Chapter 117: Chapter 16: The True Value of "Willing to Do Anything

DRIP. DROP.

Zhang Yan lay in the bathtub, holding his languid junior in his arms.

Now that their longing for each other had been somewhat relieved, a very important question remained: how was he supposed to get out!

Although they had hidden for so long and seemingly bluffed their way through, as long as he and Chi Xinyue walked out of this tiny bathroom together, anyone could easily tell what had just happened. Zhang Yan wasn’t afraid. He had thick skin, but he mainly had to consider his junior’s feelings.

"...In a bit, I’ll go out first and you hide in the bathtub. I’ll try to take them out for a walk again, and you can take the chance to slip out," Chi Xinyue suggested.

"That’s not safe either. With your clumsy acting skills, you’ll probably still blow your cover. How about this—wait for me to make a call," Zhang Yan replied.

Zhang Yan hadn’t expected to use his newly acquired connections so soon, let alone for something like this. He felt slightly awkward.

"Hello, Dean Du. I’m sorry, but I’m afraid I have to trouble you with something..."

The junior looked at him with admiration as he chatted confidently with a big shot. Little stars were practically overflowing from her eyes. Overcome with affection, she seemed to recall how Zhang Yan had pranked her earlier while she was on the phone. Feeling mischievous, she took a deep breath.

"Haha, well, due to certain circumstances... HISS... Ah, I’m fine, I just stubbed my toe. Let’s continue. Because of certain reasons, I wanted to ask Dean Du to help me...

"Yes, okay, thank you, Dean Du!"

Zhang Yan turned off his phone and tossed it aside, unable to care about it anymore. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes.

His junior was talented after all. Rather than just monkeying around, she took things straight to the deep end.

...

"Chi the Elder, are you there?"

A nurse walked through the door. It was Ding, the one who had led the way earlier. The two Chi family elders naturally recognized the nurse chief. Not daring to be negligent, they quickly stood up to welcome her.

"Nurse Chief Ding, is there something the matter? Is there news about the liver we’ve been waiting for?"

"I’m sorry, Chi the Elder. Although we are already in contact regarding your liver donor, it will still take a day or two to confirm. I’m here to take you for a routine check-up."

"A check-up? Didn’t I just have one yesterday? Has my condition worsened?"

"Don’t be nervous. It’s just a standard routine check-up to ensure you are in the best possible condition for your upcoming surgery."

"Oh, then I’ll go with you."

"Um... the examinations will be a bit tedious, so it would be best if a family member could accompany you. What do you think?"

"Oh, that’s fine, I’ll just accompany my younger brother," the older brother chimed in. "Chenghu, send the girl a message. Just remind her to lock the door when we go out."

Chi Xinyue gasped for air. Just as she was about to play the diving game again, her phone suddenly let out a CHIME. Knowing that what they were waiting for might have been accomplished, she didn’t dare delay and immediately stepped out of the bathtub to check.

Grabbing her phone, she saw a message confirming that the two elders had indeed left the room.

Zhang Yan followed close behind, grabbing a clean bath towel to help wipe the water off his junior’s body. As he wiped, she had no choice but to snatch the towel away from him. She couldn’t help it; her boyfriend was being far too gentle and meticulous. If he kept wiping her like that, another endless battle would break out.

"I’ll go out first and scout the way," Chi Xinyue said. She got dressed neatly, opened the bathroom door, and walked out.

Zhang Yan stayed squatted in the bathtub, his head poking out stealthily as he waited.

"They’re all gone. I’ll go keep watch outside for you. Hurry up and leave!"

Hearing this, Zhang Yan moved swiftly to remove all traces of his presence and bolted out the door.

...

The check-up went smoothly, and all the indicators were trending in a positive direction. The two Chi family elders returned to the ward, their faces glowing with health and good spirits. As soon as they opened the door, they saw their precious daughter standing by the window, letting the breeze blow against her rosy face.

"Dad, Uncle, you’re back. How were the test results?"

"Good, everything is good. The doctor said everything is within the normal range."

"That’s good."

The three of them hadn’t chatted for long when a KNOCK sounded at the door.

"Come in."

Zhang Yan pushed the door open and walked in, carrying some fruits and healthy drinks that Father Chi could consume.

"Mr. Chi, sir, Yuebao, you’re all here."

"What brings you here, my boy?" his uncle smiled.

"Yan, what brings you here? Come, sit down!" Father Chi added enthusiastically.

"Meng City isn’t too far from here. I was missing Yuyu, so I came to see her, and I figured I’d check on your health while I was at it."

"You sure don’t hold back, checking on my old bones just ’while you’re at it’!"

Although he was teasing him, Father Chi was actually much more satisfied hearing Zhang Yan prioritize his daughter over himself. Zhang Yan had long since pinpointed this doting father’s weakness. As long as he treated his junior well enough, everything would go smoothly with his future father-in-law.

"It’s about that time. Should we go out and grab something to eat together?"

Father Chi checked his watch. "Oh my, is it already this late? It is time to eat."

Speaking of eating, Zhang Yan was genuinely hungry. He had only eaten breakfast before taking the high-speed rail to Beijing. Although he had snacked on some high-calorie foods on the train, years of habit made his stomach feel completely empty unless he had some rice. Coupled with the intense battles he had fought that afternoon, he was indeed famished by now.

"I’ll ask if Dean Du is available. We’ll be relying on his care a lot in the future, so it wouldn’t hurt to have a meal together and get better acquainted."

"Of course, of course. You make the call, Yan."

The two Chi family elders looked at their prospective son-in-law with satisfaction. Although he was a fresh college graduate who had yet to truly enter society, he at least showed some knack for worldly affairs and social graces.

Dean Du gladly accepted the invitation. He also brought along the chief and deputy attending physicians who would most likely be responsible for Father Chi’s surgery, as well as the ever-present Nurse Chief Ding, making four guests in total.

Zhang Yan searched for the highest-rated restaurant nearby and booked a private room.

Unlike before, eating out now involved much less hesitation for him. He no longer had to agonize over choosing a restaurant. He didn’t need to scrutinize the average cost per person, painstakingly scour apps for group deals and coupons, or check if the establishment was running any promotions.

Ordering dishes no longer required agonizing over prices; he could even start by looking at the most expensive items on the menu. Zhang Yan only needed to consider what he wanted to eat in the moment, and he could confidently let the waiter recommend their signature dishes. Whenever he wanted two similar dishes, he didn’t have to choose—he simply ordered both.

The only downside to this approach was that the final number on the bill was a bit long. However, to the current Zhang Yan, it was nothing but a drop in the bucket.

Dean Du and his colleagues all harbored a desire to befriend him, so everyone was exceptionally warm at the dining table. When Zhang Yan used the excuse that "my future father-in-law can’t drink, and I’m afraid of tempting him," they merely laughed it off and opted for tea instead of alcohol. Even so, the atmosphere remained lively throughout the meal.

Zhang Yan couldn’t help but muse inwardly that there was no such thing as drinking culture—it was all just leadership culture. The person with the highest status at the table dictated the culture of the table.

And somehow, without even realizing it, he had already become an existence capable of dictating the culture of a table.

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.