xu Chengjun asked as soon as the call connected.

"Chief Director Xu, thank you so much. I've been suspended for fifteen days, but it won't go on my record. It's just like a vacation," Liu Banxia quickly replied.

"There's no need to be so formal with me. We found the patient, and I was the one who invited you. I already feel quite bad that this happened," Xu Chengjun said.

"Chief Director Xu, will this incident have a significant impact on your end?" Liu Banxia asked cautiously.

"It's manageable," Xu Chengjun said with a laugh. "There will be some impact, but it's not a major issue. Don't worry about it. Just enjoy your vacation. Otherwise, with your workload, it's incredibly difficult to find time to rest."

"Alright, Chief Director Xu, I won't disturb you any longer then. Once I get my things sorted out here, I'll treat you to drinks. It seems I finally have a real opportunity to drink without any worries," Liu Banxia said.

"Okay, let's leave it at that for now." Xu Chengjun then hung up.

Liu Banxia was genuinely grateful to Xu Chengjun. He knew the situation wasn't as simple as Xu Chengjun portrayed it; Xu Chengjun was likely just trying to spare him any worry.

The reason was clear: the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. If this matter had been exposed, it would have to be dealt with according to the rules. That's an indisputable fact, and no one can escape it.

This was a significant favor, one that would be difficult to repay immediately. He decided to set it aside for now and address it later.

He then became the most idle person in the emergency center, waiting for Qiaoqiao to pick him up and for Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa to finish their shifts. They had already planned to go for a long soak in a hot bath that evening. Now that Liu Banxia was unexpectedly free, they had no choice but to include him.

While he was waiting, Liu Banxia received a text from Qiaoqiao: "Come out."

Idle as he was, Liu Banxia texted back: "You come in."

A full three minutes passed before Qiaoqiao replied with an angry emoji.

"When your shift ends in a bit, meet us in the parking lot," Liu Banxia said, waving to Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa.

Liang Xiaolin smiled and nodded, at the same time pulling back Qing Kewa, who was trying to sneak outside to see what was happening.

Outside, Qiaoqiao's car was quite conspicuous. As he approached, Liu Banxia saw Qiaoqiao sitting in the passenger seat, her expression stern.

"Not bad, huh? I got a fifteen-day vacation, so I can spend a few good days with you," Liu Banxia said after getting into the car.

"How did you get so much time off?" Qiaoqiao asked curiously.

"I was penalized for that 'freelance surgery' incident. Suspended for fifteen days, which is perfect for a break," Liu Banxia said with a laugh. "I guess they found out we're dating and decided to give us some time to nurture our relationship."

Qiaoqiao had been a little angry and was planning to stand up for him. But after hearing his last comment, all her indignation vanished, and she quickly turned her head away.

"You went and foolishly texted Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa, so now they both know, right?" Liu Banxia added.

"Well, that's because I didn't understand you well enough yet," Qiaoqiao muttered.

Liu Banxia scratched his head. This side of Qiaoqiao was certainly a rare sight. Then again, he didn't exactly have a wealth of experience in handling girlfriends.

"Don't feel any pressure. Just be your usual self," Liu Banxia said. "By the way, have you told Yanzi and the others about us?"

"I didn't bring it up. They asked me," Qiaoqiao said, looking quite serious.

"Well, that can't be helped then. It's not your fault; it's theirs," Liu Banxia replied, matching her serious tone.

This made Qiaoqiao incredibly mad; she knew he was teasing her. Without a second thought, she swung her fist and landed a punch on him. After throwing that punch, Qiaoqiao felt a great sense of relief.

"Feel better now?" Liu Banxia said with a laugh. "That's how it should be, really."

Qiaoqiao wrinkled her nose, but her smile was radiant.

She was starting to relax a little. After all, she didn't yet have a solid grasp on what it meant to be a 'girlfriend.' It seemed quite different from how it was portrayed on TV.

After a little more waiting, Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa came running out of the emergency center, hand in hand.

"Alright, comrades, where are we off to next?" Liu Banxia asked with a broad smile once the two had settled into the car.

"Well, we can't really say. It depends on how a certain someone behaves," Liang Xiaolin said, giving Liu Banxia a pointed look.

"Weren't we supposed to go for a bath?" Qing Kewa asked curiously.

Liang Xiaolin shot her a helpless glance. Qing Kewa was so straightforward; she hadn't caught the underlying meaning at all.

"Then let's head to Langtaosha. They have food there too. We can eat and then hit the baths. Are you planning to go back to your own places tonight, or would you like to come hang out at Linyu Villa?" Liu Banxia asked casually after starting the car.

"Oh, would that be alright? Wouldn't we be disturbing your rest?" Liang Xiaolin chimed in.

"No, no, it's fine! We sleep in separate rooms. He sleeps with Tang Dou!" Qiaoqiao, flustered, quickly explained, eager to prove her propriety.

Liu Banxia gave Qiaoqiao an amused look, which only made her more flustered.

