He Is None Other Than the Renowned Physician, Cheng Han

The Next Day

Early the next morning, Qiao Xi was already up, though her eyes carried dark circles and red streaks from a sleepless night. After helping Grandma Qiao prepare breakfast, she returned to the room to call Huo Xingzhou, only to find him already dressed and groomed.

"Mr. Huo, breakfast is ready. After we eat, I'll take you to see Grandpa Cheng next door. His medical skills are exceptional—far better than mine," she said with a smile.

Huo Xingzhou paused, his gaze lingering on her briefly before replying, "Alright." He maneuvered his wheelchair toward the door.

As he left, Qiao Xi began tidying up the bed, smoothing the sheets and fluffing the pillows. Her fingers brushed against something hard. Curious, she picked it up—and her eyes widened in shock.

Quickly, she shoved the small box back where it had been, her heart pounding. Pretend you didn't see anything, she told herself, trying to act normal.

"Xi Xi! Come eat breakfast," Grandma Qiao called from the kitchen.

"Coming!" Qiao Xi replied, forcing herself to sound cheerful.

She sat down at the square wooden table, nibbling on a salted duck egg and sipping rice porridge, her thoughts elsewhere.

Huo Xingzhou noticed her distracted state. She seemed deliberately avoiding his gaze, her demeanor unusually flustered.

"I'm finished," Qiao Xi said abruptly, setting down her bowl. "Mr. Huo, let's head over to Grandpa Cheng's." She grabbed a box of milk and a small gift bag filled with health supplements before stepping out of the house, Huo Xingzhou following closely behind in his wheelchair.

The brick-and-tile house next door was two stories tall, surrounded by a small courtyard enclosed by a wooden fence. The yard was neatly arranged, with various medicinal herbs drying in the sun.

"Grandpa Cheng! I'm back!" Qiao Xi called out loudly, pushing open the gate.

A wiry old man emerged from the house, dressed in a simple teal martial arts uniform. Despite his age, his movements were quick and agile, his sharp eyes framed by a full white beard. With an air of sage-like dignity, he exuded vitality that rivaled even the young.

"Qiao girl, you're back again. Always so polite." He accepted the gifts with a gruff nod, then turned his piercing gaze to Huo Xingzhou.

"Good day, Grandpa Cheng. My name is Huo Xingzhou. I'm Qiao Xi's husband," Huo Xingzhou introduced himself politely.

The old man's sharp eyes narrowed as he let out a disapproving snort.

"Grandpa Cheng, he was in a car accident and has blood stasis in his legs," Qiao Xi explained with a smile. "It's a tricky case, so I was hoping you could take a look at him. Please, I'm counting on you!"

"Your elbow's always pointing outwards, isn't it?" Grandpa Cheng muttered gruffly. "Fine, you stay outside and help process the herbs. I'll examine him."

Qiao Xi nodded enthusiastically. "Got it!"

Once inside the house, Cheng Han—known locally as Grandpa Cheng—turned his frosty gaze to Huo Xingzhou.

"The Huo family, huh? Your kind always has deep schemes. You were the one investigating me, weren't you?"

Huo Xingzhou's expression remained calm. "I apologize, Mr. Cheng Han. I discovered your true identity by accident, but I've taken care to keep it confidential."

Cheng Han's stern expression softened slightly. "Good. But mark my words—don't involve Qiao girl in your family's mess. There are reasons I haven't revealed my identity to her."

"I understand. I would never exploit her or betray your trust," Huo Xingzhou replied sincerely.

"Fine. Let me see your hand," Cheng Han said curtly, pulling out a cushion for support.

After a moment of diagnosis, the old man nodded. "Her treatment plan isn't wrong. But her acupuncture technique still lacks precision. For the next two weeks, I'll handle the sessions myself while she observes and learns."

In other words, Huo Xingzhou had just become a live teaching aid.

"It would be my honor," he replied humbly, earning an approving grunt from Cheng Han.

"Lie down," the old man instructed, readying the acupuncture needles.

"Qiao girl! Come in here and prepare a medicinal bath!" Grandpa Cheng called out.

"Coming!" she responded, skipping into the room to assist.

Two weeks later

With the Huo family patriarch's 70th birthday celebration approaching, the coastal city of Haicheng buzzed with activity.

Under the neon-lit skyline, the upper floor of a luxury building hosted a private party for the city's wealthy heirs. Huo Beiting and Su Weiwei stood at the center of attention, basking in the praise and flattery of their peers.

