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Chapter 652 Not Enough to Overcome Inner Demons! (Please Subscribe)

"Shashi is the first star, located beside the fourth star of Zhen. Above it is the constellation of Chen, and below it is the county, hence it is called Star City." In Shashi, on the balcony of a high-rise hotel room, Fang Ziye looked down at his phone while explaining to Luo Tingzhu.

The two sat close together. Luo Tingzhu blinked her big eyes at the starry sky outside the window, then squinted and said, "I thought the night stars in Shashi were beautiful. My appreciation level is not high enough. I can't see how they are better than other places."

"Did you eat well tonight? I noticed you didn't eat much. How about we go downstairs and try some stinky tofu?"

"Stinky tofu is a specialty of Shashi. We didn't get used to it last time, but maybe this time we'll find it tastes alright?"

After Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu arrived in Shashi, Luo Tingzhu's mother, Ruan Qiutao, took a day off and took the two of them to Orange Isle and Yuelu Mountain.

It was just too hot, so we didn't go anywhere else to play.

In August, Shashi was just as scorching as Hanshi.

"Are you really going? Last time, the two of us only ate two pieces." Luo Tingzhu's brows furrowed slightly.

"Go ahead and give it a try. Come on, let's go downstairs." Fang Ziye put away his phone and helped Luo Tingzhu, who was leaning against him, to her feet.

Luo Tingzhu sniffed and followed Fang Ziye's advice.

……

After buying two small portions of stinky tofu downstairs, the two each ate two pieces and then threw them into the trash can. They then bought a portion of sugar-oil rice cakes together, becoming just another ant in the crowd on Nanzheng Street pedestrian street.

It must be said that the pedestrian traffic on Nanzheng Street is greater than that on Hanzheng Street in Han City, and there are no closing times.

It's already 11:30 p.m. on August 9th, and the streets are still teeming with people, with the occasional sound of motorcycles revving their engines.

The two of them, as if joining in the fun, hurried from one shop to the next.

Luo Tingzhu still had the desire to go shopping, but her shopping desire wasn't very strong. In the next hour and a half, she only bought a hat.

However, the joy of shopping is not just about buying things. Perhaps participating in the crowds, going with the flow, and relaxing and strolling leisurely is also a genuine joy.

"Wait for me a moment, I'm going to buy another big sausage..." Fang Ziye said to Luo Tingzhu as they came out of a shop.

"Get me one too, I'm going to buy Chayan," Luo Tingzhu said.

Regardless of how online opinions change, Luo Tingzhu herself is a loyal fan of Chayan Yuese. She used to drink it often when she was in Han City, but she rarely drank milk tea when she went to En City. Now that she is in Sha City, she has already had two cups today.

About to finish the third cup.

"Then I still want Phoenix Perching on Green Osmanthus..." Fang Ziye very sensibly took the initiative to ask, giving Luo Tingzhu some psychological comfort, that he also wanted to eat it, and that she wasn't the only one who was greedy.

However, Fang Ziye received a phone call from an unknown number while he was in line.

Its place of origin is Shashi.

Fang Ziye didn't have any friends in Shashi. He narrowed his eyes, but after thinking for a moment, he still chose to answer the call: "Hello."

"Hello, teacher. Are you Professor Fang Ziye? I'm Xie Xin's junior brother. My name is Lin Chuan. You can also call me Xiao Lin, Professor Fang." The other person's voice was quite young, and his tone was rather ingratiating.

Xie Xin's junior brother? Why did he call me?

"Hello Dr. Lin, how can I help you?" Fang Ziye asked.

Fang Ziye's ordinary junior brothers are now very conscious of not bothering him often, knowing that there is a certain "status difference" between them, and they will not contact Fang Ziye unless it is important.

The gap in academic levels is too large. For ordinary master's and doctoral students, unless there is something particularly urgent, directly calling Fang Ziye would be a waste of time for both parties.

"Professor Fang, please don't misunderstand. Actually, it's like this: I was on duty today, and I heard about you from a patient in the department."

"I realized, aren't you Professor Fang that Senior Sister Xie Xin often mentions? So I specifically asked him about it, and the guy in bed 24 said he knows you, and they're quite familiar with each other..."

