It was the voice of an unfamiliar woman. The name “Xiaoyu” she was calling must refer to Ji Yu. Nan Xing stared warily toward the door.
Since Miss Ji wasn’t here, it was safer not to let anyone see him. He wasn’t worried about his own identity being exposed; he was worried about her reputation.
It was already improper for a grown man to be staying in her home. He couldn’t cause her any more unnecessary trouble.
“Xiaoyu, are you home?” Lianqiao called out as she walked into Ji Yu’s room. Finding it empty, she checked the kitchen, but there was no one there either.
“That’s strange. The gate wasn’t locked, so she must be home, right? Doesn’t she worry about thieves?” she muttered, walking back out. She decided to check her late master’s room next.
There were many medical books there; perhaps Ji Yu was reading. Once before, she had found her studying there.
“Miss Lianqiao, is Miss Ji really not home?” Old Man Liu asked timidly.
“Not sure yet. Let me check Master’s room. Please wait here, Grandpa Liu.”
Lianqiao ran to the door and pushed gently, but it wouldn’t budge. That was odd. Was it locked?
No, if it was locked, it should be locked from the outside, but there was no lock visible. If it was locked from the inside… did that mean Xiaoyu was in there?
She banged on the door. “Xiaoyu! Are you in there? I need to talk to you, it’s really important!”
There was no answer. It seemed empty, yet the door was shut tight, definitely locked from the inside. Otherwise, why wouldn’t it open?
Confused, she looked around and walked quickly to the window. Just as she reached out to push it open, a voice sounded behind her.
“Lianqiao? What are you doing here?”
Lianqiao turned around and saw Ji Yu standing at the gate. She ran over happily.
“Miss Ji!” Old Man Liu called out eagerly.
Ji Yu stopped beside him, her expression concerned. “Grandpa Liu, are you looking for me? Is it your granddaughter? Has her condition worsened?”
The old man nodded, his eyes filled with tears. Ji Yu’s face grew serious. “Wait here for a moment. I will go with you shortly.”
“Alright, thank you! Thank you so much!”
“Xiaoyu, where have you been?” Lianqiao complained lightly. “The door was unlocked so I thought you were here, but I searched every room and couldn’t find you.” She hadn’t seen Ji Yu in days and missed her, so she pulled her into a hug.
Ji Yu smiled and patted her back. “I was out making money.”
Lianqiao pulled away and noticed the wooden box on her back and the food basket in her hand.
She recognized the box—it wasn’t a medicine chest, but Ji Yu’s painting case, holding her brushes, ink, and paper.
At first, she had been surprised that Ji Yu could paint, but Ji Yu had explained that she learned as a child from a reclusive master, and Lianqiao believed her. They had met when they were twelve, so she didn’t know much about Ji Yu’s childhood.
When their master was alive, they didn’t need extra income, but after he passed away and they were left with a debt of three hundred taels, Ji Yu had started taking painting orders to make ends meet.
As for the food basket, Lianqiao asked, “Xiaoyu, why do you have that? Did your client pack you a meal?”
Ji Yu looked down. It was filled with pastries from the Zhong residence and dishes from Zuixian Lou.
Zhong Ling’er had been extremely satisfied with the portrait. She had paid the balance of twenty taels *and* given a reward of another ten taels. Ji Yu was over the moon—she had earned more in one morning than in ten days. If she got more jobs like this, paying off the debt would be easy!
Delighted with her earnings, she had decided to treat herself at Zuixian Lou, a restaurant she had wanted to try for ages. She had bought several signature dishes to share with Nan Xing.
“It’s food from Zuixian Lou.”
Lianqiao looked shocked. “Zuixian Lou? That place is so expensive! Are you sure we can afford that? What about our debt?”
Ji Yu leaned close and whispered, “I painted a portrait for Miss Zhong today, and she loved it! I made a whole forty taels! I was so happy I wanted to celebrate with good food!” She grinned. “And you’re just in time to try it too. Let’s see if it’s really worth two taels!”
“Forty taels?!” Lianqiao’s eyes went wide. “Are you serious?”
