After arriving home, Su Yan began preparing to treat Lin Xianyu’s wounds.
Youen sat in the courtyard in a daze, unable to comprehend why Lin Xianyu, as the original female lead, would sustain such severe injuries and attempt suicide.
Calculating the plot timeline, the original story had barely reached six thousand words when the female lead tried to drown herself.
Ergou was truly ruthless.
If she hadn’t coincidentally witnessed this scene, or if it had been the original story’s villainess who encountered it—someone who deeply envied Lin Xianyu and would never lift a finger to save her, perhaps even dealing additional blows—wouldn’t Lin Xianyu have surely died this time?
Wouldn’t that mean the story would—
Female lead deceased, story concluded?
That would be far too abrupt.
Lost in thought, she was startled by a sudden cry from inside the house, jolting her to her feet.
“No! You can’t! You mustn’t!”
It was Lin Xianyu’s voice.
Only Su Yan and Lin Xianyu remained in the room. What were they doing to elicit such sounds?
Without overthinking, her instinct screamed that her second brother was in danger. Grabbing a broom, she charged into the room.
Bursting in, she shouted, “Let go of my second brother!”
However, the scene inside wasn’t what she had imagined.
Lin Xianyu lay on the bed, tightly wrapped in a quilt to protect herself.
Su Yan stood nearby holding a medical kit, his face full of helplessness.
He truly couldn’t understand how a woman like Lin Xianyu could exist.
She asked for his help treating her wounds but refused to let him see them.
How was he supposed to apply medicine? Blindly?
Not all physicians possessed such skills.
His medical abilities were amateurish at best—he hadn’t mastered that level yet.
Asking him to treat her with his eyes closed was impossible.
Setting down the medical kit, Su Yan looked at Youen with profound resignation and slowly explained the situation.
After hearing the explanation, Youen felt tempted to congratulate Lin Xianyu for once again reshaping her perception of a female lead.
She had initially assumed Ergou’s female lead would be a naive, sweet archetype.
Now it appeared she was a thoroughgoing drama queen.
Her current predicament was likely self-inflicted—she entirely deserved it.
“Lin Xianyu, let me make this clear: bringing you back and treating your wounds is purely out of my brothers’ kindness. If you don’t want treatment, get up.
Don’t act like our family owes you anything.”
Her temper had always been short.
Speaking this way was already exceptionally polite toward Lin Xianyu.
Unexpectedly, before she could lose her temper, Lin Xianyu flared up first.
“I told you, men and women should maintain boundaries! My body is covered in wounds. If he treats me, wouldn’t he have to see me completely naked?!”
Hearing this, Su Yan turned his back, refusing to look at her.
Heaven bore witness—he only wanted to save her life.
He had never considered anything else.
Youen found herself momentarily unable to refute these words.
As a woman herself, she could empathize with Lin Xianyu’s feelings.
If roles were reversed, she wouldn’t want a strange man applying medicine all over her body either.
Viewed this way, Lin Xianyu hadn’t really done anything wrong.
Only her attitude was poor.
Exceptionally poor.
Noticing Youen’s prolonged silence, Su Yan gently tugged twice at her sleeve.
“I never intended to look,” he murmured softly.
Youen met his gaze, her voice gentler now.
“No need to explain to me. I understand.”She naturally understood Su Yan’s character and trusted him implicitly.
Lin Xianyu could no longer stand watching and exclaimed with utter disdain, “What exactly are you two brothers doing?!”
Two men tugging and pulling at each other—how utterly improper!
Su Youen ignored her, not even sparing her a glance, and said to Su Yan, “Second Brother, please go invite Granny Ru from next door.”
Granny Ru was a renowned physician of her generation. Her residence in Suzhou happened to be right next to the Su family. Living in close proximity, the two households had maintained a good relationship over the years.
Su Yan’s medical skills were learned from her.
He furrowed his brow slightly, seeming somewhat troubled.
“Granny hasn’t been well lately and hasn’t treated anyone for a long time.”
Youen lowered her gaze in thought for a moment, then suddenly brightened as if remembering something. “Granny Ru has a granddaughter who has also come to Suzhou. I saw her a couple of days ago, and I recall she also knows medicine.”
Su Yan’s brow finally relaxed. “I’ll go invite her right away.”
As Youen had said, there was indeed a young woman in Granny Ru’s courtyard who appeared to be around their age.
She was wearing a moon-white satin jacket embroidered with lilacs and a blue lupine cloud-patterned long skirt, reciting medical texts in the courtyard.
“Pungent and warm in nature. Treats abscesses, malignant sores, necrotic tissue, cold wind, damp paralysis, inflexible limbs, wind-related headaches, swelling, and unblocked pores. Also known as official fat…”
Su Yan instinctively continued, “Grows in mountain valleys. The ‘Famous Physicians’ records: Grows in the southern mountains and along the Huaihai coast, harvested in October.”
His interruption completely disrupted the woman’s concentration on reciting the medical text.
The woman set down her book and looked at him. “And who might you be?”
Before Su Yan could introduce himself, an elderly voice called from inside the main hall, “Is that A’Yan? Is it A’Yan?”
He quickly responded, “Granny, it’s me.”
Granny Ru sounded delighted. “Come in quickly, come inside.”
After entering, Su Yan exchanged a few pleasantries with Granny Ru before explaining the main reason for his visit.
Upon hearing this, Granny Ru smiled and beckoned the young woman over.
When the woman approached, Granny Ru introduced her, “This is my granddaughter, surnamed Tan, named Yunxian. She has some knowledge of medicine and can accompany you.”
Tan Yunxian immediately asked, “Grandmother, is there a woman who has fallen ill in some household?”
Granny Ru nodded. “There’s a patient at A’Yan’s home, likely with external injuries. Go and examine her.”
“Don’t worry, Grandmother. I’ll return shortly.”
Tan Yunxian moved with remarkable efficiency, quickly packing her medical kit.
The two returned to the Su residence together. From the moment Tan Yunxian entered the house, Youen found herself unable to stop glancing at her.
One look wasn’t enough—she kept staring.
She wasn’t stealing covert glances but rather staring openly and unabashedly.
As if each additional look brought her some unseen profit.
Fortunately, Tan Yunxian was entirely focused on examining Lin Xianyu’s injuries and didn’t notice her.
After roughly assessing Lin Xianyu’s condition, Tan Yunxian said, “Gentlemen, please wait outside for a moment.”
Once the room was free of men, Lin Xianyu’s defiant demeanor completely vanished.
It was as if a hedgehog had retracted all its spines.
She cooperated fully with Tan Yunxian throughout the process.
Tan Yunxian quickly finished applying the medicine. While packing her medical kit, she casually remarked, “You harbor hatred in your heart, young lady.”
She didn’t seem to expect Lin Xianyu’s response before continuing: “Throughout one’s life, everyone encounters various misfortunes.
Your journey ahead is still long—you ought to live well. Moreover, this world is filled with countless kindnesses; it should never receive even a trace of hostility from you.”
Pungent and warm. Treats abscesses, malignant sores, necrotic tissue, cold wind, damp impediment, rigid and slack limbs that fail to contract, wind headache, and swollen qi, unblocking the interstices. Also named official fat. Grows in mountain valleys. The Famous Physicians say: It grows in the southern mountains and by the Huai Sea, harvested in October.—”Divine Farmer’s Materia Medica” Lower Grade · Animal Section · Elk Fat