Chapter 5: Want to Take Our Pretense Seriously?_1

Carson Flores took the prescription and looked it over carefully, then smiled and said, "The prescription I wrote is almost the same as yours, just with an extra 15 grams of litsea cubeba."

"Litsea cubeba?"

Vincent Ward murmured to himself, sinking into thought, his eyes slightly unfocused.

The prescription was critical to whether Dariel Gilliam could recover, so Adan Gilliam and the others did not dare to interrupt and remained quiet, though the expressions on their faces became increasingly strange.

Vincent Ward was actually consulting Carson Flores about the prescription?

Carson Flores's medical skills were even better than Vincent Ward's?

Samantha Tate's eyes shone brightly as she stared at Carson Flores as if she had discovered a new continent.

What kind of divine being had she brought home?

Meanwhile, as Vincent Ward's face grew more animated with his thoughts, his eyes brightened, and at last, he slapped his thigh.

"So that's it! By adding litsea cubeba, it creates a wonderful reaction with the other ingredients, enhancing the efficacy of the medicine by at least thirty percent. Brilliant, absolutely brilliant!"

Vincent Ward came back to his senses and looked at Carson Flores with new respect.

"Mr. Flores's medical expertise is unparalleled, and I am inferior compared to you. May I get your contact information so that I can both express my gratitude and also consult you further in the future?"

Carson Flores was somewhat surprised, "You are a renowned physician, and you want to consult me?"

Vincent Ward's expression was earnest and sincere, "There's no end to learning in medicine. The most capable are the teachers."

Seeing Vincent Ward's sincere attitude and believing that he was speaking honestly, Carson Flores took out his phone and exchanged contact information with Vincent Ward.

"Mr. Flores, I'll take my leave now and contact you later."

"Okay!"

Vincent Ward turned and walked out the door, followed by Nathan Scott, who left with an embarrassed expression, dropping a sentence before he exited.

"I'm helpless regarding the old man's illness, follow what Mr. Flores said."

In the room, the Dariel family members looked at Carson Flores, and the atmosphere was oddly charged.

It was Samantha Tate who spoke first, "Carson, you just said that my grandfather's illness can be cured?"

Carson Flores picked up a pen, added litsea cubeba to the prescription that Vincent Ward had just written, and handed the revised prescription to Samantha Tate, "Decoct with three bowls of water until reduced to one bowl, take one dosage a day for a month, three times a day, with the addition of acupuncture… um…"

Carson Flores suddenly realized he was just a fake boyfriend, and in two hours' time, he would have no connection with the Dariel family anymore. So what was the point of doing acupuncture?

However, since he had already started the explanation, he had to grit his teeth and continue, "Combined with acupuncture, the effect would be better. Of course, even without acupuncture, if you stick to the medication, there will be significant improvement, and it's unlikely to recur like today."

The Dariel family members were overjoyed. The main physician Nathan Scott had just claimed there was nothing they could do, but now the situation was resolved so quickly?

If it doesn't recur, doesn't that mean it's almost cured?

Although Carson Flores didn't even have a medical license, he was someone whom even Vincent Ward respected and consulted. Surely what he said counted for something, right?

But… combined with acupuncture?

Samantha Tate frowned slightly to herself, knowing that not even Vincent Ward knew how to perform acupuncture, let alone other doctors.

Taking medication and undergoing acupuncture for a month, does that mean she has to continue pretending to be in a relationship with him after today?

Is it never-ending?

After the ordeal Dariel Gilliam had just been through, left with hardly half his life remaining, and too weak to stay awake, Samantha Tate's mother, Emma White, stayed to care for him in the room while the others stepped out.

In the hallway, Adan Gilliam fixed his gaze on Carson Flores, "Carson, can my granddaughter's grandfather make a full recovery?"

Carson Flores nodded, "With acupuncture in conjunction with taking the medication, there should be no problem."

Samantha Tate glared at Carson Flores, her gaze holding an inscrutable expression.

You're not doing this on purpose, are you?

Using acupuncture as an excuse… are you planning to turn our pretend relationship into a real one?

In your dreams!

Carson Flores noticed Samantha Tate's glare and added with a smile, "It's no big deal without acupuncture, just increase the medication duration by a month, and it likely won't relapse. I'm busy with work anyway, and timing might not line up…"

Samantha Tate breathed a sigh of relief, good that you understand!

Did you really think you were worthy of me?

A toad lusting after swan meat!

Hmph!

After pondering for a moment, Adan Gilliam took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it to Carson Flores.

"You saved my granddaughter's grandfather today; our entire family is grateful to you. To ensure the old man doesn't suffer like this in the future, please take extra care over his treatment during this time, and don't miss out on the acupuncture. Hopefully, he can fully recover without any lingering issues... There's five hundred thousand in this card, please take it as compensation for your time."

Five hundred thousand?

A wealthy family indeed!

Carson Flores didn't reach for the card immediately but looked at Samantha Tate beside him.

Samantha Tate was taken aback, seemingly not expecting her father to make such a move.

The amount of five hundred thousand didn't concern her, but with her father doing this, did that mean she had to keep pretending with Carson Flores?

Samantha Tate called out unhappily, "Dad!"

However, Adan Gilliam misunderstood the dissatisfaction in her call, thinking she felt it improper to treat Carson Flores, her boyfriend, like a stranger with money, and with a frown, he became even more determined to stuff the bank card into Carson Flores's hand.

"The pin is six eights… Samantha, I understand that you and Carson are lovers, but your relationship is one thing and his treatment of your grandfather is another. I don't want to confuse the two or have this affect the future direction of your relationship."

A twinge of irony flickered in Carson Flores's eyes.

Adan Gilliam disdained him for not having any background, just a poor boy, so he never really approved. After seeing his help with the old man, he chose to settle this kindness with money to avoid any complications when it would come time to 'break the pair of mandarin ducks,' ensuring a clean slate.

Now that he accepted the money, he owed nothing, and later on, no one could accuse him of ingratitude.

"Since uncle says so, I'll accept it," Carson Flores took the bank card and, seeing Samantha Tate looking puffed up with anger, he added with a smile, "In the future, when I am with Samantha, we'll also need to buy our own house. I'll save this money for now…"