Chapter Eleven: The Possessed Patient

After the lion dance troupe stopped, Xie Qingtang strode to the entrance of the Cunzhan Hall. With a faint smile on her lips, she addressed the crowd that had gathered to watch the spectacle.

For a moment, everyone fell silent when they saw her standing at the doorway, as if all the clamor at the entrance had vanished in an instant.

The woman at the threshold wore a robe of azure blue, her hair smooth and cascading over her shoulders. Her face was like white jade, her eyes bright as stars, and her lips curved in a graceful, tranquil smile. When the breeze passed, her hair fluttered lightly—at once wild and free, yet strikingly elegant.

These seemingly contradictory qualities came together seamlessly in her, so much so that someone in the crowd couldn’t help but exclaim, “The mistress is truly beautiful!”

As soon as these words were spoken, many nodded in agreement, offering universal and unhesitating acknowledgment of Xie Qingtang’s beauty.

Seeing this, Zhou Jinfan’s mouth twitched slightly before he muttered, “Don’t tell me the reason Cunzhan Hall never thrived before was because I’m ugly?”

As soon as he finished, Xie Qingtang, standing beside him, cast him a sidelong glance, then smiled wordlessly. When the opening ceremony ended, the doors of the Hall were thrown wide, welcoming guests from all directions.

The excitement was palpable, but once the lion dancers departed, the crowd gradually dispersed. Nearly two hours passed, and not a single customer came.

Compared to Xie Qingtang, who sat calmly behind a pearwood desk, Zhou Jinfan was visibly restless, swatting at flies with a fan as he grumbled, “What’s the point of all that fanfare if not a single patient shows up?”

“Quiet,” Xie Qingtang’s voice rang out, surprising him. She raised her eyes slightly and spoke just one word to him.

Zhou Jinfan immediately fell silent, as if he’d been struck by a spell. With his mouth sealed, he went back to waving the fan, shooing away flies.

At noon, Wang Miao’er sat in the cafeteria of Gu’s Hospital, listening to others gossip about the Cunzhan Hall across the street.

When she heard that not a single customer had visited Cunzhan Hall all morning, a smug smile curled at her lips. Xiao Ying, knowing Wang Miao’er enjoyed such news, became even more animated in her storytelling.

“I heard the only visitors to Cunzhan Hall today were a few flies. Not a single patient came for treatment. Looks like everyone knows traditional medicine is just a scam,” Xiao Ying’s words greatly delighted Wang Miao’er.

Wang Miao’er smiled and said, “I also heard yesterday that Cunzhan Hall nearly killed someone by selling fake medicine. Clinics like that are a blight on society and should be shut down as soon as possible.”

“What? That actually happened? My goodness, is that place a clinic or a gate to the underworld? Anyone who comes out alive must be truly lucky,” Xiao Ying feigned shock, making Wang Miao’er burst into laughter.

After finishing her meal in high spirits, Wang Miao’er received more good news: Gu Xiujin had come to the hospital for a check-up.

“Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner?” Wang Miao’er shot a fierce glare at the messenger, then hurried off toward the examination room.

Xiao Ying was briefly taken aback by the scene, but quickly followed. By the time she reached the examination room, Gu Xiujin had already found one of the hospital’s most reputable doctors for a routine check-up.

“Director Gu, you’re here! Why didn’t you let me know?” Wang Miao’er entered the room shyly, her eyes filled with unabashed infatuation as she gazed at Gu Xiujin, who sat regally in his wheelchair.

Before Gu Xiujin could speak, the elderly doctor frowned at Wang Miao’er and rebuked her, “Dr. Wang, what are you doing? Don’t forget, you’re only an intern. It’s not your place to attend to someone like Director Gu.”

“Ah, I’m sorry, Dr. Zhang. I’m just close to Director Gu, so I wanted to say hello. That’s all,” Wang Miao’er hastily explained, her face flustered, though her gaze remained fixed unwaveringly on Gu Xiujin, as if willing him to speak on her behalf.

To her surprise, Gu Xiujin did not even look at her. He spoke with utter indifference, as if addressing a stranger, “I don’t know you.”

In that instant, all her enthusiasm was doused as if with a bucket of ice water. Wang Miao’er stood there awkwardly, still trying to explain, “Director Gu, yesterday we—”

“Excuse me, Director Gu is in the middle of a consultation. Please step outside,” Li Zhao, who stood nearby like an immovable mountain, blocked her view and pointed to the door.

After all, Wang Miao’er was just a young woman. Being ignored and dismissed like this, anger boiled up within her like a volcano. She stamped her foot in frustration and left the examination room.

“These are the tests Director Gu needs today. It won’t be pleasant,” Dr. Zhang said as he wrote up a series of orders for a comprehensive examination.

Gu Xiujin was no stranger to such scenes since childhood. He calmly accepted the test slips and handed them to Li Zhao.

After leaving the examination room with the slips, he immediately heard Wang Miao’er’s agitated voice nearby: “What kind of patient is this? Three doctors can’t handle him? And you still need me?”

“You’ll understand when you see for yourself, Dr. Wang,” a young nurse said anxiously in front of her.

In fact, Wang Miao’er hadn’t left after exiting the consultation room. She’d hoped to speak with Gu Xiujin and make an impression when he emerged. Unexpectedly, a nurse came to summon her for an emergency case.

Reluctantly, she was about to follow the nurse when she caught sight of Gu Xiujin leaving the examination room. She quickly changed direction and hurried toward him.

But before she could get close, Gu Xiujin’s bodyguards dutifully blocked her path, their faces cold and expressionless.

“Hmph!” Wang Miao’er understood the situation at once. She glared at Gu Xiujin’s retreating figure, but in the end, she could only follow the nurse to the emergency room.