Qi Yue pushed open the door to the physician’s office. The room full of resident doctors who had been sitting in two rows recording case notes and chatting fell quiet for a moment.

“Little Sun, bed 18 is your responsibility?” Qi Yue asked.

A young man in his twenties quickly stood up, with some uneasiness.

The atmosphere in the office also became somewhat tense.

“There are several problems with your medical record. Come with me for a moment,” Qi Yue said, turning and walking away.

Dr. Sun couldn’t help but look at everyone, and they all made expressions wishing him good luck.

“Dr. Qi…”

Dr. Sun followed Qi Yue into a patient room.

This was a thoracic trauma patient who had been admitted that morning.

When Dr. Sun followed her in, Qi Yue was bending over the patient conducting an examination.

“Tian Youcai, Tian Youcai,” she called to the patient in a raised voice.

The patient moved his head, his lips opened and closed, seeming to make a sound yet not quite.

Qi Yue turned to look at Dr. Sun.

Dr. Sun was somewhat puzzled.

“Your medical record says this patient is in a coma,” Qi Yue said, handing him the medical record in her hand. “But the patient sometimes responds to sound. How should this be written?”

Dr. Sun said “oh.”

“Yes, still responds to speech, can be awakened, and falls asleep again when stimulation stops,” he said.

Qi Yue nodded.

“What should this be called?” she asked.

“Stupor,” Dr. Sun said, with some shame, lowering his head and waiting for the medical record to be thrown at him, followed by a torrent of scolding, just like before.

“Be more careful next time. One wrong word can affect the diagnosis of the doctors who come after. Human lives are at stake – there’s no room for carelessness,” Qi Yue said, stuffing the medical record into his hands and patting his arm before walking out.

Dr. Sun stood there somewhat dazed, holding the medical record.

When he stepped into the office, he was still a bit bewildered.

The others had already swarmed around him.

“Did she scold you?”

“Did she hit you on the head?”

“Did she ask who your supervisor was this time?”

Everyone asked in a chorus.

Dr. Sun looked down at the medical record, then at his own arm.

“No,” he said.

Everyone was stunned.

“Dr. Qi personally demonstrated and taught me, that’s all,” Dr. Sun said, hardly believing it himself.

Was this still the same high-achieving student from school, the high-achieving backup talent in the hospital, the proud and straightforward thoracic surgery “little quick blade” Qi Yue?

The same “little quick blade” Qi Yue who said she hated stupid people most in her life and least liked talking to idiots?

“Hey, is it that she can’t lose her temper anymore because of her head injury?” someone said, pointing to their own head.

This theory seemed plausible, and everyone nodded with laughter.

After this discovery, everyone paid more attention to Qi Yue.

“Hey, hey, guess what I just saw in the outpatient clinic…”

“…What did you see?”

“…A family member didn’t want the patient to get a CT or MRI… said they had it checked at home with no problems, and even brought the films… guess what Dr. Qi would say?”

“…She’d say, ‘Are you the doctor or am I the doctor?'”

“…Wrong. She patiently explained, and guess what happened in the end?”

“What happened?”

“Dr. Qi said to let them go for the examination, she’d pay for it, and if the examination results showed problems, they could pay her back.”

The office was in an uproar.

“I heard that after brain injuries, some people’s personalities really do change dramatically.”

“Haven’t you noticed? Dr. Qi is really different from before, like she’s a different person…”

“Right, right, right. Has she been… transmigrated?” an intern couldn’t help but say, nervously covering her mouth with wide eyes.

This comment earned her several knocks on the head.

“Right! Transmigrated! And possessed someone’s body! Xiaomei, did you watch horror movies again during your night shift yesterday?” someone said.

The office filled with laughter.

Someone knocked on the door.

Everyone quickly looked over and saw the attending physician looking over with a stern, serious expression.

“Work hours,” he said.

Everyone quickly lowered their heads to organize the things in front of them.

The good thing about outpatient duty was that you got off work on time. As colleagues in the same office packed up their things, they saw Qi Yue still sitting and reading.

“Qi Yue, work’s over,” he reminded her.

Qi Yue looked at the clock on the wall.

It was evening again so quickly…

“Alright, see you tomorrow,” Qi Yue smiled, putting down her book, simply tidying up, changing clothes, and walking out.

Just as she walked out, she saw Huang Ying walking over with someone. Seeing her, Huang Ying quickly waved.

“Little Yue,” she called.

Qi Yue stopped to wait for her, seeing that Huang Ying was accompanied by an unfamiliar man.

She politely smiled and nodded in greeting.

The man also nodded slightly in return.

“Are you free tonight?” Huang Ying asked, pointing to the man beside her. “This is the new attending physician in our neurology department, Peng Jiahai.”

Then looking at the man, “This is Dr. Qi’s daughter, little Dr. Qi.”

Qi Yue extended her hand.

Peng Jiahai shook it.

“I’ve heard so much about you,” he said with a smile.

“The fame of family love awakening a vegetative patient?” Qi Yue smiled.

Peng Jiahai couldn’t help but break into a smile.

This woman was quite witty.

“Little Yue, want to have dinner together?” Huang Ying quickly smiled. “The department is holding a welcome banquet for Dr. Peng. After dinner, we’ll go sing karaoke. Your father isn’t going, so you could represent him as his daughter.”

Qi Yue smiled and was about to speak when voices came from behind.

“Dr. Qi, Dr. Qi.”

The three turned to see a middle-aged woman hurrying over.

Qi Yue recognized her as the daughter of the patient who didn’t want to do the examination that afternoon.

“Dr. Qi, well, I’m really sorry…” she said with some shame.

“Oh, it’s nothing. Come in and talk,” Qi Yue said quickly, looking at Huang Ying and Peng Jiahai. “I’m really sorry, next time.”

