Zhu Yanyi looked at Zhu Zhibin with a faint, teasing smile. As expected, Zhu Zhibin’s face changed color upon hearing her words.
"Second Sister, you are too cruel! How can I live like this? There are still three months left!" he complained dramatically.
"If you keep crying and wailing like this, I will ban you for three years," Zhu Yanyi said with a bright grin. "Tell me, will Mama believe me or you?"
Zhu Zhibin froze instantly, afraid to move.
Zhu Shun Yao nearby burst into laughter. Taishu Yuanxiang and Zhu Yanli also smiled, covering their mouths.
Zhu Zhibin looked up at the sky with a helpless expression. "I feel like I must have been adopted."
"Mhm." Zhu Yanyi nodded directly, then put on a thoughtful look. "It was winter. The weather was extremely cold. Heavy snow was falling, and the northwest wind was howling. Everyone had to wear thick cotton coats when going out. Papa went out to take out the trash and heard a baby crying from the garbage pile. She looked and saw a baby boy, so she picked you up. That is how you became our family’s bean sprout."
Zhu Yanyi was in a rare mood to joke around.
Zhu Zhibin glared at Zhu Yanyi for a long time before speaking. "Second Sister, that is not how you lie. My birthday is August 8th. There is no snow in August, no northwest wind, and no one wears thick cotton coats."
"Oh." Zhu Yanyi showed no surprise at being exposed, nor any shame. She simply nodded. "Then let’s try another one. It was a pitch-black night. A fierce typhoon was blowing outside. Rain mixed with hail hit the windows with a thud-thud sound, creating a chilling atmosphere. Our family was supposed to sleep early, but we heard a baby crying. We opened the door and found a swaddled bundle abandoned under the eaves. Papa felt pity and brought you back. That was you."
"Sister, it is a pity you are not a writer. You make up stories so smoothly," Zhu Zhibin said, no longer angry. He knew exactly how he came into the world.
Zhu Yanyi tilted her head, looking at Zhu Zhibin. "You know that? In my past life, I was a writer."
"Go away, you brag without even drafting it. If you remember your past life, then I must have been Liu Hui in my past life," Zhu Zhibin retorted with a smile.
Just as the siblings were joking with each other, Niu Jiu entered from the doorway. She addressed Zhu Yanyi. "Little Divine Doctor, a man claiming to be Captain Charles is requesting an audience."
Zhu Yanyi raised her eyebrows slightly. She could guess most of Captain Charles’s background without much thought. She turned to Zhu Shun Yao. "You stay with Bean Sprout. I will go see him." Then she walked out.
Captain Charles saw Zhu Yanyi come out and approached her. She looked at her seriously. "Little Divine Doctor, I hope you will treat our General again."
"You saw my statement at the press conference, right?" Zhu Yanyi looked at Captain Charles. "You should know my conditions. If you do not meet my conditions, do not even ask me to treat her. I never slap my own face by going back on my word. If you do not agree to the conditions, everything is out of the question."
"This will affect the friendship between the two countries," Captain Charles said, putting a big hat on her immediately.
"When you turned intentional murder into an accidental injury, did you not think about affecting the friendship between the two countries? If this friendship is affected, then it is your countrymen who first profaned this friendship, not us Chinese. We Chinese have always been humble and polite to outsiders. Now I realize we were too humble, so you took our politeness as a natural blessing. Since that is the case, I withdraw this politeness." Zhu Yanyi’s expression was very serious. "I still say the same thing: if you want me to treat her, fine. As long as you meet my conditions. Otherwise, there is no discussion."
The last four words were sonorous and powerful, with no hesitation. Captain Charles saw Zhu Yanyi’s determination. Zhu Yanyi raised her eyebrows at Captain Charles again. "Does Captain Charles have any other business?"
Captain Charles could not even put on a thick face to speak further. She had realized that Zhu Yanyi was someone who could not be swayed by either soft or hard tactics. If they had known this personality from the start, such problems would not have arisen. But now that they knew, it seemed she had to go back and discuss it thoroughly with Admiral Roth.
After thinking for a moment, he said nothing more and went to find Admiral Roth.
As soon as he entered the hospital room, Admiral Roth frowned, pacing back and forth. Seeing Captain Charles return, he asked immediately, "How is it? Did that Little Divine Doctor agree to treat me again?"
Captain Charles shook her head slightly. "The Little Divine Doctor said her conditions are clear. If these conditions are not met, she will not treat any of our countrymen."
"Isn't she a doctor? Shouldn't doctors have benevolent hearts? How can she be so willful?" Admiral Roth was nearly going crazy. During this period, under Zhu Yanyi’s treatment, she had clearly felt her body recovering quickly, and she no longer had her previous lack of energy. But now, the treatment had suddenly stopped. She knew that stopping treatment meant she might lose her life.
"Or, we return to our country and let our domestic doctors treat you again. Maybe you will be cured," Captain Charles comforted him.
"Do you think that is possible?" Admiral Roth glanced at Captain Charles. "During the time I was being treated by the Little Divine Doctor, I could not touch any Western medicine. Did you not notice this? If we go back because of this and take Western medicine, causing my condition, which had just shown some improvement, to worsen again, what do you think we should do then?"
"Then we can only force our country to agree to the Little Divine Doctor’s demands, send Nyxka to China, and let the Little Divine Doctor and her team handle it," Captain Charles said directly. "We do not need to damage your health to protect such a murderer."
Admiral Roth frowned slightly. "Let me think." Admiral Roth actually understood in his heart that what Captain Charles said was the best outcome. However, he also understood that once they bowed their heads, it would be unlikely for them to hold their heads high in front of China in the future.
China, this vast country, has a long history and profound culture, as well as skills that others cannot see. If the Qing government had not declined, it would definitely not be a country that their nation could catch up with and surpass.
But once they surpassed this great power, they did not want to be people who looked up to others again.
Moreover, having always been superior, they had long lost the feeling of wanting to bow their heads. They always felt they were high and mighty, and others should prostrate themselves before them. But obviously, the situation was different now.
Because Zhu Yanyi possessed medical skills that were unique in the world. Such skills did not exist in Western countries, and in Eastern countries, only China had produced a Zhu Yanyi.