Chapter 691: An Invitation

Chapter 691: Chapter 691: An Invitation

Ding Kaifang really liked this about Li Xu.

He knew when to press forward and when to hold back, understood propriety, and was neither servile nor overbearing.

The more Li Xu acted this way, the more Ding Kaifang wanted to be true friends with him, not just partners in a transactional relationship.

Of course, the most important thing was that Li Xu was exceptionally skilled.

Even if Li Xu had a bad personality or a strange temper, Ding Kaifang wouldn’t dare to offend him.

After all, Li Xu could save lives in a crisis!

Who would gamble with their own life?

Who wouldn’t want to be on good terms with a Divine Physician who could bring people back from the brink of death?

"Brother Li is indeed a very easy person to get along with."

Cui Guanghui chimed in with a smile.

The three of them didn’t get down to business right away, instead making small talk about interesting tidbits from Feng City and the latest news in the business world.

After chatting for a while, exquisite dishes were brought to the table one after another.

Steamed leopard coral grouper, braised sea cucumber with scallions, red-braised abalone... As expected, they were all impressive main courses.

Cui Guanghui warmly encouraged Li Xu to eat, frequently urging him to try the different dishes.

After the meal, once the table was cleared, the three men moved over to the tea table in the private room.

A waiter replaced the pot with fresh, high-quality Pu’er tea, then excused himself and closed the door.

Only then did Cui Guanghui’s smile fade. His expression turned serious as he said, "Brother Li, I asked Brother Ding to invite you here today because there is indeed a tricky matter I’d like to ask for your help with."

"Feel free to tell me what’s on your mind."

Li Xu replied, "President Ding knows me. I’m just a doctor, not a major businessman like you two. I’m certainly no help when it comes to big affairs, but if someone has a headache, a fever, or some difficult and complicated illness, I might be able to lend a hand."

Hearing Li Xu’s words, Cui Guanghui couldn’t help but praise him in his heart.

’This Li Xu’s emotional intelligence really is high,’ he thought. ’His words are flawless. He’s made his position clear while remaining humble and cautious. It’s very pleasant to listen to.’

"Doctor Li, it’s like this."

It was Ding Kaifang who spoke, picking up the thread of the conversation. He began by explaining Aunt Shen’s situation in detail:

"Guanghui’s mother, Aunt Shen, has been unwell for some time now. It started about three months ago. She became especially prone to panic, couldn’t sleep at night, and was constantly having nightmares. Sometimes she’d also have sudden heart palpitations, break out in a cold sweat, and even start speaking nonsense."

"Over the past three months, Guanghui has consulted many specialists and taken her for comprehensive examinations at major hospitals like the Medical Affiliated Hospital and the Provincial Renmin Hospital. They’ve checked her cardiovascular and nervous systems, everything. Aside from some mild symptoms of menopause, all her other indicators are normal. They can’t find anything seriously wrong. She’s taken a lot of medicine, even sedatives, but nothing has worked. In fact, she’s only grown more and more haggard."

"For this kind of mental restlessness and panic caused by fright, it is indeed difficult for Western medical instruments to detect any organic lesions," Li Xu said after listening. He now had a general understanding of the situation.

’In Traditional Chinese Medicine, this would mostly fall into the categories of fright-induced palpitations, severe palpitations, or visceral agitation.’

"Hasn’t she seen a TCM doctor?"

Li Xu asked.

Logically, with the Cui Family’s wealth and connections, it would be a simple matter to invite a national-level master physician from the Capital City, let alone an expert from the province.

For this kind of illness, conditioning with Traditional Chinese Medicine often has advantages over Western medicine.

"Brother Li, it’s like this."

Cui Guanghui sighed, a trace of helplessness on his face. "When my grandfather was sick years ago, we found a very famous TCM doctor for him. It turned out that doctor was a quack. He misdiagnosed and mistreated my grandfather, which delayed proper care, and in the end... So, my mother has always held a deep-seated prejudice against Traditional Chinese Medicine. You could even say she’s completely opposed to it."

"She thinks TCM is all a scam, that it’s witchcraft. So, the moment anyone mentions seeing a TCM doctor, she gets furious and absolutely refuses."

"If that’s the case, then there’s nothing I can do."

Li Xu shook his head.

"A doctor does not knock on a patient’s door unsolicited." This is a rule in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

This is especially true for patients who reject TCM from the bottom of their hearts. If their heart’s door is closed, even the most effective medicine can’t get in.

Forcing a consultation would not only fail to cure the illness but would likely stir up a whole mess of trouble.

"Doctor Li, what Guanghui means is, he’d like to ask you for a favor,"

Ding Kaifang said. "Could you perhaps first visit their home as a friend of Guanghui’s? You could get a sense of the situation and see if there’s any way to help."

"We can avoid letting Aunt Shen know you’re a doctor at first. We’ll just say you’re a new friend of Guanghui’s. Once you understand the situation and are confident you can help, we can figure out how to get her to accept treatment."

"If that’s the plan, then I have no objection."

Li Xu thought for a moment and agreed.

If it was to save a life, being flexible about his identity was no big deal.

"Then how about tomorrow morning?"

Seeing Li Xu agree, Cui Guanghui was overjoyed. "It’s best not to delay something like this. My mom has been tormented for over three months. She’s so thin she’s almost unrecognizable, and she hasn’t had a single good night’s sleep. It breaks my heart to see her like this."

Ding Kaifang turned to Li Xu and asked, "Doctor Li, do you have clinic hours at the City Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine tomorrow? Will there be a time conflict?"

Li Xu shook his head. "No, I was supposed to be at my own clinic tomorrow. But since this has come up, I’ll cancel my hours. Seeing Aunt Shen is more important. I’ll just have Sisi keep an eye on things there."

"Thank you so much, Brother Li," Cui Guanghui said, thanking him repeatedly. "As long as you can cure my mother, your business will be my business from now on."

...

「The next morning at seven, Li Xu’s phone rang.」

"Doctor Li, are you up yet?"

It was Ding Kaifang’s voice on the line.

"I’m up."

Li Xu replied with a laugh as he washed up. "You can just have your driver come pick me up."

"Heh, I’m already downstairs from your apartment!"

Ding Kaifang chuckled heartily.

Li Xu was a little surprised. ’Old Ding is really on top of things.’

He called out to Song Sisi, who was heating milk in the kitchen, and hurried downstairs.

A black Maybach was already parked at the entrance to the residential complex.

Li Xu opened the passenger door and got in.

"Let’s go. To the provincial capital."

Feng City wasn’t far from the provincial capital. The drive was all on the highway with good road conditions, taking about two hours.

A little after nine in the morning, the car smoothly entered an extremely high-end, mid-mountain villa district in the provincial capital.

The area was nestled by the mountains and water, with tight security. Its residents were either rich or powerful.

The car came to a steady stop in front of Villa Number Three, which sat on an expansive plot of land.

"Brother Ding, Brother Li, you’re finally here."

Cui Guanghui had been waiting at the gate for some time. Seeing the two men get out of the car, he hurried over to greet them with great enthusiasm.

"Is your aunt up yet?"

Ding Kaifang asked as he walked inside.

"She’s up. She just finished breakfast and is sitting in the sunroom in the backyard now."

Cui Guanghui lowered his voice, ushering the two inside while quietly advising Li Xu, "Brother Li, when my mom comes out in a bit, please don’t be in a rush to take her pulse or diagnose her. Don’t be too obvious. Let’s just chat like friends for now."

"Don’t worry, I know."

Li Xu gave him a reassuring look.

Before coming, Li Xu had already learned the patient’s situation in detail. He already had a plan in mind and was fully prepared.