Ji Yu nodded with a smile. “Cross my heart.”
Still somewhat skeptical, Lianqiao followed her to the room. They stopped right in front of the door that she couldn’t open earlier.
“Xiaoyu, is this room locked?”
“No, why would I lock it?” Ji Yu replied naturally. “There are so many medical books here that I need to check often. Locking it would just be a hassle.”
Lianqiao scratched her head. “But it wouldn’t open just now! It felt like it was bolted from the inside.”
“How could it not open…” Ji Yu paused, suddenly realizing who was inside. He must have blocked the door when he heard strangers coming.
She pushed gently, and the door creaked open easily.
“Hey! Why does it open for you but not for me?” Lianqiao asked in surprise.
Ji Yu pulled her inside, placing the painting box and food basket on the table. She was about to speak to Nan Xing when Lianqiao grabbed her arm, sounding utterly confused.
“Xiaoyu! Why is there a man in your father’s room?!”
Shocked and confused, she rubbed her eyes and looked again. Lying on the bed was indeed a man. When their eyes met, and she saw his cold, piercing gaze, she knew she wasn’t dreaming.
“Miss Ji.” Nan Xing greeted her, attempting to sit up, but Ji Yu gently pressed him back down.
She adjusted the pillows so he could sit comfortably, then smiled. “Master Qi, I’ve bought lunch. I have to go out for a while and might not be back until evening. If you get hungry later, there are plenty of pastries in the basket.”
Nan Xing’s eyes flicked to the basket, then back to her. He lowered his gaze slightly and asked softly, “Where are you going, Miss Ji?”
“Grandpa Liu’s granddaughter isn’t doing well, I need to go check on her.” She explained, then noticed Lianqiao still standing there stunned. She gestured between them. “Master Qi, this is my good friend, Lianqiao.”
She tugged on Lianqiao’s sleeve. “And this is Master Qi. I rescued him by the river a few days ago.”
*Oh! A patient she saved.* Lianqiao let out a breath of relief. She had been worried sick that Xiaoyu was hiding some secret lover!
The misunderstanding cleared, she smiled warmly at him. “Master Qi, with Xiaoyu taking care of you, you’ll recover in no time. Please rest easy here.”
Nan Xing gave a slight smile and nodded politely. “I have complete faith in Miss Ji’s medical skills.”
Ji Yu laughed awkwardly, feeling a little guilty. She could definitely heal his external wounds, but regarding the two types of poison in his body, she still had absolutely no clue. She couldn’t let him down—she had to find a cure.
“Lianqiao, can you stay here and look after Master Qi for me?” Ji Yu pulled her aside and whispered. “The medicine is in the kitchen, please decoct it for him and make sure he takes it after lunch.”
“Sure thing, leave it to me!” Lianqiao patted her chest confidently.
She glanced quickly at Nan Xing again, then leaned closer to Ji Yu. “Xiaoyu, tell me the truth… who is this man really? Don’t try to fool me, you can’t.”
This “Master Qi” had an aura of nobility and power that was anything but ordinary. Lianqiao still remembered the chill she felt when he looked at her earlier.
Yet, when he looked at Ji Yu, his expression was gentle and soft, like warm jade. But toward others, his gaze was cold, distant, and guarded. It was obvious he was putting on an act.
She hadn’t seen his injuries clearly, but judging by his pale, frail appearance, he had lost a lot of blood and was severely wounded.
No ordinary person would end up like this unless… he was being hunted by enemies, just like in the stories. Keeping someone like him at home was dangerous—it could bring disaster upon them!
Xiaoyu was too kind and naive; she probably couldn’t see his true nature. Lianqiao felt she had to warn her.
“He appears out of nowhere, seriously injured… aren’t you afraid he’s lying to you? What if he’s being chased by enemies? If they find him here, it could get you killed!”
Ji Yu was startled. She didn’t expect Lianqiao to be so sharp and guess so much. What Lianqiao didn’t know was that Ji Yu held the “script”—she knew exactly who Qi Yu was. If she healed him properly, she would be rewarded with a hundred taels of gold and a brand new house.