Chapter 35

「Jiang……Jiangnan……you……are dreaming! 」 Ye Wan's voice broke off intermittently, each word as if squeezed from between her teeth, full of pain and obstinacy: 「I……I Ye Wan……just……just die from pain……also……will not……yield to you……」

She endured the intense pain, turned her head to look at the private doctor beside her who had already been frightened pale, and shouted sternly: "What are you still standing there for? Give me……increase the dosage of the painkiller……quick!"

In the hotel lobby, the atmosphere was oppressive enough to make one breathless. The crystal chandelier emitted a cold light, shining on everyone's terrified faces, making them look deathly pale. The air was filled with a faint smell of disinfectant, mixed with Ye Wan's painful moans, making one's heart palpitate.

The private doctor trembled all over, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He of course knew that the dosage of painkillers had strict limits; overuse would cause severe side effects, even endanger life. But faced with Ye Wan's order, he dared not show the slightest defiance.

"Ye……Miss Ye, this……" the private doctor said with trembling hand, taking out another painkiller again, the needle tip flashing coldly under the light, like the scythe of the Grim Reaper.

"How? Do you want to defy my order?" Ye Wan's voice was hoarse, but her eyes were sharp as a knife, as if she wanted to swallow the private doctor alive.

The private doctor shuddered with fright, just about to push the painkiller into Ye Wan's body, when suddenly his vision blurred and a huge force struck him; his whole body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, crashing heavily to the ground, and the painkiller in his hand rolled aside.

"Ah!" the private doctor cried out in anguish, feeling his viscera displaced, pain curling him up into a ball, unable to get up again.

Jiangnan slowly drew back his foot, his eyes icy as frost, like ten-thousand-year-old ice that does not melt, sending a chill down one's spine. Looking down at the private doctor, his voice cold and oppressive: "Quack doctor! Are you saving people or killing them? To curry favor with your master, have you abandoned even the most basic medical ethics?"

"You……you nonsense! I……I am a professional doctor! You……you know nothing about medicine!" the private doctor retorted, braving the pain with a show of bravado but inner weakness.

"Whether I understand medicine or not, you are not qualified to judge." Jiangnan snorted coldly, his tone full of contempt: "People like you don't deserve to wear this white coat."

"You……you……" the private doctor wanted to say more, but was cut off by a sharper wave of pain.

Ye Wan writhed on the ground from the pain, her face ashen as paper, lips cyan, her whole body drenched in cold sweat. She clutched her lower abdomen with both hands, nails digging deep into the flesh, blood seeping out between her fingers, a shocking sight.

"Pain……so much pain……save……save me……" Ye Wan's voice was weak, almost inaudible, but that deep‑bone‑aching pain was clearly conveyed to everyone present.

"Doctor……quick……quickly save my lady!" Ye Wan's personal bodyguard shouted anxiously, his gaze at the private doctor filled with anger and despair.

"I……I……" the private doctor struggled to get up, but his whole body had no strength, and he could only moan helplessly.

"Quack! It's all your fault! I'll kill you!" Ye Wan's bodyguard blazed with anger, grabbed the private doctor's collar, and swung his fist to strike.

"Stop!" Just then, a dignified voice sounded, the crowd automatically parted to make a path, and an old man with white hair and gold‑rimmed glasses walked over.

The old man was precisely Li Mingde, president of Yunzhou First Hospital; tonight he was also an invited guest at the banquet. Hearing the commotion here, he immediately rushed over.

Li Mingde walked to Ye Wan's side, made a quick check, and his face instantly turned ashen. He whirled around, pointing at the private doctor and roared: "Scoundrel! You actually still want to use painkillers? Are you trying to kill Miss Ye?"

"I……I……" the private doctor trembled with fright, stammering unable to speak.

"Smack!" Li Mingde unhesitatingly slapped the private doctor's face; the sharp crack echoed especially harshly in the silent hall.

"People like you are not fit to be doctors! You are committing murder! I will report you to the health authorities and have your medical license revoked!" Li Mingde's hair stood on end with rage, his whole body trembling, obviously furious to the extreme.

Only then did the private doctor recognize Li Mingde; cold sweat instantly broke out over his body, as if he had fallen into an ice cellar. He thumped to his knees, clutching Li Mingde's legs and pleading desperately: "President Li, I was wrong, please spare me this once, I will never dare again……"

Ye Wan stared at everything unfolding before her, utterly dumbfounded. She never imagined that the private doctor she had always trusted was actually a quack, and had nearly killed her.

At that moment, a wave of even more intense pain struck; Ye Wan could no longer endure it, she screamed in agony, writhing on the ground nonstop, her body curling up like a shrimp scalded in boiling water.

"Waner! Waner, what's wrong with you?" Ye Zhentian heart‑achedly embraced Ye Wan, seeing her painful state, his heart felt as if cut by a knife.

"Grandfather……pain……I am in so much pain……" Ye Wan's voice hoarse, tears blurring her eyes, she felt as if her body were being torn apart, every inch of skin filled with sharp pain.

"Waner, don't be afraid, Grandfather will surely save you!" Ye Zhentian forced back his heartache, turned his head to look at Jiangnan, eyes full of pleading: "Mr. Jiang, please, save Waner; if you can save her, I will agree to anything!"

Jiangnan looked at Ye Wan with a blank expression, his eyes devoid of any pity. He spoke lightly: "Old Master Ye, I said before, if you want me to act, unless the eldest Miss Ye kneels and begs me."

Ye Zhentian's face fell at once upon hearing that. He knew Jiangnan's temperament—he said what he meant and never changed his mind easily. But to have his beloved granddaughter kneel before someone she had always looked down upon was more painful than killing him.

"Waner, you……" Ye Zhentian hesitated, not knowing how to speak.

Ye Wan also heard Jiangnan's words; she endured the intense pain, lifted her head, and looked at Li Mingde with a pleading gaze, hoping the president of Yunzhou First Hospital could save her.

Li Mingde, however, acted as if he hadn't seen Ye Wan's gaze; he lowered his head, remained silent, as if detached from the situation. He was a smart man, knowing Jiangnan's status was not simple, and also knowing he could not afford to offend Jiangnan.

Ye Wan's heart sank to the bottom; she knew that, aside from begging Jiangnan for mercy, there was no other way left.

"Jiang……Jiangnan……I……I beg you……" Ye Wan's voice was weak, almost inaudible, but that deep‑bone‑aching pain forced her to lower her head.

"Beg me?" Jiangnan curled the corner of his mouth in a sneer: "Miss Ye, you just said you would rather die from pain than yield to me—how did you change your mind now?"

"I……I……" Ye Wan felt ashamed beyond words, yet unable to retort. She gritted her teeth, endured the intense pain, and slowly bent her knees.

"Plop!" With that sound, Ye Wan knelt before Jiangnan, her proud head bowed low, tears dripping onto the cold marble floor and splashing into pathetic little pools.

"Jiangnan……I was wrong……please……save me!"