Chapter 11 - Getting Wet by the Lotus Pond

Xie Cheng felt that he was reduntant here, as if his only purpose here was to witness Su Tao’s medical skills.

Tang Nanzheng sighed, “The Four Division Acupuncture Technique, there’s no more than ten that knows this technique set in the country.”

Tang Nanzheng’s evaluation was akin to a heavy slap to Xie Cheng, leaving his cheeks burning.

Xie Cheng also did not know how he left the consultation room. But Tang Nanzheng had instructed him to help Su Tao get familiar with the TCM Department and have him to be Su Tao’s assistant.

Everyone in the TCM Department was filled with hostility for Su Tao, which was caused by Xie Cheng, since he couldn’t allow anyone seize his fruits of labour from him.

From someone taking charge in the TCM Department to an assistant, the unhappiness made Xie Cheng’s mind to go blank and he nearly lost his rationale.

Xie Cheng walked towards the stairs with a cold flash in his eyes before he dialed the phone of Committee Secretary Qiao Dehao. “Secretary Qiao, I need your help.”

Xie Cheng’s medical skills were pretty good, since Tang Nanzheng greatly trusted him. But he couldn’t be the Department Head of the TCM Department and felt that Di Shiyuan was biased towards him. Thus, he took the initiative to be connected to Qiao Dehao. Qiao Dehao had also promised that he would help Xie Cheng become the Head of the TCM Department while Xie Cheng would support him to become the President.

Qiao Dehao had been dealing with Di Shiyuan in the dark, trying to force the latter to hand over his Presidency. So with a supporter, his odds would be higher as well.

Without even an hour, the patients had all left and Tang Nanzheng looked at Su Tao with a smile. “President Di’s eyesight is excellent. You are truly better than everyone in the TCM Department, and the position of a Department Head goes well with you.”

Su Tao was stunned as he looked at Di Shiyuan. He looked at the smile on the latter’s face and pondered why he would be given another title. Titles weren’t things to mess around with, since it would represent more responsibility. Thus, he immediately refuted, “Physician Tang, you’ve misunderstood. I’m just a temporary physician here, since I have a pharmacy to look after.”

Tang Nanzheng waved his hand as he smiled. “You mean the Three Flavour Hall? Your Grandfather and I are friends, I had also invited him to join the community, but it was a pity that he lived a simple life and rejected me. Otherwise, the status of the TCM Department in the hospital wouldn’t be so bleak.”

Di Shiyuan added from the side, “It was Physician Tang that introduced your Grandfather to me.”

Tang Nanzheng smiled, “We have not met before, which is why I gave you a test, and you also scored perfectly. You are fully capable as the Department Head. I am getting on in my age, exhausting myself every time I conduct a consultation. I can also retire and focus on nursing my health by handing the TCM Department to you, and Di Shiyuan wouldn’t come bothering me as well.”

Di Shiyuan quickly smiled. “Physician Tang, you are a pillar of the Jianghuai Hospital. Even if Physician Su is willing to accept the position of a Department Head, you won’t be free. Furthermore, don’t be too stressed about this, Physician Su. You still have the Three Flavour Hall to manage so you can have the title, and someone else would do the management work for you.”

Su Tao knew that he was already forced on the pirate ship. The meaning behind Di Shiyuan’s words was evident. He would only be dealing with those problematic illnesses, and he could toss his management work aside. With how strict the Jianghuai Hospital was, Di Shiyuan’s actions were akin to granting Su Tao freedom.

Su Tao was a person that was amenable to coaxing, but not coercion. Seeing how Di Shiyuan and Tang Nanzheng were his grandfather’s old friends and how they looked at him with adoration, he blushed. “Then, I’ll give it a try. But as I have said before, if I feel that I’m not suitable here, then please allow me to leave.”

Within a day, Su Tao’s title as a temporary physician here had changed into the Department Head of Jianghuai Hospital with his own office.

For some reason, he felt that Di Shiyuan had this prepared beforehand, since the office was perfectly cleaned.

He removed his robe and saw Xie Cheng entering with a smile on his face and he had stretched out his hand. “Congratulations on becoming the Department Head of our TCM Department.”

Su Tao glanced at Xie Cheng’s facial muscles and knew that he was thinking differently in his heart.

Su Tao had already guessed from the competition that Xie Cheng probably caused the hostility from the TCM Department. Thus, he faintly replied, “There’s no need to be so polite. Even if we shook our hands, I’m afraid that it’s hard for us to be friends.”

Xie Cheng awkwardly pulled his hand back and watched as Su Tao left with a medical box. His fists were tightly balled together with indignation flashing in his eyes. He swore to himself that he would chase Su Tao out of Jianghuai Hospital.

He had an appointment with Vera in a park nearby. Secretary Li had dropped Vera off before turning a corner.

Su Tao looked at Vera and smiled. “Walking with you is pretty stressful.”

