Chapter 76: There’s Always a Smart One and a Dumb One

Amanda Vance didn’t know about these things. All she knew was that HR had promoted her to attending physician. She now had her own dedicated consultation room, right next to Mr. Lynch’s. It had just been cleared out, and with a nameplate hung, the whole thing was ready in under half an hour.

Traditional Chinese medicine didn’t require any diagnostic equipment—just a desk and a pulse-taking cushion would suffice.

However, Central Hospital mostly took in difficult and complicated cases, and patients’ families had often already researched the doctors and had someone specific in mind. When an unfamiliar face suddenly appeared, no one wanted to book an appointment with her.

On her first day as an attending physician, no patients proactively booked an appointment. The system assigned her a few, but they all left with their prescriptions, half-believing and half-doubting, their gazes filled with suspicion.

Amanda Vance paid it no mind. After seeing her last patient, she checked the computer. Seeing no more appointments, she decided to go and check on Mr. Ford.

Mrs. Ford was there too. Seeing her approach, she immediately came forward with a wide smile. "Dr. Vance, you’re here! Come, have a seat. Would you like something to eat?"

As she spoke, she picked up a nearby fruit platter and offered it to her.

Amanda Vance shook her head in refusal. "I’m here to check on Mr. Ford’s condition."

"Oh, there’s no need to be so formal. Just call him Uncle, and call me Auntie." Mrs. Ford beamed at her, growing fonder the more she looked. ’This girl is gorgeous, completely my style. And her temperament is so good. No wonder those hideous trolls are spreading such disgusting rumors. It’s just jealousy. She’d seen plenty of people like that.’

Her gaze held a hint of probing and assessment, yet it wasn’t the least bit offensive. The sympathy in her eyes made Amanda Vance’s lips curve into a smile, and she graciously went along with it, changing her form of address. "Auntie, I’ll check on Uncle first."

"Yes, go right ahead. Ford is in good spirits today, and it’s all thanks to you."

Amanda Vance just smiled without a word. She took Mr. Ford’s pulse and asked a few questions before nodding. "It’s fine. As long as his condition remains stable, we’re good. It will still take some time, so don’t rush. We’ll take it slow."

Mr. Ford couldn’t speak clearly, so he simply blinked, his gaze warm and kind as he looked at her.

Mrs. Ford asked, "Megan, is it alright if I call you that?"

Amanda Vance nodded.

Mrs. Ford’s smile grew even wider. "Do you think we should get the old man some tests?"

Taking the pulse in Chinese medicine was good and convenient, but it relied solely on the doctor’s interpretation. Western medicine, on the other hand, was more intuitive.

"I have absolute faith in your medical skills." Afraid Amanda might take offense, Mrs. Ford quickly added, "It’s just that boy, Shawn, is so annoying. He’s still too young and doesn’t understand how amazing the traditional Chinese medicine our ancestors left us is. I was thinking if we get a scan done, he can see the results for himself. It’ll be a good slap in the face to shut him up and stop him from spouting nonsense."

Hearing this, Amanda Vance nodded nonchalantly. ’This is good too. It’s more direct, and the patient’s family will trust me more, which saves a lot of trouble down the line.’

"That’s fine."

"Alright then. We’ll come find you after the tests are done so you can take a look?"

After saying this, she hesitated, unsure if a practitioner of Chinese medicine could interpret the scans.

Amanda Vance nodded. "I can."

Taking this to mean she could indeed read them, Mrs. Ford breathed a sigh of relief. "Great. Then we’ll take Ford to get his tests done now."

"Mm-hmm."

The Ford family was large and influential, and they had even donated a building to Central Hospital. As such, Mr. Ford’s tests were done immediately without any need to wait in line. In less than an hour, the report was ready, and it was Samuel Ford who brought it over.

Shawn Ford trailed reluctantly behind him, secretly shooting Amanda Vance a glare.

Amanda Vance didn’t know how she had offended him, but she paid his attitude no mind, simply writing it off as a childish tantrum.

"Dr. Vance," Samuel Ford called out, handing her the report.

"Are the previous reports still here?" Amanda Vance asked after a moment of thought.

It was Shawn Ford who answered. "Of course they are. How else could we compare his condition and know if you’re a fraud?"

Amanda Vance didn’t even raise her eyelids. "Is Shawn blind?"

’Can he not see what his father’s condition is like?’

"You!" Shawn Ford was so stunned by her comeback he was left speechless. He whipped his head around to look at Samuel Ford. "Brother, look at her."

"Shut up." Samuel Ford was even more concise than she had been. Those two words choked off the rest of Shawn’s sentence, yet they also sparked even more displeasure in his heart.

’What’s wrong with all of them? Who is their actual brother and son here? How could they be like this?’

He huffily pulled out the previous test reports. ’I refuse to believe she’s that amazing,’ he thought.

Amanda Vance reached out and took them, showing not a single reaction even as Shawn Ford stared until his eyes were sore.

Blinking, he couldn’t resist leaning in to look as well. His brother had snatched the report away the moment it came out, so he hadn’t had a chance to see it yet.

His dad had been in the hospital for a long time, so he had picked up a few things. Besides, modern reports now included a summary explanation that laypeople could understand at the bottom. Seeing the indicators that had dropped significantly, he rubbed his eyes in disbelief.

’Is... is this for real?’

He blinked hard. His dad’s name was right there on top. It really was his report.

Compared to before, his condition had genuinely improved by a large margin.

’Had he misunderstood her? Were her medical skills really that good?’

Just as he was about to speak, he suddenly heard her say, "I’ve seen this medical case before."

"Hm?"

Samuel Ford looked over as well, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Before, Amanda had only been taking his pulse and hadn’t thought much of it. But now, seeing the medical case, she realized—this was the one Jean had shown her.

Hearing her words, a flash of surprise crossed Samuel Ford’s eyes, quickly followed by a look of understanding.

’He’d seen her at the school gate before. It was only natural that their two children knew each other.’

A realization dawned on Shawn Ford. He looked at her with a strange expression. "So you’re the doctor Colt was talking about."

"Colt?"

"My older brother’s son."

At that, Amanda Vance looked at Samuel Ford.

Samuel Ford offered a small smile. "I didn’t expect Colt and Dr. Vance’s child to be good friends. It seems like fate."

’Colt wouldn’t talk about family matters with just anyone. They must be very close.’

Shawn Ford’s eyes secretly darted up and down, sizing up his brother. He couldn’t shake the feeling that when Samuel said that, he wasn’t talking about how fated the connection was between Colt and her son, but between the two of them.

’It had to be his imagination. His big brother had never been interested in women.’

Amanda Vance also hadn’t expected that the child Jean mentioned was his son. She nodded in agreement. "It certainly is fate."

’Jean never had any close friends his own age before. To think that he would find one after returning to the country, and that she would happen to know the parent—it truly was a remarkable coincidence.’

After that brief moment of reflection, she didn’t dwell on it. She looked down at the reports and began to explain them clearly and in detail.

Both men listened intently. After she finished, Shawn Ford suddenly felt his older brother’s gaze fall upon him. Their eyes met, and as if by some strange compulsion, he understood his brother’s meaning. His heart sank again.

After a long moment, under his brother’s mounting pressure, he finally surrendered. Forcing a smile, he turned to Amanda Vance. "I’m sorry, Dr. Vance. I misunderstood you."

Amanda Vance shook her head nonchalantly. As she straightened the medical records, she said lightly, "It’s alright. Between two brothers, there’s always one with higher intelligence."

A flicker of amusement flashed in Samuel Ford’s eyes.