10 Coaxed the Rock

Right after sending Ji Li Zhao off, Hou Wei Yan spent her time stuck in her office again. Only when her last patient got sent off did she decide to take a stroll outside and visit her troublemaker. She took a glance at the window and saw the moon shining brilliantly at the beautiful Huangjia Park built for the leisure and relaxation purposes of their patients.

She took a turn with a smile as what lay after was Cheng Ying's room. It was already night and her visit seemed odd.

But what can she do? The troublemaker seems only normal during such time. She's approachable and it's the only time she can crack a bit of her wall.

"Oh, Doctor Hou? Why are you here?"

She turned her head around and greeted Tang Jing with a smile. She was the nurse assigned to take care of Cheng Ying—the nurse who never left the feisty patient who had given her a hard time.

Hou Wei Yan waited for Tang Jing to cope with her before she began to talk again as they took careful strides. "I need to talk with Miss Cheng,"

Tang Jing remained silent, and she felt somehow uneasy. She was clutching her record tightly and her gaze was fixed on Cheng Ying's room. The lump in her throat tightened and such actions didn't go unnoticed by the one beside her.

They continued walking without saying a single word as Hou Wei Yan didn't want to force herself and make her much uncomfortable. So she waited until they took a stop right in front of Cheng Ying's room. She lingered her gaze on Tang Jing and gave her a warm smile...and yet her eyes were asking her seriously to spill the beans.

It was her duty to tell her the truth so Tang Jing sighed and somehow blocked the door. "I'm so sorry Doctor Hou, but the Director decided to transfer patient Cheng to Doctor Lin."

"What? Without informing me?"

Tang Jing nodded her head. "He was told you're in treatment so he dared not to tell you."

She wasn't told because she's under treatment? When she returned to her office, she told them not to bother and she never did ask nor informed others of her condition. Even though she did get hurt, it was nothing serious.

Though she's not usually at the hospital she was easy to contact at all times and very reliable and loyal. How could they just decide such a big thing?

[ Could it be Cheng Ying's father? Did he have a hand in this? ]

[ No. That can't be it either. ]

Her father was nice and even visited her personally to beg for his daughter's life. Cheng Ying's father asked her repeatedly to take care of her the moment he was informed that she would be in charge of Cheng Ying. So it wasn't possible it was her father's orders.

After contemplating and assessing the situation, she can't just accept it. She looked at Tang Jing, now her warm smile slowly fading. "This kind of thing...transferring a patient to another doctor is bizarre. I did nothing wrong to warrant my dismissal as her attending doctor."

"But the patient did something wrong," Tang Jing said as she looked at her in pity.

She knew how much Hou Wei Yan devoted herself to her patient's treatment. Despite all the setbacks, she showed that she was serious about her job and truly spent a lot of time finding alternative treatments that suited her patient.

Thus, such an order is surely devastating. Especially when it happened on the very first day she faced Cheng Ying.

This statement somehow made her aggravated. How could they give her such a petty reason?! "Everybody here knows her mentality is quite low and she's short-tempered. What happened wasn't even a tiny bit of what doctors face. This transfer makes me look like a fool who can't even handle a short-tempered patient."

Being a doctor is no easy task. There is always trouble around the corner and they encounter it daily. But it's also their duty to persevere because a doctor is not all about money... it's about saving a person's life. If she can't even handle such a setback, she's not capable and doesn't deserve such a degree at all.

This hurts her somehow.

Was her effort nothing at all? Did they do such a thing because she was incapable and new? Was her achievements so far just a pony title to them?

Seeing her near breakdown, Tang Jing can no longer hold back. She wanted so badly to let her in but she was ordered not to and she doesn't even know why. "Doctor Hou, I don't know what forced him to do this but the Director already gave the order. There's nothing we can do about it."

[ The director? Was it really him? Did he really do this of his own volition? ]

Due to her busy schedule and his as well, both of them rarely meet. But on those rare occasions, she found him just and right. Someone must have been behind the order and she's gonna find out who it was. She's no easy girl, how could they just order her like that without a valid reason?