"I called Senior Sister Xie Xin, and she forwarded your number to me, Professor Fang..." Lin Chuan explained in detail.

"Bed 24? What's its name?"

"Liu Gaobo".

"Why is he hospitalized?" Fang Ziye's eyes narrowed.

“Spine osteosarcoma…it’s a solitary tumor, and there’s no metastasis yet,” Lin Chuan replied. “Professor Fang, you didn’t know?”

"Thank you, but I really didn't know about this." Fang Ziye's tone remained unchanged.

This isn't Lin Chuan's fault. If Fang Ziye encountered a patient who claimed to be an acquaintance of Professor Duan Hong, Fang Ziye would personally call Professor Duan Hong to inquire and discuss the matter beforehand.

To avoid any misunderstandings after the surgery.

Fang Ziye was well aware that even some professors in spinal surgery did not want their relatives to be hospitalized or have surgery with them, for fear of causing complications and making it difficult to resolve the issue.

"Professor Fang?" Lin Chuan's tone became tense.

“Let’s talk about it later. It’s getting late. Has Liu Gaobo’s surgery not been done yet?” Fang Ziye asked.

Luo Tingzhu's father is named Luo Pan, and her mother is Ruan Qiutao. After they separated, Luo Tingzhu gained a stepmother, Lan Limin, and a stepfather, Liu Gaobo.

Fang Ziye had dinner with Liu Gaobo, Ruan Qiutao, and his sister Liu Xia in the afternoon. If they had undergone surgery, Fang Ziye would have been able to tell.

"Not yet. Liu Gaobo is in Professor Deng's group. Currently, Senior Sister Xie Xin is also temporarily working with Professor Deng's group as an attending physician in the oncology department, mainly in charge of spinal tumors..." Lin Chuan said.

"Thank you so much, Dr. Lin. If there's a chance next time, I'll definitely ask Professor Qiao Yongjian to arrange a dinner for you!" Fang Ziye said.

"Oh? You know Professor Qiao?" Lin Chuan was very surprised.

"Yes, I know him. Thanks for your hard work. I have some other things to do, so I'll hang up now." Fang Ziye hung up the phone decisively and continued to queue up to buy stinky tofu.

Fang Ziye shouldn't have been familiar with the Department of Spinal Surgery at Xiangya Third Hospital, but by a twist of fate, he seemed to have met Xie Youwen, the head of the department, and Professor Qiao Yongjian, the next top expert.

Professor Xie Youwen is still the chief of the Department of Spinal Surgery and is the uncle of Xie Xin, a senior student. The other two professors are Professor Deng Dongkai and Professor Liu Xiao.

There were far more people queuing to buy Chayan than to buy the big sausage. Fang Ziye had already bought everything, but Luo Tingzhu was still queuing to have it redeemed.

"Tingzhu, should we postpone our trip to Asia City for a day or two?" Fang Ziye suggested as he approached her, handing her a large sausage.

Their wedding photoshoot was scheduled for the 14th, which is next Wednesday. The couple doesn't need to choose their outfits until the 13th, so even if they land on the 12th or 13th, it wouldn't be too late.

The couple originally planned to relax for two days first, fearing they wouldn't want to move after taking their wedding photos.

"Why?" Luo Tingzhu had already started taking small bites, the meat juices bursting in her mouth, and she felt very satisfied.

Fang Ziye then relayed the entire phone call he had just received to Luo Tingzhu without any concealment.

Upon hearing this, Luo Tingzhu was stunned for a moment, and then nervously snatched the large sausage that was about to be eaten, her hands moving somewhat stiffly.

Hesitantly, he asked, "Then? How good is the spinal surgery department at Xiangya Third Hospital?"

"Is Xiangya Hospital better?"

Luo Tingzhu was neither anxious nor overly worried; she simply offered advice based on the principle that problems should be addressed when they arise.

"It depends on what you think about this."

"You yourself are a member of our research group, so you should know that the spine also has its own independent blood circulation system."

