Chapter Forty-Four: Crisis Unfolds

That was why Second Uncle Gu was so eager to form a marriage alliance with the Wang family—to consolidate his position in the Gu Hospital. Especially during the time when Gu Xiujin feigned his death, Second Uncle, together with his sister, pressured for the inheritance. That incident must have left a knot in Gu Xiujin's heart.

Despite the calm and unbothered façade Gu Xiujin presented upon his recovery, seemingly having forgotten the matter, Second Uncle knew his nephew well—he was like a viper, never revealing his hand nor making a move unless absolutely certain of success.

The feeling of being watched and studied by an enemy lurking in the shadows made Second Uncle deeply uneasy, so he grew all the more desperate for the security that a union with the Wang family could provide.

Gu Xiucheng stood before his father, saying, “Don’t worry, Dad. I know what I’m doing.”

“I hope so. The support from the Wang family is not something we can afford to lose, do you understand?” Second Uncle’s expression was stern, and Gu Xiucheng nodded solemnly.

That day, Changshan Hall welcomed a familiar patient—the same one whom Wang Miao’er had previously introduced, the man who had been possessed by evil spirits. He was also the one who had offered ginseng to thank Xie Qingtang.

Entering the hall, the man scratched the back of his head sheepishly and said, “Doctor Xie, I came to pick up some medicine.”

“Oh? What’s wrong? Is it the same problem as last time, or are you feeling unwell elsewhere? Let me check your pulse first,” Xie Qingtang replied, inviting the man to sit.

Unexpectedly, the man shook his head, a bashful yet joyful smile spreading across his face. “The medicine isn’t for me—it’s for my wife. She’s pregnant, and I want to get her something to help stabilize the pregnancy.”

He grinned as he spoke, clearly overjoyed at his wife’s condition. Xie Qingtang smiled as well.

“So the household is blessed with good news! Excellent. I’ll prepare some remedies for her, but it would be best if she could come in for a pulse reading. That way, I can tailor the medicine to her constitution,” Xie Qingtang said, reaching for some herbal formulas suitable for pregnant women.

At that moment, the man’s eyes flashed with a peculiar light as he glanced at a stack of xuan paper on Xie Qingtang’s desk.

“I think I’ve seen that herb somewhere before,” he muttered. Xie Qingtang, coming over with the medicine, caught his words and her eyes lit up with excitement. “You say you’ve seen the herb drawn on this paper?”

The man nodded, though uncertainty clouded his face. “I think I have, but I can’t quite remember. What is it?”

“This herb is called Four-leaf Devil’s Needle. The three-leaf variety is easy to find, but the four-leaf kind is a rare treasure, appearing only once among millions of three-leaf plants. It’s very hard to come by. Take a good look—are you sure you’ve seen it?” Xie Qingtang handed him the paper.

The man scratched his head again, still uncertain. “I can’t say for sure, but it does look familiar. Maybe I’ve seen it on the hills behind my village. I could go back and look for it. If I find it, I’ll bring it to you, Doctor Xie.”

Hearing this, Xie Qingtang felt a slight pang of disappointment, but she still shook her head and thanked him. “No need. The Four-leaf Devil’s Needle is an extraordinary herb, nearly impossible to find. Perhaps you’ve only seen the common three-leaf variety.”

“Doctor Xie, why do you need this herb? Is it to save someone?” the man asked, returning the paper to its place with a curious glance.

Xie Qingtang nodded. The night before, with time to spare, she had drawn out all seven key ingredients for the Seven Treasures Vitality Tonic on the xuan paper.

“Don’t be discouraged, Doctor Xie. The hills behind our village are rich with herbs. I’ll help you search when I get back,” the man said cheerfully, accepting the pregnancy medicine from her hands.

Xie Qingtang didn’t take his words to heart. How could such a rare treasure possibly grow on a common hillside?

Soon after the man left, Li Zhao burst into Changshan Hall in a panic, grabbing Xie Qingtang by the hand and pulling her outside. “Miss Xie, something’s happened to Mr. Gu—come with me, quick!”

“What happened to him?” Xie Qingtang’s brows knitted in concern, but Li Zhao was too flustered to explain, urging her only to hurry to the car.

Even so, Xie Qingtang returned to the hall to fetch her silver needles. Gu Xiujin’s condition was always complicated; if something serious had happened and she didn’t act quickly, it could be disastrous.

On the way to the Gu family villa, Li Zhao finally explained. That day, despite the doctors’ warnings, Gu Xiujin had insisted on going to the office. There, someone had delivered a large bouquet of sunflowers.

“Mr. Gu has been allergic to sunflower pollen since childhood, and with his frail health, he collapsed almost immediately. I didn’t know what else to do, so I came to get you,” Li Zhao explained anxiously, urging the driver to speed up, running several red lights along the way.

Xie Qingtang frowned. She’d been reminding Gu Xiujin to rest at home these days, only to find her patient so disobedient.

When they arrived at the villa, Gu Xiujin was lying on the bed, breathing rapidly, his face covered in a frightening red rash.

Without hesitation, Xie Qingtang took out her silver needles and swiftly inserted them at Shenque, Qihai, Guanyuan, and Huagai points. Almost instantly, Gu Xiujin, who had been gasping for air, fell unconscious.

Li Zhao was stunned at the sight. He had brought Xie Qingtang to heal Mr. Gu, but after just a few needles, Gu Xiujin seemed to worsen and passed out.

“Miss Xie, this—” Li Zhao started, but Xie Qingtang quickly wrote out a prescription and handed it to him. “Go get the medicine—don’t delay!”

Li Zhao nodded without hesitation, choosing to trust Xie Qingtang completely, since he was the one who brought her here in the first place.

Even unconscious, Gu Xiujin’s chest still heaved with rapid breaths. Xie Qingtang frowned. His health was already weak, and now, with acute anaphylaxis, he was on the brink of death.

She had deliberately sent Li Zhao away, for what she needed to do next was not for others’ eyes. Drawing a deep breath, she removed all of Gu Xiujin’s clothing and centered herself, focusing her mind.