Why was Du Yifan at the Ke family's home?
If Shu Lanzhou hadn't been mistaken just now, there were two other people in Du Yifan's car—one was Fang Ruoshi, and the other was a young lady.
That girl seemed to be a prominent heiress from Shen City, known to be very close friends with the Ke family's daughter.
Surely she wasn't here to seek sponsorship, was she?
No… with Du Yifan and Fang Ruoshi involved, it couldn't possibly be something as simple as sponsorship.
Could they be here for the equipment too?
She'd heard the Du family had invested in their project. The research institute's equipment wasn't the latest on the market; knowing Han Weicheng and Luo Jialin's personalities, they would undoubtedly seize this opportunity to upgrade.
After all, in her past life, they had also replaced a batch of the institute's equipment just before the research began.
So they'd leveraged the Ke family's connections back then too!
The Ke family was in the foreign trade business—if they wanted to import the world's most advanced equipment, having the Ke family make the arrangements was indeed the best choice.
Could it be that someone in the Ke family knew Seven?
Shu Lanzhou's brows furrowed slightly. "Brother, we—"
She had barely spoken when the Ke family's front gate swung open. Ke Beichen appeared at the doorway. "Sorry about the wait, something came up. I should've been here earlier to greet you."
"Cut the nonsense!" Mu Side gave him a light slap and stepped aside to let Shu Lanzhou in first.
Shu Lanzhou smiled and greeted him politely. "Hello, Senior Ke."
"Not so great, actually," Ke Beichen replied as he shut the gate and turned back to them. "Just a heads-up—my aunt's not in the best mood today. Tread carefully with whatever you're here for."
The three of them followed a cobblestone path through the Ke family's front courtyard toward the main hall.
Word had it that the current head of the Ke family was Ke Ling. Ke Beichen's father had been a notorious playboy in his younger years, so the old patriarch had handed the family business to his youngest daughter instead.
Although Shu Lanzhou didn't know much about the Ke family, during the long months she'd spent under house arrest in her past life, she'd read plenty of novels about powerful families and knew how brutal succession struggles could be.
With the youngest daughter now in charge, the eldest son likely wasn't content with the arrangement. Maybe he'd tolerated it before, but now that his son had made something of himself, it wouldn't be impossible for him to try to reclaim the family business.
That would put Ke Beichen in a tricky position—caught between his father and his aunt.
But from what she'd seen in her previous life, Ke Beichen had never shown any intention of competing with Ke Ling for control of the family. If he had, he wouldn't have worked so hard to build his own company from scratch.
Still, just because he didn't want to fight didn't mean Ke Ling would see it the same way.
As Ke Beichen's friend, would Ke Ling be wary of them?
Shu Lanzhou couldn't help feeling a little nervous, uncertain where this encounter would lead.
Soon, they were ushered into the main hall.
The household staff were busy cleaning up scattered fruit platters and the shattered remains of a teapot on the floor.
Not far away, a middle-aged woman sat on the sofa, her expression still tinged with lingering anger.
She was dressed in casual homewear, with minimal adornment, yet she carried an unmistakable air of elegance. Beyond her natural grace, her striking features were impossible to ignore—even at her age, she remained beautiful and refined, a testament to the Ke family's good genes.
"Auntie, who upset you this time?" Ke Beichen walked over with a grin, reaching out to massage her shoulders.
Ke Ling's sharp gaze softened as her anger faded, a polite smile curving her lips.
"Nonsense. Who in this house would dare cross me? I just got up a little too early and wasn't fully awake—ended up dropping a teapot. And you're here…"
Ke Beichen quickly introduced them. "You've met Mu Side before. And this is a junior from our university, Shu Lanzhou. Since it's the holiday, Mu Side brought her over to pay you a visit."
"Visit me?" Ke Ling's smile deepened, though a trace of sarcasm flickered in her eyes despite her efforts to conceal it.
The Mu and Ke families weren't exactly close—two entirely different circles with little regular interaction.