Vera had a tall height and she wore a peach-coloured suit that outlined her figure, looking like a goddess.

Vera crooked her head and smiled at Su Tao. “Why? Because I’m a foreigner?”

Su Tao glanced at Vera’s fair neck as he answered, “Countries do not distinguish beauty. You are a natural beauty and the focal point no matter where you go. So as I am walking with you, I would naturally attract lots of jealousy from others.”

Vera rolled her eyes. “Am I that beautiful? Why hasn’t anyone praised me about it?”

Su Tao analysed and explained to Vera, “Because in the eyes of others, you’re beyond their reach. Everyone treats you more as superior than a woman.”

Vera’s interest was piqued as she hooked Su Tao’s arm. “You have taste!”

Seeing how Vera was made happy by his words, he knew that he had unconsciously flirted with her. Women were mostly listening creatures, so words were even more effective than strong alcohol. Just pour some cheesy words, and it would be enough for them to be intoxicated.

Although the park wasn’t big, it had its specialities; an enclosure of bamboo forest. At dusk, the golden shine would fall on the bamboo, which made them look elegant.

Vera suddenly cried out and ran up ahead to the pond that was filled with lotuses. Su Tao had also quickened his steps and followed up. He saw that Vera had already removed her shoes and stockings before she walked on the sand and reached out for the nearest lotus.

Su Tao couldn’t help taking his phone out and quickly took a photo of this scene.

However, Vera had overestimated the length of her arm. She lost her balance and fell into the pond as she yelled, “Help!”

Su Tao helplessly shook his head as he looked at the panicking Vera and smiled. “Listen to my instructions. Don’t move and slowly stand up.”

The pond wasn’t deep. It was only at Vera’s knees. She quickly realised it and knitted her brows. “Shit, I seemed to have sprained my ankle!”

Only then, did Su Tao start to panic. He removed his shoes and entered the pond, reaching out his hand towards Vera’s feet. However, he suddenly felt a warmth on his back. Vera sat on him, which had caught him by surprise and he fell into the water.

When he stood up, Vera was already out of the pond. She gracefully held her shoes and put on a face and said, “Who asked you to take joy at my misfortune!”

Su Tao bitterly smiled. As a powerful woman, how could Vera bear the fact that someone had seen her in such an embarrassing state? Thus, she had purposely pranked him.

But that also meant that Vera’s illness was much better now. She was more optimistic and bright. She could even prank someone, so that meant that her illness was setting off in the right direction.

The two of them were drenched and Su Tao sighed, “If we go eat like this, people would think that we’re beggars. Let's go get changed first.”

Vera blinked, then she smiled. “That’s easy, we’ll look for a hotel, and I’ll get Secretary Li to get us something to change into.”

Roughly twenty minutes later in the hotel, Secretary Li rang the bell and passed the change of clothes to Su Tao, before he smiled. “I’ll not bother you guys, then.”

When Su Tao saw the smile on Secretary Li’s face, he knew that Secretary Li had misunderstood, so he explained, “We fell into the pond earlier while looking at lotuses in the park.”

However, Secretary Li winked as he spoke with his voice lowered before leaving as he hummed, “Go for it!”

After Vera was done changing, Su Tao walked into the washroom and saw Vera’s clothes in the basin. There was a light-blue panty that looked as revealing as a thong with a light mark on it. It was just freshly removed.

Suddenly, Vera pushed open the door and saw Su Tao looking at her panties, before she folded her arms. “Haven’t seen them before?”

She was very sensitive about this, so she came in intending to take them away.

Su Tao looked at Vera’s appearance, and he used his finger to hook the panties before tossing them to Vera and laughed, “This is just mediocre, I have seen more bizarre panties than yours.”

Vera snorted as she caught her panties in her hand and inwardly thought that Su Tao wasn’t as innocent as she thought.

When Vera closed the door, Su Tao looked at his reflection in the mirror for a long time before he wiped his nose. There was a creek of blood flowing from his nose.

Su Tao took two deep breaths before he patted his face with cold water to calm the fire in his heart. If he had treated Vera purely as a patient, then his heart would be able to remain calm. But as the two of them continued to interact, the patient-doctor relationship became faint.

Su Tao changed his clothes while thinking that if Vera opened the door again, he would push her down without any hesitation. But it was a pity that the door wasn’t opened even after he had changed his clothes.

When Su Tao came out of the washroom, he realised that Vera had completely changed her style. She wore shorts that outlined her buns and a tight blouse that stuck firmly to her skin with her deep cleavage exposed.

Vera didn’t seem satisfied with the clothes that Secretary Li had brought. As a businesswoman, it was natural for her to wear formal clothes. So at this moment, she felt uneasy wearing such clothes.

Su Tao noticed that there’s another charm to the current Vera, she looked more youthful in these clothes. She looked similar to the Russian tennis star, Anna Sergeevna Kournikova.