The roads were soaked. It had been raining for a whole day in Southbury. Aria Carver's backpack was thrown out of the door by the butler in disdain."Mr. Kent doesn't want to see you, Ms. Carver. So, I have to say some words in his stead. Your birth parents are in the countryside. Your father's last name is Carver."The Kent family mistook you for their daughter in the past. But now that Ms. Lily has been found, I hope that you can do what's best for everyone and stop contacting the Kent family."The butler, Alfred Dun, took out a card. "Here's 10,000 dollars. Mr. Kent instructed me to give it to you as compensation.""No need."Aria didn't even look at the card as she picked up her backpack.Alfred looked at her in disdain. She didn't want the money? Was she acting tough?She should really think about her circumstances. The Kents had found their real daughter. They wouldn't want a country bumpkin like her anymore. She was an embarrassment. "As you wish, Ms. Carver." Alfred
"I'll offer treatment for everyone at the community square tomorrow." Then, Aria reminded them, "Remember to take the medicine. Don't stay up late to watch soap operas. They won't end so soon.""The Tiara" was all the rage in the Elmer district at that time. All the older men and women were hooked on it.A lot of them looked guilty after Aria said that. "We…We will sleep at 10:00 pm from now on."In the past, no one could have imagined that this group of people would be so obedient to one person. A lot of them had made great contributions to the country. Even their identities were kept a secret.Elmer district's community manager, Joel Hayes, had been hoping that Aria would come back sooner. He could finally breathe a sigh of relief. "Dr. Carver, I have been keeping an eye on your house. I've not allowed anyone to approach your property.""Thanks for the hard work." Aria bowed slightly and handed him an apple. Joel accepted the apple with a smile. "It's no trouble at all. I tr
"You have a good eye, boss! I'll prepare an account to receive payment from the Yorks!"Aria said calmly, "No need to rush. Let me sleep first. Do it tomorrow."Other than making money, Aria's biggest interest was treating all sorts of rare diseases. This job from the York family was a nice one for her.Honestly, she was probably the only person who wasn't fazed by the York's visit to Southbury. All of the prominent families in the city were scrambling into action.A family like the Kents had to reach out to everyone they knew and utilize all of their connections in an attempt to get an invitation from the Yorks. Even regular people were talking about how the city was especially lively that month.First, the richest man in Janovin came to look for his granddaughter. Then, the York family came to receive treatment. Some said that the Yorks came to Southbury because the legendary Whiz Doctor was in town. There were a lot of rumors about the Whiz Doctor, but some of them were qui
"That's right, young lady. We should probably call an ambulance. This boy appears to be lost. I called out for some time just now, but no one came over," an old man said. He was concerned that Aria might be blamed if anything happened to the boy. Aria quickly unbuttoned the boy's coat and brought him to some shade. "Don't worry. I'm a licensed doctor."Then, she opened her bag and took out a medical kit. It was equipped with needles and scalpels of all sizes, all arranged neatly in rows. Aria felt the boy's pulse again. "Stop it! How can you simply touch the patient?" Jimmy yelled. He couldn't allow Aria to do as she pleased. She ignored him and continued to monitor the boy's pulse and heart rate. Jimmy sneered. "I'm Jimmy Cornell, currently studying at Janovin Medical University. My mentor is Dr. Salome Gunther. I'm not just a random bystander. You say you're a licensed doctor? How old are you?"Aria continued to ignore him. Her focus was on the boy. She took out a needl
Aria stuck the first needle into the boy without any hesitation.The boy immediately frowned. It was like he was regaining his consciousness. It looked like he was struggling as his brows furrowed even deeper. Someone in the crowd yelled, "He's waking up!"Jimmy was stunned. His face grew pale. "This can't be…"How did she pull that off? Just one needle? Could a person really regain consciousness from that?Aria raised her hand again. Her gaze was focused, and she looked very composed. She stuck the second needle into the boy's fingertips to draw some blood. Right after she did that, the boy opened his eyes. His pupils were dark and round, while his eyelashes were extraordinarily long. He glanced at Aria quietly, but his face was still quite pale. Everyone in the crowd was stunned. Francine spoke up, "Young lady, you healed with a few pokes of the needle?"Aria applied some light pressure on the needle. She saw that the bloodletting was done, so she removed the needle
Jimmy had always thought that the common folk were beneath him. He didn't notice that Aria's gaze changed as she looked up. Viciousness and contempt filled her eyes. She casually toyed with a piece of candy in her palm. Then, she flicked toward Jimmy.He felt his knee give out as he fell to the ground. "Ah!" The pain caused him to frown.He tried to get up but realized that he couldn't move his body at all. He couldn't talk, and his hands wouldn't budge. It felt like his movements had been sealed with the attack.Aria walked up to him and said calmly, "As a medical student, you failed miserably at determining the patient's symptoms, and you even declared a verdict without a second thought. "Being a doctor doesn't mean you're better than anyone else. It's a job for you to help people in need. You're unskilled and unethical. Now that you're on your knees, I'll accept your apology. Consider this a lesson I'm teaching you in your mentor's stead.""You!" Jimmy's eyes were filled
