When Chen Tingting appeared, Xiao Li was quite surprised. There hadn’t been any news about her for years. Since the end of the pandemic, she’d seen Chen Tingting being held criminally responsible on TV, and then there was no further news about her. And now she suddenly popped up. And in such a self-revealing way! However, although Chen Tingting exposed herself, the silly thing she’d done was years ago and had been punished. She herself knew she was wrong, and netizens became much more forgiving towards her. Everyone said that she knew her mistakes and corrected them. Not bad at all. Mainly because there was Fang Fu who was quite clueless in comparison, making Chen Tingting’s ability to admit her mistakes seem very endearing. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵※𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾※𝙣𝙚𝙩 At the hospital, during the lunchtime break, Xiao Li was holding her phone intending to order takeout when a nurse came to call her, saying someone was looking for her. Xiao Li went outside the Respiratory Department and saw Chen Tingting standing there! "It’s you! Are you looking for me for something?" Chen Tingting smiled, "I came to ask you to have a meal together. I wonder if you’d oblige?" Xiao Li smiled and pointed at the white coat she was wearing, "Wait for me. I’ll go change my clothes." After changing, Xiao Li walked out of the hospital with Chen Tingting, "Chen Tingting, I have to work a shift in the afternoon, can’t go far. Can we eat nearby?" Chen Tingting nodded, "Sure!" "But all the nearby spots are small eateries. Are you okay with eating at these places?" Chen Tingting laughed, "If even the second wife of the Qin Family can go to these places, why wouldn’t I? I’ve just returned to the country and am not familiar with the area. Please take me to a place with good food!" Xiao Li raised her eyebrow and took Chen Tingting to a place she particularly liked. Actually, Xiao Li didn’t dine out often; most times, she ordered takeout. They arrived at the restaurant at a busy mealtime, with many people around. Xiao Li led Chen Tingting to a four-person table in the corner. Once seated, Xiao Li handed Chen Tingting the menu, "See if there’s anything you want to eat?" In such small eateries, the menu is just a single sheet on the table, the content isn’t much, unlike the large restaurants where the menus are thick and bound. Chen Tingting took the menu, "What are you having?" Xiao Li, "I’m just getting fried rice noodles and corn pork rib soup—that’s enough for me!" Chen Tingting put the menu down, "Then I’ll have the same as you." Xiao Li called someone to order, and once they walked away, she said, "You didn’t just come to have a meal, did you?" Chen Tingting nodded, "Yes, I also wanted to thank you!" Xiao Li looked puzzled, "Thank me for what?" "Thank you for the treatment you gave me during the pandemic. I should have come to thank you earlier, it’s quite overdue now! I was abroad all the time before, and just returned a few days ago." This appreciation was indeed late by a few years; right after the pandemic ended, Chen Tingting wanted to properly thank Xiao Li. But after her quarantine ended, she was invited for a ’chat’ with authorities. When she got out, her family feared she’d make more silly decisions if she stayed in the country, so they sent her abroad for further study. During those years overseas, without distractions, she dedicated herself to learning professional knowledge. Now, she has gained a bit of fame internationally. But no matter how good it was abroad, she didn’t want to stay there; she just wanted to return to the country. This time, not because Qin Xiao was back, but because her family was. The Chen Family had suffered severe setbacks a few years ago, and after all these years, they were still holding on to a small company. Chen’s father and mother’s health deteriorated in the past couple of years, and Chen Tingting wanted to return to help her brother revive the company and to be with her parents for filial duty. Xiao Li smiled casually, "No need to thank me, treating patients is our duty as doctors." Chen Tingting nodded, "I know, you’re a good doctor. After all these years, you’ve still kept your original intentions, treating every patient sincerely regardless of who they are. But my gratitude isn’t just for the physical healing, but also for the way you redeemed my spirit. Back then, I was filled with hostility, arrogantly unyielding. If I hadn’t learned so much from being around you, perhaps I wouldn’t have found the peace I have now." Xiao Li nodded, "Okay, I accept your thanks." They were chatting when their fried rice noodles and soup were served. Xiao Li had been busy all morning and was quite hungry, so she started eating as soon as the food arrived. To her surprise, Chen Tingting was enjoying her food with equal enthusiasm. Seeing Chen Tingting eat, Xiao Li shook her head with a smile, "Miss Chen, your image while eating isn’t that great right now. Did you undergo a transformation overseas?" Chen Tingting swallowed and took a sip of soup before replying, "No, but during these years abroad, I haven’t lived off my family. I had to become self-sufficient, working outside. Initially, I worked in restaurants doing dishwashing jobs. Working in restaurants meant the mealtime rush was hectic; there was no way to eat on time. By the time I was famished, it became impossible to maintain a graceful eating manner. Eventually, eating without concern for image became a habit. You shouldn’t say much, your image isn’t good either!" Xiao Li shook her head, "It’s normal for me to lack image, being a doctor means grabbing time to eat." Chen Tingting nodded, "Being a doctor is so exhausting; have you ever thought of quitting?" Xiao Li shook her head, "No, I love this job. Unless anything unexpected happens, I plan to keep doing it!" After that, they didn’t speak much, peacefully eating their meal until it was time to part. Chen Tingting then asked, "Xiao Li, does this mean we’ve reconciled?" Xiao Li looked at her, "Did we have a feud?" Chen Tingting laughed, "Of course, the enmity of stealing a husband is irreconcilable!" Xiao Li shrugged, "The point is, did I snatch him?" Chen Tingting shook her head, "No, he was never mine; he was yours from the beginning!" Xiao Li nodded, "I’m leaving." She finished talking and went straight back to the hospital. As for Chen Tingting’s return, Xiao Li didn’t take it seriously. She could tell Chen Tingting had let go of Qin Xiao. Earlier, when Qin Xiao was mentioned, there was calmness in her tone and gaze, no longer the hysteria seen in the past. At the Chen Family, the moment Chen’s mother saw Chen Tingting return, she asked, "So, did you make things clear with her?" Chen Tingting set down her handbag, "Clarify what? I just went to say thanks!" Chen’s mother, "You need to make it clear that you no longer have feelings for the second master of the Qin Family. Now that you’ve returned to the country, if it’s left unclear, any misunderstandings would be too much for our family to bear." Chen Tingting chuckled, "Mom, don’t worry! There won’t be any misunderstandings. She knows I don’t have any feelings for Qin Xiao anymore. I won’t chase after Qin Xiao in the future, and won’t trouble them again." Chen’s mother said, "But you said you wanted to discuss a cooperation with the Qin Family. How can you manage that without meeting him?" Chen Tingting shook her head, "Discussing cooperation doesn’t need to involve Qin Xiao. There’s someone else handling the negotiations with us."