At this moment, she received a WeChat message on her phone. Shen Xi took it out and saw it was from Song Kaicheng.
It read: Xi Xi, how did the discussion go? Do you need me to come over?
This morning, after speaking with Qin Siye on the phone, she had replied to him.
She told him that Qin Siye had only agreed to talk to her alone.
Shen Xi replied: No need. We're almost done talking, and I can handle it myself.
Song Kaicheng said: Alright. But don't compromise yourself for this matter or agree to any unreasonable conditions.
Shen Xi quickly replied: I understand, I won't.
Song Kaicheng said: Let me know in advance when you're finished, and I'll have Jian Fan pick you up.
Shen Xi said: Okay.
"What? Is someone giving remote instructions?" Qin Siye picked up his chopsticks, took a bite of food, and asked with raised eyebrows as he watched her engrossed in replying to the message.
Shen Xi smiled and said, "Mr. Qin, you're quite the jokester. It's just a casual friend, we only chatted for a couple of sentences."
She casually picked up her chopsticks and ate a few bites of food, concealing the slight fluster in her heart.
Qin Siye observed her eating habits carefully. She always took very little food with her chopsticks but opened her mouth quite wide, as if afraid the food would get on her lips.
This cautiousness only deepened his suspicions.
Qin Siye slowly took out two identical agreements from his pocket and spread them on the table.
"What is this?" Shen Xi exclaimed, quickly putting down her chopsticks.
What was he trying to do? Was he going to sign another agreement with her?
"Dr. Shen, no need to be nervous. This is just a standard medical agreement," Qin Siye seemed to read her mind. "Your treatment of my grandmother has only been a verbal agreement, with no written contract.
I'd like to formalize it, so I've prepared this agreement. Please take a look, and if there are no objections, please sign it."
She reached out and took one of the agreements, reading it carefully.
The clauses on it were all terms they had previously negotiated, but one point had changed: the monthly acupuncture sessions would now be extended to two weeks, for a period of one year. The cost would be deducted from the advance payment, and any remaining balance would be paid in full later.
By this calculation, her treatment period for Xu Zhilan would be extended again.
He was unilaterally increasing the stakes in this matter.
"Mr. Qin, didn't we agree last time? Seven days of acupuncture for Grandmother each month?" Shen Xi's face showed a hint of anger.
Qin Siye sat up straighter and looked at her with a half-smile. "Times have changed. Haven't you noticed that Grandma's condition hasn't been as good since the acupuncture stopped?
So, I believe it's necessary to add a few more days."
"But she's quite old. Too much acupuncture can damage her blood vessels and skin," Shen Xi said, her eyes wide as she looked at him.
Of course, she also wanted to see Grandma's condition controlled sooner and not worsen, but some things couldn't be rushed.
"I don't care about that. It's up to your arrangements. In any case, you need to be at the Qin family's residence for half of the month, not for acupuncture, but to play chess, games, or go for walks with her. Anything that benefits her condition is fine," Qin Siye picked up the red wine on the table and took a lazy sip.
Upon hearing this, Shen Xi felt as if the agreement was a contract for servitude.
Once signed, excluding weekends, she would have to report to the Qin family for half of the month.
The more she wanted to distance herself from him, the more he wanted to tie her down.
What was all this?
Seeing that she remained silent with her head bowed, Qin Siye immediately presented a tempting offer.
"If you agree to sign, I can go to Ankang Hospital tomorrow and implement the plan you just proposed."
A flicker of light flashed in Shen Xi's eyes, and she looked at him intently. Knowing full well this was a bribe, she still answered without hesitation, "Okay, I'll sign."
She gently took the pen he handed her and turned to the second page, where she even found penalty clauses.
If she was negligent or didn't work diligently, her medical fees would be deducted. If she stopped treatment midway or refused to continue, she would have to pay 50 times the total treatment cost as compensation. Shen Xi looked up and glared at him fiercely. These were simply draconian terms.