From Evil Sect Leader to Doctor

That evening, Xu Chunliang went to the home of Gao Xinyue for dinner. In fact, having a meal was secondary; the main purpose was to see Gao Xinhua.

As usual, Xu Chunliang didn’t go empty-handed; he brought along two bottles of tasting wine given to him by Chen Qianfan.

When he arrived at Gao Xinyue’s house, both Grandpa Gao and Gao Xiaobai were in the kitchen cooking, while Gao Xiaobai was tutoring his cousin Wang Maite on his homework in the room.

Upon hearing that a guest had arrived, Wang Maite, who had long lost interest in studying, hurriedly rushed out of the room. Seeing Xu Chunliang, he greeted him warmly: "Big Brother, you’re here! I’ve missed you so much, and my sister has too."

Gao Xiaobai scolded: "Why do you talk without thinking, kid? What does this have to do with me?"

Gao Xinyue said, "Xiaoxu, don’t mind him. The kid’s just mischievous. With his dad away on Weishan Island, I really have a hard time managing him alone."

Wang Fangtian went to work on Weishan Island thanks to Xu Chunliang’s recommendation. At the time, he was idle at home, and Xu Chunliang felt he had skills but no place to apply them, so he enthusiastically helped out. Who would have thought that after Wang Fangtian went, he really found his niche.

Initially, Gao Xinyue was a bit reluctant to let her husband go, but later she came to understand. If her husband stayed at home as a househusband, he wouldn’t be content. It’s better for him to take on the world while he’s young. Their family’s financial situation wasn’t great, facing considerable life pressures. After Wang Fangtian went to Weishan Island, their income significantly increased, and now the couple plans to move to a bigger house.

Grandpa Gao came out of the kitchen; it had been a while since he last saw Xu Chunliang.

Xu Chunliang greeted, "Grandpa Gao," and handed him the wine he brought.

Grandpa Gao said, "You kid, every time you come, you bring wine. No need to be so formal with me."

Xu Chunliang replied, "A friend gave it to me, so I brought it for you to try."

Grandpa Gao told Gao Xiaobai to put the wine away as he’d already prepared the wine for the evening. He added, "Xiaobai mentioned in recent days that you were in the Capital City. You should have visited sooner."

Xu Chunliang laughed, "Well, here I am now."

Gao Xinyue said, "Dad, Xiaoxu has important things to do; unlike you, he’s not free all day."

Grandpa Gao said, "What do you mean? Am I idle? I shop and cook every day, and I pick up and drop off Maite for school. If I’m a bother, I’ll go back to Dongzhou tomorrow."

Gao Xinyue said, "See, just a couple of words and you’re upset. Xiaoxu, please help to persuade him."

Gao Xinhua came out with a dish, saying, "Dad, he’s just homesick. Initially planned to go back to Dongzhou for May Day, but since Fangtian had to work overtime, he couldn’t return, so Dad’s plans fell through. Dad, I’m here just to see you."

Grandpa Gao said, "You’re not here to see me; you’re here to see your precious daughter."

Everyone laughed, and Gao Xinyue said, "The older you get, the narrower your mind."

Xu Chunliang commented, "Grandpa Gao has a broad mind; in my opinion, he misses his old friends and wants to go play some chess with my grandpa."

Grandpa Gao patted Xu Chunliang on the shoulder, indicating this kid understands him.

Gao Xinyue said, "Dad, if that’s the case, you can go back with my brother in a couple of days. I can manage things here on my own."

Grandpa Gao said, "How can you handle it alone with work and the kid? I advised you to go work in Dongzhou back then. What’s so good about the Capital City? Crowded, expensive housing, high costs, hardly any quality of life, always anxious. If you’re not tired, I’m worried for you."

Gao Xinyue said, "Dad, you can’t just look at the negatives. At least in terms of educational resources for the kids, it’s different."

Grandpa Gao pointed at his granddaughter, saying, "Xiaobai studied in Dongzhou and still got into Shuimu, didn’t she?" He didn’t believe his grandson Wang Maite could get into Shuimu. With his attitude toward studying, even getting into a first-tier university was tough. Grandpa Gao thought his daughter had all kinds of excuses and might regret staying in the Capital City but would never admit it.

Gao Xinyue didn’t want to delve further into this topic with her father and urged everyone to start eating while she took care of other things.

Grandpa Gao invited Xu Chunliang to sit down, and Gao Xinhua sat next to him. Xu Chunliang opened the bottle of Jian Nanchun on the table and poured drinks for Grandpa and him. Grandpa Gao said, "How can we let the guest pour drinks? Xiaobai, you come and pour."

Gao Xiaobai agreed and took the bottle from Xu Chunliang’s hand.

Gao Xinhua said, "Chunliang, you’ve been in the Capital City for quite some time this visit."

Xu Chunliang nodded and said, "I’m here to learn about the Capital City’s culture and tourism by order and also take a concentrated training course." He didn’t want to explain the true reason behind it.

Grandpa Gao said, "It’s good for young people to go out and learn more. Come on, let’s drink!"

Everyone drank a toast, and Gao Xiaobai refilled their glasses. Her pouring skills were clearly inexperienced, spilling quite a bit. Xu Chunliang couldn’t help but take the bottle back.

Gao Xinhua said, "During your time in the Capital City, Dongzhou’s barbecue scene has been booming. I haven’t seen Dongzhou this lively in years. I heard that Dongzhou’s tourism revenue during May Day set a record high, ranking among the top five cities in the province this time."

Grandpa Gao said, "This fully proves Chunliang is a lucky star; wherever he goes, fortune follows."

