Lin Yu and Old Man Huang exchanged puzzled glances, utterly baffled. What kind of illness could be so embarrassing to mention?

  Could it be a gynecological issue?

  But no—Lin Yu hadn’t detected anything unusual when he took Xue Qin’s pulse.

  "Xiao He, haven’t you noticed anything odd about her behavior these past few days?" Old Man Song adjusted his emotions and finally spoke. "It’s not just that she dislikes contact with men—she seems to despise them."

  "That much I did notice."

  Lin Yu paused, recalling how Xue Qin had refused to let him touch her wrist during the pulse reading.

  She’d even said she’d never met a "real man," as if she looked down on every male in existence.

  Though, she had expressed admiration for the Lin Yu who’d rushed into a burning building to save a little girl on TV.

  Maybe she had a thing for tough, heroic types?

  Lin Yu couldn’t help but wonder.

  "See? Isn’t that an illness?" Old Man Song said urgently. "I know you young people are open-minded these days, not caring about gender when it comes to love. But sometimes, you have to consider your family’s feelings. At my age, all I want is for my grandchildren to marry normally, have chubby babies, and live happy lives."

  Finally, Lin Yu and Old Man Huang understood—Xue Qin was a lesbian.

  No wonder Old Man Song had been so hesitant to bring it up.

  Lin Yu smiled wryly. This was quite the challenge Old Man Song had thrown at him. No wonder he hadn’t been able to diagnose it—because it wasn’t an illness at all!

  "Old Song, if you ask me, children have their own destinies. Why bother worrying so much? Society’s more open now—not like our rigid old days," Old Man Huang consoled.

  "Old Huang, it’s easy for you to say—your grandson isn’t the one bringing home a man to announce their marriage. If he did, you’d be just as frantic!" Old Man Song huffed.

  Old Man Huang froze, then realized he had a point. If it were his own family, he’d struggle to accept it too. The Huang lineage would end with him!

  "Xiao He, given your exceptional medical skills and knowledge of metaphysics, do you think you could... cure my granddaughter?" Old Man Song pleaded. "My daughter only has this one child, and she’s been worried sick."

  "Old Man Song, I’m afraid this is beyond my abilities." Lin Yu was at a loss. Medicine and metaphysics couldn’t alter someone’s sexual orientation.

  "You must help me, Xiao He. No matter what, you have to try!"

  "I truly can’t, Old Man Song." Lin Yu rubbed his temples. Given how much Xue Qin disliked him, how could he possibly intervene?

  "Must I kneel before you to convince you?" Old Man Song straightened up, bracing against the sofa as if to rise.

  "Alright, alright! I’ll do my best!" Lin Yu hastily relented, startled.

  "Then it’s settled—no take-backs!" Old Man Song exhaled in relief.

  Lin Yu shook his head with a wry smile. This old man would go to any lengths for his granddaughter.

  With enough psychological counseling and targeted herbal treatments, there might be some effect.

  But that would require frequent contact with Xue Qin. Lin Yu set a condition: "Old Man Song, if she refuses to see me or avoids me, then I’m powerless."

  "Don’t worry. I’ll make it clear to her: she must answer your calls immediately and report her whereabouts whenever you ask!" Old Man Song vowed.

  Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  Though Xue Qin had a fiery temper, she was filial and never deliberately upset him.

  Lin Yu couldn’t help but chuckle. "No need to go that far."

  "Xiao He, who knows? Maybe you two will hit it off!" Old Man Huang teased, fully aware of Old Man Song’s ulterior motive. Since the old man wasn’t spelling it out, he decided to lend a hand.

  He didn’t know much about Lin Yu’s personal life—including his marital status.

  Most young people married late these days, so He Jiaron and Jiang Yan’s early marriage was somewhat unusual.

  "Old Man Huang, you jest. I’m already married," Lin Yu said with a polite smile.

  "I know. I asked your neighbors—you’ve been married over a year, right?" Old Man Song remarked casually.

  "Nearly two years."

  "But I also heard... your marital life isn’t very harmonious. No children after so long." Old Man Song’s gaze held a glimmer of hope.

  "Uh... it’s alright." Lin Yu shifted uncomfortably. The neighbors were well aware of the strained relationship between He Jiaron and Jiang Yan.

  "Between men, I’ll speak plainly: if a marriage isn’t working, it’s best to part amicably and seek new happiness elsewhere. Who knows what blessings await?" Old Man Song advised earnestly.

  Old Man Huang saw right through him—this was a blatant attempt to nudge Lin Yu toward divorce.

