I Conquer the Entertainment Industry with My Medical Skills - Chapter 28

Gag!

Who scolds someone and ends up rushing to the bathroom themselves?

An Ningqing’s shoulders trembled uncontrollably. When Xie Anran emerged weakly from the bathroom, only a faint redness lingered at the corners of her eyes. Xie Anran eyed her suspiciously. “Did you apply the ointment already?”

Not only had An Ningqing applied the ointment, but she had also analyzed its primary ingredients.

Modern pharmaceutical manufacturing was far more efficient, saving time and labor. Pills, tablets, and even ointments were meticulously crafted, with exquisite packaging. An Ningqing toyed with the ointment in her hand. “You think Mr. Li, with his private medical team, might also have his own pharmaceutical factory?”

Xie Anran shot her a sidelong glance. “I don’t know if the Li Family has its own factory, but I assumed you’d have done some research beforehand.”

An Ningqing: “Huh?”

She had done her research. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have known that Li Xianzong’s sons were locked in a fierce battle for the family fortune.

Whenever Xie Anran researched, she only looked up the parts that interested her. For example, online articles about Li Xianzong’s life story: how he made his fortune through gambling, rising from a lowly croupier to owning the largest casino city. After achieving fame, his scandalous love affairs became so numerous they were jaw-dropping. A simple online search would reveal his past relationships with various film queens, detailing how their romances went from passionate to fractured, and how…

Xie Anran slumped on the sofa, her long legs propped up on the coffee table, swinging back and forth. How could she be so careless? she thought. If this were any other rising star, they’d have memorized my family’s history by heart. “My family owns a pharmaceutical factory, didn’t you know?”

An Ningqing: “!!!”

The surprise on her usually serene face gave Xie Anran a sudden sense of accomplishment.

She genuinely hadn’t known.

The Xie Family’s business interests were remarkably diverse, especially given the different professional perspectives of her father and brother. Essentially, they invested in whatever industry was most profitable, so by the end, the Xie Family’s influence could be found in nearly every booming sector.

Having a father and eldest brother who were both business geniuses, she couldn’t help but be swept along.

Anyway, let’s get back to the main point.

Xie Anran, noticing An Ningqing’s continued silence, was puzzled. “What’s wrong? Are you so thrilled to learn my family owns a pharmaceutical factory that you’re speechless with joy?”

“Or are you finally regretting how you treated me in the past?”

She even dared to stab me with needles—three times!

“Since the Xie Family owns a pharmaceutical factory, why doesn’t the Third Miss understand pharmacology?”

Xie Anran choked on her words. She naturally… didn’t understand it. “Why would I need to? I have no intention of inheriting our family’s pharmaceutical factory. Besides, a boss doesn’t need to know everything. You just hire competent employees who do.”

A perfectly logical argument.

An Ningqing pressed further, “Does that mean everyone in the Xie Family except you understands pharmacology?”

“How could that be? I—my Second Brother doesn’t either. My Eldest Brother and Mom are the ones who are really good at it.”

“Oh.”

Xie Anran had been talking for so long her lips were dry, only to receive a dismissive “Oh.” “So, after grilling me about my family for ages, you’ve finally realized you need to start sucking up to me and my family?”

An Ningqing yawned. “Pure curiosity.”

Xie Anran: “……”

How could someone like An Ningqing be so clueless? When opportunity was handed to her, she didn’t even grasp it tightly. Did Xie Anran have to personally spoon-feed her?

An Ningqing climbed back into bed and lay down. Exhausted from the day, she fell asleep almost instantly upon sinking into the soft mattress.

Xie Anran could only grind her teeth in frustration. After a moment, she remembered the good news she hadn’t shared yet. She tiptoed to the bedside and waved her hand in front of An Ningqing’s face.

The sleeping woman’s breathing remained steady, her eyes not even twitching.

“Already asleep?”

The next day, An Ningqing still hadn’t noticed the surprise Xie Anran wanted to share. She went to the second floor of the medical team building as usual.

