Let the good man isolate the dirty garbage dump

The car pulled into the familiar basement. Gu Yansheng parked the car, took a deep breath, and his palm, holding the key, felt slightly damp. He pushed open the door of the apartment with a tragic feeling, almost like he was going to the execution ground.

The expected low pressure and Jiang Lin's cold scrutiny did not appear.

The warm yellow lights in the entrance and living room dispelled the night's chill. When Xiaofei saw him, he enthusiastically threw himself onto his lap—it was Xiaofei! The little guy excitedly wagged his tail, rubbed his wet nose against his trouser leg, and whimpered affectionately, as if accusing him of coming home so late.

This unexpectedly warm welcome instantly dispelled Gu Yansheng's anxiety. He bent down, smiled, and rubbed Xiao Fei's head. "I'm back, Xiao Fei."

The living room was empty, with no sign of Jiang Lin. Gu Yansheng changed his shoes and walked into the living room carrying Xiaofei, who was still circling around his feet.

Glancing over, he immediately spotted something prominently placed on the coffee table—a small packet of pre-portioned allergy pills for tonight, with a cup of warm water thoughtfully placed next to it.

There was no confiscation of the phone, no cold orders, only this silent reminder that "you need to take medicine."

Gu Yansheng felt a mixture of relief, yet also a strange feeling. He put Xiaofei down, walked to the coffee table, picked up the pills, and swallowed them with warm water. Xiaofei circled around his legs, its tail wagging like a propeller.

After taking the medicine, Gu Yansheng picked up Xiaofei, and the little guy found a comfortable position in his arms with satisfaction. He subconsciously looked in the direction of the study - the door was ajar, and light shone from inside. He could vaguely hear Jiang Lin's hushed voice.

Gu Yansheng, holding Xiao Fei in his arms, walked over quietly. He wasn't eavesdropping, he just wanted to see what Jiang Lin was busy with. The study door wasn't closed tightly, leaving a gap.

Jiang Lin's low and calm voice came out clearly, with an unquestionable firmness.

"Director, I understand the situation. He has the right to complain. However, all surgical procedures, preoperative information, risk assessments, and postoperative care were strictly carried out in accordance with regulations. All records are available and can withstand any scrutiny. I'm not afraid."

Someone on the other end of the line seemed to be still talking. Jiang Lin's tone remained steady, yet a cold edge emanated from it. "Fan Zhong's mother's underlying condition was already complex. The risk assessment for postoperative complications is clearly documented and signed and confirmed by the family. We did our best and have a clear conscience. If he thinks there's a problem with the process, then he can go ahead and do it. ...Okay, I'll prepare the relevant information tomorrow."

Fan Zhong's mother?

Gu Yansheng's arms, still clinging to Xiao Fei, froze instantly! The name exploded in his mind like a thunderbolt! Fan Zhong... the friend who had asked him for help getting Jiang Lin surgery, and now his mother... what had happened? Complications? Complaints?

Gu Yansheng's brows furrowed, his heart racing. Jiang Lin was handling complaints related to Fan Zhong's mother's surgery? And it sounded like the situation wasn't working in Jiang Lin's favor.

"Woof!" The little fat boy in my arms seemed to feel uncomfortable being held too tightly. He twisted his body and made a small protest.

The sound was particularly clear in the quiet night.

Inside the study, Jiang Lin's voice suddenly stopped. The next second, the half-closed door was completely opened from the inside.

Jiang Lin stood at the door, holding the phone to his ear in one hand. His deep gaze looked over the phone and saw the "eavesdropping" gentleman. Gu Yansheng was like a thief caught on the spot. His face turned red in an instant, and he was so embarrassed that he wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.

He held Xiaofei in his arms, frozen in place, at a loss as to what to do, with even the words to explain stuck in his throat.

Jiang Lin's gaze lingered on his embarrassed face for a moment, its expression unfathomable, his emotion unrecognizable. But he didn't immediately question or become angry. Instead, he spoke calmly to the person on the other end of the line, "Director Liu, I have something to deal with. I'll explain myself at tomorrow's meeting. Okay, goodbye." Then, he decisively hung up.

He casually placed his phone on the desk next to him, his movements smooth and natural, as if the phone call involving complaints and disputes had never happened.

Jiang Lin walked out of the study and closed the door behind him. He walked straight towards Gu Yansheng, his tall figure bringing an invisible sense of oppression. Without saying a word, he reached out his hand, and with the sharpness of a doctor, he gently rolled up Gu Yansheng's shirt sleeve, his eyes intently examining the skin on his arm.