And now Mu Side had brought an unfamiliar junior to "pay a visit"?
"Yes." Mu Side's expression was solemn and sincere. "When my grandfather passed away, you sent a custom acupuncture kit. We've never had the chance to thank you properly."
At the mention of Old Master Mu, Ke Ling's gaze turned wistful.
He had been a rare, exceptional physician—and an extraordinary acupuncturist. It was truly a loss. The Mu family's acupuncture methods were profound and complex; few could master them fully. And now, with the new generation, they were almost lost.
"No need to thank me. I've had chronic headaches for years, and it was thanks to your grandfather's skillful treatments that I've been free of them all this time."
Ke Ling waved her hand dismissively. "I should be the one thanking him… It's just a pity…"
Since Old Master Mu's passing, she no longer knew who she could turn to for acupuncture.
She didn't trust just any practitioner out there—and as for the Mu family? Surely none of them would stoop to treating the headaches of a mere businesswoman like her.
From what she'd heard, the Mu family's descendants were all university professors or billionaires now—none of them seemed to have continued practicing acupuncture seriously.
"My grandfather had mostly retired from practice in his later years. I never realized he shared such a close rapport with you. He must have admired you greatly to be willing to treat you himself."
At that, a genuine smile finally softened Ke Ling's features. "You're quite the smooth talker. Mu Side, was it? I heard you've been studying acupuncture too. I wonder…"
"To be honest, I only started learning acupuncture because I had no choice," Mu Side replied apologetically. "I'm really not much good at it."
A flicker of disappointment crossed Ke Ling's face. "Such a waste of the Mu family's skills."
She knew full well that as the Mu family heir, even if Mu Side eventually mastered their techniques, he'd likely never truly put them to use in treating patients.
"When my grandfather treated you, he used these points: Neiting, Touwei, Yintang, and Taiyang…" Shu Lanzhou listed each one, pointing them out on her own body as she spoke.
Everyone in the room fell silent.
Mu Side couldn't quite describe the feeling in his heart. Others might not realize it, but he knew—Shu Lanzhou hadn't missed a single point, and her finger placement had been perfectly precise.
If last time had merely seemed like a lucky guess when she'd described the acupuncture for stomach pain in front of Du Yifan, this time, he was certain—Shu Lanzhou had been genuinely studying the craft.
Not just memorizing theory to get a diploma—she had practiced diligently, honing her technique to perfection.
"Shu Lanzhou?" Ke Ling gave her a thoughtful look. "You know the Mu family's acupuncture methods well?"
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "I wouldn't say I know them well. I'm still learning. It's my major, and thanks to Professor Mu's patience, I've been taught seriously. I've been trying my best."
"How long have you been studying?" Ke Ling asked with interest.
Shu Lanzhou hesitated a little. "A few months."
"Only that long?" Ke Ling's eyes dimmed again, her expression clouded with disappointment. "Do you even know how to wield the needles?"
Shu Lanzhou sensed the skepticism in her tone.
"I do," she replied calmly. "My teacher has supervised me in hands-on practice. Sometimes, at the hospital, if a patient's case is mild, I'm allowed to perform the acupuncture myself."
"How irresponsible!" Ke Ling's brows drew together. "Aren't you afraid of tarnishing the Mu family's name?"
Mu Side frowned, about to speak up, but Shu Lanzhou lightly touched his hand, stopping him.
"It's not irresponsible," she said with a gentle smile.
"Even if I'm not exceptional, even if I've only studied a short time, every technique I've learned, I've made sure to master thoroughly. Only after countless rounds of practice would I ever treat a patient."
"My teacher is a responsible mentor—and a responsible doctor. She would never gamble with a patient's health, or with the reputation of the Mu family."
"President Ke, tell me—did I name a single acupuncture point incorrectly just now?"
Ke Ling thought for a moment. "No, you didn't. But knowing the theory doesn't mean you can perform it well. If anyone who could recite the points could inherit the Mu family's acupuncture methods, they wouldn't be on the verge of being lost."
"Young lady—am I right?"