Chapter 524: Surprise! Yang Qiuchan's Favorability is Full!
"Brother Shen, where is this?"
Looking at the private hospital before her, Yang Qiuchan looked at Shen Anyu in confusion, not knowing why Shen Anyu had brought her to such a private hospital. The building was a marvel of modern architecture, all gleaming white stone and shimmering glass, standing apart from the bustling city with an air of quiet, exclusive authority. It felt less like a medical facility and more like a five-star resort dedicated to wellness. The air itself smelled different here—clean, crisp, with the faint, sterile scent of ozone and disinfectant that was somehow reassuring rather than clinical.
Shen Anyu smiled, his expression a perfect blend of warmth and reassurance.
"This is Qinghe Hospital, the most formidable private hospital for burn and cosmetic treatment in the country. It's no worse than Peking Union Medical College Hospital, and in some aspects, even better. It boasts the most top-tier expert and nursing teams. That's why I brought you here for treatment, Qiuchan. If you didn't have the burns, you would certainly be very beautiful."
His last words struck her heart like a gentle chime. Hearing them from him, delivered with such casual sincerity, sent a current of pure joy through Yang Qiuchan's veins. 'So, in Brother Shen's eyes, I would be beautiful without the burns.' For a moment, the validation was so potent it almost brought tears to her eyes. It was a glimpse of a reality she had long given up on, a version of herself she thought was lost forever. But the brief euphoria was quickly chased away by a wave of cold, hard reality. A moment later, Yang Qiuchan's face was etched with difficulty.
"Brother Shen, I've heard of Qinghe Hospital's reputation," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "To receive treatment here, you need to book at least half a year in advance, and the treatment fees are extremely, extremely high…"
She remembered the desperate, frantic days after the accident. When she was severely burned and disfigured, her parents had poured every ounce of their energy and savings into finding a cure. They had taken her to countless hospitals, consulted with so-called specialists, but the prognosis was always the same: a full recovery was impossible. There would always be traces, always scars. And the costs… the treatment costs were a mountain they could never hope to climb.
Although the Yang Family ran a successful hotpot restaurant and weren't poor by any means, they were far from wealthy. They existed in the comfortable middle, but a facility like this was in a completely different universe. For a top-tier, high-end private hospital like Qinghe, the fees were astronomical. She could easily imagine the figures, each zero adding another layer of impossibility to her dream.
"I'll take care of it," Shen Anyu said with a faint, effortless smile, as if discussing the price of a cup of coffee.
"No!" The word burst out of her, sharp and insistent. "Brother Shen, this kindness is truly too great. Qiuchan can't repay it."
Yang Qiuchan shook her head repeatedly, her hands clenched at her sides. She refused to look at him, her gaze fixed on the pristine marble floor. Even among friends, there had to be a sense of balance, an equal exchange. The disparity in their statuses was already a chasm she felt keenly. She couldn't compound it by accepting such a monumental gift. It felt like taking advantage, like a form of charity she couldn't bear. If she agreed, she feared this fragile, beautiful friendship they had might not even last. It would be tainted by obligation and debt. She absolutely could not agree.
Shen Anyu's smile didn't falter. He simply tilted his head, a glint of amusement in his eyes.
"This hospital belongs to my family. It's my own hospital, treating my own friend. Is there a problem?"
The words hung in the air, each one landing with the weight of a physical blow.
"Brother Shen, your family's??"
Yang Qiuchan's beautiful eyes widened until they were perfect circles of disbelief, her mind reeling. The world seemed to tilt on its axis. When she and her parents had been frantically looking for hospitals, she had done the research. She had seen the name. Qinghe Hospital was a subsidiary under the Shen Corporation.
Shen Corporation… Shen Anyu?
A connection so incredible, so impossible, suddenly clicked into place.
"Brother Shen, you… you are from the Yanxia Shen Family?" Her voice was thin, unsteady, as if the very question was too heavy for her to voice.
"Mm."
He simply hummed in affirmation, watching her with that same calm, charming expression. But that single sound was enough to shatter her world. Yang Qiuchan was speechless for a long, long time. A Da Shao—a young master from a super-wealthy family with a thousand-year history—was not just standing before her, but had taken an interest in her, a simple girl with a scarred face. It was the stuff of fiction.
In the past, Yang Qiuchan had certainly indulged in those popular female-oriented novels about domineering CEOs and doting princes from the capital's elite circles. She had daydreamed, as so many girls do, about a Prince Charming descending from the sky to sweep her off her feet. It was a sweet, harmless fantasy.
But now, when that exact fantasy seemed to be unfolding in reality, it felt less like a dream come true and more like a hallucination. She felt lightheaded, as if she were floating outside her own body, watching a movie of her life.
"The medical team is waiting for you. Don't keep them waiting too long."
Shen Anyu's voice, smooth and confident, pulled her back to the present. A charming smile played on his handsome face as he gently took her by the arm, leading the dazed and utterly overwhelmed Yang Qiuchan into Qinghe Hospital. The moment they stepped inside, a team of professionals in immaculate white coats surrounded them. They moved with quiet efficiency, guiding her through a series of examinations with state-of-the-art equipment that looked like it belonged on a starship.
Of course, Shen Anyu had ensured the entire team consisted of female doctors and nurses, a thoughtful detail that did not go unnoticed by Yang Qiuchan and only deepened her gratitude.
