In the end, considering his salary, Xu Wuyan mopped the floor until it shone while he waited for Yao Can to finish changing. She seemed quite pleased, whether because of the clean floor or because Xu Wuyan was being obedient, her mood was undeniably good.
"Boss, where are we heading next? I need to plan my time reasonably—after all, there’s a policewoman waiting for me next door."
Xu Wuyan adopted a snide, sycophantic tone. As he leaned in close to Yao Can, the scent of a young woman’s perfume made him hold his breath. Today, Yao Can was dressed very formally. She reminded him of the line, "In the North there is a beauty, peerless and independent," which sent a wave of ripples through his composure.
"Look at this invitation."
"What invitation?"
Xu Wuyan took the envelope. Large characters caught his eye: *Lutao International Medical Summit*.
"A medical summit? Why invite you?" He frowned. Such meetings were usually just a bunch of old fossils spouting hot air. Why would they invite a young woman?
"The Yao Family also has interests in the medical industry. As the legal heir to the Yao Family, is it really so hard to understand why I was invited?" Seeing his confusion, she continued, "This summit is held at this time every year. Everyone of status in Lutao attends, and they even invite world-renowned medical luminaries. I’ve prepared a suit for you; go put it on."
"Have they invited you in previous years?"
"I was only seventeen last year, a minor, so it was normal not to be invited. But this year they sent me a special invitation. I have to show them the courtesy of attending."
"Can we skip it?"
"What are you worried about? This is a massive summit. Lin Zhiyue’s reach isn't *that* long."
Seeing Yao Can’s persistence, Xu Wuyan didn't press the matter. She was a woman of strong opinions; arguing further might be counterproductive. Still, he knew that when things were unusual, there had to be something afoot. That circle of old fossils usually looked down on the young, let alone an eighteen-year-old girl.
He was attending as Yao Can’s personal assistant. To avoid being recognized, he shut himself in his room to apply some clever camouflage. Yao Can called out for him from outside the door for ages, but when he finally stepped out, even she couldn't help but offer a few words of praise.
"I really couldn't tell. Where did you learn these skills? Did you get up to some mischief in the past?"
"I watch too many movies. It’s easy to disguise yourself if you have the right materials." Xu Wuyan downplayed it. He wore a small mustache and gold-rimmed glasses, and once he put on the suit, he looked every bit the corporate elite.
Yao Can smiled, not pursuing the topic further, and instead returned to discussing the summit details. "There will be several heavyweight figures there. Let’s keep a low profile. Once the meeting is nearly over, we’ll leave. We aren't attending the luncheon."
"I know. I'm looking into it now."
As soon as they got into the car, Xu Wuyan pulled out his phone to search for the summit’s attendees. One name caught his attention. "Zhang Tailin? Why is he here?"
"Who?" Yao Can paused, turning to look at his phone.
"This man. He’s an international authority on heart disease. He’s published numerous case analyses and treatment protocols in *The Lancet*. He’s a true luminary."
"Doesn't that just prove that this summit is high-caliber?"
Xu Wuyan nodded silently. Inviting a medical giant didn't seem inherently wrong, but Zhang Tailin had incredibly high standards. It seemed unlikely that a summit of Lutao's scale could entice him to attend. He flipped through the profiles of the other main guests. Unexpectedly, among the five guests, two others were also experts in the field of heart disease.
Was it a coincidence? He took a long, hard look at Yao Can.
***
At the same time, in the summit’s VIP lounge, Lin Zhiyue reclined on a leather sofa, twisting a flash drive between her fingertips. Before her, a screen emitted a blue glow that made her face appear as cold as jade.
"Professor Zhang, are you certain this medical record can fool those experts?"
Opposite her sat a middle-aged man in a sharp suit. He pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses, a sharp glint flashing behind the lenses. "My medical records? Even the World Health Organization wouldn't dare to question them. Do you think anyone here would dare to challenge me?"
Yao Wanqing giggled and leaned in close, the scent of a young woman’s body mixed with heavy perfume wafting over. "Uncle Zhang is amazing. Don't worry, as long as you help us control the Yao Family, we will fulfill all of your demands."
She reached out and tugged at Professor Zhang’s tie, her bright red fingernails grazing his Adam's apple. "How about I pay you some interest first, Professor?"
Zhang Tailin’s throat bobbed. He grabbed her wrist firmly. "Miss Yao, this is a summit. Please, show some restraint."
"What are you afraid of?" Yao Wanqing sat on his lap, poking his chin with her fingertip. "It's not the first time. Why be so shy?"
Lin Zhiyue looked on coldly, only speaking once Yao Wanqing had finished her antics. "Has the livestreaming team been taken care of?"
"The three mainstream media outlets accepted five times their usual travel fees, and twelve independent media outlets accepted double," Yao Wanqing said, jumping off the sofa and spinning around, her skirt flaring. "I’ve already bought the trending topics on Weibo: 'Yao Family Heir’s Heart Condition Worsens, Intellectual Decline, Incapable of Future Leadership.'"
"I really look forward to the cameras capturing the sight of my dear sister having an episode. Tee-hee."
***
Xu Wuyan could tell that Yao Can attached great importance to this medical summit; her happiness was genuine, as she saw this as an opportunity to be recognized. It wasn't until they arrived at the venue and ran into Lin Zhiyue and her daughter that Xu Wuyan concluded things were definitely not as simple as they seemed.
The summit organizers had put a lot of work into the pageantry. As soon as they stepped out of the car, they had to walk a red carpet, then sign in before entering the main hotel ballroom.
Just after they crossed the red carpet, Lin Zhiyue happened to appear with a few others. Yao Can frowned, trying to walk around them, but the man beside Lin Zhiyue spoke up directly.
"Xiao Can, I hear you picked up some piece of trash from the side of the road to be your man? It’s fine to have a little fling while you're young, but handing over Yao Family shares to a sick weakling and a wild boy of unknown origin is truly absurd."
"Exactly. Uncle Zhou is right. Xiao Can, you get out of breath just from walking; how could you possibly manage a company? You’d be better off letting Wanqing take over. She’s a top student from Princeton."
Yao Wanqing covered her mouth and giggled, mocking her. "Sister, don't get too excited. It would be a real show if you fainted here."
Nearby guests began to whisper, their gazes shifting toward them.
Yao Can’s eyes turned cold. Just as she was about to retort, Xu Wuyan stepped in front of her. She looked surprised, and then felt a sudden warmth in her heart.
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is a medical summit. Please try to maintain some decorum. It won't look good for anyone if things get ugly." Xu Wuyan spoke calmly and steadily.
"Who are you? What business is it of yours?" Yao Wanqing asked.
"My name is Quni Made. This lady is my partner for the day. I hope you can all be a little accommodating."
Yao Can covered her mouth and laughed, the gloom that had just been there dissipating in an instant.