People in the crowd exclaimed in surprise and started talking."Everyone in Caesar Hotel today is quite important. I heard that there are a lot of prominent medical families in there.""Then this boy…"Aria wasn't surprised at all. After all, Miles was very well-dressed. The watch he was wearing on his wrist was quite expensive as well. "Remember to bring bodyguards when you come out next time," Aria said as she packed her medical kit up. When Miles realized that she was leaving, he clung to her leg.Aria couldn't get on the bicycle, so she looked down at him.Miles didn't speak. He just held on to her sleeve. He took a step whenever she did. They were going nowhere like that. She stopped in her tracks. "I'll take you back to your parents.""Okay!" Miles got what he wanted. He nodded and said, "I'll have my parents thank you properly, miss."Aria adjusted his collar for him. "No need for that. I don't take payment for helping kids.""And…" Miles shifted his gaze. "Do you
Aria couldn't really see what the person in the car looked like. But she was a doctor. So, she was very sensitive to the scent of herbs. She smelled the faint fragrance of herbs when the window was rolled down. Aria was well-versed in the "Traditional Herbs Almanac". She was well aware that there was a high chance that someone with a chronic illness would be photophobic.Troy urged, "Mr. Miles, don't you want to go see Mr. Landon first?"Miles was distracted. He said to Aria, "Miss, please stay here and wait for me. I'll be back soon."Aria nodded.Miles dashed toward the car.Troy stayed behind and handed Aria a card. "Thanks for saving Mr. Miles, Ms. Carver. This is a gift for you. Please accept it.""You know my last name? That means you know who I am." Aria smiled meaningfully. "It doesn't feel like you're thanking me. It feels like you're trying to distance yourself from me."Troy froze for a second. "You're mistaken, Ms. Carver.""Doesn't matter." Aria glanced at Mile
After returning to the hotel, the first thing Aria did was tell her mother about what had happened at the Grisham residence today.When Fiona heard this, she couldn’t even sit still. "How could your grandfather’s health suddenly deteriorate like this? Was it a medication error? Or something else?"Aria could tell her mother was anxious. She comforted her, saying, "Mom, don't worry. Grandpa will be fine. The medicine is already on its way. I want to talk to you about the misunderstanding between you and him from before."Also, after you recovered, you clearly wanted to return to the Grisham family several times, but it seems like neither Grandpa nor my uncles knew anything about it. This isn't just the Draycott family's doing. There must be others meddling behind the scenes, too."Lowering her gaze, she continued, "Come with me tomorrow afternoon to the Chamber of Commerce. We'll enter separately. You can use the invitation, and I'll find another way to get in."Fiona, who had alre
Waymond immediately asked, "What about that doctor who came today by mistake? Can she really cure your illness?"He worried that his father might be putting on a show just to get rid of Cecil."Of course she can." Clyde smiled. "She did impersonate Dr. Woody's assistant, though I'm not sure why she felt the need to do so. But that child must have her reasons."Eamon sensed something unusual. "Dad, you seem to trust this doctor a little too much. Earlier, you wanted to say something but didn't want to in front of others. What is it?""That's right. What I wanted to say is that I've known this young lady for a very long time."Waymond was puzzled. "You've known her for a long time?""Didn't I tell you before? Back when the infectious disease outbreak happened, I went to donate supplies. There was a little girl who gave me a few pills. It was because of those pills that I didn't get affected."Clyde chuckled. "If you think about it, she's already saved my life once before."Eamon
"The entire team of doctors at our hospital diagnosed Clyde's condition. It's not something that can be cured so easily. Even if it's traditional medicine and acupuncture, the practitioner should at least have a recognized reputation. Mr. Grisham Senior, may I ask, did this person say who they were?""No," Clyde replied, fixing his gaze on Cecil with a sharp look that carried the imposing air of someone in authority. "However, from this conversation, I've come to realize something."Your Saint Mary's Hospital is living up to its name a little too well. Hospitals are meant to save lives, yet from the way you're talking, it seems like you'd prefer I didn't recover."Cecil's face turned pale as he scrambled to explain, "Clyde, that's not what I meant. It's just that the CT scans show…""CT scans? All you do now is rely on machines to decide whether a patient lives or dies. I remember the hospital's original mission statement. 'We do not determine life or death. We strive to save every
