Jian'an Hall is located on the west side of People's Square in Binhai City, inside a protected old traditional building, offering a sense of historical tradition from the outside.

However, the interior has undergone a transformation; while the style remains traditional, the layout has a modern feel.

With autumn in September, although the coastal Binhai City is still scorching hot during the day, the weather noticeably cools down by evening.

As the saying goes, "gain weight in autumn," Binhai people have a custom of nurturing their bodies in September and October, with many choosing traditional Chinese medicine supplements, making Jian'an Hall's supplement business notably more prosperous than in other months.

Finally, Lin Jie took his turn at the window in the medicine collection queue and, after giving his name, a middle-aged man exuding the scent of traditional medicine retrieved two large packages from the refrigerated cabinet behind him!

"Two doses of medicine, ten small packets each, to be taken every other day, totaling eleven thousand two hundred yuan!"

Damn, Lin Jie was startled!

He hadn't expected it to be free; after all, the favor of diagnosing Li Ting's illness had been paid off with the previous prescription.

Neither he nor Lin Miao had the kind of ailment that two doses of medicine could resolve – it would take several years of treatment.

Moreover, Lin Jie vaguely knew that asking the old master Zhou to take his pulse even once was no easy feat, and the consultation fee was quite substantial.

But this supplement price was something that averaged people simply couldn't afford!

Having settled the bill and left Jian'an Hall with his medicine, Lin Jie was filled with emotion, grateful he had some income, or he wouldn't be able to afford to nurture his health!

"Lin Jie, judging from my perception, the previous prescription indeed had some effect. The old man yesterday also had some mysterious things to say. Could you delve into the pharmacology of traditional Chinese medicine and try a combination of Chinese and Western medicine?"

Shen Lanruo eagerly urged Lin Jie!

Lin Jie, however, shook his head, thinking to himself, "The field of Chinese medicine is particularly complex. Without twenty or thirty years of study, accumulation, and practice, one can only learn a superficial level."

"Learning Chinese medicine requires enduring solitude and time; even people who want to learn don't have the opportunity."

"Even in today's China, successful Chinese medicine experts usually come from family heritage or are taught through apprenticeship. They are quite selective about choosing disciples, and adhere to certain traditions."

"As Li Ting mentioned, the Zhou family, a traditional Chinese medicine family, still holds onto the principle of only passing on knowledge to male heirs."

He laughed and said, "Unless I get a soul like yours, a Chinese medicine master, I'd get nowhere in Chinese medicine."

Meanwhile, Li Ting and Zhou Ke had just ordered their meal at the western restaurant in Henglong Mall!

Handing the menu to the waiter, Li Ting smirked and asked, "Cousin, you're notorious for being nearly broke two weeks after payday. How did you suddenly get so generous as to treat me to dinner?"

Zhou Ke casually replied, "Oh, I just felt sorry for your weight loss struggles, watching you yearn for ice cream. Compassion got the better of me, so I splurged this time!"

"Really?" Li Ting looked at her with a half smile!

Panic flashed briefly in Zhou Ke's eyes, and she retorted, "What other motive could I have? It's not like I'm plotting against you!"

"That's not necessarily true!"

Li Ting hummed, "Back when I wasn't plump yet, you were always jealous that I looked better, and you bullied me often behind the adults' backs. Now that I'm about to succeed in losing weight, you might not want me to succeed, so you're deliberately tempting me with good food!"

Zhou Ke was slightly amused and annoyed, pointing at Li Ting's nose, "You really hold a grudge, huh? That was so many years ago, and you still remember! We were young and foolish back then!"

"Besides, it's just this one meal I'm treating you to!"

"If a single meal can ruin your weight loss plan, then you don't need to lose weight anymore; you're destined to fail."

"Hmph, a thousand-mile dam can be breached by an ant's nest!"

Li Ting confidently declared, "But I'm not afraid; I'll eat without hesitation! This time I will definitely succeed in losing weight, and my figure and looks will make you envious!"

"Alright! Alright! I will be envious of you, happy now?"

Zhou Ke changed the topic and asked, "You've been spending a lot of time with Lin Jie lately. Are you two dating?"

"Zhou Ke, what nonsense are you talking about? How could we be dating!"

Li Ting chuckled, explaining, "I'm working out and losing weight, and he needs to exercise too to recover his health. Plus, I'm tutoring him, helping him prepare for university, so we've been in touch more often!"

"I don't believe your nonsense!"

Zhou Ke gave her a look of disdain, "Why hide things from me? If you aren't dating, why did he give you branded clothes? Tingting, your summer and autumn outfits are worth at least a hundred thousand!"

"Ordinary couples don't give such expensive gifts before meeting each other's parents."

Li Ting was shocked and asked, "Are those clothes really that expensive? I thought they'd be at most thirty to forty thousand!"

Zhou Ke pointed to her eyes confidently, "Tingting, let me tell you!"

"These eyes of mine are like brand radars. One glance and I can tell if something's genuine or fake, whether it's a brand's latest, trendy, or last season's item, I can discern it instantly."

"I remember your autumn outfit clearly, it's a special edition from Cacharel, limited to China. Probably the only one sold in Binhai City, so I'm saying ten thousand is still an understatement."

Hearing this, Li Ting immediately felt proud, boasting, "I didn't know my taste was so good; I picked a special edition just by choosing an autumn outfit."

"Cousin, let me tell you, even though Lin Jie gave me these clothes, it wasn't his money he spent!"

Then, Li Ting explained the whole story to Zhou Ke!

"That's basically the situation; Lin Jie helped the famous singer Xiaoxiao with something, and Han Wenbin, who must be pursuing Xiaoxiao, wanted to show his gratitude, so he generously paid for the clothes Lin Jie and I bought!"

"Lin Jie actually knows Xiaoxiao and even helped her!"

"Han Wenbin, the chairman of Han Group, is pursuing Xiaoxiao!"

"Lin Jie and Han Wenbin actually have a feud!"

These revelations left Zhou Ke unable to digest them for a while. It wasn't until they were halfway done with the meal that she remembered her purpose for treating Li Ting to dinner.

"Tingting, you know Hu Mingxuan is part of the Hu Family; even though he doesn't study medicine, he's been somewhat influenced by it."

"He told me that someone who's had a heart transplant isn't necessarily all good; their life span is much shorter than the average person's."

After saying this, she watched Li Ting's reaction closely.

But Li Ting showed no unusual signs; instead, she calmly sipped her wine and said, "I know about that. According to current statistics, they have only about a fifty percent chance of surviving ten years!"

"So you knew already! Then why are you still so close with Lin Jie?" Zhou Ke was full of doubt.

"Lin Jie is my friend, isn't it normal for him to help me and me to help him?"

Watching Zhou Ke, Li Ting gradually realized, and couldn't help but laugh, "So you're worried I might fall for him, right? Don't overthink; he can be such a prat, why would I ever fall for him..."

Suddenly, Li Ting snapped to realization, her expression darkening!

"Zhou Ke, you could've just asked me this directly at the gym or called me, there was no need to treat me to dinner just to fish for info!"

"There must be something fishy about this, tell me, who's behind this? Was it my mom or my dad?"

PS.

Seeking favorites! Seeking recommendations! Seeking reviews!!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.