Chapter 44: Something's Off

The next day.

Ning'an Street, the Lin Family Clinic.

Lin Zisu stood on a small stool, using tweezers to carefully extract a golden saucer holding vermilion pills from the alchemy furnace to inspect them. Finding the heat insufficient, she placed it back and continued to control the furnace fire to nurture the pills, all the while glancing at the table in the corner.

Her aunt, a beauty of unparalleled grace, sat upright on a round stool, the side profile of her waist and hips outlining a curve that made Zisu envious.

Yet the alluring eyes beneath the gold-rimmed glasses now showed a dazed look, staring blankly at the autumn light outside the window, unmoving for half a double-hour.

Since going out the day before yesterday, Lin Wanyi had turned into this state, as if she had been struck by evil spirits outside.

Lin Zisu guessed it was related to Young Master Xie.

She had studied at the Academy and seen many senior sisters with budding hearts acting the same way, even freezing in place halfway through refining pills.

Sigh~ Women, ah...

Lin Zisu shook her head with a silent sigh, understanding her aunt deeply in her heart; after all, her aunt had been single for so many years, and it was not easy to meet someone she liked. If she didn't marry soon, wouldn't such a white, big butt go entirely to waste?

Moreover, if Young Master Xie married into the Lin family, Seeing Mo Mo would naturally be part of the dowry. As the Young Lady, was it too much for her to take Mo Mo away?

With such thoughts lingering, seeing her aunt still not come to her senses, Lin Zisu felt a bit bored and deliberately looked out the window:

"Young Master Xie?!"

Whoosh~

Lin Wanyi, who had been dazing on the spring stool, instantly came to her senses at the sound, poking her head out to look around the window...

Where is he?

Realizing she had been teased, Lin Wanyi immediately shot a slightly fierce glance at the mischievous girl:

"Zisu!"

"Pfft~ Haha..."

Lin Zisu covered her stomach, giggling "Hee-hee" as she teased:

"Auntie, if you really miss him, just go find him. An aunt is too old to be kept; I won't laugh at you."

Recently, Lin Wanyi had been rescued by Xie Jinhuan repeatedly, and Xie Jinhuan was perfect in every way. With the man unmarried and the woman unmarried, it was normal to subconsciously recall him.

However, in front of her niece, Lin Wanyi dared not chat about men's merits and faults together, so she pretended to be serious, stood up, and said:

"I am worried about a patient's health. Xie Jinhuan took the pills you refined the day before yesterday and has made no move since. He lives alone; what if something happens to him at home? I'll go check."

Lin Zisu was one hundred percent confident in her skills; as long as she didn't do something suicidal, Xie Jinhuan could not possibly die suddenly. Still, she was very considerate at this moment:

"Going to check is good. The pills are enough for seven days. Auntie, you can bring them along. It's fine if you don't come back tonight; we can go to the Mid-Autumn Lantern Festival together tomorrow."

"How could I not come back? If you talk nonsense again, I'll spank your butt!"

"Hee~"

After admonishing her a couple of times, Lin Wanyi neatly packed the seven small porcelain bottles from the desk into a wooden box and left the house alone.

Ning'an Street was not too far from the Academy, and the journey to Qingquan Lane was only a few minutes.

Lin Wanyi took a shortcut through the back alleys. Halfway, she passed the residence of Commandant Yang and saw a charming Lady standing at the door with hands on hips like a "stone waiting for her husband," muttering to herself.

"Sister Yang?"

"Eh? Sister Lin?!"

Sister Yang spotted the "Friend of Women," Divine Doctor Lin, in an instant and hurriedly ran over:

"Why are you going out alone? The city is very chaotic right now. You are as beautiful as a flower; what if you are targeted by demons and bandits?"

I am the Wu Sect's demoness; out here, who targets whom is still uncertain...

Lin Wanyi thought this in her heart, but on the surface, she responded with a gentle smile:

"Just taking a casual walk. The surroundings are all neighbors and friends; Sister Yang, no need to worry."

Sister Yang took her arm and pulled her toward the house, glancing at the box in Lin Wanyi's hand halfway:

"Are you going to deliver medicine to the Lady on Wencheng Street? What kind of product is it? Is it strong?"

"Just some ordinary prescriptions, not the kind you are thinking of..."

"You can even prescribe ordinary formulas?"

"Uh..."

"I heard you prescribed medicine for Sister Liu a few days ago? I went to visit her yesterday and found her glowing with health as if she had taken a great tonic pill. What medicine is so powerful?"

Seven Times a Night Pill...

Lin Wanyi found it hard to respond and casually explained a couple of sentences, but Sister Yang was simply too enthusiastic, holding her arm and chatting about daily life, talking for two double-quarters of an hour until she slowly got into the flow.

