Chapter Six: My Wife Has Become Someone Else’s Girlfriend?

The old doctor’s face stiffened, his eye twitching—was this a slap in the face for him? Normally, he would have exploded with anger, but now he held back. Hong Chen had seen straight through his physical ailment and described it with perfect accuracy; the old doctor’s faith in him grew. Compared to saving face, health was more important.

The Liu family members looked at one another, perplexed and uncertain. The old doctor’s lack of rebuttal seemed to speak volumes. Could it truly be that this young man in his twenties knew medicine—and more than the old doctor himself?

Hong Chen pointed at the little boy. “Be honest, how confident are you?”

The old doctor fell silent, pondering for a long while before shaking his head. “Less than thirty percent.” The medicated patch on the boy’s forehead was his own secret recipe—usually it took effect within a quarter of an hour, lowering a fever noticeably. But now, half an hour had passed, and thirty percent was already generous.

Master Liu, who had been silent since Hong Chen’s arrival, finally spoke. “Doctor Qi, is the situation really this bad?”

The old doctor nodded solemnly.

Master Liu’s gaze flickered, then he fixed his eyes on Hong Chen, his tone grave and intense. “Are you sure you can cure my grandson?”

“I can.”

“And if you can’t?”

“A life for a life.”

The Liu family members were visibly moved, but Wang Shuhui shrieked, “How could your worthless life be compared to my son’s?”

Hong Chen said nothing. He had no intention of provoking a mother blinded by worry. He had said all that needed to be said.

Master Liu drew a deep breath, as if making a tremendous decision. “Then I’ll entrust him to you.”

“Father.”

“Grandfather.”

Several voices cried out at once, but Master Liu waved them down. “Yesterday he was on an IV all day, tried several different medications, yet the fever hasn’t broken. Have you all forgotten what Director Gao said? With Zijian’s condition, even sampling for tests is impossible. Now Doctor Qi is only thirty percent sure. What choice do we have?”

The room fell into a heavy silence.

“Young man, begin,” Master Liu said decisively, nodding at Hong Chen.

But Hong Chen did not act immediately. “When his fever breaks and he’s recovered, the Lin family must compensate the two pharmacies, and the matter of the cold medicine is settled. As for his congenital heart disease, I can treat that as well, but it will require additional compensation. Do we have an agreement?”

Master Liu replied at once, “Agreed.”

Hong Chen stepped to the bedside. Under the close scrutiny of the Liu family, he snapped his fingers—a silver needle appeared between them. He lifted the quilt, raised the boy’s shirt, and swiftly inserted seven or eight needles into the right side of the chest.

After the final needle, he paused for over ten seconds. When he withdrew the needles, he said, “It’s done.” The boy’s eyes slowly widened, and a healthy flush crept into his cheeks.

Excitement swept through the Liu family. The old doctor hurried to check the boy’s pulse, then felt his forehead—the fever had clearly subsided. The old doctor’s face was etched with astonishment.

Liu Yiming and his wife were eager to rush forward and fuss over their son, but Master Liu waved them back. He looked at Hong Chen, hesitating, and asked, “Young man, about my grandson’s congenital heart disease…”

Hong Chen smiled calmly. “The two pharmacies the Lin family gives to the Liu family will be transferred to me. The Lin family compensates your family; I receive my personal reward.”

Master Liu, shrewd as ever, understood immediately. “Rest assured, as long as you cure my grandson, we’ll handle the two pharmacies with the Lin family. At most, in three days, the paperwork will be done and ownership transferred to you.”

Satisfied, Hong Chen produced another silver needle, lifted the boy’s shirt again, and this time inserted it into the left side of the chest, deeper than before. He held his breath, turned the needle lightly for nearly half a minute, then withdrew it.

“How do you feel, little one?” Hong Chen patted the boy’s head.

The little boy’s face lit up with joy. In a soft, childish voice, he said, “I feel—I feel stronger than before. My whole body is comfortable, like I’ve been reborn!”

“Reborn”—the word amused Hong Chen, and he chuckled. “I’ll write you a prescription. Take it once every morning for a month, and you’ll be completely healthy.”

The boy nodded vigorously. His lively nature made him eager to get out of bed, but the old doctor gently held him back and carefully took his pulse.

“Young sir, your medical skills are nothing short of miraculous.” After a long moment, the old doctor stared at Hong Chen in awe.