After a thorough assessment, a middle-aged female doctor, the clear head of the medical team, approached them. Her face was a mask of professional gravity, her expression somewhat solemn as she addressed Shen Anyu.
"Young Master Shen, Miss Yang's burns have been present for too long and are too severe. They have already damaged the dermis, the deep layer of the skin, causing underlying tissue deformation and scar contraction. In many areas, local sensation is dulled or has been lost entirely. This is a deep third-degree burn. Standard procedure would require extensive skin grafting to effectively promote the regeneration of the local epithelial tissue."
She paused, choosing her next words carefully.
"After such treatment, she should be able to recover for the most part. The burned skin will become lighter and paler, and from a distance, it might be indistinguishable from normal skin."
She then turned her gaze to Yang Qiuchan's unblemished arm, a silent comparison.
"However… Miss Yang's natural skin tone is as delicate and fair as snow. The grafted skin, even at its best, will never perfectly match. Compared to the rest of her body, the treated areas will still show abnormalities. The texture will be different, the color slightly off. The difference will be quite peculiar, and frankly, very obvious upon closer inspection."
Shen Anyu listened to the diagnosis with a calm expression. He had already anticipated this outcome and felt no disappointment. With his Divine Medical Skill, the inheritance of Divine Doctor Xia Liu, and Lu Ran's peerless Two-Aspects Life-Death Medical Scripture, his medical knowledge was unparalleled. He knew that in the mortal world, unless one encountered a big shot like a reborn Immortal Emperor, no one's medical skill could possibly surpass his own. He could see with a single glance that Yang Qiuchan's problem was far beyond what ordinary medicine could solve.
'But that's the point,' he thought. 'If I were to directly intervene and solve it so easily, how could it be considered precious? The greater the despair, the sweeter the hope I provide.'
Sometimes, what is difficult to obtain is what becomes truly priceless.
"Brother Shen, it's okay."
Yang Qiuchan, mistaking his silence for disappointment, turned to comfort him, her voice filled with earnest sincerity.
"If the scars can just become lighter and fainter, so there's no major difference from a normal person, Qiuchan is already very, very satisfied."
In reality, she was ecstatic. The doctor's prognosis was already a miracle in her eyes. To have the burned areas recover to a state resembling normal skin—even if it was different from her other parts, which were as delicate as a peeled boiled egg—was more than she had ever dared to hope for.
'Truly worthy of Qinghe Hospital.'
Shen Anyu, however, slowly shook his head, his expression shifting into one of profound solemnity.
"No. I must make you recover completely, without the slightest flaw."
He met her gaze, his own eyes burning with an unshakeable resolve.
"No matter the cost, I will achieve it. At all costs."
Seeing Shen Anyu's grave expression and hearing the iron certainty in his tone, Yang Qiuchan felt a wave of emotion so powerful it threatened to drown her. It was too much. The kindness, the wealth, the power, and now this unwavering commitment to her complete restoration… it was all for her. The question that had been simmering in her heart finally boiled over, and she blurted it out before she could stop herself.
"Brother Shen, why are you so good to me? Is it just because we're friends?"
Shen Anyu seemed somewhat surprised that Yang Qiuchan would ask this so directly, but it suited his intentions perfectly. He looked at her, his deep-set Peach Blossom eyes seeming to hold a universe of unspoken emotion. They were mesmerizing, drawing her in, making her feel like she was the only person in the world. He spoke softly, his voice a velvet caress.
"Because I've already fallen for you. The moment I saw you, my heart was moved."
The world dissolved into a blur of color and sound. His confession was the spark that ignited everything she had been feeling.
"Brother Shen… me too!"
Yang Qiuchan instantly wept tears of pure, unadulterated joy. She never, ever expected to receive Shen Anyu's confession. Acting on pure instinct, she threw herself into his embrace, burying her face in his chest. His arms wrapped around her, strong and secure, and she felt as if she were wrapped in sweet, warm cotton candy, a feeling of utter bliss washing over her.
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan's favorability +1, plundering +3000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan's total favorability exceeded 90, extra plundering +50000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan's favorability +10, plundering +30000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan's total favorability reached 100, extra plundering +300000 destiny value!]
[Ding! Detected Destined Heroine Yang Qiuchan's total favorability reached 100, cashback…]
[Ding! Child of Destiny Wu Ming's emotional storyline is completely severed, plundering +1000000 destiny value!]
…
'Good heavens, her favorability is already maxed out?'
While affectionately comforting the sobbing Yang Qiuchan, gently patting her fragrant shoulder, Shen Anyu was also quite pleasantly surprised. The cascade of notifications was a display of success.
He had initially thought he would need to continue manipulating the situation, drawing out the process, waiting until her appearance was fully restored before her favorability would naturally reach its peak.
But as it turned out, the emotional impact of his identity, his wealth, his solemn vow, and his confession had been a perfect storm. It had all maxed out right now.
He considered it from her perspective. For Yang Qiuchan, he was a ray of light that had pierced the darkness of her life. He had appeared when she was at her lowest and most dejected, saving her like a Prince Charming from a dream, appearing vividly and undeniably before her. It was a fairy tale, and she was its princess.
Since her favorability was already maxed out, Shen Anyu no longer needed to hold back. Tonight, he would claim everything. He would take Yang Qiuchan's most precious possession.
And before that, of course, he would cure Yang Qiuchan…
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