Chapter 5: If You Don’t Strive a Little, How Can You Be a Doctor?

Upon hearing Lin Nan’s words, Xu Pingfeng and his wife, along with Xu Weiwei, were all stunned. Especially Xu Weiwei, who widened her beautiful eyes in disbelief as she stared at Lin Nan. She never expected that Lin Nan would take the initiative to call off the engagement!

However, her expression soon darkened. What right did Lin Nan have to propose breaking the engagement? If anyone were to do so, it should be her! In her eyes, the one who initiates the breakup holds the upper hand, while the one who is dumped inevitably loses face.

Xu Pingfeng looked at Lin Nan with a complex gaze and asked, “Lin Nan, why do you suddenly want to break off the engagement?”

Lin Nan glanced at Xu Weiwei and smiled faintly. “Weiwei and I are not the same kind of people. Even if we force ourselves to be together, she will never be happy or fulfilled. Rather than dragging it out, it’s better to end it cleanly and give us both our freedom.”

Upon hearing this, Xu Weiwei immediately adopted a condescending tone. “Lin Nan, you need to understand: dissolving this engagement only returns my freedom, not yours. And why do you think you have the right to propose breaking it off? If anyone should, it should be me!”

Lin Nan found her anger somewhat amusing. This woman was clearly used to being domineering, wanting everything her way—breaking off the engagement but without losing face. His decision to come to the Xu family and call off the engagement was, without a doubt, the wisest choice he had ever made. Anyone who married such a woman was doomed.

“Weiwei!” Xu Pingfeng shot his daughter a displeased glance. In his heart, he too wished to end the engagement between Lin Nan and his daughter to find her a more suitable match from a comparable background, but he could not be the one to initiate it. Nor could he allow his daughter to whimsically dissolve the engagement as if it were a joke. Though few knew of the betrothal, it was not entirely secret, and he had to protect their reputation and avoid gossip.

For them, Lin Nan proposing to end it was the best solution. After all, this was Lin Nan’s own choice; they could not be blamed for it. That was why Xu Pingfeng had reprimanded Xu Weiwei when she objected earlier.

Bai Monong said nothing but looked at Lin Nan with complicated eyes, silently sighing. If their family were ordinary, Lin Nan would be a fine son-in-law. She had watched him grow up and knew his character, values, and integrity well. He had a good job—respectable and stable. But unfortunately, their family was not ordinary, so Lin Nan was not quite suitable.

Due to appearances and reputation, the Xu family could never be the first to break off the engagement. Lin Nan’s initiative brought them quiet relief. This was the ideal way to end it.

Xu Weiwei snorted but said no more. Fine—so long as the engagement was dissolved smoothly, she would not fuss over it.

Lin Nan quietly observed Xu Pingfeng and Bai Monong’s expressions. Though they hid it well, the faint relief and ease in their eyes were unmistakable. He smiled faintly, unsurprised. Of course, he himself felt a quiet relief. This engagement was a burden to the Xu family; for him, it was no different.

Xu Pingfeng looked Lin Nan in the eye and asked, “Are you serious?”

“Of course,” Lin Nan replied without hesitation.

Xu Pingfeng regarded him meaningfully. Seeing the resolute determination in Lin Nan’s gaze, without a trace of hesitation, he knew the young man’s mind was made up rather than a passing fancy. He felt somewhat reassured.

He sighed. “Lin Nan, since this is your decision, we, as your elders, must respect it. So, the engagement between you and Weiwei is hereby dissolved. But even if you and Weiwei are no longer betrothed, I will always be your Uncle Xu, and Aunt Bai will remain your Aunt Bai—that will never change.”

“If you ever need any help, don’t hesitate to tell us. We will do our best to assist you.”

Lin Nan smiled and nodded. Whether Xu Pingfeng’s words were sincere or not was of little consequence to him; in any case, he intended to keep his distance from the Xu family from now on.

“Come, come, let’s eat. The food is getting cold,” Bai Monong hastened to usher Lin Nan to the table.