The middle-aged woman was stunned.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Dr. Qi, I’m just here to give you the money, I won’t delay you getting off work…” she said hurriedly.

Qi Yue had already taken her arm and opened the office door to go inside.

Huang Ying smiled somewhat awkwardly at Peng Jiahai.

“She’s just like that, a workaholic,” she said.

“Young people being serious about work is quite good,” Peng Jiahai smiled.

“Right, right,” Huang Ying quickly nodded.

Hearing the two people by the door walk away, Qi Yue sighed with relief.

“Dr. Qi, this is the examination fee…” the middle-aged woman said, taking out the money.

“How were the examination results?” Qi Yue asked.

The middle-aged woman immediately started crying.

“Meningioma, already metastasized to the liver,” she said in a low voice.

This result also somewhat surprised Qi Yue. She had only felt that this patient’s condition wasn’t simple pancreatitis, and that it would be inappropriate to rashly perform cholecystectomy.

In that case, there was no need for treatment.

“Birth, aging, sickness, and death – there’s nothing we can do about it. You need to think positively. Your mother is seventy this year, right?” she asked.

The middle-aged woman wiped her tears.

“Seventy-two,” she said. “My mother has suffered her whole life…”

Qi Yue stood up to pour her a glass of water.

The middle-aged woman didn’t mention leaving. After running around all day paying fees, consulting doctors, and dealing with the hospital ward, she was truly thirsty and tired. Especially since she hadn’t encountered many friendly faces all afternoon, seeing Qi Yue’s kindness, she forgot her unfamiliarity and restraint, took the water and drank it in one gulp, then began to tell of her family’s misfortunes.

When almost all the lights in the outpatient building had been extinguished, the middle-aged woman suddenly came to her senses.

“Oh my, look at me… talking so much,” she quickly stood up, embarrassed. “I’ve delayed Dr. Qi from getting off work.”

“No delay. I’m a doctor – I should be treating patients,” Qi Yue said with a smile. “Being able to listen to you talk is also a way of treating you.”

The middle-aged woman was very surprised and somewhat afraid.

“I… I’m also sick?” she asked nervously.

“Heart sickness,” Qi Yue said with a smile.

The middle-aged woman didn’t understand.

“With your mother like this and your brothers not caring, such a heavy burden falls on your shoulders. How much psychological pressure must you have?” Qi Yue said, pouring her another glass of water. “And knowing about this disease, you’re sad but can’t show it in front of your mother. Your heart must be stifled.”

The middle-aged woman’s tears came down again.

“Dr. Qi, my heart is so bitter,” she cried.

“I know,” Qi Yue nodded. “Saying it out loud and crying it out will make you feel better. Things are already this way – you must be able to accept it.”

She handed her the tissue box from the desk.

After crying for a while, the middle-aged woman felt much better.

“Thank you, Dr. Qi. My attitude this afternoon was bad, yet you still treat me like this…” she said with a choked voice.

What is a great physician?

All great physicians who treat illness must calm their spirits and stabilize their will, have no desires or demands, first develop great compassion and sympathy, and vow to universally save all living beings from suffering. If someone comes seeking help for illness, do not ask about their nobility or lowliness, poverty or wealth, age or beauty, resentment or friendship, Chinese or foreign, foolishness or wisdom – treat them all equally, all as if they were dear relatives. Also do not look ahead and behind, worry about fortune and misfortune for yourself, or cherish your own life. Seeing their suffering as if it were your own, with deep heartfelt sorrow. Do not avoid danger and hardship, day and night, cold and heat, hunger and thirst, fatigue – wholeheartedly rush to save them, without any thoughts of merit or traces of effort. Only thus can you be a great physician for all living beings. To act contrary to this is to be a great thief among all living beings.

Loud, resonant oaths rang in her ears.

Qi Yue couldn’t help but close her eyes.

“Resentment or friendship, Chinese or foreign, foolishness or wisdom – treat them all equally, all as if they were dear relatives…” she murmured.

“Dr. Qi, you should go home quickly. It’s so late, and you haven’t eaten yet,” the middle-aged woman said, wiping her tears again. “I really met a good person. Otherwise, if I hadn’t done this examination, it would have seemed like I saved eight hundred or a thousand yuan, but doing surgery would have cost several times that amount, and it would have been for nothing – my mother would have suffered… Now it’s good…”

After saying this, she thanked her again and left.

The office returned to quiet. Qi Yue looked around.

She was alone again…

She picked up her bag, closed the door, and slowly walked out. Her high heels echoed in the corridor, and the motion-sensor lights lit up and then went out.

The winter night market was also lively. Walking through this bustling area back home, Qi Yue habitually kicked off her shoes and leaned against the door, looking at the lit interior.

This was a 100-square-meter two-bedroom, one-living-room apartment, decorated simply and elegantly. In her words, she needed enough space to breathe, but now it seemed this space was too large.

She stood quietly by the door looking for a moment, then stepped inside, threw her bag on the sofa, and the gurgling in her stomach reminded her she hadn’t eaten yet.

Opening the refrigerator, it was packed full. Qi Yue looked through it all but in the end only took out a can of beer and got a cup of instant noodles from the kitchen.

After showering and rubbing her hair, she came out and sat in front of the coffee table, opened the beer, and turned on the TV.

“Alright, let’s eat,” she said, picking up the fork.

Applause came from the TV, followed by music.

“…If I hadn’t met you… now I would…”

The music stopped abruptly.

Qi Yue held the remote control and took a deep breath.

“It’s so late, eating this stuff is just gaining weight,” she said, trying to sound casual as she threw both the fork and remote control on the table and stood up. “Let’s go to sleep.”

The lights in the room went out, plunging it into darkness.