76 Unreasonable Request

Nothing delights Fe Chungsa right now than the return of her dear mother, Fe Rou Chao. She's been spending some time abroad to try and establish herself as the Madame of the Hou Household. She tried infiltrating Hou International but to no avail.

After all, a lion lives there and his name is Hou Tian Lang.

To take her mind off her failure, she spent a lot of time buying things for herself and a few more for her daughter. She thought Chungsa would be delighted but she was greeted by a wailing daughter.

"Mom, I'm telling you, that bitch Hou Wei Yan bullied me!" Fe Chungsa bawled out as she hugged her mother. She was reminiscing her humiliation and damn, it infuriates her to the core. "She insulted me in front of everyone in the hospital. She played with me!"

"How dare she?!" Fe Rou Chao roared as she glared at Hou Wei Yan's siblings' eavesdropping. Are they happy now that their sister is back and wreaking havoc? They better think twice about that. "She's bearing her fang just because she came from America"

Fe Chungsa nodded her head while continuously crying. "She's so mean to me!"

"Aw, my baby girl" Fe Rou Chao coaxed as she stroked her brown hair. "Don't worry, Mommy will avenge you"

She'll avenge her daughter. And she will start with something Hou Wei Yan loves.

"Send the twins to the attic. Lock them and don't feed them for 2 days!" she immediately ordered making Hou Jei Li and Hou Wuxi flinch. [ Is it starting now? ]

The maid she ordered shivered at her order. Their Master does indeed neglect the twins but he never ordered something like this. No matter how much they are neglected, they are still Hou Guanyu's offspring, they don't deserve such treatment. "But Madame---"

"Do it!" Fe Rou Chao shouted in anger. Now even a maid dare disregard her order! "Ran Ai isn't here for the next two days so do it! Now!"

Although not wanting to do it, with her job on the line, the maid did as she was told. As she dragged the twins upstairs, she can't help but pray for a savior to come and take them away from this hell.

.....

Hou Wei Yan sighed for the fifth time today. Yesterday, Fang came in with a gunshot wound and until now, he's lying unconscious in the hospital bed. "Fang still hasn't woken up?"

"No" Meixiu immediately answered as she followed behind Hou Wei Yan. Both of them entered Yi Lan together, Ye Zhe absents for duty. According to him, someone more suitable is replacing him for the day.

"I'll check on him later" Wei Yan stated with a heavy sigh. That's her sixth for the day. "Who's his doctor?"

"Doctor Ashraf"

"Hmmm" she hummed in acknowledgment. He's one of her prospective doctors for her team so she's confident everything will be okay.

Right after they came in, a very extravagant Madame entered the facility, four bodyguards in tow.

It was Fe Rou Chao!

Qiu Meixiu followed Fe Rou Chao with her eyes and was worried for Wei Yan, but she was appalled when Wei Yan merely smirked at her entrance. "So it's the mother goose now"

Right after saying such a thing, Hou Wei Yan entered her office, not even batting an eye at the foul creature that entered their premises.

"Wei Wei" Meixiu called out, still worried about her.

Wei Yan glanced at her and gave her one sweet smile, one of her purest smiles that indicates everything is okay. There was nothing to worry about.

"Let them be, Sister Qiu" she stated as she sat down on her swivel chair. "Chungsa is stupid, but her mother is way stupider"

Hou Wei Yan opened up her cookie jar and took a bite before continuing her conclusion. "She'll probably visit Master Han and harm my reputation, thinking that she's an almighty person that gets whatever she wants"

Hearing such a thing was new to her. [ Fe Rou Chao is that stupid? ]

That's surprising, considering how she managed to kick out Princess Xing. "I thought she was a calculative person. To enter the Hou household, she must have done plenty of dirty jobs"

"In the past, I thought that as well. I thought she was a monster. I feared her, but then I realized, there are more terrifying monsters out there than my stepmother" Wei Yan reminisces with a smile.

Everyone thinks Fe Rou Chao is an all-powerful being who managed to kick out Princess Xing, but there was nothing in her to fear. In her travel abroad, she met many people much more dangerous than her stepmother.

[ Compared to them, Fe Rou Chao is like a docile bunny ]

If there's one thing to take notice of her, that's probably her seduction method. [ She's good at seduction and that's probably the only thing she's good at ]

"Her admission to the household was because of my father's love for her" Wei Yan shared with a silly smile. Her father was deeply smitten with her that he disregarded everything to make her his wife. Meanwhile, her mother was smitten with her father that she's willing to let him go so he can be happy with his true love.