"Dr. Liu, is it really just a suspension and that's it?" Liang Xiaolin asked.

Liu Banxia nodded. "Yes, just a suspension, and it won't go on my record."

"Ah, but it still has consequences. You definitely won't be selected as one of the 'Ten Outstanding Youths' now," Liang Xiaolin sighed.

"That doesn't really matter. To be honest, I wasn't particularly concerned about that anyway," Liu Banxia said. "I only got the chance for that nomination through a series of coincidences. These things genuinely don't mean much to me. I always felt the hospital was elevating me a bit too much."

"I don't understand those people," Liang Xiaolin said. "Just for a bit of money, or to cause trouble... It's like they think they'll never need to go to a hospital themselves."

"I saw some comments saying that even though the 'flying doctor' fees aren't transparent, it's ultimately beneficial for patients. Some patients needing transfer can only use ambulances, and how much does one of those trips cost? It's more expensive than chartering a vehicle."

"There are pros and cons to everything, I suppose. In any case, I think this matter is settled for now," Liu Banxia said.

"Although the director didn't explicitly state it today, we can infer the future policy from how things will be regulated," Liu Banxia continued. "Essentially, they'll revert to the original procedures. Consultations will require a formal request from the other hospital. That hospital will then transfer the consultation fee to our hospital, and our hospital will distribute it to the doctors according to the allocation standards."

"So, the 'flying doctor' route is basically dead. Saving lives is a noble ideal, but it's still just an ideal. If you can't even make a decent living, who has the energy to run around doing that?"

"With that kind of time, you could perform an extra surgery at our own hospital and earn just as much, if not more. And you wouldn't have to deal with all the travel and hassle. It's truly a thankless endeavor."

"Heh, you said you weren't bothered, but you still sound pretty bitter about it," Liang Xiaolin said with a laugh.

"I'm no saint. Those freelance consultations could earn me at least an extra 20,000 yuan a month. Even if it were less, say just over 10,000, that's still something, right?" Liu Banxia said.

"With this development, it will definitely accelerate the drain of doctors from public hospitals to private ones. Especially those corporate-run private hospital groups—they'll become even more attractive now."

"The workload there is generally lighter, and you can earn more per surgery. Once they join a hospital group, they often face fewer restrictions practicing at the group's affiliated medical facilities. It makes the choice much easier."

"Oh, wow, that's a really good point," Liang Xiaolin said, somewhat taken aback.

She recalled how the Second Affiliated Hospital had a major crisis not long ago, nearly crippling it. This time, however, it wasn't just an issue for one hospital; it could affect the entire healthcare system.

"Anyway, let's not dwell on it too much for now. Whatever happens, happens," Liu Banxia said.

"It's good that things are clear now; it saves potential trouble down the line. I consider myself quite lucky. Chief Director Xu shouldered all the pressure for me. Otherwise, I would have been in a terrible mess."

"I really do feel fortunate. If this had happened somewhere else, I might not have recovered from it. You guys, on the other hand, are out of luck. You never even got to experience the perks of being a 'flying doctor' before it was shut down."

"Sigh... listening to you all, being a doctor sounds really unappealing," Qiaoqiao chimed in.

"Isn't that the truth?" Liu Banxia said. "Being a doctor is often a thankless job. Plus, I can't be with you every day like other guys can. Especially this year and next, I'm the chief resident, which means I need to be on call practically 24/7."

"Hmph, if I don't see you, I won't miss you!" Qiaoqiao retorted quickly, then glanced nervously at Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa in the rearview mirror.

This greatly amused the two girls. Even if Qing Kewa didn't fully grasp all the nuances of the language, she could still clearly see Qiaoqiao's shy and flustered expression.

"If you two get married in the future, will you have to buy another apartment in the city? Otherwise, the commute to work will be over an hour each way," Liang Xiaolin asked with a cheerful smile.

"That might be an option. The traffic in the city is often pretty bad," Qiaoqiao chimed in.

But as soon as she said it, she felt a pang of regret. Isn't it way too early to be thinking about this? They've only been officially dating for a couple of days! How could they already be on the topic of marriage?

The usual Qiaoqiao was incredibly bold and assertive. But the current Qiaoqiao? Her 'combat effectiveness' had plummeted. She got shy easily and increasingly felt like her brain couldn't keep up, often blurting things out without thinking.

Liang Xiaolin and Qing Kewa didn't find it odd at all; they genuinely liked Qiaoqiao's personality. She was straightforward and generous. With Qiaoqiao, you never had to worry about her speaking ill of you behind your back. If Qiaoqiao didn't like someone, she wouldn't even bother to give them a sideways glance. Putting on a polite facade? She disdained such things, always preferring to be direct and honest.

However, Liang Xiaolin was still extremely curious about how Liu Banxia and Qiaoqiao had ended up together. But neither of them was willing to reveal the true story.

It was a little embarrassing, wasn't it?