HBWnovel Chapter 65: Lies
Chapter 65: Lies
Chapter 65: Lies
“That’s not an illness; it’s a badge of honor for my hard work!” Old Man Bai retorted stubbornly.
His daughter ignored him and snatched his phone, carefully examining the report. “How unreliable is the Second Hospital? Mixing up reports like this?”
After reading for a moment, she looked up. “This other person has the same name and age as you? What are the odds?”
“Maybe they just mixed up the reports...”
“And messed up everything? Blood tests, urine tests, CT scans—all of them?” she asked with a frown.
Old Man Bai hesitated, then muttered, “From a probabilistic standpoint, the chances aren’t zero...”
“...Dad, your health is better than mine!” His daughter shook her head and continued reading, her face full of amazement.
Old Man Bai immediately puffed up with pride, loudly proclaiming, “Didn’t I say so? I’m in great health!”
“Yes, yes, your excellent health makes me so happy,” his daughter replied, her tone softer now, though still filled with curiosity. “Dad, have you been taking some kind of elixir of immortality? Or maybe you’ve found the secret to youth?”
At these words, Old Man Bai and Tang Lingwu both glanced at Zheng Fa.@@@@
Scratching the curls on his head, Old Man Bai eventually said, “Well, I’ve been watching the square dancing at the park and met a nice old lady...”
His daughter’s head snapped up. “Are you saying I’m getting a stepmother at my age?”
“No, no! I just meant my body’s rejuvenation is like a second spring—good mood, good health!”
“...” His daughter stared at him, clearly unimpressed with his excuse.
“It’s the power of love, you see,” Old Man Bai insisted.
“I’m over forty, Dad. I don’t get the love lives of old folks like you.”
“Anyway, I’m perfectly fine. Isn’t that enough?” Old Man Bai tried to wave her off. “You’ve got things to do, and I need to tutor these two.”
“Dad!”
“What are you worried about? I’m as healthy as ever!” he said, shooing her toward the door.
With one last exasperated look at her father and a sigh of resignation, she left.
As soon as the door shut, Old Man Bai turned to Zheng Fa with shining eyes.
“Is our martial art really this miraculous?”
Tang Lingwu was still studying the report, which wasn’t entirely flawless. A few indicators showed slight abnormalities but were within reason for a man in his sixties or seventies.
“This is better than when I was forty,” Old Man Bai marveled. He then turned to Zheng Fa. “You don’t blame me for hiding this for you, do you?”
“You were protecting me,” Zheng Fa replied with a shake of his head.
“I’m the sadistic examiner who enjoys creating them.”
“?”
“I used to work on Olympiad problems, you see. These are problems I’ve collected or come up with myself.”
“All of these binders?”
“Not all. They’re sorted by type. We examiners have to build a collection like this over time. Honestly, my colleagues would stop me from using these—they said people would riot if they saw them.”
...
In the Xuanyi Realm, Zheng Fa headed to Senior Sister Zhang’s guest courtyard, just a few dozen steps from the Eldest Young Lady’s residence.
As he walked through the gate, the Eldest Young Lady emerged from her own courtyard.
She frowned at Zheng Fa’s back, her expression thoughtful, before heading toward her mother’s pavilion.
“Mother, I saw Zheng Fa going to visit Senior Sister Zhang.”
She addressed Madam Zhao.
Madam Zhao nodded but said nothing.
“Mother, Senior Sister Zhang values her peace. Isn’t Zheng Fa disturbing her by visiting uninvited? What if she gets upset?”
Madam Zhao shook her head. “Zheng Fa isn’t reckless or thoughtless. If he’s visiting Senior Zhang, he must have her consent.”
The Eldest Young Lady frowned, skeptical of her mother’s judgment. “How is that possible? Countless people from the Hundred Immortals Alliance want to associate with Senior Sister Zhang, and she ignores them all. I was only able to invite her because of the relationship between our ancestor and her master.”
“You said Senior Zhang claimed Zheng Fa’s aptitude for talismans rivals her own?” Madam Zhao asked suddenly.
“Yes, Senior Sister Zhang said so herself.”
Madam Zhao fell silent, her expression serious.
After a while, she looked at her daughter. “Lan’er, I have something to discuss with you.”
“Yes, Mother?”
“I intend for Zheng Fa to marry into our Zhao family. What do you think?”
“Marry in? You hold him in such high regard?” The Eldest Young Lady nodded slowly. “With his talent, it’s a good way to secure his loyalty. Which sister are you planning to match him with? Would Father agree?”
Her brow furrowed as she pondered which of her many half-sisters might be suitable.
“You,” Madam Zhao replied firmly.
The Eldest Young Lady froze, pointing to herself. “Me?”