asked Chen Wanli with a radiant smile.
Song Jiaojiao's mind went completely blank, and she nodded in a daze.
"Hold me!" said Chen Wanli.
Song Jiaojiao turned around mechanically, threw her arms around Chen Wanli's neck, and pressed her body tightly against his. She could even feel his hot breath, which sent a wave of sudden embarrassment through her.
After just a brief pause, Chen Wanli scooped her up with one arm, while his other arm gripped her firmly and gave a sudden, powerful yank. In the blink of an eye, he dragged her through the second-floor balcony and leaped straight into the room.
Back inside the room, Song Jiaojiao stared at the handsome yet utterly unhinged fellow before her.
For the very first time, she felt as though a sense of curiosity had reawaken deep within her. This man was simply fascinating!
"Are you sure acupuncture will work?" asked Song Jiaojiao.
Chen Wanli shrugged and simply motioned for Song Jiaojiao to lie down. "I think it might at least help you get a good night's sleep!"
Song Jiaojiao found it hard to believe, but some inexplicable force drove her to follow Chen Wanli's instructions and lie down on the bed.
Chen Wanli's acupuncture technique was superb; inserting the needles caused no pain at all.
His hands were warm and dry...
As the third needle went in, Song Jiaojiao's eyelids grew heavy and drooped downward.
By the time all sixteen needles were placed along the liver meridian, Song Jiaojiao had fallen into a deep sleep.
Right at that moment, the voice of Huangfu Rong echoed from outside the room.
"Dr. Qiaosi, my daughter's condition is entirely in your hands!"
"Rest assured, I will have a proper talk with Miss Song before we formulate the next step in her treatment plan!"
The words had barely left his lips when the door was pushed open.
Huangfu Rong walked in, accompanied by a blonde, blue-eyed foreigner in his thirties.
As soon as they entered, Huangfu Rong softly called out to Song Jiaojiao.
However, Song Jiaojiao lay motionless on the bed, offering no response whatsoever.
Huangfu Rong's expression shifted drastically. A look of fury washed over her face as she demanded of Chen Wanli, "What did you do to my daughter?!"
Qiaosi immediately stepped forward to check on Song Jiaojiao. Upon seeing the acupuncture needles on her body, he put on an exaggerated expression of shock and exclaimed:
"Acupuncture?!"
Ignoring him, Chen Wanli calmly said to Huangfu Rong, "Song Jiaojiao is simply asleep! It is best not to disturb her; let her get some proper rest first!"
Qiaosi gave Song Jiaojiao a gentle push and, seeing that she showed no reaction at all, pressed on, "Did you give Miss Song a sedative?"
Huangfu Rong called out Song Jiaojiao's name repeatedly, and seeing that her daughter truly remained unresponsive, she instantly panicked.
Song Siming, who had just hurried over from behind, was also stunned.
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Chapter 13: I'm in a Bad Mood, So I Won't Treat Her!
Song Jiaojiao had suffered from chronic insomnia; even when she did fall asleep, it was never more than a light slumber—this was something they all knew very well.
Yet right now, she was sleeping so soundly that calling her name couldn't even wake her?
How was that possible?
Could he really have used a sedative?
Beneath Qiaosi's haughty demeanor lay a hint of disdain. "Perhaps you did it with the intention of curing her, but I must say, sedatives cannot be used carelessly. If things go wrong, the patient might never wake up!"
Hearing this, Huangfu Rong instantly flew into a rage, turning on Chen Wanli with burning fury.
"If anything happens to my daughter, I will never let you go!"
Chen Wanli frowned. "I didn't use any sedatives. I merely used acupuncture to help her sleep. Quality sleep will ease Song Jiaojiao's anxiety."
"Utter nonsense! I have never seen acupuncture used as a sleep aid! Don't tell me this is some unique invention of yours?" Qiaosi's tone was dripping with sarcasm.
He reached out, intending to pull the acupuncture needles out of Song Jiaojiao's body.
Chen Wanli's expression turned icy. "If I were you, I wouldn't meddle in things I don't understand, and certainly wouldn't pull out the needles rashly. Song Jiaojiao is able to sleep right now entirely thanks to this acupuncture."
"If you remove the needles and disrupt her sleep, her bipolar disorder symptoms will flare up immediately!"
