The online chaos and brewing storm remained entirely unknown to those on the recording set.
Only the bald director wore a meaningful expression, chuckling to himself from time to time, which caused the young assistant director standing beside him to break out in goosebumps.
Ever since Jiu Qing lifted him out of the traditional medicine clinic, Qiu Ci had remained completely silent. The footrest beneath his wheelchair was practically being clawed to pieces by his toes.
It was awkward, mortifying, and overwhelmingly embarrassing.
Especially his ears, which were still burning red enough to drip blood. His mind kept replaying the veteran practitioner’s earnest advice alongside that deeply flirtatious smile Jiu Qing had flashed him.
No matter how hard he tried, he simply could not banish those words and images from his head.
Damn it, why weren’t science students doing their jobs properly? Why hadn’t they invented a manned rocket to outer space yet?
If one existed right now, he would gladly beg for a standing-room ticket.
After leaving the clinic, a gentle smile had remained plastered across Jiu Qing’s lips, and anyone could tell he was in a fantastic mood.
Seeing that Qiu Ci refused to speak, Jiu Qing didn’t rush him either. He simply pushed the wheelchair along the street, strolling in circles at a pace so light and breezy he practically looked ready to tap dance.
Finally, the bald director couldn’t stand watching it anymore. If this continued, how were they supposed to finish recording the show?
Besides, Qiu Ci was still too young and thin-skinned. If it were veterans like them, they wouldn’t feel embarrassed at all and might even make a self-deprecating joke out of it.
The bald director signaled the camcorder operator, who immediately understood the cue.
“Teacher Qiu Ci, are we heading to the local gentry’s residence now?”
Qiu Ci bit the corner of his lip. Right, he was an entertainer currently recording a program; he couldn’t let his personal emotions derail the production schedule.
Besides, they were both adults, and this wasn’t an insurmountable crisis.
As for his complicated dynamic with Jiu Qing, this was definitely not the right time or place to obsess over it.
He needed to focus on filming the show properly so he wouldn’t disappoint the fans and older sisters who liked him.
With that thought, Qiu Ci forced a bright smile onto his face. “I am not even sure where the gentry’s residence is. Mr. Qin, did you happen to pay attention just now? My mind was wandering earlier, so I completely missed it.”
Qiu Ci naturally possessed a refined, aloof resting face, and his expressions were typically cool and distant. Even his usual smiles were mild and restrained. Today, draped in coarse antique garments, his rare, radiant smile made the entire world seem to brighten up instantly.
Jiu Qing’s naturally amorous fox-like eyes curved as well. “Just call me Brother Jiu. Everyone already knows we are acquainted; calling me Mr. Qin sounds far too distant.”
The earlobes that had only just begun to cool down instantly flared up again. Still, Jiu Qing was right, as it was better to act natural.
He smoothly called him Brother Jiu, repeated his question, and silently prayed to the heavens that Jiu Qing wouldn’t utter another flirtatious remark.
Jiu Qing chuckled in response. “I wasn’t paying attention either, but let’s just wander around a bit more. The town is small enough; we will find it eventually.”
Qiu Ci nodded, inwardly thanking Jiu Qing for sparing him another round of social death.
The town consisted of just a few crisscrossing streets; they were bound to stumble upon the gentry’s residence sooner or later.
However, when they spotted Wu Feng holding a seven or eight-year-old boy working as an extra, surprise flickered across their faces.
Yet, it was also within expectations.
The so-called gentry’s residence turned out to be nothing more than an aged, lightly decorated courtyard house in town.
Wu Feng was still complaining that his residence lacked any sense of style, but his eyes lit up the moment he caught sight of Qiu Ci and Jiu Qing.
“How far along are you guys with your missions?”
Qiu Ci smiled. “Didn’t the director say we have to keep them confidential?”
“Tsk! Screw his rules!” Wu Feng brushed it off carelessly. “I only just found my own place. Can you believe it? The town’s sole gentry actually lives in a dump like this, who would have guessed.”
The sole gentry in town? Qiu Ci and Jiu Qing exchanged a glance.
That meant Wu Feng was the gentry they were looking for. Well, well, the cast members could even act as NPCs for each other.
This show was getting more and more interesting.
Not dwelling on the state of the residence, after all, as a miracle doctor, he didn’t even have a permanent dwelling yet, so having a roof over his head was already a luxury, Qiu Ci asked, “Do you happen to have a sick younger brother?”
“Bingo, right here in my arms.” The little boy Wu Feng was holding was also dressed in ancient attire. Around seven or eight years old, he looked quite adorable.
Heaven knows where the production team managed to dig up such a cute young extra.
Aside from the child, two other extras stood behind them, one dressed as a pageboy and the other as a maidservant.
Oho! Look at that setup. It was far more luxurious than the miracle doctor, who only had a single medicine boy tagging along.
Wu Feng continued, “According to my storyline, my younger brother is gravely ill, and I am supposed to head out and fetch his medicine.”
“I happen to be a physician.” Qiu Ci extended a hand. “Little buddy, would you let big brother check your pulse?”
The little boy behaved obediently. “Okay.”
Putting on a professional front, Qiu Ci feigned expertise. “Hmm, the condition doesn’t sound too serious.”
“Big brother, what kind of illness do I have?” the child asked innocently. “Does being sick mean I don’t have to do my homework?”
Qiu Ci was just putting on an act and had zero medical knowledge, so he could only improvise on the spot.
“Ahem, little buddy, precisely because you are sick, you should be doing more homework. Just a couple of extra test papers ought to do it.”
The child was speechless. Why wasn’t this big brother playing by the rules?
Everyone else present wore similarly speechless expressions.
The live stream chat exploded with laughter. The whole doing-it-yourself moment from earlier hadn’t even faded, and now he was hitting the kid with extra test papers.
