Chapter Eleven: A Frail Body

Director Song glanced at Lin Chen, then at Leng Hanyan, whose face was slightly flushed, and smiled knowingly. “It does seem quite fitting, and since Dr. Leng and Director Zhu happen to be from the same department, Dr. Leng, you shall be the head of this department.”

Chen Tianpeng smiled with satisfaction.

Leng Hanyan, however, did not appear overly pleased. To her, the title of director was less important than Lin Chen’s medical skills.

Chen Tianpeng looked cautiously at Lin Chen and asked, “Young man, may I ask—what illness did I have? Am I completely cured now?”

Lin Chen replied, “It wasn’t an illness; you were poisoned. Your coughing up blood isn’t related to the hospital medication; it was just the poison suddenly manifesting. Now that the toxin has been expelled, you’re naturally well.”

Chen Tianpeng’s face changed drastically. “How could I have been poisoned for no reason?”

Lin Chen said, “This kind of poison spreads through food. It’s not very potent or easily noticed and requires continuous ingestion to take effect. So, whoever has been cooking for you every day recently is the one you need to look for.”

Chen Tianpeng’s complexion darkened as anger flared. “So it was that filthy bitch! No wonder she insisted I come home for meals every day—I thought she cared about me!”

His expression flickered uneasily, but then a cruel light flashed in his eyes. Raising his head, he smiled again. “Young man, I heard your girlfriend call you Lin Chen just now—that must be your name, right? If you ever need anything, come to me, Chen Tianpeng. In this Yuehai City, I still hold some influence.”

With that, he handed Lin Chen a gold-plated business card and hurried off with Gangzi.

Director Song and the despondent Director Zhu also left the ward.

Leng Hanyan approached Lin Chen with a sigh. “I’ve heard that over the past six months, Chen Tianpeng has been involved with a rising young star and spends every night at her place. It seems she must have been the one who poisoned him. Now that he’s going back, that woman clearly won’t survive. Rumor has it he’s responsible for many deaths. Though I hear she wasn’t exactly a good person either, a life is still a life.”

She expected Lin Chen to feel somewhat uneasy upon hearing this, as most people would be shaken by the thought that their words might cause someone’s death. Yet Lin Chen remained indifferent and said calmly, “He was my patient in that ward, so I saved him. Once he’s out that door, he has nothing to do with me. Whether he or that woman lives or dies is none of my concern.”

Leng Hanyan was left speechless. She always sensed a sinister aura about Lin Chen, as if anything that didn’t interest him was meaningless, unworthy of his attention.

Oddly enough, she found she didn’t dislike this dark aura at all.

Suddenly recalling something, Leng Hanyan blushed slightly and asked, “Just now they mistook me for your girlfriend. Why didn’t you deny it?”

Lin Chen smiled. “I’m not, so why bother denying it?”

Leng Hanyan snorted in displeasure, clearly unhappy with that answer. She continued, “Regardless, I owe you a favor.”

“Actually, you can help me right now. I need you to buy some medicinal herbs.”

Lin Chen took out a pre-written list containing names of various herbs. Leng Hanyan took it and was surprised. “Ginseng, deer antler, eucommia, angelica, astragalus... Lin Chen, you want so many tonic herbs, and some have age requirements. Why are you buying all this? Are you going to take them yourself? Aren’t you afraid of over-replenishing and harming yourself?”

Lin Chen didn’t explain but said, “Here’s 100,000 yuan. Buy as much as you can, and make sure the quality is good.”

He handed her the money, gave her his address, and left.

Leng Hanyan watched him walk away and muttered, “All these tonic herbs—why is he buying them? Is he physically weak? He acts so secretive. Could it be kidney deficiency? But if it were just that, it should be easy to fix. Could there be something wrong in that area...”

As she pondered, her face flushed. “He seems uninterested in me—could it be because of that?”

Her cheeks grew redder as her thoughts wandered, then she drove straight through the night toward a well-known old herbal medicine shop.

The next morning, just past eight o’clock.

Lotus Pond Village residential complex.

This neighborhood was mostly home to low-wage workers and junior white-collar employees. The buildings were old, weathered by years of wind and rain, their outer walls stained with grime and yellow rust.

Rent was cheap—about 500 yuan a month for a single room, a rarity in bustling Yuehai City.

At that moment, several elderly women gathered on the street corner, chatting about daily matters, while children chased each other nearby. A few men in shorts were playing cards and boasting beneath a tree.

Suddenly, a blue Porsche drove in, causing a stir among the residents. Who in this neighborhood could have such wealthy relatives?

The car stopped in front of Building 7, and a long leg stretched out, followed by a stunning blonde woman stepping out. Her figure was slender and alluring, her face exquisitely beautiful, combining Western seduction with Eastern grace.

“Oh my, whose daughter is she? She’s so beautiful—more attractive than any celebrity on TV,” an elderly lady gaped.

A young man in shorts and slippers, smoking and bragging about a beautiful girl he’d chased, was dumbfounded. He dropped his cigarette without noticing.

Others had similar reactions, especially the men, whose eyes gleamed but who dared not approach. A beauty of this caliber was clearly out of their league.

They all shared the same question: how could a woman of such stature appear in this rundown complex?

Leng Hanyan was used to such admiring gazes. She approached the stunned elderly woman and asked, “Excuse me, is this Building 7 of Lotus Pond Village? I’m here looking for Lin Chen.”

“Huh? You’re looking for... Lin Chen?” The woman seemed confused.

Leng Hanyan repeated, “Yes, Lin Chen. This is the address he gave me.”

The woman finally caught on. “Ah, yes, yes. This is Building 7 of Lotus Pond Village. Lin Chen lives on the fifth floor, the first apartment up the stairs.”

Leng Hanyan nodded, thanked her, and headed upstairs.

After she disappeared, a man seemed to just realize and exclaimed, “Damn, she’s looking for Lin Chen? No way!”

Others were skeptical. How could that poor kid Lin Chen be connected to such a beauty?

“Damn, all the good things just get wasted! A blonde, long-legged beauty—heavens!” one man groaned.

Unaware that he had become the neighborhood’s male pariah, Lin Chen was surprised to see Leng Hanyan knocking at his door.

“Why so early? Have you bought the herbs?” he wondered. Could it be she went out last night and returned so early?