As expected, the investigation began.
Han Meng's heart was filled with alarm bells, but she forced herself to remain calm and simply nodded slightly as a greeting.
She didn't want this miracle doctor to discover anything at this critical juncture, especially the truth about Lu Jinxian's "illness".
Qin Luo was quite polite, greeting each member of the Han family. When his gaze swept over Han Meng, it seemed to linger for a moment with some inquiry, but he quickly looked away and began to chat warmly with Han Shangting, mostly about his overseas experiences and new medical knowledge.
The family surrounded Han Shangting and Qin Luo as they headed to Yuebinlou, the city's finest restaurant, to welcome him home. During the meal, Han Xianfei and Tang Ying showered their son with questions and showed him great care. Han Shangting responded appropriately, his words revealing a worldly wisdom and composure, yet also revealing his deep affection for his parents.
Han Meng, however, lost her appetite. On one hand, she had to be careful to deal with the occasional scrutinizing gaze from her brother, and on the other hand, Qin Luo's presence made her somewhat uneasy. She couldn't help but secretly observe Qin Luo. Seeing that he was elegant in demeanor and spoke with extraordinary manners, and that he and her brother Han Shangting seemed to be close friends, her suspicions about his identity as a divine doctor became even more certain.
"Mengmeng," Han Shangting suddenly steered the conversation toward her, a gentle smile on his lips, but sharp eyes, "I heard from Mom and Dad in their letter that you've changed a lot lately. Not only have you started to run the pharmacy diligently, but you've also become a prominent figure at school. It's true what they say, 'A scholar should be looked at with new eyes after three days' absence.'"
"Here it comes!" Han Meng thought to herself, a slightly naive smile blooming on her face, as if she were still the spoiled heiress: "Brother, please don't tease me. I was ignorant and foolish before. Now that I think about it, it wasn't easy for Mom and Dad to build the family business, I can't just be a freeloader forever, can I? Dad gave me a pharmacy to practice at, so I tried it out, and I didn't expect to be so lucky." She deliberately attributed her success to "luck," lowering her stance to fit the image of a spoiled brat who had "suddenly come to her senses."
Tang Ying chimed in, "Yes, Shangting, Mengmeng is so sensible now. She manages the pharmacy business very well, and even Mr. Xu Shuyi praised her." Her tone was full of pride.
Han Shangting smiled, neither confirming nor denying, but said, "It seems I've missed quite a few wonderful things while I've been away from home. Especially..." He changed the subject, his tone slightly teasing, but his gaze swept meaningfully over Han Meng, "I heard you're also engaged to that third young master of the Lu family? Lu Jinxian? I remember their family and our family don't have a very harmonious relationship."
Mentioning Lu Jinxian, Han Meng's heart tightened, but she sighed helplessly, "Brother, it's a long story, it all started with a misunderstanding. Dad and Uncle Lu... sigh, anyway, I'm trying to figure something out now." Her words were vague, both pointing out that the marriage was not voluntary and implying that she was trying to break free, which was consistent with her usual resistance to the marriage in front of her family.
Upon hearing this, Han Xianfei's expression darkened slightly, but he refrained from reacting because his son had just returned and guests were present. He simply coughed and said, "Alright, Shangting just got back. We can talk about these trivial matters later. Let's eat first."
Qin Luo interjected at the right moment, steer the conversation elsewhere, and started talking about some interesting customs and experiences overseas, which livened up the atmosphere again.
After the banquet, the family returned to the Han residence. Han Shangting naturally had a lot to say to his parents, so Han Meng made an excuse that she had something to do at the pharmacy and, with the still silent Tang Xiaomei, slipped away to her own courtyard.
She needed time to process the shock of her brother's return to the country, and even more so, she needed to think about how to deal with a potential identity crisis. Han Shangting was too clever and knew the original Han Meng too well; under his watchful eye, it would be extremely difficult to completely disguise herself without revealing any flaws.
...
The next morning, Han Meng was about to go to the pharmacy to avoid trouble when Han Shangting stopped her at the door.
"Mengmeng, why are you going out so early?" Han Shangting, dressed in a casual suit, leaned against the porch, seemingly waiting for her.
"Good morning, brother." Han Meng forced a smile. "Something's come up at the pharmacy, I need to keep an eye on things there."
"There's no rush." Han Shangting stepped forward and walked alongside her. "I'll take you there and also see how my sister's business is doing."
Han Meng inwardly groaned, but unable to refuse, she could only nod in agreement.
The brother and sister got into the Han family's car and remained silent the whole way. Han Meng could feel her brother's scrutinizing gaze beside her, which made her feel uneasy. She forced herself to calm down and kept reminding herself: I am Han Meng, the eldest daughter of the Han family, a young businesswoman who is striving to change and be positive.
When they arrived at the pharmacy, Chen Miaoyin and the old Chinese medicine doctor were already open for business. They were all somewhat surprised to see Han Meng bring in a handsome, distinguished-looking stranger.
"This is my brother, Han Shangting, who just returned from abroad," Han Meng introduced. "Brother, this is Chen Miaoyin, a very capable female apprentice in our pharmacy. This is Mr. Liu, who works at the pharmacy."
Han Shangting greeted them politely, his gaze sweeping across the pharmacy. He noticed the tidy counters, the clearly categorized medicinal herbs, and the few but orderly customers, a flicker of barely perceptible surprise crossing his eyes. He casually picked up an account book from the counter and began to read.
Han Meng deliberately left it outside so that she could easily check it.
Han Meng's heart skipped a beat, but she didn't stop them. She was still confident in her business results.
