Chapter 168: Xiao Gu, would you like to become my disciple?

Old Chen possessed not only vast knowledge but also a wealth of experience—exactly what she needed.

She could tell that Old Chen intended to teach her, so she studied diligently.

After she started seeing Old Chen as her teacher, she became much closer to him.

Knowing that Old Chen enjoyed good food, she would exchange for some era-appropriate treats from the system to give to him.

At first, Old Chen would politely refuse, but later on, every time he came, there was a look of anticipation in his eyes.

On this particular day, Old Chen came again. After they finished discussing a certain medical case, he suddenly asked, ""Xiao Gu, would you like to become my disciple?""

As soon as he said it, Old Chen felt a sense of relief.

In truth, he had wanted to ask this for a long time. He’d held back until today, but now he simply couldn’t wait any longer.

It was all because Gu Jianing had truly impressed him.

He was afraid that if he didn’t speak up soon and take her as his disciple, someone else might notice her talent and snatch her away.

At first, when Old Chen brought Gu Jianing to the Traditional Chinese Medicine department, he hadn’t intended to take her as a disciple.

He did want to take on a disciple, but the master-disciple relationship was like that of a parent and child—far from simple. Especially given his current status, he had to be extremely cautious in choosing a disciple.

Medical talent was important, but character was just as crucial.

Old Chen had seen plenty of people betrayed by those close to them, and he was determined never to let that happen to himself.

Initially, he brought Gu Jianing to the TCM department partly because they were severely understaffed, and partly because he’d heard she was talented. He hoped that their quiet, declining department might welcome a promising new doctor.

And so, Gu Jianing arrived.

After she joined, Old Chen didn’t come to the department often, but whenever he did, he would observe her.

At first, he simply watched her. Later, he couldn’t help but interact, discuss, and exchange ideas with her.

The more he interacted and discussed with Gu Jianing, the more he liked her.

Of course, this fondness wasn’t of any other kind—it was the affection of an elder for a promising junior. The more he got to know her, the more he felt that Gu Jianing was shining, and he couldn’t wait to take her as his disciple.

At first, he thought she just had medical talent. But after their discussions, he realized her knowledge was incredibly broad—she could respond to almost anything he brought up.

Bear in mind, there was a gap of decades of experience between them.

That alone showed just how deep Gu Jianing’s medical knowledge was.

He also discovered that Gu Jianing had an exceptional memory—almost photographic, able to read ten lines at a glance and never forget what she read.

Combined with her remarkable medical talent...

Old Chen was confident that as long as Gu Jianing stayed on this path, her future achievements in medicine would far surpass his own.

Wouldn’t it be a great thing to take such a junior as his disciple?

Of course, there was another reason that made Old Chen even more determined to take Gu Jianing as his disciple: the incident with the landslide.

Whether it was Gu Jianing working tirelessly for a whole day and night to save lives while pregnant, or her rescuing the military dog Amber, all of it made Old Chen think even more highly of her.

In short, Gu Jianing had earned Old Chen’s approval both in terms of character and medical skill.

Old Chen felt that no one could be more suitable to be his disciple than Gu Jianing.

To him, Gu Jianing was like a piece of gold, shining brightly.

Right now, only he had noticed her brilliance in medicine. If he didn’t act soon and take her as his disciple, once Gu Jianing left the Northwest Military District and entered a bigger world, others would surely notice her light too.

By then, this piece of gold might just be snatched away by someone else.

So today, Old Chen finally couldn’t hold back and asked her.

After asking, he felt both relieved and anxious.

He had no idea whether Xiao Gu would agree.

When Old Chen asked, Gu Jianing was momentarily stunned, then opened her mouth to reply.

But just as she was about to speak—

Old Chen interrupted her.

""Wait, don’t answer yet.""

""Xiao Gu, I feel like you don’t know me very well yet. I think I should introduce myself a bit first...""

So Old Chen began to introduce himself, and of course, he slipped in quite a bit of self-promotion.

For example, he talked about his current status, the honors he’d received, his connections, and all the benefits she’d get if she became his disciple.

In short, it all boiled down to one thing: Become my disciple, and I’ll teach you everything I know, give you access to all my connections, protect you with all my might, and treat you like my own granddaughter.

""So, come be my disciple.""

Gu Jianing blinked, wanting to say something.

But before she could speak, Old Chen raised his hand and cut her off again.

""Never mind, never mind. This is such a big decision, I doubt you can make up your mind right away.""

""How about this—go home and discuss it with your husband, and give me your answer tomorrow.""

""I have something to do, so I’ll be off now.""

With that, he left before Gu Jianing could reply.

Old Chen would never admit that he was a little nervous—so nervous that he just had to make a quick escape.

As he hurried away, he silently prayed that this young lady would think it through carefully—becoming his disciple would only bring her benefits, never harm.

Did Gu Jianing know the benefits of becoming Old Chen’s disciple?

Of course she did!

Even if Old Chen hadn’t said all that today, she’d already heard plenty from Dr. Zhou.

It’s just...

At that moment, Gu Jianing reached out toward Old Chen’s departing back in a classic ""Er Kang hand"" gesture.

Watching as Old Chen quickly disappeared from view, Gu Jianing couldn’t help but marvel at how fit he was—his legs were as nimble as any young person’s.

Then she thought to herself: Actually, she’d wanted to tell Old Chen right then and there that she was willing to be his disciple—no need to go home and think it over.

She could have agreed on the spot.

But...

Old Chen had already run off.

Oh well, she’d just have to give him her answer tomorrow.

She wondered what Old Chen’s reaction would be when he found out.

Forget it, better not tell him.

After Old Chen left, Dr. Zhou and Dr. Lu came over.

Dr. Zhou’s eyes were wide with excitement. ""Dr. Gu, didn’t I tell you? When Old Chen brought you to our TCM department, he was planning to take you as his disciple. Looks like I guessed right!""

""Dr. Gu, this is Old Chen we’re talking about! You have to say yes to becoming his disciple!""

Dr. Zhou and Dr. Lu hadn’t meant to eavesdrop on Old Chen and Gu Jianing’s conversation—they just happened to be passing by. Besides, Old Chen and Gu Jianing hadn’t tried to keep their voices down, so they overheard everything.

They’d already suspected that Old Chen wanted to take Gu Jianing as his disciple, and now, it turned out they were right."