Chapter 67: A Loose Tongue

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: A Loose Tongue

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was Friday.

Over the past few days, in addition to performing Mrs. Xia’s scar removal surgery as the lead surgeon, Yan Feifan had also assisted Wang Chuan in a joint operation.

The operation gave Yan Feifan a firsthand experience of the drawbacks of multi-department collaborations.

The patient was a sixteen-year-old youth with a hemangioma weighing nearly a pound on the middle of his left cheek.

First, doctors from vascular surgery removed the hemangioma.

After they finished the removal, Yan Feifan and Wang Chuan took their place at the operating table.

He could clearly see the lips and muscles around Mr. Wang’s mouth twitching several times beneath his surgical mask.

’The director must be silently cursing them out,’ Yan Feifan guessed.

The vascular surgeons had been brutal.

They had completely removed half of the patient’s upper lip and his left nostril wing, and the incision was a complete mess.

It was no exaggeration to say they had left a total wreck.

Under these circumstances, even with Wang Chuan’s incredible plastic surgery skills, the final result was still hard to look at.

In the end, Wang Chuan said helplessly that they would just have to wait a few months for the patient to recover before performing a second reconstructive surgery.

At six o’clock on Friday evening, Yan Feifan was leaving the diagnostic hall, planning to grab dinner by himself, when he was surprised to see Zhao Dongsheng, Qiou Junfeng, and Lin Qian walking up to him.

Zhao Dongsheng said with a cheerful laugh, "Feifan, we’ve been saying we should get together, but we could never find the right time."

"There’s no time like the present. Since all three of you won the youth research grant today, let’s all go out for a celebratory dinner."

Qiou Junfeng stepped forward, gave Yan Feifan a bear hug, and laughed, "Lin Qian and I only got two hundred thousand, but you, Feifan, got a whole million."

"This fancy dinner is on you!"

’I won’t see a single cent of that million,’ Yan Feifan couldn’t help but laugh bitterly to himself.

He struggled out of Qiou Junfeng’s embrace, took two steps back, and announced magnanimously, "Alright, my treat!"

"Let’s go. We’re heading to Cafeteria One!"

Qiou Junfeng shouted, "Feifan, how does the cafeteria count as a fancy dinner? You’re being way too cheap!"

Yan Feifan made an excuse, "We only have about half an hour for dinner. That’s not enough time to go out."

Zhao Dongsheng cut in, "Alright, this one’s on me. It’s to celebrate for the three of you."

"We’ll just go to the Lotus Fragrance Restaurant."

"Dinner won’t take more than an hour and a half at most."

"Feifan, that should be okay, right?"

Yan Feifan was part of the Emergency Department’s external staff, so there were no strict requirements for his working hours. He usually managed his own time.

He nodded.

Seeing this, Zhao Dongsheng waved his hand. "Let’s head out."

He then pretended to complain, "All three of you got funding from the hospital, but in the end, it’s me—the guy who got nothing—who’s paying for dinner."

Lin Qian chuckled. "It’s research funding, not a living stipend. And you earn the most out of all of us..."

The four of them walked out of the hospital’s south gate, talking and laughing.

Just then, Yan Feifan heard a clear, cheerful voice calling out, "Mr. Yan... Mr. Yan..."

He followed the voice and saw the girl, Tian Yu, jogging over with a bounce in her step, a backpack slung over her shoulders.

This time, Tian Yu was not wearing a school uniform.

She was dressed in sneakers, jeans, and a blue sweatshirt. That, combined with her constantly bouncing ponytail, made her radiate youthful energy.

"Mr. Yan, I didn’t get lost this time! Pretty cool, huh?"

Looking at the smug little girl in front of him, Yan Feifan replied dismissively, "It’s fine, I guess."

He then introduced her to Zhao Dongsheng and the others. "This is my neighbor’s little sister, Tian Yu. She came over to hang out after school."

Zhao Dongsheng let out a soft "Oh," and said with a gentle smile, "Tian Yu, we’re just on our way to dinner."

"Why don’t you join us?"

Tian Yu looked at Yan Feifan and asked, "Can I?"

Yan Feifan could only nod.