Han Shangting flipped through the ledger quickly, his eyebrows slightly raised. After a while, he closed the ledger, looked at Han Meng, and said with sincere praise, "It seems that what Mom and Dad said in their letter was true. Mengmeng, you have indeed done a great job. This profit growth curve is quite impressive, even among established businesses."
"It's all thanks to everyone's help," Han Meng said modestly, feeling a little relieved.
"It's not just luck, it's ability," Han Shangting affirmed, then changed the subject casually, asking, "I heard that the third young master of the Lu family seems to be quite interested in your pharmacy?"
Han Meng was taken aback, not expecting him to suddenly bring up Lu Jinxian. She cautiously replied, "He... has come a few times, mainly... to get medicine when he's feeling unwell. After all, we're engaged now, so some interaction is unavoidable." She deliberately defined the relationship as one of "helplessness" and "patient and shop owner."
Han Shangting smiled, not delving into the matter further, and instead inquired about specific operational issues such as the pharmacy's supply channels and customer base. Han Meng answered each question clearly and logically, without appearing overly shrewd, befitting the image of a well-bred young lady who is "a beginner but willing to learn."
After inspecting the pharmacy, Han Shangting said he needed to talk to his father and left first. Only after seeing her brother off did Han Meng feel a thin layer of sweat on her back. Talking to Han Shangting was more exhausting than dealing with ten Madam Wangs.
Chen Miaoyin leaned closer and whispered, "Miss, your brother has such a strong presence. I don't even dare to speak loudly when he looks at you."
Han Meng smiled wryly: "Who says otherwise?" Her brother was indeed no pushover.
...
In the afternoon, Han Meng was checking Lin Yi's order for throat lozenges in the back room of the pharmacy when Xiao Liu came in to report: "Miss, Young Master Lu is here. He says... he wants to talk to you about cooperation."
Han Meng paused. Lu Jinxian? Cooperation? He sent someone yesterday and came in person today; it seems he really has something to discuss.
She composed herself and walked to the front hall. Lu Jinxian was wearing a light gray long robe today, which made his skin look even whiter. He was standing in front of the medicine cabinet, looking down at something. His profile was elegant and refined, and he looked less sickly and weak than he usually did, and more scholarly.
"Young Master Lu," Han Meng greeted him.
Lu Jinxian turned around, saw her, and a complex emotion flashed in his eyes, which he quickly concealed, regaining his composure: "Miss Han, I apologize for disturbing you."
"I heard you wanted to talk to me about a collaboration?" Han Meng cut straight to the point. "What kind of collaboration is it?"
Lu Jinxian took out a business plan from his sleeve and handed it to her: "I've heard that Miss Han's pharmacy business is thriving and that she's keen to expand. I own a street-front shop in a decent location, and it's much larger than this one. I think we might be able to collaborate and relocate the pharmacy and... your newly opened foot massage parlor there to expand our business. I'll provide the space and some capital, and you'll provide the technology and operations. We can discuss the profit sharing in detail."
Han Meng took the proposal and quickly skimmed through it. Lu Jinxian's terms were quite generous, and the venue description was indeed ideal. If they could cooperate, it would undoubtedly be a huge help in fulfilling her bet with her father. Was he genuinely interested in cooperating, or... did he have ulterior motives? Because of his "I've fallen in love with you" remarks yesterday, Han Meng had to be more cautious now.
She closed the proposal, looked up at him, her gaze clear: "Young Master Lu, this collaboration sounds very tempting. However, I remember you said before that you wouldn't stop me from announcing the engagement. Does proposing this collaboration now mean... your attitude towards the engagement has changed? Or is this collaboration itself related to the engagement?" She had to get to the bottom of things to avoid any possible entanglement or misunderstanding.
Looking at her wary yet earnest gaze, Lu Jinxian remained silent for a moment before speaking frankly, "Miss Han, what I said yesterday came from the bottom of my heart, but I didn't intend to use it to blackmail you. Proposing cooperation is purely from a business perspective; I'm optimistic about your abilities and the prospects of your pharmacy. This has nothing to do with the engagement. Whether the engagement continues or not will not affect this cooperation proposal. Although I, Lu Jinxian, am not a gentleman, I know that forced relationships are never sweet, and I will never use such things as bargaining chips."
His tone was calm and sincere, and his eyes were open and honest, which surprised Han Meng somewhat. She scrutinized him carefully, trying to find any trace of pretense, but only saw a clear and honest expression.
Perhaps he genuinely wants to start a business? After all, his activities, such as teaching martial arts in Xiqin Village and secretly acquiring a newspaper, suggest he's not as idle as he appears. It's perfectly reasonable for someone with ambition to build a career to want to invest in suitable projects.
"I need time to think about it, and I also need to see the shop in person." Han Meng did not agree immediately.
"Of course," Lu Jinxian nodded. "I'm ready anytime."
After he left, Han Meng clutched the proposal, her mind in turmoil. Lu Jinxian's suggestion was like a tempting cake, but would taking it mean becoming more deeply tied to him? But if she refused, trying to earn the huge sum of money Han Xianfei demanded in a short period of time by following the plan step by step would be far too difficult.
As she frowned in thought, Yuzhi rushed in from the Han residence, her face showing a hint of panic: "Miss, something terrible has happened! The eldest young master... he's asking Xiao Liu and the housekeeper about the details of the days before and after you fell into the water, had a fever, and fell into a coma!"
Han Meng's heart sank suddenly.
Han Shangting has indeed begun his investigation!
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