"Why are you carrying that? Going to wash it?" Joseph asked, raising an eyebrow at her tiptoeing steps."No! I'm... I'm keeping it." Alice’s cheeks turned bright red as she spoke, her tone stubborn.To Joseph, she looked a little upset.Did I hurt her last night? He wondered, guilt creeping in."Alright then, hang onto it," Joseph replied gently, remembering some traditional habits surrounding such things.Alice blushed even harder and darted back into her room.Watching her flee, Joseph sighed. Women really were hard to read sometimes.Still, as the minutes ticked by and Alice didn’t come out, Joseph began to feel uneasy. He walked over and knocked lightly on her door."Sweetheart, breakfast is ready.""You okay? Did I upset you somehow?""Ah? Joseph, no! Just give me a second!" Alice’s voice quickly rang out from behind the door.Joseph let out a breath of relief. He knew Alice wasn’t the type to throw tantrums without reason. Ever since they’d been together, she’d never once l

"In the beginning, we may not have many patients," Joseph added thoughtfully, "but as word spreads, more will surely come. That’s why we’ll need to set a limit on the number of patients per day. We’ll decide on the exact number based on how things develop.""Given that, it might be a good idea for your family members to come during the first few days. Once the free clinic gains popularity, the number of patients will certainly increase."After a brief pause, Joseph continued, "Professor Wilson, if students from other classes hear about this, they’ll definitely want to support it. We’ll probably have a lot of people coming for consultations.""Exactly!" another student chimed in. "Even just your lectures draw crowds. Last time you examined each of us individually, and everyone who followed your advice saw real improvements.""Yeah, it really worked for me too."One student after another spoke up, voices full of enthusiasm and admiration.Joseph simply smiled at the scene before him. Th

"That’s good to hear. He’s recovering better than I expected."Joseph nodded."Heidi went to Ravenford City. So these past few days, I’ve been the one looking after Grandpa. We have maids at home, of course, but he prefers having family near.""I’ve done so many things to disappoint him, yet… he never once blamed me. That only makes me feel more ashamed."Fiona’s voice softened, tinged with remorse."Then take good care of him. I’ll visit next Saturday."Joseph said gently."Thank you, Professor Wilson. I need to bring Grandpa his meal, so I’ll go now."Fiona bid him farewell.Joseph replied in kind, then lay down on the bed.He scrolled through his chat with Alice, then checked the forum post about the free clinic.There were already thousands of replies. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive—students were genuinely excited and eager for the event.Judging by the reactions, the turnout would likely be huge.Joseph couldn’t help but marvel at the power of online communication.Afte

"Well then, I won’t stand on ceremony. Let’s head over together tomorrow," said Joseph decisively."OK, no problem at all," Mason Alvarez replied with equal ease."Goodbye, Professor Wilson. Have a good night!""Oh, and remember—wine may be delightful, but your health comes first.""You must understand, there are only exhausted oxen, never ruined fields."With those strange and cryptic words, Mason Alvarez ended the call."This crazy woman..." Joseph muttered to himself when he realized the call had ended.Sometimes, Professor Alvarez really did seem a little unhinged—nothing like a typical teacher. Shaking his head with a resigned smile, he made his way back to his room to rest.---The following afternoon, after lunch at the cafeteria, Joseph, Alice, and Mason Alvarez headed toward the parking lot where Joseph had parked his car."Joseph, I have class this afternoon, so I can’t go with you to Nova First Hospital. Just go with this old hag.""If anything happens, give me a call," Ali

"Of course I care. We’re colleagues, after all—it’s only natural to look out for you. I just didn’t want you to get caught changing in front of others and end up in an awkward situation.""That’s why I reminded you," Joseph explained quickly."I see... So there’s no concern beyond just being colleagues?" Mason Alvarez straightened up slightly, her voice tinged with disappointment."That’s not what I meant," Joseph hurried to clarify."Then tell me, do you care for me the same way you care for that little girl?""Regardless of your answer, it doesn’t matter. Whether or not you care, I’ll still care for you—just like she does." "Because you, you damned man, have this inexplicable charm that makes people unable to walk away."Her cheeks flushed faintly as she looked at him with soft, affectionate eyes, her voice unusually serious."I’m just an ordinary man. Thank you, Professor Alvarez, for thinking so highly of me… I really don’t know how to repay your kindness." Joseph, caught off g