The human face has a total of forty-four muscles.

These muscles, along with the blood vessels and nerves woven around the cartilage and bones of the face, and the smooth, taut skin stretched over them—all these tissues are interconnected and work in concert.

They can push, pull, and twist in various ways, creating a staggering variety of over five thousand facial expressions.

Research shows that humans have at least eighteen unique types of smiles, and each smile subtly uses a different combination of facial muscles.

For example, let’s consider our most common smiles.

They are created by the zygomaticus and risorius muscles, which lift the corners of the mouth.

The depressor labii inferioris muscle contracts, causing the lower lip to curl.

The orbicularis oris muscle relaxes.

The orbital and palpebral parts of the orbicularis oculi muscle contract.

The contraction of the levator labii superioris alaeque nasi muscle causes the nostrils to flare.

The coordinated action of all these muscles is what creates the expression of a smile.

In Yang Susu’s case, it was clear that a previous plastic surgery had damaged her facial muscle tissue, causing her smile to become distorted and unnatural.

This is how many people end up with that "frozen," post-surgery look.

Since it was still emergency department hours, Yan Feifan told Yang Susu and her friends to wait for him at the plastic surgery center after six in the evening...

After a busy day that ended at six, Yan Feifan quickly tidied up and left the emergency department with Yu Suye, heading to the plastic surgery center.

As he stepped into the first-floor lobby of the plastic surgery center, Yan Feifan was surprised to see Tang Zheng.

He was with a tall, stunningly beautiful but cold-looking woman, saying his goodbyes to each of the nurses and staff members on the first floor.

When he saw Yan Feifan, Tang Zheng took the woman by the hand and walked over.

"Mr. Yan, today is my last official day. Our mentor’s dream is now up to you to fulfill."

Yan Feifan said softly, "I’ll do my best not to disappoint the Director."

Tang Zheng chuckled. "I’m sure you can."

"Mr. Yan, I’ll be frank. Your arrival was one of the factors that finalized my decision to leave."

He didn’t elaborate, instead gesturing to the woman beside him.

"Mr. Yan, let me introduce my fiancée, Shao Dalei Lin."

Tang Zheng’s fiancée was certainly statuesque.

With the seven or eight-centimeter heels she was wearing, she was about the same height as Yu Suye.

Her makeup was exquisite, and she was very easy on the eyes.

However, her gaze was cold and her chin was slightly raised, giving off an air of looking down on others.

Yan Feifan met her gaze, then gave a slight nod in greeting.

Seeing Yan Feifan’s attention return to him, Tang Zheng extended an enthusiastic invitation. "Mr. Yan, would you be interested in working part-time at my Zhiyin Medical Beauty?"

"I’ll give you chief physician-level compensation!"

Yan Feifan shook his head in refusal. "Tang Zheng, thank you for the invitation and the high regard, but I don’t think I’ll have the time."

"Besides, that’s not where my ambitions lie."

Tang Zheng said regretfully, "It seems we won’t be able to work together after all."

After a pause, Tang Zheng added with a complicated expression, "You know, I never used to believe in your ambitions."

"But I do now."

"Keep it up!"

"I look forward to seeing you achieve even greater things in the field of medicine..."

As Yan Feifan watched Tang Zheng and his fiancée drive away in a Porsche, Zhao Xiaoting’s voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"I can’t believe a man that handsome actually exists."

Yan Feifan turned to find that Zhao Xiaoting, Chen Lingxin, and Yang Susu had appeared beside him at some point.

Noticing Zhao Xiaoting’s star-struck expression, Yan Feifan said teasingly, "Zhao Xiaoting, you work in show business. It’s not like you haven’t seen your share of handsome men. Why are you acting so impressed?"

Zhao Xiaoting reluctantly tore her eyes away. "Men as gorgeous as him are a rare sight."

"We found out he’s a plastic surgeon, too."

"Mr. Yan, who did his plastic surgery? Which expert was it?"

Meeting the curious gazes of Zhao Xiaoting, Chen Lingxin, and Yang Susu, Yan Feifan explained, "His face is all-natural."

"What? How is that possible?"

"I don’t believe it!"