“If we have enough time, my suggestion is to postpone the surgery until our research project is approved…” Fang Ziye said, lowering his head slightly.

His voice also became lower: "If you want, I can step in and stop the surgery, postpone the surgery and treatment."

"Osteosarcoma does not progress to a particularly serious stage within one or two months."

Fang Ziye is capable of helping with this, he is certain of that, but whether or not to help is ultimately Luo Tingzhu's decision.

Liu Gaobo may never have been kind to Luo Tingzhu, nor has he ever given her any money, nor has he raised her.

But Liu Gaobo agreed to let Luo Tingzhu's mother, Ruan Qiutao, give her half of the money every month, which shows that he is generous and reasonable.

In the world, there are very few stepfathers and stepmothers who can treat their stepchildren equally, let alone stepdaughters like Luo Tingzhu who are far away and whom they have hardly ever met.

"Senior brother, what do you think I should do?" Luo Tingzhu was flustered.

What she fears most is dealing with this kind of relationship.

"If you're willing, give it to me." Fang Ziye looked up, his tone firm.

"Or you can speak up if you have any thoughts."

Luo Tingzhu shook her head: "I don't know."

"My main concern is that we might not be able to solve his problem and could even delay his treatment. How will you face them then, senior brother?"

Postponing Liu Gaobo's surgery is not as simple as going out to buy a bottle of water.

Although it's unlikely to worsen in the short term, what if it does? What if treatment is delayed? What if Fang Ziye personally performs the surgery or treatment, but the results are still unsatisfactory?

Will his mother and Liu Xia hate Fang Ziye for the rest of their lives?

If the two of them leave it alone now, even if Liu Gaobo's surgery is not effective or relapses, it will be none of their business.

Luo Tingzhu and Fang Ziye are in their most natural state.

The world doesn't revolve around Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu. There are countless patients who are lucky enough to get into a top-tier hospital like Xiangya Third Hospital and secure a bed in the short term.

"Yes... what if the results aren't good either..."

"But no matter what you choose, there will be regrets. From my perspective, my advice is that you tell Aunt Ruan and Uncle Liu the whole story!"

"Let them decide," Fang Ziye said.

If it were someone unrelated, Fang Ziye could choose to ignore them. But Liu Gaobo and Luo Tingzhu already had an inherent bond that couldn't be severed. Luo Tingzhu could disown Liu Gaobo, but she couldn't very well disown Ruan Qiutao and Liu Xia, after all, Luo Tingzhu was too lonely.

This time, Luo Tingzhu did not blindly follow Fang Ziye's advice: "Let me think about it again, senior brother."

After buying the milk tea, the two silently walked towards the hotel.

If Liu Gaobo hadn't been hospitalized, the two of them wouldn't have hesitated at all. But that's often how the world is; accidents are always unpredictable.

……

The next day, Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu got up early, ate some rice noodles, and arrived at the apartment building where Ruan Qiutao lived.

Liu Xia is six years younger than Luo Tingzhu, only twenty years old this year, a junior in college majoring in environmental engineering, and currently at home during summer vacation.

Liu Xia was slightly shorter than Luo Tingzhu and not as enthusiastic as Lan Tianluo, but she was quite sensible and still called Luo Tingzhu "sister" when she saw her.

"Where's Uncle Liu?" Luo Tingzhu asked, pretending not to know, after entering the room and not seeing Liu Gaobo.

"Your Uncle Liu went out to buy groceries and won't be back for a while. I asked him to drive and buy some seafood. Xiao Fang, Ting Zhu, is there anything you'd like to eat? I can send him a message..." Ruan Qiutao remained very polite.

She wasn't very well-preserved; at over fifty, she looked a bit old. However, one could still see the charm she had in her youth in her eyebrows and facial features, perhaps even comparable to Luo Tingzhu's looks.

Her face is now covered with wrinkles, and her eyes are somewhat cloudy. Although she smiles, her worries are hard to hide.

Fang Ziye tugged at Luo Tingzhu's hand, and Luo Tingzhu said, "Mom, stop hiding it from me, and stop acting."

