Following the procurement officer, Qin Nian passed by a pharmacy and something occurred to him.
“Hold on a moment.” He stopped the officer.
The officer turned around. “Mr. Qin, is something wrong?”
Qin Nian pointed to the pharmacy. “I want to go in and buy something. It might take a while, so you can head back first.”
The officer glanced at the pharmacy. It was having a promotion today, and being the weekend, the entrance was packed with people.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t wait for you?” The officer was still a bit concerned.
Qin Nian smiled. “It’s fine, you go ahead. It’s getting late.”
The officer nodded. “Alright then.” He gestured to the box filled with piano sheet music. “Shall I take these to your room at the Feng Family’s place?”
“Sure.”
The officer left with the items, and Qin Nian turned to enter the pharmacy.
The pharmacy was bustling due to the promotion, and Qin Nian waited outside in line, tapping something into his phone’s notes.
By the time it was his turn, it was already midday.
Qin Nian approached the counter and handed the list he had just written on his phone to the clerk. “Could you please prepare these herbs for me, in six portions?”
The clerk glanced at the list, then looked up and routinely asked, “For insomnia?”
Qin Nian nodded.
In his previous life, his teacher had suffered from severe insomnia that was never cured. Qin Nian had gathered several remedies through various inquiries and had prepared soups for his teacher, which surprisingly improved his sleep.
Relying on his memory, Qin Nian had rewritten the prescription, intending to try it for Feng Wang.
“Please wait a moment.”
The clerk left this remark and began preparing the herbs, weighing and packaging them in one seamless motion.
Qin Nian carried the six packages of herbs and took the bus back to the Feng Family residence.
Since Qin Nian had moved into the Feng Family home, Feng Wang had given him a key card for free access to the estate.
As the first guest since Feng Wang became the head of the family, the staff at the Feng Family had all heard about Qin Nian to some extent.
The security guard, having picked up on the gossip, recognized Qin Nian and saw him returning with several packages of herbs. He helped open the gate. “Mr. Qin, are you unwell?”
Qin Nian smiled. “No, just some herbs to help with sleep.”
The guard nodded in agreement. “I see, coming to a new place, it’s easy to have trouble sleeping if you’re not used to the bed.”
Qin Nian nodded, not correcting him, and walked through the gates of the Feng Family estate.
For the first time, Qin Nian took a good look at the garden in front of the main house. The Feng Family’s garden was in the style of a European landscape, with every branch and leaf meticulously trimmed, showing the owner’s attention to detail.
As Qin Nian walked along the path, he suddenly heard a faint rustling from a nearby path and stopped.
Curious, he glanced down the path.
The rustling grew louder, a creaking sound as if wheels were rolling over fallen leaves.
Finally, a figure appeared before Qin Nian.
It was a woman in a wheelchair. She was frail and her complexion was haggard, with features somewhat resembling Feng Wang and Feng Yuanyuan. Remembering what Lin had mentioned earlier about Feng Wang picking up his sister, Qin Nian guessed that this woman was likely Feng Wang’s sister, Feng Yuanyuan’s mother.
Feng Ning was also surprised to see Qin Nian suddenly appear.
“And you are?”
Before Qin Nian could respond, she smiled and said, “You must be Qin Nian.”
Qin Nian was taken aback, not expecting her to know who he was.
He nodded.
Feng Ning spoke softly, “I’ve heard about you from Wang. I’m his sister. He said you found Yuanyuan. I’m really grateful to you. If it weren’t for you… cough, cough.”
As she spoke, Feng Ning began to struggle for breath.
Qin Nian was startled and quickly moved behind her to gently pat her back and help her breathe.
Feng Ning was aware of the dangers surrounding the Feng Family’s position and knew how many enemies Feng Wang had made with his decisive actions after becoming the head. Those enemies, visible and invisible, were waiting for any slip-up to strike.
Qin Nian’s gentle touch helped Feng Ning gradually recover. She looked up and smiled at him, the coughing having brought a bit of color to her cheeks, making her look less pale.
“Miss Feng, do you need to go somewhere? I can take you.”
Feng Ning replied, “No need to be so formal. Just call me Ning Ning.” She placed her hands on the sides of her wheelchair and tilted her head to ask Qin Nian, “Are you busy now? If not, could you push me around for a bit?”
Qin Nian nodded, taking hold of the wheelchair handles. “Where would you like to go?”
Feng Ning said, “Just a stroll anywhere is fine.”
Qin Nian pushed Feng Ning around the garden, and she leaned back in her chair. “Yuanyuan mentioned you. She said you’re a good teacher and play the piano beautifully.”
Qin Nian replied, “Yuanyuan is a good student, too. She learns quickly.”
Feng Ning laughed, “She’s my daughter. I know how mischievous she can be. Xiao Nian, I saw you carrying several packages of herbs earlier. Are you not feeling well?” She paused, then added, “You don’t mind if I call you Xiao Nian, do you?”
Qin Nian thought Feng Ning seemed quite familiar, speaking as if they had known each other for a long time on their first meeting.
He shook his head and answered honestly, “I’m fine. The herbs are for Mr. Feng.”
“Is Wang sick?”
“No, I prepared these herbs on my own. It’s a remedy I know of that helps with sleep.”
Hearing this, Feng Ning was curious. “Wang told you about his insomnia?”
Qin Nian said, “Not exactly. Mr. Feng mentioned he has insomnia and found that listening to my piano playing helps him sleep, so he hired me. There’s a confidentiality agreement about the insomnia issue.”
Feng Ning looked at Qin Nian and said slowly, “You’re like a gift from heaven to the Feng Family.”
The midday sun climbed higher, and even in the shaded garden, a hint of heat could be felt.
“I’m a bit tired, Xiao Nian. Let’s head back.”
After escorting Feng Ning back to the Feng Family’s main hall, Qin Nian went to the kitchen to start preparing the herbs he had just bought. His movements were practiced as he opened the packages, poured them into a basin, and added water to let the dust settle to the bottom.
He then took out the Dragon Bone he had bought, expertly blanching it to remove the blood before placing the herbs and bone together in a medicinal pot.
“Brother, are you cooking something?”
Feng Yuanyuan appeared out of nowhere, startling Qin Nian. The girl leaned over the counter, standing on tiptoe to see what he was doing.
“Just making some soup. What are you doing here, Yuanyuan?”
At his question, Feng Yuanyuan remembered her reason for coming to the kitchen—to sneak some snacks while her mother and uncle were away.
She stopped leaning over the counter, her hands guiltily behind her back. “Nothing much.”
Qin Nian remembered he hadn’t practiced the piano yet today. He looked down at Feng Yuanyuan and asked, “Do you want to play the piano? We haven’t practiced today.”
Feng Yuanyuan glanced at the fridge, her eyes a bit reluctant, thinking that if she played the piano and sent the teacher away, she could still sneak back to the kitchen for snacks. So she nodded in the end.
At dinner, there was an extra seat for Feng Ning.
Feng Yuanyuan sat obediently beside her. Although Feng Ning had limited mobility, she was hands-on when it came to caring for her child.
She picked up some fish from the plate, carefully removed the bones, and only after ensuring the fish was safe did she place it on a spoon to feed Feng Yuanyuan.
Feng Yuanyuan, usually mischievous, was on her best behavior in front of Feng Ning.
Even when Feng Ning gave her something she didn’t like, she didn’t cry or refuse like she usually did with the nanny. Instead, she ate it without chewing, swallowing it all at once.
Once Feng Yuanyuan was full and went off to play, Feng Ning began to eat slowly.
Her dining manner was elegant, always taking small bites and placing them on the plate in front of her before eating them with rice.
After finishing her meal, she put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with the napkin the servant had prepared, and looked at Qin Nian. “Xiao Nian, are you comfortable living here?”
Qin Nian was caught off guard by the question. He glanced at Feng Wang at the head of the table, then at Feng Ning, and replied honestly, “It’s good. Mr. Feng treats me well.”
Feng Ning blinked at this, then smiled at Feng Wang. “It’s the first time I’ve heard someone say my cold-hearted brother is nice to someone.” She touched her neck, her eyes nostalgic as if recalling the past. “You wouldn’t believe how bad his temper was when he was young.”
She added, “Not that it’s much better now.”
Feng Wang put down his chopsticks. “If you’re done eating, you should leave the table. You always said sitting at the table for too long after a meal isn’t good.”
It was clear he didn’t want Feng Ning to continue.
Feng Wang looked at Qin Nian, who sat obediently, looking innocently at Feng Ning, with a hint of curiosity in his expression.
Feng Wang felt inexplicably guilty.
Feng Ning pretended to be startled by her brother. “Oh my, so fierce. Xiao Nian just complimented you, and now you’re showing him how you bully your sister. That’s not good.”
Feng Wang replied, “If you have nothing else, you can go back to England sooner.”
Seeing her brother rendered speechless and even starting to send her away, Feng Ning was quite pleased. She called the nanny over to help her into the wheelchair. Qin Nian, sitting next to her, noticed and stood up to help, but Feng Ning stopped him. “No need to help me. You stay and keep Wang company.”
Qin Nian sat back down.
The nanny pushed Feng Ning away, leaving the two at the table to stare at each other.
The table was quiet, almost awkwardly so.
Feng Wang picked up and put down his chopsticks repeatedly, finally coughing lightly to break the silence. “Don’t mind her. She’s always been a bit wild.”
Qin Nian nodded, his eyes clear. “So, was Mr. Feng really that bad-tempered when he was young?”
Feng Wang was speechless.