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

A faint self-deprecating smile appeared on Chen Ping's lips. There was no anger in his heart, only a calm coolness.

He slowly said, "Uncle Cui, I have never bothered Cui Ying. My relationship with her has always been natural."

"If she's willing to move forward, I'll stay by her side; if she wants to turn back or let go, I'll never cling to her."

"When it comes to matters of the heart, it's not up to me or you; it's up to Cui Ying herself."

After saying that, Chen Ping hung up the phone without waiting for Cui's father to say anything more.

Chen Ping felt neither anger nor the feeling of being kicked while he was down.

The behavior and reaction of Cui Ying's parents are normal; perhaps every parent would do the same.

Who wouldn't want their child to come from a prominent family with a strong background?

In this way, children can suffer less, and when they have children in the future, they can avoid taking decades of detours.

Chen Ping put his phone in his pocket and headed towards the dormitory.

As he approached the dormitory entrance, he heard a suppressed sob coming from Cui Ying's room.

The sobs were soft and muffled, carrying endless grievances and helplessness. They drifted out through the crack in the door and landed in the quiet courtyard, making one's heart ache.

Chen Ping subconsciously shifted his feet slightly, wanting to go forward, knock on the door, and offer her some words of comfort.

But his steps stopped in place, and he finally came to a halt.

What can he say if he goes in now?

Words of comfort are too pale, and promises are too heavy.

Cui Ying is caught in a dilemma, torn between pressure from her family, past entanglements, and current feelings of attraction.

This dilemma is something she can only process and decide on her own over time.

The evening breeze swirled up the fallen leaves on the ground, causing them to gently swirl.

Chen Ping stood there for a moment, then finally looked away and turned to walk into his dormitory.

Lying in bed, he could still faintly hear sobbing coming from next door.

Chen Ping sighed, covered his head, and slowly fell asleep.

………………

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, people from the health center began to arrive.

Smoke rose from the canteen, and Aunt Li was busy early in the morning, setting out porridge, steamed buns, and side dishes on the table.

Colleagues walked into the canteen in twos and threes, ate breakfast, and then went to their respective posts to start their day's work.

Cui Ying, however, has yet to show up.

After washing up, Chen Ping remained seated in his usual spot in the cafeteria, without leaving first.

The cafeteria was empty, and the hands of the clock on the wall slowly moved toward eight o'clock; it was almost time to go to work.

Just before eight o'clock, Cui Ying finally arrived late.

She looked extremely haggard, with a pale face and dark circles under her eyes.

Her once bright and beautiful eyes were still red and swollen, clearly indicating that she had spent most of the night crying in her dormitory and hadn't gotten any rest.

She walked lightly, her steps were unsteady, and she exuded an unconcealable weariness.

As Cui Ying walked into the empty cafeteria and saw Chen Ping sitting alone waiting for her, she suddenly stopped in her tracks. A hint of panic and unease flashed in her eyes, and she subconsciously lowered her head.

Chen Ping remained calm, neither scrutinizing nor questioning, simply saying, "Come and eat, I've already prepared it for you, it's still warm."

On the table was a bowl of warm porridge, two steamed buns, and a plate of refreshing side dishes, all at just the right temperature.

Cui Ying silently walked over and sat down, not saying a word the whole time. She kept her head down and ate her breakfast slowly and quietly.

She didn't mention the argument last night, her parents' pressure, or Ding Peng.

Chen Ping also tacitly kept quiet and ate breakfast with her without saying a single unnecessary word.

After finishing her meal, Cui Ying silently cleaned up the dishes, turned around and walked straight out of the cafeteria toward the accounting office, still without saying a word to Chen Ping.

Chen Ping got up and followed. The two walked side by side in silence, the atmosphere peaceful, yet carrying a faint sense of estrangement.

Cui Ying walked to the accounting office, opened the door, went in, and then closed the door immediately.

Chen Ping paused for a moment, then walked towards the examination room.

Just as Chen Ping reached the door of the consultation room, before he could even push the door open and go in, Zhao Guosheng from the office poked his head out and waved to him.

"Dr. Chen, come here for a moment," Zhao Guosheng called out.

Chen Ping stopped and turned to walk towards the dean's office.

Upon entering the office, Chen Ping asked in confusion, "Dean, what's wrong?"

Zhao Guosheng looked at him with a hint of helplessness on his face: "I have something to tell you. Li Fang has taken the day off again today."

Chen Ping frowned slightly upon hearing this: "She took leave again? She hasn't taken leave recently, why is she suddenly like this these past two days?"

"I don't know either."

Zhao Guosheng shook his head, his tone filled with doubt, "I only received one phone call from her this morning. She sounded rushed and only said that something had happened at home and that she needed to take more leave. She wouldn't say anything else. When I pressed her for the reason, she wouldn't tell me."

"What could possibly happen at home? If it were something serious, they wouldn't have only asked for a day yesterday; they would have told you they'd asked for several days already." Chen Ping frowned, puzzled.

"Who can argue with that!"

Zhao Guosheng said helplessly, "She's the only one working at the pharmacy now. With her gone, Sun Xiaoyan will have to fill in again."

"Please make arrangements for Sun Xiaoyan to continue working at the pharmacy today. Tell her she's working hard, and that once things ease up, you can arrange a paid day off for her."

Chen Ping nodded, then pondered and said, "Li Fang has always been reliable and responsible in her work. She would never be absent from work without a reason, let alone take leave repeatedly without explaining why. She must have really encountered some difficulties, but it's inconvenient for her to tell us."

That's what I was thinking too.

Zhao Guosheng sighed, looking worried. "She's usually very easygoing, but she's actually a very strong-willed person."

"Something that could make her take two days off in a row without even mentioning the reason must be something extraordinary."

"I plan to take some time during lunch break to go to her house and see what's going on."

"I'll go with you," Chen Ping immediately said. "It'll be better if two people go together, and we can see the situation more clearly, which will put our minds at ease."

"Okay, let's go take a look together." Zhao Guosheng nodded in agreement.

After finalizing the decision, Chen Ping turned and walked out of the dean's office, returning to his consultation room.

Sun Xiaoyan has arrived at her post and is organizing the necessary medical equipment.

Chen Ping looked at her and said, "Xiao Yan, I'll have to trouble you to keep an eye on the pharmacy today. Li Fang has taken the day off again."

"If the pharmacy is busy, don't try to handle it yourself. If you're overwhelmed or there's a serious backlog of customers, come out and call me or Zhou Jie for help. Don't try to do everything by yourself, working up a sweat without saying a word."

Sun Xiaoyan nodded quickly, "Okay, I understand, Dr. Chen. I'll definitely call for help if I get too busy."

"But after getting used to it yesterday, it should be much better today..."

After saying that, Sun Xiaoyan put down the instruments in her hand, then walked out of the consultation room and headed towards the pharmacy.