"It's not just our opinion!" A sneer flashed across Xiao Anning's lips:
"Everyone saw it with their own eyes—Old Master Xiang is now completely conscious. Deputy Director Lin, are you still trying to argue someone else saved him?"
Lin Jiayi's face froze as a wave of fury surged to her head. She turned sharply and stormed off.
"My apologies, Assistant Xiao," Professor Han Weicheng said stiffly, then turned to chase after Lin Jiayi.
Behind him, Xiao Anning's voice rang out:
"Professor Han, allow me to offer you some advice—focus more on your academic research and less on petty schemes. It's no secret within the institute that Master Long rejected your proposals."
In other words, Old Master Xiang was never going to support his research applications either?
Han Weicheng felt as if he'd been hit squarely over the head. He staggered back a few steps, and it wasn't until the sound of a heavy door slamming behind him echoed in his ears that his knees nearly buckled beneath him.
It took a while before he dazedly made his way to the parking lot. But before he could even find his car, he heard a harsh string of curses—and the unmistakable sound of a slap.
Forgetting his own frustration, Han Weicheng broke into a run toward the car, only to find Lin Muyao curled up beside the door, tears streaming down her face as she held her cheek—clearly just slapped.
"Useless trash! You can't even get basic information right. What use are you to me?!" Lin Jiayi was still fuming, raising her hand to strike again.
Han Weicheng grabbed her wrist. "Enough. Save it for when we get home. Don't make a scene out here."
He opened the car door and shoved Lin Jiayi into the vehicle, then turned to face Lin Muyao.
"Teacher, I…" Lin Muyao stammered, tears welling in her eyes.
"That's enough. Get in the car." Han Weicheng barked, his face dark as thunder, waving for her to get in.
He couldn't afford any more embarrassment.
They'd come in with high hopes, only to be humiliated and sent off with a slap in the face.
Seeing Lin Muyao now only added to his simmering anger.
Trembling, Lin Muyao climbed into the car, her anxiety peaking—what had just happened? Why were Lin Jiayi and Han Weicheng so enraged?
Could it be… Old Master Long was really fine? Did Shu Lanzhou really save him?
No! That couldn't be! He was in his nineties and had suffered a sudden stroke. There was no way he could be okay—she didn't believe it. She refused to believe it!
Just as she was spiraling, the car's radio suddenly interrupted with a breaking news bulletin—
"Dear listeners, we've just received word that the renowned Traditional Chinese Medicine master, Old Master Long, suffered a stroke several hours ago. Fortunately, he was rescued in time and has now made a full recovery."
"To reassure the public and express gratitude to the medical team who saved him, Old Master Long has recorded a short video."
The screen didn't show anything, but the old man's voice came through clearly—
"Thank you all for your concern. First and foremost, I want to assure everyone that I'm well and recovering peacefully."
"I especially want to express my heartfelt thanks to Professor Mu and her team, who administered emergency treatment right after the incident."
"As a teacher, she is truly worthy of respect. And as a student, you've done her proud. You are all outstanding—thank you. Thank you all!"
Screech—! The car braked abruptly, and all three passengers lurched forward from the sudden stop.
Lin Muyao, who hadn't fastened her seatbelt in the back, slammed her nose into the seat in front of her, tears springing to her eyes from the pain.
"Worthy of respect? Outstanding?" Lin Jiayi was about to explode.
"Ha! Shu Lanzhou?! What right does she have, Weicheng? Tell me—what has she done to deserve this? She's a washed-up TCM professor who can't even attract students anymore! What makes her worthy of respect?!"
She slapped the steering wheel furiously, triggering a sharp blare of the car horn.
The vehicle behind them had nearly rear-ended them during the sudden stop and, already annoyed, its driver exploded with rage at the unexpected honk.
Cars passing by began rolling down their windows to yell:
"Are you insane?! Want to die? Go do it somewhere else! Don't drag us down with you!"
"If you can't drive, stay off the road! We're not done living yet—bad luck!"
"Get help if you're sick—don't come out and mess with others!"
Terrified, Lin Muyao quickly rolled the window back up.
The car fell into an uneasy silence, every breath audible in the tense atmosphere.
Han Weicheng hadn't expected things to unravel this badly. His mind was in turmoil, far beyond simple anger now.
He couldn't help but wonder—was Shu Lanzhou's acupuncture really that miraculous?
Unlike the others, he didn't believe mere CPR could bring back a ninety-year-old stroke victim.
The only plausible explanation for Old Master Long's swift recovery—without even signs of paralysis—had to be those few acupuncture points administered by Mu Yanning!
Back when he studied under Master Mu, he had learned a fair bit about the Mu family's needle techniques. If not for that incident, he might not have developed such a strong aversion to acupuncture in the first place…
No. He absolutely couldn't allow Mu family acupuncture to gain recognition again. Never!
Without another word, Han Weicheng got out, switched seats with Lin Jiayi, and drove them straight back to the Lin family estate.
As soon as they arrived, he got out without so much as a goodbye and left.
Lin Muyao's heart sank. It's over. I'm not getting out of tonight's beating.
Why was she always so unlucky? Shu Lanzhou, this isn't over. I won't let you off the hook!!
Meanwhile, at the Mu residence, Shu Lanzhou suddenly sneezed as she sipped her soup.
"Did you catch a cold?" Mu Side looked up with concern.
Shu Lanzhou shook her head. "No, just felt an itch in my nose."
"The weather's turning cold fast. Living alone, you need to stay warm. When you leave later, take a few herbal cold remedies—just soak them in tea as a preventative," Mu Yanning instructed gently.
Shu Lanzhou nodded obediently. "Got it, Teacher. Thank you!"
Just then, He Sixin rushed out from the inner room, phone in hand. "We can't hide it anymore! Mom, you've got to see this!"
"What are you getting so worked up about? I told you to eat, not play on your phone." Though mildly scolding her daughter, Mu Yanning still took the phone.
She played the video, and everyone clearly heard Old Master Long's statement.
For a moment, the room fell silent. Shu Lanzhou didn't dare make a sound, afraid Mu Yanning would get upset again.
But Mu Yanning didn't react in anger. She simply stood and said, "You all keep eating—I need to make a phone call."
No one knew who she called, but when she returned, her expression was unchanged, and everyone finally relaxed.
"Alright, stop staring. Eat your meal." Mu Yanning ladled more soup into their bowls.
"The Long family agreed not to mention the Mu family acupuncture in public, and the media won't report on it anymore. However…"
She turned to Shu Lanzhou.
"You jumping in to save Old Master Long can't be hidden. Someone filmed the scene and leaked it to the media. Be mentally prepared."
At first, Shu Lanzhou didn't take it seriously—until the next morning, when she discovered a crowd gathered outside her dorm at the hospital's residential building!
Somehow, the reporters had tracked her down. Despite the freezing wind, they stood with cameras at the ready, desperate for an exclusive interview.
Shu Lanzhou didn't even dare go downstairs. Luckily, she didn't need to go to the lab for the next few days. Fine, I'll just stay in. Let's see how long they'll wait.
But she still had to eat. She pulled out her phone and ordered delivery. While waiting, she browsed the day's news—only to see article after article about herself.
As she scrolled through the comments, Shu Lanzhou froze.