Hearing this, Gao-Yuan turned to look at Shen Congyun behind him. He hadn't expected that this old fellow would have such a distinct title in the Yan family.

Shen Congyun’s face was flushed with embarrassment, his head hanging so low it almost touched the ground.

The young boy glanced at Gao-Yuan, then at Shen Congyun, before turning back to Gao-Yuan and saying, "Doctor Gao, please wait a moment. I’ll go and inform them."

As he finished speaking, the boy dashed toward the entrance. After taking just two steps, he turned back abruptly and said, "Doctor Gao, my name is Yan Xun."

Gao-Yuan nodded at him and said, "Yan Xun, got it. I'll remember that."

Upon hearing this, the boy’s face lit up with excitement. With a cheer, he dashed inside with even greater enthusiasm.

Gao-Yuan smiled nostalgically as he watched Yan Xun’s retreating figure. Then, he turned to look at Shen Congyun, whose head was now so low that it seemed he was trying to bury it in the ground.

Soon enough, Yan Qiao appeared at the entrance, accompanied by a group of people. The crowd was so large it seemed to darken the doorway, and the atmosphere at the entrance seemed to grow colder.

Yan Qiao squinted his eyes and leaned on his cane as he gazed at the two visitors. His tone was indifferent as he said, "Doctor Gao, your visit to our humble home catches us unprepared. I must apologize for our lack of courtesy."

Gao-Yuan responded politely, "Forgive us for the intrusion. It’s we who are disturbing you."

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Yan Qiao fell silent. He stood there, looking at them both, leaving them awkwardly stranded outside the door.

Shen Congyun, drenched in sweat, dared not even lift his head. He could feel the piercing stares from the crowd opposite, as if they wished to devour him whole.

Gao-Yuan hadn’t expected Yan Qiao to be so brazenly inhospitable—he hadn’t even invited them in.

Just as the atmosphere became unbearably tense, Yan Xun spoke up. "Grandfather, Doctor Gao has come from afar. Shouldn't we invite them inside for a seat?"

The adults standing nearby turned black-faced. This boy really didn’t know when to keep his mouth shut.

Yan Qiao’s expression froze for a moment, but he soon forced a smile and said, "Oh, how forgetful of me. Doctor Gao, please, do come in."

Gao-Yuan smiled faintly and said, "In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony."

He stepped forward toward the entrance.

As Gao-Yuan moved, Shen Congyun instinctively tried to follow. But before he could take a step, Yan Qiao’s voice turned cold. "We Yan family invite guests into our home—not dogs."

Shen Congyun’s face flushed red with embarrassment.

Gao-Yuan hadn’t expected things to escalate so quickly at the door. He interjected, "Elder Yan, surely there must be a way to resolve the grievances between you two. This endless feud can’t go on forever, can it?"

Yan Qiao’s eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to Gao-Yuan. "Doctor Gao, you’ve intervened in our family matters several times before. Now, you’ve even brought this man to my doorstep. What exactly do you intend to do?"

Sensing Yan Qiao’s rising anger, Shen Congyun became even more fearful.

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However, Gao-Yuan remained composed. Glancing at the bustling street and the passersby, he said, "Elder Yan, are you planning to discuss this matter here? Do you intend for the entire town to hear about the Yan family’s internal affairs? I don’t mind, but I wonder how you feel about it."

Shen Congyun stole a glance at Gao-Yuan, astonished by his boldness.

Even Yan Qiao’s sons, standing nearby, couldn’t help but be impressed by Gao-Yuan’s audacity.

Yan Xun’s eyes sparkled with admiration.

Yan Qiao’s face twitched slightly, but as someone who prided himself on dignity and decorum, he certainly didn’t want to cause a scene in public. Suppressing his dissatisfaction, he muttered, "Sharp-tongued."

With that, Yan Qiao turned and walked into the house.

The Yan family members followed suit, filing in one after another.

Yan Xun was the last to enter. He turned back to Gao-Yuan and secretly gave him a thumbs-up.

