Chapter 112: Naively Trusting the Network

Xie Qingtang curiously picked up the light and compact phone in her hand and said to Zhou Jinfan, “How do I use this?”

“Boss, I’ll teach you. It’s all on me,” Zhou Jinfan said at once, taking it upon himself. He spent two hours instructing her in the use of the phone and its software.

He then authenticated Xie Qingtang for the online store and Weibo account of Cunshan Hall, directly handing over the Weibo username.

When she saw these details, Xie Qingtang frowned slightly and told Zhou Jinfan, “I don’t even know how to run the Weibo account for Cunshan Hall. This account still belongs to you.”

“Aww, Boss, everyone follows this Weibo account because of you, and I opened it specifically for you. Now that it’s authenticated, you can post whatever you like on Weibo. What people want to see is your daily life, not mine,” Zhou Jinfan replied with a smile.

Xie Qingtang nodded as if she understood, but at that moment her phone suddenly rang with the sound of a baby’s laughter. She nearly dropped the phone in fright. Fortunately, Zhou Jinfan standing nearby caught it with quick reflexes.

“Aww, Boss, you scared me half to death. This is a message notification sound from Weibo that I specially set for you. You don’t smile much, so listening to the sound of a baby’s laughter will do you good,” Zhou Jinfan said with a chuckle. Xie Qingtang glared at him fiercely.

The two opened the messages on Weibo and discovered it was a request for medical help. The sender claimed he had a daughter suffering from a long-term illness who was bedridden, and he asked Xie Qingtang to visit for treatment, mentioning that fees were negotiable.

“Boss, since I helped you open this account, there have been many such requests. You don’t need to reply,” Zhou Jinfan wanted to dismiss the message in the usual way, but Xie Qingtang stopped him in the next instant.

In the chat box the man had sent a photo of his daughter. The little girl had dark circles under her eyes and sunken cheeks, yet she still forced a smile, her quiet strength touching the heart.

Through the “observation” part of TCM’s four examinations, Xie Qingtang could clearly see that the girl was indeed ill and gravely so.

At that moment Xie Qingtang inexplicably replied to the message. Zhou Jinfan saw this and immediately said, “Boss, most people online are scamming for treatment. You mustn’t fall for it. We need to make money too.”

“How can you only think of money? Are you a money maniac? Saving lives comes first, or earning money?” Xie Qingtang glared at him and turned to leave.

When Zhou Jinfan saw this, the corners of his mouth twitched. In their time together he had realized that Xie Qingtang valued treating patients far more than making money.

Yet on the other hand she was also money-conscious; whenever she encountered truly needy and impoverished people she would be generous. This left the small-butler-style Zhou Jinfan utterly speechless.

After two hours of exchange, Xie Qingtang learned the little girl suffered from congenital heart disease—specifically uncorrected congenital heart disease—caused by insufficient cardiac ejection. The symptoms included fatigue, palpitations, shortness of breath, even fainting and angina.

Because the family was well-off, the girl had received excellent care since childhood and her condition had not worsened, though it could never be cured.

“Another case of congenital illness—it’s truly pitiful,” Xie Qingtang sighed. She could treat many ailments, but congenital ones were rare and difficult to fully cure.

Since birth the little girl could neither run nor jump; she had to sit in a wheelchair all day to spare her heart. Although her life was worry-free, she could not try many things and could hardly call it living.

Thus Xie Qingtang made a bold decision: she agreed to the father’s request for help and planned to treat the girl the following afternoon.

When he heard the news Zhou Jinfan immediately opposed it, saying, “Boss, you trust people too easily. There are many villains on the internet. You know nothing about that man’s background, yet you agreed to treat his daughter. What if you’re kidnapped and your organs are harvested?”

He felt his boss was too naive. Having just encountered the internet, she believed everything she heard, so he exaggerated the warning.

After his words fell, Xie Qingtang was stunned, staring at him as if he were a fool. “What you said is too terrifying, isn’t it? The world isn’t full of bad people, and through communicating with that man I feel he isn’t lying. He really has a sick daughter. As a doctor I cannot see a patient seeking help and refuse to treat her.”

“Boss, you didn’t understand my meaning. I’m not saying you should ignore the little girl against your principles, but this matter still needs verification. You shouldn’t have agreed so quickly,” Zhou Jinfan sighed, suddenly realizing that handing a phone to so innocent a Xie Qingtang had been a mistake.

But Xie Qingtang had made up her mind and paid no attention to any advice: “If I do not treat a patient who seeks help, that is not my principle. Stop talking. I will treat this patient.”

The next morning Xie Qingtang looked at Li Zhao who stood before her in some puzzlement. “Li Zhao, aren’t you Gu Xiujing’s personal secretary and bodyguard? How did you appear here?”

“Last night Mr. Xie requested that we ask General Gu to protect Miss Xie, so I was sent by General Gu to guard Miss Xie,” Li Zhao answered straightforwardly. Xie Qingtang’s mouth twitched; was she not trusted by others?

Last night, although Grandfather Xie had said nothing, he had silently requested Gu Xiujing’s help and sent people to protect Xie Qingtang.

This concern made her very happy, yet thinking that the protector was Gu Xiujing, her joy faded somewhat, and she waved it off casually.