Overpowered Resident Doctor

Mrs. Chen’s words made Yan Feifan realize he had brought this trouble upon himself.

In a moment of showmanship and competitiveness, he had overstepped the principle Mrs. Chen had established.

That principle was that, aside from making her more beautiful, the most important thing about Xia Min’s plastic surgery was that her family and friends should still be able to recognize her at a glance.

But the result Yan Feifan had just demonstrated on Xia Min’s face had crossed that line.

The surgical style was too Westernized, and the changes were a bit too drastic.

Moreover, this Western-style surgical result made Xia Min look somewhat glamorous and alluring.

This sensual style was clearly not what Mrs. Chen had been hoping for.

Yan Feifan was now in a difficult position.

To satisfy Mrs. Chen’s request and create a stunning Chinese-style result, he would inevitably have to make even greater changes to Xia Min’s face.

"Mrs. Chen, do the changes to Xia Min’s face still need to be limited to a scope where acquaintances can recognize her at a glance?"

"What do you think?"

Mrs. Chen retorted, then added in a heavy tone, "That point must be adhered to. It absolutely cannot be crossed."

With this principle clarified, Yan Feifan had no choice but to be frank with Xia Min.

"Xia Min, this Western-style mock-up on your face... I accidentally went a little too far, and the changes are a bit significant."

"The way you look now, it would be hard for people who know you to recognize you at first glance."

"Also, people will take one look and assume you have Western blood, thinking you’re of mixed heritage."

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Mrs. Chen chimed in three times in agreement, then quickly tried to persuade her. "Xiaomin, the way you look now is beautiful, yes, but I feel uncomfortable with it deep down."

"What Mr. Yan said was a wake-up call for me."

"Looking like this will cause your parents to be the subject of a lot of gossip."

Xia Min looked at herself on her phone screen again, saying reluctantly, "Auntie, I really love this surgical result."

"Xiaomin, you’re not a child anymore. You need to understand what’s important. Do you really want people gossiping about your mom and dad behind their backs?"

After trying to persuade her, Mrs. Chen added, "Xiaomin, let’s take another look at Mr. Yan’s Chinese-style mock-up."

"I’m sure it won’t disappoint you either."

Yan Feifan noticed Mrs. Chen shooting him a warning glance and groaned internally.

Under the major restriction that she had to be recognizable at a glance, he could only make minor, meticulous refinements to Xia Min’s facial details.

’How am I supposed to create a mock-up as stunning as the Western style with these limitations?’

Yan Feifan could only bite the bullet and start making adjustments to Xia Min’s face.

This time, he worked exceptionally slowly.

Compared to the two or three minutes it took before, this time he spent a full ten to twenty minutes adjusting Xia Min’s face before he stopped.

Yan Feifan took a step back, sizing up Xia Min and sighing to himself. ’I’ve already done everything I possibly can.’

Zhu Jian, who was standing to the side, was studying Xia Min closely.

The current Xia Min still looked like herself, but upon closer inspection, she inspired an irresistible desire to keep looking and discover more.

Beneath Xia Min’s once somewhat plain features now lay countless beautiful and alluring details.

The tightly pressed corners of her mouth, slightly upturned with a faint hint of a smile; the lively corners of her eyes that seemed playful and expressive...

The Xia Min of today was like the hidden gem next door.

You might automatically overlook her because she’s so familiar, but one day, upon an idle glance, you suddenly discover how beautiful and vibrant she truly is, and it makes your heart skip a beat...

The more Zhu Jian looked, the more amazed he became.

He knew that this surgical result, which wasn’t immediately striking, was the result of his teacher’s deliberate restraint.

’It’s easy to paint on a blank canvas. To perfect every detail while working within constraints and a set framework... now that’s true skill.’

Xia Min noticed that Zhu Jian, the foreign beauty, and her aunt were all looking at her without speaking, as if they were savoring the sight.

She picked up her phone again and pointed it at herself...

Seeing the clear image of her face on the screen, Xia Min felt a pang of disappointment. It didn’t give her that heart-pounding, stunning feeling like the last one.

She took another look...

Huh? She looked again...

