Chapter 342: Chapter 341: Betting Agreement

It was morning once again.

A steady, light drizzle was falling over Binhai this morning.

Yan Feifan got out of bed and opened the window to let out the stale air. Immediately, a spray of fine raindrops, carried by the wind, splashed against his face.

The cool sensation on his face was surprisingly pleasant.

Noticing that Yu Suye still hadn’t returned from her night shift, Yan Feifan guessed she was probably in an emergency surgery.

He called her, but no one answered.

After finishing his workout in the living room, Yan Feifan went to the kitchen to start making breakfast.

The refrigerator held some leftovers from last night, some cooked meat, and a bag of wontons Du Qiu had made and frozen.

Yan Feifan decided to make wonton noodle soup with vegetables—a simple way to fill his stomach.

He had just filled a pot with water and turned on the stove when Tian Yu, wearing a nightdress, wandered into the kitchen, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Mr. Yan, do you need any help?"

"No, I’m just making wonton noodles. It’s simple. Go get washed up."

Yan Feifan replied, then took a handful of bok choy from the fridge, gave it a quick rinse, and tore the leaves into pieces.

A moment later, the water in the pot began to boil.

Then Yan Feifan saw his sister, her hair a complete mess, wander into the kitchen as well.

"You’re up early. Is that guy of yours taking you out today?"

Yan Ziruo nodded, stifled a small yawn, and said, "He’s taking me to an art exhibit, and we’re going to see a play this afternoon."

Yan Feifan chuckled. "How sophisticated. I see you’ve moved beyond the dinner-and-a-movie stage."

Yan Ziruo gave a slight, smug smile. "But of course. I’m a person of refined taste, you know."

"When your standard of living improves, your cultural tastes have to level up accordingly."

Yan Feifan rolled his eyes and dumped the wontons and noodles into the boiling water.

"Oh, Feifan, I have something to tell you."

Yan Ziruo rinsed her hands in the sink and continued, "Xia Yan from downstairs is moving. She’s going to Jingcheng."

"Why is she moving?"

Yan Feifan pressed, "But with her condition, doesn’t she hate unfamiliar environments?"

Yan Ziruo gently patted her cheeks. "The verdict for her husband’s bigamy case is next week."

"Once that’s over, she feels there’s nothing left to keep her here."

"She said the Central Music Academy in Jingcheng invited her to be a full-time instrument tuner."

"She thinks it’s a good opportunity."

"Plus, after all her recent treatment, she believes she can handle more complex situations on her own now."

Yan Feifan said with a sigh, "Her hyperacusis is largely psychological."

"Once you’re mentally strong, a lot of things stop being problems."

Yan Ziruo seemed to speak from experience. "When you have no one else to rely on but yourself, most people can summon a strength that even they find surprising, just to pull through."

"It was like that time when you had your accident and were in a coma. When I look back on it now, I can hardly believe I made it through."

Yan Feifan couldn’t resist rolling his eyes at his sister. "So now that you have someone to lean on, you’re reverting to your old ways with a vengeance?" he teased.

Yan Ziruo giggled, reaching out to pat her brother’s cheek. "You’re so capable," she said without a hint of shame, "so all I have to do is enjoy life..."

The three of them finished breakfast.

Yan Ziruo went to get dressed and do her makeup for her date.

Tian Yu stayed home to study.

As for Yan Feifan, he put on a raincoat and biked to work through the downpour.

Upon arriving at the Affiliated Hospital, he first went to the trauma surgery department. There, he learned from the on-duty nurse what had happened.

Around three in the morning, the trauma department had admitted a patient with horrific injuries.

Not only had the man been castrated, but his eyes had been gouged out, his face slashed, and his legs and feet broken.

A man and woman who had jumped from a building were brought in along with him.

However, the couple had both died on the way to the hospital.

The young nurse on duty chattered away, telling him it was surely the work of a husband who came home unexpectedly in the middle of the night and caught his wife cheating.

In a fit of rage, the husband punished his wife’s lover.

Afterward, realizing there was no coming back from what he’d done, he must have decided to end it all and take his wife with him to the grave.

Yan Feifan found the young nurse’s speculation to be quite plausible.