Lin Nan raised his glass and toasted Xu Pingfeng and his wife each a cup. No matter what, they were his elders, and today was the first day of the Lunar New Year—he had to show respect.

But he ignored Xu Weiwei. She had always looked down on him, speaking to him with veiled barbs and a superiority complex. He had no desire to say a word to her.

“Uncle Xu, do you remember the police officer in charge of my parents’ car accident back then?” Lin Nan asked quietly.

To uncover the truth about his parents’ accident, he had to start investigating the police officer who had handled the case. As the lead investigator, that person surely knew some inside details.

Xu Pingfeng put down his cup, surprised. “Why do you ask?”

“My parents’ accident was handled by him. Since it’s the New Year, it’s only right to pay my respects and inquire after him. But I don’t have his contact information, so I wanted to ask if you might know,” Lin Nan said earnestly.

Xu Pingfeng hesitated, then said with a smile, “Lin Nan, you’ve really grown up. You understand social graces now—that’s good.”

Xu Weiwei, however, sneered sarcastically, “Now you remember to ask after people? Where were you before?”

Lin Nan ignored her and continued looking at Xu Pingfeng.

“Weiwei, all these dishes can’t shut you up?” Bai Monong rolled her eyes.

Xu Weiwei pouted but resumed eating.

Xu Pingfeng retrieved his phone, scrolling through the contacts. “After your parents’ accident, we handled the funeral affairs, so I had contact with that officer. I’ll give you his number, though after so many years, I’m not sure if it’s still current.”

Lin Nan quickly took out his phone and noted down the information.

“What’s his name?” Lin Nan asked.

“Ji Guoping,” Xu Pingfeng replied. “I think he has a son named Ji Zifeng.”

Lin Nan silently stored the details.

After eating a few bites, Lin Nan excused himself and left the Xu residence. The matter was settled, and he had obtained the information he sought. Lingering was useless; the sooner he left, the better.

Xu Weiwei, having successfully dissolved the engagement, was in high spirits and drank several glasses.

“Weiwei, now that you’re free again, you should meet other young men. I have several colleagues whose sons are outstanding—excellent family backgrounds, education, looks, and careers,” Xu Pingfeng said with a smile.

“Yes, Weiwei, you’re not getting any younger. After the New Year, you’ll be twenty-six. It’s time to think about settling down,” Bai Monong nodded.

Xu Weiwei shook her head. “My career is on the rise now. I don’t have time to think about such things.”

“But—” Xu Pingfeng frowned.

“Dad, please stop. I’m not considering romance right now,” Xu Weiwei interrupted.

Xu Pingfeng and Bai Monong exchanged a glance and gave up trying to persuade her.

“Very well, since you’ve made up your mind, we won’t say more. Just be sure you know what you want,” Xu Pingfeng waved his hand.

Only then did Xu Weiwei smile brightly. “Don’t worry, Dad, Mom. You don’t need to fret over my marriage prospects. Your daughter is so outstanding—how could I fail to find a husband?”

Xu Pingfeng smiled in agreement. His daughter was indeed exceptional. Lin Nan was simply not a match for her. Now that Lin Nan had ended the engagement, a weight lifted from his heart.

“Old Xu, though Lin Nan and Weiwei are no longer engaged, we’ve watched him grow up. If he ever needs help, we should still lend a hand,” Bai Monong said.

She knew perfectly well that Lin Nan’s decision to break off the engagement was largely due to their family. Their daughter had always looked displeased with the match and treated Lin Nan coldly. As a man, Lin Nan’s pride had naturally been wounded, leading to his disillusionment.

Moreover, Xu Pingfeng and Bai Monong had often, albeit jokingly, expressed their subtle reservations about the engagement. Though tactful, Lin Nan had probably sensed their sentiments and harbored resentment.

Hence, Bai Monong felt somewhat apologetic and wanted to make amends by offering assistance.

“That’s only right,” Xu Pingfeng smiled faintly.

Lin Nan was sensible, so he didn’t mind a little help.