A flash of contempt crossed Qiaosi's eyes. "Are you questioning my professional competence?"
With that, an air of overwhelming confidence radiated from his face. "I was admitted to Harvard Medical School at seventeen, and I earned my doctorate in psychology at twenty-three."
"Over the past ten years, I have traveled across the Americas and Asia, dealing with psychiatric patients on the front lines. The depression patients I've successfully treated number in the tens of thousands."
With every sentence he spoke, he stepped closer to Chen Wanli, exuding an imposing aura as if he possessed the power to expose Chen Wanli as a fraud at any moment.
Huangfu Rong felt all the more convinced that, by comparison, Chen Wanli was nothing more than a country bumpkin who wasn't even fit to shine Qiaosi's shoes.
Pointing at Chen Wanli, Qiaosi declared with utter arrogance, "I refuse to cooperate with someone so utterly unprofessional!"
Song Siming furrowed his brow. The credentials Qiaosi recited were indeed genuine; in the field of depression, the man could well be considered an international medical celebrity.
His ex-wife had certainly spared no expense to bring him here this time.
Now that Qiaosi was not only accusing Chen Wanli of indiscriminately using sedatives but also flatly labeling him unprofessional, even Song Siming, who had initially harbored some faith in Chen Wanli, began to harbor doubts in his heart.
Without a second thought, Huangfu Rong pointed toward the door and snapped at Chen Wanli, "Get out! If I hear you utter another word of nonsense, I'll slap you twice!"
Chen Wanli was never one to take kindly to being pushed around, and his temper flared up as well.
"I was willing to step in only because of my prior agreement with Song Siming. Since you speak such vicious words, that agreement is now void!"
"When you come begging for my help again, whether or not I agree to treat her will no longer be something you can control."
Huangfu Rong raged, "Someone, throw this scoundrel out!"
Chen Wanli let out a cold snort. "No need, I'll leave on my own. Mr. Song, take care of yourself!"
Seeing that Chen Wanli was genuinely angered, Song Siming hurriedly chased after him. "Mr. Chen, you..."
Just as he reached the elevator lobby, wanting to offer an apology to Chen Wanli, he heard a hysterical cry echoing from Song Jiaojiao's room and hurriedly turned back on his heels.
Chen Wanli scoffed coldly, stepped into the elevator, and left.
Qiaosi stared at the emotionally volatile Song Jiaojiao before him, completely dumbfounded.
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected that the very instant the last acupuncture needle was removed, Song Jiaojiao would truly wake up!
Upon waking, she merely swept her gaze across the room and rasped, "Where is Chen Wanli?"
"That fraud? I've already had him kicked out! This is Dr. Qiaosi..."
Before Huangfu Rong could finish her sentence, Song Jiaojiao cut her off coldly, "Bring him back!"
"He's just a charlatan, you don't understand..." Huangfu Rong dismissed her concern.
Song Jiaojiao bolted upright from the bed, the fury and impatience visible on her face spinning rapidly out of control.
First, she snatched up a pillow and hurled it at Qiaosi; then, she grabbed the bedside lamp and smashed it heavily onto the floor.
Having just arrived, Song Siming was utterly dumbfounded by the scene before him.
He was all too familiar with this condition—when the manic phase of bipolar disorder struck, it brought about this exact kind of completely uncontrollable rage.
"Dr. Qiaosi?!" Huangfu Rong cried out to Qiaosi.
Qiaosi waved a hand dismissively at Huangfu Rong. "Hypomania involves elevated mood, boundless energy, irritability, flight of ideas, and reckless behavior—it's merely a symptom! It's of no consequence..."
"Miss Song, please calm down first, I am Dr. Qiaosi..."
Before he could finish, Song Jiaojiao grew even angrier, grabbing whatever she could lay her hands on and hurling everything straight at Qiaosi's feet.
Remembering what Chen Wanli had said earlier, Song Siming voiced his doubts, "Did Jiaojiao actually get given sedatives by Chen Wanli? Was he right about her waking up the moment the needles were pulled?"
"..." Huangfu Rong was frozen in place as well, realizing that everything had unfolded precisely as Chen Wanli had predicted.