Now determined, she looked at Tang Jing. "Where is he?"

"The Director?"

Hou Wei Yan nodded her head. "Yes, where is the director?"

There's only one solution to this, and that is facing the director head-on. She had already planned things for Cheng Ying so she could not just go back to her office and throw everything away just like that.

Tang Jing gulped. It's not clear what she's up to but it's surely not going to be nice. "He went to a seminar right after giving us the order. Doctor Hou, I really think this decision is fine."

Hou Wei Yan took a pause and sighed. Doctor Lin is a veteran of this and he is indeed very trustworthy. She met him twice and she did an achievement check on her colleagues so she knew he was no easy doctor either.

"Alright, I won't argue anymore," Whatever urged the director doesn't matter, as long as the patient gets saved, isn't that what really matters?

[ But whoever it is, he better have a good reason for doing such a thing. ] she thought to herself while the one she was talking about was sighing in his seat.

He was boiling earlier when he ordered such a thing. [ Now...what am I gonna do if my wife gets angry?! ]

Ah, he just hopes she's not angry at all. But if she is, he must immediately do something about it, or his whole fantasy is doomed!

Tang Jing thought she was totally giving up, but Hou Wei Yan remained on her spot, her determined look still on. She won't argue about the transfer incident but she's not gonna drop her meeting with Cheng Ying.

"At least let me talk to the patient,"

The nurse is now having a headache. Ah, what is she going to do? She was ordered not to let Hou Wei Yan meet Cheng Ying anymore. That means not to let them talk, right? "Doc---"

"Let her in," a voice suddenly called out.

Both of them turned around and saw the brunette chick nurse of Director Ping. "Assistant Fu!"

Fu Ning walked towards them, now with her glasses on. Since it was evening already, she had taken off her contacts and now her aura seems much more domineering than her morning look.

Tang Jing and Hou Wei Yan gave their respect with a bow and looked at her seriously. Did she just say let Hou Wei Yan in? But Tang Jing was ordered otherwise. Even though she's an assistant she would still follow what the director personally ordered.

Fu Ning sighed and nodded her head. "I have the Director's permission. Let Doctor Hou in."

Tang Jing obeyed and bowed down as she stepped away from the door. This sudden turn of events made the storm in her heart ease. With a big and delighted smile, she bowed down.

"Thank you," she said before entering the room.

The room was really well-lit. It was obvious that the occupant was somehow afraid of the dark. This made her slightly smile—they already had something in common.

"Miss Cheng?" she called out as she saw no one in the room.

"It's you again," a voice said behind her which made her turn around. It was Cheng Ying who had just come out of the bathroom. She looked at Hou Wei Yan's head and when she noticed no bandage at all she just walked past her as though she was nothing.

Hou Wei Yan never minded this though. She knew the moment she stepped in that she wasn't welcomed in the room at all. "This will be the last time I'm bothering you."

"What do you want?" Cheng Ying said with indifference as she slipped into the bed and covered herself well. After settling in, she gave Hou Wei Yan a glare and remained silent.

Hou Wei Yan smiled at her. "Ah, please don't look at me like I'm an evil doctor. I'm not."

"Then why are you here? Aren't you here to force me for treatment?" she said immediately. She knew doctors are trouble but this one is obviously one of those who reach past trouble.

Seeing her hate, Hou Wei Yan had no choice but to bow down. It was she who brought such hate upon herself. "My approach earlier was too much. I'm sorry about that."

"Please come clean at me. What are you really after?" Cheng Ying had already heard a lot of crap talks from doctors so she wasn't that much impressed with Hou Wei Yan. When someone says sorry there's bound to be something fishy.

Hou Wei Yan took a seat on the chair beside her and smiled.

"I'm a doctor, of course, I want my patient to get cured," she said with all honesty.

What other reason was there for her to somehow disobey and offend her Director?

Her brows arched high and she turned her head away from the doctor. [ Cure my ass. That's something I cannot just simply put my trust in! ]

"Then leave no---"

"But before I force you on that, I'd like to hear you out. I'll listen to your complaints and reasons as your fellow inhabitant of the earth," Hou Wei Yan cut her off with a smile.

