Doctors should indeed heal the world—that’s undeniable. But the idea that doctors should work selflessly without expecting any reward? That’s definitely wrong.
Jiang Fei had put in tremendous effort to treat Old Master Ye’s paralyzed legs and even gifted him fine wine. Even though he deeply respected the old man, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect some compensation, right?
When Old Master Ye brought up the topic of payment today, it was like a lightbulb went off in Jiang Fei’s head. His mind started racing.
With a quick glance, Jiang Fei looked up, his expression serious and righteous. “As for the matter of payment, that’s really unnecessary. Old Master Ye, you’re being too formal!”
Whoosh!
This statement left both Old Master Ye and Ye Yuanyuan in the room stunned.
Hearing Jiang Fei say this, Ye Yuanyuan, who had always thought of Jiang Fei as petty and narrow-minded, began to question her judgment.
Could it be that this guy actually had some moral integrity?
Her grandfather offering compensation was something many people could only dream of, yet Jiang Fei was turning it down?
Ye Yuanyuan felt she might need to reevaluate Jiang Fei. Perhaps there was more to him than she had thought.
But just as these thoughts crossed her mind, Jiang Fei spoke again.
With a solemn expression, he looked at Old Master Ye and declared, “To be honest, I’ve always admired soldiers since I was a child. My first dream was to become a soldier, and my second was to become a doctor! So, for someone like you, Old Master Ye, a veteran who has led troops into battle, I hold the utmost respect. To me, you’re like family, like an old friend. Treating your illness and giving you some wine—what’s that compared to our bond? How could I possibly ask for payment?”
Crack…
Ye Yuanyuan, who had just started to think Jiang Fei was becoming more magnanimous, was dumbfounded. Old Master Ye also looked surprised.
Family? Old friend?
Ye Yuanyuan’s eyes widened. How could he say such things so boldly?
Was he trying to become her grandfather’s relative or form some kind of sworn brotherhood with him?
He really knew how to seize an opportunity!
“You really don’t want any payment?” Old Master Ye’s expression shifted from warm and kind to something more inscrutable, his thoughts unreadable.
Jiang Fei felt his scalp tingle and his heart race, but he kept his face calm and resolute. “Old Master Ye, you might think I’m not worthy, but in my heart, I truly admire you. I’ve felt this way since the first time we met. So, I absolutely cannot accept any payment!”
“Hahahaha…” Old Master Ye burst into laughter, shaking his head as he looked at Jiang Fei with amusement.
This time, his laughter was unrestrained, no longer that of a frail old man but of a seasoned general who had commanded countless soldiers. His aura was commanding, his presence formidable.
After all, he had once been the highest-ranking leader of a major military district!
His true nature was far from that of an ordinary old man.
“Good. Jiang Fei, you’re quite an interesting fellow. You’re growing on me,” Old Master Ye said, his eyes gleaming as he studied Jiang Fei as if seeing him for the first time.
With a piercing gaze, Old Master Ye continued, “In my life, there are only a handful of people I consider true friends—maybe a dozen or so. Most of them are gone now, and I’m one of the few still standing. And now, thanks to you, Jiang Fei, I’ve been given a new lease on life. So today, I’ll make an exception and consider you a friend—a friend across generations!”
Becoming family or taking Jiang Fei as a junior was out of the question for Old Master Ye. Without blood ties, how could they be relatives?
He despised the idea of taking on godchildren or god-grandchildren.
So, inspired by the legendary friendship between the Old Imp and Yang Guo, he decided to form a cross-generational bond with Jiang Fei.
Ye Yuanyuan, listening nearby, couldn’t take it anymore. “Grandpa…”
But Old Master Ye waved her off, his expression serious and his tone firm. “From now on, Jiang Fei, if you ever face trouble—as long as you’re in the right and not causing trouble yourself—you can drop my name, Ye Zhengnan, or the Ye family name! As long as you’re not the one starting trouble, no one will dare mess with you, no matter who they are!”
Jiang Fei’s expression was equally solemn. “Thank you, Old Master Ye, for holding me in such high regard!”
With this, Jiang Fei had firmly secured a powerful ally. This reward was more than worth it.
Jiang Fei thought gleefully to himself: With Old Master Ye’s backing, if someone like Gao Hengyuan ever tried to bully him again, he could easily crush them with just a fraction of this influence.
Moreover, now that he and Old Master Ye were friends across generations, didn’t that technically make him two generations above Ye Yuanyuan?
So, how should she address him…?
At this thought, Jiang Fei glanced surreptitiously at Ye Yuanyuan. No wonder she was glaring at him like she wanted to kill him.
Jiang Fei didn’t linger in the room. Having gained such a significant advantage, it was best to leave quickly.
