Chapter 40: Diagnosing the Illness with Words

"What's wrong with you, woman? How am I a swindler?" Yang Fan glanced at Ye Ke, his tone growing cold.

From the moment he arrived, he had sensed the hostility in Ye Ke's eyes, thick with disgust. He was baffled—what was wrong with this woman?

"Hmph, I can tell you're a con artist," Ye Ke snorted. "As soon as the old man got on the train, I watched you stare at him nonstop. You must have some ulterior motive."

Upon hearing this, the elderly man couldn't help but glance warily at Yang Fan. After all, this was a train, a place with all sorts of people. Running into a swindler wasn't unusual. Besides, the first thing Yang Fan did was ask about the jade pendant around his neck, which seemed suspicious.

"Sir, don't listen to her nonsense. I have no designs on you. I just want to take a look at your jade pendant," Yang Fan said, trying his best to appear friendly.

But in Ye Ke's eyes, his friendliness came off as nothing but a well-rehearsed act—too convincing, in fact.

"Don't trust him, sir," Ye Ke quickly warned the old man. "There are swindlers everywhere these days, especially on trains. You should be cautious."

The old man nodded, thinking her advice made sense. He had seen and heard plenty about such things.

"Kid, your tricks are too amateurish. Go home and practice some more—don’t take us for fools," someone nearby jeered.

"Hey, just because you’re young doesn’t mean you can bully an old man. We’re all watching. We won’t stand by and do nothing," another chimed in.

"Please, even my kid wouldn’t fall for such a cheap trick."

"Kid, behave yourself, or don’t blame us if we have to step in."

One after another, the passengers spoke up, everyone convinced that Yang Fan was a fraud. Seeing a young man seemingly trying to cheat an old man out of his jade pendant, no one could stand by. If Yang Fan persisted, none of them would tolerate it.

With the situation as it was, Yang Fan felt helpless, but he said nothing and returned to his seat.

Watching Yang Fan slink back to his seat, Ye Ke felt a surge of satisfaction. She was certain Yang Fan was a swindler—he looked like nothing but trouble. In fact, she suspected he was a pervert.

"Sir, you really shouldn’t talk to strangers so easily. It’s too easy to get taken in," Ye Ke warned the old man.

The old man agreed at once.

Yang Fan fumed in silence.

He truly found this woman insufferable. But he was determined to get that jade pendant—he would not give up so easily.

Suddenly, the old man began coughing violently, as if he might collapse at any moment. The harsh, raspy sound sent shivers down everyone’s spine. Yang Fan glanced back and saw the old man’s face flushed, his breathing labored.

At that moment, an idea formed in Yang Fan’s mind. The old man was clearly suffering from a serious illness. If he could cure him, perhaps he could obtain the pendant.

Yang Fan closed his eyes, feigning rest, as the old man behind him coughed intermittently.

Three hours later, the train arrived at Jiangcheng Station.

The old man got off at this stop as well. After disembarking, Yang Fan followed close behind him as they left the station together.

Ye Ke walked ahead, growing increasingly irritated as she noticed Yang Fan trailing her. She was convinced by now that he was just a loser trying to hit on her. Back on the train, she already believed Yang Fan had designs on her. Now, seeing him follow her after disembarking, her suspicions only deepened.

"Why are you following me? What exactly are you after?" Ye Ke spun around and demanded.

But Yang Fan ignored her and simply walked past.

Ye Ke was momentarily stunned. She watched as Yang Fan approached the old man.

"Sir, I’m interested in your jade pendant. Would you consider selling it to me?" Yang Fan asked as he reached the old man’s side.

The old man stopped and, recognizing Yang Fan, grew wary.

"Young man, I have no intention of selling this pendant. Please don’t ask again," the old man replied, shaking his head.

Seeing the old man refuse, Yang Fan immediately said, "Sir, if you’re willing to sell me the pendant, I can offer you a million yuan."

The old man was taken aback, visibly surprised. He knew the pendant was valuable, but not worth a million. It was a family heirloom, passed down through generations.

"Young man, I’m not short of money. I have no wish to sell this pendant," the old man replied.

"How about two million?" Yang Fan pressed.

The old man hadn’t expected Yang Fan to raise the price to two million just for a pendant, and for a moment, he was tempted. Two million was no small sum.

"Don’t trust him, sir," Ye Ke interjected, coming over. "Who carries two million in cash? If you show it to him, you might just get robbed."

The old man’s suspicion deepened at her words.

Yang Fan shot Ye Ke a cold look, his eyes hardening. If she weren’t a woman, he might have slapped her by now.

"Sir, your cough is severe, isn’t it? And you haven’t been able to cure it," Yang Fan said to the old man. "I have medicine that can treat your illness. If you’d like, I can help you."

The old man was immediately skeptical. His illness had plagued him for over a decade, incurable and only growing worse with time. He had long since given up hope.

"As if anyone would say something like that," Ye Ke sneered. "Even a child wouldn’t fall for such a story."

After all, what medicine could possibly cure a serious illness so quickly? Ye Ke was certain Yang Fan was a swindler.

"That’s just your ignorance," Yang Fan said, exasperated.

"You’re the ignorant one, you fraud. Who do you think you’re fooling?" Ye Ke shot back.

Yang Fan couldn’t even be bothered to answer her.

Suddenly, he seized the old man’s wrist and began to probe his condition with spiritual energy.

The old man was startled by the sudden grip, instinctively trying to pull away, but found himself unable to break free. Realizing Yang Fan meant no harm, he relaxed.

After a moment’s examination, Yang Fan had a clear understanding of the old man’s condition.

"Sir, haven’t your coughs worsened in recent days, even bringing up blood?" Yang Fan fixed his gaze on the old man. "And when you wake up at dawn, aren’t your hands and feet ice-cold and your body weak?"

"As if you know what you’re talking about," Ye Ke scoffed.

But this time, the old man didn’t dismiss Yang Fan’s words—everything he said was true.

"How did you know?" the old man asked in surprise.

Yang Fan smiled. "I just took your pulse. I understand your illness completely, and I am fully confident I can cure you."