Cao Binghe forced a bitter smile.

There were some things that were truly difficult to articulate.

To use an analogy from Wuxia novels, wherever there are people, there will be Jianghu—conflicts and rivalries.

Lan Changhua was untouchable by those big shots, and Chu Xuwei, as the Department Director, was also beyond their reach. But he himself was just a small fry.

Although he and Chu Xuwei had the same teacher, a twenty-year age gap separated them. What kind of bond could realistically exist?

Helping once was acceptable, twice was still manageable. But if he helped a third time, or a fourth, how would Chu Xuwei perceive him?

As for asking Lan Changhua for help, that was also an option. But Lan Changhua was already seventy; how many more times could he lend a hand?

Besides, he was a student, an assistant—someone meant to help Lan Changhua manage affairs, not someone for Lan Changhua to bail out.

To put it bluntly, if Lan Changhua felt he was a hopeless case, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to be replaced.

So, it’s best to just do my job diligently and find my own way out of difficulties. Unless it’s a life-and-death situation or something affecting core interests, I shouldn’t bother the guru.

Cao Binghe smiled bitterly again, deliberately avoiding Du Heng’s question.

Seeing Cao Binghe’s expression and demeanor, Du Heng understood.

How tiring it must be to live like this, he thought, and tactfully moved on from the topic.

Moreover, from then on, Du Heng avoided asking questions about personal relationships, trying to keep his interactions with Cao Binghe strictly professional.

Time flew, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. Du Heng, who only saw patients and worked at the outpatient service, had a remarkably easy time. Even those who harbored ill feelings towards Du Heng could find no pretext to cause him trouble.

Especially after the patient with the thyroid tumor began to breathe more easily and the widespread lipomas receded to the point where the patient met Du Heng’s criteria for discharge, everyone’s attitude towards Du Heng took a complete turn.

What is skill? This is skill.

What is ability? This is ability.

Ultimately, a doctor’s medical skills must speak for themselves.

Given Du Heng’s methods for treating cancer and his skill in timely medication adjustments, even if his detractors could turn the world upside down, they couldn’t dim the sunshine of his prospects.

Moreover, a day might come when they would need the help of this "village doctor," whom they had once disdained.

With the news spreading that Chu Xuwei had applied for the project, everyone became much more enthusiastic towards Du Heng. The tone in which they addressed him as Deputy Director also became significantly more sincere.

Doctor Gan Yanfang, in particular, was incredibly enthusiastic.

She offered to tidy up Du Heng’s dormitory, wash his clothes and bedding, and even invited him to her home.

However, Du Heng declined all these offers.

He currently had no interest in such things. Most importantly, Gan Yanfang was older than him, unmarried, and had no boyfriend. This made him keep his distance even more.

Currently, he just wanted to encounter more clinical cases to gain experience and to learn from Lan Changhua through meaningful exchanges.

But things didn’t go as planned. Lan Changhua’s recovery was exceptionally slow. Later, he was diagnosed with nephritis, and after a few days of bed rest in the hospital room, his arms and legs began to ache.

This made Du Heng slightly uneasy.

I came here for academic exchange and study, so why does it feel like I’m just here to see patients and clock in?

But he could understand. Lan Changhua was an old man; he was fine when he could move around, but once he was bedridden and inactive, various ailments would surface.

It wasn’t that his underlying health was poor, or that he had been pushing himself despite previous illnesses. It was simply a manifestation of the body’s functional decline in old age.

Understanding is one thing, but this working state isn’t what I need. I need progress and learning.

As for the ministry-level research project everyone was discussing, he wasn’t particularly interested.

This project was applied for under the names of Good Friend Hospital and Lan Changhua. Even though I’m the one actually doing the work, it feels like something’s not quite right.

Moreover, the provincial-level project applied for in his name at Jinzhou Province First Hospital had already been approved, and the funds had been allocated. Now, they were just waiting for Du Heng to return and produce something useful. Then they could use these results to apply for ministry-level or national-level projects.

Of course, the swift approval of the provincial-level project was mainly because Du Heng had already made significant achievements regarding stroke paralysis. The provincial authorities, seeing these results, readily granted their approval as a favor.

It was a matter of mutual advancement.

Or, as the saying goes, it was like Zhou Yu and Huang Gai—one willing to dish out the punishment and the other willing to take it.

Currently, being in the Capital doesn’t offer more advantages than Jinzhou. This was one point of Du Heng’s displeasure.

And another thing, if you’re applying for a project and want me to be the operator, shouldn’t you consult with me first? Just foisting it on me like this, isn’t that a bit disrespectful?

「Half a month had passed in the blink of an eye.」

Du Heng felt the urge to return, and an encounter today further reinforced this idea.

「The last patient in the outpatient clinic.」

Ms. Cheng, 35 years old, presented with pain below the right ribs for two months and a history of Hepatitis B "little three positive."

Dull pain in the right hypochondriac region, with no fixed location, accompanied by a dry mouth, a bitter taste, aversion to greasy food, normal bowel movements, and yellow urine.

