Chapter 44: Something

The next day.

Ning’an Street, Lin Family Clinic.

Lin Zisu stood on a small stool, using tweezers to carefully retrieve a golden plate holding vermilion pills from the alchemical furnace, checked their progress, found the heat insufficient, and returned them to the furnace to continue regulating the flame’s warmth, all the while glancing once at the corner table.

Her stunningly beautiful aunt sat upright on a round stool, her waist and hips forming a silhouette so alluring it made Zisu envious.

Yet beneath her gold-rimmed glasses, those alluring eyes now betrayed distraction, staring blankly at the autumn light outside the window, motionless for half an hour.

Since venturing out two days ago, Lin Wanyi had become like this—as if she’d been cursed by some outside force.

Lin Zisu suspected it had something to do with Master Xie.

She’d studied at the Imperial Academy and seen many senior sisters behave this way when first falling in love—staring blankly mid-elixir refining.

Sigh~ Women…

Lin Zisu silently shook her head and sighed, deeply understanding her aunt; after all, her aunt had been single for so many years, and finding someone she liked wasn’t easy—if she didn’t marry now, such a fair, plump backside would go entirely to waste.

Besides, if Master Xie married into the Lin family, Meiqiu would naturally come as a dowry—wouldn’t it be perfectly reasonable for her, as the eldest daughter, to take Meiqiu away with her?

Lost in such thoughts, seeing her aunt still lost in reverie, Lin Zisu grew bored and deliberately gazed out the window:

“Master Xie?!”

Splash~

Lin Wanyi, who had been daydreaming on the spring bench, snapped back to awareness and leaned out the window to look…

Where is he?

Realizing she’d been teased, Lin Wanyi’s eyes turned slightly sharp as she glared at the mischievous girl:

“Zisu!”

“Pfft~ Hahaha…”

Lin Zisu clutched her stomach, giggling uncontrollably, teasing:

“Auntie, if you really miss him, just go find him. You’re old enough to leave home, and I won’t mock you.”

Lin Wanyi had been rescued by Xie Jinhuan repeatedly lately, and he was simply flawless in every way—unmarried man, unmarried woman—so it was natural for her to recall him unconsciously.

But in front of her niece, she dared not discuss men’s merits or flaws, so she feigned seriousness and rose:

“I’m worried about the patient’s health. Xie Jinhuan took the pills you made two days ago and went completely silent. He lives alone—what if something happened to him at home? I’m going to check on him.”

Lin Zisu had absolute confidence in her own skill—so long as she didn’t do anything reckless, Xie Jinhuan couldn’t possibly die suddenly—but she still responded with understanding:

“It’s good to go see him. The pills are already enough for seven days—take them along. If you don’t come back tonight, that’s fine too—we can go to the Mid-Autumn lantern festival together tomorrow.”

“How could I not come back? If you say more nonsense, I’ll spank you!”

“Hehe~”

…

After scolding her a bit, Lin Wanyi neatly packed the seven small porcelain bottles on the table into a wooden box and stepped out alone.

Ning’an Street wasn’t far from the Imperial Academy, and Qingquan Alley was only a few minutes’ walk away.

Lin Wanyi took a shortcut through the back alley and passed by the residence of the Yang County constable, where she spotted a beautiful woman standing at the gate with her hands on her hips, muttering to herself.

“Sister Yang?”

“Oh? Little Lin?!”

The Yang family’s sister-in-law immediately spotted the women’s friend, the Divine Doctor Lin, and hurried over:

“Why are you out alone? The city’s in chaos right now—your beauty is like a blooming flower; what if you’re targeted by demon bandits?”

I’m the witch cult’s demoness myself—who’s stalking whom isn’t clear…

Lin Wanyi thought this inwardly but smiled warmly in reply:

“Just taking a stroll. All the neighbors are nearby—Sister Yang, no need to worry.”

Sister Yang grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the house, glancing at the box in Lin Wanyi’s hands along the way:

“Are you delivering medicine to the lady of Wencheng Street? What kind is it? Strong?”

“Just ordinary prescriptions—not what you’re thinking…”

“You actually prescribe ordinary remedies?”

“Er…”

“I heard you prescribed medicine to Sister Liu a few days ago—I visited her yesterday and she looked radiant, like she’d taken a supreme tonic. What medicine is that powerful?”

Seven-times-a-night pill…

Lin Wanyi found it hard to answer, gave a vague explanation, but Sister Yang was too enthusiastic, clinging to her arm and chatting for a full quarter-hour—gradually, Lin Wanyi even began to enjoy it.

The topic quickly shifted from prescriptions to gossip about ladies and their husbands’ mistresses…

…

—

After Li Zixian was arrested yesterday, the government office interrogated him all night—the Alchemy King stayed at the government office the entire night.

