Everyone was stunned into silence by Lin Mu's words.

Bad stomach? Can only live off a woman? And his wife won't even let him work?

This was the first time they had ever heard someone describe being a kept man in such a fresh and unconventional way.

Even Qin Yan was gaping at Lin Mu. This guy… does he have no shame at all? I really don't know what Qin Luoli sees in him.

"Heh, truly shameless," Liping sneered sarcastically. "Dr. Qin, your cousin certainly is thick-skinned."

Qin Yan opened her mouth to speak, but Liping continued, "I've seen many like you. Forget being married, I doubt you even have a girlfriend. Anyway, I don't believe any girl would like a useless bum like you."

Liping's words were going too far. A flicker of dissatisfaction crossed Qin Yan's eyes.

"Liping, this is the first time we've all met. Isn't it inappropriate for you to talk about Lin Mu like that?" Qin Yan said, her expression souring.

"He was shameless enough to admit it, so why should I be afraid to say it?" Liping retorted.

"Regardless, talking like that is rude. You should apologize to Lin Mu!" Qin Yan said furiously.

"Apologize? To him?" Liping scoffed. "So what if I went too far? What can you do about it? You're not an attending physician yet, so you have no right to order me around!"

"You…" Qin Yan was so furious her chest heaved. Liping was simply too much.

Seeing the atmosphere turning awkward, Su Ming tried to smooth things over. "Alright, everyone, calm down. Liping didn't mean any harm; she always speaks her mind like this. Qin Yan, you should drop it too."

Su Ming was clearly taking Liping's side. Lin Mu had already disrespected him earlier by stubbornly tagging along and ruining his plans, so he was naturally annoyed with him.

"And as for you, Lin Mu, as a man, I feel I must criticize you as well," Su Ming began to lecture. "It doesn't matter if we men lack talent or ability; what's crucial is having ambition. If you don't even have that, what gives you the right to talk about a man's dignity? If you don't accomplish something in this life, aren't you letting your family down? Just mooching around waiting to die, dependent on a woman for support… how is that any different from being a useless waste of space?"

His words, between the lines, painted Lin Mu as less than a man—a useless bum. The humiliation was no less cutting than Liping's barbs. Worse, he delivered it all with a self-righteous air, which made the others think he actually had a point.

"Exactly. What kind of man is he? His very existence is a waste of food," Liping added with a cold laugh.

"By the way, Qin Yan, why don't you ask Doctor Su for a hand? Doesn't his family own a company? He could introduce your cousin to a job," the young man Jiaojiao had berated earlier suggested.

Su Ming swirled the wine in his glass, glanced at Lin Mu, and said indifferently, "My family's company is in foreign trade, so the standards are quite high. However, I could make a call and see if they need a security guard or something. Lin Mu's height and other aspects are a decent match. If I put in a good word, it shouldn't be an issue."

Liping pursed her lips into a smile. "I hear the benefits at Doctor Su's family company are excellent."

"I'm not sure of the specifics," Su Ming said with a wave of his hand. "I just heard my dad mention that even a security guard makes four or five thousand a month."

A wave of gasps went through the group. Four or five thousand for a security guard? That was excellent pay.

"Too bad my major doesn't align. Otherwise, I'd love to work at Doctor Su's company."

"Me too."

"Of course, if Lin Mu took the job, the salary probably wouldn't be that high. Still, it would at least be a respectable line of work," Su Ming said with a faint smile. Every word out of his mouth was dripping with mockery for Lin Mu, and the others were quick to chime in with their own snide remarks.

Qin Yan's face turned livid. She couldn't believe they were endlessly humiliating Lin Mu. They were her colleagues, yet they showed absolutely no respect.

"You've all gone too far! Humiliating him like this, showing zero respect… and you call yourselves doctors? I must have been blind to come out with you people!" Jiaojiao snorted, then turned to Qin Yan. "Qin Yan, let's go. We should stay far away from these ill-mannered people."

"Mhm." Qin Yan had already been thinking of leaving. This outing had shown her their true colors. Especially Su Ming. His hypocrisy is utterly disgusting. To think he's still pursuing me… The thought alone made her want to gag.

"Guan Jiaojiao, who are you calling ill-mannered? Make yourself clear!" Liping slammed her hand on the table and glared furiously at her.

Guan Jiaojiao scoffed. "If the shoe fits, wear it! So what if Lin Mu doesn't want to work? So what if he lives off a woman? Is he eating your food or drinking your water? What gives you the right to belittle him like this?"

Known for her fiery temper, Guan Jiaojiao couldn't stand people like Liping and lashed back mercilessly. "And as for the rest of you, just because you want to suck up to someone doesn't mean you have to tear someone else down. Take a good look at yourselves. Even if you wanted to be a kept man, you wouldn't even qualify!"

Guan Jiaojiao's tirade left several of them red-faced and speechless.

"Jiaojiao, we were just trying to help. Don't you think you're going too far as well?" Su Ming frowned, his dislike for Lin Mu intensifying.

Guan Jiaojiao had just met Lin Mu, yet she was already defending him so fiercely. It filled Su Ming with a burning jealousy. Su Ming was unsuccessfully pursuing Qin Yan, but that didn't stop him from having designs on Guan Jiaojiao. Though Guan Jiaojiao was petite, she was very pretty. With curves in all the right places, she was like a loli from an anime—the very definition of 'petite and busty.' Aside from Qin Yan, Guan Jiaojiao was considered the prettiest woman in the entire hospital. With his handsome looks and good family background, Su Ming had charmed countless girls from his school days through to his professional life. To him, someone like Guan Jiaojiao was a delectable prize just waiting to be claimed. But Guan Jiaojiao apparently came from an impressive background herself. She never paid any mind to his small gifts and overtures, and he didn't dare press her too aggressively.

Now, seeing her defend Lin Mu, Su Ming's anger flared even hotter.

Hearing his words, Guan Jiaojiao snorted. "Oh, so it's fine for you to go too far, but no one else can? Su Ming, drop the act. Out of everyone here, you are the most disgusting hypocrite!"

Guan Jiaojiao's blunt words made Su Ming's face darken instantly. He shot to his feet, glaring at her. "Say that again if you dare!"

"I'll say it again. You think I'm scared of you?" Seemingly unfazed, Guan Jiaojiao crossed her arms. "I said you're the most disgusting, most hypocritical one here. Did you hear me clearly this time?"

"You're asking for death!" Su Ming snarled, raising his hand to slap Guan Jiaojiao. "You think I wouldn't dare hit you?!"

His sudden move caught everyone off guard. Even Guan Jiaojiao froze.

However, just as Su Ming's palm was about to strike her face, a large hand appeared out of nowhere and gripped his wrist in an iron-clad hold. A calm, indifferent voice then sounded in everyone's ears.

"Raising your hand to a woman… is this what you call a man's dignity and honor? From what I see, it's nothing special."

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