“Old Master, I’ll take my leave now. I’ll be back in three days for your next acupuncture session. As for the wine, it’ll take a bit longer—probably after the Dragon Boat Festival,” Jiang Fei said as he prepared to leave.
Old Master Ye nodded with a smile. “No rush. I still have a bamboo tube left.”
Jiang Fei nodded and exited the room.
“I’ll walk you out!” Ye Yuanyuan quickly stood up and followed Jiang Fei out of the room, her expression anything but friendly.
In the hallway, their footsteps echoed loudly. Jiang Fei stopped and turned around. “You don’t need to see me off, do you? We’re past formalities.”
After all, I’m technically your elder now… Of course, Jiang Fei didn’t dare say that out loud.
“Now you’re feeling shy?” Ye Yuanyuan glared at him, her tone sharp.
“Why would I feel shy?” Jiang Fei replied, feigning innocence.
“I’ve never met someone as shameless as you! Do you think I don’t know what you’re up to?” Ye Yuanyuan fumed, her eyes narrowing. “You refused payment but insisted on becoming friends with my grandfather. Don’t think I don’t see through your plan!”
Jiang Fei nodded, unbothered. “Of course it was intentional.”
“…” Ye Yuanyuan’s eye twitched, once again defeated by Jiang Fei’s audacity.
“I told you, I’ve always admired soldiers since I was a kid. And Old Master Ye, as a veteran general, is someone I deeply respect. Becoming his friend is a dream come true for me,” Jiang Fei continued as they walked downstairs.
Ye Yuanyuan walked beside him, retorting, “But my grandfather is so much older than you. Don’t you think it’s inappropriate?”
“It is a bit inappropriate,” Jiang Fei admitted, then added, “But didn’t you hear him? We’re friends across generations. Age difference isn’t an issue.”
“You…” Ye Yuanyuan stomped her foot in frustration.
If anyone else had dared to act so brazenly in front of her, she would’ve already thrown punches. But with Jiang Fei, who was not only stronger than her but also now had her grandfather’s backing, she was utterly powerless.
Seeing Ye Yuanyuan’s exasperated expression, Jiang Fei chuckled. “Don’t be so angry. Even though I’m now friends with your grandfather, which technically makes me your elder…”
At this point, knowing Ye Yuanyuan’s temper, Jiang Fei quickly took a few steps forward, dodging the punch she aimed at him. He turned back and said, “Don’t be so quick to hit me. I’m just saying technically. I’m not actually asking you to call me ‘Uncle’ or anything. Even if you called me ‘Uncle Jiang’ like Xia Xiaozhi and the others, I’d find it weird! So, let’s just keep things as they are. We’ll treat each other as equals.”
Seeing Ye Yuanyuan’s face turn from cold to flushed, her eyes wide and her brows furrowed, Jiang Fei knew he’d pushed the joke far enough. Any further, and she might really lose it. So, he quickly changed the subject. “By the way, I’ve recently come up with a new prescription. Even without acupuncture or massage, it should be quite effective for… enhancing certain areas. But the ingredients are a bit unusual and hard to find. Once I’ve prepared it, I’ll give it to you. It should work better than the rice wine.”
As expected, the topic of “enhancement” was Ye Yuanyuan’s Achilles’ heel. The moment Jiang Fei brought it up, she was pacified.
Her anger dissipated, and she hesitated for a moment before asking, “Will it really work? Can it replace acupuncture or massage?”
Jiang Fei couldn’t help but laugh.
This woman was truly something. For the sake of improving her figure, she was willing to agree to almost anything.
People always say it’s tough being a man, but Jiang Fei thought being a woman was even tougher.
“Acupuncture and massage are definitely the most effective. But I don’t understand why you’re so against it. If you care so much, why not just go for it? Are you really that shy? Don’t you know that patients shouldn’t shy away from treatment?” Jiang Fei shook his head, sighing. Seeing Ye Yuanyuan’s expression darken again, he quickly added, “Alright, I’ll stop. If you’re not willing to try acupuncture or massage, then this prescription is your best bet. It should still work. At the very least, it’ll help you go from an AA cup to a proper A cup.”
“That’s good enough. You can go now.” Ye Yuanyuan, her face still red, listened to Jiang Fei’s explanation and then turned to leave, her leather boots clacking loudly as she headed back upstairs.
Jiang Fei took the sanatorium’s special car back to the city, driven by a designated driver. On the way, he received a call from his college roommate and close friend, Zeng Tong, who was about to get married.
“Jiang Fei, are you busy during the Dragon Boat Festival?”
“Not at all. I’m pretty free,” Jiang Fei replied with a smug smile. He really did have a lot of free time these days.
“Great! He Yuxuan and I will come visit your villa! You’ve been bragging about how beautiful it is. Don’t disappoint us!”
“Come on over!”