"Mother, you should ask her what she did. Second Brother has been unconscious for two days. It must be her fault!" Yue Ran exclaimed, exasperated. "It was only after she touched Second Brother that he fell ill!"
Madam Yue looked at Huo Tong'er in surprise. Huo Tong'er, terrified, shook her head frantically. She hadn't done anything. She had only wanted to sow discord between Xiao Man and Yue Ran, framing Xiao Man for molesting her, but it had failed. She had no idea that Xiao Man was ill.
"Ran'er, Xiao Qin is sick. Have you consulted a physician? What did the physician say?"
"The physicians in the sect are all useless; they can't do anything. I've invited Mu Qi to help. The fever has subsided, but he still hasn't woken up."
"Ran'er, don't act rashly. Perhaps Xiao Qin is just ill, and it has nothing to do with anyone else." Madam Yue quickly appeased Yue Ran. "Mother will go with you to see him."
"Huo Tong'er, you'd better be telling the truth. If my Second Brother's illness has nothing to do with you, then I will make you pay!"
Huo Tong'er had harbored some hope for Yue Ran, but now all her illusions were shattered. Watching Madam Yue and her son leave, she let out a sudden, cold laugh. Yue Ran, very well. If you are heartless, do not blame me for being unrighteous!
When Mu Qi saw Yue Ran invite Madam Yue over, he was a little puzzled.
"Why is your mother here?"
"She's worried and came to take a look," Yue Ran replied, his face dark.
"Oh, right. Have someone change Xiao Qin's clothes. She sweated through them." Mu Qi reminded Yue Ran.
Yue Ran froze, his gaze falling on Xiao Man. Change her clothes? Would he? Yue Ran's face instantly turned as red as a ripe persimmon!
"Why are you blushing?" Mu Qi asked curiously. "Don't hurry to change her clothes. Wearing wet clothes must be uncomfortable for her. If she catches a chill and her fever flares up again, it'll be problematic."
Yue Ran gritted his teeth and ushered Mu Qi and Jing Shu out. Only Madam Yue remained in the room. He retrieved a set of clean clothes from the wardrobe and stood by the bed with them. "Mother, Second Brother's clothes are soaked. They need to be changed."
Madam Yue looked at Yue Ran's fidgeting and extended her hand.
Yue Ran didn't move. "Mother, please step aside. I'll change her clothes."
Madam Yue stood up and swatted Yue Ran on the head. "You scoundrel! How can you change her clothes? She's a girl, not a boy! Give me the clothes. You go wait outside, and I'll change her."
"If I go wait outside, I'm afraid Aunt Jing Shu will get suspicious."
"Bring me the hot water. You wait behind the screen."
"Thank you, Mother." Yue Ran put down the clothes, brought over the hot water, and obediently waited behind the screen.
Madam Yue removed Xiao Man's wet garments and used a cloth to wipe her body. As she wiped Xiao Man's back, she discovered a phoenix-shaped birthmark. She initially thought she was mistaken and rubbed it hard, only to confirm that it was indeed a birthmark!
Looking at the birthmark on Xiao Man's back, Madam Yue felt something flash through her mind, but it was too quick for her to grasp. However, she had no time to ponder it further. After helping Xiao Man change, she cleaned her face and then called Yue Ran out.
"Thank you for your hard work, Mother," Yue Ran said repeatedly.
"You scoundrel, you'd better not bully her."
"How would I dare!" Yue Ran collected Xiao Man's wet clothes. "I'll wash these clothes later and dry them. Mother, you should go back now."
"Alright. But you are not to act recklessly again," Madam Yue admonished. "Be careful, or your father will punish you if he finds out."
"Yes, I understand." Yue Ran ushered Madam Yue out and asked Jing Shu to escort her back. He then happily went to wash the clothes.
Mu Qi sat nearby, watching Yue Ran hum a tune while washing clothes, and couldn't help but click his tongue. "Tsk tsk, the young master of the Heavenly Sword Sect personally washing clothes for someone! No one would believe it if they heard it!"
"What do you know?" Yue Ran hummed. "My Second Brother's clothes cannot be washed by outsiders."
"Is your Second Brother that precious?" Mu Qi leaned close to Yue Ran's ear and whispered, "Do you like her?"
"You little brat, do you even know what 'like' means?"
"I don't know, but I have a fiancée. Do you?" Mu Qi asked proudly.
Yue Ran choked for a moment. "I'll have a fiancée soon too!"
"The one in the room?"
"If you dare to reveal her identity, don't blame me for turning hostile!" Yue Ran lowered his voice, afraid of being overheard. Before things were settled, no one could know, lest it lead to complications.
"Don't worry, I have no interest in exposing other people's secrets." Mu Qi crossed his legs. "Honestly, will your father agree?"
"When the time comes, in front of the whole world, he won't have a choice but to agree."
Mu Qi immediately understood Yue Ran's plan. "You're truly audacious! Be careful your father doesn't break your legs!"
"You should worry about yourself. I hear your fiancée senior sister is also quite formidable. Be careful you don't displease her one day, or she might destroy you!"
Mu Qi's expression shifted slightly, surprisingly falling silent. Sect Master Jiang had countless daughters and not a single son. Now that he could no longer have more children, he had to choose from his favored disciples to marry into the sect and inherit the Heavenly Spirit Sect. Mu Qi was currently the young sect master, but that could change any day!
"Why aren't you speaking?"
"You're right. What else can I say?" Mu Qi said listlessly. "I've been competitive since I was young, never willing to admit defeat. I wanted to be better than you at everything. But what's the point of competing with you? I'm just a puppet in the Heavenly Spirit Sect. If Sect Master Jiang says I'm the young sect master, then I am. If he says I'm not, then I'm not. Whichever daughter he wants me to marry, I have to marry. He has so many daughters and so many sons-in-law. They're all sons-in-law. Who wouldn't want that position?"
"The key is, do you want it?"
"Can I refuse if I don't want it?" Mu Qi saw it clearly. If he dared to say no, he was afraid that soon, the Heavenly Spirit Sect would no longer have a Mu Qi. The reason Sect Master Jiang chose him as the young sect master was first, because of the Mu family behind him, second, his astonishing talent in alchemy, and third, his obedience, making him easy to control. Once Sect Master Jiang found him difficult to control, his life would become difficult!
"Second Brother said that a physician's cultivation should correspond to their rank. A true physician must have their cultivation and alchemy advance hand in hand, otherwise, they won't get far in the path of alchemy. You should also cultivate diligently."
Mu Qi understood this perfectly. He also wanted to cultivate diligently and advance quickly, but he couldn't appear too eager for success, or it would arouse Sect Master Jiang's suspicion, which would be more detrimental than beneficial.