The female doctor frantically shook her head in denial. "No, no, I didn’t."

’I couldn’t admit I was treating him as a backup, not even if it killed me.’

The male doctor’s lips curled into a cold smile. "Since you didn’t, then why can’t you look at me? Why are you avoiding me? You don’t have to explain. I understand."

"What do you understand?" the female doctor said, flustered. "I’m just not comfortable with contact from men I don’t know well. Don’t get the wrong idea..."

"Misunderstand?" The male doctor raised an eyebrow. "If that other man were willing, you’d be dying to throw yourself at him, wouldn’t you?"

The female doctor was speechless.

’She did want to throw herself at him, but the look in that man’s eyes made it seem like he wanted to kill her!’

"So your silence is an admission. You put on such a high-and-mighty act in front of me, but it turns out you’re nothing special after all."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss. The female doctor struggled desperately, but he only held her tighter.

His grip was powerful, as if he wanted to melt her into his embrace.

It wasn’t until she tasted blood that her eyes flew open in shock.

He took the opportunity to deepen the kiss. The female doctor froze, at a complete loss, able to do nothing but let him have his way.

After what felt like an eternity, when they were both breathless, he finally, reluctantly, released her lips.

In a low, hoarse voice, he said, "I’ve liked you for a long time. If you don’t like me, you could have just told me why."

His simple words struck her like a bolt from the blue, and an inexplicable panic washed over her.

’What is he trying to do?’

A four-word phrase, sparked by his suggestion, echoed in her mind: ’I can tell him.’

’Tell him what?’

’Am I supposed to tell him that I don’t want to marry him because his family is poor?’

In that instant, it felt as if her world had stopped turning.

"Tell you... why I don’t like you?" she murmured in disbelief.

The man looked deeply into her eyes and said, "I know you look down on me because my family is poor. But since you never said it, I kept holding out hope.

I deluded myself into thinking you weren’t the type of person who scorns the poor and fawns over the rich. But in the end, my heart was wasted on the wrong person!

Heh. I guess a sincere heart isn’t worth much to you, is it?

I’ve pursued you for so many years. Let’s end it today. Getting to kiss you has made it all worthwhile. I’ll request a transfer from the hospital tomorrow.

I won’t get in your way anymore. Take care."

It was the first time the male doctor had ever said so much to her at one time. When he finished, he turned and walked away.

She watched his tall, imposing figure recede into the distance until he vanished completely.

The female doctor stood stunned for a long moment before she finally reacted, quickly chasing after him and shouting, "Wait! I genuinely liked you, too!"

But he was already too far away. Her words were snatched away by the cold wind, and there was no response.

No matter how fast she ran, she couldn’t match his pace. She chased him out of the hospital and for two blocks before finally collapsing onto the curb.

Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes filled with pain and indignation.

’You bastard! If anyone was going to do the breaking up, it should have been me! How dare you humiliate me and then dump me first?’

’I won’t let you get away with this!’

’This isn’t over between us!’

’I’ll have my dad tell every hospital to blacklist you. We’ll see how you manage then!’

What the female doctor didn’t know was that the moment the male doctor walked out of the hospital entrance, a black sedan that had been waiting for some time was already there to meet him.

While she was standing there, stomping her feet in frustration, he had already ducked into the car. The vehicle started moving slowly, then sped off, leaving a cloud of dust in its wake.

When the female doctor ran out in pursuit, she mistook the car for Han Jingshen’s and thus, spectacularly missed him.

The female doctor never would have dreamed that while she was being picky and choosy, the man was also putting her to the test.

If he had truly come from a humble background, he might have been intimidated enough by her to go back to her.

But this doctor had a car waiting for him at the entrance. His family background was clearly not to be trifled with. How could she possibly have any power over him?

Gu Jiaojiao was patiently analyzing the virus’s rate of transmission and the formula for a controlling medication with the experts.

Everyone’s stomachs were rumbling with hunger, but the experts, still not having had their fill of the discussion, were reluctant to leave.

Principal Shen could only say awkwardly, "Jiaojiao has classes tomorrow. Let’s call it a day."

"Yes, yes, of course," an elderly expert asked eagerly. "In the future, could we come to your school to find Jiaojiao?"

"Of course. As long as you have time, you’re all welcome to come see me," Gu Jiaojiao said, her eyes crinkling with a smile.

"Then let’s all go out for a meal," the hospital director invited warmly.

"An excellent idea!" the elderly expert agreed readily, assuming Gu Jiaojiao would be joining them.

That was why he agreed without a moment’s hesitation. Ordinarily, they would have declined such an invitation.

The city lights were already on by the time they all left the hospital. Gu Jiaojiao was startled to realize it was already dark. Her man was going to call, not be able to reach her, and then get into one of his moods.

"I’ll have to skip this time. My family is waiting for me," Gu Jiaojiao said, hastily bidding them farewell before driving home alone.

The experts were speechless.

’If they’d known she wasn’t going, they would have declined as well. But they had just accepted!’

As for Su Shuochi, the man on Gu Jiaojiao’s mind, he truly didn’t have time to call her that night.

He had hosted a sixty-table banquet in Shuanghe Village. After dinner, Han Jinghong and his group left with the town mayor.

He wasn’t idle, either. Along with Song Zijie, he personally tidied up the room, replacing all the original furniture and the bed.

Su Shuochi couldn’t stand sleeping in a bed someone else had used, so he had driven to town to buy a new one himself. That was why he had no time to call his wife.

Hu Meili watched him go in and out, her eyes filled with longing. She wanted to get closer and speak to him, but was always frightened away by his icy, dagger-like stare.

Su Ermei and her two daughters were also busy cleaning their rooms. Her husband, Hu Yungeng, was injured and couldn’t do any heavy lifting.

But he couldn’t sit still, so he busied himself with lighter tasks, bringing his two-year-old son along with him.

The villagers were also outside, carrying their own tables, chairs, and dinnerware home and cleaning up the courtyard.

Some of the village women even took the initiative to help clean Mr. Su and Su’s mother’s rooms, hoping to curry favor with the Su family.

The room Su Ermei and her husband had occupied in the Hu Family home had been taken over by Hu Laosan and his wife, who had only bothered to throw out the couple’s used quilt.

They had intended to keep everything else for themselves. Furious, Su Ermei dragged her parents along and stormed over to pick a fight with the Hu family.

She reverted to her feisty self from two years ago. "Don’t even think about keeping a single needle or thread of what’s mine. Bring our things to the Su family home yourselves, and I’ll forget about what happened these past two years."

"Eldest Daughter-in-law, we’re all family here. Why would we want your things?" Mr. Hu shouted. "Hu Er, Hu Laosan, take your wives and help her move her belongings!" His own son-in-law had been scared away by Su Ermei’s older brother; what else could they do?

The Hu Family’s wife didn’t dare utter a peep, feigning a headache to hide inside and avoid the confrontation.

Second Madam Hu glanced at the Third Miss of the Hu Family, only to see the young woman looking at Su Ermei with admiration.

This made Second Madam Hu’s eyes burn with anger, but she didn’t dare say a word and could only get back to work in silence.

’In her heart, however, she was cursing the Su family’s ancestors back eighteen generations...’