After yesterday’s incident, Dr. Jiang had learned his lesson. He clocked in early and immediately began searching for An Ningqing. After all, the three experimental subjects she had selected yesterday had turned out to have a brain tumor, a hole in their heart, and a growth on their spine…

One was a cleaning lady, another a junior assistant, and the third a doctor.

How absurd!

Dr. Jiang had no idea so many patients were hiding among his team. They all seemed perfectly healthy and full of energy, but An Ningqing’s arrival turned their medical team into a sieve, revealing hidden ailments in nearly everyone.

Xiao Mi stayed by An Ningqing’s side almost constantly, proving to be an exceptionally capable assistant. His fluent foreign language skills allowed him to translate for her at a moment’s notice, forcing her to take the young man Dr. Jiang had assigned to her seriously.

An Ningqing’s arrival yesterday had already drawn attention from all levels of the medical team. Her striking beauty and youthful appearance were hard to ignore. It wasn’t that they resented youth, but in the medical field, youth often equated to inexperience.

Cultivating a respected and accomplished physician required decades of dedication—fifteen, twenty, or even thirty years or more.

By that measure, An Ningqing’s twenty-six years seemed woefully inadequate.

And this young, beautiful woman had been personally placed on the team by the boss himself.

Given the medical team’s annual elimination process, where members had to compete fiercely for their positions, An Ningqing’s effortless entry and freedom to do as she pleased naturally sparked resentment among many.

“She’s the boss’s mistress. What game is she playing this time?”

“No idea.”

“We just need to keep her happy and let her enjoy herself for a few days.”

“But her face is truly stunning.”

“I prefer Miss Anne. She’s the real angel.”

“Shh, keep your voice down. She’s looking over here.”

“Don’t worry. Dr. Jian on the third floor told me Miss An doesn’t understand foreign languages, so we’re fine.”

The group huddled together, discussing An Ningqing as if she were an exotic animal in a zoo.

Xiao Mi, who understood every word, forced a smile. He leaned in to translate for An Ningqing: “Sister An, they’re all praising your beauty, saying you’re as beautiful as an angel. They also said you can use any equipment you want, and they’ll fully cooperate.”

Though An Ningqing couldn’t understand their words, her eyes could read their hearts. The contempt in their gazes was unmistakable. She knew Xiao Mi was sugarcoating the translation.

“Alright, thank them for me. I’ll actually need their cooperation later.”

“Sister An, what are you planning to do?”

Xiao Mi looked eager to take orders, his enthusiasm making An Ningqing feel he was desperate to prove his usefulness. “Then let’s do a group workout. Exercise is the best way to bond.”

Xiao Mi blinked in confusion.

An Ningqing’s health was poor, and she knew she couldn’t move yet. So she had Xiao Mi fetch some paper and drew a series of exercises.

Xiao Mi’s eyes widened. “Are you… are you really going to make them do this?”

An Ningqing glanced at him. “You can join them too.”

Xiao Mi shook his head vigorously, like a rattle drum. The figures in the drawings looked utterly ridiculous, and the movements… well, they resembled those of some kind of animal, hardly human at all.

When Dr. Jiang arrived, the doctors on the second floor were already cursing loudly and vehemently. Startled, he hurried over to someone sitting nearby, sipping tea. “You, Miss An, what are you doing now?”

An Ningqing smiled faintly. “Xiao Mi said they’ll cooperate with my plans. Whatever I ask them to do, they’ll follow unconditionally.”

Xiao Mi covered his mouth the entire time, his stomach aching from laughter. When Dr. Jiang looked at him skeptically, he nodded vigorously, barely managing to say, “They really did say that.”

The actual words were: Then let’s entertain the boss’s mistress for a few days. We’ll do whatever she wants. Once she’s bored, she’ll leave on her own. By then, we’ll have made a good impression and can whisper sweet nothings in the boss’s ear for her.

Dr. Jiang: “……”

He just couldn’t believe it.

An Ningqing taught them a set of exercises. After half an hour of exercising, three doctors collapsed on the ground, and two others clutched their legs, cramping and cursing until the end. Those who managed to stand on one leg in the “golden rooster stands on one leg” pose were considered the cream of the crop.