Gao-Yuan exhaled softly. The first hurdle had been cleared.

"Let’s go," Gao-Yuan said, beckoning Shen Congyun to follow.

Shen Congyun hesitated, his voice trembling. "Maybe I should just leave..."

Gao-Yuan found himself both amused and exasperated. This old fellow, who had been so stubborn before, was now genuinely terrified.

He said, "You’ve got to resolve your issues with the Yan family eventually, don’t you? Your two sons are still inside. In your current state, you won’t achieve anything. You’ve always talked about reviving the Shen family. What will happen if you’re gone and the Shen family disappears along with you?"

Shen Congyun opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.

Gao-Yuan gestured for him to follow. "Come on."

"Wait a moment." Shen Congyun suddenly stopped Gao-Yuan, hesitating. "Do you think there’s a chance... that if I gained the favour of someone important, the Yan family might return my sons to me?"

Gao-Yuan was speechless. This old man really hadn’t changed—still a schemer at heart. "Rest assured, that’s absolutely impossible," he replied.

Shen Congyun’s face froze.

"If you don’t go in now," Gao-Yuan warned, "I’ll never meddle in your affairs again."

Left with no other choice, Shen Congyun reluctantly muttered, "Fine, let’s go in."

The two of them entered the house.

Yan Qiao gestured to his daughter-in-law. "Serve some tea."

Before the revolution, the Yan family had several servants, as well as a coachman. But times had changed, and now all the chores were done by the family themselves.

Shen Congyun shrank behind Gao-Yuan, looking like a child being dragged by their parent to apologize. The scene was absurdly mismatched—if their roles were reversed, it would have seemed more fitting.

The second generation of the Yan family gathered in the hall, while the third generation stayed outside in the courtyard. The only exception was Yan Xun, who had been allowed to remain inside, a clear testament to his favored status.

After thanking them for the tea, Gao-Yuan addressed Yan Qiao directly. "Elder Yan—"

But Yan Qiao cut him off with a wave of his hand. "Doctor Gao, I respect your medical skill and admire your ethics, but that doesn’t mean I fear you. This is my final warning: don’t meddle in this mess. A man like him isn’t worth it."

Shen Congyun lowered his head further, picking nervously at his fingernails.

Gao-Yuan calmly wiped a speck of dust off the tea table and said, "Elder Yan, some stains can be wiped clean. But if they’re ignored, they’ll remain forever."

Shen Congyun glanced at Gao-Yuan out of the corner of his eye. Was he actually insulting someone?

Yan Qiao fell silent, his face darkening. The scandal of Shen Congyun’s betrayal had indeed tarnished the Yan family’s reputation. If they didn’t address it, that stain would never fade.

After a long pause, Yan Qiao asked, "What do you propose?"

Gao-Yuan responded earnestly, "I came here to solve problems, not create them."

"Solve them?" Yan Qiao pressed. "How do you intend to do that? How much do you even know about his past?"

"Just the basics," Gao-Yuan replied.

"Fine," Yan Qiao said, his tone sharp. "Then let’s settle the score. When this scoundrel was destitute and homeless, it was my family who took him in. How do you account for that debt? For ten years, he lived under my roof. How do you account for that?"

"I married my daughter to him, and he abandoned her. How do you account for that? Using his status as my son-in-law, he tricked us into teaching him our family’s exclusive medical techniques. How do you account for that? After learning them, he betrayed us, deserted my daughter and their children, and left the Yan family. How do you account for that?"

"My daughter has been a widow for over a decade, and my grandchildren have endured mockery for just as long. How do you account for that? He opened a clinic using our family’s techniques to profit for himself. How do you account for that? And he’s disgraced my family’s name. How do you account for that?"

Yan Qiao slammed the table, his voice trembling with rage. "Every single grievance, Doctor Gao—how will you settle them?"

Gao-Yuan turned to Shen Congyun, feigning surprise. "You did all that?"

"Huh?" Shen Congyun froze, dumbstruck. What was that supposed to mean? Had Doctor Gao brought him into the wolf’s den only to abandon him?