Chapter 1 — Good People Don't Need To Prove For Too Long

My former colleague brought her husband, the director, to defame me. Who would have thought that as soon as she met her husband, he would respectfully call me: "Teacher!" During a meeting of old colleagues at the hospital, my old female colleague brought up my old story and shamed it in front of everyone. She smiled sarcastically:

"I heard that that year you relied on men to get a place in advanced study, which is why you got the position you have today?"

I nodded calmly.

"That's right."

The entire dining table immediately turned their eyes towards me, everyone waiting to see the joke. At that moment, the room door opened. Her husband walked in, and as soon as he saw me, he respectfully called out:

"Master Tham."

I put down the teacup and calmly replied:

"The man everyone has always been curious to know... is him."

From the moment Trinh Vy placed the black membership card in the middle of the table, I knew tonight's party was not about reminiscing about old times. The card rotated around on the table. Everyone sees it. The surface is embossed with gold-plated words: Lan Loan Assembly Hall - Lifetime membership card.

"Thanh Ninh, try this shrimp ball."

Ms. Hua put a pill into my bowl.

"The chef here is very famous. The private room was also booked by Trinh Vy, definitely not bad."

I nodded.

"Thank you."

Trinh Vy sat across from me, the jade bracelet on her wrist gently hitting the glass.

"Don't say that, Ms. Hua. We're all acquaintances, it's just a meal."

She smiled at me.

"Thanh Ninh, I heard you still work at the community clinic now?"

I put down my chopsticks.

"That's good."

She raised the cup of tea.

"Relaxed, no pressure."

Luu Man, sitting next to him, immediately responded.

"How can it be compared to Trinh Vy? She is now Principal Lam's wife. If Principal Lam just says a word, many people will line up to bring documents."

Trinh Vy gently touched Luu Man's hand.

"Don't talk nonsense. Tu Ngang doesn't like others showing off his position."

Having finished speaking, she placed her hand on the table again. The diamond ring sparkled under the light.

"But Thanh Ninh, if you want to move to another place to work, I can talk to Tu Ngang."

I looked at her.

"No need."

"Don't be shy."

Trinh Vy leaned slightly towards me.

"When you were in the Emergency Department, you risked your life like that. Now you're back at the community clinic. Everyone feels sorry for you."

Ms. Hua coughed softly.

"Eat, eat."

But Trinh Vy still didn't stop.

"For women, after the age of thirty-five, the path becomes narrower and narrower. You're not married yet, and you don't have anyone to back you up, so you should still be a little more realistic."

I took a sip of tea.

"I've always been very practical."

Liu Man laughed.

"Thanh Ninh is still the same as ever, talking really hard."

Trinh Vy's eyes stopped on the old watch on my wrist.

"Are you still wearing this watch? I saw you wearing it when I was training in Kinh Chau."

"It still runs very well."

"What's the use of being standard?"

She gently shook her wrist, showing off her expensive watch and bracelet.

"There are times when women have to let others see how well they live."

Ms. Hua quickly brought the story back.

"Thanh Ninh is also very good now. All the patients praise her."

Trinh Vy smiled faintly.

"What do you get from patients' compliments? In the hospital, there are many people who praise you, but few people who support you. In the end, you still can't climb the ladder."

I didn't reply. Maybe see Having had enough foreplay, Trinh Vy put down her cup of tea.

"Thanh Ninh, I remember that year you were sent to Kinh Chau for advanced studies... it seems like you weren't the head of the department?"

The whole dining table immediately fell silent. The spoon in Luu Man's hand stopped in mid-air. Ms. Hua frowned.

"Trinh Vy, why are you suddenly mentioning that?"

Trinh Vy smiled.

"I was just asking aimlessly."

She looked straight at me.

"That year your family owed a lot of money. Your father was in the hospital, and your mother had to borrow everywhere."

"And yet suddenly you got a place to go to advanced studies and even paid all your medical bills."

I gently put down the tea cup.

"What do you want to say?"

"I don't want to say anything."

Trinh Vy's voice became increasingly softer.

"Just remembering an old story. Back then, there were rumors in the hospital that you knew a very powerful man."

Luu Man's eyes lit up.

"Is there still such a thing?"

Trinh Vy sighed.

"Thanh Ninh used to be beautiful, many people pursued her. It's just a shame... some people chose a path that wasn't so glorious."

Ms. Hua's face immediately darkened.

"Trinh Vy, that's enough."

"Sister Hua, am I wrong?"

Trinh Vy looked straight at me.

"Tham Thanh Ninh, do you dare say that you never received money from that man that year?"

I raised my head. Luu Man immediately sat up straight. The smile on Trinh Vy's lips became even brighter.

"See."

She pulled the black membership card towards her.

"Actually, it's nothing. When we were young, everyone did some stupid things."

I calmly asked:

"What do you think I did?"

"Do I still need to say this?"

Trinh Vy's fingertips tapped lightly on the table.

"Advanced tuition in Jingzhou, two hundred thousand yuan in hospital fees, and a black car that is parked at the back gate of the hospital every day."

She stared at me.

"The owner of that car... their name is Lam, right?"

I looked at her and suddenly felt ridiculous.

"You called me here today... just to talk about these things?"

"Of course not."

After speaking, Trinh Vy picked up the phone. That's right, this paragraph doesn't have a STT, I translated it correctly, didn't add any more:

"I just wanted to ask you to help me with something."

Ms. Hua lowered her voice and asked: