Just as Ji Yu was racking her brains on how to get the man home, a donkey-drawn cart came into view.
She squinted and watched as the cart, loaded with enormous wooden buckets, came to a halt nearby. The sanitation worker jumped down and immediately hurried into the woods, hunched over and clutching his stomach.
Ji Yu guessed he had diarrhea. Her heart leaped with joy, and a plan formed instantly.
Glancing at the unconscious man on the ground, she didn’t hesitate. She rolled up her sleeves, gritted her teeth, and hauled him up onto her back.
He was tall and heavy, feeling like a mountain pressing down on her. She panted heavily, steadying herself, then set her sights on the cart.
She had to get him inside one of the buckets before the worker returned.
The buckets were huge—easily big enough to hold a grown man. If she hid him there, she could smuggle him into the city and figure out the rest later.
By the time she reached the cart, she was exhausted and trembling. She glanced nervously at the woods; all was quiet. Letting out a breath, she quickly lifted the heavy lid.
But just as she was about to shove him inside, a putrid stench hit her like a physical blow, making her gag violently.
Even though the buckets had been washed repeatedly, the smell had soaked deep into the wood and would never truly go away.
Holding her breath and fighting the urge to vomit, she frowned, bit her lip, and struggled to maneuver him inside. She slammed the lid shut the moment he was in, then collapsed onto the planks, finally allowing herself to relax.
“Eh? Miss, are you alright? Are you feeling unwell?”
The worker had returned. Seeing a beautiful young woman leaning weakly against his cart, looking pale and soaked to the bone, he was taken aback. She looked delicate and fragile, like a painting of a sickly beauty, stirring instant sympathy.
Ji Yu pressed a hand to her chest and coughed softly. She looked up at him with large, watery eyes, staring until he felt his heart melt.
“Sir,” she said in a soft, sweet voice, “I fell into the river earlier. I’m so weak now I can barely walk. Could you please give me a ride home?”
Afraid he might refuse, she added quickly, “I live in Yanyu Alley, south of the city. If it’s out of your way, just dropping me at the city gate would be more than enough.”
How could he say no to such a sweet, helpless girl? It was just a ride, after all. He agreed readily.
The cart started moving, but it was agonizingly slow. Ji Yu heard the worker scolding the donkey: “You lazy beast! I just fed you, why are you walking slower than a snail?”
Ji Yu lowered her head guiltily, glancing sideways at the bucket where Qi Yu was hidden, and twitched her mouth into a silent smirk.
***
Ji Yu settled Qi Yu into her father’s room. It belonged to the man whose body she had inherited—a father who had died less than a month ago, leaving her with a mountain of debt totaling three hundred taels.
Speaking of which… Ji Yu still found it absurd. She had been a university student back in her world. The night before her final exams, while her roommates were cramming, she had stayed up late reading a novel.
The universe must have disapproved, because when she woke up, she found herself inside that very story.
She had transmigrated not as the heroine, but as a nameless extra—a background character with barely any lines.
After redressing Qi Yu’s wounds and changing his bandages, she carried his blood-soaked clothes out to the courtyard.
There was a well there, so she didn’t need to go down to the river. She drew a bucket of water and stared at the ruined garments. She wasn’t an expert on fabrics, but she could tell the material was exquisite, fit for a Prince.
They were almost entirely ruined by blood and impossible to clean right away. After a few futile attempts at scrubbing, she gave up and decided to soak them with soapnuts for a few days.
After a simple lunch, the weather was pleasant. She dragged out a reclining chair and sat in the yard studying medical texts, hoping to find a way to neutralize the poison in his body.
She had managed to slow its spread, but she hadn’t yet found a complete cure.
She read until the sun set and darkness fell.
Rubbing her tired eyes and stretching her stiff neck, she stood up to check on her patient. But as she turned, she met a pair of dark, glowing eyes staring right at her—so sudden that she stumbled back onto the chair.
Qi Yu was leaning silently against the doorframe. The room behind him was unlit, shrouding him in shadows, so she couldn’t see his face clearly. Only those eyes were visible, sharp, alert, and piercing.
Ji Yu clutched her chest, swallowing hard to suppress her fear. She stood up and walked slowly toward him, stopping just two steps away.
“You’re awake. How do you feel?” she asked, trying to sound cheerful.
As she waited for his reply, her eyes darted over him quickly.
Hmm. Even wearing her late father’s old clothes, he looked incredible. He truly was a clothes hanger—with a face and body like that, he could wear a sack and still look stunning.
Qi Yu looked down at her, his gaze falling on her hands nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. “You saved me.”
