A person slowly emerged from behind the corner of the wall, Liu Hong offering an embarrassed smile after being discovered.
"Miss Lin, I'm here to see the excitement."
As one of the few in the village who wasn't poisoned, he had no reason to be here for medical treatment. He had come specifically for Gu Xinlan, wanting to see if Rong Zhi could treat her. He hadn't expected this outcome.
"Miss Lin, Xinlan's illness… can it really not be cured?"
Hearing this, Rong Zhi turned to look at Gu Xinlan and suddenly waved at her.
"Hi!"
Gu Xinlan was stunned, then offered a smile.
Rong Zhi casually picked up the symptom list written by Xia Yunting and showed it to Gu Xinlan. "Do you recognize this?"
Gu Xinlan shook her head.
Liu Hong was a bit surprised. "How can this be?"
Gu Xinlan before him appeared no different from anyone else.
Rong Zhi took back the paper. "She wasn't sick in the first place. She was just stimulated, and her temperament has changed a bit. However… if one insists on calling this behavior an illness, there's nothing to criticize about it."
In her past life, she had seen many people who, after experiencing major stimuli or significant turning points in their lives, underwent drastic personality changes. Some who were once glamorous became disheveled, and those who were once optimistic and cheerful became introverted. These were all normal. Yet, some people thought they were insane.
They weren't insane; when people went through a lot, they were bound to change.
"Will she be like this forever?"
"It's possible."
"..." Liu Hong was silent for a moment, a look of conflict flashing across his face as if he had made a decision.
Suddenly, he glanced at Gu Xinlan, turned, and left, disappearing in a flash, leaving the remaining people utterly bewildered.
"Where did he go?" Rong Zhi watched the direction he left, lost in thought.
Turning her head, she saw Gu Xinlan taking Xia Yunting's brush and, imitating him, writing something stroke by stroke on the paper. Though what she wrote were mere scribbles, it was evident she was concentrating.
"Do you want to learn?"
Rong Zhi offered a smile.
Gu Xinlan nodded.
"Then stay with me."
...
By keeping Gu Xinlan, Rong Zhi didn't intend for her to help with chores. She simply wanted her to temporarily stay away from her mother's gaze. Otherwise, facing Wu Guixiang's perpetually sighing face every day wouldn't be good for Gu Xinlan.
She originally thought this was a minor matter and didn't need to discuss it with Xia Yunting. However, during dinner, Xia Yunting seemed very displeased, eating very little and leaving his half-eaten meal to return to his room, his face long as he left.
Rong Zhi, holding her bowl, felt confused. Was he angry?
Gu Xinlan, who had been ravenously eating, paused at this sight, appearing hesitant to move.
"It's fine, keep eating." Rong Zhi served her a few more dishes and pointed to the side room opposite the kitchen, instructing her, "After you finish, go rest in that room."
Only then did Gu Xinlan slowly pick up her chopsticks, her movements gradually becoming faster, as if she were accustomed to eating like this.
After dinner, Rong Zhi cleaned up the kitchen and returned to her room, finding Xia Yunting sitting cross-legged on the bed, his brow deeply furrowed.
"What's wrong?"
She reached out and smoothed Xia Yunting's furrowed brow. Seeing him look at her, she said with a half-jest, "Don't tell me you're being petty. I'm just letting Gu Xinlan stay for a couple of days. Or is there something important you need to do that makes it inconvenient for her to be here?"
Rong Zhi considered this possibility and her tone became serious.
"If that's the case, I'll send her back now, along with the Zhang father and son."
"No." Xia Yunting shook his head, looking at her as if he wanted to say something. After a moment of hesitation, he remained silent.
"Could it be about the Yin Xue Pavilion? Have they made another move?"
He still shook his head.
"Are you returning to the Imperial City?"
He continued to shake his head.
Seeing Xia Yunting's increasingly conflicted expression, Rong Zhi felt there must be something particularly troublesome.
"Just tell me. Whatever it is, I'll do my best to help you..."
"Toothache." A very soft sound, barely audible if one didn't listen closely.
Rong Zhi understood. She looked at Xia Yunting in surprise. Seeing him slightly turn his head, a hint of unnatural blush on his face, as if speaking these words was incredibly embarrassing.
Ahem, it was strangely endearing.
Rong Zhi's heart skipped a beat. Feigning composure, she cupped his chin. "Open your mouth, let me see."
"Ah..."
Xia Yunting complied. Rong Zhi held a candle to look and saw that the rearmost tooth was indeed a bit black. She immediately remembered the zongzi candies Xia Yunting occasionally ate.
"Too much candy."
She stated the conclusion simply and crudely.
Xia Yunting's eyes darted away, and he eventually turned his body aside, pretending not to hear.
Indeed, it was rather embarrassing for a dignified general to have a toothache from eating too much zongzi candy.
"It's not a big deal. Stop eating candy for now, brush your teeth properly every morning and evening, and I'll prescribe some medicine."
After speaking, Rong Zhi glanced at Xia Yunting's waist. There was a large, bulging pouch. She grabbed it, and it was too late for Xia Yunting to stop her.
Upon opening it, it was filled to the brim with zongzi candies.
"..." Rong Zhi's expression turned dark. She remembered she hadn't bought any for Xia Yunting in a long time.
"Chen Xing bought them?"
She asked Xia Yunting.
Xia Yunting remained silent, but his embarrassed expression suggested it was indeed the case.
