During his middle and high school years, Jiang Fei had his share of favorite movie stars and singers. Although he never became a die-hard fan of any particular celebrity, he was quite familiar with most of the popular stars in the entertainment industry at the time.
However, since starting university, Jiang Fei had lost interest in keeping up with celebrities. His knowledge of the entertainment world was stuck four or five years in the past. He knew little about the new generation of actors and singers who had debuted in recent years.
As for who Qiao Yiyi was, Jiang Fei had no clue. It wasn’t until He Yuxuan explained that he realized just how famous Qiao Yiyi had become. This woman had spent several years as a trainee in South Korea and, within less than two years of her debut, had not only achieved great success there but had also been hailed by domestic media as the “Next Queen of Pop,” with many predicting she would surpass her predecessors.
“Is it really Qiao Yiyi calling you, Fei Ge? Even her manager is involved. This can’t be a scam, right?” He Yuxuan widened her eyes, her voice filled with excitement.
Jiang Fei, on the other hand, felt indifferent. Even if Qiao Yiyi was a huge star, what did it matter to him? A celebrity he didn’t even know held no special allure in his eyes.
“He Yuxuan, how old are you? Why are you still chasing after celebrities? She’s just a singer who came back from South Korea. Is she really worth all this admiration?” Jiang Fei said dismissively, clearly unimpressed.
He Yuxuan rolled her eyes at him, pretending to be shy. “Oh, Fei Ge, you’re so mean. I just turned eighteen this year. Why can’t I be a fan?” She then batted her eyelashes at Zeng Tong, her voice sweet and coquettish. “Don’t you think so, darling?”
Zeng Tong pulled He Yuxuan into an affectionate embrace. “Of course, my dear. You’ll always be eighteen in my eyes! Mwah!” With that, he planted a kiss on her cheek right in front of everyone.
Jiang Fei immediately raised his hand to stop them, exasperated. “I can’t stand you two! Can’t you tone it down a bit? You know what they say about couples who show off too much—it doesn’t last.”
He Yuxuan giggled. “Don’t worry, we’re not going to break up anytime soon.” She paused, dragging out her words for effect. “In fact… you’ll be receiving our wedding invitation soon!”
“Wedding invitation?” Jiang Fei was taken aback, his eyes widening as he looked at the two of them. “Are you… getting married?”
Both of them nodded simultaneously, their faces glowing with happiness and sweetness.
“Wow, when did this happen? You’re not getting married because of an… accident, are you?” Jiang Fei asked, his eyes darting to He Yuxuan’s stomach.
Zeng Tong was one of Jiang Fei’s closest friends from university. Seeing his buddy about to tie the knot and step into married life filled Jiang Fei with genuine happiness for him.
“There’s no accident!” Zeng Tong raised his hand in a solemn declaration. “We’ve been together for six years now. Getting married isn’t that surprising, is it? We haven’t set an exact date yet, but it’ll probably be around September. Heh, Fei Ge, you’d better prepare a hefty red envelope for us…”
He Yuxuan chimed in with a smile, “That’s right. Fei Ge, you’re practically a tycoon. You’d feel bad if you didn’t give us a big red envelope, wouldn’t you?”
“Tycoon my foot! I’m drowning in bank loans right now. I should be asking you two for money!” Jiang Fei retorted with a laugh. But then he shook his head and added, “Don’t worry. Since I’m practically half the reason you two got together, I’ll make sure to give you a proper red envelope.”
At this point, Zeng Tong and He Yuxuan finally separated and sat up straight.
Zeng Tong’s expression turned serious as he asked, “By the way, I’ve been meaning to ask—what made you decide to build a vacation villa in the countryside? And now you’re opening a hospital? With a loan, no less! Running a small clinic is one thing, but managing a private hospital is a whole different ball game. Are you sure you can handle it?”
Although they hadn’t seen each other in person, Jiang Fei and Zeng Tong had kept in touch through phone calls and QQ. Zeng Tong was well aware of Jiang Fei’s recent activities and knew why he had come back to the university today.
