After Lin Yun continued soaking for another twenty minutes, He Mu began to tend to her wounds. After a thorough examination, he took small scissors from the medical kit, cut off her sock, and gently used tweezers to peel away the shredded fabric pieces from the wound.
As expected, the flesh of her wound had adhered to the sock. The moment it was peeled away, some skin and flesh came with it, looking quite ghastly.
Lin Yun bit her lower lip, trying her best to endure the pain.
He Mu worked quickly, applying medication and bandaging the wound.
Before long, he finished. "Madam, does it hurt less now?"
Lin Yun nodded. "I feel better, thank you, Dr. He."
He Mu smiled. "You're welcome. Saving lives and healing the wounded is the duty of a doctor. Besides, Mr. Bai treated us to dinner tonight, and I haven't had a chance to thank him properly yet."
Lin Yun looked at Bai Han beside her.
Bai Han looked at He Mu, his eyes calm. "Dr. He, you are too kind. It was just a meal. How much are your consultation fees for treating my mother today?"
He Mu smiled. "It was merely a gesture of goodwill; Mr. Bai need not be so formal."
Bai Xi could sense the unspoken meaning behind Bai Han's words.
She felt an instinctive sense of familiarity towards He Mu, a peculiar feeling.
Yet, it was this familiarity that made her detect a hint of danger.
Therefore, clarifying their relationship might not be a bad thing.
Bai Han said calmly, "One thing at a time. Friends might not need to be so formal, but as a patient, it's only natural to pay the doctor for their services. None of us, whether it's Xi'er, myself, or Dr. He, are particularly close."
Regardless of whether it was a coincidence or if He Mu was genuinely kind, he simply had a feeling that he didn't quite like the man.
Offering him consultation fees was a way of payment, but the real purpose was to draw a line between them.
Hearing this, Lin Yun felt a bit awkward.
Dr. He had helped her today, but her son's words were clearly embarrassing the man.
He Mu's expression remained largely unchanged upon hearing Bai Han's words. "Since Mr. Bai insists, then I must have been presumptuous. I won't accept payment today, but I understand Mr. Bai's intentions..."
With that, he prepared to pick up his medical kit and leave.
Just then, Lin Yun called out, "Dr. He..."
As she spoke, she tried to stand up.
However, the moment she stood, she felt a sharp pain in her foot and sank heavily back onto the sofa.
Bai Xi and Bai Han were startled and hurried over. He Mu, who had been about to leave, immediately stepped forward and carefully examined Lin Yun. "Madam, you should avoid any strenuous activity for the next two days. It would be best not to get out of bed before tomorrow morning. The wound still needs dressing, and if you develop a fever, you might need to take some anti-infective medication..."
Lin Yun, however, ignored the pain in her foot. "Dr. He, Han'er didn't mean it that way. Han'er is not very adept at social graces, so please don't take it to heart. He merely intended to offer you the remuneration you deserve. We are all very grateful for your help today."
The man before her resembled Han Mo so much that she couldn't bear to see him wronged.
Han'er had never liked Mo'er before, and now he wasn't being very friendly towards this Dr. He either.
She had told Han Mo before that she would treat him like her own son and protect him.
Now that Han'er was gone, seeing He Fang being wronged by Bai Han, she inexplicably felt the urge to comfort him.
Bai Han frowned slightly as he observed their interaction.
Bai Xi looked at her mother's expression, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Dr. He, do you have any other commitments on the island these next few days?"
He Mu shook his head. "I came here with colleagues for a vacation, so naturally, there's nothing particularly pressing."
Bai Xi looked at He Mu earnestly. "Since Dr. He has no other engagements, would you be willing to help look after my mother's injuries during your two days on the island? I can offer you a daily companionship fee of thirty thousand. Of course, we don't mean to insult you with this money; we simply believe that since medicine is your profession, you should receive the compensation you deserve for your dedicated service."
This time, He Mu did not smile, only furrowed his brow slightly.
Bai Xi continued, "Naturally, if you are unwilling, you could also ask your colleagues if they would be interested. If not, I will hire a nurse from a local hospital. However, Dr. He was the first doctor to treat my mother, and I believe that if you continue to oversee her subsequent treatment, it will be more beneficial for her recovery. Therefore, I sincerely hope you will agree."
He Mu looked at the earnest Bai Xi before him, his expression slowly shifting to one of helplessness. "Of course, I can. It's just that such a high companionship fee is quite overwhelming."
Without further ado or explanation, He Mu accepted the job.
As He Mu was leaving, he gave some final instructions and mentioned he would return at eight the next morning.
Bai Xi helped her mother to bed and chatted casually for a bit before returning to the living room.
In the living room, Bai Han was sitting on the sofa, drinking a bottle of mineral water he had just taken from the refrigerator. Seeing Bai Xi emerge, he asked, "Is Mom asleep?"
Bai Xi also took a bottle of juice from the refrigerator. "She should be tired. She wasn't asleep when I left, so she might be asleep now."
Bai Han raised an eyebrow slightly.
Bai Xi hesitated for a moment before finally voicing her thoughts. "Brother, do you have a problem with Dr. He?"
Bai Han raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
Bai Xi tilted her head back and took a sip of juice. "Even when you encounter people you dislike, you always speak with a degree of politeness. Yet today, you were so impolite to Dr. He. Aren't you deliberately targeting him?"
Bai Han remained silent, looking up and taking a sip of his mineral water.
Honestly, it was normal for Bai Xi to notice his deviation from his usual habits.
However, he hadn't expected her to ask directly, nor had he considered how to answer.
Seeing Bai Han's silence, Bai Xi hesitated before continuing, "I was also puzzled during dinner, but seeing Mom's state tonight, it suddenly became clear to me."
Upon hearing Bai Xi's words, Bai Han's heart sank inexplicably. He frowned slightly, his thin lips moving gently, and with great difficulty, he uttered a few words, "What have you figured out?"
Had Bai Xi remembered something?
He looked at Bai Xi, his eyes filled with concern.
Han Mo had said that if she tried to recall forcefully, she would experience intense pain. However, within a month, if she could endure the pain and try her best to remember, she might still recall. After a month, those memories would gradually be replaced by fabricated yet seemingly logical memories of events she hadn't personally experienced.
At that point, she would never remember him again.
It hadn't even been seven days yet. Could it be that she had already... remembered?
If she had remembered, she would have to re-experience the pain she felt on their wedding night.
The mere thought of it made his heart ache. Han Mo had clearly said she would only be asleep for a few hours, yet she had slept for three full days and nights. Those three days and nights were perhaps her chase after the memories that were about to vanish, or her pursuit of Han Mo.