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

Cui Ying flipped her phone over and placed it face down on her lap, but it vibrated again after less than two seconds, buzzing loudly and clearly in the quiet night.

Chen Ping turned his head to look at the phone she was clutching, then at her profile. "Whose call was that? Why didn't you answer?"

"They keep calling me, it's really annoying."

Cui Ying spoke casually, but her fingers curled slightly on her knee.

After she finished speaking, her phone vibrated for the third time. She simply pressed the hang-up button, then stood up, clutching the phone in her hand. "I'm sleepy. I'm going back to sleep now. You should get some rest too."

After saying that, he turned around and walked towards the dormitory, his pace a few seconds faster than usual.

Chen Ping sat on the stone bench without moving, watching her push open the dormitory door and go in. When the door closed, the latch clicked into the keyhole.

He should have gone back to his dorm by now, but for some reason, it was like he had a nail in his butt and he just sat there without moving.

About half a minute later, he heard faint voices coming from Cui Ying's dormitory.

Cui Ying's voice was very low, but some fragmented words could still be caught through the wall. Her tone was rather impatient, as if she were arguing with someone.

Chen Ping knew he shouldn't go over there, but his legs seemed to have a mind of their own. He stood up, trying to walk as quietly as possible, and walked to the door of Cui Ying's dormitory.

Warm yellow light shone through the window. He hesitated for two seconds, then, as if possessed, pressed his ear against the door.

The sounds inside became a little clearer, but still incomplete. All that could be heard was Cui Ying saying, "Don't say things like that anymore" and "We're over." She said a few more words, but they were drowned out by the sound of the wind outside the window.

Just as Chen Ping was about to move a little closer, a voice suddenly came from behind him: "Dr. Chen? What are you doing here?"

Chen Ping suddenly sat up and turned around. Zhou Jie was standing at the door of the dormitory next door, wearing pajamas, her hair loose, and carrying a trash bag in her hand. She must have come out to throw away the trash.

"Zhou Jie, you're still awake?" Chen Ping's face was full of embarrassment, and his expression was stiff.

"Dr. Chen, you...you weren't eavesdropping on Sister Cui Ying's phone call, were you?" Zhou Jie's eyes flashed with cunning.

Chen Ping's face flushed instantly, turning red from his neck to his ears. He didn't know what to do with his hands: "No... I was just passing by... I was just about to go back to my dorm..."

"Just passing by?"

Zhou Jie, carrying a trash bag, suppressed a smile, said, "Your way of passing by was quite unique; you practically pressed your ear against the door."

Chen Ping wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground. He quickly turned around and headed back to his dormitory. He almost tripped over the threshold when he pushed the door open, and the door slammed shut louder than usual.

He leaned against the door for two seconds, raised his hand to rub his face, let out a long breath, and cursed himself inwardly, "What kind of mess is this?"

Cui Ying's dormitory door opened at that moment, and she peeked out, just in time to see Zhou Jie still standing in the corridor with a look of amusement on her face.

"What's wrong?" Cui Ying asked, looking completely bewildered.

Zhou Jie gestured towards Chen Ping's dormitory with her lip, her voice low but full of laughter: "Sister Ying, I just came out to throw out the trash and saw Dr. Chen acting suspiciously outside your door, his ear pressed against the door, like he was eavesdropping on something. You'd better be careful, those men..."

She didn't say the second half of her sentence, but the expression on her face filled in the rest.

Cui Ying paused for a moment, then lowered her head and smiled, her lips curving upwards to a very high degree.

"It's alright, let him listen if he wants to. There's no secret involved," Cui Ying said with a smile. "You should go back to your room quickly. Don't wear your pajamas; you'll catch a cold."

After saying that, Cui Ying gently closed the door.

Lying in bed, Cui Ying's smile lingered. The fact that Chen Ping had eavesdropped on her phone call proved that he already cared about her a lot.

This is a good start, and the beginning of victory.

"Cui Ying, keep going..." Cui Ying encouraged herself silently, then covered herself with the blanket and fell asleep.

The next morning, Chen Ping packed his things.

A canvas bag containing two changes of clothes, a charger, and a sewing kit.

He had just stepped into the courtyard when a black sedan pulled up in front of the health center.

The driver got out and greeted Chen Ping, saying that Old Song was already waiting at home.

Chen Ping didn't ask any more questions. He picked up his bag and got into the car. The car drove along the mountain road for more than 20 minutes and then turned into the village where Old Song lived.

Old Song was already waiting at the door, wearing a dark gray jacket and with his hair neatly combed.

"Old Song..."

When Chen Ping saw Old Song, he greeted him very politely.

"Dr. Chen, is driving okay?" Old Song asked.

"No problem, I'm a ten-year veteran!" Chen Ping said.

Old Song nodded, patted him on the shoulder, and said, "Let's go pick up Xiao Li in Tianhai City first, and then we'll go to the provincial capital together."

Chen Ping sat in the driver's seat, while Old Song sat in the back.

The car continued to drive along the winding mountain road. Chen Ping drove very steadily, though his palms were a little sweaty.

After all, Old Master Song was sitting in the car, and there was no room for any mishap.

More than three hours later, we finally arrived in Tianhai City and stopped at an intersection near the municipal government.

Li Jizhong had already received the news and was waiting by the roadside.

He was dressed casually in a dark blue jacket, not in formal attire, and carrying only a small briefcase, as if he was deliberately trying to keep a low profile.

Only someone like Song Lao could make Li Jizhong, the municipal party secretary, wait so discreetly by the roadside.

For anyone else, it wouldn't even be a question.

Chen Ping still remembers the scene of people lining up in the corridor, all wanting to see Li Jizhong.

Li Jizhong opened the car door and saw Chen Ping sitting in the driver's seat. He then smiled and said, "Dr. Chen, are you driving? Or should I drive? You must be tired from driving all this way."

Li Jizhong was so polite to Chen Ping and even offered to drive him because of Chen Ping's relationship with Old Song.

"Secretary Li, I'm young, this distance is nothing to me. You can sit in the car and chat with Old Song. It will probably take several more hours to get to the provincial capital."

Chen Ping said with great emotional intelligence.

"Alright, then you'll have to go through all this trouble." Li Jizhong nodded and sat in the passenger seat.

"Being able to drive for Secretary Li and Old Song is something many people would love to do, so how could it be tiring?"

After Chen Ping finished speaking, the car rejoined the traffic and turned onto the expressway leading to the provincial capital.

The city buildings outside the window gradually thinned out, replaced by endless fields and distant gray-blue mountain shadows.

Old Song sat in the back row with his eyes closed, occasionally opening them to look at the scenery outside the window.

Old Song remained silent, and Li Jizhong dared not disturb him rashly. He could only sit in the passenger seat and chat idly with Chen Ping.

His tone was relaxed and casual, like an old friend chatting about everyday things.

The car had been driving on the highway for two or three hours, and the sun was already starting to set in the west.

Li Jizhong turned his head to look at Old Song and saw that he had opened his eyes. He then said to Chen Ping, "Dr. Chen, let's stop at the service area ahead so that the old commander can stretch his legs and have lunch."

Chen Ping responded, stepped on the gas, and drove the car toward the service area ahead.