Looking at the anxious Lin Jianguo, Director Zhao instead had questions for him.
“You’re asking me? Didn’t you say your ex-wife was uneducated? Why didn’t you ever mention she graduated high school? Why didn’t you say she studied medicine since childhood? And why didn’t you tell me she knows Old Qi?”
Director Zhao was nearly furious, but what angered him was how much Lin Jianguo had kept from him.
Lin Jianguo was also bewildered. “What education? She’s uneducated. She’s just an ordinary woman. As for studying medicine, her family are all traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, but she probably never learned it.”
His mother had never told him any of this. She only said Mingxi was a gullible country girl and nothing more.
Director Zhao didn’t want to see him now; he was too annoyed.
“Get out for now. Your ex-wife will be staying here from now on. You’d better keep your distance from her, or I’ll never allow Qingling to be with you.”
Lin Jianguo wanted to say more, but he was directly shoved out.
Mingxi was adapting quite well here, working in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy.
The space in the Traditional Chinese Medicine Pharmacy was relatively small, with only three doctors including her.
Initially, the other two doctors were somewhat skeptical of her, but within less than a day, she won them over with her skills.
“Mingxi, you’re so capable, yet Dr. Lin always says you’re uneducated and crude. What exactly is going on between you two?”
Dr. Liao and Dr. Xu were genuinely curious. They had initially believed Mingxi was as Lin Jianguo described, but after interacting with her, they realized they were wrong.
Mingxi sorted herbs while replying, “He holds a grudge against me. Our marriage was forced by his mother’s deception. Now that we’re divorced, it’s just each returning to our rightful places.”
Dr. Liao and Dr. Xu nodded, though not fully understanding. Matters of others’ families were beyond them, but this was just as well—with another doctor here, there would be help during busy times.
As Mingxi settled in, Yue Kai on the other side was nearly awake.
The first thing he did upon waking was ask for Mingxi, which made Old Qi laugh in exasperation.
“You brat, I’m sitting right here and you don’t even care about me, but you’re looking for someone else.”
This grandfather-grandson bond was clearly misplaced.
Yue Kai grinned cheekily, his fox eyes crinkling as he sweet-talked.
“Grandpa Qi, since you’re sitting here, you must be in good health. My own health might not even be as good as yours. Just tell me where the girl who saved me is now.”
Old Qi raised an eyebrow, a hint of pride in his expression. “So now you’re interested in girls? Before, I had to beg you repeatedly just to meet one, but getting injured seems to have cleared your head.”
Yue Kai didn’t respond, his smile growing even brighter.
Seeing his cheeky expression, Old Qi poked his head firmly. “Alright, stop trying to butter me up. The girl who saved you is named Mingxi, a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. She’s the one who treated your wound.”
“Your injury isn’t severe, but you lost a lot of blood. If no one had helped you, you might not have survived the blood loss. You should repay her properly—maybe even offer yourself in marriage.”
Old Qi grew increasingly mischievous, winking and nudging Yue Kai as he spoke.
Yue Kai recalled Mingxi’s appearance, his face slightly flushed. “Old Qi, don’t talk nonsense. You mustn’t damage a girl’s reputation.”
At the mention of reputation, Old Qi straightened his expression and said, “Just looking at you tells me you probably have some interest in Mingxi. Let me make this clear upfront—Mingxi has been divorced once. Her ex-husband works at this hospital, but she had no real feelings for him. Their relationship was in name only.”
“Although I really like that girl and think you two would be good together, if you mind that she’s been divorced, then don’t go bothering her.”
Old Qi’s expression was serious, and Yue Kai also adopted a solemn demeanor. “Old Qi, you’re really overthinking it. I just want to express my gratitude to her. Besides, divorce isn’t some big deal.”
His fellow townsfolk was quite impressive! To get divorced in this era—what courage!
It wasn’t that divorce was impossible in these times, but those who divorced faced overwhelming gossip and rumors. Even in modern times, some people still spoke poorly of divorced women.
“Don’t you dare act frivolously. She’ll be coming to see you soon. If you have decent feelings toward her, then behave properly.”
Mingxi genuinely cared about the fellow townsfolk she had saved, visiting him every afternoon.
Upon hearing that Mingxi was coming to see him, Yue Kai immediately started looking for a mirror. “Is there a mirror here? I need a razor too. How could you let me wander around with this scruffy beard, Old Qi?”
Old Qi smacked him on the forehead. “You brat, still dreaming big! Me helping you tidy up? What kind of fantasy are you living in?”
“I don’t think you need to find any mirror or shave anyway. She’s already seen you at your worst—why would she care about some scruffy beard now?”
Yue Kai: “…”
Well… his first meeting with his fellow townsfolk hadn’t presented his best image, and the location hadn’t been ideal either. But that didn’t mean he shouldn’t care about his appearance now.
Yue Kai kept fussing until Old Qi, thoroughly annoyed, finally found him a mirror and razor.
Not long after he had cleaned up, Mingxi arrived.
The moment Mingxi entered, she saw a ‘refreshed’ Yue Kai. Staring at the man sitting on the hospital bed who looked like a fox spirit, she apologized and stepped back out.
After confirming she had the right room, she muttered in confusion, “Did he get discharged?”
Yue Kai had been all smiles when Mingxi pushed the door open, but she left within seconds, making him suddenly insecure about his looks.
“You’re Mingxi, right? I’m the person you saved—Yue Kai. Please come in, let’s chat.”
Hearing the voice from inside, Mingxi pushed the door open and entered.
The closer she got, the more the man on the bed seemed like a fox who had attained human form—fox eyes, a sharp nose, crimson lips, a pointed face, and pale, delicate skin.
He looked nothing like the person she had found by the river.
Seeing her expression, Yue Kai laughed and explained, “My appearance isn’t what you expected, is it?”
Mingxi nodded blankly. “With looks like yours, life in this era must be pretty difficult, huh?”
People in this time preferred thick eyebrows, large eyes, and square-jawed faces. Yue Kai’s delicate, fox-like features completely contradicted the era’s beauty standards.
But she’s quite beautiful—so beautiful it’s almost inhuman.
Yue Kai sighed, “Who says otherwise? I was born here, and since childhood everyone thought I was a girl. When did you arrive?”
Mingxi: “Not long ago. I divorced my ex-husband right after coming here.”
“Good decision. Grandpa Qi told me about that ex-husband of yours—he wasn’t worthy of you. You deserve someone better. What do you think of me?”
Yue Kai was far too forward. Before Mingxi could even process his words, he was already recommending himself.