Yan Feifan waited for a moment. Seeing that no one was offering an opinion and that Xia Min had a contemplative expression, he had to be the first to speak.

"The Western style from before creates a strong visual stimulus because the changes are drastic and the contrast is high."

"However, the beauty created by that kind of visual impact is somewhat superficial. As you get used to it, you’ll start to feel that it’s nothing special."

"There’s one more thing..."

Yan Feifan continued to explain, "From a surgical perspective, the Western style requires significant adjustments to the facial muscles."

"Given the tendency for facial muscles to revert due to muscle memory, you would need maintenance surgery every two or three years to preserve this look."

"The difficulty of this maintenance surgery is very high, and it gets progressively harder each time."

Yan Feifan then emphasized, "The cost of this maintenance will also get higher and higher."

At this point, Mrs. Chen spoke up. "Xiaomin, this Chinese-style result that Mr. Yan has created for you possesses a profound, subtle beauty. The more you look at it, the more appealing and beautiful it becomes."

"I strongly recommend you choose this surgical plan."

Xia Min said with a conflicted expression, "Auntie, I can see that too. The more I look at myself now, the more I like it."

"It’s just that the previous plan was so stunning."

"Superficial beauty versus profound beauty... it’s a difficult choice, isn’t it?"

Mrs. Chen could tell that the girl was still leaning toward the Western style. After all, that first stunning impression was hard to forget.

However, she had already found a way to persuade her from what Yan Feifan had said.

"Mr. Yan, how are the fees for this maintenance surgery determined?"

Yan Feifan caught the meaningful look Mrs. Chen sent his way and quickly explained, "The maintenance surgery is difficult and the procedure is extensive. The fee is comparable to the first surgery, and could even be more."

"Some unscrupulous cosmetic clinics will lure girls in with low-priced plastic surgery, then ’harvest’ them again and again with subsequent procedures."

Yan Feifan added, "Xia Min, for this Chinese style, we’re only making a lot of adjustments to the details. The overall facial changes aren’t large, so the optimal results can be maintained for a long time. Three to five years won’t be a problem."

"Also, even if some muscles shift shape after a few years due to muscle memory, the change won’t be significant, and most of the surgical effects will remain."

"At that point, it would be fine not to have maintenance surgery."

Mrs. Chen took over, saying, "Xiaomin, do you understand? If you choose the Western-style plan and want to maintain the results, you’ll need another surgery for maintenance every two or three years."

"You know Mr. Yan’s fee standards. This time, he’s only charging you for the costs."

"But what about next time?"

"Can you earn the several million for the maintenance surgery fee by yourself?"

This stark, practical problem was clearly a huge blow to Xia Min. Her expression immediately turned sorrowful.

Seeing that her persuasion was working, Mrs. Chen didn’t press further. Instead, she said, "There’s no rush to make a decision right now. Go home and ask your parents and your uncle for their opinion first..."

After seeing Mrs. Chen and Xia Min off, Yan Feifan saw that it was time to get off work, so he packed up his things and prepared to leave.

He noticed Zhu Jian and Berry were still in the office and asked casually, "Do you two need something?"

Berry spoke up, "Teacher, I’m guessing that the task you gave us, to adjust Miss Xia’s appearance, was a test."

"I’d like to ask, did we pass?"

Without looking up, Yan Feifan said, "Your performance was acceptable. You both passed."

Berry asked again, "Teacher, between me and Dr. Zhu Jian, who performed better?"

Yan Feifan replied in English, "You both adhere too rigidly to templates and can’t adapt to the individual."

"As for which of you is better?"

Yan Feifan thought for a moment, then switched back to Chinese. "You’re ’half a jin, eight liang.’ About the same level..."

Berry left Yan Feifan’s office with Zhu Jian, completely bewildered. She couldn’t help but ask, "What does ’half a jin, eight liang’ mean?"

With a deadpan expression, Zhu Jian explained in a flat tone, "In our country, ’jin’ and ’liang’ are both units of weight. One jin is equal to ten liang."

"Our teacher said you’re half a jin, and I’m eight liang."

"Between the two of us, who weighs more and who weighs less—and therefore, who’s better—should be clear to you now, right?"