Chapter 30: Bailan’s Terminal Illness

Lin Chen nodded and said, "You handled that well. Remember this prescription: 20g of honeysuckle, 20g of forsythia, 15g of isatis root, 15g of rhizoma cyrtomii, 15g of houttuynia, 6g of scutellaria, 10g of licorice, and 6g of fermented soybeans. Boil it in three bowls of water until only eight-tenths remains. Drink it once every evening after dinner, and you will be recovered in three days."

With that, he left with Bai Lan.

Once outside the gate, Bai Lan asked curiously, "Brother Lin Chen, was that woman really terminally ill and about to die? I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence that she happened to have a serious illness."

Lin Chen laughed. "There’s no coincidence. It was just a common cold. The prescription I gave her was merely for treating a cold—how could that kill anyone? Even if I hadn't treated her, she likely would have recovered on her own in a few days."

"Ah, Brother Lin Chen, you are so bad! You were tricking her; you scared her so much that her face turned pale just now."

Bai Lan was speechless, then asked in confusion, "But when she pressed the back of her head just now, didn't she say it was extremely painful?"

Lin Chen explained, "Her body is suffering from severe damp-cold, and combined with the cold, it’s only natural that the acupoint would be painful when pressed."

Hearing this, Bai Lan smiled playfully. "Brother Lin Chen is so wicked. She clearly just had a cold, yet you scared her half to death. In the end, she’ll probably be kowtowing in gratitude to you for the medicine."

Lin Chen chuckled. "They teamed up to try and swindle you; there's no need to be polite with people like that. Besides, this kind of bluffing requires genuine skill; an average person couldn't pull it off."

Bai Lan nodded, then asked curiously, "Brother Lin Chen, how did you know she had a history of headaches and had been hospitalized for a severe cold last month?"

Lin Chen replied without false modesty, "I saw it. Didn't that woman say it herself? I am a divine doctor."

"Hee hee. I feel like Brother Lin Chen is bragging," Bai Lan said with a sweet smile.

Watching the smile ripple across Bai Lan’s pure, delicate face, Lin Chen’s mood improved, but suddenly, his expression shifted.

"Why is your nose bleeding?"

From Bai Lan’s small, dainty nose, a stream of scarlet blood suddenly flowed, looking shocking against her overly pale skin.

Bai Lan’s expression changed drastically. She wiped under her nose with the back of her hand, coming away covered in blood. The bleeding became faster and faster, completely unstoppable.

Bai Lan pressed the back of her hand against her nose and forced a smile. "I’m fine, it’s probably just internal heat."

"Nonsense. Have you ever seen someone bleed like this from internal heat?"

Lin Chen grabbed her hand to take her pulse, then smelled the blood he had wiped from under her nose. His expression turned grim. He held her head steady and pressed his fingers firmly above the bridge of her nose a few times, finally slowing the bleeding until it stopped.

"Do you know about the illness you have?" Lin Chen stared into Bai Lan’s eyes, his expression serious.

Bai Lan was stunned. She hadn't expected the nosebleed to stop so easily. She had felt a cool energy pass from Lin Chen’s fingers through the bridge of her nose into her body, and then the blood simply stopped.

Hearing Lin Chen’s question, Bai Lan gave a forced smile. "Brother Lin Chen is truly a divine doctor. I... I know what illness I have. You don't need to worry too much."

Lin Chen’s eyelid twitched. He said in a low voice, "You know what you have, and you can still smile? Should I call you thick-skinned or overly optimistic? Chronic myeloid leukemia, you must have had it for three or four years—it’s already in the terminal stage!"

This kind of illness is difficult to detect from the surface, and Lin Chen hadn't paid attention initially, so he hadn't noticed.

Terminal chronic leukemia is much trickier than acute leukemia. In the modern world, reaching this stage is essentially a death sentence. He was surprised that Bai Lan could still smile knowing she had a terminal illness. Even though the smile was bitter and forced, a typical girl in her prime would be terrified, sobbing, and emotionally shattered. Yet, Bai Lan was out singing on the streets and working as a waitress.

This shy, pure girl was far less fragile than she appeared, and she clearly had her own story.

Lin Chen frowned. "Why haven't you gone to the hospital for treatment? If you had started treatment as soon as you found out, you could have lived for several more years at least. And what about your family? If you know your condition, they must know too. Why would they allow you to work? Such parents are incredibly irresponsible!"

Bai Lan whispered, "I am an orphan; I grew up in an orphanage." A trace of sadness appeared on her face, but it vanished as quickly as it had come.

Lin Chen was taken aback. "I’m sorry, I didn't know you were an orphan."

Bai Lan shook her head and smiled gently. "I know you’re worried about me, Brother Lin Chen. Thank you, you really are a good person. I’m very happy; few people have ever cared about me like this."

Seeing that there was no trace of sorrow on Bai Lan’s face, only a sweet smile, Lin Chen couldn't help but sigh. "You are quite optimistic. Most people with this illness are depressed and find it hard to smile at all."

Bai Lan laughed. "True. Although I grew up in an orphanage, the director and everyone else were very good to me. It really is a wonderful place, but now that I’m grown, I can’t stay there forever, or I’d just be an extra burden on the director."

"Your mindset is excellent. Depression only makes the illness worse. This orphanage director you mentioned seems like a good person to have raised you to be so optimistic," Lin Chen praised.

Bai Lan’s smile brightened. "If there’s an opportunity, I’ll take you to the orphanage to see. The director is truly wonderful, and the children there are very sensible and well-behaved. You’ll definitely like them."

Seeing her so excited, Lin Chen said helplessly, "You should worry about yourself first. No matter how optimistic you are, you have to face reality. Do you realize how serious your situation is? If you don't get treatment, you might not even live for another six months."

The smile on Bai Lan’s face froze. She had been deliberately avoiding the reality of her illness. She was just an ordinary girl; no matter how strong or optimistic she was, she feared death. She had curled up under her covers and sobbed many times, spending countless nights sleepless, but other than pretending not to care, what else could she do?

Perhaps treatment could prolong her life, but she had no money. Furthermore, the doctors had told her clearly that her condition was already difficult to control, and even with treatment, there was no guarantee she would live another year.

Since she couldn't escape it, no matter how much she feared it, she could only grit her teeth and force a smile. Now, being reminded repeatedly of her leukemia by Lin Chen, sorrow welled up in her heart, and Bai Lan’s eyes couldn't help but turn red.