Although the little girl had regained her breath, she still hadn’t woken up, her eyes remaining tightly shut.

  "Little friend, why hasn’t my granddaughter woken up yet?" Wu Jinyuan asked anxiously.

  "Her brain was deprived of oxygen. She’ll come around soon," Li Haoming reassured Old Man Wu before turning to Lin Yu. "Young man, given the prolonged oxygen deprivation, could there be any brain damage?"

  "I’ve already checked—none at all. It’s all thanks to your hospital’s world-class oxygen equipment. If this had happened elsewhere, it might have been a different story," Lin Yu replied.

  The other internists couldn’t help but look proud. It wasn’t an exaggeration—some of their hospital’s equipment was truly top-tier, even globally.

  Li Haoming knew their facilities inside out and was well aware that the girl’s brain wouldn’t have suffered damage in such a short time. His question had been a test for Lin Yu.

  The answer surprised him. Though traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) had declined in recent years, its depth and sophistication far surpassed Western medicine.

  TCM emphasized observation, listening, questioning, and pulse diagnosis. A skilled TCM practitioner could diagnose an illness without instruments, simply by assessing the patient’s qi and spirit. That Lin Yu had pinpointed the girl’s condition and confirmed the absence of brain damage at a glance spoke volumes about his medical prowess.

  "I’ll use a secret technique to eradicate the root of her illness. Could everyone please step out for a moment?"

  Though the girl was stable, the dark energy inside her hadn’t been expelled. Lin Yu didn’t want to frighten the others—after all, ghosts and spirits were still considered mysterious by most.

  Once the room cleared, Lin Yu prepared to act, but the black energy suddenly surged from the girl’s body, darting toward the window.

  "Trying to escape?"

  Lin Yu smirked, chanting a soul-suppressing incantation. He pinched the red string he’d taken from Jiang Yan and pointed it toward the fleeing energy. A shrill scream echoed as the black energy was sucked into the peach pit on the string.

  Tying the red thread around his wrist, Lin Yu thought, *Thank goodness for Jiang Yan’s charm. With my current cultivation level, dealing with this thing would’ve been tough otherwise.*

  "You can come back in now!"

  He called out, then removed the needles from the girl, pressing gently on her Baihui and Fengchi acupoints. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open.

  Seeing clarity return to her gaze, Lin Yu smiled in relief.

  Wu Jianguo and his wife rushed in with Old Man Wu and his wife, hugging their child and weeping. They had almost lost the last heir of the Wu family.

  "Little friend, will my granddaughter relapse?" Wu Jinyuan asked, excitement giving way to concern.

  "It’s completely cured—no recurrence. But do take extra care of her. Her constitution is weak; she should avoid yin-heavy places like cemeteries," Lin Yu advised.

  "Such great kindness cannot be repaid with mere words. From now on, if you ever need anything, Wu Jinyuan will not refuse!" The old man’s voice brimmed with gratitude.

  "It was nothing. You’re too kind," Lin Yu replied modestly.

  "Brother He, I was blind earlier. Please don’t hold it against me or my wife. We owe you a life debt," Wu Jianguo said, his arms around his wife and daughter, eyes glistening.

  At the mention of "my wife," Lin Yu chuckled awkwardly, glancing back at Jiang Yan. Her expression remained icy, her brows furrowed as she studied him.

  "Young man, could you explain the specifics of her condition?" Now that the child was safe, Li Haoming’s curiosity was piqued.

  "Yes, please enlighten us, Dr. He!"

  "Give us a lesson!"

  With Li Haoming leading the charge, the other doctors chimed in eagerly.

  "You flatter me. Spotting her condition was just luck," Lin Yu demurred. "Her illness wasn’t complicated—primarily lung heat caused by fever."

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  "I noticed that during the exam, but lung heat alone shouldn’t have led to such severe symptoms," Li Haoming pressed.

  "At the clinic, I mentioned she had an underlying condition. Unless I’m mistaken, she once suffered from liver poisoning," Lin Yu said, turning to Wu Jianguo.

  The man nodded hastily. "Yes! Half a year ago, she had toxic hepatitis, but it was cured."

  Lin Yu nodded. "It *was* cured, but traces of toxins remained. Combined with prolonged fever stoking heart fire, what should’ve been simple lung heat became life-threatening."

  He left out the part about the dark energy exacerbating the condition, focusing instead on the medical explanation.

  The doctors listened intently, nodding in understanding. Even Li Haoming was impressed—diagnosing a latent condition without tests was beyond him.

  Jiang Yan arched a brow, surprised by his detailed analysis, though she dismissed it as a fluke. *He probably just got lucky this time.*

  As Lin Yu left the hospital, Li Haoming chased after him, handing over a business card. "If you’re ever interested in working at People’s Hospital, call me."

  Glancing at the card, Lin Yu turned to Jiang Yan. "Would you like to work here? I could—"

  "My career is none of your concern. I’ll achieve my goals on my own," she cut him off coldly.

  Jiang Yan seethed. *Since when did this useless man think he could help me?*

  Her dream had always been to work at Qinghai People’s Hospital, but the residency exams were notoriously difficult. She’d failed twice but remained determined to succeed on her own merits.

