Lin Can checked out of his room and stood at the hotel entrance. Imitating the Sichuan dialect, he called Chu Qingning: "Yao'er."
"Yao'er? Who taught you that?" Chu Qingning responded.
"The front desk told me that in Chengdu, you call your girlfriend either 'Guai Guai' or 'Yao'er.' So, where's Yao'er now?"
Chu Qingning replied in Sichuan dialect, "During rush hour, the bus is too crowded, and I can't even squeeze onto it. I'm still trying to get a taxi, it's so annoying!"
"I've noticed that girls in Chengdu love saying 'so annoying!' Wait a minute, don't take a taxi, I'll come pick you up and take you to the airport."
After hanging up, Lin Can drove the RV out of the parking area.
The Shangri-La Hotel was a little over 4 kilometers from East Lake Park, and as he passed Sichuan University and the traffic lights, Lin Can took a moment to glance at the popular university. He also saw an elderly man sweeping the street, who suddenly stumbled and fell. Trying to stand but too tired, he couldn't get up, and with cars speeding by, it was dangerous.
Lin Can quickly pulled the handbrake, twisted the dashcam to point at the elderly man, then opened the door and went to check on him.
A middle-aged man in a taxi stepped out and rushed over to help the elderly man up.
The elderly man was a bit chubby, and the middle-aged man, who wore glasses and looked scholarly, couldn't lift him on his own.
Lin Can jogged over. "You take the left side, I'll take the right."
The middle-aged man looked at Lin Can but didn't say anything. Together, they managed to sit the elderly man down on the side of the road. The middle-aged man checked the elderly man and said, "It's probably low blood sugar."
Lin Can asked, "Do we need to call an ambulance?"
Hearing the word "ambulance," the elderly man immediately thought about money and shook his head. "No need, no need. I'm fine, just didn't eat breakfast this morning. Thanks to both of you."
The elderly man clasped his hands in gratitude, picked up his broom, bought a steamed bun from a nearby stall, and continued sweeping while eating.
The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses and said to Lin Can, "Young man, you did the right thing."
"It's nothing, I'm heading off now."
Lin Can jogged back to the RV, but at the traffic light, he saw the middle-aged man trying to hail a taxi, so he called out, "Hey, uncle, I'm going to East Lake Park. If it's on your way, I can give you a ride."
"No, no, it's fine. I'll take a taxi."
"It's no problem. You got out of your taxi to help the elderly man, and now it's hard to find a cab. Get in, I'll give you a ride."
"Uh... alright."
The middle-aged man hesitated, but then agreed and climbed into the passenger seat. "Thanks, just drop me off near East Lake Park."
"Got it." Lin Can adjusted the dashcam to face forward and smiled at the middle-aged man. "Uh... just in case."
The middle-aged man nodded. "That's the right approach. Always protect your own interests before doing good deeds. Sigh... these days, it's hard to do good deeds."
"Yeah..." Lin Can sighed and started driving the RV again.
Beep, beep, beep—
The middle-aged man's phone rang.
"Hello, Mr. Zhou... Don't worry, the hospital has its rules. There are people ahead of you waiting for surgery, so there's no way to cut in line... Rest assured, your wife is only in the early stages of breast cancer. It's manageable... No, you should be more concerned about her health than whether those two lumps will be removed. Sigh... gotta hang up."
The middle-aged man hung up the phone.
Lin Can noticed the bag the man was carrying, which had the logo of Huaxian Hospital, one of the top hospitals in the country. Judging by his tone, it seemed like he was a professor.
Lin Can casually said, "You're a specialist in gynecology?"
"Yes..." The middle-aged man took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and leaned back in his seat, looking exhausted. "I just want to go home and see my daughter. I'm not rushing you, don't get me wrong."
Lin Can replied, "I understand. After a long day at work, you just want to see your family as soon as you're off."
Beep, beep, beep—
The middle-aged man's phone rang again. The caller ID showed "Daughter."
"Speak of the devil," the middle-aged man smiled, his exhaustion disappearing as he answered the call.
Lin Can teased, "Looks like daughters really are a father's little sweetheart. A call from your daughter, and all your tiredness is gone."
East Lake Park, next to Jade City.
Chu Qingning sat on her luggage, wearing a white pleated skirt and white over-the-knee stockings. She adjusted the edge of her "tight fit" stockings, crossing her left leg over her right. Her delicate foot playfully dangled her high heels, swaying them back and forth.
"Professor Chu, still not off work? If you don't hurry, your daughter will go on her trip, and you'll miss her. Hehe~"
In the RV's passenger seat, the middle-aged man smiled kindly, "Just wait, I'm on my way. By the way, I heard from your mom that you're going on a trip with your boyfriend… Make sure you have some self-restraint. Know what to do and what not to do, understand?"
"Understood!" Chu Qingning laughed, her voice soft as she hung up.
Lin Can turned to the middle-aged man and said, "So, Professor, you're in a hurry to get back to see your daughter?"
"Yeah, I'm always at the hospital, rarely get to spend time with her. I had two days off and planned to stay home with her, but then that boyfriend of hers said he was taking her on a trip."
Lin Can noticed that when the middle-aged man mentioned "her boyfriend," his eyebrows furrowed, showing clear discomfort and unease.
The discomfort was from the thought of his beloved daughter being "taken away" by someone else.
The unease was because he didn't know what the boyfriend planned to do on the trip!
Lin Can felt a sudden urge to console him.
"Professor, it seems like you're really worried about your daughter?"
"Of course! My daughter is so good and outstanding. She has a boyfriend now, and they're going on a trip together. I'm really worried he's a bad guy, someone who will deceive my daughter. I'm just being honest. Nowadays, these bad guys are so good at pretending to be caring and loving."
"Yeah, bad guys have evolved. But... parents can only worry, and ultimately, it's up to the daughter's luck. I believe your daughter's luck is good, Professor. She won't meet a bad guy."
"I hope so."
"Oh, by the way, Professor, you mentioned breast cancer earlier. You're an expert in that field, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'm a bit concerned about my girlfriend. Not that she's sick, but breast cancer and conditions like breast hyperplasia are pretty common these days. Since I have an expert in front of me, I'd like to ask if there's anything I can do to help prevent it."
As soon as the topic turned to his specialty, the middle-aged man became serious.
"These diseases have been increasing among women in recent years. You really need to pay attention to your diet. Avoid fried and high-fat foods, especially those with high levels of hormones. Second, keep your mood stable and avoid stress. Third, quit bad habits, like staying up late. Fourth, maintain a positive attitude..."
The professor rattled off a list of advice.
"Uh... Professor, all the things you mentioned are the lifestyle habits of young people these days."
"Exactly! It's these unhealthy habits that have led to a rise in these diseases among women."
"Got it. As her boyfriend, is there anything I can do to help her prevent it?"
"There is. You can massage your girlfriend using the right techniques."
Upon hearing this, Lin Can perked up, "So, what exactly should I do?"
"It's not about 'rua,' it's about proper massage, using targeted techniques to stimulate certain pressure points."
"Sorry, I wasn't being professional."