’But to torture the other man like that,’ he thought, ’it would’ve been better to just end it with a single, clean cut.’

Yan Feifan left the trauma department and went to the director’s office at the plastic surgery center. Inside, he found not only Mr. Wang, but also a stunningly beautiful young woman and a long-faced man in his thirties.

The moment he saw the young woman, Yan Feifan recognized her as the one who wanted plastic surgery to look like a celebrity.

In person, her resemblance to the celebrity was much less pronounced than in the photographs.

Yan Feifan understood why.

The photos he’d seen yesterday had all been taken from specific angles, which naturally enhanced the resemblance.

Wang Chuan introduced Yan Feifan to the two of them, Tian Dongshan and Tang Qing.

Tian Dongshan sized up Yan Feifan. "Mr. Yan, Mr. Wang holds you in very high regard. He says your skills in facial cosmetic surgery have already surpassed his own."

He continued, "Mr. Wang also showed us some of your previous successful cases."

"I must admit, they were very impressive."

"Even so..."

Tian Dongshan, who was sitting on the sofa, leaned forward slightly. He stared into Yan Feifan’s eyes and said with an intimidating air, "Mr. Yan, I have to ask you one thing first."

"Are you confident you can meet our requirements for this surgery?"

"That depends on what you’re asking for," Yan Feifan said calmly. "A one-hundred-percent identical match is definitely impossible."

He added conservatively, "I can achieve a seventy or eighty percent resemblance. With the help of makeup, it’s possible to create a convincing enough illusion to fool the eye."

Tian Dongshan said in a grave voice, "My requirement is a convincing illusion."

"Mr. Yan, since you’re confident, we’ll have the surgery done here by you."

"Let’s not be too quick to decide."

Yan Feifan held up a hand to stop him, then turned his gaze to Tang Qing. He spoke slowly, "This surgery involves a massive change to your appearance. It’s not a decision you can make on a whim."

"If you aren’t truly on board with this, seeing this new face in the mirror every day could easily trigger serious psychological issues."

"You need to be aware of that."

Tang Qing simply gave a radiant smile and said in a charming voice, "Mr. Yan, please believe me, I am more than willing to have this surgery."

"I’m a huge fan of hers. I often cosplay as her and perform at various events."

Yan Feifan remained noncommittal. "In a case like yours, regulations require an evaluation by our staff psychologist."

"I will only take on this surgery if you pass the evaluation and the psychologist gives their signed approval."

Tang Qing’s smile didn’t falter. "No problem. Should we do the psychological evaluation now?"

Yan Feifan shook his head. "Not just yet."

He reminded them, "This course of cosmetic surgery can’t be done all at once. It will likely require three separate procedures over a period of two to three months."

"Also, I cannot guarantee there won’t be any unforeseen complications, which could lead to surgical failure or other lasting side effects."

At this, Tian Dongshan spoke up, his tone skeptical. "Mr. Yan, I’ll be honest with you, you aren’t the first clinic we’ve consulted."

"The other cosmetic surgery clinics we spoke to said it would require five to six procedures, perhaps even more, and a longer timeframe."

Wang Chuan spoke with pride. "That, if I may say so, is where Mr. Yan excels. He can consolidate the work of several procedures and complete it all in a single operation."

"This not only reduces the patient’s suffering but also enhances the final result and lowers the risk of accidents and complications."

Tian Dongshan was silent for a moment before saying, "I can see that both Mr. Wang and Mr. Yan are very confident."

"In that case, I have a small proposal regarding the surgical fees..."

"Please, go ahead, Mr. Tian," Wang Chuan said politely.

Tian Dongshan chuckled. "Contingency agreements are quite popular these days."

"How about we make one ourselves? We can base the final surgical fee on the results of the surgery."

Wang Chuan considered this for a moment. "And how would we determine the surgical results?" he asked.

Tian Dongshan chuckled. "It’s very simple."

"After Tang Qing has recovered from the surgery, she’ll walk around in public places like airports and shopping malls. If passersby mistake her for the celebrity..."

"...then we’ll consider it a success!"

"What do you say?"

Wang Chuan smiled. "I can agree to that wager."

"However, we first need to discuss the specific terms of the agreement..."