“What kind of demonic entity is Qiu Ci? Hahahaha.”
“Is this what they call having been caught in the rain, so now I’m going to tear down everyone else’s umbrellas?”
“Hhahahaha, why didn’t I realize Qiu Ci was this witty before?”
“Demonic extra test papers, why doesn’t he do them himself, hahahaha.”
“Ahem.” Wu Feng couldn’t stop laughing either. “Tonight, I am buying you two sets of Five-Three test papers.”
Qiu Ci retorted, “He is only seven or eight and still in elementary school. Why on earth would you buy Five-Three for him? Are you the real demon here?”
Wu Feng teased playfully, “I meant I’m buying two sets for you. Hmph, a child’s world should belong to a child. Go to school when it is time for school, and play video games when it is vacation time.”
Qiu Ci rubbed his forehead. “I was just making conversation.”
“Looks like Mr. Wu didn’t lack homework growing up, did he?” Jiu Qing, who had been quiet until now, suddenly chimed in.
The way he spoke reeked of protective defense for Qiu Ci.
Wu Feng felt a sudden lump in his throat. Fighting single-handedly, he knew he was no match for these two. Fine, let’s just get down to business.
“So you are saying you are a doctor?” Wu Feng put on a serious face.
Qiu Ci smoothly picked up his cue. “Yes, the senior physician from the city sent me here.”
Although both of their scripts already outlined what was happening, since they were recording a variety show, they still had to go through the motions.
Wu Feng nodded, fished a medical prescription out from his robes, and said, “My younger brother’s condition is peculiar. This prescription was sent over from the capital through a contact, but an accident happened along the way, and the ink for several key herbs on the prescription has blurred.”
Qiu Ci hummed in acknowledgment. “Would it be convenient for me to take a look?”
“Of course.” Wu Feng struck a grand gentry pose. “Since you have sought out this young master, you naturally have a favor to ask of me. If you can restore the prescription and cure my younger brother, I will consider helping you.”
Oh? They hadn’t even gotten around to stating what favor they needed yet, and Wu Feng had skipped a step.
Fortunately, it wasn’t a major issue.
When Qiu Ci took the prescription and looked at it, he was left speechless. “Isn’t this just the formula for Minor Blue-Green Dragon Decoction?”
The only problem was that the middle section of the Minor Blue-Green Dragon Decoction formula had several blank spots, with only faint traces of blurred characters left behind.
Since this was a variety show, the production team was obviously not going to throw them into hell mode.
Half an hour earlier, Qiu Ci had just memorized the Minor Blue-Green Dragon Decoction at the old doctor’s clinic. The production team’s arrangement was clearly designed to keep the recording moving smoothly.
Wu Feng nodded. “Since the little doctor recognizes the formula, I must trouble you to help restore it.”
The extras playing the pageboy and maidservant acted with utmost professionalism, instantly setting up a long table complete with an inkstone, brushes, and paper.
Qiu Ci smiled. “My calligraphy with a brush isn’t very pretty.”
Wu Feng laughed along. “A doctor’s handwriting being hard to read is an open secret, right? Haha.”
Qiu Ci shook his head with a smile. “Not necessarily that bad.”
Jiu Qing dutifully stepped forward to help grind the ink.
His slender, elegant fingers gently gripped the pine soot inkstick, moving in slow, mesmerizing circles across the inkstone. The live stream chat instantly buzzed with comments praising Mr. Qin for looking surprisingly professional.
Even Qiu Ci’s gaze couldn’t help following Jiu Qing’s movements. He couldn’t help wondering how someone who was an actual deity could execute mortal tasks with such effortless familiarity.
Looking back, if he hadn’t witnessed Jiu Qing utilizing divine spells firsthand, judging solely by his day-to-day lifestyle, he never would have guessed he was an almighty god shaking the heavens and earth.
For the first time, Qiu Ci felt a surge of curiosity regarding Jiu Qing’s endless, sprawling past. What kind of experiences could possibly have forged Jiu Qing into the person he was today?
“Alright.” Jiu Qing met his gaze with a hint of concern, though he remained silent.
Qiu Ci picked up the brush, muttering under his breath, “This Minor Blue-Green Dragon Decoction requires Ephedra with its nodes removed, Paeonia, Paeonia…”
The brush in his hand suddenly froze. Qiu Ci’s brows locked together as his mind went completely blank.
Why? He had recited it so fluently back at the medicine clinic just moments ago, so why had he forgotten it now?
Qiu Ci asked himself this question over and over again. It was happening again; that damned goldfish memory was rearing its ugly head.
Ever since he was a child, he had poured countless hours into trying to improve his memory, visiting doctors, taking medications, and even experimenting with international memory training techniques, yet none of it had made the slightest difference.
Even after meeting Jiu Qing and consuming all those miraculous celestial pills and exotic unknown fruits, there had been zero improvement, and Jiu Qing still had no solution to this day.
This cursed goldfish memory felt like a lifelong curse clinging to him.
“Half an hour has already passed.” Jiu Qing sighed softly. “If you cannot write it down, let’s stop forcing it. There are still faint traces of characters left on this prescription; we can try piecing it back together. Do you remember what I taught you before?”
A trace of dejection shadowed Qiu Ci’s expression as he offered a forced, stiff smile.
This smile looked far more desolate than when Jiu Qing had been wheeling him down the street; the corners of his mouth curved upward, yet his eyes remained devoid of any warmth.
“What’s wrong?” Wu Feng asked, oblivious to the shift in atmosphere. “If you really can not remember, reconstructing the formula piece by piece is an option too.”
He was trying to throw Qiu Ci a lifeline, especially since he had heard rumors that Qiu Ci was notoriously poor at studying.