Drinking coffee and munching on crunchy, sweet buttery cookies, Zhao Heng took out his phone and opened up Xiaopo Station.

As soon as he opened it, Zhao Heng noticed his private messages were exploding.

A quick glance revealed messages urging updates, inquiries about medical consultations, and even business collaboration offers, almost like a flood.

"Is this the video account you started?"

Liu Ziang leaned over, looking quite interested as he spoke.

"Yes, I set it up before."

Zhao Heng nodded.

"Wow! Thirty thousand followers, you've done pretty well."

Liu Ziang was a bit surprised when he saw the number of followers.

He knew the ins and outs, and he was aware that for an account focused on medical science popularization, having thirty thousand followers was quite impressive.

Many lifestyle accounts, although they easily get seven or eight hundred thousand or even millions, mostly attract onlookers.

Moreover, Zhao Heng's account, despite not having many videos, boasted over a million views on almost each one.

That was even more remarkable.

Many lifestyle accounts, despite having millions of followers, struggle to reach hundreds of thousands of views on videos that miss the mark or feel lackluster.

With medical science popularization video accounts, once you get them going, the follower engagement is very high.

"A junior helped me with it, and she has even more followers, over three hundred thousand."

Zhao Heng said as he checked his private messages.

Since launching the video account, he hadn't really gone through his private messages carefully.

"You have juniors like that? What's her account name? Let me check."

Upon hearing this, Liu Ziang looked at Zhao Heng as if discovering a new continent.

"Shu Xiaomeng."

Zhao Heng said casually.

"Let me see, wow!"

"It's not three hundred thousand; it's already four hundred thousand, and she's even one of the annual Top 100 creators. Your junior is impressive!"

Liu Ziang searched for Shu Xiaomeng's account, opened it, and was amazed.

Moreover, the top-pinned long-leg dance video already had over ten million views.

"Uh, with a junior like her, why would you still look for Xu Man Ni..."

After watching the video, Liu Ziang looked up at Zhao Heng and said jokingly.

"Senior, you have a way with words..."

Hearing this, Zhao Heng was a bit speechless. Of course, Xu Man Ni had her own charms. Although it could be tiring at night, there's a joy to that kind of exhaustion too!

"It's almost the end of the day. You're not leaving yet? Don't tell me you're still planning to follow me home?"

Seeing Zhao Heng lingering in his office, Liu Ziang couldn't help but jest.

Of course, if Zhao Heng wanted to go, two geniuses conversing heart-to-heart wouldn't be bad at all.

"I'm almost done, almost."

Zhao Heng looked up and said.

He certainly wasn't going to follow Liu Ziang home, but thinking of Xu Man Ni's fiery look in the afternoon, Zhao Heng couldn't help but shiver.

Got to take care of myself!

Just then, Zhao Heng's phone suddenly rang.

A call from Xu Man Ni?

Zhao Heng picked it up immediately.

Two minutes later, Zhao Heng put the phone down with a sigh of relief.

It turned out Xu Man Ni called to say something had come up at home and she needed to handle it, so she couldn't be with Zhao Heng that evening.

In the call, Zhao Heng expressed his deep "regret" for not being able to spend the evening with Xu Man Ni and eagerly anticipated their next evening together.

After putting down the phone, Zhao Heng saw Liu Ziang looking at him with a very strange expression.

"What's up, senior?"

Zhao Heng felt that Liu Ziang's gaze was odd, so he asked.

"Why do I get the feeling that when you heard Xu Man Ni couldn't come tonight, you seemed kind of relieved?"

Liu Ziang said.

"How could that be? Senior, you must be mistaken."

Zhao Heng naturally couldn't admit it.

"You're still so young, but not handling it well?"

"Take it easy."

Liu Ziang said, amused, looking at Zhao Heng.

"Since you're free tonight, why not join me for dinner? I've made plans with some friends."

After a pause, Liu Ziang continued.

"What kind of people are they?"

Zhao Heng asked, a little puzzled.

"Anyone dining with me, you think they're anything less? Just come along."

Liu Ziang said with great pride.

Normally, someone saying this would seem arrogant.

But coming from Liu Ziang, it felt surprisingly genuine.

"I'll pass, though."

Zhao Xu thought for a moment and said.

He's been eating out a lot lately; Zhao Heng felt like taking a break and spending some time at home with his parents.

"Are you certain you won't go?"

Liu Ziang asked.

"Another time, maybe. I've been dining out a lot lately, a bit tired of it."

Zhao Heng said.

"Alright, some other time then."

Liu Ziang said casually.

Next, Zhao Heng went back to his office, changed out of his lab coat, went to the nearest market to pick up some groceries, and headed straight home.

Back home, when Zhao Heng's mom saw him carrying groceries, she took them from him with a smile and said, "Son, if you ever feel like eating something, just call me. I'll go to the market and cook it for you. You've worked enough during the day, come home early and rest well."

"Sure."

Zhao Heng nodded, feeling warm inside.

Then, Zhao's mom happily went to cook, while Zhao Heng sat on the sofa, watching TV with his father.

Moments like these, Zhao Heng felt, had been absent for a long time.

Since he started college, he only came home during summer and winter breaks, and to earn tuition, he didn't stay long, often returning to work-study early.

Looking at his father next to him, his hair graying at the temples, he no longer appeared as Zhao Heng remembered from his childhood.

"Dad, how's the search for a store location going?"

Zhao Heng added some water to his father's cup and asked casually.

"It's not that easy to find. This big city really is a big city; the rents are just too high."

His father said.

The whole store plan, it seemed, had been oversimplified initially.

Suitable places were available, but the rents were too high. Zhao's father, although skilled, wasn't sure if he could cover the rent, let alone make a profit.

"Take your time. You can go for walks in the parks in the mornings; North City still has many places to visit."

Zhao Heng said.

"Big city life is certainly nice, but the cost of living is too high with your mom and me here."

His father said with some concern.

"Dad, I make over ten thousand a month now, plus my income from social media. Our family expenses are more than covered."

Zhao Heng reassured his father.

In North City, the biggest issue was housing.

The apartment Zhao Heng was living in now was part of the Eastern Hospital's talent program; though it only came with usage rights, it was still a small nest.

Otherwise, if not for the program, renting a nearly sixty-square-meter apartment like his would cost at least six or seven thousand in rent.

"Alright, then your mom and I will just enjoy the fruits of your labor."

His father said happily.

He was quite open-minded, and during their time in North City, he had gotten quite used to life there.

Seeing his son earning a good living brought him much joy.

It's safe to say that during Zhao Heng's father's youth, if he'd had the opportunity, he would have pursued city life long before.

Some people might enjoy the so-called idyllic country life, but for Zhao Heng's parents, who spent their lives working the land, the countryside was more about arduous labor and the uncertainty of living off the land, while city living was their greatest aspiration.

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