Fang Zhiyan silently sipped his porridge.
Tonight's meal was sweet potato porridge, a flavor he particularly enjoyed.
On top of that, his mother had finally divorced and gained her freedom, so the entire family was in high spirits.
However, as Jiang Xu chuckled along, her gaze eventually settled on her son.
"Zhiyan, you know, I think Teacher Xu is quite a good person. She might even have some interest in you."
"Have you considered settling down? Starting a family?"
"Cough, cough!"
Fang Zhiyan choked on his porridge, coughing violently.
"Mom, what are you talking about?"
"Teacher Xu and I aren't even that close."
"Second Brother!" Before he could finish, Fang Zhixia, who had been eating beside him, chimed in eagerly.
"Teacher Xu knows you very well! She asks about you every day."
"She says she wants to thank you, asks when you get off work, when you're free..."
Hearing this, Fang Zhiyan rolled his eyes.
No wonder. He had always wondered why Xu Qiushuang coincidentally ran into him every time he left work.
Turns out, Fang Zhixia had been acting as a little informant.
"Oh, so you've been telling her all about your second brother's schedule?" Fang Zhiyan asked pointedly.
Zhixia stuck out her tongue, her expression mischievous.
"Teacher Xu is really nice, though!"
"Is that so?" Fang Zhiyan narrowed his eyes. "She's a teacher—your homeroom teacher. Do you really want to see your homeroom teacher every single day?"
"Imagine this: after school, while other kids get to play, you'll be stuck doing homework under her supervision. Would you like that?"
At the mention of homework, Fang Zhixia's face paled.
The sheer terror of assignments instantly unsettled her.
"No! Second Brother, no! I won't say anything from now on!"
Fang Zhiyan smirked in amusement.
Beside him, Jiang Xu gave him a light smack on the arm.
"All you know is how to scare Zhixia."
"Teacher Xu is such a good person—she'd never do something like that."
"Anyway, I quite like her. You're not getting any younger—it's time to settle down."
"Next time I see Teacher Xu, I'll have a chat with her, see what her family situation is like."
Fang Zhiyan didn't respond.
He did have some fondness for Xu Qiushuang.
She was beautiful, and her personality wasn't bad either.
But relationships weren't just about two people—there were other factors at play.
So he chose not to voice any objections.
After dinner, Fang Zhiyan tidied up, washed, and prepared for bed.
He had an early shift the next day.
Working in the emergency department was exhausting—every shift was demanding and high-pressure.
Still, payday was just around the corner. Once he got his salary, life would become a little easier for the family.
The next morning, Fang Zhiyan hurriedly got up and walked to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital.
As soon as he entered, he saw Zhu Zixiao waiting for him.
"Old Fang, you're finally here! There's a tricky patient—come take a look."
Zhu Zixiao waved him over and immediately dragged him into the office.
Fang Zhiyan was baffled. He couldn't understand why Zhu Zixiao was being so unusually enthusiastic today.
On the office desk lay examination reports—X-rays and CT scans.
Fang Zhiyan gave Zhu Zixiao a puzzled look.
"What's so tricky about this?"
"Isn't this just a herniated lumbar disc?"
"Look here—calcification behind the intervertebral disc on the lateral view, accompanied by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and narrowing of the corresponding intervertebral space."
"Isn't this a textbook case of disc herniation?"
Zhu Zixiao nodded, giving Fang Zhiyan a thumbs-up.
But then he added,
"At first, Director He said the same thing. But the patient's legs are paralyzed, and it's not a simple herniated disc."
Frowning, Fang Zhiyan studied the scans more intently.
After a moment, he turned back.
"What's really going on? Stop beating around the bush—just tell me."
"Ha!"
Zhu Zixiao laughed.
"The herniated disc isn't the main issue. The patient has a history of spinal trauma."
"He was in an accident years ago—broke two cervical vertebrae."
"But Director He hasn't pinpointed the exact cause yet. They're running further tests."
Fang Zhiyan nodded, his eyes scanning the images again.
After a pause, he explained slowly,
"The imaging angle is too low. They should've gone higher to capture the entire cervical spine."
"If I had to guess, the patient's lower limb paralysis is almost certainly related to these upper cervical vertebrae."
Zhu Zixiao gave another thumbs-up.
"You and Director He are on the same page. The patient's getting rescanned now—we'll have results soon."
At this point, Zhu Zixiao couldn't help but admire Fang Zhiyan.
This guy had joined the hospital later than him but had already performed solo surgeries—flawlessly, at that.
It was enough to make Zhu Zixiao a little envious.
Just then, He Dongfang hurried in with new scans, his expression unusually grave.
"Director He!" The others quickly made way.
He Dongfang examined the scans and frowned.
"The patient's fourth and sixth cervical vertebrae have healed from the injury."
"But there's a tumor here. Treating it will be extremely difficult."
"Honestly, this should be referred to spinal or neurosurgery. Emergency isn't equipped for this."
Fang Zhiyan pressed his lips together.
Part of him wanted to say he could handle it.
But He Dongfang was the director—no point showing off.
Suddenly, his phone rang.
Annoyed, he glanced at it, ready to dismiss the call—until he saw it was his mother.
She never called during work hours unless it was urgent.
Hesitating, Fang Zhiyan stepped aside and answered quietly.
"Mom, what's wrong?"
"I'm in the middle of something."
"Zhiyan, Uncle Lu went to the Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital. They say he has a tumor on his spine."
"Can you help look after him?"
Jiang Xu's voice was rushed.
Fang Zhiyan froze.
A tumor on the spine?
Was it the same patient?
As for Uncle Lu...
Fang Zhiyan's expression turned solemn, his eyes sharpening with focus.
When he had been accepted into medical school, his family hadn't contributed a single cent.
It was his mother, his grandfather, and a few others who had supported him—including his high school teacher and a neighbor.
That neighbor was the "Uncle Lu" his mother mentioned—Lu Hongchang.
A former soldier, he had retired after an injury and lived quietly at home.
When he heard Fang Zhiyan couldn't afford tuition, Lu Hongchang had immediately handed over 5,000 yuan without hesitation.
Back then, 5,000 yuan was more than enough to see Fang Zhiyan through his studies.
To Fang Zhiyan, Lu Hongchang's kindness was akin to giving him a second life.
And now, his benefactor was in trouble.
"Mom, don't worry. I'll handle it."