Normal patients would want or even beg for treatment to stay alive, and yet this one strongly opposes and even wishes to die in front of them. For such a mindset to get created, there must be a strong reason forcing her to choose death because it's better.

"I---"

Cheng Ying was lost. [ Listen to my complaints? Hear me out? Isn't she butting in too much?! Is she courting death or something?! ]

"Why are you so against our treatment?" she asked once more. Since she's quite approachable now, she's gonna take this chance to talk some senses to her.

[ Annoying! ]

Every time she sees Hou Wei Yan's face she somehow feels annoyed. She turned her head away and focused her attention on the tree outside her window. It seems much more interesting than this nosy doctor in front of her. "It's none of your business!"

"Of course, but sharing your burden will lessen your pain. Lucky for you, I'm someone who likes to trouble others and listens to them," she replied to her indifference.

Just because someone decides not to share doesn't mean that they are fine. People are intelligent, they know how to hide their feelings well.

But hiding feelings doesn't mean it's solved.

Hiding things doesn't mean it's already gone. Those that are hidden hold greater significance than those displayed outside.

Cheng Ying didn't have to look at her. She can somehow predict she's smiling like a lunatic again. Now she thinks she's the one in need of treatment than her.

"Why are you doing this?"

"So I can understand you. When a doctor understands her patient, she'll have a better judgment on the patient's condition," she answered now quite happy that she's not throwing things toward her.

Annoyed, Cheng Ying took hold of her pillow and threw it at Hou Wei Yan.

[ Ah, there goes my happiness! ]

"I said I don't want your treatment!" Cheng Ying shouted, her anger boiling. They are so annoying, if she doesn't want them then that's it. Why must they force her into something she's afraid of doing?

Hou Wei Yan nodded her head. "Okay, but why?"

[ Why? ]

She looked at Hou Wei Yan in disbelief and slowly she took hold of her own hair and scrambled it in annoyance. "You're so annoying!"

People always try to leave or coax her when she begins shouting. But this...this doctor was just smiling and it's irritating. She's not planning on leaving nor planning on quenching her anger.

As the young girl's frustration slowly went high, Hou Wei Yan stayed there with a big smile on her face. "I've heard that a million times and I'm not planning on stopping now."

Both women stared at each other, no one planned on backing down. Cheng Ying was holding on fine...but alas, someone is a pro in this league. Back in her youth, she had encountered a lot of enemies and pestering suitors and she made big moves by annoying them until they dropped.

They said that Great Works are performed not by strength, but by perseverance...well, Hou Wei Yan is a testifier of that.

Defeated by Hou Wei Yan's smile and her eyes that somehow lure you in as though a moth is drawn to fire, Cheng Ying can do nothing more than sigh in defeat and give off her dejected face.

"Fine. Since you're so persistent. There are only two reasons,"

This time around, Cheng Ying's eyes contained danger and fear. "I don't trust doctors, and I don't want to live with my father anymore."

Hou Wei Yan's smile also disappeared. It was obvious that she hated doctors, but not trusting them was the least reason on her list. "What happened that made you think we're bad?"

"Aren't you? Lots of you are doctors for money. The people with a lot of money can do anything, even make doctors kill someone and make it seem like a mistake!" she argued, her pupils shaking in both anger and fear.

[ Ah, she's been through so much trauma, and somehow no one must have paid much attention that it escalated to this. ]

Hou Wei Yan remained silent for a moment and let Cheng Ying stabilize her breathing. There are different reasons why people choose this profession.

One that cannot be easily omitted is money. It pays generously and has a lot of benefits. But it's not like everyone has such a mindset. One shouldn't generalize such a thing.

"Miss Cheng, there are indeed some who are in this career for money. But to kill someone, what made you think so?" she said after a minute of silence.

Saving is their goal, and killing is somehow their enemy. So a doctor deliberately killing someone is inhuman in her eyes.

[ Why take such a profession when you can't stick to its purpose? ]

Cheng Ying looked at Hou Wei Yan and was surprised by her eyes. It held darkness, giving off a sense of danger creeping through her spine.