"Yeah, no way a guy can be that gorgeous naturally."

Faced with their clear disbelief, Yan Feifan chuckled. "Believe what you want."

"With a population of over a billion, with a gene pool that large, isn’t it perfectly normal to produce a few stunning masterpieces?"

He then gestured to Yu Suye beside him. "Her face and figure are all-natural, too."

Yu Suye had been standing quietly beside Yan Feifan the whole time, and this was the first time she had ever heard him praise her looks and figure.

Though the compliment was indirect, its quality was on another level entirely, elevating her to the status of a masterpiece favored by nature, one in a billion.

This made Yu Suye blush. She said shyly, "Feifan, don’t be ridiculous. I’m not that special."

She then met the stares of Zhao Xiaoting, Chen Lingxin, and Yang Susu and introduced herself. "I’m Yu Suye, an attending physician. I’m Mr. Yan’s junior and... his girlfriend."

Zhao Xiaoting let out a knowing "Ohhh." She said, "Mr. Yan, with that handsome doctor and your girlfriend as two living, breathing billboards, no one could ever question the incredible skills at the Affiliated Hospital’s plastic surgery center."

Seeing they were still unconvinced, Yan Feifan couldn’t be bothered to explain further. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Let’s head to the examination room..."

Once inside an empty examination room, Yan Feifan had Yang Susu make a variety of expressions.

Happiness!

Pain!

Anger!

After running through a gamut of emotions, Yan Feifan made a discovery.

It wasn’t just Yang Susu’s smile that was the problem. Her other expressions—crying, anger, sorrow—were also distorted to some degree.

With intense expressions like a big laugh, a deep cry, or raging anger, the distortion was still quite subtle.

But with more subtle expressions—a slight smile, sorrow, anxiety, disgust, fatigue—the distortion was severe.

For an actress, this was undoubtedly a career-ending disaster.

Yang Susu watched the silent, contemplative Yan Feifan and said, her voice filled with apprehension, "After I discovered my expressions were distorted, I went back to Huarong Medical Beauty..."

Yan Feifan had heard of Huarong Medical Beauty.

It was located in Jingcheng, a private aesthetic clinic with a nearly thirty-year history. It was considered one of the top three cosmetic surgery institutions in the country, on par with their own plastic surgery center.

Yang Susu continued, "They told me it was a normal side effect of the surgery."

"They said they could improve it with another operation."

"But I don’t trust their promises anymore."

"Before I had the surgery with them, they made all sorts of extravagant promises, saying nothing would go wrong."

She asked, her voice a mix of hope and fear, "Mr. Yan, can you fix this for me?"

"I’d be willing to go back to how I looked before, even if it means I’m a little uglier."

A sob crept into Yang Susu’s voice. "In my current state, it’s impossible for me to get any more acting roles."

"Susu, don’t worry."

Zhao Xiaoting said reassuringly, "You have no idea. My face was a complete mess, riddled with tiny glass shards."

"Look at me now. Can you see even a single scar?"

"And Chen Lingxin..."

"Look at her—after he gave her dimples, it didn’t just give her face a focal point, her expressions of joy, anger, and sorrow are all perfectly natural."

"Mr. Yan can definitely fix you."

Yan Feifan broke from his thoughts and looked at Zhao Xiaoting. "You certainly have an unusual amount of confidence in me."

Zhao Xiaoting chuckled and pleaded, "Mr. Yan, please, just help her."

"She’s worked so hard for so many years. If she has to quit show business like this, she’ll be devastated enough to want to jump off a building."

Yan Feifan grunted softly, his gaze shifting to Yang Susu.

"I’m sure you understand the principle that it’s easier to break something than it is to fix it."

"From the series of expressions you just made, I’ve identified which of your facial muscles are causing the problem."

"I have some ideas on how to repair them."

"However, as for whether the results will be what I envision—a complete recovery..."

Yan Feifan shook his head. "I can’t make any guarantees."

"In other words, if you have me perform this reconstructive surgery, you’ll be taking a risk..."

Yang Susu considered this for a moment, then set her jaw. "I don’t trust Huarong Medical Beauty."

"Mr. Yan, I trust you..."