Xu Weiwei scoffed, “He’s a doctor. If he wants to advance, he can only rely on himself. Dad, what help can you offer?”

“If he’s capable, he won’t need your help. If he’s not, you can’t help him anyway.”

“But still, the medical profession is one where, without connections, it’s extremely hard to succeed,” Bai Monong frowned.

She felt Xu Weiwei was too harsh and indifferent toward Lin Nan, which displeased her. Lin Nan was a good person, just not suitable as their son-in-law.

“All right, Mom, let’s not talk about him anymore. It’s the New Year—we should chat about happier things,” Xu Weiwei smiled and shook her head.

Seeing this, Bai Monong relented for the time being. She would help Lin Nan when the opportunity arose.

After leaving the Xu residence, Lin Nan walked down the street, quietly contemplating his next steps.

He did not yet know if Ji Guoping, the police officer involved in his parents’ accident, was merely a case handler or somehow connected to the incident. Until he clarified this, he could not show his identity and risk alerting the other party or endangering himself.

Judging by the timeline, Ji Guoping must be nearing fifty. Being a policeman, he likely had health issues and would be seeking medical treatment.

The affiliated hospital of Linhai University where Lin Nan worked was one of the city’s largest, top-tier hospitals. So, Ji Guoping was likely a patient there. Lin Nan needed to confirm this quickly.

If Ji Guoping had medical records at their hospital, Lin Nan could approach him as a fellow doctor and subtly gather information about his parents’ accident.

With this in mind, Lin Nan hailed a taxi and headed straight to the hospital.

He changed into his white coat in the locker room before going to the office.

There, Li Qin was leisurely drinking tea at his desk. Upon seeing Lin Nan, he almost spat out his tea.

“Old Lin, what brings you here? Didn’t you start your vacation today?” Li Qin exclaimed.

Lin Nan smiled. “I’m just bored, so I might as well work some overtime at the hospital.”

He came not only to check if Ji Guoping had medical records but also to work extra hours. Vacation? That was nonexistent. If one didn’t push hard, how could one be a successful doctor?

“You seem fully recovered,” Lin Nan noted, looking at Li Qin’s face now free of the rash.

“Yeah, luckily you treated me in time. Otherwise, I might still be bedridden,” Li Qin chuckled.

“Since you have good connections at the hospital, can you help me check if there’s a patient registered here? I just need to know if he’s been treated here and in what department,” Lin Nan requested.

Li Qin frowned. “But doctors aren’t allowed to casually access patients’ medical records.”

“No need for detailed records—just whether the hospital has a patient by that name and where he was treated,” Lin Nan clarified.

“No problem, I’ve got this. What’s his name?” Li Qin patted his chest confidently.

“Ji Guoping,” Lin Nan said.

“All right, I’ll look into it. But it’s New Year’s, so it might take some time,” Li Qin said thoughtfully.

“No rush,” Lin Nan smiled slightly.

Li Qin stretched lazily. “It’s a relatively slow day—no patients brought in yet. Looks like we can take a break.”

But just then, Xiao Li hurried in. She froze upon seeing Lin Nan, then quickly said, “Doctor Li, Doctor Lin, a patient was just brought in. Please come see.”

Lin Nan’s lips twitched. Li Qin looked bewildered. Damn, was his mouth that quick?

“What’s the patient’s condition?” Lin Nan asked as he followed her out.

Li Qin hurried after him, silently hoping it wasn’t alcohol poisoning.

Xiao Li’s expression was strange. “The patient’s condition is… unusual. It’s a girl who, on a whim, stuck her head into her boyfriend’s car exhaust pipe and got stuck. They brought her to the hospital.”

Lin Nan kept walking, expression calm. “Oh.”

This was nothing. In his previous life, he had seen all sorts of bizarre cases.

But compared to Lin Nan’s composure, Li Qin was utterly shocked. Sticking one’s head into a car exhaust pipe? That was beyond outrageous—truly mind-blowing.

He thought to himself, alcohol poisoning would have been easier to handle. He was speechless.