"The table's bill, the guests at that table said to put it on their tab."

Lin Jie, who was preparing to pay, chuckled at the waiter's words and said proudly, "Kexin, perhaps this is a perk of being a doctor; there's always someone eager to cover the bill."

An Kexin snorted and said, "Some small favors are better left untaken."

They looked in the direction the waiter pointed and saw a man and a woman dining in a corner of the restaurant.

The woman's back was to them, and the man sitting opposite her, appearing in his thirties, seemed unfamiliar to Lin Jie.

An Kexin also shook her head, indicating she didn't know them either.

They got up and walked towards them. The man saw them and pulled the woman across from him to stand up.

Finally seeing the woman turn to face them, Lin Jie understood the reason they had paid his bill.

This woman was the mother of the injured girl from the Sunshine Hot Spring Resort.

With gratitude in her voice, the girl's mother said, "Hello, Expert Lin, this is my husband! Covering your bill is our small gesture of thanks; please don't refuse!"

"Thank you, Expert Lin, for stepping up to save my daughter," the man also expressed his respect and gratitude.

"It's my duty as a doctor, no need to dwell on it."

Lin Jie politely replied and then asked, "How is the child doing?"

"That night, our daughter underwent a thorough examination and was observed overnight. Finding no issues, she was discharged first thing in the morning."

The girl's mother then explained, somewhat embarrassed, "Tonight, my parents are helping watch our daughter, so my husband and I could have some time together."

"Never imagined we'd run into you dining with friends, giving us a chance to show our thanks."

"Sorry to make you spend, thank you!"

Lin Jie accepted their goodwill and then asked, "Was the matter resolved smoothly afterward?"

The girl's mother nodded and said, "It went relatively smoothly. The resort helped mediate, and the other party compensated the medical and nutrition fees, totaling twenty-one thousand yuan."

"The resort said you scolded them thoroughly on the spot, and that's probably why they paid up obediently."

Lin Jie exchanged a few more polite words with the couple and then left the restaurant.

This restaurant, Lotus Pond Moonlight, was located next to the Golden Tripod Building by the lakeside in Changfeng Park.

Leaving the restaurant, Lin Jie and An Kexin walked hand in hand, strolling leisurely along the park's illuminated and picturesque paths...

An Kexin, her eyes turning, suddenly asked, "There are so many naughty kids nowadays, A-Jie, what if our future child is disobedient and very naughty?"

"Would you spank them?"

Lin Jie shook An Kexin's hand and laughed, "You're smart, and I'm not dumb either. Our future child will definitely be smart."

"And clever kids, even when mischievous, can be managed without spanking them; reasoning will suffice."

An Kexin said cheerfully, "If it's really as you say, that would be great."

Neither spoke again, just strolling hand in hand through the park...

After walking several hundred meters, a sudden black shadow leapt out from the woods beside them.

In the blink of an eye, the shadow was upon Lin Jie and An Kexin.

Seeing the black figure clearly, Lin Jie was startled, and his first instinct was to run. However, the smooth hand in his grasp reminded him that he wasn't alone.

He stifled his fear, sidestepping to shield An Kexin and confront the shadow.

It was a large black dog!

Standing nearly a meter tall, with thick forelimbs, it stared menacingly at Lin Jie, ready to leap at him at any moment.

The dog didn't move, and neither did Lin Jie, fearing any movement would provoke the black dog into attacking first.

Regaining some composure, Lin Jie noticed the black dog had a collar, with a leash trailing behind it.

He realized this was a large pet dog, not a stray. Its aggression was mostly tamed and wouldn't normally attack strangers unless severely provoked.

Darn it, where's the owner of such a large dog?

Letting it roam free like this is just frightening!

Lin Jie stepped back slightly, only for the black dog to follow a step closer.

This made Lin Jie tense up, forcing himself to appear calm and said, "Kexin, this dog should belong to a nearby resident. Do you know it?"

At that moment, An Kexin was immersed in an indescribable happiness.

The moment the black dog lunged, she felt a firm grip on her hand, realizing Lin Jie was scared.

Just as An Kexin assumed Lin Jie would retreat in fright or hide behind her, he unexpectedly stepped forward, shielding her.

The first reaction was instinctual, the second was a conscious choice.

Lin Jie's instinct was fear, yet he still chose to shield her, making An Kexin feel a protective, unwavering happiness.

As a result, An Kexin found the large black dog not frightening at all, but rather endearing.

She leaned half her body out from behind Lin Jie, glanced at the black dog, shook her head, and whispered, "The pet dogs around Golden Tripod Building are mostly small or medium-sized, haven't seen one this large."

Then, a rush of footsteps sounded from the woods, and a petite girl, about twelve or thirteen, emerged from the trees.

She ran over to the big black dog, panting heavily, grabbed its collar, and sat down on the ground with a thud.

"Saifu, shall we go back, okay?"

"I'm really tired, I'm really, really tired!"

Seeing the owner of the big black dog finally appear, Lin Jie's fear vanished completely. Hearing the girl talk to the dog in a negotiating tone, Lin Jie couldn't help but chuckle.