Given their earlier words, the scene was utterly absurd.

Xiao Mi, standing beside An Ningqing, was nearly dying of laughter, yet he dutifully translated for her: “Sister An, they’re so grateful to you! They say the exercise has made them feel so refreshed!”

The actual words were: This is outrageous! Making me learn to stand like a chicken! How much longer do I have to stand? I can barely hold on!

And another thing—I feel like a monkey right now. Do all monkeys act like this? Just look at me.

“Dr. Jiang, they seem to have nothing to do. Why don’t we get up and exercise together?”

But this group is just too amusing.

As we practiced, the perfectly executed Five Animal Frolics gradually devolved into a bizarre, unrecognizable mess.

An Ningqing pressed her lips together, barely suppressing her laughter.

The medical team members were indeed quite idle most of the time. With over a hundred people revolving around a single boss, there were bound to be moments of downtime. It’s easy to imagine what kind of gossip they’d be sharing during those idle hours.

Dr. Jiang couldn’t decide who he pitied more.

An Ningqing pointed out each individual to Dr. Jiang. “The three lying down doing the tiger pose—their movements are uncoordinated. It’s likely a kidney issue. You should take them to the third floor for a checkup.”

Dr. Jiang: “!!!”

Here it comes again.

For the past two days, whenever An Ningqing suggested someone get a checkup, his hair stood on end. “Ha… ha… Miss An, you’re not trying to diagnose them through exercise again, are you?”

An Ningqing was taken aback. “Dr. Jiang, why would you think that? I simply wanted to teach them some exercises.”

Even doctors need to maintain good physical health.

Dr. Jiang nodded, but his expression practically screamed, “I don’t believe you.”

Whether she was teaching exercises or something else, An Ningqing spent half the day on the second floor. The other doctors began avoiding her, and even the most persistent patients eventually gave up and collapsed into lethargic sprawls.

As for Dr. Jiang, he immediately took the patients An Ningqing had singled out to the third floor for thorough examinations. After meticulously checking them, he was left utterly stunned.

He went to see Li Xianzong.

“Boss, where did you find Miss An?”

“Hmm? What’s wrong?”

Having practiced medicine for decades, Dr. Jiang had never encountered anyone like An Ningqing. “Boss, to be honest, I’ve studied medicine for over thirty years, and I still can’t diagnose someone’s condition at a glance. But she seems to be able to.”

Admitting his own shortcomings was humiliating, but Dr. Jiang couldn’t afford such pride now.

Li Xianzong’s hand paused slightly over his pen. “What happened?”

Dr. Jiang meticulously recounted An Ningqing’s activities over the past two days, leaving no detail unmentioned. “I apologize, Boss,” he said, clearing his throat. “I initially doubted your decision to invite her onto the medical team, but now I realize it was a stroke of genius.”

Li Xianzong nodded. “Miss An is indeed quite remarkable.”

Dr. Jiang continued rambling, but Li Xianzong grew increasingly suspicious. “So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

Dr. Jiang scratched his head sheepishly. “How about we have Miss An join our team?”

Li Xianzong gave him a knowing look, as if to say, “I knew you had ulterior motives.” He would have agreed immediately, but Xie Anran’s relentless persistence made him hesitate. “I can’t make that decision for Miss An. Whether she stays depends on you.”

Dr. Jiang blinked in surprise. “Ah?”

Having thoroughly explored the medical area, touched all the equipment, and conducted most of her experiments, An Ningqing swiped her card and left early. Outside the manor, she encountered Anne swinging on a swing in the park. Anne waved enthusiastically. “Miss An! He agreed to let me have a child for him! Thank you so much!”

An Ningqing looked puzzled. “Thank me for what?”

She hadn’t done anything yet.

Anne affectionately pulled her to a garden bench. “You know, he’s a domineering man. What he says goes. He never tells me what he’s thinking, but I can guess—he doesn’t want me to have a child.”

An Ningqing listened quietly.

