"Dr. Lu, your dishes are ready. Would you like a drink?"

Lu Xuan and his companion had come to a small eatery, a family-run establishment where the owner's wife was the chef and the owner doubled as a waiter.

Hearing someone call out to him, Lu Xuan instinctively looked up at the owner and asked, "Do you know me?"

"Who around here doesn't know Dr. Lu?" the owner replied with a smile.

Suddenly realizing, Lu Xuan shook his head and said, "No need, plain water is fine for us."

"Alright, Dr. Lu, take your time. Just call me if you need anything," the owner said, wiping his hands on his apron before turning to serve other customers.

Ji Xiuwen had been eagerly looking forward to accompanying Lu Xuan to the Ninth Hospital, which made him eat faster than usual.

Lu Xuan felt a bit helpless but chose not to comment.

What was supposed to be a meal lasting over half an hour ended up taking only about twenty minutes due to Ji Xiuwen's urging.

The three dishes and one soup were quickly finished.

Lu Xuan stood up and went to the counter, "How much is it, boss?"

"Boss, don't worry about him; I'll pay," Ji Xiuwen gulped down a mouthful of water and hurriedly pulled out his phone to rush over to Lu Xuan.

Seeing it was Lu Xuan, the busy owner quickly waved his hand, "No need to pay, it's not much."

"That won't do. We must pay what we owe," Lu Xuan firmly declined the owner's goodwill.

Not paying for a meal could be a big deal.

Were he not a doctor at the local Health Center, this wouldn't matter much, but he was. If word got out, it wouldn't be long before someone claimed Dr. Lu was using his position at the Health Center to eat at small restaurants without paying.

If some unscrupulous media spiced it up online, a minor issue could become a big deal.

"Yes, yes, one must pay for meals,"

"One hundred will do," the owner said with a sycophantic smile.

Lu Xuan's face darkened, "That won't do. It should be the exact amount."

Saying this, he looked up the prices of the four dishes he had just ordered, calculating it to be a bit over one hundred and ten, around fifty per person. Not cheap, primarily due to Ji Xiuwen ordering a dish costing over sixty. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been much.

Having figured out the total, Lu Xuan didn't give the owner a chance to speak before scanning the QR code to pay, "Boss, it's 113 in total. I've sent it to you!"

"Alright then, Dr. Lu, come again next time."

"The food's good and fresh. I'll definitely be back, but next time charge me the full amount."

"Yes, yes, of course."

Nodding repeatedly, the owner thought for a moment and said, "Dr. Lu, I'm planning to bring my mom over sometime. She's been feeling unwell lately, and the hospital check-ups haven't clarified anything. I'm thinking of taking her to see you in Yong City when I have the chance."

Lu Xuan understood why the owner initially refused their payment and smiled, "Sure, just book an appointment in advance. If you can't get one, I usually add appointments in the mornings depending on the situation.

But medical consultations and meals are two separate matters."

The owner looked glum.

Lately, he'd heard a lot about Lu Xuan, and his own mother's health wasn't good. Since their local hospital hadn't diagnosed anything specific, he thought of bringing her to Yong City.

Seeing Lu Xuan come into his restaurant for a meal seemed like an opportunity.

He planned to start a conversation with Lu Xuan, figuring a connection might help, and tried to curry favor. Unexpectedly, rather than curry favor, he ended up being lectured by Lu Xuan.

However, Lu Xuan's offer to add an appointment cheered him up considerably.

...

Coming out of the eatery, Lu Xuan checked the time; it wasn't yet seven.

"Should we go now?" Ji Xiuwen appeared eager.

"Let's go. Last night, I mentioned to Director Ye Xiang from the Ninth Hospital's neurology department that I'd be visiting today. He should be there, and if not, Director Li from neurology should be,"

Lu Xuan murmured as if speaking to himself, and the two flagged down a taxi to head to the Ninth Hospital.

In the car, Ji Xiuwen was visibly excited.

"Is this necessary?"

"You don't understand my feelings, I..."

"Stop."

Lu Xuan interrupted his old classmate's impending monologue, "You don't need to say it, I'm not very interested in your current thoughts."

"If you don't want to listen, I'm not eager to speak," Ji Xiuwen retorted.

Lu Xuan shot him a sideways glance and said nothing more.

Alternating between laughter and shivers, Ji Xiuwen seemed lost in thought.

Noticing the taxi driver's inclination to make a phone call, Lu Xuan quickly assured, "Driver, there's no need to worry. He's not on drugs, just acting a bit crazy."

The taxi driver hesitated with his phone in hand, but since Ji Xiuwen soon composed himself, Lu Xuan joked that otherwise, the driver might have taken them to the police station for the reward, which would surely exceed the fare.

The Health Center wasn't far from the Ninth Hospital, and in about ten minutes, the taxi arrived at the hospital's main entrance.

Lu Xuan and Ji Xiuwen paid, exited the taxi, and headed straight for the inpatient building.

Arriving at the neurology ward, Lu Xuan approached the nurse's station, intending to ask whether Director Ye Xiang was present. The attending nurse seemed to recognize Lu Xuan, promptly standing up to ask, "You must be Dr. Lu, right?"

"Yes, I am. Do you know me?"

The nurse nodded, "This afternoon, Director Ye showed me your photo, saying you might come by this evening. We've been expecting you."

"Is Director Ye here?"

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