Liu Yiming and his wife were overjoyed; their attitude flipped completely, and they thanked Hong Chen again and again.

Hong Chen waved it off and turned to the old doctor. “Bring me paper and pen.”

The old doctor handed them over, and Hong Chen swiftly wrote two prescriptions—one for the boy, which he gave to Master Liu, and another for the old doctor. “Give me your left hand,” he instructed.

Though puzzled, the old doctor obeyed. Hong Chen rolled up his sleeve and inserted the silver needle nearly ten times along his arm, pausing after each. When he finished, he said, “Now you’ll feel the effect, but this is just a temporary fix. Take the medicine twice daily for half a month.”

The old doctor stood, supporting his left side with one hand, and turned in a circle—sure enough, the pain had vanished. Joy bloomed on his face, as bright as a chrysanthemum. When he looked at Hong Chen again, his eyes shone with the adoration of a fan meeting his idol.

Years ago, due to a misdiagnosis, he’d lost much of his left kidney. As he aged, the aftereffects grew worse—cold sweats, fatigue, lack of energy. He’d thought his kidney would fail completely in another two or three years, yet now, there was hope for recovery.

“May I ask your name, young friend?”

“Hong Chen.”

“Thank you, Doctor Hong, for treating me.” The old doctor bowed deeply. Hong Chen quickly motioned for him not to be so formal. The old doctor said, “Doctor Hong, please leave me your contact information. I’d like to visit and thank you properly another day.”

Seeing his sincerity, Hong Chen wrote down his phone number.

Master Liu took a purple-gold card from the butler and handed it to Hong Chen. “Doctor Hong, this membership card is a small token of gratitude. It can be used at any business under the Kaiyue Group. It’s mealtime now—since you’re here, please allow us to show our hospitality.”

Hong Chen didn’t stand on ceremony. He slipped the card into his pocket and nodded with a smile. “Very well, then I won’t be polite. But don’t call me ‘Doctor’; just use my name.”

“Then I shall call you ‘young friend,’” Master Liu replied with a hearty laugh, clearly in excellent spirits.

In less than an hour, the table was filled with sumptuous dishes. Hong Chen, truly hungry, put aside all reservations and ate heartily.

Not long after, Liu Xinyue received a phone call—the young master of the Chen family was coming to visit, accompanied by his girlfriend, a member of the Lin family. Their car was already in the villa district.

A flicker of suspicion crossed Hong Chen’s eyes. He put down his chopsticks and, with Liu Xinyue, went outside.

Soon, a brand-new blue Porsche rolled up and parked by the curb. A handsome young man got out, courteously opened the passenger door, and a beautiful woman stepped out—Lin Yuxin.

Hong Chen’s pupils contracted; a tightness gripped his chest. Since when had his wife become someone else’s girlfriend?

“Go back inside and don’t show yourself,” Hong Chen said, exhaling slowly. After instructing Liu Xinyue, he strode forward.

As she saw him, Lin Yuxin was momentarily stunned. She hurriedly asked, “What’s the situation now?”

Hong Chen replied, “The Liu family’s little grandson is fine now…”

“So you’re Hong Chen? I heard you’ve been at Lin Group less than half a month and already got a batch of fake medicine involved. Do you have any idea how serious this is? If anything had happened to the Liu family’s boy, you being buried with him would be the least of it—you’d have dragged Yuxin down and ruined the entire Lin family. Useless trash, always making things worse!” The handsome young man’s gentle smile turned to anger as he berated Hong Chen, speaking as if to a servant.

This was Chen Feiyang, young master of the Chen family.

Lin Yuxin listened in discomfort, her lips moving silently, but she remained quiet. Her silence chilled Hong Chen’s heart even further.

“Yuxin, since we’re here, let’s go in. Even if everything’s all right, the Liu family should see the Lin family’s sincerity,” Chen Feiyang said, his tone gentle once more as he gazed at her.

Lin Yuxin nodded, hesitating as she looked at Hong Chen. “Come in with us.”

Chen Feiyang immediately objected. “Yuxin, don’t bother with this loser. The Liu family already threw him out—do you really think it’s appropriate for him to show up again? Besides, there’s no room in the car for three people when we leave.”

He waved dismissively at Hong Chen, as if shooing a fly. “The Liu family let you off easy—get lost, and don’t be an eyesore.”