"Hey! This damned old man, what do you mean I profited?"
In the Xia family villa, the voice of the Xia family patriarch could be heard cursing.
He had just finished a phone call with Su Qinglan. Initially, he wanted Su Qinglan to tell him how Lin Xiao Tian was ungrateful and trying to climb the social ladder by pursuing his Qing Ling, but who would have thought it would be the other way around.
After all, his Xia family was a renowned medical family in Shen Zhou, with significant standing worldwide. Now, for a descendant of their family to be dating a small doctor and be told they were the ones climbing the ladder – wouldn't others laugh their heads off if they found out?
"Hmph! I don't believe it, is this Lin Xiao Tian really that miraculous?"
The Xia family patriarch snorted coldly.
He then dialed a phone number.
Beep beep...
The call rang a few times, and then a sweet voice came through.
"Hello, Grandpa, I'm at work right now!"
The speaker was none other than Xia Qing Ling, who sounded quite busy at the moment.
"Good granddaughter, Grandpa knows you're busy. I just have a few words to tell you, listen carefully."
Hearing her grandfather speak like this, Xia Qing Ling's eyebrows twitched slightly.
"Grandpa, you speak, I'm listening!"
"It's like this, your Uncle Su went to your clinic this time, you know about this, right?"
"I know, we saw each other this morning."
"It's good that you know. Your Uncle Su said a lot of good things about Lin Xiao Tian to me. But the more I listen, the stranger it feels. Is this Lin Xiao Tian really that good?"
Hearing Lin Xiao Tian's name, Xia Qing Ling's heart skipped a beat.
Why was the old man suddenly asking about Lin Xiao Tian?
She and Lin Xiao Tian were in a fake relationship. Would Grandpa want to meet Lin Xiao Tian?
As Xia Qing Ling was feeling uneasy, the next sentence from the Xia patriarch made her even more so.
"How about this! Since you two are dating, I think it's time to find an opportunity for us to meet. Arrange a time, and come home for a casual dinner, okay? And let Grandpa take a good look, if this Lin Xiao Tian is really as divine as your Uncle Su says!"
The Xia patriarch on the phone was excited, but Xia Qing Ling on the other end of the line was on the verge of tears.
It was truly a case of fearing what you most.
She and Lin Xiao Tian were not in that kind of relationship. It was already more than enough that he didn't expose her on the spot when she asked him to be her pretend boyfriend.
Now, she had to ask him to meet the parents, a request Xia Qing Ling found impossible to voice.
There was also a more important point: Xia Qing Ling had seen Lin Xiao Tian being affectionate with Guo Lin Qing. In her eyes, Lin Xiao Tian and Guo Lin Qing were already a couple.
If she, as Guo Lin Qing's best friend, did this, wouldn't it be akin to poaching?
If Guo Lin Qing found out, she'd likely lose her friend!
"Oh, Grandpa, we're just dating now, still in the getting-to-know-you stage. Isn't it too early to meet the parents?" Xia Qing Ling tried to resist.
But the Xia patriarch clearly didn't give her a chance.
"Too early? I think it's perfectly fine! I've already spoken to your parents. I think we'll do it on your mom's birthday. Many industry friends will be coming, so bring Lin Xiao Tian along."
"Ah? Grandpa, this..."
Xia Qing Ling still wanted to hold out, but before she could finish speaking, the call was hung up.
Xia Qing Ling was speechless.
She hadn't expected the old man to be so sudden, even involving her parents.
She wasn't afraid of her grandfather. After all, he doted on her, and she could usually get away with acting cute. But her parents were a different story.
Furthermore, the day the old man chose was her mother's birthday.
For a prominent family like theirs, major family events like birthdays often attracted many industry friends to show their support. If she brought Lin Xiao Tian then, wouldn't it be equivalent to announcing that she and Lin Xiao Tian were genuinely dating?
"No! This cannot happen."
With this thought, Xia Qing Ling hurriedly called back.
...
On the other side, after Lin Xiao Tian saw Su Qing Lan off, he had intended to go to the cafeteria for lunch but was stopped by Xu Qing He.
Because the inspection team was coming, Xu Qing He had booked a restaurant, and Lin Xiao Tian was invited along.
Lin Xiao Tian didn't want to go. After all, his relationship with Dong Lin had completely broken down after the medical dispute that morning. Now, at the same dining table, Lin Xiao Tian worried that Xu Qing He wouldn't be able to control the situation.
But Xu Qing He insisted, and Lin Xiao Tian had no choice.
At the dinner table, Xu Qing He fully displayed his emotional intelligence as a leader. The initially awkward situation was made much more relaxed by Xu Qing He's words.
Dong Lin inexplicably restrained himself considerably, and Lin Xiao Tian also behaved politely.
For a moment, even Xu Qing He was somewhat taken aback.
He had initially thought that the most difficult part of this lunch would be mediating the relationship between the two of them, but he realized he had overthought it.
Lin Xiao Tian and Dong Lin were as harmonious as if nothing had happened.
Xu Qing He didn't know why this was the case.
But at this moment, everyone present, except for him, knew the reason.
After a morning of inspection, they not only failed to find any faults with Lin Xiao Tian but frequently embarrassed themselves.
In terms of medical skill, they were utterly outmatched by Lin Xiao Tian. Even their strongest external support, Su Qing Lan, had defected to Lin Xiao Tian's side on the spot.
They had intended to make a fuss about Lin Xiao Tian receiving money, but Lin Xiao Tian not only refused a salary but his personal wealth had reached a level that others could only dream of.
With bank transactions easily running into tens of millions, there was no need to investigate such a person for receiving red envelopes.
As for reputation, they had orchestrated a medical dispute, intending to discredit Lin Xiao Tian. Instead, they had shot themselves in the foot. If Lin Xiao Tian hadn't chosen not to pursue the matter, they would have lost all face.
Lunch passed in a harmonious atmosphere.
In the afternoon, the inspections continued, but the tone had completely changed.
The several senior TCM doctors, having learned from the morning's experience, no longer tried to find fault with Lin Xiao Tian. Instead, they took out notebooks and began taking notes.
Every time Lin Xiao Tian diagnosed a patient, they would pester him for half an hour, asking for explanations.
Lin Xiao Tian, though patient, still explained things to them patiently.
However, Lin Xiao Tian did not reveal too much, as it involved secrets from the Shen Nong Medical Codex.
Hu Fu no longer dared to make any moves against Lin Xiao Tian. He obediently stood aside, acting as a neutral party.
Dong Lin, on the other hand, presented a completely different picture.
He harbored immense hatred for Lin Xiao Tian but, despite this, felt utterly helpless.
For the first time in his life, he faced an enemy and felt a sense of near despair.
He wanted to defeat Lin Xiao Tian, but reality told him that it was impossible.
Just as he was about to give up, a familiar voice suddenly came from the doorway.
"Xiao Tian!"
Xia Qing Ling had arrived, and the first name she called was not his, but Lin Xiao Tian's!