However, as Gu Yuan looked at Chen Panyuan, who remained unmoved, and picked up the silver needles to continue the treatment, he only said one sentence:
"The way of medicine lies in conforming to the laws of nature, perceiving the flow of vital energy, empathizing with the human heart, and understanding the principles of all things."
These words struck Chen Panyuan like a thunderbolt. He looked in terror at Gu Yuan, who had turned to leave; his face turned pale, and his whole body began to tremble.
For the last time he had heard those words was from the lips of the reclusive Master, Lu Jinxian.
Once considering himself the premier physician in Daxia, Chen Panyuan had challenged Lu Jinxian, only to be easily defeated. Those very words had been Lu Jinxian's parting advice to him.
Now, shaken to his core by a single sentence from Gu Yuan, Chen Panyuan did not dare to continue the acupuncture. Packing up his tools and ignoring the pleas of the Qian Family, he hurried away, leaving behind the words, "I have made a fool of myself."
This scene left everyone dumbfounded. A young man had frightened away Daxia's top practitioner of traditional medicine with just a single sentence?
The members of the Qian Family burned with anger. Could it be that the hard-won chance to cure Qian Ruixue had just been ruined by this young man who had popped up out of nowhere?
Yet Elder Qian seemed to have sensed something unusual. He shouted anxiously, "Quickly stop him! Keep this young man here—he is our last hope to save my granddaughter!"
...
At this moment, everyone in the Qian Family was filled with anxiety.
Xiao Qing complained, "We don't even know who this person is! If anything goes wrong, I truly don't know how I could go on living—I might even divorce you!"
Qian Jinyuan could only let out a helpless sigh and replied, "My dear, this was Elder Qian's decision, and I cannot change it." He had witnessed Gu Yuan's medical skills, but he still dared not guarantee a cure for his daughter's intractable condition.
"Oh, how can Elder Qian be so foolish? How could he trust a young man of unknown origin?" Xiao Qing said with deep frustration.
Just as they were consumed by worry, the bedroom door slowly opened, and a stunningly beautiful woman walked out, tidying her clothes. Her cheeks flushed, she softly called out, "Dad, Mom!"
The family instantly spun around and stared in utter shock at Qian Ruixue!
Qian Ruixue, who had been confined to a wheelchair for three years, had miraculously stood up and was able to walk!
Xiao Qing rushed to her daughter immediately, gripping her hands tightly, her speech a jumbled, emotional mess: "Ruixue, you can walk? You can really walk!"
Qian Ruixue nodded in response, tears sparkling in her eyes, her heart filled with a yearning for a normal life.
Xiao Qing nearly jumped for joy. "That's wonderful, Ruixue! Now that you've recovered, Mom's mind is finally at ease. With this, you'll be able to find a good match in the future, too."
At that moment, Elder Qian cleared his throat, interrupting their joy. "Speaking of finding a match, I said it before: whoever cures my granddaughter shall be the son-in-law of the Qian Family. Since Gu Yuan has succeeded, he is now my granddaughter's husband."
Gu Yuan was stunned. He had originally intended to politely decline the offer; after all, his master owed a favor to the old man of the Ji Family, and he had simply come to fulfill his master's task, never imagining he would become a member of the Qian Family.
However, Xiao Qing immediately objected, "Dad, how can you say that? Now that Ruixue has recovered, our Qian Family has both status and wealth, and Ruixue is both beautiful and intelligent. She cannot simply be married off to some penniless kid."
Elder Qian furrowed his brow and said with displeasure, "What do you mean by that? Are you asking me to go back on my word?"
"No, Dad, I just think..." Xiao Qing tried to explain, while nudging her husband, Qian Jinyuan, with her elbow.
Qian Jinyuan chimed in as well, "Dad, we can't sacrifice our daughter's future just to show our gratitude, can we? Ruixue deserves someone better, not a impoverished young man like this."
Watching his son and daughter-in-law's display, Elder Qian was too angry to speak.
Just as he was about to scold them for their ungratefulness, Gu Yuan spoke up, "Elder Qian, please don't be angry. I appreciate your kind intentions, but I have no intention of marrying your granddaughter."
Hearing this, everyone in the Qian Family froze.
One had to remember that as one of the Four Great Families of Tiannan City, the Qian Family had publicly promised a "marriage match through medicine." How many people had yearned for this opportunity?
The head of the Qian Family, Elder Qian, was so angry he nearly jumped up. "Gu Yuan, are you just messing around? Do you want to saddle me with a reputation for untrustworthiness?"
Gu Yuan could only offer a wry smile. "Elder Qian, you know as well that I was entrusted by someone to complete a task. Now that the matter is settled, I will take my leave."
The members of the Qian Family were stunned, especially Qian Ruixue. With her prestigious background and beauty, she hadn't looked down on him, yet she was the one being rejected?
Logically speaking, with the marriage falling through, she ought to feel relieved; so why did she feel such an indescribable ache in her chest?
"Hold on!"
At this critical moment, Elder Qian stamped his foot in anxiety. "I have already publicly announced to the outside world that whoever cured Ruixue would become the son-in-law of the Qian Family, and everyone in Tiannan City knows it. Since you cured my granddaughter, it means you accepted this betrothal. The Qian Family has stood for a hundred years, and our foundation is the word 'integrity.' Therefore, this marriage will happen whether you like it or not!"
As soon as these words were spoken, Qian Ruixue's parents instantly grew tense. They had initially agreed to the "medical match" because their daughter was gravely ill and they had no other options left.
Now that she had recovered, they naturally hoped she could find a far better candidate.
Gu Yuan looked like nothing more than an ordinary young man; was he truly suitable for their daughter?
Elder Qian shot them a fierce glare and said coldly, "As long as I am still running the Qian Family, this marriage cannot be changed—unless... he leaves the Qian Family of his own accord, in which case I won't be able to control it. Humph!"
Faced with this situation, Qian Ruixue's parents had no choice but to shut their mouths. Being driven out of the Qian Family meant losing their right to inherit the family assets.
Thus, they both cast resentful glares toward Gu Yuan.
Yet Gu Yuan paid those gazes no mind. He had saved Ruixue, only to be treated this way—it made him sneer inwardly.
In this world, he had seen more than enough ungratefulness; his ex-wife Lin Xiangyu was living proof of it.
Upon returning home, Qian Jinyuan's wife, Xiao Qing, grew more resentful the more she thought about it.
"Honey, do you think Dad has lost his mind? How can he decide Ruixue's lifelong future like this? Marrying a young man like Gu Yuan—what kind of happiness can he possibly bring our daughter?"
Qian Jinyuan sighed helplessly. "You know how much Dad values his pride. His words are as solid as nails driven into the ground; how could he possibly change them easily? If he goes back on his word, wouldn't the Qian Family's reputation in Tiannan City be completely ruined?"
"No way, that's my daughter. I'm going to go talk to Elder Qian and clear this up." Xiao Qing prepared to get up and reason with Elder Qian.
Qian Jinyuan quickly pulled her back. "Didn't you hear what Elder Qian said? If we oppose this, we'll be driven out of the family. The branches of the First and Second Households have long been eyeing the company shares; if we offend Elder Qian, we won't get a single thing."
After pondering for a moment, Xiao Qing could only sigh. "Fine, whatever. Let's just consider it Gu Yuan's lucky day. But I'll make this clear right now: I will never agree to let my daughter marry him—unless he moves in as a matrilocal son-in-law and joins the Qian Family household."
Hearing these words, Qian Jinyuan's eyes suddenly lit up.