Sophia stayed up late for the first time in ages, yawning as she said, “Normally, I’m in bed by nine or ten and wake up with the sunrise. Staying up this late is really not for me.”
“You can’t leave yet, Host! You haven’t told us how to stay healthy in autumn. You said earlier that if we don’t take care of ourselves, dieting and feeling cold will actually make us gain weight. So what should we do in this season? How should we nourish ourselves?”
“Yes, Host! Tell us more! I’m a breastfeeding mom—how should I take care of myself? Also, my baby has diarrhea. You mentioned pediatric massage earlier. How does that work?”
“We strongly suggest the Host hold a workshop for us!”
Sophia chuckled. She had initially extended her livestream because she was too exhausted to keep selling products and had casually shared some health tips to fill the time. She hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response. The viewers were relentless, bombarding her with questions and begging her not to log off. Who would have thought there were so many people interested in traditional medicine?
“Next time!” Sophia waved her hand dismissively. “I’m too tired now. When I have another chance, I’ll stream a consultation session so you can all learn some basics about traditional medicine.”
With that, she closed the livestream without hesitation.
Looking at the sales figures in the backend, Sophia’s lips curved into a smile. Still, a tinge of disappointment lingered.
She worked tirelessly every day at her clinic, earning only a modest amount—almost like doing charity work and but selling products online? The money came pouring in with minimal effort.
Chloe, on the other hand, was ecstatic. She never imagined that Amazon could be more profitable than running a beauty salon.
“These young women are crazy, staying up until the early hours of the morning and begging you for workshops. What’s going on in their heads?”
Some viewers had even predicted that the store would go viral because of Sophia’s engaging lectures.
Sophia chuckled. “I can’t keep up with this pace. No matter how much money it makes, I’m not coming back tomorrow.”
“Fine, but I have one condition,” Chloe said.
Sophia had a bad feeling. “What is it?”
“Whenever you have time, come back and host another lecture. There were so many people asking for advice on menstrual health earlier. Can you schedule a session to cover that?”
Sophia laughed. When it came to health-related topics, especially traditional medicine, she was happy to share—even for free. She genuinely wanted to promote traditional medicine and spread its knowledge worldwide, even if it didn’t make her a dime.
“Alright!” she agreed. “Whenever I have time, I’ll teach.”
—
The next day, Sophia wanted to stay in bed, but she forced herself to get up early.
She believed that maintaining good habits was difficult, but losing them took only a single day. Skipping her routine today would make it harder tomorrow, and over time, she would develop laziness. She refused to let that happen.
After a busy morning, Sophia decided to take a break and treat herself to a nice lunch.
Looking up, she noticed a man in a gray suit approaching.
“Logan?”
Logan smiled faintly. “Dr. Smith, would you care to join me for lunch?”
The patients in the waiting room erupted into chatter.
“Wow! Another handsome guy! Dr. Smith, is he one of your suitors too?”
Sophia coughed awkwardly, while Logan raised an eyebrow. “It seems like Dr. Smith has quite a few admirers.”
Mr. Williams, an older patient, laughed heartily. “That’s right! You’re just one of many, young man. Better step up your game; Dr. Smith is quite popular!”
Logan laughed openly. “Looks like I’ll have to try harder to win her over before someone else does.”
Sophia’s cheeks flushed. “Don’t listen to their nonsense! They’re just joking.”
“So, Dr. Smith, do you have time to have lunch with this admirer of yours?”
Sophia was about to agree when a voice interrupted, “Sorry, Mr. Logan, but Dr. Smith already has a packed lunch.”
Turning, they saw Joanna walking over, her red lips curved into a smile.
“Mr. Logan, our Dr. Smith always has a special, balanced meal prepared for her. It’s perfectly portioned with proteins and veggies. If you know her well, you’d know that she prefers nutritious, home-cooked food over dining out.”
With that, Joanna guided Sophia to a seat, placed the packed lunch in front of her, and said, “Here you go, Dr. Smith. Today’s meal smells wonderful. Please, enjoy!”
Sophia was stunned, feeling even more awkward.
Joanna’s words were sharp and intentional, leaving Logan smiling on the surface but clearly displeased.
“Joanna, I wasn’t aware that delivering lunch was part of your duties,” Logan said, his tone icy.
“Mr. Logan, there’s a lot you don’t know. This meal is exclusively prepared for Dr. Smith!” Joanna retorted, opening the container to reveal a six-compartment lunch box filled with beautifully arranged dishes.
One compartment held a fragrant black chicken soup, its aroma irresistible.
Logan’s face darkened. “Exclusively prepared? For Dr. Smith?”
“Guess!” Joanna teased with a playful wink, making Logan’s expression even stiffer.
Sophia sighed and said apologetically, “Sorry, Logan. I already have lunch. How about we eat together?”
“No, no, this meal isn’t suited to Mr. Logan’s taste,” Joanna interjected with a smile.
“Don’t worry about me, Dr. Smith,” Logan said coolly. “I couldn’t eat something like this anyway.” With that, he turned and left.
Joanna smirked triumphantly.
No way was she going to let someone steal the attention of someone as important as Sophia—especially when Mr. Livinus Scott had clearly taken an interest. She made a mental note to nudge Mr. Scott to act quickly before Sophia was snatched away.
Sophia looked down at the packed lunch, her emotions conflicted.
The meal was undeniably exquisite. She had once thought it was prepared by a top chef and had even considered visiting the restaurant responsible. But after tasting Livinus Scott’s cooking, she could no longer enjoy these meals with the same ease.
Now that she thought about it, Joanna’s consistent delivery and the identical lunchboxes made it unlikely that a restaurant was behind it.
And honestly, what restaurant would peel mushrooms so meticulously, leaving only the tender hearts of the vegetables?
This meal was a dilemma—eating it felt stressful, and not eating it felt wasteful.
Life was hard sometimes.
—
Later that day, Joanna returned to the office, put the lunchbox away, and walked into the CEO’s office.
“Mr. Scott, I saw someone today while delivering lunch.”
Livinus paused for a moment, then looked up, his brow furrowing. “Logan”
Joanna was visibly surprised. “You knew?”
“He’s one of Sophia’s matchmaking candidates.”
Joanna grew anxious. “Matchmaking? Mr. Scott, if I may, Logan is highly desirable in the matchmaking market. He’s in his early 30s, successful, runs a listed company, and is unmarried. A man like him is incredibly appealing to women. You can’t take this lightly!”
It was rare for Joanna to voice such concerns, and equally rare for Livinus to tolerate them.
Livinus clasped his hands together, deep in thought. “Early 30s, successful, runs a listed company, and unmarried? Don’t I meet all those criteria? Or are you implying I’m not desirable in the matchmaking market?”
Joanna stammered, avoiding his gaze.
“What is it?” Livinus asked, his voice lowering by several degrees.
Summoning her courage, Joanna muttered, “Logan is… approachable.”
“…” Livinus lowered his head, returning to his work. “You can leave now.”
“…” Joanna left, muttering under her breath, “With that attitude, no wonder Dr. Smith would reject you.”
That night, after Sophia had showered and was preparing for bed, there was a knock at her door.
When she opened it, Livinus Scott stood there.
