Everyone laughed, and the tense atmosphere finally eased. Sophia double-checked the prescription to ensure there were no mistakes before handing it to Director Jake.
“Start with the meridian-unblocking formula. After three doses, switch to the heat-clearing and detoxifying formula. Come back in ten days for a follow-up.”
Director Jake and his family escorted Sophia and Dr. Mateo all the way to the door. Once Sophia had left, Director Jake’s wife hesitantly asked:
“Jake, you’re not really going to give her the house in the city center, are you? What if the child actually gets better?”
Director Jake frowned. “Is the house more important than the child’s life? If she truly has the ability to cure him, I’ll give it to her!”
“But that house is worth over five million dollars!”
Director Jake hesitated, then said, “If she cures him, we’ll talk about it then. A verbal promise is just that. Without evidence, who’s to say I meant it?”
For the next two days, Sophia was busy tidying up her mountain home.
She wanted to surround the house with plants—roses climbing the walls, hydrangeas blooming blue along the base, and wisteria draping elegantly in front. Knowing the flowers would wilt in winter, she planned to add evergreen plants to maintain greenery year-round. It was a lot of work and would take time, but by spring and summer, the yard would be full of vibrant life.
Sophia also intended to plant herbs around the yard to keep insects away.
She wanted to create a space she loved.
A place where she could live well—alone.
Early in the morning, Sophia went out to buy some succulents, planning to plant them in elevated areas since they were prone to rot. Outdoor rain required mixing more sand into the soil for better drainage.
Just as she finished spreading the sand, she heard fireworks at the entrance of her clinic!
At first, she thought it would end quickly, but the fireworks lasted for a full five minutes.
When it finally stopped, loud sounds echoed overhead, and colorful displays burst into the sky. Occasionally, fireworks shot high above her clinic, lighting up the area.
“Is someone getting married? Isn’t fireworks use banned in the city now?”
Which family was so extravagant, setting off fireworks for over ten minutes?
She thought it would end soon, but even after twenty minutes, the fireworks continued.
Sophia frowned and walked to the clinic entrance to see who had brought their wedding procession there.
But when she got there, she saw a row of luxury cars parked at the door. At the front was a flashy red Porsche, followed by Ferraris, Rolls-Royces, and Maseratis.
At first glance, it really did look like a wedding convoy.
When Sophia appeared, the door of the Porsche opened suddenly, and Tony stepped out, his face beaming with joy.
“Dr. Smith, you’re finally here! Did you see the fireworks? Aren’t they festive?”
“Tony?”
Sophia frowned, a vein popping in her temple. She glanced at him and asked, “Did Clara get pregnant?”
Tony froze, his grin stretching to his ears.
“Yes! Dr. Smith, how did you know? Are you psychic? We just confirmed it at the hospital yesterday. The doctor said Clara is newly pregnant and should take good care of herself. I rushed over to share the good news!”
He laughed and added, “Dr. Smith, to thank you, I had banners made. Pick one!”
Sophia’s face darkened as she saw Tony and his friends holding over a dozen banners with phrases like:
- “A heart of compassion, miraculous hands that bring health!”
- “High moral standards, divine medical skills, a healer reborn!”
- “Magic needles heal all illnesses, an artist and healer admired across the land!”
The last one stunned Sophia. “An artist and healer? Do they think I’m some sort of traditional expert?”
Annoyed, she waved her hand dismissively. “Shoo! What’s the point of all this? Can I eat banners?”
“Dr. Smith, you’re being too humble! You see, that’s the problem—you’re too low-key!” Tony turned to the people waiting in line and asked, “Am I right? Isn’t Dr. Smith way too modest? Look at this—she helped my wife and me have a child, and she won’t even accept our banners. Have you ever seen a doctor this humble?”
Surprisingly, the people in line chimed in:
“She’s right! Dr. Smith is too modest!”
“And her fees are so reasonable!”
“Dr. Smith has such high moral standards. Truly admirable!”
“Calling her a healer reborn isn’t an exaggeration at all!”
Sophia sighed and chuckled. “Look at my small clinic. Where would I even hang these banners? Take them back. I appreciate your gesture, but I don’t need the banners.”
“No way! How about this?” Tony looked at the space beside the clinic and said confidently, “My family is in construction. I’ll build you a mansion—a 300-square-meter space just for your clinic! You can use it to hang the banners!”
Tony was genuinely sincere. He and Clara had spent millions trying to conceive, not to mention donations to churches costing tens of millions. Building Sophia a villa was nothing.
Sophia couldn’t help but laugh.
“A mansion? Why would I need a room just for banners? Look at my clinic—it’s just herbs and a desk. What else do I need?”
Tony paused, finally realizing how simple her clinic was.
But…
Wasn’t this simplicity a sign of poverty? There was barely anything here! It looked so shabby and pitiful that it made people want to donate money.
Sophia noticed his thoughts and sighed.
“Have you heard of minimalism? It’s about letting go. Things like these banners just take up space. They should be discarded!”
Tony was stunned.
So… the simplicity was intentional? A sign of profound wisdom?
Oh my goodness! That explanation made it sound sophisticated and impressive!
Tony’s enthusiasm was dampened, and he looked dejected.
“But these banners are so beautifully made. Surely you don’t find them unworthy?”
Sophia laughed, then pointed to the mess on the ground. “Hurry up and clean up the trash! I don’t have time to sweep!”
“Got it! I’ll take care of it!” Tony agreed cheerfully.
Hell, if she asked him to clean with his head, he would do it gladly!
Suddenly, the passenger window of the Ferrari rolled down, and Scott Livinus leaned out, his face filled with impatience.
“I told you this was a stupid idea, but you wouldn’t listen!”
With that, he stepped out of the car, his long legs commanding attention.
His strong presence made everyone in line turn to look.
Livinus scanned the area, his gaze finally landing on Sophia.
Their eyes met, and for some reason, Sophia suddenly thought of that day playing golf—his entire body radiating heat.
