The old man’s complexion was rosy, much of the cloudiness in his eyes had faded, and his entire bearing seemed transformed. He looked like a pine tree washed clean by rain—vigorous and full of life.
“Dad! Why did you come downstairs by yourself?”
Lu Yongjie rushed forward to support him. When his hand touched the old man’s arm, he was surprised to find not the loose, frail flesh he had grown accustomed to, but a hint of firmness and strength.
“Support me for what?” Lu Zhenhua waved him off. “I feel like I could go out to the training field and do a whole set of boxing exercises right now!”
His gaze swept around the dining room before settling on Ruan Wen, who was quietly eating her porridge at the table.
His face broke into a smile so wide that every wrinkle bloomed.
“Little Ruan, come here and let Grandpa get a good look at you!”
Ruan Wen set down her bowl and obediently walked over.
Taking her hand, Lu Zhenhua looked her up and down in amazement.
“A miracle doctor! You really are our family’s lucky star, a true miracle doctor!”
Standing nearby, Qin Lan was completely stunned.
As a head nurse, she understood better than anyone what the old man’s condition had been like before.
Heart failure. Lung infection. Every test result hovering on the edge of danger.
He had been like a crumbling old house on the verge of collapse.
But now…
She hurried over. Out of professional habit, she placed her fingers on Lu Zhenhua’s wrist.
The pulse beneath her fingertips was steady and strong.
His breathing was smooth and even.
The expression on her face shifted from shock, to doubt, and finally to a kind of bewildered disbelief.
Numbers and machines did not lie.
Yet the living reality before her eyes was even more convincing than any medical report.
“Ahem.”
Qin Lan cleared her throat.
She wanted to say something, but when she met Ruan Wen’s clear, calm gaze, all her doubts and objections became trapped in her throat.
In the end, she managed only:
“The porridge… is getting cold. You should eat.”
Lu Jingheng watched everything unfold.
Looking at his mother’s defeated yet unwillingly convinced expression, then at Ruan Wen—who acted as though nothing extraordinary had happened and simply continued eating breakfast—he felt a strange emotion he couldn’t quite name.
This woman had a way of handling earth-shattering matters as though they were nothing at all.
Breakfast ended amid Lu Zhenhua’s hearty laughter.
The old man was in high spirits and unusually talkative.
He held onto Ruan Wen and asked her question after question, from the customs of Haishi to amusing stories from her childhood.
He had clearly begun treating her as his own beloved granddaughter.
Just then, a familiar voice sounded from outside the courtyard gate.
“Uncle Lu, Aunt Qin, I heard Grandpa is feeling better, so I came to visit him.”
Gu Qingyu had come again.
Today she wore a dress and carried an elegant paper bag.
A polite smile rested on her face, and she seemed much calmer than the day before.
The moment she entered, she looked at Lu Zhenhua with delight.
“Grandpa, you look wonderful! I knew you’d pull through!”
She placed the paper bag on the table and took out several bottles covered in foreign-language labels.
Turning enthusiastically to Qin Lan, she said,
“Aunt Qin, I was worried last night, so I asked my father to consult a friend at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. He said that while traditional Chinese medicine can produce results quickly, the herbs can be quite strong and may have side effects.”
“These are imported nutritional supplements from overseas. They’re specially designed to support heart and lung function. They’re safe, gentle, and perfect for elderly people.”
On the surface, she sounded caring.
In reality, she was once again questioning Ruan Wen’s treatment, suggesting it was unscientific, unsafe, and a gamble with the old man’s health.
Qin Lan, who had only just begun to accept reality, felt her confidence waver again.
The beautifully packaged bottles appealed to the deeply ingrained Western medical principles she had trusted all her life.
“Really? Then perhaps…”
Before she could finish, Lu Zhenhua slammed his cane heavily against the floor.
“What foreign nonsense is this?”
The old man’s eyes widened.
“My old life was nearly handed over to those bitter medicines! One bowl of Little Ruan’s herbal soup gave me the best sleep I’ve had in ten years!”
“If I say it’s good, then it’s good!”
“Take these things away. I don’t need them!”
Having spent his life on battlefields, Lu Zhenhua’s authority remained as imposing as ever when his temper flared.
Gu Qingyu’s face instantly turned pale.
Her eyes reddened as she looked toward Lu Jingheng.
“Brother Jingheng, I… I didn’t mean anything by it. I was only worried about Grandpa…”
Expressionless, Lu Jingheng walked over, gathered the bottles back into the paper bag, and handed it to her.
“Qingyu, we appreciate the thought.”
“But Grandpa’s treatment is now entirely under Ruan Wen’s care. She has her own plan, and we shouldn’t interfere casually. Otherwise, it could affect the treatment.”
Holding the paper bag, Gu Qingyu’s hands trembled.
Unwilling to give up, she looked toward Ruan Wen, hoping she would say something—anything, even a polite courtesy.
Ruan Wen did speak.
She set down her chopsticks, wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin, and then looked at Gu Qingyu with a faint smile.
“Sister Gu is right. Traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine each have their strengths. Combining them can often be beneficial.”
Gu Qingyu’s eyes brightened slightly.
But then Ruan Wen continued.
“However…”
Her tone remained gentle.
“Traditional Chinese medicine emphasizes balance. The body’s yin and yang must first be brought back into harmony and its foundation strengthened.”
“The worst thing is random outside interference.”
“These supplements are certainly good products. But giving them to Grandpa now would be like pouring soy sauce into a pot of clear soup that’s still simmering.”
“It would only ruin the flavor.”
“Once Grandpa’s condition has stabilized, these can be used for long-term maintenance. That would be the best use for them.”
Gu Qingyu was left completely speechless.
Her pretty face flushed the color of liver.
After a long moment, she could only grit her teeth and force out:
“I didn’t think it through carefully enough.”
Then, carrying the bag, she fled in embarrassment under the varied gazes of everyone present.
“Sigh, the child meant well…”
Watching her leave, Lu Yongjie tried to smooth things over.
“Meant well?”
To everyone’s surprise, Qin Lan suddenly spoke up.
She glared at her husband.
“I think she simply has too much free time!”
Walking over to Ruan Wen, she forced an awkward smile onto her face.
“Ruan Wen, for lunch… what would you like to eat?”
“Auntie will make braised fish. I just learned the recipe, and I guarantee it’ll taste good.”
The sudden change left Lu Yongjie stunned.
“Thank you, Auntie. I’ll help you in the kitchen.”
Looking at Qin Lan’s awkward yet sincere expression, Ruan Wen felt a warmth in her heart and smiled.
“No, no.”
Qin Lan waved her hands quickly.
“The kitchen is full of smoke and oil. Stay here and keep Grandpa company.”
Then, almost as if fleeing the scene, she hurried into the kitchen.
Watching the dramatic turn of events, Lu Jingheng leaned against the doorway.
His gaze remained fixed on Ruan Wen.
She sat beside the old man, listening patiently as he recounted stories from his years in battle.
The morning sunlight streamed through the window, bathing her in a soft golden glow.
The face that usually carried cool reserve and caution now held an unusual tranquility and warmth.
Suddenly, Lu Jingheng remembered their three conditions.
He remembered her saying that when the time was right, they could divorce at any moment.
For some reason, the thought felt like a tiny thorn piercing his heart.
The discomfort was slight—almost insignificant.
Yet impossible to ignore.