This Doctor Is Too Wealthy

Lan Changhua greatly appreciated Du Heng’s approach. His understated approach concealed meticulous caution; this was the behavior of a qualified doctor. This diligence served both his patients’ well-being and his own protection. It was okay to be a little tired; in fact, it was expected.

”The young man’s condition is very stable now, and the dosage of his medicine has been reduced. Why don’t you go home tonight? Your wife is still pregnant, after all,” Lan Changhua suggested with a smile.

Du Heng’s heart seemed to stop for a second. If Lan Changhua hadn’t brought it up, I could have kept all my longing for Wu Shengnan and the baby suppressed deep down, not thinking about them. But now that Lan Changhua had mentioned it, this longing could no longer be contained, even making him feel an inexplicable restlessness.

”That would work. Since things are on track now, I don’t need to be quite so cautious.” A wide smile spread across Du Heng’s face, and he stood up to pack his things. ”In that case, I’ll drive you home today, Professor Lan.”

Lan Changhua chuckled when he heard this.

After dropping Professor Lan home, Du Heng went straight to where Wu Shengnan attended her classes.

Upon arrival, Du Heng followed his memory to find Wu Shengnan’s classroom, but unexpectedly, he didn’t see her there.

Du Heng thought he might have gone to the wrong place. He wanted to call Wu Shengnan to ask for the location but was afraid of disturbing her class, so he called Gu, his classmate who was still at the hospital.

Following Gu’s directions, Du Heng went in a circle and ended up back at the same classroom.

Having no other choice, Du Heng waited until all classes were dismissed before trying to contact Wu Shengnan again. Unfortunately, his calls wouldn’t go through, and there was no reply to the messages or texts he sent. This caused Du Heng’s initial excitement and enthusiasm to curdle into anxiety.

”Sister-in-law, why can’t I get through to Nannan’s phone?” Unable to reach Wu Shengnan, Du Heng went straight home and asked Zhang Sumei, his sister-in-law, who was there.

Zhang Sumei was deft with her hands. Holding two pieces of fabric, she was engrossed in making a child’s garment. Beside her lay a completed quilt. No doubt about it, Zhang Sumei must be making these for my unborn child.

Considering Du Heng and Wu Shengnan’s current financial situation, they could afford any nice things they wanted; there was no real need for Zhang Sumei to make these items. However, neither Du Heng nor Wu Shengnan tried to stop or discourage her. They felt that store-bought items were practical, but handmade ones were a token of the elders’ affection for the child and for them. Even if the handmade items might not look as polished as store-bought ones, the sentiment woven into them was irreplaceable. Moreover, his sister-in-law also wanted to express her love for the child in this way. Du Heng and Wu Shengnan saw no reason to stop or oppose her; on the contrary, they were happy to witness such scenes and would occasionally offer suggestions that elicited wry smiles. This had become a cherished activity that brought happiness to the whole family.

Zhang Sumei, busy with her work, paused her needle and thread when she heard Du Heng. ”I was just about to tell you about that. About a week ago, Nannan said she was going to participate in another case. Her teacher specifically requested her, saying it would be quite busy and require a lot of reading, so she wouldn’t be coming home at night. For the past few days, she’s been calling me around nine every night just to let me know she’s okay. Hasn’t she called you?”

Du Heng changed into slippers as he entered the house. Listening to his sister-in-law, he frowned and shook his head. ”She did call, but she didn’t mention having gone back to work at the Department. Every night she calls, we chat for a bit, then she says she’s tired and hangs up.”

Zhang Sumei’s eyes filled with worry. ”Then you need to talk to Nannan. She’s so far along in her pregnancy; how can her body possibly endure such strain? Tell her to come back quickly and stop working so hard. It would be terrible if she developed lasting health problems from this.”

Du Heng pursed his lips and said with a hint of frustration, ”That woman! She’s enough to drive a person mad. She’s turned off her phone, so I can’t reach her.”

Zhang Sumei grew flustered upon hearing this. ”Then hurry up and find her! You have to make sure nothing happens to her!” At this, Zhang Sumei glared at Du Heng resentfully. ”Look at the two of you! One is about to give birth yet is still swamped with studies and work. And you! You’re so busy you barely come home and don’t even look after your own wife. What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and ask someone to help find your wife!”

After Zhang Sumei’s tirade, Du Heng could only accept the scolding with a rueful expression. However, knowing that Wu Shengnan had gone to the Department, he wasn’t as anxious as before. ”Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. Nannan’s work might require confidentiality, or perhaps she’s just too busy, so she turned off her phone. She calls you every night, doesn’t she? Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll call tonight.”

Hearing this, Zhang Sumei recalled Wu Shengnan’s pattern of calling over the past few days and felt slightly relieved.

Du Heng, however, hurried into the bedroom. He wasn’t truly at ease, so he called his brother-in-law (Wu Shengnan’s elder brother) and asked him to use his connections to see if everything was really alright. In the Capital, his network wasn’t as strong as it was in Jinzhou. Especially since Wu Shengnan was involved with the Department, Du Heng lacked the connections to inquire about her situation. Therefore, asking his brother-in-law for help was the best option.