Chapter Eight

What? The patient before him was actually the daughter of Ye Xiong, chairman of Jiangbei Pharmaceuticals? Wu De’s heart skipped a beat—if this was true, wouldn’t he be finished? No, that can’t be. The Ye family always notifies the hospital before coming. This must be an impostor. There’s no way she’s really from the Ye family.

Wu De smirked. “And who do you think you are? A pig pretending to be an elephant? You dare claim you’re from the Ye family to scare me? Do you take me for a fool?”

Why was Ye Xiaoli speaking up for this man named Luo? Only moments ago she was calling for help. How could she change her tune so quickly? If Ye Xiaoli helped this Luo, wouldn’t that mean the end for me and Chen Xingxin? But for now, to keep Ye Xiaoli calm, Ouyang Feng spoke up.

“I’m the general manager of Jiangbei Pharmaceuticals. She’s my wife, and also the daughter of Ye Xiong. What, you don’t believe me?” Ouyang Feng said.

“You?” Wu De’s expression grew complicated.

What kind of chameleon was Ouyang Feng? A supercharged fence-sitter? How could he side with anyone? Which side was he really on?

“Not bad, you even brought a partner, but that still doesn’t prove what you’re saying is true.”

“And what if I say so?” A voice interrupted.

At that moment, two people entered from outside the emergency room. Luo Fancheng recognized them—it was Zhao De and Liu Tianji.

As soon as they entered, several security guards stepped aside to let them through.

When Wu De saw the two, his hope faded. With Zhao De’s presence, it was enough to confirm that the woman on the operating table was indeed from the Ye family, and not just anyone—Ye Xiong’s own daughter.

Finally, Wu De fell to his knees, facing the operating table.

“Miss Ye, please have mercy and forgive me!” When Ye Xiaoli ignored him, Wu De turned to Zhao De and begged.

“Director Zhao, please help me! For the sake of all my years of service, if not for my contributions, at least for my hard work—please save me!”

But Zhao De did not even glance his way.

“It was all her! It was her fault—she told me to do it!” Wu De pointed to the nurse beside him.

Luo Fancheng remembered that this nurse was Wu De’s own daughter.

What a disgrace—a man willing to sacrifice even his own daughter for self-preservation.

“Get out, both of you! You’re not fit to work here. Shenghua Hospital doesn’t need bullies who abuse their power. Don’t bother coming to work tomorrow,” Zhao De announced.

Wu De and his daughter were utterly hopeless now. After one last look at Zhao De’s impassive face, they slunk out of the emergency room.

After they left, the security guards also withdrew.

Zhao De smiled apologetically. “Sorry for the trouble, Miss Ye.”

“Is this your new apprentice?” Ye Xiaoli ignored Zhao De and, glancing at Liu Tianji, gestured at Luo Fan.

Liu Tianji looked at Luo Fancheng and, recalling their earlier conversation, nodded. “Yes, he’s my newest apprentice. So far, I’ve only taught him some basic massage techniques.”

Inside, Liu Tianji was elated. Who wouldn’t want an apprentice of such extraordinary talent? To gain one for free was a stroke of luck.

Ye Xiaoli nodded in acknowledgment.

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be leaving now,” Luo Fancheng said.

“Alright,” Zhao De and Liu Tianji replied in unison.

“Wait.”

Just as Luo Fancheng was about to leave, Ye Xiaoli spoke from the operating table.

He stopped and turned to look at her.

Would this woman never be done?

“Your name is Luo Fancheng?”

He nodded.

“You did a good job with the massage—the next time I need one, I’ll come find you.” With that, she threw him a flirtatious look.

Luo Fancheng ignored her and left, thinking to himself that the woman must be out of her mind—flirting with another man in front of her own husband?

At that moment, Ouyang Feng’s resentment toward Luo Fancheng deepened. He hadn’t even had his way with Chen Xingxin yet, and his own wife had already been bewitched by this Luo. But since Ye Xiaoli was Ye Xiong’s daughter, Ouyang Feng could do nothing but swallow his anger.

By the time Luo Fancheng returned home, it was already early morning. He washed up quickly and slipped quietly into his room.

Though he and Chen Xingxin shared a room since his marriage into her family, they had always slept apart; Luo’s bed was just a single cot.

As he lay down, Chen Xingxin’s voice suddenly came from the darkness.

“Do you resent them?”

“Yes. I couldn’t do what they did—sacrificing others for their own gain.”

“If they forced you, would you choose divorce?”

“As long as you don’t ask for it, I won’t leave you.”

“Alright. Let’s sleep.”

“Okay.”

The next morning, Luo Fancheng rode his small e-scooter to the Jianglan City Orphanage.

This had been his home as a child, and it seemed nothing much had changed over the years.

He walked the familiar paths to the director’s office. Director Liu was still sorting through paperwork, but upon seeing Luo Fancheng, he quickly set it aside and invited him to sit.

After his trip down the mountain, Luo Fancheng had come here once before. Seeing the orphanage’s dire state, he’d promised to donate the twenty thousand yuan he’d “tricked” out of his senior sister. But the Chen family had taken the money and sold his car instead.

Now, the money he had left was the thirty thousand plus he’d earned at the hospital. Without hesitation, he handed his bank card to Director Liu.

Director Liu was so moved he started to rise to thank Luo Fancheng, but his leg made a cracking sound and his face twisted in pain.

Luo Fancheng rushed to his side. “Your cold leg still hasn’t healed?”

Director Liu gritted his teeth through the pain. “It’s been decades—it’s beyond cure now.”

“I know a bit of medicine. Let me take a look.”

Director Liu forced a smile. “Little Fan, you’ve grown up and even learned medicine.”

“I’ve picked up a little,” Luo replied.

He rolled up Director Liu’s pant leg, examined it, then turned to leave, saying, “Wait for me a few minutes.”

As soon as Luo Fancheng left, a teacher came in.

“Director Liu, Elder Ye from Jiangbei Pharmaceuticals is here.”

“Quick, let him in! What a lucky day—Little Fan is back, and now my old classmate has come as well,” Director Liu said excitedly.

Soon after, Luo Fancheng returned, carrying a basin of charcoal embers into the office, only to find others already present.

He paid them no mind and set the brazier before Director Liu. “Director, I’ll start now.”

Director Liu nodded. “This cold leg has lasted decades. If it can’t be cured, don’t worry.”

“Alright,” Luo Fancheng replied.

He warmed his hands over the fire, then began to massage Director Liu’s afflicted leg.

A mocking voice came from the side. “Director Liu, you’ve had that cold leg for decades. You’ve seen countless famous doctors and none of them helped. Do you really think this man can cure you? Did you pick up some quack from who knows where?”