Weighing the pouch, it was at least over a pound. Tsk, who would have thought, you're that kind of Xia Yunting.
Rong Zhi confiscated the candies directly.
"No more eating them from today onwards."
With that, she quickly left the room and soon returned with a handful of Sichuan peppercorns.
"Here, bite down on this on the bad tooth."
Xia Yunting reluctantly took one and quickly put it in his mouth.
Seeing him like this, Rong Zhi felt an urge to laugh.
"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."
That night, mindful of Xia Yunting's condition, Rong Zhi deliberately didn't sleep too deeply, constantly paying attention to the movements beside her.
Although Xia Yunting's sleeping posture was always proper, his slightly rapid breathing indicated he was clearly not asleep.
"Does it still hurt?" she asked softly.
The person beside her was silent for a moment, then gave a barely audible "Mm."
"Let me see."
Rong Zhi propped herself up with her arm, letting Xia Yunting open his mouth for her to examine.
Xia Yunting was like a dead fish on a chopping board, letting her do as she pleased, yet a fine sweat broke out on his forehead.
Actually, it wasn't his tooth that hurt. It was just that the night was long, and beside him lay a rather attractive young woman. No normal man could fall asleep so quickly.
Yet, someone was oblivious to this, still meticulously examining his teeth.
She held Xia Yunting's chin, changing several angles to examine. Finally, she found that only that one tooth was decayed, and the condition wasn't severe. With Xia Yunting's constitution, he shouldn't be in so much pain that he couldn't sleep.
"Did I miss something?"
She leaned closer, instantly closing the distance between them. Their breaths mingled, and Xia Yunting felt the air suddenly grow warm.
"There's no problem..." Rong Zhi murmured, "Let's wait until tomorrow. When it's dawn, I'll brew you some..."
"Xiao Mo!"
Before she could finish the word "medicine," a hand forcefully pulled her into an embrace, as if wanting to crush her.
Rong Zhi was startled, and then a warmth landed on her lips, beginning to tenderly caress.
"Mmph!" Rong Zhi's eyes widened. She wanted to struggle, but he rolled over and pinned her beneath him, completely robbing her of any ability to resist.
The next day, Rong Zhi was sorting through medicinal herbs, watching Xia Yunting practice his fists in the courtyard as if nothing had happened. She began to seriously ponder a question: was he genuinely in toothache, or was he faking it?
Xia Yunting seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood today. Even his movements were more buoyant, and after a set of martial arts, without breaking a sweat, he approached Rong Zhi and asked, "Xiao Mo, is this for me?"
Rong Zhi nodded, shifting her gaze from the medicine pot to Xia Yunting's face, looking at him searchingly.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
Rong Zhi's fanning motion slowed, and she said hesitantly, "Last night..."
"Last night? What happened last night?" Xia Yunting feigned ignorance, as if he had lost his memory, but his bright, shining eyes betrayed his current triumph.
So, he was playing a trick on her last night!
Rong Zhi suddenly narrowed her eyes and smiled. "Nothing. Go eat breakfast quickly!"
She had already prepared breakfast and was keeping it warm. Xia Yunting responded with a sound and went to eat. As Rong Zhi turned away, she saw the corner of his mouth subtly curve upwards.
"Let's see how smug you can be!"
Rong Zhi glanced at the herbs beside her. One of them, a dark, root-like object, she broke off a small piece and threw it into the medicine pot.
"This will teach you a lesson."
After Xia Yunting finished his meal, Rong Zhi woke Gu Xinlan and went to deliver food to the Zhang father and son. As she left the kitchen, she happened to catch Xia Yunting drinking the bowl of medicine. Seeing Xia Yunting's brows furrowed into a knot, Rong Zhi felt a surge of satisfaction.
Old Master Zhang had woken up. He seemed unwilling to accept the reality of his son's current state, sighing intermittently in bed. When Rong Zhi delivered the food, he didn't offer a pleasant expression.
"My son is like this, how can those scoundrels still be alive?"
Rong Zhi explained, "Judgment takes time. Once the verdict is out, I will inform you."
"I don't know if I'll live to see that day..." He looked at the light congee and side dishes with a look of disdain.
"Eating this, I'm afraid I'll be riding a turtle to the west before long."
"Please don't say that. Only those with great merit are qualified to ride a crane. You, at best, would be riding a turtle."
Rong Zhi wasn't one to be easily bullied. Although she was a doctor and prioritized the patient's feelings, it didn't mean she would indulge them endlessly.
Rendered speechless by this retort, Old Master Zhang was at a loss for words.
Rong Zhi didn't waste any more time with him and went out to see Gu Xinlan.
Gu Xinlan had already finished her meal. Seeing that no one else was in the kitchen, she efficiently washed the bowls and chopsticks. Her movements were fluid, no different from an ordinary person.
If Madam Wu saw this, she would likely be pleased. But unfortunately... in front of Madam Wu, she seemed to deliberately act abnormal.
"Xinlan, after you finish cleaning the kitchen, come and help me brew the medicine!"
Gu Xinlan turned her head and agreed with a smile.
Brewing the antidote for the villagers wasn't particularly difficult, but the challenge lay in the sheer number of villagers, requiring multiple batches. Rong Zhi also had no intention of rushing the process, as she needed to ensure the efficacy of the medicine.
"Xinlan, when the contents become thick, turn off the heat and let me know."
She gave this instruction, and the other nodded.