The topic quickly shifted from prescribing medicine to various gossips about Ladies and Young Ladies, and which man was keeping a mistress outside...

——

After Li Zixian was arrested yesterday, the government office interrogated him overnight, and the Pill King stayed at the government office for the whole night.

Everyone was working overtime. As a participant in the case, it was not appropriate for Xie Jinhuan to slip away halfway; after finishing dinner, he returned to the government office with Seeing Mo Mo and others to continue serving as the jury.

As a result, this interrogation lasted the whole night.

Li Zixian was uncharacteristically stubborn; knowing that admitting to live burial would lead to a heavy sentence, he never cracked under severe torture and interrogation.

Seeing the case hit a deadlock, although it was inappropriate to feel schadenfreude, Xie Jinhuan's own pressure did decrease significantly.

At this moment, carrying the sleeping Meiqiu while walking on the street, Xie Jinhuan held "The Tale of Golden Orchids" and seriously searched for the origin of the Ghost Bride:

"Mouths touching, lips and teeth producing saliva... still a French kiss. Are you sure you don't remember these?"

Ye Hongshang, carrying a red umbrella, strolled at his side and shrugged slightly:

"My sister likes men, especially ones with tender skin like you. That Licentiate just made up wild fantasies; do you really believe them?"

Xie Jinhuan had actually read half the book and also felt the second female lead did not seem like the Ghost Bride; her style was too reserved and conservative.

If she were truly a ghost bride, she'd probably push the Qixia True Person down within three chapters, and by chapter five start playing fox-tail double-headed dragon games…

And this book—not only are the romantic scenes half-hidden, it doesn't even have any flesh scenes…

Ye Hongshang seemed to read minds; noticing Xie Jinhuan subtly frowning, he chimed in with a complaint:

"These sour Licentiates make their living writing erotic novels, yet pretend to uphold scholarly dignity, too timid to show flesh—if they won't dare expose it, don't waste people's time with this nonsense. Just look at Yang Yang Chun Yan—how openly candid she is, right~?"

"It's not that bad—proper books need some foreplay; maybe the later parts will be more intense…"

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

One of them was surely the Yang family's sister-in-law, vividly recounting something.

The other was a stunningly beautiful woman with glasses, her brow exuding the gossipy expression: "Oh my~ Tsk tsk tsk~ So that's how it is…"

Xie Jinhuan saw Lin Wanyi holding a medicine box and knew she'd come to deliver pills; he hurried forward:

"Sister-in-law Yang, Physician Lin."

The Yang family's sister-in-law had naturally heard of Xie Jinhuan from her husband; seeing him return, she quickly stashed her gossip and bowed with composed elegance:

"Young Master Xie has returned! Is your husband and Eunuch still at the magistrate's office?"

Xie Jinhuan thought the Yang family's sister-in-law was quite composed and refined—far more reserved than Liu Qingzhi's wife—and stepped closer to return her bow:

"The magistrate's duties are heavy; even the Prince stayed up all night. Your father-in-law and Brother Yang probably won't return today."

"Oh."

The Yang family's sister-in-law was used to her husband's late returns; after a few polite words, she stepped lightly into the courtyard.

Lin Wanyi watched the flirtatious sister-in-law's pretentious poise and couldn't help internally "tsk tsk tsk~," yet still stepped forward with a graceful bow, her demeanor intellectual and softly elegant:

"I've finished a batch of pills. Since you didn't come to the clinic yesterday to collect your medicine, I came to check on you."

Xie Jinhuan took the medicine box and examined it: "There was a case at the magistrate's office yesterday—I assisted and worked all night. Is it fine if I skip one day of pills?"

"No problem, but body tempering shouldn't be interrupted often. Remember to carry the pills with you from now on."

As she spoke, Lin Wanyi took Xie Jinhuan's hand and pressed his wrist to pulse-check his condition.

After soaking in the medicinal bath, Xie Jinhuan truly felt invigorated, his body brimming with strength; his cultivation was already at the peak of Rank 4, just one step away from Rank 3.

But crossing from Rank 4 to Rank 3 is a major realm leap: Rank 4's peak represents the ultimate state of softness and flexibility—"a hundred bends yet no bones, form should flow like water"—while Rank 3 marks the beginning of the Divine-Qi stage, entering the domain of "governing Qi with Spirit."

To enter Rank 3, one must first refine the body to perfection. Taking the Dragon Blood Pill will surely grant entry—but whether he could break through early, Xie Jinhuan couldn't say for sure.

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

"Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival. I heard the lantern festival in Danyang is beautiful—will you go see it?"

?

Is he asking me out? Lin Wanyi blinked her eyes, hesitatingly replied:

"Are you planning to go?"

"I'd like to see it, but lately there's been too 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 qi inside the house."

(End of Chapter)