At that moment, Jacqueline, who had been peeking through the door, burst into the room. Her chubby little hands clutched Kelly’s trembling one and pressed it against her soft cheek.She was trying, in her own innocent way, to comfort her mother. To take away some of that unbearable pain.She kept saying she wouldn’t cry, but tears were already falling freely down her plump cheeks.She wanted so badly to be strong—but in this moment, she simply couldn’t.With the final needle in place, Joseph finally exhaled in relief.The procedure had been intense. But the greatest challenge wasn’t the technique—it was whether or not the patient could endure such torment.Seeing Kelly gradually calming down, Joseph’s own heart began to settle.She had survived the worst of it.“Your Mommy Kelly is going to be okay. She'll only get better from now on. Don’t cry anymore, sweetheart.”Joseph gently stroked Jacqueline’s head in reassurance.But Jacqueline, consumed by worry, clung tightly to her mother’s

“Later, the pharmacy owner, his wife, and his father all fell ill. At that point, only my master still had medicine.”“I still remember the three of them kneeling before him, begging for help. But he didn’t flinch.”“We watched them die—struggling, gasping for breath. When it was over, my master set fire to their bodies and the pharmacy.”“During the cremation, he tossed two full boxes of medicine into the flames.”“He said, ‘Those were never just medicine—they were conscience. And since they lived without it, I’ll burn it for them in death.’”As Joseph finished recounting the tale, he also completed the first prescription.The room fell into stunned silence, many drawing in a sharp breath.From Joseph’s words, they could sense the gravity and resolve of his master—a healer with the heart of a saint and the will of a warrior.“Mr. Rogers, this prescription is for soaking Kelly’s feet. Please discard the previous one I gave you.”“This formula differs greatly in composition, though the

“I guess that’s what they mean when they say, ‘Not even a fortune can buy willingness.’”Leonard Sanchez smiled faintly.“Exactly. And I heard from old Baker that he gets along well with other staff. That shows he knows how to deal with people.”Geoffrey Harris sighed with admiration.By now, the sky had darkened.After driving for over half an hour, Joseph finally arrived home. He parked the car and made his way toward the villa.From the kitchen came the clatter of pots and pans.Alice, wearing an apron, was cooking. Mason Alvarez was helping out—washing vegetables.“Seriously, Mason, are you utterly hopeless? You don’t even know how to prep vegetables? Why didn’t you remove the pale parts of the stems?”“And this pork—why did you cut it into perfectly square blocks? It looks like bricks!”“And these green beans! What the hell is this? You only trimmed the ends? They’re going to be stringy as hell when we eat them.”Alice grumbled while stir-frying greens.“Why remove the pale parts

Alice rolled her eyes at Mason, then sneakily glanced into the gym."Shh what? Joseph's just working out—not exactly doing anything scandalous.""Also, what were you skulking around for, you shameless woman? Were you seriously taking secret photos of Joseph?"Alice looked at her with suspicion and a hint of amusement."How can that be considered ‘secret’ photography? I was just admiring Professor Wilson’s physique and wanted to keep a little souvenir."Mason’s cheeks flushed as she tried to defend herself."What kind of photos? Show me."Before Mason could protest, Alice snatched the phone from her hands.She quickly unlocked it. The two of them were so close, they knew each other’s passwords and accounts by heart."Just some casual snaps," Mason muttered.Alice zoomed in on a photo and her eyes widened."So spicy! You took these while he wasn’t even wearing a shirt?""Whether or not he’s wearing a shirt is his business, not mine. I didn’t make him strip."Mason skillfully passed the

"Look at him—not exactly striking. He's wearing one or two branded pieces, sure, but I’d bet he saved up for a year or two just to afford them," Kimberly said, casting a glance at Joseph."People like that usually have very limited spending power."She lowered her voice, careful not to let Joseph overhear, though the distance between them wasn’t that great—Joseph could very well have heard everything."So… Kimberly, you mean this customer probably doesn’t have much money?" Vanessa asked, scratching her head."Isn’t it obvious?""He’s just here to browse. If you go ask if he needs help, he’ll definitely say no, that he’s just looking. Then, after wandering a bit, he’ll leave. I’ve seen it a thousand times—classic window shopper.""If you don’t believe me, go try it yourself."Kimberly was full of confidence."Uh... I guess I’ll go over. He’s still a customer, after all."Vanessa nodded."That’s the right attitude. Whether rich or poor, a customer is still a guest. We’re in the business