Chapter Sixty-Two: Let Him Come and Invite Me Himself!

Lin Wanxi had always been of a cool and reserved temperament, rarely showing a pleasant face to men. As for those men she had already rejected but who continued to pester her, she harbored even less goodwill. In truth, in real life, persistent men are usually cherished by women. It’s the so-called ‘playboys’ who flit from one place to another that generally earn women’s disdain.

But for Lin Wanxi, who had suffered from androphobia for years, this was never something that brought her any happiness. If she didn’t like someone, she would simply kick them out of her life. This had always been her way of dealing with men, and over the years, she had never changed.

As for saving face—she already disliked you, so why would she care about your dignity? When men dislike someone, they might still leave a little room for civility, perhaps even exchange a few polite words for the sake of appearances and decorum. But if a woman comes to hate someone, she’ll stop at nothing. That’s why those curses—wishing someone to choke on water, to be run over crossing the street, to die from exhaustion—those are all things women say.

If she hated you, she only wished for your swift and complete demise. In this respect, Lin Wanxi was very much a woman.

Wang Yangxin looked utterly bewildered. For the past two days, he had been sending flowers. Though unsuccessful, at the very least he’d made himself a familiar face, hadn’t he?

“Wanxi, I came by just yesterday. You know, I invited you to dinner and you politely declined,” Wang Yangxin explained, trying to jog her memory.

They had clearly met before. How could she claim not to know him?

“I never bother to remember the names of people I’ve turned down,” Lin Wanxi replied, already unlocking the car with her key and opening the door to get in.

“Wanxi,” Wang Yangxin rushed over to press his hand against the car door, his gaze intense as he looked at Lin Wanxi. “Please, wait a moment. Just hear me out.”

She glanced at his hand on the door, her expression unmoved. “Go ahead.”

Wang Yangxin took a deep breath, summoned his feelings, and looked at Lin Wanxi with all the sincerity he could muster. “This may be a cliché opening, but I have to say it: Wanxi, I liked you from the moment I first laid eyes on you.”

“Some people spend a lifetime together before they find love; some know it in a single glance. I know this sounds abrupt and rash, but every word I say comes from my heart. I understand that a relationship takes time and effort from both sides, and I’m ready for that.”

He glanced at Qin Luo, his voice tinged with sorrow. “I don’t expect you to accept me right away. I’m willing to wait. But right now, I don’t want to see you deceived by someone else.”

“Deceived by whom?” Lin Wanxi arched an eyebrow.

Qin Luo knew all too well that when Lin Wanxi arched her brow, it meant her patience was wearing thin.

“Him,” Wang Yangxin said, pointing at Qin Luo. “He pretended to be a traditional medicine doctor and has already been expelled from the university. You must know about this, Wanxi. I don’t know what tricks he might use to deceive you, but I hope you’ll be careful.”

If the woman he liked was not yet his, he certainly wouldn’t let another man get to her first.

“Are you finished?” Lin Wanxi asked.

“Yes, I’m done,” Wang Yangxin nodded.

“If you’re finished, let go,” she said.

Only then did Wang Yangxin realize he still had his hand on her car door. He hurriedly let go. Lin Wanxi got in, and then opened the passenger side door, waiting for Qin Luo.

Qin Luo didn’t get in immediately. He looked at Wang Yangxin and said, “Honestly, I’m starting to like you. To criticize someone to their face takes a certain kind of honesty—you’re a true petty villain.”

“I wasn’t speaking out of malice, just telling the truth. Do you think I’m wrong? Everyone knows you were dismissed from the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine. All these students can vouch for it,” Wang Yangxin said, gesturing to the crowd of onlookers.

“I admit I was dismissed,” Qin Luo nodded, “but that doesn’t mean I’m not a good doctor.”

Wang Yangxin laughed as if hearing a great joke. “You’re a good doctor, yet the university still let you go? That’s rich.”

Qin Luo considered for a moment. “I know I’d lose any argument with you on this. Here—give me your address.”

“What do you want?”

“If I’m ever in a particularly good or bad mood, I’ll come by and have a little contest with your grandfather,” Qin Luo said, squinting with a grin.

“Perfect. I’d welcome it. But you’d better beat me first,” Wang Yangxin replied, pulling out a business card. “I hope you come soon. I’d like to witness the legendary Taiyi Divine Needle for myself.”

“I promise you won’t be disappointed,” Qin Luo replied with a smile.

“If you lose, you’d best leave Beijing. There’s no place for a fraud in such a big city.”

“And if you lose?” Qin Luo shot back.

“I’ll give up practicing Chinese medicine for good,” Wang Yangxin replied, full of confidence.

“Remember what you said.”

With Wang Yangxin’s murderous glare following him, Qin Luo opened the passenger door and got in.