“Last night, a junior colleague of one of my senior sisters called us. It turned out that when Uncle Liu was hospitalized in the department, he mentioned my name and Senior Brother Fang’s name. That senior sister knows both of us…”

"Liu Gaobo, bed 24, Department of Spinal Surgery, Xiangya Third Hospital, spinal nodules." Luo Tingzhu did not mention the biopsy diagnosis of osteosarcoma, for fear of upsetting Ruan Qiutao and Liu Xia.

Upon hearing Luo Tingzhu's words, Ruan Qiutao and Liu Xia exchanged bewildered glances.

Liu Xia has a classic oval face, is very thin, has slender legs, and a long neck. Compared to Luo Tingzhu, although she is still very beautiful, she lacks a bit of voluptuous beauty.

Her expression was one of disbelief: "Sister, you know doctors at the Third Hospital?"

Luo Tingzhu didn't reply: "Mom, if I suggest you advise Uncle Liu to postpone the surgery for a few months, would you be willing to listen to my suggestion?"

"That means I'll go to the hospital for treatment in about one to two months."

Upon hearing this, Ruan Qiutao did not immediately agree, but instead looked Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu up and down: "Why do you suggest this?"

"This kind of growth should be detected and treated promptly."

"Besides, we've already scheduled the surgery for next Tuesday. Wouldn't it be inappropriate to go to the doctor now and cancel the surgery and request to be discharged?"

Fang Ziye knew he should speak up: "Aunt Ruan, actually I shouldn't have spoken, but I know this matter better than Tingzhu."

"Because one of the projects our research group is currently working on is the treatment of orthopedic tumors, but it has not yet passed the clinical trial phase."

"If this research can be successful, it may be possible to eliminate such tumors without the need for major invasive surgery."

“Aunt Ruan, please don’t rush to ask. If you put yourself in our shoes, Tingzhu and I could have chosen not to offer any advice. We have considered all the risks you are concerned about.”

"We're not doing this to show off or flaunt our abilities."

"If you'd like, a doctor will talk to you and Uncle Liu today."

"After you and Uncle Liu have carefully considered it, shall we contact each other by phone?" Fang Ziye knew that he was too young, so it was difficult for him to gain the trust of a stranger at first glance.

Therefore, it would be better if there were a few intermediaries in the middle.

Therefore, last night, after Luo Tingzhu agreed to give advice, Fang Ziye contacted Professor Qiao Yongjian.

Upon hearing that Luo Tingzhu's 'stepfather' was hospitalized in the Department of Spinal Surgery at the Third Hospital and had osteosarcoma, Professor Qiao Yongjian had Professor Xie Youwen of the Department of Spinal Surgery at the Third Hospital call Fang Ziye within three or four minutes.

Professor Xie Youwen was very kind and said he would discuss the matter with Liu Gaobo and his family several more times and fully respect all their decisions.

Later, Xie Xin also called...

"This?" Ruan Qiutao looked Fang Ziye up and down, hesitated for a few seconds, and then nodded silently.

She was a college student in the 1990s, and her current job is quite respectable. Her cognition, knowledge, and way of thinking are not so rigid, and she can handle things. Fang Ziye doesn't actually need to 'pretend'!
Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu's ages are the best excuse; they can even ignore it if they know it.

True doctor friends are few and far between; they'll mostly offer more formal and polite perfunctory responses...

The more you understand medicine, the more you realize how uncontrollable this field is, and the more you feel that you know nothing.

Unless... Fang Ziye's skills are not up to par, or he really does have some confidence.

Liu Xia couldn't accept all of this at once. Her father's growth had already made her extremely anxious, and in the past few days, her parents had 'ordered' her to cooperate in the act, which had already made her somewhat dissatisfied.

"But what if it gets worse?"

"What if we miss the opportunity for treatment?" Liu Xia's voice was on the verge of tears.

“My dad was supposed to have surgery the day before yesterday, but he postponed it because he heard you were coming.”

"We asked the doctor, and they said delaying it for a few days is definitely fine, but some people online are saying that delaying it for one or two months..."

"Say..." Liu Xia didn't finish her sentence.

But Fang Ziye understood her; he was her biological father.

