"Do you have a place for your clinic?"
That question from Cai Xing was right on the money. Wang Jian gave a wry smile, shaking his head with a sigh.
Seeing him like this, Cai Xing knew there must be more to the story. He didn't press further, burying the matter in his heart. After all, Wang Jian had barely shown his hand, yet had demonstrated remarkable medical skills. To be so young and so talented… Cai Xing had already begun to consider recruiting him.
As it happened, Wang Jian noted Cai Xing's poor health. With the main road blocked, travel was difficult, and sending Cai Xing back alone would be a death sentence. Wang Jian simply spoke up, inviting Cai Xing to stay at his home where he could better observe the patient's condition.
Cai Xing was delighted by the offer, and the two carried the medicinal herbs down the mountain.
When they arrived home, Xu Qian was just finishing up dinner.
Emerging from the kitchen, Xu Qian met Wang Jian as he walked into the courtyard. "Hey! Xiao Jian, you're back just in time," she said, her face lit with a smile. "Dinner's ready. We can eat now."
Then she noticed Cai Xing standing behind Wang Jian and was visibly taken aback.
Seeing her reaction, Wang Jian quickly explained how he had met Cai Xing. Xu Qian understood, yet she couldn't shake the feeling she had seen Cai Xing somewhere before. This was strange, as she rarely left the house and knew almost no one in the village. Even the name Cai Xing sounded familiar.
However, with a guest present, Xu Qian didn't want to seem odd, so she hastily untied her apron and began to welcome him.
There was something uniquely charming about the moment a woman removed her apron after finishing her cooking.
Wang Jian already harbored special feelings for his sister-in-law, and now, the sight of the form-fitting skirt beneath the apron nearly glued his eyes to her. For some reason, he suddenly regretted bringing Cai Xing home. It would have been just as easy to wait on the mountain for Cai Xing to call for a ride.
So, after watching his sister-in-law go inside, Wang Jian's gaze fell upon Cai Xing, now holding a completely different expression.
Cai Xing felt the inexplicable shift in attitude. How had he suddenly earned such disdain? How many years had it been since someone had looked at him like that?
"What's wrong, young man?" Cai Xing asked, his scalp tingling under the stare. All he got in return was Wang Jian's dismissive, "It's nothing."
Wang Jian gestured for Cai Xing to sit on the living room sofa. "Mr. Cai, please have a seat. I'll go inside and help out. Stay for dinner and spend the night. The main road should be clear tomorrow, so you can have someone drive up to get you. It'll save you the trouble of another trip up and down the mountain."
"Ah, you don't need to worry about me, young man," Cai Xing said with a nod. "I'll just call my family and let them know. But please, Mr. Wang, don't tell them about my… episode."
"Not tell your family?" Wang Jian paused mid-turn, his expression becoming serious as he faced him again. "Your family doesn't know about this illness?"
Without waiting for an answer, Wang Jian felt a surge of irrational anger. Cai Xing clearly had medical knowledge, yet he acted like a complete amateur, dragging his life-threatening condition all over the place. This infuriated him.
Wang Jian frowned and spoke sharply, "Mr. Cai, I'm a doctor. Even though we've just met, there are some things I have to say, however impolite. Back on the mountain, if you hadn't run into me, if I hadn't known how to handle the situation, you wouldn't be here right now. Is anything more important than your life? You hide it from your family and instead run off to climb mountains for a cure?
"What's more, you understand medicine! Don't you realize how utterly reckless this is?!"
In his years as a doctor, Wang Jian had encountered plenty of patients who ignored medical advice, and every single time, he felt the same swell of indignation.
Wang Jian's tone was far from pleasant, sounding more like a teacher scolding a student. But Cai Xing wasn't the least bit offended. On the contrary, his appreciation for Wang Jian grew, and he wore the attentive smile of a patient who'd just been caught red-handed ignoring his doctor's advice.