Eamon found it strange. His father's attitude was unusually calm, as if there was something else he wanted to say. Regardless of the situation, it was best to let Cecil do a follow-up examination first.However, half an hour later, Cecil's expression visibly turned strange. He double-checked with his stethoscope, listening again.The noise in the lungs had noticeably decreased, and Clyde's breathing wasn't as labored. On top of that, the infection seemed to have subsided.What was going on?Eamon noticed Cecil's expression and assumed the worst. "Dr. Woody? Has my father's condition worsened?""Worsened?" Before Cecil could respond, Clyde, relaxed as ever, chimed in, "It should be the opposite. My symptoms have improved, isn't that right, Dr. Woody?"Cecil instinctively nodded but then realized both of the Grisham brothers were staring at him.Opening his mouth, he couldn't bring himself to lie and instead opted for a safer response. "Mr. Grisham Senior's condition is indeed bet
Waymond paused for a moment, his eyes blank with confusion. If it weren't for the fact that the sky wasn't fully dark yet, he might have thought he was dreaming.What was going on here?Clyde was meditating but stopped when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. Looking up and seeing his son, he wiped the sweat from his brow and asked, "What's got you in such a rush?"By this time, Eamon had also arrived. He didn't understand why his younger brother was in such a panic and turned his gaze to the side to observe.Waymond, having calmed his breathing, didn't immediately bring up the matter of the doctor. Instead, he asked, "Dad, wasn't your body weak, with no strength in your limbs? How are you suddenly able to meditate now?""I've recovered, of course," Clyde said cheerfully, clearly in a good mood. "I'm feeling pretty strong today."Waymond frowned. "Recovered? Dad, let me tell you something. The doctor who treated you just now wasn't Dr. Woody's assistant. She deliberately
"And what about my job?" Wendy immediately declared, "I can head to the Draycott residence right now!"Priscilla frowned, wishing she could hold the phone farther away from herself. What was wrong with this woman?She wasn't even with the Grisham family anymore. What use could she possibly have? She was as dumb as a rock."Oh, I'm not at the Draycott residence right now. How about this? You go back and rest for now. There will be work for you in a little while."Priscilla finished her sentence and hung up directly, not even bothering to feign politeness. She wouldn't have said even this much if she weren't worried about the maid running her mouth outside.However, Wendy acted as if she had gained some huge advantage, a smug expression plastered all over her face. "Just you wait. Let's see when the Grisham family finally bites the dust!"As she made these declarations, little did she know someone nearby was recording everything on their phone.The person taking the video was none
Aria's smile held a touch of mischief. "Your concern is unnecessary—my practice has always been reliable. See you the day after tomorrow." Robert was speechless; Aria had managed to offend all the right people in one visit. His face darkened considerably. After all, Wendy had been his recommendation. Now, with Wendy gone, he had lost a collaborator. As Aria predicted, Wendy wouldn't quietly accept her dismissal. Wendy had taken her grievance to Waymond. "Mr. Grisham, I don't understand what kind of doctor she is. She started using needles on Mr. Grisham Senior. And when I simply asked about responsibility, she told me to get out. "Then Mr. Grisham Senior dismissed me. I just..." Wendy lowered her head, crying with apparent distress. "All these years serving the Grishams, I never complained about the work. I was always there when he needed care at night. "Mr. Grisham, I just wanted to wait for your approval before trying new treatments. How could Mr. Grisham Senior be so fooli
But never mind. There would be other chances of meeting Aria. Clyde felt much lighter after seeing his old friend. Perhaps it helped to have someone talk through his troubles, or maybe the acupuncture worked. He just felt better than he had in ages. "Since that's settled, I won't keep you. But how should I handle your fee?" Clyde hadn't missed her attitude, suspecting she had tension with Cecil. He assumed she was new to Ludwiten and facing workplace bullying at the hospital, so he wanted to support her. Aria paused at the mention of payment. Noticing her reaction, Clyde smiled and said, "Whatever it is, you can tell me freely. The Grishams have connections at the hospital. I know the director quite well." The hint couldn't be clearer. Aria finally understood, caught between amusement and awkwardness. Sam had been keeping his distance by following orders to protect Clyde from his energy. Seeing Aria's conflict, he bounded over and pulled out a new phone, showing Clyde his b
Wendy stood frozen, never imagining she would lose her position over something so trivial. Her years of "experience" had led her to believe she deserved higher status in this household. To her, this young doctor was merely an assistant who knew nothing and was covering until Cecil arrived. How could Clyde fire her over this doctor? Wendy could not accept it. As security escorted her out, she kept shouting and glaring at Aria with venomous eyes. Aria paid no attention. She carefully sterilized her needles before inserting them into Clyde's acupuncture points. "These points help relieve coughing. Have Robert prepare sweet snow pears for you twice daily. It'll significantly help soothe your throat and suppress coughs." Aria gave instructions while working, and the needles took effect quickly. Though they would not cure him immediately, Clyde felt unprecedented relief, as if a weight had lifted from his shoulders—a comforting warmth spread through his abdomen. Beyond acupunct