Chu Xia was a bit stunned by Cen Zhengnian’s embrace, but when she heard his words, the corners of her mouth curled up, and she hugged him back. “Okay.”

The next day, Jiang Zhishu came to pick up Chu Xia.

She had already informed Cen Zhengnian, and she had also asked Jiang Zhishu if she could bring An An along.

He agreed.

“You’ll have to eat lunch alone today. Don’t forget the time.”

Cen Zhengnian nodded. “Got it.”

He watched as Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an left the family compound in a small black car.

His brows furrowed once more as he contemplated how to speed up his current task.

A few days ago, Yan Hemin had told Cen Zhengnian and the other researchers that once the current task was completed, they would all be given a short vacation.

Cen Zhengnian had never taken such a vacation before.

Although the break still seemed far off, he had already mapped out numerous plans in his mind for when it finally came.

At Jiang Zhishu’s company.

Chu Xia and Cen Huai’an arrived smoothly.

They were directly taken to Jiang Zhishu’s office, where Luo Peng was playing with Jiang Weixi.

Seeing the staff act as if nothing was out of the ordinary, Chu Xia understood why Jiang Zhishu had agreed to let her bring An An along.

Jiang Weixi was playing house with a doll and Luo Peng.

As soon as she saw Cen Huai’an, she immediately jumped up from the carpet and ran over to them, her little feet pattering.

“Brother!”

“Auntie!”

Her mother had told her to greet adults first, and after doing so, Jiang Weixi grabbed Cen Huai’an’s hand and shook it, her baby voice excited. “Brother, brother, let’s play house! You be the daddy, and I’ll be the mommy.”

Jiang Zhishu watched his daughter cling to Cen Huai’an with more enthusiasm than she showed him and felt a little regret for agreeing to let Cen Huai’an come over.

But business was more important.

Cen Huai’an was pulled by Jiang Weixi to sit on the carpet and play.

Luo Peng, sitting nearby, smiled warmly at Chu Xia. “Chu Xia, you and Zhishu can go to work. I’ll watch the kids.”

“Thank you, cousin-in-law.”

Luo Peng shook her head. “Actually, it’s Zhishu who is bothering you, not letting you rest on your day off.”

The experimental building was behind the office, with a small garden in between.

At that moment, all sorts of flowers were blooming, and bamboo was planted at the edges.

As they crossed the garden and saw the experimental building, it became clear how different it was from the office building.

The people here were more reserved and focused solely on their work, unconcerned with who was coming and going.

“The ointment production center is here.”

When Chu Xia, Jiang Zhishu, and his secretary arrived, the leading researcher and his team had just completed another experiment, but they still found the ointment’s effectiveness lacking.

“Where exactly are we going wrong?”

“Dr. Xu.”

“Boss.”

Dr. Xu glanced at Jiang Zhishu and continued thinking about the production process.

In his eyes, nothing was more important than the research.

“Dr. Xu, this is Dr. Luo Chuxia, the one who provided the formula.”

Dr. Xu’s gaze immediately shifted from the ointment to Chu Xia’s face, his eyes lighting up as if he had discovered a treasure.

“Dr. Luo, hello.”

“Hello, Dr. Xu.”

Without any pleasantries, Dr. Xu immediately took Chu Xia to review their team’s production process, asking her where they might have gone wrong.

The steps and methods for making the ointment were not complicated, but the details needed careful attention; otherwise, it could easily fail.

After just one review, Chu Xia pinpointed the problem. “Your water temperature is off.”

“Impossible! We measured it with a thermometer. It was at the temperature specified in the recipe.”

Chu Xia replied, “Then your thermometer is faulty.”

Dr. Xu frowned, realizing this wasn’t out of the question.

Chu Xia personally prepared a batch in front of them, raising the water temperature slightly.

The thermometer still displayed the same temperature as before, but when everyone touched the beaker, they noticed the water was obviously hotter than in their previous attempts.

Sure enough, after completing the ointment this time, its efficacy was exactly the same as the original version Jiang Zhishu had brought.

Dr. Xu sighed and threw the faulty thermometer aside, instructing his team to check all the equipment in the lab.

If the instruments were malfunctioning, it would affect not only the production of the sunburn ointment but other medicines as well.

Their investigation revealed that several pieces of equipment, not just the thermometer, had issues, which was highly unusual.

Jiang Zhishu’s expression darkened.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Chu Xia decided to leave the lab since her part was done.

The rest was up to Jiang Zhishu to handle.

Dr. Xu still wanted to speak with Chu Xia, but given the circumstances, he could only sigh in regret.

The sunburn ointment still had a long way to go—from development to registration, clinical trials, and eventually being marketed—so Chu Xia wouldn’t be seeing her formula in stores anytime soon.

She wasn’t concerned, though, and focused on her internship with Dr. Yan.

In September, Cen Huai’an started school, entering the third year of junior high.

By the end of the next semester, he would take the high school entrance exam and move on to senior high.

For Chu Xia, time seemed to fly by, especially because Cen Huai’an had skipped a grade.

He didn’t seem like a student about to enter his final year of junior high.

Many of his classmates had grown taller over the summer, including the boy who sat in front of him, who had shot up by seven or eight centimeters during the break.

“Mom, I want to eat five buns at once! I want to grow taller too,” said Cen Huai’an’s classmate, who not only ate five buns but also had pancakes, vegetables, and porridge—eating an enormous amount in one meal.

“That’s normal. Kids in puberty need a lot of nutrition,” Chu Xia calmly remarked to Cen Huai’an.

“How old is he?” she asked.

“Fifteen,” Cen Huai’an replied.

“And how old are you?”