[ Is she angry at the doctors who killed for money? ]

Thinking this, a part of Cheng Ying's armor got stripped away from her. The chains that kept her mouth locked were opened and such a sudden thing made her somehow cry. When she gave such a statement to others, they just thought she was doing it because she could not accept her mother's death. She was just accusing and there's no need to listen nor heed her plea.

"My mother, I was told she died during surgery. But I learned that it wasn't merely malpractice. Someone wanted her dead so when she took a simple surgery, someone pulled some strings and manipulated the doctor,"

Hou Wei Yan was listening intently, now her mouth formed a small 'o' upon hearing her words. "So you think someone will manipulate your surgery again?"

"This sickness is already manipulated!" Cheng Ying shouted without restraint.

[ Ha! Did they really think they can fool me? ]

She was in perfect shape all the time, and then somehow while having the family check-up she was diagnosed with an illness that needed surgery. Was that just a coincidence? She doesn't think so.

Silence fell in the room. Hou Wei Yan simply shook her head. For her to have such thoughts, there must be a lot of pain and fear in her heart that she can no longer trust anyone. She looked at Cheng Ying seriously without blinking.

"It's not. I was there with Doctor Sheng during the whole process of your scan. Such big-scaled conditions can't be simply manipulated by anyone. Most especially here in Yi Lan Hospital."

"But even if that's the case. There's no telling someone won't manipulate the operation to get rid of me!" she refuted back.

"No one can do that, not when I'm around," Hou Wei Yan said and gave her a reassuring smile. She may seem like an innocent and harmful white fox.

But a fox is still a fox. She has her ways and that's something only a few know.

Cheng Ying gave her a doubtful glance. "You're telling me that if someone offers you a big sum of money, you won't accept?! Ridiculous!"

At such a statement, Hou Wei Yan can only smile. She doesn't need money from such people or such ways. Her pay is enough to sustain her and she can even save just from it. What's she going to do with more? Buy a house, a car, or land?

Unlikely to happen, until her betrothed appears she's planning on living in the hospital. So their money...they can keep it because it might be possible they need it more than her.

"Believe me, I'm in no need of money. Even if they throw me a helicopter full of money, I won't accept."

"Why won't you?!" with her eyes observing her reaction, Cheng Ying's firm opinion of the lady in front of her was slowly disappearing.

She looked at the brilliant moon outside and smiled while saying. "Because it's incomparable to a life. I may seem annoying, but I have good intentions."

"You---"

Her gaze remained fixed on the moon outside. Ah, when was the last time she went out and saw it at a different scene?

"You told me earlier that you don't want to live with your father?"

Without even thinking, Cheng Ying immediately changed her tone and manner of speaking. Gone was the respect and was replaced with utter hate. "Because he's a piece of crap. He's only paying my bills to look like a good father, to not ruin his reputation."

This somehow made Hou Wei Yan smile sadly. If only this child knew what his father did to beg for her full recovery. She doesn't know how much her father asked for forgiveness from those she had hurt. But she cannot just reveal such things.

It's her father's job to come out and tell her how he truly feels towards his daughter. "I don't think that's the case. But if you really don't want to live with him, why don't I help you with that?"

This made Cheng Ying's ear perk up. "How can you help?"

Hou Wei Yan gave an enchanting giggle. "I've taken a liking towards your temperament."

"What are you planning?! If you're planning on selling my body, then leave!" she shouted while covering her body. This made Hou Wei Yan laugh at her.

"No, of course not!"

[ Seriously, sell her?! That's ridiculous! Besides, to be honest...she's still lacking in some areas. If I sell her, I'll only get beaten by the buyer and get accused of fraudery! ]

She wiped her tears away and with a smile told her of a solution. "I have a relative who really needs a companion right now. She has a sickness and I need someone to look after her for me."

"Huh? You want me to be her nanny?"

Hou Wei Yan instantly shook her head. "Don't worry, all you have to do is be with her. She has maids to serve her, but she lacks some friends."

