As time ticked away, An Yiqing’s brow furrowed slightly, a flash of realization crossing her eyes.
She withdrew her hand, gingerly placing Huang Fen’s wrist back down.
"Miss, can Mother Huang’s illness be cured?" Ah Si hurried forward, asking anxiously.
An Yiqing glanced at Ah Si, then turned to look at Ah Yi and the few other boys. She gestured with her hand to indicate "let’s talk outside."
An Yiqing turned to face the boys, nodding her head as she said, "Director Huang’s illness is gastric cancer; it has probably been four or five years. Originally, it was just a gastric disorder caused by irregular meals over a long period, but it turned cancerous because it wasn’t properly cared for in time. Am I right?"
No sooner had she finished speaking than the boys’ eyes widened in disbelief, their faces filled with horror.
An Yiqing couldn’t help but chuckle, teasing, "You don’t have to look at me like that, I’m not a ghost."
"You, you... Miss, you’re amazing! You can diagnose so clearly just by taking the pulse?" Ah Yi couldn’t help expressing his admiration, then eagerly asked, "Miss, do you have a method for this disease?..."
"Yes. Gastric cancer isn’t a serious illness for me; I am confident I can cure it!"
An Yiqing’s words caused the eyes of the towering boys to redden. Even the always steady and mature Ah Yi became excited.
"Miss, can you really cure Mother Huang?" Ah Yi’s address to An Yiqing had shifted from "you" to "you" with respect.
"Rest assured, I’ve taken on Director Huang’s illness," An Yiqing replied with a nod, her tone resolute.
Upon hearing this, all of the boys became excited. However, amid their excitement, these mature and sensible boys quickly regained their composure.
"Miss, since you can cure Mother Huang, may I ask if there are any conditions? We don’t have much money, but whatever you want us to do, as long as it doesn’t go against our principles, we will do it!" Having experienced the warmth and coldness of life since they were young, Ah Yi and the others knew there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. They were grateful to the girl in front of them, but only for the favor of treating Huang Fen.
An Yiqing was well aware of the mindset of Ah Yi and the others. They were used to the harshness of the world, cherishing the affection they had, yet wary of strangers.
Therefore, she didn’t try to use Huang Fen’s illness as leverage over them.
"You don’t have to be wary of me. I indeed came to the orphanage for a reason. However, treating Director Huang was unexpected. Regardless of whether you can give me what I want, I will save Director Huang," An Yiqing said with a slight smile, her tone firm.
The words of the girl bewildered the young men for a moment. Ah Si scratched the back of his head and asked naively, "Miss, will you really save Mother Huang?"
"I keep my word!" An Yiqing nodded, paused, and softened her tone, "When I was less than four months old, I was stolen and abandoned in the woods. It was winter at the time. If it weren’t for my master, I might have died long ago. So, I have a special fondness for Director Huang; she deserves my respect."
Ah Yi and the others had not expected this girl of extraordinary temperament to share such a similar past to their own, which gradually broke down their distance and drew them closer to her.
"Miss, so now you are..." Ah Si thought of the car with the astonishing license plate number he had seen earlier and couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Could this young lady have taken a wrong turn in life due to hardship?
Ah Si was straightforward by nature; his thoughts were always apparent on his face. Watching An Yiqing, his gaze became somewhat sympathetically concerned, yet it held no disdain or scorn.