Putting on the air of a master, Qiaosi urged, "The two of you shouldn't be nervous. Once this wave of emotion passes..."
Pointing at the door, Song Jiaojiao panted heavily, "Get the hell out of here!"
Qiaosi's face flushed red. He hadn't expected Song Jiaojiao's condition to be this severe, rendering her entirely incapable of containing her emotional outbursts.
According to standard procedure, the only course of action was to wait until Song Jiaojiao calmed down, so he obediently walked out the door.
Huangfu Rong wore an awkward expression, but still stubbornly defended him, "Jiaojiao, Dr. Qiaosi..."
"You get out too!" After venting her fury, Song Jiaojiao trembled all over, looking very much like a wounded beast.
"I'm your mother, how can you speak to me like that..."
Song Jiaojiao's face was ashen. "Ever since I was little, you've always wanted everything in my life to follow your will. You control me, forcing me to do things I hate. And now, even when it comes to choosing a doctor to treat me, you still have to control everything!"
"You'll only be satisfied if I drop dead, won't you?" Tears streamed down Song Jiaojiao's face.
Huangfu Rong opened her mouth to speak again, but was cut short by a roar from Song Siming: "Enough!"
Song Siming stepped forward, pulled Song Jiaojiao into his arms, and gently patted her back. "So, you want Chen Wanli to treat you?"
"Yes, he can make me sleep! Dad, he can make me sleep... Do you know how long it's been since I had a proper night's rest?"
Tears continued to pour down Song Jiaojiao's face. Heartbroken for his daughter, Song Siming comforted her while turning to Huangfu Rong and saying:
"You're the one who chased Mr. Chen away. Now, you go invite him back as an apology to Jiaojiao. Otherwise, don't ever expect to see your daughter again!"
……
Huangfu Rong stamped her foot in frustration and marched bitterly toward the door.
Seeing that Qiaosi was still standing in the hallway, she hurried over and asked, "Dr. Qiaosi, can't you think of something? Do we really have to invite that man back?"
Looking rather sheepish, Qiaosi finally conceded, "Yielding to the patient at a time like this can indeed help soothe her emotions!"
Reluctantly, Huangfu Rong nodded, resolving to go fetch him herself.
As she reached the doorway, recalling Chen Wanli's parting threat, she summoned her bodyguards and decided that even if Chen Wanli refused to come willingly, she would drag him back by force.
……
Chen Wanli leisurely strolled out of the villa district, intending to hail a taxi.
Several sedans came speeding toward him, blocking his path entirely.
Huangfu Rong stepped out of her car looking menacing, slammed the door shut with a loud bang, and marched up to Chen Wanli with a frosty expression:
"Chen Wanli, your chance to prove yourself has arrived. Come back with me and examine my daughter."
With her haughty and overbearing demeanor, Huangfu Rong acted as though allowing Chen Wanli to return and treat the patient was the greatest blessing he could have hoped for in eight lifetimes.
Chen Wanli narrowed his eyes, his irritation mounting. He said coldly, "I warned you. If you come begging me again, whether I treat her or not depends entirely on my mood."
"And right now, I'm in a bad mood. I won't treat her!"
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Chapter 14: Does This Vent Your Anger?
Huangfu Rong's expression turned haughty. "Don't push your luck! Jiaojiao is giving you a chance. For a small-time nobody like you, seizing this chance is your only ticket to turning your life around. Stop putting on airs with me!"
Chen Wanli retorted sarcastically, "So I suppose I should thank you, then?"
Huangfu Rong's face flushed crimson with rage. She took several deep breaths before she managed to swallow her anger.
"You're putting on a show just because you want money, aren't you?"
She pulled a bank card out of her handbag. "There's ten million in here. Go back and see Jiaojiao, and this card is yours."
Convinced she had seen right through Chen Wanli, Huangfu Rong believed that once the price was right, this punk would grovel and obey her every command just like all the others before him.
With a mocking chuckle, Chen Wanli replied, "You'd better save that money to pay for your daughter's lavish funeral!"
Seeing that Chen Wanli was completely impervious to reason, Huangfu Rong flicked her gaze toward her bodyguards. "Go on, grab this reckless piece of trash for me."
With ferocious looks on their faces, several bodyguards lunged at Chen Wanli.
