The prefect, waiting in the courtyard, was exceptionally anxious. Others only knew his mother suffered from an incurable strange illness, but they didn't know his son had the same affliction. If his mother could be cured, his son certainly could be too. His heart was filled with boundless hope, yet also with fear of setbacks. He could only wait slowly.
After an unknown amount of time, the door opened. The prefect rushed to the door with a swift stride. Wu Caiwei ignored him, methodically instructing a maid to help the old madam tidy herself and be moved to bed.
The prefect, looking at his now unconscious mother, swallowed with difficulty. "Doctor, how is my mother?"
"She's fine. Don't worry. The old madam just hasn't rested properly for a long time. With the pain gone, she's fallen asleep immediately," Wu Caiwei said reassuringly.
"Thank you so much. There's just one more thing I need to trouble you with. My son has the same symptoms as my mother. Could you please treat him as well?" The prefect felt a great deal of relief and expressed his sincere gratitude.
This came as a surprise to her. She never knew the prefect had a son. However, it was a simple matter for her. The more favors people owed her, the easier it would be to ask for his help in the future.
Before long, the housekeeper arrived with a tray laden with silver ingots.
"This is a small token of my appreciation. There will be further rewards once my son is cured," the prefect explained, seeing the housekeeper place the ingots before her.
"You are too kind, sir. I won't beat around the bush. I didn't come looking for money. Of course, you don't need to be nervous, I don't have any excessive demands. I only seek protection. After all, I am a woman with several medicinal formulas, and I fear being targeted," Wu Caiwei stated frankly, never underestimating the wisdom of ancient people.
The prefect had actually pondered this many times. Since the other party had come knocking on his door, they must have a request. He feared that the request might violate his principles, so he had prepared this silver to send her away.
However, since her request was as such, it was not unreasonable. He beckoned the housekeeper to take the silver back.
"Since that is the case, I will not be polite. If you ever need anything in the future, feel free to come to me. I will help as much as I can, as long as it doesn't go against my principles," the prefect promised. Regardless, the other party had saved his mother, and perhaps would save his son soon. He was willing to offer this convenience.
"Thank you, sir. Where is your young master currently? If it's convenient, I can go and take his pulse now. Of course, the treatment will have to wait until tomorrow," Wu Caiwei said sincerely.
"Please follow me," the prefect led the way.
As they walked, the path became increasingly secluded. If Wu Caiwei hadn't possessed self-defense skills, she wouldn't have dared to follow.
To her astonishment, the prefect led her into a bamboo grove, venturing deeper and deeper.
After about a hundred meters, two small huts suddenly appeared. A middle-aged man, hearing the commotion, hurried out to greet them. Upon seeing Wu Caiwei, he showed a surprised expression. This was the first time his master had brought an outsider, especially a woman.
Entering the room, Wu Caiwei was stunned by the man's appearance. In all her lifetimes, this was the first time she had encountered such a beautiful man. Yes, she had to use the word beautiful. Closing his eyes, he was like a painting, a fairy fallen to the mortal world, making one reluctant to disturb him.
The man opened his eyes and turned his head, seeing the woman he had seen countless times in his midnight dreams. He couldn't help but smile.
At his smile, Wu Caiwei felt as though flowers bloomed. She was somewhat mesmerized. No wonder he had never shown himself for so many years. With such a captivating appearance, wouldn't the daughters of noble families go mad?
Guan Tianyi, who disliked being the focus of attention for his looks, felt a touch of smugness seeing her infatuated expression.
The prefect was dumbfounded. It was the first time he had seen a different expression on his son's face. He was no longer cold and distant like a block of ice. He looked from one to the other, sensing something was amiss. There was clearly more than just a first meeting between them.
"Cough, cough," the prefect awkwardly interrupted them. Seeing their lingering gaze, he felt rather superfluous. However, to avoid delaying important matters, he coughed to remind them.
Wu Caiwei snapped back to reality instantly, feeling a bit embarrassed with her face flushed red. She was an old woman, yet she still had the habit of a young girl falling into a daze.
Without further hesitation, she stepped forward, placing her hand on his arm. After a careful diagnosis, she confirmed that he had been afflicted with the same蛊 as the old madam.
Looking at the method used, and considering the prefect only had this one son, their enemy was either someone with deep-seated hatred or a woman from within the household. Su Dan Novel Network.
Originally, these things were none of her concern, and she had no interest in getting involved in others' private feuds. However, the victim was now her man, and that changed everything. If anyone dared to bully him, she would handle it.
"Tomorrow, I will remove the 蛊 just as I did today." Although she wanted to avenge him, she knew that the most important thing now was to eliminate the 蛊 and that finding the culprit could be discussed later.
Upon hearing she was leaving, Guan Tianyi grabbed her hand. "Leaving so soon? Won't you stay and accompany me longer?"
"It's not that I don't want to stay, but I have to go back and make medicine. I used up several herbs from my shop when I last prepared the medicine and need to buy some more. If I'm any later, they'll close. Be good, we have plenty of time in the future," Wu Caiwei quickly coaxed him. She never knew she was a "face-con" before. After seeing his face, she felt she was becoming abnormal, unable to bear seeing any trace of sadness or disappointment on his expression.
Guan Tianyi slowly released her hand, looking at her with a mournful expression, reluctant to let her go.
The prefect stared at his son for a long time before confirming it was indeed him. He seemed somewhat abnormal after meeting this doctor. If it weren't for his continued cold demeanor towards himself and the servants, he would have thought his son had been replaced.
At the same time, he felt a sense of novelty, stroking his beard. It seemed the Guan family was about to have a joyous occasion.
He would have to investigate Jiang Hanyue thoroughly upon his return. Although the two seemed very familiar, he still felt a sense of unreality. He had to be extremely cautious about his future daughter-in-law.
It would be a lie to say the prefect didn't have the concept of suitable matches. However, given the complexity of his own family, having a skilled doctor in the household seemed safer, and his son evidently liked her.
The next day, when Wu Caiwei arrived at the prefect's mansion again, the welcome she received was unprecedented. The old madam had slept for almost a full day and night. Upon waking that morning, she felt completely refreshed, ate a considerable amount, and could even walk a few steps.
After she removed the 蛊 from Guan Tianyi, the old madam insisted she stay for lunch. Although Wu Caiwei couldn't sit for long, she couldn't resist the old madam's warm and grateful heart. She insisted that her personal maids accompany her.