"To put it simply, Fe Rou Chao isn't much of an enemy to me. But rather an ornament to make life a little bit exciting" she added as she took hold of the recruitment papers once more. A few more people and her team will be complete.

Meanwhile, Master Han who was informed of Madame Hou's visit was astonished to see Fe Rou Chao.

"I heard the Great Madame of the Hou Household was visiting" he began with a hint of mockery in his voice. "I didn't expect it would be you, Miss Fe"

Fe Rou Chao's brows immediately arched high at his statement. This insolent doctor! "And who were you expecting?"

Han Tengfei smiled at her question. [ She's asking something so obvious. Isn't she a tad bit afraid of what my answer will be? ]

"Who else owns that seat before you? The one more worthy of becoming the Madame Hou?"

Something inside her snapped the moment he mentioned such a thing. [ Xing Mei Yi is my mortal enemy! How could he?! ]

"I don't like your sharp tongue, Doctor" she stated between grated teeth. "Keep your nasty words as minimum as possible. Don't forget where you rank"

"Oh, and you think you have a rank?" Han Tengfei challenged with a smirk. So she's using the Royal rankings.

[ Isn't she a bit clueless to be using it? ]

A long time ago, the Regal Families was established as a privilege for those that have a very significant role in the economic and political state of the country. It's not only composed of businessmen but also military families and political ones.

As of current, the Xing Household takes the top in the Royalties as they indeed have royal blood and the President is their relative. This is followed by the Ji Household whose current successor, Ji Li Zhao continues to dominate the market and suppress the other families since he has the backing of the military family of Bei from where his mother came from. His transformation of Tianshi Conglomerate in just a year since he governed it earned a lot of approval from the others which, accompanied by his international company HILL Enterprise, earned him the title of Emperor.

The Ji(s) are followed by the Zheng Household who used to be in second place. They are a military family who had long established themselves as the number one military family there is. But because they do not take business as their priority, their ranking dropped. The one that ranks fourth is the Lu Household which has the same circumstances as the Zheng Family. They prioritize their duty as a military family and thus ranked fourth.

The Hou Household was considered the fifth in the ranking, but despite that, they are still very terrifying and are feared by others especially those outside the Royalties. Even though Hou Guanyu and Xing Mei Yi got divorced, it cannot be erased that they are family as they have two children and Xing are very supportive of them.

Meanwhile, the Han Household that Han Tengfei currently leads is ranked ninth in the Regal Families. But despite such ranking, everyone still pays great respect to them and even the Great Elders tiptoes at the mention of their family. For, unlike the others who got into the ranks for their military prowess and business achievements, the Han Household got in the rank for their unfathomable connection and talent. Because of their achievement in the Medical field, the country considered them a national treasure.

So Fe Rou Chao flaunting the Hou ranking is simply stupid. The Han ranked ninth because he didn't want too many eyes on his family matters. But if they base influence, he could outrank the Hou Household. If the brawl were to happen between the two families, the other Regal Families would side with him than Hou Guanyu—that's how powerful he is despite his humble exterior facade.

"Grandfather Hou and Guanyu are the only ones who can use that rank against me, but even they avoid using it. Do you know why?" he blurted out, hiding a devious smile now out in the open. "Because that rank is useless against me whose connection runs deeper than your empire"

"But that doesn't make you any higher than me, Doctor" Fe Rou Chao declared which made him laugh out loud.

[ God! She's so stupid it worries me! ]

"I forgot how awfully stupid you are, Fe Rou Chao" he said with insult. After a few seconds, his laugh subsided and he reverted to his professional look. "Tell me, why did you seek for me?"

"Hou Wei Yan" Fe Rou Chao started despite getting insulted by Master Han. She can take care of him later. What she needs now is Hou Wei Yan's dismissal. "I want her out of this hospital"

Actually, Master Han already had a hunch about what she was after the moment he saw her face, but hearing it directly from her is still infuriating.

[ Her head is up in the clouds. How mighty does she think she is for her to ask for a doctor's dismissal? ]

"You don't have any ties with us, Miss Fe" Han Tengfei said, his voice now devoid of kindness. "Your husband is no longer a board member in this hospital. We no longer offer any special treatment for him. Besides, does he even know of this?"