Gao Xinhua said, "You know, Chunliang really has this capability."

Xu Chunliang said, "Uncle Gao, you’re flattering me. The progress Dongzhou Culture and Tourism has made is entirely due to the leadership’s wise guidance."

Gao Xinhua laughed aloud, "You’re starting to gain some awareness now, you understand humility and low profile."

Xu Chunliang said, "I’ve always been low profile."

Gao Hong Hall said, "I also find Chunliang quite modest. There aren’t many young people as outstanding as him nowadays." As he said this, he looked at his granddaughter, Gao Xiaobai.

Gao Xiaobai naturally knew that grandpa was saying this for her to hear. In the past, only her father liked Xu Chunliang and wanted to match them together. Now even her grandpa liked him. One has to say, Xu Chunliang’s skill in winning people’s hearts is not shallow. Gao Xiaobai thought about herself and realized her perception of him had fundamentally changed.

Gao Xinhua no longer fancied trying to match his daughter with Xu Chunliang, after all, Xu Chunliang already had Mei Ru Xue. Whether in family background or talent and beauty, his daughter couldn’t compete with Mei Ru Xue, not to mention Xu Chunliang liked Mei Ru Xue.

Gao Xinhua said, "Chunliang is indeed excellent, but the more excellent he is, the more he needs to learn how to keep a low profile, after all, ’the tallest tree in the forest is blown by the wind.’

Gao Hong Hall said, "Truly outstanding people aren’t afraid of any crooked winds."

Gao Xiaobai laughed, "I’ve never heard you guys praise me like this in all my life."

Xu Chunliang said, "I feel like the two elders are joining forces to praise me to death, I am honestly trembling with fear now."

Gao Xinhua laughed, "Trembling with fear is the right state."

Xu Chunliang toasted him with another glass of wine.

Gao Xinhua said, "By the way, Qiao Rulong has already been discharged from the hospital."

Xur Chunliang was stunned upon hearing this, "So soon? I thought Qiao Rulong would be lying in the hospital for at least a month."

Gao Xinhua said, "He left the isolation ward and was discharged within a couple of days, I heard it was his own wish. What? You didn’t know?"

Xu Chunliang shook his head, the Qiao Family hadn’t informed him about this, and even Mei Ru Xue hadn’t mentioned it to him.

Gao Xinhua said, "Shu Yuanhang originally wanted him to stay a few more weeks before being discharged, but he insisted on leaving. I saw him on the day he was discharged, and he seemed to be in good spirits. Even Shu Yuanhang said that his recovery speed was no less than a miracle. Chunliang, did you give him some family secret prescription?"

Xu Chunliang said, "I wouldn’t dare to use my half-baked skills on him. If something went wrong, I couldn’t take that responsibility."

Gao Xinhua said, "He is extremely grateful to Zhao Feiyang, I heard he even made Zhao Feiyang’s son his godson."

Xu Chunliang furrowed his brows, "He knows whose heart the donor was?"

Gao Xinhua said, "It’s not a secret. While he was hospitalized, Zhao Feiyang visited almost every day, and didn’t mind the trouble of wearing a protective suit. This person, claiming he didn’t want others to know that it was his wife’s heart, has now almost let the whole world know. I even suspect he personally told Qiao Rulong."

Speaking of Zhao Feiyang, Gao Xinhua showed a bit of contempt, he increasingly found himself and Zhao Feiyang at odds.

Xu Chunliang said, "The favor Zhao Feiyang gave him was indeed substantial, it’s not an exaggeration to say he gave him a second life. Qiao Rulong’s gratitude to Zhao Feiyang is understandable."

Gao Xinhua said, "I can clearly feel Zhao Feiyang’s change. He’s become much more aggressive towards Huayuan Group. The money Huayuan Group withheld in the past, half of it was returned to Changxing. Tang Jinglun has been in Dongzhou recently, and attended several of Changxing’s internal meetings, but Zhao Feiyang doesn’t give him any face at all."

Xu Chunliang mused, could Zhao Feiyang really be placing his trust in Qiao Rulong? Given Qiao Rulong’s current physical state, even if he wanted to, he might not be able to back Zhao Feiyang. Or perhaps Pei Lin’s death changed Zhao Feiyang’s personality drastically, completely altering his way of dealing with matters? The latter seems more likely.

Gao Xinhua said, "No matter how Zhao Feiyang changes, I just hope he doesn’t focus his energy on the conflict with the Tang Brothers. As long as he’s willing to calm down and earnestly take care of Changxing, all of us medical staff will support him."

Xu Chunliang said, "Do you really believe Zhao Feiyang will consider Changxing’s interests?"

Gao Xinhua reached for a cigarette, but his father quickly moved the pack away, "If you want to smoke, go outside. There are children here."

Gao Xinhua sighed helplessly, "Alright, I’ll go out and have a smoke with Chunliang."

Xu Chunliang knew he had more to say privately, so they went out to the veranda, where Gao Xinhua lit a cigarette, with Xu Chunliang assisting.

Gao Xinhua said, "I have a bad feeling, Pei Lin’s death hit Zhao Feiyang hard, and he’s more than just dissatisfied with the Tang brothers, it’s practically hatred."

Xu Chunliang said, "He should still have some sense in his actions, he might just need some time to adjust mentally."

Gao Xinhua shook his head, "You still don’t know him, Zhao Feiyang has always had great ambitions but never understands what he really wants, so he often acts indecisively and inconsistently. Once he has a clear goal, he might unleash tremendous energy."

Xu Chunliang saw through what Gao Xinhua was worried about; he worried that if Zhao Feiyang went crazy, he would gamble the entire Changxing.