Long Xingyu nodded. "You guessed it right. Word is, that bastard was secretly partnering with someone to set up a research center behind his mentor's back. He even wanted to start developing and selling medical beauty products."
"His mentor said he'd gone mad with greed and was a disgrace to him. He told him that once he's out, he better never claim to have been his student again. Xiang Hua must be absolutely furious this time."
"If you ask me, Xiao Anning's behavior this time really crossed the line! It's like he's forgotten he's a practicing physician."
Truthfully, Xiao Anning probably never saw himself as a doctor committed to healing. Whether studying medicine or following Elder Xiang afterward, it had always just been a means to an end—his ticket to power, wealth, and status. Medicine, for him, had never been a calling, only a convenient career path.
But how many people really choose their career out of passion? And how many stay true to it with dedication?
Shu Lanzhou couldn't answer that question. But she believed that once someone stepped into the field of medicine, at the very least, they owed their patients sincerity, responsibility, and the will to do no harm.
After having dinner with the Mu family at the old residence, Shu Lanzhou and Mu Side headed up to the attic.
Beforehand, she had specially brought along her uncle's medical records.
She had already skimmed them on the way over. From the reports, it was obvious how severe his injuries had been—fractured leg bones, three broken ribs, internal bleeding, a concussion... not to mention the various external wounds.
According to the hospitalization records, he had spent three full months in the ICU. Full recovery took two to three years. During that time, he relied on constant medication—herbal remedies prescribed personally by Elder Mu, and an extensive list of Western medications for internal and external trauma.
It was no exaggeration to say that medicine had become his daily sustenance during that period.
Shu Lanzhou ran her finger down the dense medication list.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
She pulled out all the medication logs, laid them out together, and began comparing them line by line.
"Could this be the reason?" she murmured to herself.
Mu Side leaned in to look, his brow furrowing slightly.
"These few combinations have mild toxicity when taken together... and here, and here as well—these could produce subtle poisonous effects too."
"Are you saying Uncle's... dysfunction isn't due to trauma or physical damage, but actual poisoning?"
Shu Lanzhou hesitated. "It's too early to tell. Look at the timing of these prescriptions—they're spaced pretty far apart. I think Grandpa might've suspected possible toxicity at the time too."
"Grandpa knew—but Uncle probably didn't care." Mu Side stood up.
"I heard from Aunt that his mental state wasn't great during recovery. After half a year of healing, he was getting desperate to be well again."
Shu Lanzhou frowned. "You're saying... he took meds on his own, ignoring medical advice?"
"Very likely." Mu Side turned and walked out. "I'm going to ask him myself."
Once Mu Side left, Shu Lanzhou began sorting out all the potentially toxic drug combinations. The toxins in these herbs were minor and would normally be metabolized quickly under proper dosages.
But for the kind of severe internal damage Uncle had, the level of toxicity required to cause lasting harm had to be much greater—unless...
Shu Lanzhou decided she needed to run some tests in the lab. With dozens, even hundreds of herbal ingredients interacting, it was possible that new compounds had been formed through certain combinations. What kind of side effects those would produce couldn't be known without experimentation.
Just as she stepped out of the attic, she saw Mu Side storming out of the main building, face flushed with rage. The moment he saw her, the anger on his face gave way to a flash of guilt and distress.
"What did Uncle say to you to get you this mad?" Shu Lanzhou caught up with him, placing a calming hand on his chest.
Mu Side suddenly pulled her into a tight embrace.
"Tell me, how many people in this world make decisions for others in the name of love—while putting themselves in harm's way?"
"People like that... must love too deeply," Shu Lanzhou said softly, hugging him back. "Just like how Uncle loved Aunt Xingyu."
"That's not love, that's idiocy," Mu Side growled, furious.
"Shushu, I don't want you to ever sacrifice yourself for me like that. No matter when, no matter what—your safety and well-being must always come first, understand?"
He cupped her face in both hands, demanding an answer.
Shu Lanzhou smiled gently and returned the gesture.
"You don't have to worry. I grew up starved of love, hurt and used. I've learned—loving myself comes first. I won't ever hurt myself for someone else's sake."
"To me, love has to come with honesty. Always. I don't want well-meaning lies. A lie is a lie—there's no such thing as 'good' or 'bad' intentions behind it."
Mu Side looked at her, utterly comforted, and pulled her into another hug.
"That's the Shu Shu I love. Let's not be like those two idiots—wasting half a lifetime and still not ending up together. Honestly, they deserved it."
Shu Lanzhou didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"That's Uncle you're talking about. Better not let him hear you say that," she said helplessly.
Mu Side bristled.
"So what if he hears? He had it coming! So obsessed with saving face he nearly died for it. If it weren't for Aunt Xingyu, he'd have been beaten to death by that Zhang woman already! And now, ignoring medical advice and taking meds on his own—his stupidity even dragged Aunt Xingyu down with him!"
"He really didn't follow instructions?" Shu Lanzhou's face changed. "Tell me everything—what exactly did he take?"
Over the next three days, Shu Lanzhou and Mu Side buried themselves in the lab, recreating the effects of the intense drug combinations Uncle had taken.
While they were racking their brains to uncover the truth behind his poisoning, Xiao Anning went to find Luo Jialin.
Since resigning from Guo Hospital, Xiao Anning had returned to his hometown for a while. When he came back, a shadow seemed to hang over him.
"You…" Luo Jialin was stunned by the transformation in front of him.
Xiao Anning had once looked like the model physician—calm, refined, always in a white coat with thin-framed glasses. He had seemed patient and meticulous.
Now, clad in a tailored suit and eyes full of calculation, he looked more like a cunning businessman.
"I've left Guo Hospital. I plan to focus full-time on overseeing our research center. We need to get our product to market soon. President Luo, I'm looking forward to making a fortune with you."
Xiao Anning extended his hand.
For some reason, at that moment, Luo Jialin began to regret partnering with him.
Luo Jialin had wanted to prove himself—not just to his family, but to Shu Lanzhou and the others. But what he wanted to prove was his capability, not how much money he could make.
He knew it sounded contradictory, but as someone who'd never wanted for money growing up, he'd developed a deep aversion to people like Han Weicheng and Xiao Anning, who worshipped money above all else.
So vulgar. So small.
Just as he was reluctantly reaching out to shake Xiao Anning's hand, his phone rang. It was a call from his family.
A chill ran through Luo Jialin. He pulled back and answered immediately. "Sorry, it's my grandfather."
He stepped aside to take the call.
"I don't care where you are—get your ass home this instant!" Luo Grandfather's voice thundered with fury.
Luo Jialin didn't dare hesitate. He didn't even get a chance to ask Xiao Anning why he'd really left the hospital. In a panic, he rushed back home.