Across the room, Sun Weimeng sat brooding, nursing his drink as he watched their smug display with cold disdain.

One of Huo Beiting's lackeys, He Xuan, raised his glass and shouted, "I heard Huo Xingzhou's hiding out in the countryside! What a coward—he's clearly afraid of our Beiting!"

"He'd better stay there forever," another chimed in with a sneer. "If he dares show up in Haicheng, we'll teach him a lesson. His wife's pretty, though. Bet that cripple can't even handle her—might as well let us have some fun!"

The room erupted in raucous laughter.

Sun Weimeng slammed his glass down, red wine and shattered glass spraying across the table. "He Xuan! Say that again, you filthy scumbag!"

Chaos ensued as Sun Weimeng leaped up, fists flying, determined to defend his absent friend's honor...

He Xuan was caught off guard by Sun Weimeng's sudden aggression. "Are you crazy, Sun Weimeng? You're just a lapdog for Huo Xingzhou! He's already fallen, and you're still singing his praises?"

Sun Weimeng grabbed him by the collar and landed a solid punch across his face. "Who are you calling a lapdog? Say it again!"

"You've lost your mind!" He Xuan shouted, struggling. "You're just mad because you're a nobody defending another nobody!"

The taunts only enraged Sun Weimeng further. With brute strength, he shoved an entire champagne tower off the table, sending dozens of glasses crashing to the floor.

"Enough!" Huo Beiting barked from the sidelines, clearly amused by the chaos. "Throw him out! Sun Weimeng's been a thorn in my side for long enough."

His entourage sprang into action, grabbing Sun Weimeng and pummeling him.

"Don't take it too far," Huo Beiting remarked lazily, sipping his wine as he watched.

Su Weiwei smirked beside him. "Boys will be boys. Let them sort it out—it's not like the elders will intervene over a little spat like this."

Sun Weimeng was eventually dragged out and dumped unceremoniously outside the venue. The heavy doors slammed shut, leaving him battered, bruised, and seething.

"You bunch of cowards!" he yelled at the closed doors, wiping blood from his mouth. "Just you wait! When Huo Xingzhou comes back, he'll put you all in your place!"

Pulling out his phone, he dialed a number with trembling hands.

The call connected, and Sun Weimeng's pent-up frustration spilled out as he wailed, "Huo Xingzhou! Look at what you've done to me! I stood up for you, and they beat me half to death!"

On the other end of the line, Huo Xingzhou sat in his wheelchair, listening calmly. He tapped the speakerphone, allowing Qiao Xi to overhear the conversation.

"Who hit you?" he asked mildly.

"Who didn't?" Sun Weimeng sobbed. "It was Huo Beiting's lackeys. Too many to count! You have to do something—if you're planning some grand revenge scheme, let me in on it! Otherwise, I'm going to find a woman and make sure the whole city knows I'm still a man!"

"Go ahead," Huo Xingzhou replied evenly.

Sun Weimeng gasped. "You'd really let me do that? Are you threatening me? If I go through with it, are you planning to have me castrated?"

"Goodbye," Huo Xingzhou said flatly, ending the call.

Qiao Xi, who had been listening, burst into laughter. "Sun Weimeng is so dramatic." She placed a neatly packed suitcase by the door. "Mr. Huo, I've got everything ready. Tomorrow morning, we'll head back to Haicheng."

Among the luggage was a box of medical books Qiao Xi had carefully selected. As she bent to retrieve one last item from a low shelf, she held up a bottle of medicinal wine.

"Mr. Huo, I promised to let you try this. It's great for improving circulation."

Huo Xingzhou's gaze darkened briefly. "Are you sure about that?"

"Of course. Just a little will help with your recovery," she replied cheerfully.

The past two weeks of acupuncture and medicinal baths had visibly improved his condition, and by all accounts, he should have been able to start walking again.

"We'll save it for Haicheng," he said after a pause. "I have something for you, too."

Before Qiao Xi could respond, he reached toward the bed and pulled something from beneath the pillow.

Her face turned crimson as she instantly realized what it was. Heat rushed to her cheeks as images from two weeks ago flashed in her mind—"That box? The one with… 'Mrs. Fun'? You hypocrite!"

Flustered, Qiao Xi looked anywhere but at him, utterly at a loss for words.