Fe Rou Chao, angered by his arrogance and rejection, slammed her fist on the table. "I want her out of here! She humiliated my daughter, something your doctors shouldn't do to patients! My husband treasures Chungsa more than that wench! So do as I say!"

"She came here not as a patient, but to cause havoc like a rampaging animal" Han Tengfei retorted, not liking how she's degrading his daughter-in-law. "Just like her mother"

"You---"

"Xing Mei Yi is my wife's best friend and Hou Wei Yan is my goddaughter. I would never forgo them for your petty and unreasonable request" he said aloud. There's no reason for him to entertain her, but he did anyway. Now, he's regretting such a decision.

"Leave"

"People will hear of this, mark my words" Fe Rou Chao threatened which only made him chuckle in delight.

[ Ah, the delight of stupidity! ]

"Go, spread the word" he mocked with laughter. "I believe in my wife's power. Go against us and you will find yourself dumped with garbage by the people you call friends"

That's right, the Han Household has Tong Yixue. She's a terrifying woman no one should meddle with. The Tong Family which focuses on jewelry and diamonds has numerous connections with the socialites. Han Yixue has all of it at her disposal because she came from that family and she's dearly loved by them all. "She doesn't attend much social gathering, but once she does, you'll be kicked out"

"You wouldn't - - -"

Han Tengfei immediately said, his words bearing a terrifying power in them. "Leave!"

"We're not done yet!"

With a sigh, he clapped his hands, and in came his strong, reliable, yet sleep-deprived guard, Ke Bai who happens to be a member of Palisade's Great Nobles. "You littered my office too much already"

Ke Bai immediately dragged Fe Rou Chao out. She didn't even have a second to retort a protest as she was thrown out like a plastic bag.

"What a stupid monkey" Han Tengfei mumbled with laughter.

[ Ah, she's no fun at all. If it wasn't for Xing Mei Yi's compassion, she would have remained the fallen Fe Household's third daughter! ]

Once Rou Chao left his premises, a call suddenly came in. Han Tengfei accepted the call with a sigh.

[ Is it trouble again? ]

"Doctor Han Tengfei speaking"

"Uncle" a deep voice called out, a very familiar voice at that.

Upon realizing who it was, his eyes immediately twinkled in delight. It's his son and like a proud father, he called out with kindness. "Xiao Zhao"

"I have a little request" Ji Li Zhao stated without hesitation as he wore a plain V-neck shirt right from their closet.

Han Tengfei tilted his head in confusion. [ What request does he need that he directly came to me? ]

"Request?"

.....

It was already two o'clock in the afternoon, many patients have been tended and yet Fang Tao still remains unconscious. Hou Wei Yan was growing weary but she cannot allow her anxiety to affect her work.

So despite her anxious state, Wei Yan still smiled at her patients as she handed down the prescription she wrote.

The patient smiled in return in gratitude for the kind doctor. "Thank you, Doctor"

Wei Yan nodded her head, truly appreciating her kindness. "Come back after one week so we can check if the medicine works well on you"

"I will" the patient replied as she bowed down to her. "Thank you"

Once the door was closed, Wei Yan heaved another sigh. "Any news yet?"

"Not yet" Meixiu replied while shaking her head. Like Wei Yan, she was also wishing for Fang's recovery. "His nurse promised to call if he ever wakes up"

"Thank you, Sister Qiu" Wei Yan said as she smiled. Having Meixiu beside her is a great assurance.

With her reply, Qiu Meixiu went outside to guide the next patient.

And surprisingly, the next patient was the person paying her handsomely. His identity was deeply concealed it's quite remarkable. "Please come inside"

Ji Li Zhao nodded his head as he slowly entered his wife's office. Upon entering, Ji Li Zhao immediately took off his mask and greeted the doctor with a smile. "Doctor Hou"

"Oh" Hou Wei Yan opened up in surprise. It's been a while since she saw him. In fact, this is the first time she saw him again after she was married.

"Mr. Ji"

[ Wait. Ji? ]

[ It can't be?! ]

"Are you Hou Chungsa's fiancee?" Wei Yan asked with curiosity. She remembered Tan Jia's report to her. Her Stepsister, Fe Chungsa's fiancee was from the Ji Family.

Ji Li Zhao was surprised by her sudden question. [ Hou Chungsa's fiancee? What absurdity is she sprouting? ]

"Excuse me?"

