One morning, Shen Xi saw only three patients, all of them wealthy.
Her registration and consultation fees were tens of times higher than those of other doctors.
The prescriptions she wrote also contained the finest medicinal herbs.
Ordinary people could not afford her consultation.
After seeing off the third patient, Shen Xi glanced at her watch; it was half-past eleven, and the workday was over.
She returned to the inner resting room, washed her hands, and then walked towards the cafeteria.
After only a few steps, she heard someone behind her calling her name.
"Sister Xi!"
She turned her head sharply and saw Qin Si Yue running quickly towards her.
"Si Yue, what a coincidence! Let's eat together." Shen Xi, with a look of surprise, greeted her enthusiastically.
"It's not a coincidence. Our examination department isn't on the same floor as your Traditional Chinese Medicine clinic. I came specifically to find you for lunch," Qin Si Yue said with a smile.
"Really? I was just worrying about not having anyone to eat with. Let's go quickly then." Shen Xi felt a little flattered. She gently pulled Qin Si Yue's arm, and the two walked forward together, chatting and laughing.
As soon as they got their food in the cafeteria and sat down, Qin Si Yue heard people at the table behind her whispering and criticizing Shen Xi.
"Did you see that? That's the new famous doctor."
"Which one, which one?"
"The one across from us, the woman with the stiff, pale face."
"Oh? So it's her. I don't see anything special."
"I just don't understand. We are also TCM practitioners. Why are her registration and consultation fees tens of times ours?
Traditional Chinese Medicine originated in China. She, who studied TCM abroad, is she more professional than us who studied it domestically?"
"Yeah? It's so unfair. I think her reputation is too inflated; something bad will happen sooner or later."
Shen Xi looked up at Qin Si Yue. She saw that Qin Si Yue hadn't started eating yet. Instead, she sat up straight, her dark eyes darting back and forth, doing God knows what.
"Si Yue, what's wrong? Eat quickly!" Shen Xi said softly.
"Shh—" Qin Si Yue gestured for her to be quiet and then leaned back slightly.
At this moment, the conversation from behind became unbearable.
"I don't know what the director is thinking, why he hired someone like her. Could they be involved?"
"That's possible. But the director's taste is really..."
With a "swish," Qin Si Yue stood up from her chair, turned around, and glared at them. "Why aren't you eating properly and spewing nonsense?"
One of the younger female doctors also stood up immediately. "We're talking. What's it to you?"
Qin Si Yue scanned the faces of the four people at the table. "You're gossiping behind people's backs and saying bad things about others. I don't like hearing it!"
"If you don't like it, block your ears. No one is forcing you to listen." The young doctor was also very fiery and didn't back down at all.
"I think we should get a needle and sew up all your mouths. Don't let this toxic atmosphere ruin the peace of our entire hospital," Qin Si Yue glared at her through gritted teeth.
"You... Who are you calling toxic?" The doctor's plump cheeks turned red with anger. She took a step forward. "What's so great about you, a junior doctor in the examination department?"
The older female doctor beside her, perhaps feeling they were in the wrong, quickly grabbed her arm and advised, "Dr. Yuan, let it go."
"Why should I let it go? I want to see just how capable she really is." Dr. Yuan broke free from her arm, like a ruffled fighting cock, and looked at Qin Si Yue condescendingly.
"If you have the guts, come on. Sew up my mouth with a needle right now."
Even now, Shen Xi hadn't figured out why they had started arguing.
But she knew Qin Si Yue must have heard something nasty to be so enraged.
She quickly walked over, cast a disdainful glance at the fighting cock, and put her arm around Qin Si Yue's waist. "Si Yue, hurry up and eat. There's no need to argue with people like this."
By this time, a crowd had gathered in the dining hall to watch the commotion.
Hearing this, the fighting cock became even more furious, its ruffled feathers puffing out even more. It suddenly reached out and shoved Shen Xi.
Shen Xi, caught off guard, cried out, "Ah!" and stumbled backward.
Everyone's eyes widened, and they gasped in astonishment.
Shen Xi was expected to fall to the ground, but a tall male doctor behind her reached out, caught her, and helped her stand steady.