Beauty and the Bodyguard

“Eh?” Song Lingshan froze, her face darkening instantly… She’d never expected the Captain Yang she admired so much to be interested in gossip..! The image Huaijun had established in her eyes, after all, was that of someone who lived with absolute solemnity… It was definitely startling that he’d ask a question like that… She’d heard of the rumors herself, but there was simply no way to explain her way out of them!

This kind of thing was something that’d just worsen when explanations were given. Anyone with eyes would misunderstand the scene back at the hospital, and there wasn’t much Lingshan could do about what other people decided to say- it was their mouths, after all. It was all she could do to lay low for a while until the whole thing blew over.

But how was she supposed to explain this misunderstanding to the captain? “Captain, I… I’m……”

“Haha, it’s not like we’re not allowed to have relationships in the police department, right? It’s your freedom, Song.” Huaijun said upon hearing Lingshan’s hesitation, assuming that she was shy about being found out. He decided to leave it at that with a laugh- after all, it wasn’t his place to meddle with Lin Yi’s affairs. He did get a little too excited and thought that it wasn’t very fair to Yi, but Lin Yi would always be the centerpiece of their team, their god, their captain!!

“Captain……” Lingshan didn’t quite know what to say.

“Heh, though you could ask Lin Yi for help; he’ll probably be able to get you those suspects pretty fast……” Huaijun’s words trailed off a bit as he regretted what he’d decided to say. _Sorry Eagle… Didn’t mean to sell you out……_

Although, it was probably fine, taking into consideration Lin Yi’s relationship with Lingshan. If the two were at that stage the rumors claimed, then there’d be no doubt that Eagle would help Lingshan out, judging by what Huaijun knew of his personality.

“Him? Suspects?” Lingshan blinked as she tried to process what the captain had just said, but Huaijun had hung the phone up already. Lingshan was itching with frustration at that point. _Lin Yi you bastard!! My reputation’s completely ruined by you……_

Lingshan then turned her attention back on the case after blowing off some steam with that curse at Lin Yi. She then did what Huaijun had suggested, and broadened the search radius……

Huaijun, on the other hand, was quite rushed as he drove to Songshan Medical University.

Songshan Medical University was one of the most well known universities in the country, well known even internationally, as well, attracting many foreigners there to pursue studies in Eastern medicine. This was all credited to the head of the university, Guan Xuemin!

Guan Xuemin was very highly regarded in the medical world- he was the leading doctor of Eastern medicine, the Dean of Eastern Doctors.

The Guan house wasn’t a powerful family, but Guan Xuemin’s existence had completely rewritten that fact! He’d turned the Guan family into a superpower even amongst the top-tier families! Was there anyone in this world utterly healthy and without sickness? Was there anyone in this world who could guarantee that they wouldn’t need Guan Xuemin saving his or her life?

The Guan family had risen to power only a little more than ten years ago, but it was by no means weaker than the other powerful houses. The Guans didn’t have a particularly strong foundation as of yet, but that didn’t matter- no one dared cross them, for crossing the Guans meant crossing the other houses!

The Yang house that Yang Huaijun belonged to was one such family. Huaijun being able to get _the_ Guan Xuemin to heal him, as a result, was nothing out of the ordinary.

Guan Xuemin wasn’t giving lectures very often anymore, only giving one big lecture on a weekly routine. It was targeted towards Eastern medicine students, but it wasn’t uncommon at all for students from other medical fields to join the lectures… They were attracted by Xuemin’s fame and renown, and by the simple fact that the man taught them very useful things!!

Guan Xuemin lived in the university’s residential area, a villa district housing the school leaders and their best professors. Even Huaijun had to make a proper registration before entering the area in a police car!

After all, there was quite the number of national level academics living there, with even internationally acclaimed ones as well……

Huaijun parked outside Xuemin’s villa, and walked to the doorstep. He was just about to press the doorbell when a pretty girl opened the door, pausing upon seeing Huaijun at her doorstep. “Yang Bro, here to see my grandpa?”

“Yeah. Off to work, Xin Xin?” Huaijun guessed, seeing that she was dressed properly as well as prettily.

“Yep.” Guan Xin nodded. “Gotta leave earlier for the commuter transport.”

“Don’t you have your own car?” Huaijun asked, not expecting Guan Xin to be taking public transport.

“Of course I don’t- I just started working, you know.” Guan Xin smiled. “Yang Bro, grandpa’s with a guest right now, so you might have to wait a while after going up.”

“Alright. I’ll let you get going then, don’t be late.” Huaijun said with a nod. Guan Xin didn’t plan on relying on her family’s resources, it seemed- girls like that were rare. Even someone like Song Lingshan had her own car…..

Guan Xin left the door unlocked as she left. She was quite familiar with Yang Huaijun, and knew that he wasn’t a bad person- she was quite trusting of him as well. Huaijun then stepped in the villa, and walked up to the second floor directly.

Guan Xuemin was checking an old man’s pulse when Huaijun reached the living room on the second floor, with a middle aged couple standing right beside them.

“Elder Guan, how’s my father doing?” The man asked carefully.

“Not too well…… It’s gotten really serious.” Xuemin said, not intending to hide anything. “The heart’s deteriorating, going from bad to worse- a cure’s almost impossible at this point. Periodical acupuncture and moxibustion will be able to hold the deterioration back, but just barely.”

The old man didn’t react too violently to the blunt truth, evidently understanding his own situation very well. The man, on the other hand, was a little more anxious. “Hold it back? That’s good too, as long as it doesn’t get any worse or act up again.”

They’d been to many an establishment, but to no avail- as such, Xuemin’s words came as unexpected to the middle aged man.

“That’s no problem.” Xuemin nodded. “A weekly acupuncture session with needles will suffice- we can expect another ten years for him if all goes well……”

“Another ten years?” The old man was but joyed at the news. “Ten years! There’s so much that can be done in ten years!”

“Then we’ll be in your care, Elder Guan. We live in Yanjing, and regarding the weekly sessions…… We’ll make sure to cover an abundance of living expenses in addition to the treatment fees……” The man started.

“I don’t have the time. The sessions must be done at my place.” Guan Xuemin rejected the notion immediately. It was a rule of his: he never provided door-to-door service.

“Uh……” The middle aged man wasn’t sure what to do- he couldn’t just let his father travel that kind of distance every week! His body was burdened enough as it was.

“Who do you think you are?!” The middle aged woman exploded before the man could say anything. She pointed her finger at Guan Xuemin. “Do you have any idea who my father is? People line up just for the chance to treat my father, we’re offering you this because you’ve earned our acknowledgement! What kind of a big shot do you think yourself to be, aren’t you just an old Eastern doctor? Here, we’ll pay you double the fees! Will that be enough?!”

*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes

*[12.47 to 13.07]: don't ask me about the tree sap