  "Your bracelet fell off. I found it. Can I keep it? I’d like to have something of yours with me." He dangled the red string.

  "Do whatever you want," she snapped.

  ---

  Back at the clinic, Sun Feng and the entire staff waited outside. He’d already spoken to Old Man Wu and knew the full story.

  As Lin Yu stepped out of the car, Sun Feng led a chorus of greetings before rushing forward to shake his hand. "Xiao He, you’ve saved our clinic! Without you, we’d probably be shut down."

  "Blind luck," Jiang Yan muttered, striding inside.

  Sun Feng chuckled awkwardly. He knew He Jiarong’s limits, but whatever trick he’d pulled, the clinic had benefited. That was enough for him.

  Just then, the health bureau’s cars returned—led by Deng Chengbin.

  Sun Feng panicked. "Director Deng, wasn’t the matter resolved?"

  Ignoring him, Deng Chengbin approached Lin Yu, all smiles. "Brother He, my apologies for earlier. I hope you won’t hold it against me."

  Initially dismissive, Deng had been awed watching Lin Yu cure his niece and analyze her condition with such precision.

  "No offense taken," Lin Yu said graciously. His wife worked under this man’s jurisdiction, after all.

  "To be honest, I’m here to ask for your help with my... condition." Deng glanced around, embarrassed.

  Lin Yu was surprised. As deputy director of the health bureau, Deng could summon any doctor in Qinghai. But a quick look told him all he needed to know.

  The condition was common—but tricky to treat.

  "Director Deng, you’ve been experiencing soreness in your lower back and knees, cold limbs, aversion to cold, and fatigue, haven’t you?" Lin Yu smiled. In short: kidney deficiency.

  "Yes! I’ve seen countless doctors and taken piles of medicine—nothing worked." Deng’s face twisted in misery. For a man, this ailment was pure torment.

  "No problem. I’ll write you a prescription. Take it twice daily for half a month, and you’ll see marked improvement. But no alcohol or tobacco during treatment." Lin Yu fetched pen and paper, scribbling the formula.

  "Thank you, Brother He! If you ever need anything, just ask." Deng accepted the paper as if it were gold, bowing repeatedly before leaving.

  He’d been skeptical earlier, but Lin Yu’s precise diagnosis had won his complete trust.

  "Brother He, I never imagined you’d connect with Director Deng so quickly. Our clinic will rely on your good words from now on!" Sun Feng seized the moment to cozy up, even addressing Lin Yu more respectfully.

  He didn’t care how Lin Yu had fooled Deng—as long as it profited him.

  "Of course. And I hope Director Sun will take good care of Jiang Yan."

  "Done! I’ll raise Dr. Jiang’s salary tomorrow!" Sun Feng thumped his chest.

  ---

  The rest of the day passed uneventfully, but the staff’s attitude toward Lin Yu had visibly warmed. Even his lunch and dinner were provided without asking.

  By the time Jiang Yan clocked out, it was past 9 p.m. The thought of meeting his in-laws for the first time made Lin Yu nervous. *First time meeting parents... and it’s as a son-in-law?*

  Their home was in a mid-to-upscale Qinghai neighborhood, quiet and green.

  The quieter the surroundings, the louder Lin Yu’s heartbeat. *Is this real? Going home with a woman I met yesterday?*

  "Get out!"

  Jiang Yan’s sharp command snapped him from his daze. He hurried after her into the building.

  Inside, a middle-aged couple sat watching TV. The woman had permed hair and an air of affluence; the man was thin, bespectacled, and scholarly.

  Jiang Yan’s parents—Jiang Jingren and Li Suqin. Both civil servants, one at the department level, the other at the section level. Comfortably middle-class thanks to early real estate investments.

  At the sight of Lin Yu, Li Suqin rolled her eyes. Marrying her daughter to him two years ago was her biggest regret.

  As her husband often said: *We never should’ve brought that orphan home. Ruined our daughter’s life.*

  "Dad. Mom." Lin Yu greeted them awkwardly. They didn’t even glance his way.

  *Yep. He Jiarong has zero status here too.*

  "Yan’er, you must be exhausted. I drew you a bath," Li Suqin said, taking her daughter’s bag before glaring at Lin Yu. "You—go clean your father’s shoes and mop the floor."

  Lin Yu’s soul wept. *I just got out of the hospital today!*

  "Mom, he’s just been discharged. Let him rest. I’ll do it," Jiang Yan surprised everyone by speaking up for him.

  Li Suqin blinked. Since when did her daughter defend this good-for-nothing? Even Jiang Jingren looked up from the TV, startled.

  "I’ll handle the chores." Lin Yu smiled, heading inside.

  "Wrong way! The shared bathroom’s over there. Ugh, did the crash make you stupider?" Li Suqin complained.

  "Yan’er, I changed your mattress—it’s nice and soft. Now that Jiarong’s awake, hurry up and give me a grandchild!" Li Suqin whispered—though Lin Yu heard every word.

  **CRASH!**

  The basin slipped from Lin Yu’s hands, nearly taking him down with it.