Hou Wei Yan twirled the pen in her hands as though interrogating a criminal. "Chungsa said she's engaged to Master Ji"

[ Ah! So this is about the rumor Chungsa keeps on spreading! ] he can't believe she would remember it despite her low tolerance for gossips.

"I'm merely a commoner patient. I can't possibly be Master Ji" Li Zhao answered with a chuckle. "Besides, I would never accept getting engaged to Hou Chungsa"

"Hmmm" Wei Yan hummed, her eyes twinkling in amusement. A lot of men find Chungsa attractive, and given her stolen status as the first daughter of the Hous, they are vying for her as their wife. But he, despite being a commoner, is rejecting her vehemently. It suddenly piqued her interest because something like that is a rare occurrence. "That's surprising"

"Are you related to her, Doctor?" Ji Li Zhao asked to change the topic. Having his wife mention such an absurd thing is making him dizzy.

"Unfortunately, yes" she answered before smiling at him warmly. "Should we begin, Mr. Ji?"

Ji Li Zhao merely nodded his head. "What's the problem, Mr. Ji?"

"I'm here for a full body checkup"

Hou Wei Yan nodded her head as Qiu Meixiu handed her Ji Li Zhao's past medical chart. As per the check-up procedure, they began with the height and weight.

His height of 6'3 remained the same. But as soon as Wei Yan measured his weight, her face immediately contorted in worry. "You seem to have lost some weight. Are you on a diet?"

"No" Ji Li Zhao answered without hesitation. He was never on a diet. In fact, he never bothered with his food. He only eats what Gu Man arranged for him. "I've been quite busy lately"

"How many times do you eat?"

Ji Li Zhao slightly tilted his, pondering whether it was right to lie or not. After a few seconds of deliberation, he stared at his wife who was eagerly waiting for his reply.

She deserves to know the truth, as both his wife and his doctor. "Twice. I often skip breakfast"

"Only breakfast?" Hou Wei Yan further inquired, skeptical of his answer. "Skipping breakfast doesn't justify your sudden weight loss"

He lost 10 kgs and it was apparent from his appearance. His usual bulky body was obviously thinner than last.

"When I'm too busy, I often forgo lunch" Ji Li Zhao answered to clear his name. He doesn't want her to misunderstand that he's hiding something from her. "Honestly, I only eat when I feel awfully hungry. I take sweets to make up for it"

[ Eating when he's awfully hungry and only taking in sweets? He's being reckless and he's not even considering his health at all! ]

[ Isn't he afraid of diabetes or ulcer? ]

"Sweets must be taken into consideration of your age, Mr. Ji. You'll be at risk of diabetes if you continue such habit" she immediately lectured while shaking her head in disappointment. No matter how busy a person is, they still need to eat properly. If their health plummets, they can no longer work properly and efficiently!

"Your past body mass was appropriate for your age and height. Losing this much makes you quite underweight"

Ji Li Zhao slowly descended from the balance and began feeling anxious for his health. He's been really really busy that he neglected his health thinking that his busy days will soon be over. He never thought such a decision would affect his health to such a degree.

"What do you recommend, Doc?" he asked as Hou Wei Yan motioned him to take a seat.

"I'll write down nutritional meals" Wei Yan replied before she placed the sphygmomanometer to measure his blood pressure. As she slowly adjusted the instrument, she stared at him seriously. Although his underweight, his muscles are still present that it's quite surprising. "Do you still exercise?"

"Still on schedule" Ji Li Zhao answered as he relaxed. After a few seconds, Hou Wei Yan removed the sphygmomanometer and wrote down his blood pressure.

Wei Yan nodded her head when she saw that it was still under the normal range. "Well, you can keep it up along the nutritional meals I will recommend"

After stating this, Wei Yan proceeded with the check-up. She placed her stethoscope on his chest and shifted closer to him, although their distance was a bit far compared to their last check-up.

Wei Yan right now is conscious of her actions. Unlike in the past when she can freely feel happy with his appearance and think of flirting, now she can only admire his beauty as a married woman.

Ji Li Zhao smiled at her actions. She's watching her actions in consideration of her husband. As usual, she's a very loyal person.

After a few seconds, Wei Yan removed the stethoscope and stood up. She then went back to her seat to write down her diagnosis.

Thankfully, his heart rate was normal. She need not worry anymore about any heart problems.

