The Qin family was utterly shocked.
Just moments ago, they had been scheming, thinking Ye Xiu would hire someone to forge a document to fool Qin Qing. They planned to expose him on the spot and humiliate him. But instead, Ye Xiu had summoned the Deputy of the Marriage Registrar.
This couldn't be faked! A sudden, bad premonition gripped the Qin family.
Qin Qing hadn't expected this either. The shock she felt was beyond words. She knew Ye Xiu had laid low abroad for ten years and returned well-prepared, but she never imagined his preparations were so thorough that he could even summon the Deputy of the Marriage Registrar.
"Hello, hello!"
Deputy Liu gave Qin Fugui a perfunctory reply before rushing over to Ye Xiu, saying cautiously, "Mr. Ye, hello. The relevant departments are processing the reissuance of your and Ms. Qin's household registers. They will be delivered to your residence once ready. Additionally, your marriage certificate is nearly complete; we just need your photos. I've brought a computer, a camera, and a photo printer. If it's convenient, my team can take your pictures on the spot. It will be very quick..."
These words struck Qin Qing and the Qin family like a bolt of lightning.
They were stunned. The Deputy of the Marriage Registrar had addressed Ye Xiu with such a deferential title. And he was being so respectful, so cautious, as if he were facing his own superior.
The faces of the Qin family members turned sour, especially those of Qin Fugui and Qin Anruo, who looked as if they had been struck by lightning. Just moments ago, they had mocked Ye Xiu, claiming he would never make a comeback. This scene, however, made them realize that his current status was far from ordinary.
At that moment, I felt a pang of regret. If I had known Ye Xiu had backing from the Official Family, I would have waited before deciding to expel Qin Qing. How rash of me!
"Let's begin," Ye Xiu said.
"Yes, yes, of course..."
Deputy Liu personally arranged everything at once.
Soon, the photoshoot was complete. The images were processed on a computer and printed out. Deputy Liu personally affixed the photos to Ye Xiu and Qin Qing's marriage certificate. After a series of final procedures, he handed the completed document to them.
"Mr. Ye, if there's nothing else, may I take my leave?" Deputy Liu asked for permission.
"Sorry to have troubled you," Ye Xiu said.
"No trouble at all. It was my pleasure to be of service to you, Mr. Ye."
With that, Deputy Liu hurried back to his car. He was terrified and didn't dare to stay a second longer in Ye Xiu's presence.
"Deputy Liu..."
Qin Fugui chased after him. "Why did you personally oversee the processing of their marriage certificate? What is Ye Xiu's status now?"
"I am not authorized to answer those questions," Deputy Liu replied dismissively, urging the driver to go.
Not authorized to answer? The implications of those words were immense—so immense that I dare not even imagine what secrets they conceal.
He turned to Ye Xiu. "What exactly is your status, that you could have Deputy Liu personally come to process your marriage certificate?"
Ye Xiu didn't answer. He was afraid the truth would scare Qin Fugui to death.
He turned to Qin Qing and said, "Let's go."
"Okay," she nodded.
Watching Ye Xiu and Qin Qing get into the car and drive away, Qin Fugui suddenly panicked. From Deputy Liu's attitude and his words, "not authorized to answer," it wasn't hard to guess how terrifying Ye Xiu's background must be. If Ye Xiu decided to retaliate against the Qin family, the consequences would be unimaginable.
***
"This is a card my mom gave me. There are ten million in here," Qin Qing said, reclining lazily in the passenger seat and tossing a card to Ye Xiu. "I've been kicked out of the Qin Family and have nowhere to go. Let's use this money to buy a house this afternoon."
"I have a house," Ye Xiu said.
Qin Qing turned her head and gave him a deep look. Only then did she realize the preparations Ye Xiu had made for his return were even more thorough than she had imagined.
First, the two of them went to the Qin Corporation, where Qin Qing processed her resignation.
It was now lunchtime, so they went to a barbecue restaurant. Just as they sat down, the conversation from the next table caught their attention.
"Did you hear? The Ghost Doctor is going to formally accept Huang Xinming as his disciple."