Her distant cousin, Xu Dandan is a special person to her. But because of her sudden disappearance, 10 years ago, Xu Dandan's desire to go outside weakened. She shunned herself after her illness damaged her legs making her unable to walk. The only confidant that she had, also disappeared making her much more adamant about staying inside in fear of people's cruel judgment and punishment for those who are disabled.

The offer was just companionship but..."Why should I accept this?"

"This arrangement, isn't it better than living with the mistress? Besides, if you stay away she'll never know what you're up to. I'll help you maintain your memories with your mother in the household." she said as she looked at her seriously.

Cheng Ying turned serious as well. This is a big matter and it's a great favor if she accepts it. It's very tempting but she doesn't know this doctor's purpose. "Why are you doing this? This is too much?"

"I want to prove to you, that not everyone is bad. Sometimes, there are people who just have free hands and would lend it to you so you can stand back up," she said before standing up.

It wasn't her job to go to such lengths, but she cannot simply turn a blind eye to a child who can still be saved from taking her own life because of the hardships and setbacks she's facing.

As long as she can help, she will help.

After all, it wasn't like she was going to lose a big thing for helping. In fact, she might just gain a big thing for doing it.

Hou Wei Yan looked at her and ruffled her hair with a smile. "Well, I'll be leaving now. I'm no longer your attending doctor but I'll still be in charge of your surgery...if you accept it."

Cheng Ying ducked her head which made Hou Wei Yan decide to just leave. Though she's offering such a thing, the final decision still lies in her hand. She was already near the door when a shaky voice echoed in the room.

"I'm so sorry for what I did earlier."

A smile made its way to her face, so she knew how to ask forgiveness. Then this child has a glimmer of hope. It takes a strong person to ask for forgiveness.

"That was nothing. I was at fault as well," she said and looked back with a smile.

Feeling her sincerity, Cheng Ying broke her shackles, and for the first time since her arrival at Yi Lan Hospital...she made an endearing smile escape her tightly sealed lips. Soon after, she was rubbing her neck.

Hou Wei Yan merely smiled at her shyness. "Uhmm, Doctor Hou. I would like to accept the treatment...and your arrangements."

She was still looking at her at that time when she uttered such words. This made Hou Wei Yan's heart swell up as she bowed down. Finally, she managed to coax the rock—her extreme troublemaker.

"Thank you for putting your trust in me. I won't waste it."

...

In the middle of the night, the mighty CEO of Tianshi Conglomerate remained awake at his mansion. He was in his study room, gaze fixated on the screen, and a cup of hot coffee on the desk. Noticing some footsteps, he immediately inquired.

"How was she?"

Gu Man bowed down at his young master and looked at him seriously. His master is very busy but nonetheless, he still asks him to report and listen intently to Hou Wei Yan. "The Madame is now sleeping in her quarter."

Ji Li Zhao instantly stopped his fingers from typing and turned his full attention to Gu Man. "Show me,"

"As you wish," he answered and handed him a tablet with a video playing on it. It was connected to the CCTVS they had just finished installing in Hou Wei Yan's office.

Ji Li Zhao's gaze was now glued on the sleeping woman who was hugging a hotdog pillow. Exhaustion was marked on her face, but even so, she still had a slight smile on her face. She must have been glad because of Cheng Ying's cooperation.

He suddenly stretched out his hands which made Gu Man come close. "Uncle, order Yi Lan to do as I asked them to do about making her leave her office for once."

"Yes, young master," he said and took hold of the tablet, ready to move out so as to not disturb his master's crucial work.

As he turned around, Ji Li Zhao unexpectedly took hold of his hands that were clutching the tablet.

"Leave that here, I need it,." he said, and Gu Man instantly obliged. He has a lot of papers to sign and things to finish.

What he needs now is his midnight snack which is very very captivating. Now he is motivated to finish it all in an instant so he can properly sleep in the master's bedroom together with the gadget.

He wants to sleep beside her but he still can't do that. So even though it's still on the gadget it doesn't matter. He can sleep peacefully anyway without having to face terrifying nightmares!