A delighted Tian Yu moved to Yan Feifan’s left side and grabbed his sleeve...

About ten minutes later, the group arrived at the Lotus Fragrance Restaurant.

Since it was a last-minute decision, all the private rooms were already taken, so they had to settle for a table in the main dining hall.

After they ordered, Zhao Dongsheng looked at Yan Feifan and said with a smile, "A few of the young guys in our department are always running over to the emergency hall now, trying to cozy up to Yu Suye."

"You’re not tempted at all, Feifan?"

Yan Feifan shot back, "Why should I be?"

Zhao Dongsheng laughed. "Leave it to you to see things so clearly, Feifan."

"Think about it. Yu Suye is the little princess of the Yu Family. Her family background, looks, and talent are all extraordinary. She’s not someone just anyone can be worthy of."

"Those guys are just full of themselves."

At this, Zhao Dongsheng turned serious and advised, "Feifan, Junfeng, Lin Qian, take my advice: when you’re looking for a partner, never date another doctor."

"Take it from someone who’s been there. I’m a walking cautionary tale."

"Although we’re in the same hospital, it feels almost like a long-distance relationship. When we get home, we’re so tired we just collapse into bed."

"In a month, there are only one or two days we can actually spend quality time together like a real married couple."

He sighed again. "In our current situation, we don’t even dare to think about having kids. Who would take care of them?"

They were all young doctors, so busy they left before sunrise and came home after sunset. They knew Zhao Dongsheng was telling the truth.

Qiou Junfeng said with a worried look, "My family is nagging me every day to find a girlfriend, but I don’t even have time to date right now."

Lin Qian sighed softly. "You guys have it better. After a few tough years, once you become an associate chief physician, it gets much easier."

"For us women, by the time we make associate chief, we’ll be forty or so. At that point, it might be difficult to even have kids."

Lin Qian was full of anxiety, sighing, "If I get married and have kids now, it’ll be hard to make any real professional achievements with the demands of family and children."

Seeing the mood turn somber, Zhao Dongsheng quickly said, "My bad, my bad. I shouldn’t have brought up such a heavy topic."

"You three were chosen from hundreds of applicants. Your futures are limitless. We should be celebrating!"

Lin Qian’s tone brightened a bit. "I’ve decided to freeze some of my eggs and focus on my career for now."

"As for the rest, I’ll leave it to fate."

"Besides, you can live a wonderful life on your own, too."

Qiou Junfeng also said loudly, "Right, I’ll also focus on my career for the next few years. Once I’m promoted to associate chief, I’ll have both fame and fortune."

"By then..."

He turned to look at Tian Yu and said with a meaningful smile, "Still, Feifan is the one with the long-term plan. He’s already made his arrangements in advance."

"With your ability, Feifan, you could be promoted to associate chief in seven or eight years, maybe even less."

"By then, little sister Tian Yu will have graduated from college..."

Hearing this, Yan Feifan finally understood his meaning.

He said, his voice laced with annoyance, "Qiou Junfeng, don’t talk nonsense. Tian Yu is like a sister to me."

But Qiou Junfeng just chuckled slyly. "Feifan, look, little sister Tian Yu is blushing..."

Zhao Dongsheng couldn’t stand it anymore and chided him, "Qiou Junfeng, watch your mouth in front of a minor."

Qiou Junfeng realized he had gone too far and quickly apologized. "Sorry, sorry, I misspoke."

"I always run my mouth without thinking. I deserve a slap, I really do!"

"Tian Yu, just pretend I’m drunk."

Face flushed red, Tian Yu glanced at Yan Feifan beside her and said, "It’s okay, Mr. Qiou."

"I know a lot about this stuff, actually."

"In my class, there are four couples dating..."

Suddenly, Tian Yu pointed toward the kitchen. "Mr. Yan, look! That waiter is really drunk..."

Yan Feifan followed the direction of Tian Yu’s finger and looked over...

He saw a young man in a waiter’s uniform stumbling and swaying, looking as if he might collapse at any moment.

The problem was that he was carrying a tray with a clay pot on it, which was sizzling and letting off steam...

And he was surrounded by tables full of customers...