His compliance didn't stop Wang Jian, who was now on a roll. "If you wanted to die, why bother rushing up a mountain for herbs? Your own physical condition… don't you have any clue? You don't seem like an ordinary person, but I have to say what needs to be said. I hope the next time we meet, it won't be me having to resuscitate you again. Why put yourself through this?"
"I am aware of your kindness, Mr. Wang," Cai Xing said, nodding. "It's just that my situation is complicated. My illness could affect my entire company."
Wow. He looked distinguished, but I never would have guessed he was the big boss of a company.
Wang Jian shook his head. "Since it's a personal matter, I won't pry. It's good to be alive, though…"
Once Wang Jian had gone to the courtyard kitchen, Cai Xing finally let out a bitter sigh. He knew his own condition all too well. But the Cai Family was in a precarious state. If word of his serious illness got out, it wouldn't just affect the family's herbal medicine company; the relatives would start causing trouble as well. Life truly wasn't easy for him. The simple environment of a village like this, he thought, was far better suited for living out one's days in peace.
The moment Wang Jian entered the kitchen, Xu Qian pulled him aside. She glanced cautiously around the house before giving his shoulder a light smack, her expression one of shock. "Oh my, how could you speak to Mr. Cai like that? Aren't you afraid of making him angry?"
"Angry?" Wang Jian scoffed. "I'd scold him whether he's angry or not. What's wrong with a doctor lecturing a patient who won't listen? You can't even scold someone while saving their life anymore?"
Noticing his sister-in-law roll her eyes, he grinned. "What, you know him? I noticed you were acting a little strange. Did you recognize him?"
"Yes," Xu Qian nodded. "I wasn't sure at first, but I just looked him up on my phone, and it's really him."
"Who is he?" Seeing Xu Qian's awestruck reaction, Wang Jian grew curious. As she held out her phone, he took it from her.
"Cai Xing, Chairman of the Cai Group… The Cai Group owns numerous pharmacy chains, including National Pharmacy, Good Doctor Pharmacy, and Ren Yi Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy, with branches all over the country…"
Good grief. Wang Jian was taken aback by the biography. Even during his time in the Capital City, he had never treated a patient of this caliber. To think that upon returning to his hometown, his very first patient would be someone of such stature.
Seeing Wang Jian stunned, Xu Qian burst out laughing. "What, scared now? If you want to open that clinic of yours, his help would ensure everything goes smoothly."
"Sister-in-law, you're underestimating me. He's just a big boss. It's not like I haven't met one before."
Wang Jian blustered, putting on a brave face. He couldn't afford to seem weak in front of a woman; it would make things difficult for him later.
Xu Qian considered this. Wang Jian had been a doctor at the Capital Hospital, so it was plausible he'd met important people. She took him at his word. "I know you're very capable, Xiao Jian… But for now, help me carry these two dishes out. There's still soup on the stove, and I was planning to make a couple more meat dishes. We have a guest, after all; we can't be too frugal."
Wang Jian looked at the stir-fried tomatoes and eggs and the shredded pork with green peppers—both his favorites—and knew the pork rib soup was still simmering in the pot. All this food, and she still thought it wasn't enough. He didn't want his sister-in-law to overtire herself, and he didn't care if their guest was Chairman Cai or someone else. "Don't make anything else," he said directly. "His body can't handle rich or greasy food right now."
"Oh, that's right. He's a patient." Xu Qian covered her mouth, recalling Cai Xing's pale complexion. She quickly nodded, stopping herself from getting more meat, and turned toward the stove. "In that case, can you check on the firewood for me? This old-fashioned stove is still the best for simmering soup. Don't let the fire get too hot."
Wang Jian promptly agreed. He pulled a small stool over and sat before the stove's opening, poking the firewood with a stick to tend the flames. The rush of heat on his face was familiar. He'd done this chore countless times at his mother's behest as a boy, so he was quite adept at it.
Suddenly, he heard the clatter of chopsticks hitting the floor. Glancing to the side, he froze.
That alluring sight…
Xu Qian, wearing her form-fitting skirt with her back to him, was bending over to pick up the chopsticks.