Ji Li Zhao, after a few practices on her pictures, can finally calm his heart in her presence! That was something he was glad about so he can avoid worrying about her too much.

"For now, you have a normal heart rate. I don't see anything that needs attention other than your weight loss" Wei Yan blurted out, taking him back to reality. "I'll prescribe you some vitamins to help you gain some weight"

As Wei Yan handed down her prescription, Ji Li Zhao accepted it with a huge smile on her face. "Thank you, Doctor Hou"

Ah, there goes one dazzling smile that Wei Yan nearly got blinded by it. This man is bad for the heart.

He can't move her like the last time, but his mere appearance can make her heart skip a beat. He's like the idols she always adored in the past!

"No problem, Mr. Ji" Hou Wei Yan replied after she got out of his dazzling limbo. She then turned towards Qiu Meixiu and motioned her to guide Ji Li Zhao out.

Qiu Meixiu nodded her head and glanced at Ji Li Zhao who was now standing up. He placed back his mask and cap before he took a bow at her. Meixiu and Li Zhao then exited the room together.

Once they got outside, he hardened his gaze and stared at her seriously. He stood there not as her friend's husband or their patient, but as her employer and her boss. "Let my wife decide what will happen to Fang. His mistake can dismiss him as her guard but if she wants him to stay, then I will overlook his mistake"

Meixiu nodded her head at his order. She understands him completely. Fang's mistake does indeed warrant his job, but at the same time, he deserves a second chance if the one he's guarding gives him one. "I will do as you ordered"

"Thank you, Sister Qiu" Ji Li Zhao kindly said. Even though Meixiu was his employee, her past existence in his childhood cannot be overlooked so he ought to treat her with kindness when he's not acting as her boss.

"I should be the one thanking you for giving me this wonderful job" Meixiu replied with a bow.

Truly, ever since she accepted the job, she always looks forward to the next day. She thought assisting Wei Yan is an exhausting job to do, but surprisingly, it wasn't. In fact, if not for the Fe Witches, their days could have remained peaceful.

Ji Li Zhao nodded his head before he turned around. "I shall get going"

"Take care, Boss" she mumbled in reply. After Ji Li Zhao left, one of the nurses assigned to Fang Tao approached her.

"Mr. Fang has regained consciousness" the nurse informed before returning to the nurse station.

Upon hearing this, Meixiu's burdened heart felt relieved, and hurriedly, she rushed to Wei Yan's side to deliver the good news. "Fang has regained consciousness"

Hou Wei Yan's anxious eyes calmed down in an instant and she looked at her with relief. Ah, finally, he has regained consciousness and can finally face her scolding!

"Let's finish the appointments first and visit him" Wei Yan instructed as she checked her list of patients. There are only a few of them left so they should prioritize it.

"Got it" Meixiu immediately answered. She turned around, ready to call the next patient but she halted when she remembered Ji Li Zhao's order. Slowly, she turned back and faced Wei Yan.

"By the way, Wei Wei" she started with nervousness. Fang's fate lies in her hands. [ What choice will Wei Wei make regarding this matter? ]

"Do you still want Fang as your guard? He lost control of his emotions. What if he gets swayed again in the future?"

Hou Wei Yan stopped scribbling on the papers and turned her full attention to Meixiu. [ Why is she asking? ]

[ Is it because she's worried about his job? ]

[ Or is it an order from my husband? ]

Either way, no matter what it's meant for, Hou Wei Yan has only one answer to that question.

"Of course, I still want him as my guard" she said with a smile. What happened to him has nothing to do with his job. What happened to him brought no harm to her. But as his friend, she needs to scold him thoroughly for acting recklessly.

As a guard though, Fang is someone she can rely on.

Besides, if she dismisses him, what will happen to him? She now considers Fang as her friend, and he finally opened up to them. [ If he returns to his past job, wouldn't he also revert to the cold robotic Fang like our first meeting? ]

"Fang finally gained and showed us some human emotions. If I dismiss him, I'm afraid he will revert back to the cold-hearted Fang Tao"

Meixiu smiled at her answer. [ That's fortunate ]

After doing this, Meixiu turned around and opened the door. With her clear and dignified voice fitting a Military woman, she called out the next patient and escorted her inside. "Miss Roan"

Once the door was closed and the patient was well seated, Hou Wei Yan immediately reverted to her professional self and flashed the patient with her warm and welcoming smile. "What can I help you?"