The big black dog didn't seem to appreciate the kind words of the little girl at all. It stopped staring at Lin Jie and started walking forward.

It pulled with such strength that it dragged the little girl along the ground.

"Saifu, you're naughty! You're naughty, wuu wuu..."

The little girl started to cry angrily.

Lin Jie also couldn't stand it anymore. He felt this big black dog had quite the personality. It was no longer frightening, so he stepped forward, picked up the leash, and pulled it hard.

The little girl stopped crying, quickly got up from the ground, hugged the big black dog's neck with one hand, and thanked Lin Jie, "Thank you, big brother!"

Then, she waved her little fist, continuously knocking on the big black dog's head, complaining, "Saifu, why have you become so disobedient lately?"

"If you keep behaving like this, I won't give you braised ribs anymore, I'll eat them all myself."

Lin Jie thought this little girl was very cute and said with a smile, "Little sister, your dog is too big, and you're too small to control it. In the future, you should let your family adults walk it."

"Otherwise, if it runs around like tonight, it will scare others."

The little girl said helplessly, "Big brother, it was usually my mom who walked Saifu."

"But lately, something seems to be wrong with Saifu. It often barks at my mom and doesn't let her walk it."

"So it has to be me walking it."

Just then, Shen Lanruo's voice once again echoed in Lin Jie's mind, "Lin Jie, ask the little girl if there have ever been any unusual interactions between Saifu and her mom before."

"Sister Lanruo, why ask that?" Lin Jie was puzzled.

Shen Lanruo explained in detail, "Lin Jie, we all know that dogs have an acute sense of smell. You might not be aware, but sometimes, dogs can even detect changes in the human body in advance."

"Our skin can release hundreds of volatile organic compounds."

"These scents are indistinguishable to us humans."

"But dogs can identify them."

"When there are changes in the human body, sometimes specific organic compounds are emitted. For example, if there are cancer cells in the body, they will secrete a peculiar acidic smell that a dog's highly sensitive nose can detect."

"In the United States, due to the close relationship between pet dogs and humans, I occasionally come across news reports where dogs indicate something wrong with their owner's health by barking at them or showing other abnormal behaviors."

"Lin Jie, just ask, maybe it's nothing, but as a reputable doctor, one must not let suspicions slide."

Lin Jie agreed with Shen Lanruo's views and kindly asked, "Little sister, do you know if Saifu has ever quarreled with your mom before or barked at her?"

The little girl thought for a moment, then shook her head, "No, I don't think so. Mom has been troubled by Saifu all this time. She even took Saifu to the pet hospital a few days ago, but nothing seemed wrong."

Lin Jie thought for a moment, then said, "Little sister, you pulling Saifu alone is quite challenging. How about this, my big sister and I will help you take Saifu back, how about that?"

The little girl, delighted, said, "Sure, sure! Thank you, big brother, thank you, pretty big sister!"

An Kexin, although a little puzzled, simply smiled and obediently followed Lin Jie, helping the little girl pull Saifu as they walked out of the park.

Through their conversation, Lin Jie learned the little girl's name was Dan Qianqian, living in the upscale district Fengyuan District on the western side of Changfeng Park!

After more than half an hour, the two of them, together with the little girl and the big black dog, walked into Fengyuan District and arrived at the little girl's home.

The door was opened by a round-faced young woman, dressed appropriately, with a slight smile.

"Woof woof..."

Saifu barked twice at the young woman, but Dan Qianqian quickly dragged it into the house.

The round-faced young woman politely and distantly said, "Thank you both for bringing Qianqian back. Please come in for a glass of water!"

"No need!"

Lin Jie said frankly, "The reason my girlfriend and I followed Qianqian here is not only to help bring Saifu back, but there's something else we'd like to discuss with you?"

"Oh, what is it?" The round-faced young woman showed a bit of caution.

Lin Jie confirmed and asked, "According to your daughter, Saifu's relationship with you has recently become quite unusual. Is that true?"

The round-faced young woman nodded and said, "That's true. Do you know the reason?"

Lin Jie softly said, "I am a specially-appointed doctor at Binhai University Affiliated Hospital, Lin Jie. I wonder if you recognize me?"

The round-faced young woman shook her head and said, "I'm sorry, Dr. Lin, I don't know you. Moreover, all my family members are in good health. We don't need health supplements or any medical check-ups..."

Lin Jie glanced at An Kexin, who was trying not to laugh, realizing he might have overestimated himself and wasn't yet a household name.

"Qianqian's mother, rest assured, I'm not selling health products, nor am I trying to trick you into a health check..."

At this point, Lin Jie found himself at a loss for words.

This time, he really was trying to persuade her to get a health check-up.

He paused, organized his words, and continued, "Qianqian's mother, let me tell you something, and whether you believe it or not is entirely up to you!"

Then, Lin Jie recounted what Shen Lanruo had said. Seeing the round-faced young woman's face start to darken, showing signs of shutting the door and letting the dog out, he quickly added, "Out of the intuition, suspicion, and duty of a doctor, I felt it necessary to remind you."

"Whether you believe it or not, it's entirely up to you..."

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