After realizing it a bit late, Claire Prescott finally understood what he was saying.
She stood there in a daze right in front of him.
It was as if a pebble had been tossed into the lake of her heart, stirring waves of ripples.
She hadn't expected him to still remember her.
She had imagined many times what the scene of their reunion would be like, whether it was at The Nocturne Club, at Sinclair Apothecary, or perhaps a chance encounter on the street.
But she thought it was more likely to meet him at The Nocturne Club, because she had encountered him in such a setting before, so she never refused any night outings, but often left after only a few minutes.
Unexpectedly, she really did meet him at The Nocturne Club…
And….
"Sir, perhaps you've mistaken me for someone else."
Keane Lowell's gaze fixed on that face as pure as a painting, his eyes sharp as if they could see through a person.
Under the scrutiny of that gaze, she was extremely flustered and quickly said, "Since you're not holding it against me anymore, please don't let this matter reach my grandfather."
"Now you're scared?"
Claire Prescott's ears turned red, and she responded bravely, "I'm not scared, I just think it's a bit… embarrassing, losing face in front of the old doctor."
Keane Lowell looked at her with a half-amused expression, his dark eyes suddenly brightened, faintly showing a hint of a smile.
He relaxed his brows and leisurely took a sip of tea, "In front of the elderly, you still have an image?"
There was a hint of teasing in his tone.
Claire Prescott had nothing to say, and not being able to stand his overly familiar demeanor, decided to leave first.
"If there's nothing else, I'll go back now."
Just as she was about to turn, she heard him say in a deep voice, "Let Assistant Cheney send you back."
"No need for the trouble, I'll go back by myself."
After she finished speaking, she quickly left as if escaping.
...
Back at the clinic, Uncle Sterling knocked and entered her office, handing over a ledger, "Claire, this is last month's ledger, please take a look."
"Alright."
Uncle Sterling looked at her hesitantly, stammering for a moment before saying, "There's something, not sure if I should say it."
It seemed she hadn't recovered from the encounter with Keane Lowell, and feeling a bit lost, Claire Prescott said faintly, "Go ahead."
"Yesterday, when you were resting, Elder Sinclair brought patients to the counter. For a few precious herbs, he directly wiped out two decimals and sold them to those who couldn't afford the medicine."
"Also, every time you go to the mountainous area for consultations, the clinic's herbs are sent out at cost price. If this goes on for long, the clinic will eventually go bankrupt."
"You're already making a great contribution to society by practicing medicine. Leave charity work for others to do."
Patiently listening to him finish, Claire Prescott supported her forehead, replying slowly, "Alright, I'll talk to Grandpa about it."
...
It was evening.
Claire Prescott sat at a dining table with her grandparents.
Their residence could be considered simple, but the two elderly people had been frugal all their lives, never letting their granddaughter suffer any hardship in life.
The things they gave her were always the best, raising her completely as a daughter of a noble medical family.
Halfway through the meal, Elder Sinclair suddenly mentioned, "I heard two wealthy people came to the clinic today to see you?"
Claire Prescott paused her hand, answered, "Yes."
Elder Sinclair fell silent, his brows slightly furrowed, deep in thought, seemingly having something to say, but ultimately not voicing it.
Claire Prescott tried to bring up the topic, "Grandpa, what do you want to say?"
"This year you've reached twenty-three, you're at the age to be considering marriage."
Upon hearing this, Septima Sterling was displeased, "Claire is still young, why talk about marriage?"
Elder Sinclair said helplessly, "I'm not saying she should get married right now."
Actually, he was also reluctant to see his granddaughter married off, but some things needed to be said.
It was her decision how she wanted to live.
He only regretted that his daughter passed away too soon, and his son was unambitious, thinking medical school was hard and wouldn't make money, he went off to other fields to get rich with his family.
The granddaughter had a great talent in medicine, studied with him since childhood, and even after graduating with a master's degree, stayed with him at Sinclair Apothecary, accompanying the two elderly.
Although he was obsessed with legacy, now in his seventies, he worried more about who would care for his granddaughter in the future.
Claire Prescott placed a piece of meat in his bowl and shifted the topic, "Grandpa, you should focus more on Sinclair Apothecary's finances. Uncle Sterling told me today that you took some precious herbs and gave them to patients for free. What if they're swindlers? Grandpa, be more cautious."
Once she said that, Elder Sinclair's face darkened.
Then, the old man set down his bowl and chopsticks, sternly said, "Copy 'Great Medical Sincerity' fifty times, you're not allowed to go on consultations until it's done."
Claire Prescott was taken aback, watching the old man leave the table in a huff.
She defiantly shouted at his back, "Grandpa, you're being unreasonable."
"One hundred times." came the firm voice.
Claire Prescott's voice choked.
This kind of thing wasn't a one-time incident. She had mentioned it to him before, but the old man didn't listen, disdaining the smell of money.
With a compassionate heart, like a Bodhisattva, anyone who tried to convince him met with his anger.
Though she grew up in the clinic, with its influence, her medical skills honed to excellence, she hadn't reached the level of absolute benevolence, selflessly serving others.
So, regarding this mind-set, there often were disagreements between her and her grandfather.
Unexpectedly this time, her grandpa was unreasonable, punishing her with homework without recourse.
It was truly… excessive.
That night, the household atmosphere was particularly cold. Claire Prescott sat at her desk, holding a brush to quietly copy the book.
Rain was still falling outside, accentuating the chill of the spring night.
'Great Medical Sincerity' was authored by The Medicine King, Simon Sagan, discussing medical ethics: first precision, second sincerity, and enveloping compassion to save all living beings, not relying on skills to profit…
The book comprised over a thousand characters, meticulously written stroke by stroke, each round taking at least two to three hours.
Those one hundred rounds, who knew when they'd be finished.
...
In the following days, patients looking for Claire Prescott at Sinclair Apothecary were all directed to Elder Sinclair.
When asked what she was doing, the counter clerk Tiger replied that she was sick.
Later, Claire Prescott indeed fell ill, caught a cold, and stayed home copying books without leaving.
Her best friend Zara Leighton invited her to go fishing, she said her hand hurt.
"Are you really not coming? There are lots of handsome guys here, all elite moguls."
Claire Prescott instinctively wondered if Keane Lowell would be there too, but then thought it unlikely for such a coincidence, feeling uninterested, "Forget it, I have a cold, I'm not in the mood."
"When you have a cold, get some sun, don't stay cooped up. I'll call a car to pick you up, it's settled then." With those words, Zara hung up the phone, leaving her no chance to refuse.
Claire Prescott was helpless, looking at the lines of text in the book, feeling dizzy.
After that night, her grandfather gave her the cold shoulder for a few days, stubborn, impossible to appease, until he saw her sick and was deeply distressed. Then he thawed, telling her to go out more, not to stay at home.
However, he didn't reduce her punishment, the copying still had to be done.
Zara's called car quickly arrived at Sinclair Apothecary's side gate.
Claire Prescott threw on a coat, quickly said goodbye to her grandmother, and got in the car to leave.
The destination was a private estate, and upon getting out of the car, she saw Zara Leighton.
In a stunning, figure-hugging red satin gown, charming but not vulgar, from head to toe strikingly beautiful, she was a rising star, dazzling wherever she went.