Chu Xinyue walked up to the Elder's bedside and said, "Grandpa, Brother Fan is here. You were the one who decided our marriage, and you will surely be very happy to see me marry him, right?"
The Elder on the bed remained unconscious, showing no reaction whatsoever.
"Grandpa, you must fight to get better. I hope you can attend my wedding. Please, I'm begging you."
Chu Xinyue's eyes turned red.
Growing up, there were only two relatives who truly cared about her: her younger sister and her grandfather.
Her uncles regarded her as a thorn in their sides, wanting nothing more than to put her to death at any moment so they could seize everything belonging to the Chu Family.
Even her own parents went to great lengths to trap and harm her. Perhaps in their hearts, a daughter was nothing more than a commodity, and only a son was truly their own flesh and blood.
Chu Xinyue gripped her grandfather's aged hand. "For as long as I can remember, you have been like a towering mountain in my heart, shielding me from all storms. I cannot live without you."
At that moment, a refined-looking man around thirty years of age, wearing a white lab coat and glasses, approached Chu Xinyue.
Chen Chong said sternly, "Miss Chu, the old master's body is extremely weak. He is not suited to be around other people for long periods. Please leave and stop disturbing the old master's rest."
Unwilling to give up, Chu Xinyue said, "I just want to say a few more words to my grandfather. If he knows I am getting married, he might just wake up."
"That outdated notion of rush-chashing weddings is sheer nonsense. You should trust me. I am a medical doctorate holder from Beijing University, and I spent three years studying abroad. I possess the most advanced medical technology."
Chen Chong said coldly, "Throughout the entire Hua Country, only I dare claim that I can definitely cure the old master. If you want your grandfather to live, get out immediately and stop getting in my way!"
Chu Xinyue wanted to say something more, but she held her tongue.
This Dr. Chen was a specialist the Chu Family had hired at a tremendous cost, a rising authority in internal medicine, and the only one who dared promise he could cure the Elder.
Chen Chong said coldly, "Miss Chu, you need to understand this clearly. It is only because I owe your Second Master a favor that I agreed to come and treat this old man. Otherwise, with the Chu Family merely being a second-rate elite family, what qualification do you have to hire me?"
Chu Xinyue immediately nodded. "Yes, yes, we'll leave right now..."
She was truly terrified that Chen Chong would wash his hands of the matter and walk away. Swallowing her humiliation and apologizing, she turned around, ready to lead the others out.
Before she could finish speaking, however, her hand was caught by Xia Yunfan.
Xia Yunfan declared forcefully, "A half-empty bottle rattling around, that's all you are! If you dare utter another half-sentence to my woman, I'll smash your face in with a solid slap."
Holy shit!
Xia Yunfan's words shocked everyone present.
How could he possibly dare?!
This was Chen Chong, hailed as a leading figure of the new generation in the medical world.
Even wealthy elite families treated him with the utmost courtesy because, in the eyes of the elite, money was nothing more than a string of numbers, whereas life was priceless.
Yet Xia Yunfan had reprimanded a major figure in the medical world so harshly—did he want the Chu Family Elder dead that badly?
Chen Chong laughed in fury. "Ever since I won the World Medical Prize five years ago, no one has ever dared to insult me! If the Chu Family doesn't give me an explanation today, I will stop the treatment right here."
Chu Xinyue hurriedly reached out to tug at Xia Yunfan's sleeve. "Brother Fan, this is a divine doctor our Chu Family hired at an enormous cost. We absolutely cannot afford to offend him."
Xia Yunfan said dismissively, "A half-baked quack like this is worthy of being called a divine doctor? To be honest, the dog my family used to keep had better medical skills than him."
It's over!
The faces of Chu Xinyue and her sister turned deathly pale, drained of all color.
With these words, Xia Yunfan had completely and irredeemably offended Chen Chong.
Chu Xinyue felt torn apart inside. On one side was the beloved brother-figure she had longed for day and night, and on the other was the grandfather she loved most in the world.
She wondered whether she should go apologize to Chen Chong and make it clear that she didn't even know Xia Yunfan.
Just at that moment, a cold laugh echoed from outside the doorway.
"Where did this petty nobody come from, daring to speak to Divine Doctor Chen like that?"
Everyone turned to look toward the entrance as a lean middle-aged man walked in.
The man looked very thin, but his expression was sinister and vicious. It was none other than the Second Master of the Chu Family, Chu Tianxiong.
Following right behind Chu Tianxiong was a group of core members of the Chu Family.
Chu Xinyue hurriedly said, "Second Uncle, it's not what you think. Please let me explain..."
"Xinyue, he keeps claiming to be your man. Do you even know that this wild man is going to kill your grandfather?"
Reprimanding her as he walked into the room, Chu Tianxiong bowed deeply to Chen Chong right in front of everyone.
"Mr. Chen, it is our family's misfortune that has brought disgrace upon you. I beg you to give our Chu Family a chance and please do not interrupt the Elder's treatment," Chu Tianxiong pleaded with a bow.
Chen Chong sneered, "As long as you make this stray dog and Chu Xinyue kneel on the ground and kowtow three loud kowtows to me, I will pretend today's incident never happened."
Aside from Chu Tianxiong, the members of the Chu Family present all frowned slightly.
"Even though I don't know why the Elder chose not to pass the Chu Family down to his son, but instead designated his granddaughter Chu Xinyue as his primary heir—something I find deeply unfair—I still can't stand to watch her being bullied like this!"
"Indeed. Whether Chu Xinyue loses face doesn't matter, but once word of this gets out, none of us in the Chu Family will be able to hold our heads up in front of other elite families."
"You don't even have to guess; Chu Tianxiong must have instigated Chen Chong to do this. Once he succeeds, Chu Xinyue's reputation will be ruined and she won't be able to inherit the Chu Family, leaving Chu Tianxiong as the head of the household."
"How vicious! Disgracing all of us in the Chu Family just to serve his own ambitions!"
Power struggles were inevitable in wealthy families. Upon receiving word that the Chu Family had dispatched a luxury motorcade to welcome someone important, the family members had all rushed over. After all, with the Elder gravely ill and nearing the end of his days, it was the most intense period for the power struggle within the Chu Family.
Chu Xinyue had never suffered such humiliation before. Fighting back her rising anger, she questioned Chu Tianxiong, "Second Uncle, is kneeling really necessary?"
Chu Tianxiong sneered, "If you don't show your sincerity, how could Divine Doctor Chen possibly forgive you? Am I right, Divine Doctor Chen?"
Chen Chong nodded in agreement. "I think Second Master Chu's suggestion is quite good. Kneeling is an absolute must, otherwise my face..."
*Slap!*
Just as Chen Chong was feeling triumphant, a palm came sweeping through the air with a whistling rush, striking him hard across the face.
"Ah..."
Chen Chong let out a miserable cry as he crashed to the floor. Opening his mouth, he spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with several teeth, tumbling over heavily.
Everyone stared at Xia Yunfan in utter shock.
Insulting Divine Doctor Chen verbally was one thing, but he actually struck him?!
Was he trying to pick a fight with the Elder himself?
Xia Yunfan said with utter disdain, "Your face isn't worth shit in my eyes. You wanted to make my woman kneel for you? You're courting death!"