This was not solely Huang Shanshan's idea. They all shared the surname Li, and their medical skills were both exceptionally high. It was difficult not to draw comparisons, and even Elder Huang harbored such thoughts, though they remained somewhat unrealistic.
Li Se shook his head and said, "I truly have no relation to the Li family in the capital!"
Seeing Li Se's firm reply, Elder Huang and Huang Shanshan ceased their speculation, though the recommendation from the Li family remained somewhat peculiar.
Today, Huang Shanshan was in the kitchen, while Li Se and Elder Huang enjoyed a few drinks, abandoning their previous topic of conversation.
"Look at my granddaughter, she can grace the hall and manage the kitchen. She's yours from now on," Elder Huang said with a chuckle, watching his granddaughter busy in the kitchen.
Li Se found himself unsure how to respond.
"What, you're not satisfied with my granddaughter?" Elder Huang frowned.
"No."
"Then what are you hesitating for?" Elder Huang said with some displeasure.
"I'm not hesitating," Li Se quickly shook his head.
"Let me tell you, if I ever find out you've wronged my granddaughter, I'll be the first one to deal with you!" Elder Huang declared indignantly.
Huang Shanshan then brought out the dishes: scrambled eggs with tomatoes, stir-fried peppers with meat, blanched shrimp, and a lean pork and seaweed soup. They were all home-style dishes, but tasted exceptionally good.
Despite Huang Shanshan's usually aloof demeanor, her culinary skills were truly remarkable. While not comparable to a five-star hotel chef, her cooking was enough to make one eat several extra bowls of rice.
After eating their fill, the two were ushered out by Elder Huang and ended up taking a stroll along the intersection.
"When the review team comes, you'll become an imperial physician," Huang Shanshan said, her beautiful face lit with a smile, seemingly happy for Li Se.
However, this expression held a different charm in Li Se's eyes; it was a smile of happiness, more like the pride and joy shown for a husband's promotion.
At this moment, Li Se finally understood. Huang Shanshan had truly fallen for him.
"Once I become an imperial physician, how about you become my deputy?" Li Se teased.
"Are you serious?" Huang Shanshan suddenly asked with great solemnity.
Li Se nodded. "Yes, I am serious. I never joke about matters like this."
"Okay, then once you become an imperial physician, I'll be your deputy," Huang Shanshan replied almost without hesitation.
It was already dusk, and the setting sun cast its glow on Huang Shanshan's face, captivating Li Se. The first time he had met her, he had only seen coldness on her face, sheer indifference.
Now, it was completely different. At least when facing him, she exuded an indescribable gentleness and charm.
Beautiful, she was truly beautiful, like a painted scroll, making it impossible for Li Se to look away. He impulsively reached out and took Huang Shanshan's hand. She offered only a perfunctory struggle before quickly yielding, allowing him to hold it.
They walked for an unknown distance when an unwelcome figure appeared. Upon seeing Huang Shanshan and Li Se holding hands, his expression changed slightly. "Shanshan, who is this?"
"And who are you?" Li Se asked, feeling a hint of annoyance.
"I am Cheng Wenhan," the man replied with arrogance. "I am a doctor, and a member of the American Medical Association!"
For any doctor, especially in Western medicine, joining the American Medical Association was an achievement of great pride.
The reason was simple: the American Medical Association could be considered the highest authority in Western medicine. In China, there were only two highest honors: becoming an imperial physician, or joining the American Medical Association. Of course, being an imperial physician certainly surpassed membership in the medical association, because anyone who could become an imperial physician could certainly join the American Medical Association, but not all members of the medical association could become imperial physicians.
Cheng Wenhan was only in his early twenties, and at this age, having already joined the American Medical Association demonstrated the formidable extent of his abilities, at least not inferior to Huang Shanshan.
When the American Medical Association organized an event in China, specifically in Qingyun City, Cheng Wenhan naturally wouldn't miss this opportunity. He knew the woman he longed for was in this city. Just as he finally saw her, she was with another man.
"Cheng Wenhan, what do you need?" Huang Shanshan displayed a rare tenderness towards Li Se, but towards other men, she remained as cold as ever, a coldness that seemed to stem from the bone marrow.
If Li Se hadn't witnessed Huang Shanshan's gentle side, he would have truly believed his treatment was useless, or even ineffective. To put it plainly, Huang Shanshan hadn't changed at all; she had simply developed different feelings for Li Se. As for other men, she still felt disgust and aversion.
"Shanshan, we haven't seen each other for two years. I've been living in the United States, and the association has been so busy. It's hard to get a chance to come back. Can't you play the role of a host?" Cheng Wenhan's words were all about flaunting his membership in the American Medical Association. This status was enough to make countless Western doctors envious, and he was still young with a promising future.
"No time!" Huang Shanshan replied coldly with three words.
"We're old classmates, and I've invited a few old friends you know. Let's get together." Cheng Wenhan tried his best to remain calm, especially since Li Se and Huang Shanshan were still holding hands. He found it difficult to tolerate and needed to make Li Se understand the vast difference between them.
Huang Shanshan was still somewhat reluctant, as this was her usual personality. It was Li Se who smiled and said, "Shanshan, attending these gatherings more often would be beneficial for you as well."
As a doctor, he was considering it from Huang Shanshan's physical health perspective. Given her personality, attending more social events would be helpful.
"Alright," Huang Shanshan agreed with a nod.
Cheng Wenhan was somewhat excited. "Let's go, it's at a KTV ahead."
"KTV?" Huang Shanshan frowned slightly.
"Lead the way," Li Se said indifferently, and pulling Huang Shanshan's hand, he walked forward.
Along the way, Cheng Wenhan acted like a third wheel, making even himself feel a bit awkward. However, he subtly asked, "Brother, may I know your name?"
"Li Se."
"Where do you work?"
Li Se smiled. "I can't say I'm 'working' anywhere. I'm also a doctor."
"Oh, which Grade A tertiary hospital are you affiliated with?" Cheng Wenhan asked casually. "At your age, you must still be an intern doctor, right? Don't be discouraged. When I was your age, I had already gone abroad for training with the American Medical Association."
"I don't have a fixed affiliation," Li Se shook his head. "I'm a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner. I make house calls when people need me."
"A quack doctor?" Cheng Wenhan immediately thought of this term and became somewhat disdainful. "Do you have a practicing physician's license? If you do, I can introduce you. I know a director at your First Hospital, and it wouldn't be an issue for you to intern there. Of course, whether you can get a permanent position depends on yourself. Being a quack is ultimately not a long-term path."