Everyone was working overtime; as a participant in the case, Xie Jinhuan couldn’t reasonably slip away—after dinner, he returned to the government office with Mo Mo and others to serve as a jury.

The interrogation lasted all night.

Li Zixian was unusually stubborn—he knew admitting to burying someone alive meant severe punishment, and despite brutal torture, he never cracked.

Xie Jinhuan saw the case stalled; though gloating was inappropriate, his own pressure had indeed lessened considerably.

Now walking down the street carrying Meiqiu, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder, Xie Jinhuan held The Golden Orchid Chronicles, carefully searching for clues about the ghost bride’s origins:

“Mouth-to-mouth contact, saliva born from lips and teeth… or French kissing? Are you sure you don’t remember any of this?”

Ye Hongshang strolled beside him, umbrella slung at her side, shrugging slightly:

“Sister prefers men—especially ones like you, with delicate skin and tender flesh. That bookish scholar just made it up—why do you take it seriously?”

Xie Jinhuan, having read half the book, also felt the second female lead didn’t seem like a ghost bride—her demeanor was too reserved and conservative.

If she truly were a ghost bride, she’d have pushed the Qixia True Person into bed within three chapters and started playing fox-tail twin-headed dragons by chapter five…

And this book didn’t just obscure its romance—it had no sensual scenes at all…

Ye Hongshang seemed to read minds; noticing Xie Jinhuan’s subtle frown, she chimed in with a complaint:

“These bookish scholars survive by writing erotic tales yet pretend to uphold scholarly dignity, too timid to show flesh—then why waste people’s time writing this? Look at Yang Chunyan—so open and honest, right~?”

“Not quite. Proper books need some foreplay—maybe the later parts are more intense…”

Xie Jinhuan carefully flipped through the yuri novel, still hoping to find some clue—when suddenly, at the alley’s mouth, he spotted two women standing outside the Yang residence.

One was clearly Sister Yang, vividly recounting something.

The other was the stunning, glasses-wearing woman—her expression clearly said, “Oh my~ Tsk tsk tsk~ So that’s what happened…”

Seeing Lin Wanyi holding the medicine box, Xie Jinhuan knew she’d come to deliver the pills and hurried forward:

“Sister Yang, Doctor Lin.”

Sister Yang, naturally having heard of Xie Jinhuan, saw him return and immediately dropped her gossip, bowing with composed elegance:

“Master Xie’s back! Is your husband and father-in-law still at the government office?”

Xie Jinhuan found Sister Yang quite refined and quiet—far more reserved than Liu Qing’s wife—and stepped closer to return her bow:

“The government office’s duties are heavy—Prince Wang worked all night. Your father-in-law and Brother Yang probably won’t return today.”

“Oh.”

Sister Yang was used to her husband’s late returns; after polite small talk, she stepped lightly into the courtyard.

Lin Wanyi watched the flirtatious sister’s pretentious manner and inwardly muttered, “Tsk tsk tsk~” but still stepped forward with a graceful bow, radiating poise and gentleness:

“I’ve finished a batch of pills. Since you didn’t come to the clinic yesterday to collect them, I came to check on you.”

Xie Jinhuan took the box and examined it: “The government office had a case yesterday—I assisted and worked all night. Missing one day of pills won’t hurt, right?”

“No problem, but body tempering shouldn’t be interrupted often—remember to carry the pills with you at all times from now on.”

As she spoke, Lin Wanyi took Xie Jinhuan’s hand, pressed her fingers to his wrist, and checked his pulse.

After soaking in the medicinal bath, Xie Jinhuan truly felt invigorated and full of strength—he was already at the peak of the Fourth Rank, just one step away from the Third Rank.

But crossing from Fourth to Third Rank was a major leap: Fourth Rank’s peak, “Supple Flexibility,” meant “a hundred bends yet no bones, body like flowing water”; Third Rank’s beginning, “Spirit-Qi Initiation,” marked entry into the realm of “governing Qi with Spirit.”

To cross into Third Rank, one must first perfect the body’s cultivation—taking the Dragon’s Blood Elixir would surely grant entry, but whether he could break through earlier, Xie Jinhuan couldn’t say.

Watching Lin Wanyi earnestly play the female physician, Xie Jinhuan paused and asked:

“Tomorrow’s Mid-Autumn Festival. I heard the lantern festival in Danyang is magnificent—will you go see it?”

?

Is he asking me out? Lin Wanyi blinked, hesitating:

“Are you planning to go?”

“I’d like to, but lately there’s been so much going on—I’m not sure if I’ll have time…”

“If you don’t have time, why ask?”

Xie Jinhuan was about to reply when the ever-present ghost bride whispered in his ear:

“Be careful—there’s blood-evil energy in your home.”

(End of Chapter)