~~~

“You look tired, son.”

Liu Jin opens his mouth to answer but has to cover it when all that comes out is a yawn instead. The sky is already darkening, yet Liu Jin has only just now arrived home.

“It is nothing serious,” Liu Jin says once he has finished yawning. “It is just…”

“Tedious,” his father guesses with a knowing look on his face. Liu Jin can only nod in reply.

If his duties with the Xiao Sect could only consist of physical activity and healing others, it’d be easy. If Liu Jin could spend all day making medicine, he probably wouldn’t even consider it a job. If his only duty was to spar with the other Inner Disciples, that could almost be called fun.

“It is bothersome going through Doctor Wu’s notes.” Liu Jin rubs the back of his neck. Sitting all day has not been good for him. “He was annoyingly meticulous about the oddest things.”

“Yet you brought some of his notes with you,” his father notes, a smile tugging at his lips.

Liu Jin looks away, a blush on his face. “Since I already started this part, it feels annoying if I can’t finish it.”

Liu Jin blinks as a smell drifts by his nose. His head perks up as he glances at the kitchen, sniffing at the air.

“Do we have sweets?” He asks, turning to his father, his elbow now resting on the table.

“I was wondering when you’d notice. Gao Si brought a box of almond cakes his wife made today. They are in the kitchen.”

Liu Jin is about to get up and grab one when the full weight of his father’s words hits him. He turns his gaze to his father, head tilted slightly to the right.

“Gao Si is married?”

Perhaps it is a bit rude of Liu Jin to be so surprised. However, Gao Si is the person Old Lady Gao constantly referred to as ‘her useless son who would be unable to get a woman even if she were blind and deaf.’

“It surprised me too, but yes. The wedding happened a few months ago. I am not surprised you missed it.” An uncomfortable look crosses his father’s face. “We had other things to worry about back then.”

“Oh.” Gloom sets on Liu Jin’s shoulders, but he does his best to shake it off. “I am happy for him. I am guessing his wife is in good health if he brought sweets.”

It isn’t rare for patients to bring gifts in gratitude for his father’s services. In fact, it happens at least twice every week.

“More than that, she’s having twins.”

The smile on his father’s face is as bright as day, and it does not take long for it to be mirrored by Liu Jin. Old Lady Gao and Old Man Gao were among the first patients his father had. It almost seems like yesterday when Gao Si would have to come by every week to pick up his mother’s medicine. To think he’s about to become a father. How can Liu Jin fail to feel happy?

“Twins? Truly?” Liu Jin shakes his head, smiling. “Old Lady Gao would be so happy if she could see this.”

She had always worried about her son’s lack of prospects, always complaining about not having any grandchildren to spoil, whether Gao Si was around to hear her or not.

How quickly time passes.

“Should I send them a gift?”

“If you wish to. I am certain it would bring them great joy. You may not have noticed, busy as you are, but your reputation around the city has grown over the past few months.” His father looks at the notes. “If you need help, I am sure I could provide some.”

Liu Jin quickly shakes his head.

“This is nothing. Father already has more than enough things to worry about with the clinic. Please, do not let me add to them.”

It is rather uncomfortable to think about, but because he has been busy with Xiao Sect, his time in the clinic has been diminishing over the years. While one could argue that Liu Jianguo has never truly needed Liu Jin’s help, it doesn’t stop Liu Jin from feeling guilty about not doing more.

“Son,” his father says with a pointed look. “I do not think this is something that needs saying, but you are always my first priority. There are few things I can help you with, so please, do not deny me the opportunity to do so.”

Liu Jin blushes and looks at his lap.

“Thank you, father.”

“By the way, the word you have circled should be family.”

Liu Jin is left blinking. He looks back and forth between the notes and his father.

“But that’s… the context always made it seem like it was something horribly tedious.”

“Family,” his father says with complete certainty. “There is nothing worse for a doctor than a patient’s family. It is not surprising you haven’t figured it out yet. Although you are quite skilled, I have protected you from that side of medicine.”

“Family?” Liu Jin repeats once more, not able to hide his disbelief. His father nods with supreme certainty.

“One day, you will treat a patient who seems nice. Then his family will start coming to visit him one by one, each expecting you to repeat everything you have already explained to your patient, each thinking they know what is best. It is because they care that they do things like that, but it does not make them any less bothersome. I may have disliked Doctor Wu as a person, but there are certain things only doctors can understand. This is one of them.”

Family.

Liu Jin looks at the notes and mentally replaces the coded word with family.

It fits perfectly.

As expected, his father is amazing.

“Father, I still have much to learn.”

“Everyone does, son. The important thing is to never forget you still have much to learn.”

~~~