She had seen many cases like Anne’s. She had witnessed women dying in childbirth, women who had tried every method and taken every medicine, only to be divorced by their in-laws for failing to produce an heir, driving them to suicide by drowning. In reality, it was often the men who were infertile, yet the burden of “no descendants, no future” was cruelly placed on these unfortunate women. She had witnessed far too many such tragedies.

In her own world, women’s lives were confined to the inner courtyards. Childlessness was considered the ultimate act of filial impiety. Unlike now, where love was free, childbirth was a choice, and even unmarried women had the freedom to choose whether or not to have children.

Young women should live as freely and uninhibitedly as Third Miss.

She understood Anne’s determination, whether it was to leave behind a child as a testament to their love or for other reasons. She couldn’t bear to see the tragedies of the past continue to haunt this beautiful young woman.

An Ningqing asked softly, “Are you aware of Mr. Li’s situation?”

Anne’s eyes reddened. “You mean the fact that he only has six months left to live, and might not even see the baby born?”

An Ningqing nodded.

Li Xianzong already had plenty of children. He had single-handedly expanded the Li Family’s branches, and the children of his first wife were now nearly old enough to be grandfathers themselves.

Anne forced a smile. “I know. I’ve thought about all of this. When my child is born, he’ll be the youngest among his brothers. Whether I can protect him is still uncertain, but I want to try. How will I ever know the outcome if I don’t try? It’s like when I tried to escape. If I hadn’t fled that terrible place, I might never have met such a wonderful man.”

An Ningqing paused, slightly taken aback. Anne’s story had been circulating online.

This was an incredibly brave young woman, and her experiences left An Ningqing deeply shaken.

As a child, Anne was mischievous and playful. But when she turned fourteen or fifteen, she started dating and staying out all night. When her mother discovered this, her rebellious nature led to her being sent to a correctional facility. There, she endured over a year of inhumane treatment and harrowing experiences.

Eventually, she managed to escape.

At her lowest point, just as she was about to be recaptured, she met Li Xianzong. Standing before her like a prince rescuing a princess, he saved her life and the soul yearning for rebirth. This marked the beginning of their love story.

Under Li Xianzong’s protection, Anne bravely spoke out, severing ties with her mother and exposing the horrors she had endured in the devil’s den. She even hoped that all girls and boys who had suffered similar fates would find the courage to come forward.

“Miss Anne, I believe your wish will come true.”

“Really? Miss An, you’re so kind.”

As An Ningqing was leaving, she suddenly mentioned, “Miss Anne, you’ll soon be entering your preconception period. The sachet I gave you earlier isn’t suitable for you to wear going forward. Would you like me to create a new one for you?”

Anne didn’t mind at all. “Miss An, I absolutely love the sachet you made for me. Wearing it these past few days has really helped calm my nerves. Can I not wear it anymore?”

An Ningqing smiled gently. “It’s an honor that you like it so much. If you’re truly attached to it, I can remove a few ingredients to make it safe for you to wear during your pregnancy preparation.”

Anne’s face lit up with delight. “Really? That’s wonderful!”

She quickly had someone bring An Ningqing the sachet she had handcrafted on the cruise ship. An Ningqing lowered her head to smell it. “Miss Anne, please wait two days. I’ll have it delivered to you as soon as it’s ready.”

“Thank you,” Anne replied.

An Ningqing took the sachet back to her room, wrapped it in a paper bag, and initially intended to flush it down the toilet. However, she hadn’t expected to find Xie Anran lounging on the sofa, legs crossed, engrossed in her phone.

The phone was playing dialogue from a melodramatic drama.

Xie Anran was listening with goosebumps rising all over her body when she noticed An Ningqing’s return. She twitched her nose. “Why are you back so early today?” Then, remembering something, she propped herself up halfway. “You didn’t bring back any more of those weird devices, did you?”

The device from yesterday gave her nightmares all night, filled with bl00d, leaving her drained when she woke up.

An Ningqing casually tossed the sachet into her suitcase, pulled out paper and a pen, and carefully laid the paper on the table. “Third Miss, rest assured, no more devices will enter this room.”

Xie Anran sighed in relief.