  He nodded solemnly in agreement. "Wise words indeed."

  Lin Yu’s heart ached. Neither the wife nor the body were truly his—how could he casually divorce?

  If Jiang Yan had wronged him, he could divorce on He Jiaron’s behalf. But aside from her coldness, she hadn’t done anything outright unacceptable.

  So for now, divorce wasn’t an option.

  ---

  After tea at Jishitang, Lin Yu headed to Jiang Yan’s clinic. It had been a while since his last visit.

  But the nurse informed him Jiang Yan was out on a house call, so he left for his mother’s bun shop instead.

  Meanwhile, in the director’s office on the clinic’s second floor, a portly man with a face like a bloated pig sat in Sun Feng’s chair while Sun Feng stood nearby, busily preparing tea.

  "Old Sun, securing this batch of drugs at such a low price took considerable effort," the man said, idly poking a toothpick at the goldfish in the tank.

  "Of course, of course. Director Yu, your hard work is appreciated. I’ll increase your profit share by five percent this time," Sun Feng said with an ingratiating smile.

  The man, Yu Shixin, was deputy director of Qinghai City People’s Hospital. They’d met years ago at a banquet and soon partnered in business—Yu supplied discounted drugs through special channels, and Sun Feng kicked back a percentage of the profits.

  Most pharmaceutical drugs were cheap at production, but after passing through hospitals and clinics, their prices inflated tenfold—sometimes a thousandfold.

  Thanks to Yu, Sun Feng had grown wealthy, so he obeyed Yu without question.

  "Keep the extra percentage. Just invite Director Jiang to dinner tonight. Didn’t she always want to test into our hospital?" Yu said lazily.

  "This..." Sun Feng hesitated.

  He knew exactly what Yu was after. Despite his bulk, Yu was a notorious womanizer who’d had his eye on Jiang Yan for ages. Her two failed attempts to join the hospital were directly tied to him.

  Jiang Yan had rejected his dinner invitations over ten times, earning his lasting resentment.

  "Problem?" Yu’s thick brows rose as he turned his fleshy face toward Sun Feng. "Remember—I made you what you are today, and I can just as easily ruin you."

  "Understood, understood." Sun Feng wiped sweat from his brow. "But Director Jiang is our clinic’s star practitioner. If she leaves—"

  "So what if she’s a doctor? Others can replace her. Besides, since she’s determined to test into our hospital, she’ll leave you eventually anyway."

  Yu jabbed the toothpick viciously into the water. "That stubborn woman failed twice—still doesn’t get it. Nothing comes without a price. I’m doing her a favor!"

  "Right, right." Sun Feng nodded repeatedly, though guilt gnawed at him.

  "Relax. Tonight’s affair has nothing to do with you. Just get her there and share a few drinks. After that, you know nothing—got it?"

  "Loud and clear."

  Yu snorted, tossing the toothpick into the fish tank. "No woman I fancy has ever escaped me. Once I get her drunk and in bed, we’ll see how long she keeps up that icy act."

  Sun Feng trembled, not daring to breathe, consumed by guilt toward Jiang Yan.

  ---

  "Director Jiang, free for dinner tonight?"

  When Jiang Yan returned, Sun Feng promptly extended Yu’s invitation, forcing a smile to mask his unease.

  "No, thank you. I have plans." Jiang Yan declined.

  "Please—Deputy Director Yu from Qinghai People’s Hospital will be there. You could ask him about the physician exams," Sun Feng pressed.

  Jiang Yan frowned, hesitating.

  Normally, she’d refuse outright. But after failing twice, she was desperate for insights. Both rejections had come during interviews—even the second time, despite thorough preparation. She wondered if there were unspoken rules she’d missed.

  Sun Feng’s suggestion made sense. The deputy director would know the hiring process inside out.

  Though she disliked Yu, she could leave after getting her questions answered.

  "Fine." She nodded reluctantly.

  After hanging up, she wavered again, recalling Yu’s lecherous stares. For safety’s sake, she pulled out her phone and hovered over Lin Yu’s contact, debating whether to ask him along.

  After a moment, she dialed—then quickly canceled the call. Surely she was overthinking it. With Sun Feng present and in a public setting, Yu wouldn’t dare misbehave.

  Besides, even if Lin Yu came, what good would his timid personality and slight frame do?

  (During the incident when Li Junyi drugged her, she hadn’t noticed Lin Yu seizing Li’s wrist—otherwise, she might’ve thought differently.)

  With a sigh, she pocketed her phone and went to pack up, steeling herself for the evening ahead.