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

The warm light from the lamp in the room shone on Sun Xiaoyan's curled-up back.

She lay face down on the pillow, her shoulders still trembling slightly. Her sobs were a little quieter than before, but her eyes were swollen badly, and a large patch of water had soaked the edge of the pillow.

Cui Ying sat on the edge of the bed, one hand resting on her arm, without applying any force, just leaving it there, as if letting her know that someone was beside her.

Zhou Jie stood on the other side, holding a pack of tissues in her hand. She took one and handed it to Sun Xiaoyan, who took it, wiped her face, and then buried her face in the pillow.

Chen Ping sat in the chair without saying a word.

He knew that saying anything at this moment would be superfluous. What Sun Xiaoyan needed was someone to be there, not someone to explain the reasoning to her.

He sat leaning back in his chair, listening to Cui Ying and Zhou Jie take turns speaking, their voices very soft, as if afraid that a loud voice would break something.

Cui Ying patted her back, her voice gentle and soft: "Xiao Yan, you did the right thing. You can't give this kind of person a chance. If he does it once, he'll do it again. If you give in to his plight today, he'll do the same thing again tomorrow."

"You've already moved forward, so don't look back at those messes anymore. Muster up the courage to embrace your new life."

After Cui Ying finished speaking, she glanced at Chen Ping. Their eyes met, and Chen Ping quickly turned his head away.

These words seemed to be spoken to Chen Ping.

Zhou Jie nodded in agreement and added, "That's right. You did a good job scolding him when he was bothering you today. He should know that you're not someone to be trifled with."

"He made a mistake and now he wants to turn back? There's no such thing as a free lunch."

Sun Xiaoyan's crying gradually subsided, changing from intermittent sobs to occasional gasps.

She turned her head, revealing a swollen, red eye, her voice hoarse: "I'm just so angry, what right does he have... what does he take me for... wanting me and then throwing me away like that..."

Cui Ying gently patted her twice, "It's not your fault, it's his own fault for being so useless."

"He took 100,000 yuan and then he doesn't know who he is anymore. There's no use keeping this kind of person around; he'll only cause trouble in the future."

Chen Ping, sitting next to her, chimed in, "Xiao Yan, you don't need to be sad over someone like that. It's not worth it at all."

Just then, a muffled thud came from the courtyard, as if something had suddenly hit the ground.

Then Liu Mazi's voice exploded: "Who! Stop right there! You bastard, you dare to steal from the clinic!"

Then came the clattering of footsteps and the sound of something being tripped over. Liu Mazi cursed and swore, his voice urgent and rough, particularly jarring in the quiet night.

Chen Ping jumped up, strode to the door, glanced back at Cui Ying and the others, and said, "You stay inside, I'm going out to check on things."

After he finished speaking, he opened the door and went out, taking three steps at a time to cross the courtyard. By the moonlight, he saw Liu Mazi grabbing someone by the collar.

The man was pinned down by the flowerbed. His face was covered in dust, his hair was messy, and his clothes were stained with grass clippings and dirt. There were also several shoe prints on his back, which must have been from Liu Mazi kicking him.

When Liu Mazi saw Chen Ping arrive, he tightened his grip even more. "Dr. Chen, this guy climbed over the wall! I heard a noise while patrolling the backyard, and when I came over, I saw him sneaking along the wall in the dark, acting suspiciously. He's definitely not a good guy!"

The man struggled twice but couldn't break free. He raised his head and saw Chen Ping. His expression changed instantly, and he stammered, "Dr. Chen... Dr. Chen, it's me. I didn't come to steal anything... I just want to see Xiao Yan..."

Chen Ping took a few steps closer and, by the moonlight, could see the face clearly.

It was Xu Feng; the bruises and disheveled appearance on his face made him look flustered.

Hearing this, Liu Mazi became even angrier and pressed him down even further: "Damn it, you weren't stealing? You climbed over the wall into the clinic in the middle of the night, and you're telling me you weren't stealing? Do you believe I'll send you straight to the police station?"

Xu Feng's face was almost pressed to the ground, and his voice changed: "Dr. Chen, tell him to let go of me, I really didn't steal anything... He won't let me in through the gate."

"I called the door several times but no one answered. I had no choice but to climb over the wall... I just wanted to see Xiaoyan and say a few words to her..."

Chen Ping stood two steps away, his hands in his pockets, his face expressionless.

Liu Mazi glanced at Chen Ping, waiting for him to speak, and loosened his grip slightly, but not completely.

Just then, the dormitory door opened, and a series of hurried footsteps came from the other end of the corridor.

Sun Xiaoyan ran out, followed by Cui Ying and Zhou Jie.

Her hair was disheveled, her face was still wet with tears, and her eyes were swollen and red. She stood where the corridor lights and moonlight met, staring intently at Xu Feng, who was being pressed down by Liu Mazi against the flower bed.

When Xu Feng saw her, it was like seeing the last straw; his voice trembled with tears: "Xiao Yan! Xiao Yan, listen to me, I really know I was wrong!"

"I was out of my mind back then, I was a bastard, I'm not human! Give me a chance, I promise I'll treat you well from now on and never do anything like that again..."

Sun Xiaoyan didn't say anything, she just stood there watching him.

The light in her eyes when she looked at him used to shine, then turned gray, and now only a cold, thick, icy indifference remains.

Cui Ying stood silently beside her, while Zhou Jie stood on the other side, clenching her fists.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Xu Feng became even more anxious. He struggled to move forward, but Liu Mazi held him down. His voice rose another half octave: "Xiao Yan, I've been thinking about our old days every day. You were so good to me. I... I must have been out of my mind back then. I really want to change. Please give me a chance..."

Looking at Xu Feng's expression, Chen Ping sighed, "Xu Feng, you said you're here to get back together, so you should at least show some sincerity, right?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Feng nodded frantically, forcing a pleading smile: "Dr. Chen, please tell me, I'll do anything you say! I'd go through fire and water for Xiao Yan!"

Chen Ping looked at him, his tone as calm as if he were talking about something trivial: "There's no need to go through fire and water. The 100,000 yuan you took back then was something Xiao Yan got for you."

"If you're really sincere, take out this 100,000 yuan and let Xiaoyan keep it for you. That will prove you genuinely want to reconcile with her and live a good life together."

Xu Feng's face froze instantly.

"What? You're willing to go through fire and water, but not for money?" Chen Ping frowned.

"No!" Xu Feng shook his head. "Dr. Chen... I already paid that money..."

Standing behind, Cui Ying heard this and her face was full of disgust: "Spent your money? You spent it all on someone else, and now you're thinking about Xiao Yan? You wish!"

"How long has it been, and 100,000 yuan is gone already?" Chen Ping was somewhat incredulous.