Chapter 27: A Personal Slap in the Face

“What? When Mr. Gu came, why didn’t you tell me?” Wang Miao’er said through clenched teeth to the young nurse standing before her. She had just emerged from the operating room when she learned from other nurses that Gu Xiujin had visited the hospital.

The young nurse stood there, head bowed, but her face showed a hint of defiance as she muttered, “You were assisting in surgery at the time—how could I barge into the operating room to inform you Mr. Gu had arrived?”

“What did you say? Repeat that!” Wang Miao’er snapped, her anger rising. The young nurse immediately shrank back, then turned and ran off.

Wang Miao’er stomped her foot in frustration. Since the incident last time, she had been trying hard to find opportunities to get close to Gu Xiujin, but all her attempts had failed.

This time, Gu Xiujin had finally come to the hospital, yet she missed her chance to see him because she was caught up in surgery. How could she not be annoyed?

“Miao’er.” Just then, a cheerful voice sounded behind her. Wang Miao’er’s body quivered as she turned around. Approaching her was a sunny young man dressed in casual attire.

His brows arched like hooks, and his slender phoenix eyes tilted upward, lending him an indescribable allure—a man whose beauty surpassed even that of most women.

But upon seeing him, Wang Miao’er’s expression cooled, and she turned away, saying, “Gu Xiucheng, what are you doing here?”

“I just returned from a business trip abroad and came to see you. You look like you’ve just finished surgery. Are you free?” Gu Xiucheng’s face wore a gentle, cultured smile as he spoke to Wang Miao’er.

Yet Wang Miao’er paid no heed to his attentive manner and refused him outright. “Sorry, I have another surgery tonight, so I can’t join you for dinner.”

“That’s not a problem. I can have another doctor cover your shift.” Gu Xiucheng smiled, confident in his ability to arrange such matters. After all, his father—Gu Xiujin’s second uncle—controlled the entire Gu Hospital. Having someone cover for Wang Miao’er would be easy.

But Wang Miao’er rejected him with unwavering resolve. “Gu Xiucheng, I’ve told you before—I’m here at Gu Hospital to intern, not to play around. How can I casually let someone else cover my shift? How would I learn anything then? Let’s not discuss this further. I’m busy tonight. Please leave, I have a lot to do.”

With that, she turned and walked away, failing to notice that the instant she turned, Gu Xiucheng’s expression darkened, stripping away all the warmth and sunshine from his demeanor.

“How irritating. The one I want to see is always out of reach, while those I dislike keep appearing,” Wang Miao’er muttered as she returned to her office, tossing her gloves into the trash in frustration.

Night fell quickly. With few clients, Zhou Jinfan closed the doors of the Benevolent Hall early, sighing as he carefully stored the sachets in the medicine cabinet.

“I wanted to use solid evidence to silence those who look down on the Benevolent Hall, but now, with no patients, there’s no way to prove traditional medicine isn’t a scam,” Zhou Jinfan lamented.

Xie Qingtang fell into contemplation. The main problem now was that the Benevolent Hall had no patients. Traditional medicine had long suffered from prejudice, and it was no wonder people thought it was fraudulent.

With Western medicine dominating, traditional medicine was fading. Most skilled old practitioners, like Xie Qingtang’s master, had withdrawn into seclusion, rarely appearing in public.

This allowed half-baked practitioners to ruin the reputation of traditional medicine, and the label of “fraud” had become nearly impossible to shake off.

But Xie Qingtang had descended from the mountains determined to change this fixed impression. Just as she considered whether to leave the Benevolent Hall and practice elsewhere, the fixed telephone beside the Hall suddenly rang.

The empty, silent lobby was startled by the ringing, making Zhou Jinfan jump. He walked over, puzzled, to answer the call.

“Yes, this is the Benevolent Hall,” Zhou Jinfan began, his voice tinged with uncertainty. But whatever he heard on the other end erased his confusion, replacing it with unmistakable delight.

He responded eagerly, “Really? That’s wonderful! Tomorrow is fine, yes, let’s settle it then.”

After he hung up, Xie Qingtang looked at Zhou Jinfan, her brows raised in confusion.

Zhou Jinfan’s eyes shone with resolve. “Boss, the Benevolent Hall is saved. This time, we’ll show those who slander us online what traditional medicine is really about.”

Early the next morning, the previously quiet entrance of the Benevolent Hall was crowded with people. As Xie Qingtang opened the doors, the crowd surged inside.

She had thought they came to make trouble, but to her surprise, they were all there to thank her.

“Doctor Xie, the sachet you made for me worked wonders. Since wearing it, my head feels less foggy, and my energy has improved.”

“And the sachet you gave me, Doctor Xie—those things I said online were just careless words. After two days of wearing it, my insomnia has improved a lot. No more dreams or waking up at night.”

It turned out these people were those who had bought sachets from the Benevolent Hall because of Xie Qingtang’s reputation. Initially, misled by online rumors, they had posted negative comments.

But after trying them, they found the sachets genuinely effective, and guilt prompted them to call last night, promising to come early today to clear things up and apologize to Xie Qingtang.

“I told you before, the Benevolent Hall is not a fraudulent clinic. Of course our sachets work—you didn’t believe it, but after a few days, you saw the benefits for yourselves,” Zhou Jinfan said proudly to the apologetic patients.

Among them were many young people, some drawn by Xie Qingtang’s beauty and her viral video online.