Sent to the countryside, I turned the health center into a top-tier hospital.

Under the witness of Director Zhou, both parties signed a mediation agreement.

In front of everyone, Zheng Chenggong transferred 100,000 yuan to Xu Feng via mobile banking.

It's not a QR code scan, it's a bank transfer, there's a record, there's proof, the kind you can't deny.

The moment the transfer was successful, Xu Feng's phone vibrated. He looked down at the number on the screen and gently swiped his finger across it, as if counting the zeros.

When Zheng Kai was brought out of the interrogation room, his hair was messy, his mouth was turned down, and there were red marks from the handcuffs on his wrists.

He glanced at Sun Xiaoyan, his eyes still holding a thorn, but he didn't dare say anything more.

Zheng Chenggong pulled him to his side and pushed him out of the police station. The black Mercedes-Benz GLC started up, its taillights flashed twice in the night, and it quickly turned the corner and disappeared.

After leaving the police station, Sun Xiaoyan and Xu Feng walked beside Chen Ping, the two of them huddled together, not saying a word the whole way, only looking down at their phones.

Xu Feng held the phone screen up to Sun Xiaoyan, who then took it back to look at it herself. The two of them poked around on the screen, counting the number over and over again.

The moonlight shone on their faces, making their eyes shine incredibly bright.

"Dr. Chen, I'll transfer you 20,000 yuan."

Xu Feng suddenly stopped and looked up at Chen Ping, whose face was still covered with a dressing.

His tone was very serious, almost naively so, "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have gotten a single penny. We shouldn't be the ones taking all of this money."

Sun Xiaoyan nodded vigorously beside her, "Yes, if it weren't for Dr. Chen, we wouldn't have gotten the money, and we might have even been swindled out of it."

Chen Ping waved his hand, not stopping, his voice soft but firm, "Save the money. You two have a long life ahead of you. Wedding, renting an apartment, raising children—all of that costs money."

"This 100,000 yuan isn't a small amount, but it's not a huge amount either. It's just a starting capital. Use it wisely and don't squander it."

Xu Feng wanted to say something, but Sun Xiaoyan tugged at his sleeve and gently shook her head at him.

The two of them didn't insist any further, but Sun Xiaoyan turned her head and glanced at Chen Ping, a glance that held a lot of meaning.

Gratitude is just one layer; beneath it lies a sense of security and belonging.

When he arrived at the entrance of the health center, Xu Feng stood under the streetlight, unsure whether to go in or leave.

Sun Xiaoyan stood beside him, head down, her fingers twisting twice on the hem of her clothes. Then she looked up at Chen Ping, her face flushed, her voice so soft it was almost carried away by the wind.

"Dr. Chen, I'm not going back to the dormitory tonight... I want to keep Xu Feng company."

It's always a bit awkward for a young woman to say such things.

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head, her ears turning bright red.

Chen Ping glanced at her, then at Xu Feng, and remained silent for two seconds.

He wasn't unaware of what was being said.

My boyfriend rode his bike all the way here. After such a big incident, he wanted to stay a little longer and talk to me quietly. There's nothing wrong with that.

As for what they will do after they finish speaking, that's their own business.

"Go."

Chen Ping took out his key from his pocket, unlocked the gate of the health center, and pushed the iron gate open. "Be careful. Don't be late for work tomorrow."

He paused, then glanced at Xu Feng again. "You have stitches in your head, so don't get it wet today. Come back tomorrow before you leave to have your dressing changed; I'll have Zhou Jie prepare it for you."

Xu Feng nodded vigorously, pushed his bicycle out of the yard, and Sun Xiaoyan walked beside him. The two of them slowly walked away along the streets of Siping Township.

The streetlights cast long shadows of them, the two shadows close together, swaying gently.

Chen Ping stood at the door, watching them walk away.

The streets were dark, with only the occasional bark of a dog coming from afar.

He pulled the gate shut, pushed the bolt all the way in, and turned to walk towards the backyard.

The moonlight made the poplar trees in the yard appear white, and the leaves rustled in the wind.

In today's society, it seems like it's a matter of course for boyfriends and girlfriends to live and sleep together.

It seems abnormal to make friends but not live together.

Your roommate will ask you questions, your family will subtly inquire, and even the couple's daily life posts on social media exude an air of entitlement that "we're already living together."

On short video platforms, there are endless videos of "couples' daily life," "breakfast with my boyfriend," and "our little nest," making cohabitation a standard practice. After breaking up, people simply create a new account and continue filming, or move to a different city to continue living together.

After a few years, when she's had enough fun and made a ruckus, she'll marry an honest man, and nobody will know that she slept with someone for several years. After all, there's no marriage certificate, so no one can find out.

What's the difference between this and a second marriage?

Thinking of this, Chen Ping shook his head.

When it comes to social trends, it seems that only I am still clinging to those old rules.

As a divorced man, he shouldn't have the right to criticize others, but he just couldn't get over that hurdle in his heart.

He can accept a divorced woman, but he can't accept a woman who gave herself away before marriage and lived with her so-called boyfriend for several years.

It's hard to say whether this is a bottom line or stubbornness, but it's just there, like a reef that's exposed when the water recedes.

When Chen Ping walked to the backyard, he found two chairs set up at the entrance of Cui Ying's dormitory. Cui Ying, wearing her loose home coat, was sitting on one of the chairs, Zhou Jie was sitting on the other, and Zhou Xiaohe was dozing off with her head nodding on Cui Ying's knees.

The three girls were probably waiting for him to return; the moonlight shone on their faces, cool and refreshing.

When Cui Ying saw him walk in, she straightened up, still holding Zhou Xiaohe's head with one hand to prevent it from slipping down, and asked in a low voice, "How are you?"

Chen Ping moved a chair and sat down opposite them, then briefly explained what had happened at the police station.

County Chief Fang made a phone call, but Director Wang's invitation was turned down. Zheng Kai was detained for a while longer, and in the end, his parents backed down and paid 100,000 yuan to settle the matter privately.

He spoke calmly, as if he were reporting a medical record.

Cui Ying nodded after listening. The moonlight shone on her profile, making her expression indistinct, but her tone indicated agreement.

"100,000 yuan is reasonable. Xu Feng and Xiao Yan have had a tough time, and this amount of money is quite a lot for them. It can be considered as giving them some initial capital."

Zhou Jie's focus was clearly not on the money.

She glanced towards the courtyard gate but didn't see Sun Xiaoyan. Her brows furrowed immediately. "Dr. Chen, why didn't Xiaoyan come back with you?"

"She's with Xu Feng; they're staying out tonight."

Zhou Jie's expression changed instantly.

It wasn't anger, but helplessness and disappointment. Her lips were downturned. "I've told her more than once. Xu Feng is a good person, and he's completely devoted to her, but there are still some bottom lines we need to uphold. There's no guarantee of a relationship if we get married and registered before we're together. But she just won't listen."

"If Xu Feng really becomes successful one day, and then changes his mind and abandons Xiao Yan, what will happen to Xiao Yan? How will she face her husband when she finds another boyfriend and gets married?"