"Of course, I heard about something that big. They say the Ghost Doctor even invited Huang Xinming to work at Saint He Medical College."
"The Ghost Doctor is holding the discipleship ceremony this afternoon at Saint He Medical College. Why don't we go check it out?"
Hearing this, Qin Qing's expression turned solemn. "Have you heard of the Ghost Doctor?"
"I have," Ye Xiu nodded.
Qin Qing explained, "Two years ago, the Ghost Doctor appeared out of nowhere and defeated every famous doctor in the country. He was acclaimed by the medical community as the new Medicine King, but oddly enough, he refused the title. Afterward, he founded Saint He Medical College and became its dean."
"You might not be familiar with Saint He Medical College, but it's the most prestigious medical institution in all of Xuanse. Every doctor in the country considers it the highest honor to study there. However, only the true elites of the medical world are qualified to become students."
"Now that Huang Xinming is becoming the Ghost Doctor's disciple and working at Saint He Medical College, he effectively has the nation's medical elite in his grasp. His future is boundless."
She looked at Ye Xiu with worry. "You already have a vendetta against Huang Xinming, and now you've beaten up Huang Tao. Huang Xinming won't let you off the hook. With his new status as the Ghost Doctor's disciple, I'm afraid it will be incredibly difficult for you to reclaim your former glory."
Ye Xiu looked at the menu and said casually, "Then let's go to Saint He Medical College this afternoon and observe the Ghost Doctor's discipleship ceremony."
Qin Qing was stunned. "Are you planning to announce your return in front of the entire nation's medical elite?"
Ye Xiu just smiled without saying a word.
After their meal, the two strolled through the streets, watched a movie, and finally arrived at Saint He Medical College.
The college was already bustling with an enormous, excited crowd. Upon hearing that the Ghost Doctor was taking on a disciple, countless idle people with nothing better to do had shown up to join the spectacle. Even reporters from Jin Ye City's major media outlets and many internet celebrities were there, live-streaming to cash in on the hype.
The arrival of Ye Xiu and Qin Qing caused a great stir. It wasn't because anyone recognized Ye Xiu, but because Qin Qing was simply too beautiful.
"Beauty truly is a sin," Qin Qing sighed.
"Stay calm. Don't get carried away," Ye Xiu said.
Qin Qing was speechless.
"Ye Xiu?"
A voice thick with suppressed hatred came from behind them.
Ye Xiu and Qin Qing turned to see Huang Tao approaching swiftly with the entire Qin family in tow.
Every member of the Qin family wore a celebratory smile, especially Qin Fugui, whose grin nearly stretched to the back of his head. After witnessing the Deputy of the Marriage Registrar's attitude toward Ye Xiu, the family had been genuinely worried for a while, fearing his retaliation. But after Huang Tao woke from his coma and told them the Ghost Doctor was about to accept Huang Xinming as a disciple, they were overjoyed.
With the Ghost Doctor connection, not only did the Qin family no longer have to fear Ye Xiu's revenge, but they could also ensure he had no future in the medical field.
"Ye Xiu, Qin Qing, I have some good news for you," Qin Anruo said mockingly. "The disciple in the upcoming ceremony is none other than Huang Tao's father, Huang Xinming. That makes me the future daughter-in-law of the Ghost Doctor's disciple. As long as I wish it, Ye Xiu, you can forget about ever making a comeback."
Qin Qing's cousin, Qin Junyi, chimed in, "With this connection to the Ghost Doctor, the Qin Corporation can now venture into the medical field. From now on, the Qin Family will become something you can only look up to. Qin Qing, you will regret leaving us."
Qin Qing's uncle, Qin Zhongwu, added, "Qin Qing, this morning you said that one day we'd come begging to you. I'm afraid you won't live to see that wish come true."
"Why are you wasting your breath on them!" Huang Tao cut in impatiently. "Ye Xiu, Saint He Medical College doesn't welcome a disgrace to the medical world like you. Get lost."
Ye Xiu looked at Huang Tao and the Qin family as if they were idiots. "A bunch of country bumpkins."