Tongue: dark red. Pulse: string-like.

Diagnosis: Hypochondriac Pain.

Syndrome Differentiation: Liver Depression and Qi Stagnation.

Treatment Methods: Regulating liver qi.

Prescription: Bupleurum Liver-Coursing Powder (modified).

For Du Heng, this type of condition was not difficult, and he appeared relaxed.

However, just as he sent the patient off and was about to pack up and leave, Cao Binghe hesitated for a moment, then stopped him. "Doctor Du, how did you diagnose this patient with liver depression and qi stagnation?"

Du Heng, who had just stood up, slowly sat back down. Such scenes had occurred frequently of late, and he wouldn’t put on airs. As long as Cao Binghe asked, he would explain.

However, unlike his time at the Health Clinic with Wu Buwei, he wouldn’t proactively question Cao Binghe.

"This patient’s condition presents with very distinctive features," Du Heng explained. "Each symptom is an external manifestation. As long as you understand the characteristics of these manifestations, it’s very easy to identify her illness."

After sitting down, Du Heng moved closer to the computer and pointed to the disease record Cao Binghe had just written. "The patient has clear hypochondriac pain, primarily located in the liver and gallbladder. The nature of the pain is dull and migratory, which is characteristic of pain due to qi stagnation.

"Since we know the ailment is in the liver and gallbladder, the reason for her dry and bitter mouth also becomes clear. Prolonged liver depression leads to qi stagnation, which then transforms into fire. This fire, exacerbated by gallbladder heat steaming upwards, injures the body fluids. Consequently, it’s inevitable for her mouth to be dry and bitter.

"Dark yellow urine indicates exuberant heat consuming body fluids. An aversion to greasy food suggests a liver disorder affecting the stomach, leading to impaired stomach harmony and descent. A dark red tongue indicates qi stagnation and blood stasis.

"Synthesizing these signs and symptoms through deduction reveals the etiology of her condition."

However, Cao Binghe’s mind didn’t seem to be on this topic today. After Du Heng finished, he pointed to other notes and said, "Doctor Du, this patient mentioned a history of Hepatitis B ’little three positive.’ Shouldn’t we order a liver function test and an abdominal color doppler ultrasound?"

Du Heng paused for a moment, then thoughtfully asked Cao Binghe, "I’ve already completed the syndrome differentiation. Why should the patient undergo these tests?"

"Doctor Du, my thinking is this: since the patient has a history of Hepatitis B, we should check her liver function to see if she still carries the Hepatitis B virus. An abdominal color doppler ultrasound can determine if she has fatty liver, as fatty liver can also cause occult pain."

"Furthermore," Cao Binghe explained, "gallstones, cholecystitis, and other conditions can also cause an aversion to greasy food and yellow urine. So, I believe performing these tests is quite necessary."

After finishing, Cao Binghe glanced towards the consultation room door and lowered his voice. "Doctor Du, I think performing some basic tests wouldn’t hurt. It could help improve our diagnostic accuracy, don’t you agree?"

The corner of Du Heng’s eye twitched. So, that’s the real point of this conversation.

Du Heng exhaled softly and managed a smile. "Alright, Dr. Cao. I’ll try to be mindful next time. My apologies for putting you in a difficult position." 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Cao Binghe also quietly exhaled, relieved they had reached this unspoken understanding.

Although patients see doctors in different consultation rooms, they often chat amongst themselves afterwards.

Moreover, many patients who seek traditional Chinese medicine require follow-up appointments, sometimes even long-term outpatient care, so they tend to stay in contact.

The crux of the matter was Du Heng’s skill; these patients would inevitably compare notes.

Comparisons are odious, especially for doctors whose livelihoods depend on their abilities. Besides, a patient’s condition can’t be faked; their recovery progress is plain for all to see.

When that happened, patients would undoubtedly choose their doctor carefully.

Having patients switch to another doctor was a blow to one’s pride and professional standing.

Once things were settled, Du Heng casually took his leave, knowing he had likely offended others in the department.

Incidents like this had occurred several times over the past half-month, so Cao Binghe felt compelled to bring it up today.

Seeing Du Heng agree, Cao Binghe felt greatly relieved. Smiling, he walked out of the consultation room with Du Heng.

Du Heng reciprocated with a smile, though I feel a bit disgusted by this.

But still, the issue remained: this wasn’t his turf, and he was merely a guest. A guest should follow the host’s lead. However, as for whether he would actually order such tests in the future, Du Heng could only say, It depends on the circumstances.

And what those circumstances might be, I myself don’t even know.

Feeling put off, Du Heng decided not to go to the hospital that afternoon.

Du Xuejing was on vacation and due to return home in a few days. So, he decided to skip the hospital and spend the afternoon with her, buying some Capital specialties for his niece to take back.

My plan for this year is to stay here until after the New Year celebrations, probably returning home around the end of February.

As for why... well, I’m trying to avoid Du Ping. I’m afraid if he finds out what I’ve been up to, he’ll beat the crap out of me.