But less than three seconds after lying back on the sofa, she sat up again, looking at An Ningqing with suspicion. “An Ningqing, what are you writing? Why are you being so serious? Anyone would think you’re about to issue an imperial decree!”

You’re practically bathing and changing into formal attire, preparing for a solemn occasion.

An Ningqing: “……”

She began writing about matters related to preparing for pregnancy. Soon, the only sounds in the room were the exaggerated, coquettish cries from Xie Anran’s phone and the scratch-scratch of the pen on paper. Xie Anran promptly muted the annoying noise.

This terrible drama—I’ve watched three episodes, and they’ve only given An Ningqing a few fleeting scenes.

She had endured this long enough.

Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.

Xie Anran was about to complain about the terrible drama An Ningqing had taken on—so little screen time for her, while that nauseating female lead hogged the camera with her awful acting. The camera was constantly shoved in her face. This production team is hopeless. I’ll find a better one next time.

But when she turned around, she saw An Ningqing focused intently on writing.

How to put it?

An Ningqing sat with perfect posture, even more upright than she had in third grade. Her pen strokes were peculiar, resembling calligraphy, yet her focused expression was so captivating that Xie Anran couldn’t tear her eyes away. The words she had been about to say died on her lips as she slumped back onto the sofa, lost in quiet contemplation.

How can such a childish posture look so utterly pleasing to the eye?

Only when An Ningqing finished filling two pages and gently set down her pen—which clattered against the table—did Xie Anran snap out of her reverie.

“What are you writing with such concentration? I called you, but you didn’t even hear me.”

“Wow, your small script is beautiful. By the way, didn’t you write me a prescription before?”

“Mm-hmm.”

That prescription was still tucked between the pages of her book.

An Ningqing glanced at her indifferently. “If you didn’t want it, I would have thrown it away.”

“Trying to conceive? Who’s trying to conceive?”

Xie Anran immediately regretted the stupid question. On Li Xianzong’s island, apart from the two of them, who couldn’t possibly be pregnant, there was only one other woman left: Anne, the island’s mistress. Desperate to save face, Xie Anran blurted out, “How was I supposed to know you were a doctor? Besides, whatever prescription you gave me, I don’t need it anymore.”

An Ningqing remained silent, her calm gaze fixed on Xie Anran, making Xie Anran’s heart pound nervously. “What? Am I wrong?”

Even if the drug had lingering effects, it had been days since she took it. There was no way it could still be resurfacing.

An Ningqing took the paper from Xie Anran’s hand, turned, and walked toward the door. Before leaving, she paused, turned back, retrieved the sachet from her suitcase, and took it with her.

Xie Anran caught the scent again. “Where are you going?”

An Ningqing didn’t reply, simply closing the door behind her.

Xie Anran: “???”

This woman has quite the temper, daring to ignore me!

Xie Anran slammed a throw pillow onto the sofa, venting her frustration. But when she remembered that the sachet, which should have been with Anne, had reappeared, she hurried after An Ningqing. She saw An Ningqing hand the paper to Xiao Mi, and after Xiao Mi left, she began walking toward the estate’s entrance.

Xie Anran scratched her head in confusion. What is she planning?

An Ningqing had initially considered burying the pouch, but she realized her bodyguards would likely follow her into the woods. Instead, she chose another route: the beach. Reaching the shore required taking a sightseeing bus; walking would have taken far too long.

Xie Anran, who had been trailing behind her, was dumbfounded. “Why the sudden trip to the beach? And without inviting me? An Ningqing, that’s so unfair!”

After dismissing the sightseeing bus bodyguard, An Ningqing strolled barefoot along the sand, as if taking a leisurely walk at sunset. Xie Anran hid behind a rock, watching as she crouched down to pick up a few seashells before running to the water’s edge and crouching there with her back to her.

Wouldn’t it be more fun to play together?

Xie Anran nearly exploded with anger. She was about to turn and leave, but then she thought, I can’t let An Ningqing get away with this so easily. She crept forward, intending to give her a good scare.

How dare that woman sneak off to play without me?

An Ningqing emptied the medicinal herbs from the pouch into the sea. A wave crashed over her, soaking her completely and washing away everything.