"Helping people is just a small effort. If I were to accept your money, the nature of the situation would change, so please take this check back."
Du Fei politely refused, not even looking at the check the middle-aged man handed him.
As the middle-aged man was about to speak, Gong Chengbin, standing beside him, said, "Friend, my brother has saved countless lives. While it might be an exaggeration to call him a living Buddha, a doctor has a parent's heart. He won't accept your money."
With that said, the middle-aged couple exchanged glances. The man then put the check back in his pocket and took out a business card.
"Since you won't accept a check, please accept this business card. If there's ever anything you need my help with, feel free to call me."
This time, seeing the sincere look on the middle-aged man's face, Du Fei didn't refuse.
The couple, along with their daughter, said a few more words of thanks and prepared to leave the private room.
"Um, young man, my Lily's complexion is still a bit poor. She's lost a lot of blood. I saw the pill you gave her earlier was quite effective. Could you possibly part with some for us? Don't worry, we won't take it for free. Just name your price."
As a mother, the middle-aged woman was naturally heartbroken seeing her daughter's pale face.
She suddenly remembered the pill Du Fei had given her daughter earlier, which seemed very effective. So, she tentatively made the request.
After she finished speaking, the middle-aged man looked at Du Fei with equal expectation.
He had also thought of this, but seeing Du Fei only give a sesame-seed sized amount earlier, he guessed the pill was very precious and felt a bit embarrassed to ask.
"I'm afraid I can't agree to that."
As soon as Du Fei said this, everyone in the room's expression changed.
The girl's parents had initially thought that no matter how precious Du Fei's pill was, they were willing to pay a high price to buy it.
To their surprise, Du Fei flatly refused, and from his demeanor, it seemed there was no room for negotiation.
As for Gong Chengbin, he chimed in, "Du Fei, spare some. I saw earlier that just a sesame-seed sized amount made the young lady wake up. Now she's lost so much blood and is so weak. Just help her out."
The middle-aged couple also pleaded with him, following Gong Chengbin's words.
Du Fei, not being foolish, immediately realized that everyone had likely misunderstood his actions.
He quickly explained, "Actually, you've all misunderstood. It's not that I'm reluctant to give the young lady the pill. It's that the pill's primary function isn't to treat illnesses. Moreover, its potency is extremely strong. If I hadn't assisted with my internal energy earlier, even a sesame-seed sized amount, as you saw, would have been enough to shatter her internal organs. Instead of saving her, it would have harmed her."
Everyone was in an uproar.
Gong Chengbin showed an expression of sudden realization.
He thought to himself, based on his understanding of Du Fei, no matter how precious the pill was, Du Fei would never be stingy when it came to saving a life.
The middle-aged couple offered Du Fei an apologetic look.
So, it was about the pill itself, not that Du Fei was unwilling.
"Here is the prescription I just wrote. Go to the pharmacy and get the herbs. Boil three bowls of water down to one, and drink it for half a month. I guarantee the young lady will be as lovely and lively as before."
Du Fei handed the already written prescription to the girl's father.
The couple thanked Du Fei again.
After the family of three left, Gong Chengbin awkwardly rubbed his head. "Du Fei, look at what happened. I initially thought..."
"Alright, alright, I understand."
Seeing Gong Chengbin's embarrassment, Du Fei stopped him from continuing.
The three of them had finished their meal and were about to settle the bill and leave.
As they stood up, someone entered the private room.
"Mr. Gong, and my brother here, I apologize for my rudeness just now. I'm a crude person and don't speak well. I'll punish myself with three cups of wine."
The person who had just entered the private room was the owner of Xiao Yan’s Rustic Restaurant.
Holding a wine bottle and a cup, he spoke as soon as he entered and then drank three cups in quick succession.
"Boss Yan, your business has grown, and your tone has changed. My brother saved someone in your establishment, and you started scolding him? What, do you want to eat people?"
Gong Chengbin had wanted to find this person earlier, but unexpectedly, he came to them.
So, he immediately launched into a scolding.
Yan Pangzi, the owner of Xiao Yan’s Rustic Restaurant, was scolded by Gong Chengbin to the point of bowing and scraping, completely lacking the fierceness he had at the front desk.
Yan Pangzi's ability to build his restaurant to its current scale and popularity was partly due to his hard work, willingness to drink with guests, and dedication.
However, his biggest flaw was his impulsiveness. When he got anxious, he couldn't control his mouth.
Just like today, Du Fei hadn't actually said anything about the girl's condition being related to the restaurant. Yan Pangzi, upon hearing about poisoning, instinctively assumed Du Fei was referring to food poisoning.
With so many people in the restaurant at the time, Yan Pangzi worried that if everyone heard about it and the news spread like wildfire, his restaurant would suffer heavy losses, so he impulsively spoke out.
Who knew that Du Fei hadn't meant that at all, and that Du Fei was even a guest with Gong Chengbin? When Yan Pangzi realized this, he immediately regretted it and wanted to slap himself.
Although Yan Pangzi ran a restaurant and didn't expect a young master like Gong Chengbin to dine there often, he was well aware that with Gong Chengbin's status and position, if he offended him, a single word from Gong Chengbin could cause his restaurant to lose a portion of its clientele.
Business was like that; when one declined, another advanced, and if one didn't move forward, they retreated. Thus, Yan Pangzi, biting the bullet, came to apologize.
He thought to himself that at worst, Gong Chengbin and his friend would scold him, but as long as they vented their anger, even if they never dined there again, they wouldn't hold a grudge against such a small figure.
"Yes, yes, yes, Mr. Gong, you are right. It's all my fault. I'll punish myself..."
Seeing that Du Fei hadn't spoken and Gong Chengbin was still angry, Yan Pangzi gritted his teeth and began slapping himself in front of the three in the private room.
Slap, slap, slap!
It was said that people like Yan Pangzi could achieve success because when he slapped himself, he did it with real force. After a few slaps, his face was already red and swollen.
"Alright, alright, stop hitting yourself. A few unintentional words don't warrant this."
Seeing Yan Pangzi's miserable state and knowing Du Fei wasn't petty, Du Fei spoke up, stopping Yan Pangzi from harming himself further.
Now that Du Fei had spoken, Yan Pangzi looked to Gong Chengbin, waiting for the young master's decision.
"Since my brother says it's alright, then it's alright. However, Boss Yan, I hope you learn this lesson and don't always speak without thinking in the future!!"
Since Du Fei, the injured party, was not holding a grudge, Gong Chengbin naturally wouldn't press the issue.
Seeing that the matter was resolved and his self-inflicted slaps had not been in vain, Yan Pangzi quickly offered to pay for their meal today, hoping to be given a chance to atone.
Du Fei, however, stated that one matter was separate from another, and paying for the meal was a matter of course, so he couldn't refuse.
After the two argued for a while, Yan Pangzi stopped obstructing.
After Du Fei paid the bill, Yan Pangzi, with a beaming smile on his red and swollen face, personally escorted Du Fei and his two companions to the entrance of the restaurant.
He then watched until Du Fei and his group got into their car and left before turning back.