He didn’t mind, really.

They say the noblest wish of any doctor is for a world without disease—even if that means being out of a job. If that ever happened, he’d be more than happy to finally have a quiet, carefree life.

“But this is only temporary. With your skill and reputation, Dr. Ludwig, those rumors will fall apart on their own,” Ivy said reassuringly.

In fact, public opinion had already started to shift in recent days.

Several patients whom Jamison had treated—or their families—had seen the slander online and stepped up to clear his name. They posted detailed accounts of their experiences, describing how Jamison was not only exceptionally skilled but also conscientious and compassionate. They urged others not to be misled by rumors, warning that destroying a good doctor’s reputation would only hurt patients who truly needed help.

One example stood out: Dale Sullivan. If his young niece had survived against all odds, Jamison’s role had been absolutely pivotal.

The story had once been covered by multiple media outlets—even government channels had shared it. But Jamison was so low-key, he’d refused all interviews and let other department heads take the spotlight, so hardly anyone knew the “miracle surgery” had actually been performed by him.

This time, Dale made sure to set the record straight. He wrote up the details of his niece’s case and even created a little website that quickly went viral, making Jamison’s contributions widely known.

The hospital saw the shift in public sentiment and followed up by posting a long list of Jamison’s honors, many of them awarded by international medical organizations.

“See? Sometimes you have to make a little noise for yourself. If you just keep your head down doing good deeds, people might get the wrong idea,” Ivy mused.

Jamison smiled. “It doesn’t matter to me. As long as I have a clear conscience, that’s enough.”

Ivy admired his strength of character and nodded with a grin. “I could really learn from you in that regard, Dr. Ludwig.”

He kept smiling. “When I get back from this trip, I’ll teach you everything I know.”

Ivy just rolled her eyes.

“What are those two up to? Naylor doesn’t mind sleeping downstairs, does he?” Jamison asked.

“No idea. I mentioned it to Katrina while we were out shopping. If I had to guess, those two are probably in the middle of a standoff,” Ivy replied, her grin turning sly. “Honestly, sometimes I think we’re just making their lives harder on purpose.”

Come to think of it, it did seem a bit cruel—making Naylor, who’d finally gotten to live with his girlfriend, sleep in a different room. That’s why Ivy had just mentioned it in passing to her friend. Whether or not Naylor actually slept elsewhere was none of her concern.

Besides, her bedroom was a suite—she didn’t even have to leave to wash up. Those two could squabble outside all they wanted; it wouldn’t bother her in the slightest.

“How is that making life hard for him? If anything, it’s a benefit for Naylor. Don’t let Katrina’s rookie act fool you—when it comes to stringing a guy along, she’s a pro. Naylor’s always the one left hanging.”

Ivy knew exactly what he meant.

While they were shopping, Katrina had quietly confessed that she and Naylor didn’t get together all that often. For one thing, Naylor was busy—his company was far from the hospital and campus. Katrina was just as swamped, juggling classes, hospital shifts, and the occasional hassle from the Lester family. Romance hardly fit into the schedule.

Most of the time, Naylor was the one reaching out. Even then, Katrina wasn’t always free to spend the night at his place. No wonder he was left “high and dry” so often.

To be fair, Naylor was a decent guy. Plenty of rich men would have lost interest and moved on by now, but he stuck around.

Hearing her husband’s complaint, Ivy stifled a laugh. “What, feeling sorry for your buddy now?”

“No need for that. I’m actually worse off than he is—I have no right to complain for him,” Dr. Ludwig replied, suddenly sounding a little glum.

At least Naylor got to see some action once a week. Jamison, despite having a wife and a home, had been living like a monk for almost three months.

Ivy collapsed in laughter, her face disappearing from the video call.

Jamison gritted his teeth. “You’ve pretty much recovered, so when I get home, you’d better be ready.”

As far as Jamison was concerned, Ivy’s risk for HIV infection was completely gone. That wasn’t the issue anymore. The only reason he’d abstained for so long was that Ivy had needed three months to recover from her surgery.

Of course, it wasn’t like everything would be back to normal right at the three-month mark. Full recovery would take at least six months. But even if they still had to be careful, there was no reason they couldn’t be a little gentle.

Seeing the conversation veer off course, Ivy blushed and looked up at the camera. “You’re impossible. I’m hanging up—I need to study.”

She was still preparing for her CPA exams.

As Ivy was about to end the call, Jamison hurried to stop her.

She thought he was just reluctant to say goodbye, so she teased, “Don’t be silly. Get some rest yourself—you finally have a few days off.”

“No, there’s something important I need to tell you.”

“Something important?”

“Yeah. Sheridan Carter passed away. This morning, in our hospital’s infectious disease ward.” Jamison had gotten the news earlier, but he’d been in a meeting and hadn’t paid much attention at the time.

After all, the man didn’t have much to do with them.

Ivy was taken aback. “He’s gone too…”

“He’d been in kidney failure for a while,” Jamison explained. “Most people can’t handle dialysis that often, let alone with HIV on top of it. His organs just shut down. No matter how much money the Carter family had, it couldn’t save him.”