Chapter 169: Lu Yanli Was One of the People Who Refused to Accept It

Lu Yanli was one of those people who just couldn’t accept it.

She and the others had originally thought that it would be Gu Jianing trying to curry favor with Old Chen, hoping he’d take her on as his apprentice.

But what did they end up seeing?

What they saw was Old Chen listing out all sorts of conditions and advantages, practically coaxing Gu Jianing to become his apprentice.

That’s right—Old Chen’s behavior just now was nothing short of coaxing.

It was like he was holding out a piece of candy to a child, saying, “Come with me, little one. If you do, this candy is yours, and there will be endless sweets for you in the future.”

No matter how you looked at it, he was being obsequious. Honestly, it was the first time they’d ever seen Old Chen act like that.

It was truly eye-opening.

After all, in their minds, Old Chen had always been a serious, wise, and sometimes even a bit hot-tempered figure.

But now…

In front of Gu Jianing, Old Chen was like the kindest, most patient elder imaginable.

As for Old Chen wanting to take Gu Jianing as his apprentice, they didn’t feel jealous.

They knew perfectly well what level their own medical skills were at—Old Chen wouldn’t be interested in them.

And they also knew that, compared to Gu Jianing, they simply didn’t measure up.

So it was only natural that Old Chen would want Gu Jianing as his apprentice.

They also understood that being Old Chen’s apprentice came with nothing but benefits.

That’s why, when they encouraged Gu Jianing to accept, it was truly for her own good.

Gu Jianing smiled. “Mm, I know. Thank you both.”

Although there were only a few doctors in their Traditional Chinese Medicine department, Gu Jianing felt that whether it was Dr. Zhou, Dr. Lu, or Old Chen, they were all wonderful people who looked out for her.

The atmosphere in their department was also very good.

Gu Jianing really liked this kind of environment—what she disliked most was dealing with scheming, backstabbing types.

So she felt very lucky to have landed in the TCM department.

Dr. Zhou and Dr. Lu were also happy to see that Gu Jianing had taken their advice to heart.

That night, Gu Jianing went home and told Sheng Zexi about it.

“This is a good thing. Truly, being Old Chen’s apprentice can only help you, not hurt you,” Sheng Zexi agreed.

He’d met Old Chen before and knew that Old Chen was fiercely protective of his own.

If Ningning became his apprentice, there’d be one more person looking out for her. He’d also feel more at ease when he had to go on missions.

So, the next day, under Old Chen’s anxious and hopeful gaze, Gu Jianing agreed to become his apprentice.

“You agreed? You really agreed? Wonderful, that’s wonderful!” Old Chen was genuinely overjoyed.

He couldn’t hide the smile on his face.

“Good disciple, don’t worry—your master will treat you well from now on.”

Of course, Old Chen wouldn’t tell Gu Jianing that he’d been so worried the night before that he hadn’t slept a wink, fretting over whether she’d accept his offer.

Now that she had, he was simply over the moon.

Gu Jianing thought: If I told Master now that if he hadn’t interrupted me yesterday, I would have agreed on the spot, I wonder how he’d feel—probably not so happy!

But Gu Jianing was considerate and respected her master, and she cared about the elderly, too.

So it was better not to mention it.

Old Chen took the matter of accepting an apprentice very seriously. Even though Gu Jianing had agreed, there still had to be a formal ceremony.

And, most importantly, the news had to get out as soon as possible.

First, to let those eyeing Gu Jianing know that this talented young doctor was now Old Chen’s apprentice, so anyone thinking of poaching her should give up.

Second, to announce to everyone that Gu Jianing was now under his protection, and anyone who dared mess with her would have to answer to him—Old Chen was known for fiercely protecting his own.

As soon as the news spread that Old Chen was taking Gu Jianing as his apprentice, quite a few people were unhappy.

These were the very people who’d previously hoped to become Old Chen’s apprentice themselves.

Yet Old Chen had turned them all down, only to choose a young female doctor who’d only just started working at the military hospital.

It was no wonder so many people felt indignant.

Lu Yanli was one of them.

Lu Yanli was an internist. Ever since she’d come to the military hospital and learned of Old Chen’s status from her husband, she’d set her sights on becoming his apprentice.

Her husband was a political commissar—a man of considerable rank.

Before marrying Zheng Weimin, Lu Yanli had worked as a doctor at the county hospital back home.

Even though it was just a county hospital, it was still a very good job—steady pay, holiday benefits.

In the Lu family, this job had always given Lu Yanli the highest status.

When it came time for her to marry, it was precisely because of this job that she was able to marry Zheng Weimin.

Now, after six years of marriage, they had three children.

After joining the military with her husband, Lu Yanli transferred from her hometown’s county hospital to the military hospital.

She’d always been proud of her job as a doctor.

Many people looked up to her because of it.

To be honest, Lu Yanli’s family background was quite ordinary.

But she’d always known that if she wanted a better life, she’d have to work hard and climb the social ladder.

If she didn’t, she might have ended up like her older sister—married off to the countryside by their parents, spending her days serving her in-laws and watching everyone’s moods.

But that kind of life wasn’t what Lu Yanli wanted.

She wanted to live above others, to be someone people looked up to.

So even now, as a doctor at the military hospital, she still felt it wasn’t enough.

What Lu Yanli focused on wasn’t improving her medical skills, but building connections.

She’d seen too much along the way.

She knew all too well that connections and relationships mattered more than ability.

Back at the county hospital, there were plenty of people less capable than her who became her superiors simply because they had the right connections and background.

So Lu Yanli knew that if she wanted to keep climbing, she needed contacts and relationships.

That’s why, after learning about Old Chen’s background and his intention to take on an apprentice, she’d been trying every possible way to get close to him, to win his favor.

But no matter how hard she tried, Old Chen never agreed to take her as his apprentice.

Years passed, and Lu Yanli had almost given up.

She thought that if she couldn’t become Old Chen’s apprentice, then no one else should either. So when Old Chen hadn’t taken on anyone else, she didn’t mind.

But now, hearing that Old Chen was taking on a new apprentice—a young female doctor who’d only just arrived at the military hospital—Lu Yanli’s face instantly darkened the moment she heard the news."