Jiang Fei tapped his fingers on the table, a relaxed and confident smile on his face. “You guys really underestimate me. Do you think I’d make a decision without being sure of myself? Being called ‘Dr. Jiang’ isn’t just for show. Opening a private hospital is nothing—I can handle it with ease.”
“Pfft!” Zeng Tong and He Yuxuan scoffed in unison. “Dr. Jiang? You’ve got some nerve calling yourself that!”
As Jiang Fei’s university classmates, they knew him inside and out. While Jiang Fei’s medical skills weren’t bad, they certainly weren’t exceptional. If they were, he wouldn’t have been on the verge of shutting down his clinic after being pressured by the beautiful Mrs. Su Nan.
Jiang Fei wasn’t embarrassed by their teasing. He snorted and said, “If I’m not Dr. Jiang, then why would a big star like Qiao Yiyi specifically ask me to treat her throat? It’s because my reputation as a miracle doctor is already widely recognized!”
To be honest, Jiang Fei could bluff his way through with people who didn’t know his past. But when it came to old friends like Zeng Tong and He Yuxuan, who knew him inside and out, he had no idea how to explain his sudden transformation into a medical genius and master in various fields.
That’s why, despite his usual flamboyant and boastful nature, Jiang Fei had kept his recent achievements—like being featured in the Chuan City Daily—hidden from his family and old classmates. He figured it was better to let some time pass, creating a gap that would make his sudden rise easier to explain later.
“Fei Ge, why don’t you call back and confirm the situation? If it really is Qiao Yiyi, I’ll admit you’re a miracle doctor! And if you take me to the Jin City Grand Hotel to meet her, I’ll even waive your red envelope for our wedding!” He Yuxuan said, using a bit of reverse psychology to egg him on.
Jiang Fei put his phone away and shook his head. “Forget it. No matter how broke I am, I’m not going to skip out on your red envelope.”
He Yuxuan rolled her eyes. “I knew it! Fei Ge, you’re just blowing hot air again!”
Jiang Fei chuckled but didn’t bother to explain further.
The three of them spent about half an hour at the student café, catching up and joking around. It wasn’t until 11:30 that they finally got up to leave.
“Where are we having lunch?” He Yuxuan asked the two men.
Zeng Tong smiled and said, “Since Jin City Medical University is my turf now, and Fei Ge is back, I’ll treat you guys. Let’s hit the cafeteria. Fei Ge, it’s been a while since you’ve had our school’s famous 3.8-yuan meal, right? Today, I’ll splurge and let you relive your university days!”
The cafeteria at Jin City Medical University was famous for its unbelievably cheap meals—two meat dishes and one vegetable for just 3.8 yuan. Of course, the taste was… best left unmentioned.
“Can you be any stingier?” Jiang Fei did feel a bit nostalgic for his university days, but he had no desire to subject himself to the cafeteria’s food. He shook his head and said, “I’ve got a lot on my plate with the hospital opening soon. Let’s save the catching up for another time.”
Jiang Fei still had to meet Lin Moli at the hospital in the afternoon to finalize the preparations. Once he signed contracts with Wang Xueyi, Gu Hao, and the other three master’s graduates tomorrow, the hospital would officially open.
“Alright, go take care of your business,” Zeng Tong said, nodding in understanding. But then he grinned and added, “By the way, where exactly is that villa you built? When do we get to visit and see how the other half lives?”
Jiang Fei didn’t mind this request and gave them the address of the villa in Dao Village.
Back when he had first mentioned building a villa in the countryside, these two had teased him relentlessly, acting as if he was throwing his money away. They had practically treated him like a hopeless case. Jiang Fei couldn’t wait to see the look of envy on their faces when they finally saw the place.
After leaving Jin City Medical University, the so-called manager of Qiao Yiyi didn’t call Jiang Fei again. She was probably too annoyed after having her calls rejected twice. Jiang Fei, for his part, was glad to be rid of her high-and-mighty tone. Whether she was really a big shot or not didn’t matter to him.
Over the next few days, the final preparations for Jiang’s Clinic were completed. Everything was ready, and all that was left was the grand opening…