Yet no sooner had the first one closed in than Chen Wanli landed a heavy punch squarely across his face.
Instantly following up, he casually grabbed another man's arm, and with a swift *bam!*—
He flipped him over his shoulder in a body slam, hurling the man so hard into the car's windshield that the glass cracked into a spiderweb pattern.
Charging into the fray like a tiger among sheep, Chen Wanli left every single bodyguard Huangfu Rong brought lying flat on the ground, completely incapacitated within barely half a minute.
A dead silence fell over the scene.
Huangfu Rong took half a step back in sheer terror. The bodyguards she had brought along were at the very least special forces veterans.
And yet they were beaten to a pulp in the span of a few breaths?
Realizing that coercing Chen Wanli was out of the question, Huangfu Rong hastily discarded her aggressive, overbearing posture. "What on earth will it take to get you to agree to come back?!"
"If the money isn't enough, just name your price!"
Chen Wanli was beyond annoyed. "Do you really think having money means you can do whatever you want?"
"You want me to name my price? Fine!"
"Kneel down right now, kowtow to apologize, slap yourself ten times across the face, and admit that you are as blind and stupid as a pig. Then I'll go back and continue treating Song Jiaojiao."
Clenching her fists tightly, Huangfu Rong growled, "You dare humiliate me?!"
Unfazed, Chen Wanli replied calmly, "Humiliate you?!"
"I'm simply teaching you how to behave!"
Surging with anger, Huangfu Rong was just about to hurl a harsh threat when Song Siming arrived on the scene.
Seeing the bodyguards sprawled all over the ground, he could easily guess what had happened, and he had heard every word of Chen Wanli's demand loud and clear.
Although Chen Wanli's terms were overly aggressive and left Song Siming slightly displeased, that annoyance vanished in a flash.
He knew Huangfu Rong's temper all too well; calling this getting a taste of her own medicine was no exaggeration.
Besides, nothing could possibly be more important than Song Jiaojiao's illness.
During all those years he had spent traveling far and wide with Song Jiaojiao seeking medical help, what renowned doctors hadn't they consulted? Yet Chen Wanli was the only one who had managed to make his daughter voluntarily admit to receiving effective treatment.
He only blamed himself for failing to steadfastly trust Chen Wanli; he felt like slapping himself across the face a few times over.
With his own anger boiling over, Song Siming walked up and delivered a resounding slap straight across Huangfu Rong's face.
The blow sent Huangfu Rong staggering backward, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth.
Furious, Song Siming shouted, "I told you to come beg Mr. Chen to return, not to throw a tantrum!"
Covering her face, Huangfu Rong looked at him in disbelief. "You dare hit me?!"
"Not only did I hit you, but if you keep acting up, I'll go straight to the Old Master of the family and air all your dirty laundry."
Hearing this, Huangfu Rong instantly quieted down. Fearless as she might be, she was terrified of the family's Old Master to her core.
"Brother Chen, it was my lapse in manners today. Please accept my apologies! Do me this favor!" Song Siming forced a smile.
Chen Wanli chuckled. "You, the richest man surnamed Song, certainly have face. But I'm a man of my word. Even as the richest man, you wouldn't want me to go back on my own statements, would you?"
Song Siming nodded. A flash of ruthlessness crossed his eyes as he turned toward Huangfu Rong, walked up to her, and lashed out with a rapid succession of over a dozen slaps.
The blows left Huangfu Rong's face badly swollen as she crashed heavily onto her backside, momentarily forgetting even how to cry.
"Brother Chen, does this vent your anger?" asked Song Siming.
"A deal's a deal. Let's head back now," Chen Wanli nodded.
Upon returning to Song Jiaojiao's room, they found Qiaosi still standing outside the door.
"Can I go in and take a look?" Qiaosi couldn't help asking.
"Sure. It'll broaden your horizons so you don't spew garbage the next time you open your mouth!" Chen Wanli sneered as he walked into the bedroom.
At that moment, Song Jiaojiao was sitting on the bed with her legs drawn up, curled into a tight ball.
"My mother... she didn't give you a hard time, did she?" Song Jiaojiao asked cautiously. She craved that feeling of falling asleep within seconds far too much, and she was terrified that her mother might have offended Chen Wanli.
