Approaching Su Mengli, Ye Wutian said with a playful smile on his face, "Sister, we meet again. Do you remember me? I'm the handsome and dashing Ye Wutian."
Encountering Ye Wutian here also took Su Mengli by surprise, but she was in no mood to deal with this scoundrel, so she only glanced at him before shifting her gaze away.
However, Hu Xue'er read the words on the sign Ye Wutian was holding: "Palmistry and physiognomy find the perfect match, permanently remove mistresses, vaginal rejuvenation and hymen repair to restore your body, the Miraculous Doctor is here to help."
After reading, she giggled and asked Su Mengli, "Mengli, do you know this little charlatan?"
"Hmph! I saw him coming out of the airport at noon, he's just a rogue," Su Mengli said with disdain.
Just then, an eager humpbacked man asked, "Miss, what exactly is wrong with your mother?"
"My mother fell into brain death because of a car accident. I hope you all can think of a way to save her," Su Mengli said truthfully.
Upon hearing Su Mengli's words, all the old fortune-tellers deflated like flat balls, their figures slumping, the humpback's back became more hunched, the blind man squinted and made his way back to his stall, the lame ones limped their way back, and the monks started chanting "Amitabha."
"Miss, your mother is already dead, you should go to the temple to pray to the gods and Buddha," one of them said.
"Yeah, if we had the power to bring the dead back to life, would we still be setting up street stalls here?" a few kind-hearted fortune-tellers said, trying to persuade her.
"You're talking nonsense, my mother isn't dead yet," Su Mengli argued tearfully, although she had anticipated this outcome, when her last hope was shattered, Su Mengli finally fell into despair.
"Mengli, let's go back," Hu Xue'er said sorrowfully, comforting her and preparing to help Su Mengli leave.
But just as they turned to leave, Ye Wutian suddenly called out, "Wait."
Surprised, Su Mengli and Hu Xue'er turned around to look at Ye Wutian.
"Sister, was what you just said true?" Ye Wutian's face was filled with excitement. Seeing that Su Mengli didn't respond right away, he reminded her, "You said that if anyone could cure your mother, you would promise yourself to him."
Seeing Ye Wutian still joking at a time like this, Su Mengli's face flushed with anger and she lashed out tearfully, "Do you find this funny? Don't you have a mother? Don't you think it's cruel to build your joy on someone else's pain?"
Ye Wutian was berated mercilessly, but he didn't take offense; he could understand Su Mengli's current state of mind. For a child to be willing to sell themselves to save their parent was already admirable. Although Ye Wutian was usually unrestrained and free-spirited, his spirit as a Medical Practitioner, dedicated to healing the world, remained unscathed.
In the face of Su Mengli's scolding, Ye Wutian just chuckled unconcernedly and said, "You're right, I've been following my master since I was little, I've never even seen my parents' faces. But I can understand how you feel right now. If something happened to my master, I, as his pupil, would be just as anxious as you are. Of course, that's an impossibility. My master's martial arts are unparalleled, unmatched in the world, he's a one-man fortress, invincible to thousands, impenetrable as diamond, impervious to all poisons, impermeable to fire and water..."
"Hey! Are you done talking?" Hu Xue'er couldn't help but interrupt.
"Ah, actually, what I want to say is that I can save your mother," Ye Wutian said.
A look of surprise immediately appeared on Su Mengli's face, but it quickly faded. Over the past five years, countless doctors had been at a loss, and how could this young man, who was about the same age as herself, possibly have that ability?
"I'm not in the mood for jokes," Su Mengli said coldly, and then turned to leave.
Ye Wutian, unfazed, said, "Since you're here looking for help, aren't you also just trying your luck? Why not give yourself one more chance?"
Upon hearing Ye Wutian's words, Su Mengli really did stop in her tracks. After all, there was no harm in trying; maybe a miracle could happen. With those thoughts, she turned back to Ye Wutian and said, "You can try if you want, but if you're only treating this as a joke, I won't let you off." She wouldn't allow anyone to joke about her mother's life.
"Then, if I really cure your mother, can you assure me that you'll keep your promise of betrothing yourself?" Actually, Ye Wutian was just asking. If the other party really went back on their word, he had his methods—he could always return her mother to a brain-dead state if need be. Though a Medical Practitioner should have a benevolent heart, Ye Wutian despised those who broke their promises most of all.
"Rest assured, I, Su Mengli, always keep my word. As long as you can heal my mother, I won't go back on it," Su Mengli promised resolutely.
Ye Wutian didn't bother with further talk and said on the spot, "Deal! Alright, wife, hurry up and lead the way. Your husband here is eager to consummate the marriage."
"Before you heal my mother, it would be best to keep that shameless mouth of yours in check," Su Mengli said with a look of disgust on her face. In her view, this Ye Wutian's shamelessness was just as bad, if not worse, than that Zheng Jian.
"Hehe, there's no disease in this world that I, Ye Wutian, can't cure. Even if it were a rotting corpse, I could make it a lively, jumping zombie," said Ye Wutian while pretending to be a zombie and hopping around both women. Then he added, "So, you'd better start preparing yourself to become Lady Ye soon enough. Of course, if you're eager to become Lady Ye, we can first go find a hotel, consummate the marriage, and then go treat your mother."
Su Mengli's face turned green and then red with anger. Despite her rage, she ultimately held back, now hoping silently that Ye Wutian could live up to his own boasts.
"Follow me," Su Mengli said and then turned to walk ahead, with Hu Xue'er and Ye Wutian following closely behind.
Since Su Mengli's car had been confiscated by her father, the three had to take a taxi to City Central Hospital.
While Su Mengli's family used to be well-off, they weren't wealthy enough to run their private sanatorium or hire a personal specialist. So for the last five years, her mother had been placed in the special care unit at City Central Hospital, where any emergencies could be promptly addressed. Even though the hospital felt that caring for a brain-dead patient was a complete waste of resources, as long as the family could afford it, they saw no reason not to make some money off it.