Liu Gaobo's illness had nothing to do with Luo Tingzhu and Fang Ziye, nor did he get sick because Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu were coming, but her worries were genuine.

"Liu Xia, I know your concerns, but I have no way to answer your question."

Every choice has its advantages and disadvantages.

"The current choices are two: first, to have the surgery as planned, and second, to receive treatment according to the existing plan."

"The second is to wait, to wait for the clinical trials to be approved. We're striving for better efficacy, even at the risk of potential deterioration," Fang Ziye explained, which was quite bold.

Fang Ziye would never dare to speak like that to anyone else who is not involved.

"Can't we do it now? Do we have to wait?" Liu Xia asked.

"Yes! If the procedure is wrong, even if the result is right, everyone involved will be held accountable. The worst offenders will be sentenced to prison, the worst offenders will have their professional qualifications revoked, and the worst offenders will be given a major demerit or fined."

……

On the plane to Asia City, Fang Ziye and Luo Tingzhu were enjoying the beautiful scenery outside the window, but Luo Tingzhu was still not in high spirits.

"Don't overthink it. We've already reviewed Uncle Liu's medical records and pathology results. Based on our professional knowledge, we can definitely wait in this situation," Fang Ziye reassured him.

Upon hearing this, Luo Tingzhu turned her head to look at Fang Ziye: "Senior brother, I was actually thinking that maybe I shouldn't have helped him."

"After all, I have no blood relation with him."

“Sometimes I wonder if I treat Uncle Liu Gaobo better than I treat my father, am more lenient with him, and more harsh on my parents.”

"That's only natural," Fang Ziye replied. "Because they are your parents, and they are your blood relatives."

"No matter how much you blame or resent them, they are still your parents, and none of you can change that outcome."

"And they are your parents, so you tend to be more demanding of them, hoping they can give you a happy family, but you won't ask others to give you happiness, nor can you."

"Because other people aren't your parents, you know it's impossible."

"People who share the same bloodline will cause you double the harm, because you also find it hard to believe."

“But they didn’t hurt you on purpose. As you can see, Uncle Luo and Aunt Ruan are actually living quite happily now.”

"Although I have never met Uncle Luo, based on Lan Tianluo's description, I guess Uncle Luo is a person with a relatively high IQ, but a rather dull person. He only likes to do research."

"Aunt Ruan is a rather clever and intelligent person, but also quite sentimental. She needs companionship and understanding."

Fang Ziye summarized it himself: Luo Tingzhu's father was the kind of "high-IQ researcher" who was top-notch in technology but could never say a word in life.

Because anyone with basic social skills would never personally take care of Luo Tingzhu, and would instead drive Luo Tingzhu's father away.

She also wouldn't allow Luo Tingzhu and Lan Tianluo to have such a strained relationship when they were young, to the point that it left a grudge.

As for Luo Tingzhu's mother, she is a literary and artistic woman who enjoys small romantic gestures. She doesn't stay with someone for long, and she can't stay with someone who is dull and unassuming at heart.

“Actually, deep down you’re quite like Aunt Ruan. You seem stubborn, but deep down you’re like a clingy leech,” Fang Ziye said with a smile.

Luo Tingzhu patted Fang Ziye on the shoulder, her worry turning into a smile: "Then, senior brother, will you dislike me?"

"No, because I'm not Uncle Luo. I'm not dull at all." Fang Ziye put his hands behind his back.

After saying that, he took out two bags of nuts from his pocket.

Luo Tingzhu instinctively smacked her lips, feeling a bit hungry and wanting to eat.

Fang Ziye opened the bag and handed it to Luo Tingzhu, saying, "We should be more tolerant and also more demanding of our relatives."

"Therefore, when we are confident and capable, we should not think about escaping, but rather face the problem more directly."

"Even if we make a mistake and take responsibility, we will not regret it."

As Fang Ziye spoke, he lowered his head slightly.

He had once run away from his own grandmother.

He didn't perform the manual reduction of his grandmother's fracture himself. It was because Fang Ziye's technical skills at the time weren't enough to overcome his inner demons. Fang Ziye was afraid; he felt it wasn't safe...

(End of this chapter)