Chapter 13

Jolene added Steven's number and closed her phone, only to find herself locking eyes with his cool, clear gaze. She froze for a moment. Suddenly, the sound of knocking on the door startled them both. "Mr. Welsh, Dr. Zimmer is here," Rita called out. "Alright. Let him in," Steven replied calmly. Jolene tensed at the mention of Xavier, for she knew him as a quack who misused his medical knowledge and was someone who could endanger Steven's life. Sensing her unease, Steven gently patted her hand in reassurance. "Don't worry. Just act as you normally would." Jolene took a deep breath and nodded. Meanwhile, when Xavier followed Rita upstairs, his expression was one of disdain as he noticed how quiet and unassuming the modest villa was. It was a stark contrast to the grandeur of the Welsh family's main residence. "Mr. Welsh, Dr. Zimmer has arrived," Rita announced. "Mr. Welsh," Xavier greeted coolly, his gaze narrowing in distaste upon seeing Jolene. "I prefer to work without outsiders present, especially arrogant medical students who haven't even graduated yet. I would appreciate it if Mrs. Welsh left." He made no secret of his contempt for Jolene, which only intensified when he learned of her medical studies. How much could she possibly have learned in university? In his eyes, she was just an overconfident novice flaunting her superficial knowledge. "I won't interfere with your work," Jolene responded calmly. "Could it be that you're trying to learn from me, Mrs. Welsh? After all, I'm the apprentice of the renowned doctor, Gabriel Ashton. I'm sure you must be eager to witness my exceptional acupuncture techniques. It's no wonder you don't want to leave," Xavier sneered. However, Steven remained composed. Taking Jolene's hand, he said, "We're inseparable from each other as newlyweds. I hope you can understand that I can't bear to be apart from her for even a moment, Dr. Zimmer." Witnessing the scene, Rita couldn't help but smile behind her hand. It seemed that marriage had indeed strengthened Steven's appreciation for his wife. Xavier snorted in annoyance. "Fine, she can stay. Not that it matters—her limited abilities wouldn't allow her to grasp much anyway." His arrogance almost made Steven laugh. If only Xavier knew the truth that no one knew Jolene's potential better than Gabriel himself. And here was this impostor, acting so superior. "Thank you for your understanding, Dr. Zimmer," Steven said politely. Xavier replied coldly, "Please have Mrs. Welsh remove your clothes. I need to perform acupuncture on you." Acupuncture involved two steps—needle insertion and moxibustion. Jolene assumed the role of a dutiful wife, helping Steven lie down on the bed and bending over to undress him carefully. Although this was not the first time she had done so, a hint of red still crept into her cheeks as she took in the sight of his physique. Xavier opened his luxurious and finely crafted medical kit, displaying a line of gleaming gold needles. With a serious expression, he began inserting the needles into Steven's body. Jolene watched intently, silently reciting the acupuncture points, "ST36, BL36, SP9…" Although these points were indeed effective for stimulating the legs, Xavier's technique seemed rather mediocre, appearing more sophisticated than it actually was. It was clear to her that Xavier wasn't truly trying to treat Steven. After finishing with the needles, Xavier began the moxibustion process. Jolene believed that warm needle moxibustion was more effective. This method involved wrapping mugwort floss around the needle's handle and lighting it to transmit warmth through the needle into the acupuncture points, thereby opening the meridians and promoting blood circulation. Once Xavier finished the procedure, he handed Jolene a packet of herbs. "This is for a medicinal bath. Use it once a day. I'll return for another session in three days." As Xavier packed up his kit and left, Jolene opened the herb packet, scrunching her nose as she took in its scent. She quickly identified two tampered ingredients—giant typhonium and angelica biserrata. "The acupuncture is fine, but the herbs are toxic," she said, her expression hardening with anger. "He even ground the herbs into powder and dyed them to disguise them. How despicable!" Sitting on the edge of the bed with his shirt hanging loosely, exposing his toned abs, Steven smiled faintly. "Well, with my miracle doctor here, all his schemes are useless." Jolene softly protested, "Please don't call me that. I'm just an ordinary medical student who hasn't even graduated yet." Steven leaned in, his voice a whisper. "You truly don't understand how remarkable you are, do you?" She undeniably deserved the title "miracle doctor", though she struggled to see it herself. Steven wondered when the esteemed Gabriel would finally acknowledge Jolene's talent and help her gain her due recognition. "Huh?" Jolene looked at him in confusion. Steven replied with a faint smile, "It's nothing. Just prepare the medicinal bath according to your recipe." He held back his thoughts, confident that Jolene would soon make a name for herself in Arcadia. "Let me adjust your acupuncture first. He inserted a few needles in the wrong points," Jolene said, pulling out a worn, grayish medical kit from under the bed. Inside the faded needle pouch lay a set of well-cared-for silver needles, making Steven feel a pang of regret. Xavier didn't deserve those gold needles, but Jolene certainly did. Leaning in, Jolene skillfully twirled the needle between her fingers before inserting it gently into Steven's skin. The soft mugwort floss wrapped around the needlehead released a fragrant smoke upon burning. Steven watched her intently. Jolene was undeniably beautiful—her oval face, delicate brows, and almond eyes exuded an ethereal charm. Her naturally curved lips only added to her enchanting allure. "Where's your phone?" he asked suddenly. "In my pocket," Jolene replied absentmindedly as she focused on her work. "Let me see it." Without thinking, Jolene handed her phone to Steven, her attention still on the acupuncture. Steven swiped across the screen, navigating to her contacts and finding himself listed as "Mr. Welsh". A knowing smile crossed his lips as he swiftly edited the entry. However, as he scrolled, he couldn't help but notice a few messages that darkened his expression. Jolene noticed and leaned over to take a look, her blush deepening when she realized what he had done. Steven had changed her contact name to "Hubby", leaving her mortified. Steven remained unfazed, casually setting the phone aside. "The name you set for me was too formal. If someone else saw it, they might suspect something," he said nonchalantly. "What did you save my name as, then?" Jolene asked, her cheeks puffed up in indignation. Avoiding the question, Steven cried, "Ouch, my leg's hurting…" His diversion worked like a charm as Jolene immediately focused on checking his legs. He couldn't help but think that she was rather gullible. "By the way, where's the class reunion being held? Do you need me to drive you there?" Steven asked, feigning casualness despite having seen some intimate messages on her phone. "It's at Coral Palace. I'll just take a cab there," Jolene replied, turning down his offer as expected. He wondered if she was worried about being seen with him. Steven ran his thumb along the edge of the bed as he watched her finish up and leave the room. Once she was gone, he pulled a tablet from the bedside table and connected it to the villa's surveillance cameras. Xavier's face appeared on the screen. He hadn't even left the villa and was already eagerly reporting to Bradson over the phone. "Mr. Bradson, Steven didn't suspect a thing. He even seemed grateful. Those herbs I gave him are tampered with. He'll be dead after a month of using them," Xavier gloated. He was like a subservient dog, trying to curry favor with Bradson. "Mr. Bradson, no one can take what's yours now. Once it's done, please send me abroad. I won't utter a word, I promise." He added, "No one will find out. That Jolene is clueless. She can't even recognize all the herbs." Steven sneered, "What an idiot." The main branch failed to kill him in the car crash, and now, they were attempting to poison him. Very well, he would give them exactly what they wanted. When the time came, he would play the role of a gravely ill man and let them bask in their false victory.