Stunned, Prince Samuel Zhai Calls in Person

Dominic Zhai burst in like a whirlwind, and under the guidance of the servants, found Serena as she was making her ward rounds. He rushed up to her, choking with emotion: "Serena, you have to help me!"

"Is it serious?" Serena immediately understood the situation, handed the medical chart to the maid behind her, and pulled Dominic Zhai aside. "This isn't the place to talk. Let's go outside."

Finding an empty ward, Serena poured Dominic a glass of water and comforted him gently. Once his emotions settled, she asked about the diagnosis given by the Valley Master and the other two.

"You were drugged?" Serena looked utterly shocked.

The Zhai family only has this one heir. Prince Samuel Zhai is strict with Dominic, but he treasures him dearly—how could such a huge mistake have happened?

Dominic Zhai looked utterly miserable. "The Valley Master and the other two all said so, so it can't be wrong. Serena, what should I do?"

"Don't worry. As long as it's not congenital, there's a way. If you were drugged, we just need to identify the medicine and develop an antidote." Serena hurried to reassure him, afraid that Dominic might become too agitated or despair.

"Right, as long as we find out what drug was used on me, that's enough. But so many years have passed—how am I supposed to find it? The Valley Master said there's no residue left in my body."

Serena thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Young Lord Dominic, things have gotten this far—are you still planning to hide this from Prince Samuel?"

To investigate who drugged Dominic Zhai, only Prince Samuel Zhai can help.

"I... My grandfather's health isn't good. I don't want him to suffer this blow." Dominic Zhai's eyes reddened, holding back tears.

His grandfather has worried about him his entire life; Dominic truly doesn't want him to keep struggling over this even in his old age.

"I understand how you feel, but the truth is, we can't uncover this on our own. Only Prince Samuel knows the people and things you encountered growing up. Young Lord Dominic, this is too serious—I suggest you talk to Prince Samuel directly. Otherwise, we'll just waste time chasing shadows."

Even with the skills of the Valley Master and the other two, they couldn't figure out what drug Dominic Zhai was given. That proves it was no ordinary poison—maybe even a royal secret medicine.

"I'll think about it." Then Dominic Zhai sat there like a statue, dazed. Serena glanced at him and quietly left, giving him space.

After Serena left, she planned to continue her unfinished work. As soon as she entered the ward, she ran into Simon Sun, who had taken over her duties, along with the Valley Master and his group.

The Valley Master, no longer as serious as during Dominic Zhai's diagnosis, waved cheerfully at Serena: "Come here, come here—tell us, how do you fix a broken lip?"

Serena shot the Valley Master an exasperated look. Dominic Zhai's side was drowning in anxiety, yet these three acted like nothing was wrong. Serena honestly doubted they had come for Dominic's sake at all.

Ahem... Actually, there's no need to doubt it—they absolutely came because of Dominic's condition, but not to treat him, just to witness such a rare case.

It's just infertility—the illness isn't fatal, so whether it's treated or not makes little difference. None of the three has children themselves.

"Master." Simon Sun greeted Serena with a smile and reported the results of his latest rounds.

Serena nodded and discussed medication adjustments with Simon Sun. The two of them talked shop as if no one else was around, leaving the Valley Master and his companions thoroughly frustrated. But...

They tried several times to cut in but failed, until Serena finished with Simon Sun. Only then did she turn to the others—not to answer the Valley Master's question, but to ask, "That illness—are you really saying there's no cure?"

"Huh?" The Valley Master and Dr. Redwater looked confused, clearly not following Serena's meaning. Dr. Marcus Guile, however, was more reliable: "It's not that it can't be cured, but it's extremely troublesome. The cost of treatment is too high, and there's no real need."

After all, it's not a fatal illness—there's no real need to treat it.

"As long as it's curable, that's enough." Serena let out a sigh of relief.

As for whether the three would actually take the case, that was no longer her concern. She trusted Prince Samuel Zhai could persuade them.

"Alright, enough about that. Tell us about this broken lip—after you stitch it up, can they really live like normal people?"

A cleft lip doesn't just affect appearance—it impacts daily life. The Little Prince only had a small section missing, which was mild. The worst case Serena had seen was one where the entire area below the nose was gone.

"Yes," Serena said firmly. "As long as treatment is timely, they can recover."

"Just now, Simon Sun explained several treatment methods to us. It seems like every patient gets a different approach—why is that?" The Valley Master asked with no sense of restraint, acting more like a visiting official than a guest.

Serena might show a bit of attitude and deliberately snub the three masters at times, but she genuinely respected their medical expertise. Besides, the Valley Master was her elder—if he asked, she couldn't refuse.

Serena explained the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cleft lip in detail. The three masters were all highly skilled; they understood everything after just one hearing.

"It's not difficult to treat, just complicated." The younger the patient, the better the results, but little children are hard to manage, and none of the three masters had much patience for coaxing them.

"If every illness could be cured with a single dose of medicine, life would be so much easier." Compared to traditional medicine, Western-style surgery is indeed more troublesome, but sometimes these 'troubles' are unavoidable.

"Valley Master, if you're free, could you check on the Eighth Prince for me? There was a problem with him before dawn. If you personally examine him, both the Emperor and Imperial Noble Consort Helena Hsieh will be reassured." News of the incident had already reached the palace—Serena wasn't afraid of Helena's displeasure, but she did worry about the Emperor's blame.

Even though it was the Emperor's people who caused the trouble, Serena still couldn't shirk responsibility.

"You're using me as a human shield." The Valley Master saw through it instantly and laughed. Serena didn't deny it—when dealing with smart people, there's no need to beat around the bush.

"We'll stay out of the commotion. After traveling for more than half a month, we're exhausted." Dr. Marcus Guile and Dr. Redwater had never liked dealing with the court anyway. Besides, one Valley Master was enough face for the Eastlyn Emperor.

"Simon, take the two elders to rest." Serena went with the Valley Master to check on the Eighth Prince.

Just as Serena expected, Imperial Noble Consort Helena Hsieh's eyes lit up when she saw Serena bring the Valley Master of Mystic Healer Valley. Any trace of displeasure vanished from her face.

The two imperial physicians looked at the Valley Master with awe, adopting extremely humble, fawning attitudes. They spoke with utmost caution, but the Valley Master ignored them completely.

People really can't be compared—Serena watched the Valley Master with open envy. His standing in the medical world was something a mere mortal like her could never hope to reach.

The Valley Master was a master of putting on airs. In front of Helena Hsieh, he played the part to perfection. After examining the Eighth Prince, he delivered a string of cryptic remarks, left a prescription to strengthen the child's constitution, and departed without another word.

Helena Hsieh thanked Serena repeatedly. If the servant hadn't come to announce Prince Samuel Zhai's arrival, she wouldn't have let Serena leave.