Lin Wanxi started the car, leaving Wang Yangxin and the crowd far behind.

“His medical skills aren’t bad—he’s fairly well-known in Beijing,” Lin Wanxi said as she drove. Though sitting in the car, she had heard the bet between Qin Luo and Wang Yangxin.

When you care about someone, you can’t help but notice everything about them.

“He’s not my real opponent. His grandfather is,” Qin Luo said, reclining in the soft seat and gazing at Lin Wanxi’s flawless profile with a hint of arrogance.

King of Needles? That’s quite the title. Perhaps it was time to try it on for size.

Lin Wanxi looked at him in surprise, only to find his gaze resting on her face as well. Her heart inexplicably skipped a beat, and a blush crept across her cheeks.

***

The office was thick with smoke. Guo Renhuai waved his hand and said, “Enough smoking, everyone. Let’s focus on finding a solution. The teacher we just hired has been driven away by those students. Who’s going to substitute for the next class?”

“If you ask me, we should just invite Qin Luo back. What’s one teaching certificate? We can find a way to get him a temporary permit. We should use people based on merit,” said the office director, Niu Zhikun, with little concern.

He had no personal conflict with Qin Luo, nor did he know about the ‘love triangle’ between Qin Luo, Guo Renhuai, and Li Qingyang. Following the principle of minimizing complications, he suggested bringing Qin Luo back.

The salary would be paid to someone either way—if the students liked Qin Luo, they might as well keep him.

“That’s right. If Teacher Qin is so well-liked by the students, that proves he’s a competent teacher,” said Deputy Director Liao Yufeng.

“The teaching certificate is a hurdle, but it’s not insurmountable. No need to aggravate the conflict between the school and the students,” added Deputy Director Gao Zhiyuan.

With three people supporting Qin Luo’s return, Teacher Zhu was secretly anxious. If they brought that jinx back, wouldn’t that be a slap in his face? He hadn’t held back his criticism when Qin Luo left.

He wanted to object, but recalling the humiliation of being driven out by the students himself, he wisely kept quiet.

What if Director Guo assigned him to substitute again?

Guo Renhuai sighed. “Let’s adjourn for now. I’ll think it over.”

Once everyone left, Guo Renhuai closed the office door behind him and dialed a familiar number.

“Sir, things are not going well,” he said with guilt.

“There must be a lot of people begging on Qin Luo’s behalf, right? Renhuai, you have to withstand the pressure. As director of the College of Traditional Chinese Medicine, you’re responsible for the students’ future.”

“It’s not the people pleading for him who are the problem. With the authority you’ve granted me, they don’t dare say too much. It’s the students—they won’t cooperate,” Guo Renhuai explained.

“The students won’t cooperate?”

“Yes. I’ve tried several substitute teachers; all were driven out by the students. I even went to teach myself, but they weren’t satisfied,” he said awkwardly, loath to admit he’d been stumped by the students’ questions.

“These students are out of line. Find the ringleaders and expel a couple. The school’s code of conduct must be strictly enforced.”

“I’ve said as much,” Guo Renhuai replied. “But it had no effect.”

Earlier that morning, the new Traditional Chinese Diagnosis teacher had been driven off by the students. In a fit of anger, he’d rushed in and threatened to expel anyone who dared stir up trouble.

Then, a tall, big-eyed, beautiful girl stood up and said, “I’m the leader—expel me first.”

That alone would have been fine, but then the entire class—nearly a hundred students—stood up, demanding to be expelled too.

There was silence on the other end of the line. After a long pause, the voice finally spoke again: “Handle this as you see fit.”

“I’m sorry, sir,” Guo Renhuai said apologetically.

The line went dead in silence.

No sooner had Qin Luo returned to the Lin family apartment than his phone rang.

“Hello?” he answered.

“Hello, is this Teacher Qin? This is Xiao Min from the office. Hehe, do you still remember me?” A girl’s pleasant laughter came through the receiver.

“Yes, I remember. Xiao Min. What’s up?” Qin Luo asked.

Xiao Min, an administrative assistant at the Traditional Chinese Medicine University, was skilled at dealing with people and well-liked by the director and teachers alike. Qin Luo had a very good impression of her.

“Teacher Qin, here’s the thing: the director asked me to call you. He’d like to talk.”

“About what?” Qin Luo asked, fully aware.

“Maybe about inviting you back to teach. I’m not sure about the details. How about three o’clock this afternoon?” she suggested.

“Haha, I don’t think that’s very appropriate. After all, I was dismissed by the department. Everyone knows about it—I’d feel awkward going back,” Qin Luo said helplessly, though he had just returned from the medical university.

“So, what do you suggest, Teacher Qin?”

“Well, if Director Guo could come and see me in person, it would save me some face. What do you think, Xiao Min?” Qin Luo replied with a chuckle.