"No. It's fine. Come on, let's do the needles again!" Chen Wanli smiled.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Song Jiaojiao hurriedly resumed her prone position on the bed.
As Chen Wanli reapplied the acupuncture needles, finishing the final one, Song Jiaojiao once again drifted into a deep sleep.
Standing off to the side, Qiaosi and Song Siming looked on in stunned silence.
"Your acupuncture technique is nothing short of miraculous! Truly miraculous!" Qiaosi exaggerated.
Caring little for his remarks, Chen Wanli addressed Song Siming directly: "I'll leave a prescription; have her take the medicine accordingly. I'll return every three days to perform another session of acupuncture!"
Song Siming nodded and agreed without hesitation.
Seeing that Chen Wanli was about to leave, Qiaosi stepped forward. "Mr. Chen, I... I want to become your apprentice! I want to learn acupuncture!"
"Many psychiatric patients suffer from insomnia. If I could learn acupuncture, I..."
While Qiaosi rambled on, Chen Wanli rolled his eyes and turned to leave.
"Master... teach me..."
Stepping into the breach to block Qiaosi, Song Siming followed Chen Wanli downstairs.
"Brother, I am deeply sorry for today's events. I originally intended to give you this car back at the hospital, but you left too quickly and missed it. Consider this car an apology from my ex-wife."
"I also have a villa at the peak of Tianyue Mansion; I'd like to give that to you as well, as my consultation fee for treating my daughter!"
"On top of that, I have some Dahongpao tea leaves here—this year's spring harvest, said to be fine tea worth six hundred thousand per catty. I can't taste the difference myself, so I'd like my brother here to try it and see if it's worth the price!"
Song Siming produced a set of house and car keys, handing them over to Chen Wanli along with the gift.
Accepting them, Chen Wanli smiled faintly and said, "Song Jiaojiao's illness is nothing major, but your condition is the real trouble!"
Taken aback, Song Siming asked, "You can tell?"
"I could tell the very first time we met. Three years ago, you must have suffered from liver necrosis and undergone a liver transplant. The surgery was a success, but you've continuously suffered from rejection reactions, keeping them at bay entirely through medication."
"Presumably, your body has developed a tolerance to the anti-rejection drugs, which is why you don't have much time left..."
Before Chen Wanli could finish, Song Siming nodded repeatedly. "Precisely!"
"Since you can diagnose my condition and describe it so accurately, you must have a way to save me!"
"I can save you, but several of the medicinal ingredients required are exceptionally rare. If you can track them down, I can compound the medicine for you!" Chen Wanli agreed.
"No matter what herbs they are, I will find them. If Mr. Chen saves my life, you will forever be the greatest benefactor to both me and my daughter. Whatever demands you may have, my Song family will walk through fire and water without hesitation."
Song Siming made his solemn vow. Having already undergone one liver transplant, a second one carried far higher risks; by his own reckoning, he already had one foot in the grave.
At that moment, Chen Wanli's words offered him a glimmer of hope.
Having lived to this age, Song Siming understood all too well: a great fortune and sweeping power meant nothing if your life was gone.
Nodding slightly, Chen Wanli wrote down the list of required medicinal herbs and departed on his own.
Driving the Rolls-Royce, Chen Wanli felt somewhat unaccustomed to it.
When his parents were alive, his father had been a modest civil servant, while his mother ran a small antique and collectible business on a very modest scale.
Truth be told, their family background could only be described as middle-class.
This was his first time ever driving a luxury car like a Rolls-Royce.
Upon returning to the Tang Family residence, Tang Yanran had already finished work and was at home.
Seven or eight dishes sat on the dining table, while his father-in-law and mother-in-law were still busy in the kitchen.
"Are we having guests over?" asked Chen Wanli.
Before Tang Yanran could reply, his mother-in-law emerged from the kitchen with a dark, sullen expression and snapped sharply:
"Isn't this all because of the mess you caused?!"
"You offended Fifth Master Huang, and while you talked big about protecting Yanran, when they came looking for revenge, where on earth did you run off to?"
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Chapter 15: The Prodigal Son
The more Zhang Yuehong spoke, the angrier she became. Having heard from Tang Yanran about what happened at the hospital, she wished she could throw Chen Wanli out onto the street right then and there.