It was a statement, not a question.
“Yes! Yes, it was me!” Ji Yu nodded eagerly, stepping closer. “I was fishing by the river this morning when I saw someone floating in the water. I’m a doctor, so of course I had to help. You were badly injured and unconscious, so I didn’t think it was right to report you to the authorities without your permission. That’s why I brought you here.”
She rattled off her story quickly. It was technically true—she *had* been fishing, not specifically waiting to kidnap him. Hopefully, that would lower his guard.
“These clothes…”
“I changed them for you,” Ji Yu said, looking down shyly. “You were soaking wet. If I hadn’t changed you, you would have gotten sick. These belonged to my father. They aren’t new, but they are clean.”
Seeing him inspect the fabric, she suddenly panicked, her cheeks flushing. She touched her nose and raised her voice defensively, “I kept my eyes closed the whole time! I absolutely did not peek!”
To prove her honesty, she held up two fingers beside her head like a scout promising honor.
Qi Yu looked at her strangely. His night vision was excellent; he could see her blushing bright red perfectly clearly.
If she didn’t peek, why was she so red?
Seeing that he remained silent, Ji Yu hesitated and tried a different approach. “Shall I… take you to the officials then? So you can contact your family to come pick you up?”
This was a test. As a Prince, being attacked was a state secret. He definitely wouldn’t want the local government involved—that would only cause trouble.
Sure enough, Qi Yu finally reacted. He gave a stiff, slight smile and cupped his hands in a salute.
“Thank you for your kindness, miss. But I was attacked by enemies. It is better not to involve the authorities.”
He paused. “Furthermore, my injuries are severe. I do not wish to worry my family, and my home is far away. I am in no condition to travel.”
He cleared his throat, looking at her intently. “Could I impose upon you to let me stay here for a while? Once I have recovered enough to move, I will repay your kindness a thousandfold.”
Ji Yu’s heart sang. She knew it! He was a gentleman of honor and gratitude.
She could practically see gold ingots and mansions waving at her.
She forced her lips not to turn up into a grin and put on a serious, benevolent expression. “As a doctor, saving lives is my duty. Please, rest easy here. I will do my best to heal you.”
“I am…” He paused.
Ji Yu smiled eagerly, staring at him, screaming internally: *Say it! Say your name is Qi Yu! Tell me!*
“I am Qi Yu. I will be troubling you for the next few days.”
Ji Yu’s face lit up instantly, her eyes sparkling. “My name is Ji Yu!” She stepped closer, all business now. “Master Qi, please lie back down and rest. I will go prepare dinner!”
“Thank you, Miss Ji Yu.” His voice was calm and cool. As he turned, he caught a whiff of a clean, medicinal scent and saw her bustling ahead of him into the room.
She lit a candle, chasing away the shadows. “Rest well! Dinner will be ready soon!”
In the kitchen, Ji Yu wondered what to cook. Her eyes fell on a wooden bucket in the corner containing the two tiny fish she had caught that morning.
Fish congee! It was nutritious, soft, and perfect for patients.
When she brought the bowl in, she found Qi Yu not in bed, but standing by the open window, letting the cold night wind blow directly onto him.
Ji Yu set the bowl down with a clatter and marched over to slam the window shut. She couldn’t help scolding him, adopting her doctor persona fully.
“Master Qi! You are weak from blood loss! You shouldn’t be walking around, and you definitely shouldn’t be exposing yourself to drafts!”
She wanted to be strict, but he was her golden ticket. She had to be nice.
“My apologies.” His tone was still flat.
Since he apologized so readily, she let it go and smiled warmly. “I made fish congee. Come and eat while it’s hot.”
She served him a bowl attentively.
“Thank you.”
She watched him take a spoonful and swallow, then asked eagerly, “How is it? Is it good?”
He nodded slightly. “Delicious.”
Ji Yu beamed. Back in the real world, she had never cooked much—the cafeteria did it for her—but she was a total foodie and watched countless cooking videos. Plus, two weeks of surviving on her own had forced her to learn. She definitely had talent!
Pleased with herself, she filled her own bowl and lifted a huge spoonful to her mouth.
Suddenly, the table shook.
*Thud.*
Qi Yu collapsed face-first onto the table.
Ji Yu stared in shock as his forehead hit the wood with a dull sound, his hair spilling forward messily.
Panic seized her. She grabbed his wrist to check his pulse.
After a moment, she looked at the half-eaten bowl of fish congee and sighed deeply.
He was allergic to fish.
How was that possible? Fish was so common. Had he never eaten it before? Didn’t he know he was allergic?