Benefactor, Serena Feng’s Great Wisdom

After receiving the imperial decree and sending away the wine, Serena Feng went with Master Owen Yuan to check on Holden Cui. She never did get to eat lunch—not because anyone stopped her, but because she simply had no appetite.

Right now, she needed some good news to suppress all the unpleasantness. For a doctor, nothing is better than seeing a patient recover. Serena decided to go straight to Holden Cui's ward.

When Serena arrived, Holden Cui had just woken up. His very first words were: "I'm not dead!"

Yes, he was alive! If he could open his eyes, it meant the surgery Serena promised had succeeded, and his illness was cured.

"How could you possibly die? I told you I was absolutely certain—ten out of ten. You just didn't believe me." Seeing Holden awake, Serena's smile finally gained some genuine warmth.

She might not have the power to snatch people from the jaws of death, but she wasn't about to ruin her own reputation either. She'd never worried about the surgery itself—only about bone marrow rejection. Now, it seemed everything was fine.

Holden Cui was lucky!

"Holden, you finally woke up?" Master Owen Yuan pushed Serena aside, rushed forward, and gripped Holden's hand tightly, his eyes wet with tears...

"Uncle, I'm awake. I'm really okay now." Holden hadn't even heard what Serena said; his mind was completely blank at that moment. All he knew was that he had survived, and Serena had dispelled the shadow of death hanging over him.

From now on, he could live like a normal person—laugh when he wanted, cry when he wanted, without ever worrying that he might die in the next moment.

"I'm alive. It's wonderful!" Tears glistened in Holden Cui's eyes. From now on, he would no longer be tormented by illness, nor have to endure those looks of pity, mockery, or sympathy.

Now Holden Cui could live just like a normal person.

Seeing Holden's disbelief and wild joy, Serena's mood brightened too. For this very moment, all the exhaustion on the operating table was worth it.

"To have health is the greatest happiness in the world." Serena's smile grew even softer.

What did she have to complain about? Compared to Holden Cui and Yun Xiao, Serena Feng was truly fortunate—not only did she have her own health, she could give that gift to others.

"That's right, having health is the greatest happiness in the world. Serena, thank you—thank you for giving me back my health, for freeing me from pain."

Beyond these words, Holden didn't know what else to say. At this moment, every word felt pale—there wasn't a single phrase that could truly express how he felt.

"Alright, I know you're thrilled, but... you're still in recovery. Don't get too worked up. Let me check your condition." Serena stepped forward and pressed down on the excited Holden.

"Oh, oh..." Hearing Serena's teasing tone, Holden blushed and lay back on the bed, not daring to move.

He really had lost his composure just now. In that instant, he forgot all his upbringing and expressed his joy in the most direct, primal way.

Serena suddenly found this side of Holden Cui quite endearing. He finally seemed like a normal teenager. She'd never liked his prematurely mature, beaten-down demeanor.

Holden Cui, at his age, would be a college student in the modern world. A bit of youthful energy was exactly what he should have.

Serena took Simon Sun's records and reviewed the data, then double-checked everything herself: "Mr. Cui, get plenty of rest. You'll be able to get out of bed and walk soon."

"Thank you so much, Serena." Holden thanked her again, this time with heartfelt sincerity—no trace of reluctance.

"No need to thank me. This is what I do—I'm a doctor, you're the patient. You pay the consultation fee, and I treat you." Of course, by 'consultation fee' she meant the Warren–Cui cooperation.

"No, it's different. You saved my life. That's not something money or favors can buy." What Serena gave him was health and the chance to keep living. Without her, he'd have been dead soon—what good were all his wealth and power then?

"But to me, it's all the same. I use my own hands to earn money and benefits. I studied medicine to save people, but before I can save anyone, I have to eat. Mr. Cui, I treated your illness and took a consultation fee. You don't owe me anything."

Life-saving favors are nice, but Serena didn't want them. She didn't want Holden Cui to treat her as a savior in their future interactions—if he did, their relationship would soon fall apart.

Seeing Holden still unconvinced, Serena continued, "Mr. Cui, don't overthink it. We're just doctor and patient. Once you're cured, we're basically done. Don't talk to me about life-saving favors, and I won't go around bragging that I saved your life. In my eyes, whether you're the Cui heir or an ordinary citizen, if you come to me for treatment and I can cure you, I will—no fuss, no debt."

After speaking, Serena picked up the prescription and added a few new medicines: "Simon, I've switched out two of Mr. Cui's meds for tomorrow. Come with me to get them."

"Alright." Simon Sun quickly got up, looking at Serena with pure admiration.

He felt that his teacher's words made perfect sense. A doctor saves people and takes a consultation fee—it's a fair transaction. Bringing up life-saving favors afterward just cheapens it.

If every time you saved someone, you collected a fee and still expected to be treated as a benefactor, looking down on others and demanding lifelong gratitude—

—then maybe you shouldn't be a doctor at all. With that kind of mindset, you could never truly be a real physician.

Serena left with Simon Sun, leaving the ward to Holden Cui and Master Owen Yuan. Watching Serena go, Owen sighed emotionally: "Serena Feng is a woman of great wisdom. She's smart and knows exactly what to hold onto and what to let go."

If Serena insisted on being Holden Cui's life-saving benefactor, the Cui family might tolerate it for a while, but over time, they'd definitely feel uncomfortable.

No one likes having someone constantly parade around as their savior, always reminding you how much effort they spent saving your life, how you'd be dead without them. Hearing that over and over gets annoying; it just makes you feel indebted.

The Cui family doesn't owe Serena Feng anything!

"Everyone has their own survival philosophy. This is Serena Feng's. If she didn't have this outlook, how could she have become close friends with William Warren, or earned the respect of Prince Titus?"

Serena cured William Warren's eyes and helped Prince Titus walk again. For both men, those were huge favors. If Serena ever asked them for anything, they'd never refuse.

But Serena never goes around bragging, nor does she act like a benefactor in front of William or Prince Titus, demanding repayment.

Serena's approach is smart. On the surface, it seems like she loses out, but in reality, she gains much more.

"After surviving a brush with death, you've matured a lot. Now I can finally relax. If your parents could see you healthy and growing, they'd be so happy." Owen Yuan gently touched Holden's face, full of relief...