The few scattered red rashes had faded considerably and were much lighter in color. He tilted his head slightly and glanced at the side of Gu Yansheng's neck, where only a barely visible hint of light pink remained.

After the examination, Jiang Lin released his hand. He remained silent, his face expressionless, as if the examination was just a routine matter. He extended his hand, not to Gu Yansheng, but to Xiao Fei in his arms.

"Xiaofei, come here." His voice was low, with a subtle gentleness that was unique to small animals.

When Xiaofei heard his master's call, he immediately struggled to jump out of Gu Yansheng's arms, ran happily towards Jiang Lin, and rubbed against his trouser leg.

Jiang Lin bent down and easily picked up Xiao Fei. As he held the dog, his eyes finally fell on Gu Yansheng's face again. His tone was calm and without any ripples, as if the content of the phone call that Gu Yansheng had just heard did not exist at all.

"It's late, go to bed."

After saying that, he picked up Xiaofei, turned around and prepared to go back to the bedroom.

"Jiang Lin!" Gu Yansheng couldn't hold it in any longer. Seeing Jiang Lin's deliberately evasive, nonchalant demeanor, and then thinking back to the words "Fan Zhong," "complaint," and "not afraid" he'd heard on the phone, his worries and doubts instantly overwhelmed the awkwardness he'd felt earlier.

He took a quick step forward and grabbed Jiang Lin's sleeve of his home clothes as he passed by him!

Jiang Lin paused, turned his head, lowered his eyes to look at Gu Yansheng's hand that was grabbing his sleeve, then looked up at him again.

Gu Yansheng grabbed it so hard that his knuckles turned white. He tilted his head back, his brows furrowed, his clear eyes filled with eagerness and unavoidable questioning, his voice trembling with a barely perceptible tremor.

"You just mentioned...Fan Zhong's mother? What happened to her? What happened? He...what did he complain about you about?"

He threw out all the questions in his mind in one breath, staring closely into Jiang Lin's eyes, as if trying to penetrate his calm appearance and see the storm hidden underneath.

Jiang Lin stood there, holding Xiao Fei. Under the warm yellow light, the lines of his profile appeared particularly cold and hard. He looked at the undisguised worry and questioning in Gu Yansheng's eyes. Something seemed to pass through the depths of his deep eyes at an extremely fast speed, too fast to be grasped.

He didn't break free from Gu Yansheng's hand, but he didn't answer his question either. His eyes stayed on Gu Yansheng's anxious face for two seconds, then moved away indifferently and returned to the front. His voice was low and steady, with a deliberately maintained sense of distance, and he only uttered three words:

"It's okay. Go to sleep."

"Nothing? How can it be okay!" Gu Yansheng's grip on his sleeve tightened, his knuckles turning slightly white due to the force. He tilted his head back, staring stubbornly at Jiang Lin's bottomless eyes.

"I heard everything! Fan Zhong! Complaints! Surgical complications! Jiang Lin, explain it to me! What's going on?"

Jiang Lin held Xiao Fei in his arms, his expression remaining calm. Gu Yansheng's eagerness even made him seem more composed. He lowered his eyes to look at Gu Yansheng, but didn't answer immediately.

Seeing his stubborn defiance, Gu Yansheng made up his mind and decided to use his trump card. He took a deep breath and frowned even more tightly.

"If you don't tell me, I definitely won't be able to sleep tonight! My mind is full of messed up guesses! You know, with my constitution, when I get anxious or lose sleep, my physical condition plummets. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow morning, the rash will be back..."

As he spoke, he unconsciously touched his neck, which had almost faded, with his free hand, which was full of suggestiveness.

Xiaofei seemed to sense that the atmosphere was not right. He moved restlessly in Jiang Lin's arms and let out a little whimper.

Jiang Lin's gaze finally moved slowly from Gu Yansheng's face to his hand stroking the skin on the side of his neck, and then fell back to his face, which was full of "I am very anxious, I am very fragile, and I am likely to have a seizure."

The air was quiet for a few seconds.

A subtle, almost imperceptible flicker of...interest flashed across Jiang Lin's usually calm eyes. Like the ripples caused by a pebble dropped into a calm lake, so quick it felt like an illusion.

His tightly pursed thin lips seemed to curl upwards ever so slightly, the arc so small that it was almost non-existent.

Huh. Have you learned to use yourself as a bargaining chip?