“Eleven,” he answered quietly, aware of the age difference.

“You’re four years younger. No matter how much you eat, even if you stuff yourself, you can’t catch up to those four years of meals,”

Chu Xia said, patting his head. “You’re not yet at the rapid growth phase of puberty. Don’t be in such a hurry. In two or three years, when you least expect it…”

“I want to grow tall, Mom!” Cen Huai’an interrupted eagerly.

“Alright, when the time comes, you’ll grow tall just like a sapling shooting up into a towering tree,” Chu Xia reassured him.

The thought made Cen Huai’an smile.

His father, Cen Zhengnian, added a piece of meat to his plate, saying, “Genetically speaking, both your mom and I are tall, so chances are you won’t be short either.”

Chu Xia had her own reasoning.

In the original story, Cen Huai’an’s height was clearly described as 185 cm (around 6 feet).

Since their family ate well—plenty of fish, meat, eggs, milk, vegetables, and fruit—there was no way he would end up shorter than in the book.

Chu Xia originally thought she would be interning under Dr. Yan for a year, but when she went to work in September, she was informed that she had passed her internship and was now allowed to have her own consultation room.

Surprised by the sudden news, she asked, “Teacher, how did this happen so fast?”

Dr. Yan chuckled, “It’s not sudden. With your skills, you could’ve started seeing patients on your own months ago. Making you intern for three months was almost a waste of your abilities.”

Feng Xiaoyuan, her fellow intern, looked at Chu Xia enviously. She, too, wanted her own room and to see patients independently.

“Teacher, when can I finish my internship?” Feng Xiaoyuan asked eagerly.

Dr. Yan tapped her on the head with a pen. “You still need more time. Be patient.”

“How long?”

“Until the time is right.”

Feng Xiaoyuan sighed deeply.

She knew she couldn’t match Chu Xia’s medical skills.

Faced with the same patient, Chu Xia was always praised, while she was usually the one getting criticized.

“Sis, let me help you move your things,” Feng Xiaoyuan offered enthusiastically, even though Chu Xia didn’t have much to move. Despite being turned down, Feng Xiaoyuan remained eager to assist.

Chu Xia’s new office was next to Dr. Yan’s.

The previous doctor who used it had been transferred before she arrived.

The room was sparsely furnished, with a layer of dust on the desk.

As Chu Xia wiped the desk, Feng Xiaoyuan admired the office. “Sis, this room is so big and cozy! Will I get one like this too?”

Chu Xia nodded. “You will, as long as your skills meet the teacher’s standards.”

But Feng Xiaoyuan’s excitement quickly faded. “It feels like I have a long way to go.”

The two of them worked together to tidy up the office.

Chu Xia then went to the head of the department to collect some supplies that were missing, ready to start her consultations that day.

However, traditional Chinese medicine relies heavily on age and experience, and Chu Xia was still very young.

Most patients preferred to see Dr. Yan, so by the end of the day, while Dr. Yan’s room was packed, Chu Xia’s office remained almost empty.

Chu Xia wasn’t discouraged. She knew this wasn’t something that could be changed overnight.

So when no patients came, she focused on studying medical texts and researching the prescriptions her grandfather had left in her memory.

Just recently, Jiang Zhida had brought her many herbs from Guangdong, giving her the chance to delve into her studies.

Feng Xiaoyuan, on the other hand, was more anxious than she was. “Sis, what are you going to do if no one comes to see you?”

Chu Xia poured her a glass of water. “Study and wait for the right opportunity.”

Patients would come eventually.

Once she got the chance, Chu Xia was confident that she would build up her reputation, and more people would seek her out.

Feng Xiaoyuan furrowed her round face in concern. “When I start seeing patients on my own, will it be like this for me too?”

Chu Xia glanced at her and said, “Let’s talk about that after you pass the internship.”

Chu Xia specialized in areas different from Dr. Yan.

She was skilled in gynecology and pediatrics, while Dr. Yan focused more on the digestive system, throat, chest, lungs, and overall body health.

Chu Xia was also proficient in health maintenance through medicinal cuisine.

As the weather grew colder, there was little change in the flow of patients to Chu Xia’s office.

However, she remained patient. Dr. Yan, understanding her situation, reassured her, “Keep studying. The patients will come in time.”

“I know, Teacher,” she responded.

Just then, Chu Xia received her first patient, an old acquaintance—Shi Qin.

After seating her, Chu Xia smiled and asked, “Is your old condition flaring up again?”

Shi Qin shook her head and extended her arm. “Lately, I’ve had no appetite, I’m always tired, and my period is late. I don’t know what’s going on. But when I heard you were working at our hospital, I specifically came to see you.”

If not for Chu Xia, Shi Qin would still be struggling with her previous condition.

Despite Chu Xia’s young age, Shi Qin had complete faith in her medical skills.

Chu Xia had some suspicions as she took Shi Qin’s pulse, her fingers lingering longer than usual on her wrist.

Shi Qin’s heart started to race. “What is it? Could it be…?”

Chu Xia set down her hand and smiled. “Don’t overthink it. It’s good news.”

Shi Qin’s eyes widened as her heart thumped in her chest. “Good news? What kind of good news?”

“You’re pregnant. Two months along,” Chu Xia announced with a smile.

Shi Qin froze, stunned, unable to process the bombshell.

Chu Xia didn’t rush her and calmly wrote down some notes, letting Shi Qin take her time to absorb the news.

“Chu Xia, are you serious?” Shi Qin asked, her hand cautiously resting on her abdomen, still in disbelief that there could be a life growing inside her.

Chu Xia smiled warmly. “Yes, I’m serious. If you still feel uncertain, you can go to the Western medicine department for a checkup.